Pope Francis reaches 12th year as pope. This is how long his predecessors served

Pope Francis reaches 12th year as pope. This is how long his predecessors served

March 13, 2025, marks Francis' 12th anniversary as pope. He holds the ninth longest papacy of the past 200 years.

Updated: 5:00 AM CDT Mar 13, 2025

VATICAN CITY, —

The average pope over the past two centuries has served about 14 years. Pope Francis, who is battling double pneumonia, just hit his 12th anniversary as pope on March 13.

The 88-year-old became head of the Catholic Church on March 13, 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. He has been hospitalized for nearly a month, but on Monday, doctors said Francis is no longer in imminent danger.

Since the 1800s, there have been 16 popes. Of those popes, Francis has the ninth-longest papacy so far.

Over the past 200 years, the longest papacy reign was that of Pope Pius IX, who served over 31 years from 1846 to 1878. The shortest was that of Pope John Paul I, who was head of the Catholic Church for just 33 days.

Paul served from August to September of 1978. He died at the age of 65 of a heart attack, according to the Vatican, although his death sparked many conspiracy theories.

In total, there have been 266 popes of the Catholic Church. When a pope dies or resigns, cardinals convene in Rome to select the successor.

After taking an oath of secrecy, the 120 cardinals selected for choosing the next pope lock themselves in the Sistine Chapel. Each day, there are four rounds of voting, during which cardinals cast anonymous ballots.

A candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes. If no candidate receives the vote, the ballots are burned in a stove with a chemical that produces black smoke visible from St. Peter’s Square.

Once a candidate is selected, a different chemical is mixed with the burnt ballots to create white smoke.

Since the 1800s, it has taken an average of 22 days from the resignation or death of the previous pope to name a new pope.

It only took 13 days to name Francis after Benedict's resignation.

When a pope is named, they take on a new papal name that replaces their secular name. Francis was the first Francis.

The most common papal name is John, followed by Benedict and Gregory.

https://www.wvtm13.com/article/bobbi-gibb-boston-marathon-1966/64173282

Thirteenth Rule. To be right in everything, we ought always to hold that the white which I see, is black, if the Hierarchical Church so decides it, believing that between Christ our Lord, the Bridegroom, and the Church, His Bride, there is the same Spirit which governs and directs us for the salvation of our souls. Because by the same Spirit and our Lord Who gave the ten Commandments, our holy Mother the Church is directed and governed."

The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YC_luOfFWl0Bm0BWkbANKZGC1kkmdHQf/view?usp=sharing

"The secret thought of Hugues de Payens, in founding his Order, was not exactly to serve the ambition of the Patriarchs of Constantinople. There existed at that period in the East a Sect of Johannite Christians, who claimed to be the only true Initiates into the real mysteries of the religion of the Saviour. They pretended to know the real history of YESUS the ANOINTED, and, adopting in part the Jewish traditions and the tales of the Talmud, they held that the facts recounted in the Evangels are but allegories, the key of which Saint John gives, in saying that the

p. 817

world might be filled with the books that could be written upon the words and deeds of Jesus Christ; words which, they thought, would be only a ridiculous exaggeration, if he were not speaking of an allegory and a legend, that might be varied and prolonged to infinity.

"The Johannites ascribed to Saint John the foundation of their Secret Church, and the Grand Pontiffs of the Sect assumed the title of Christos, Anointed, or Consecrated, and claimed to have succeeded one another from Saint John by an uninterrupted succession of pontifical powers. He who, at the period of the foundation of the Order of the Temple, claimed these imaginary prerogatives, was named THEOCLET; he knew HUGUES DE PAYENS, he initiated him into the Mysteries and hopes of his pretended church, he seduced him by the notions of Sovereign Priesthood and Supreme royalty, and finally designated him as his successor.

"Thus the Order of Knights of the Temple was at its very origin devoted to the cause of opposition to the tiara of Rome and the crowns of Kings, and the Apostolate of Kabalistic Gnosticism was vested in its chiefs. For Saint John himself was the Father of the Gnostics, and the current translation of his polemic against the heretical of his Sect and the pagans who denied that Christ was the Word, is throughout a misrepresentation, or misunderstanding at least, of the whole Spirit of that Evangel.

"The tendencies and tenets of the Order were enveloped in profound mystery, and it externally professed the most perfect orthodoxy. The Chiefs alone knew the aim of the Order: the Subalterns followed them without distrust.

"To acquire influence and wealth, then to intrigue, and at need to fight, to establish the Johannite or Gnostic and Kabalistic dogma, were the object and means proposed to the initiated Brethren. The Papacy and the rival monarchies, they said to them, are sold and bought in these days, become corrupt, and to-morrow, perhaps, will destroy each other. All that will become the heritage of the Temple: the World will soon come to us for its Sovereigns and Pontiffs. We shall constitute the equilibrium of the Universe, and be rulers over the Masters of the World.

"The Templars, like all other Secret Orders and Associations, had two doctrines, one concealed and reserved for the Masters, which was Johannism; the other public, which was the Roman Catholic. Thus they deceived the adversaries whom they sought

XXX.

KNIGHT KADOSH.

Morals and Dogma

by Albert Pike

https://sacred-texts.com/mas/md/md31.htm

What Happened to the Knights Templar on Friday the 13th?

February 5, 2024

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Friday the 13th is often considered an unlucky day in Western superstition, a belief that can be traced back to one pivotal event in the early 14th century involving the Knights Templar. This day marked the beginning of the end for this once-powerful and wealthy order of knights, leading to their dramatic downfall. The events that unfolded on Friday, October 13, 1307, remain one of the most striking examples of the combination of religious fervor, political intrigue, and greed in medieval Europe.

The Rise of the Knights Templar

Before delving into their downfall, it's essential to understand who the Knights Templar were and why they held such power. Founded in 1119, the Templars were initially charged with protecting Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Over time, their mission expanded, and they became one of the most formidable military orders during the Crusades. Beyond their military prowess, the Templars developed a vast economic network across Christendom, establishing early forms of banking that allowed them to amass great wealth and influence.

The Downfall Begins

The beginning of the end for the Knights Templar started with the loss of the Holy Land and the Crusades' diminishing importance, which undermined their reason for existence. Additionally, their immense wealth and power had made them enviable and feared across Europe. King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Templars and covetous of their wealth, saw an opportunity to eliminate his debts and assert control over their riches.

On Friday, October 13, 1307, under orders from King Philip, French Templars were simultaneously arrested, including the Grand Master, Jacques de Molay. The charges were shockingly severe and included heresy, idolatry, and sodomy. These accusations were largely fabricated by the king's officials to undermine the Templars' credibility and justify their arrest and the seizure of their assets.

The Trials and Tortures

Following their arrest, the Templars were subjected to torturous interrogations intended to force confessions. Many Templars, including Jacques de Molay, initially confessed to some charges under the agony of torture but later retracted their statements. Despite the dubious nature of these confessions, they were used as a basis for further actions against the order.

The trials of the Knights Templar were a mix of ecclesiastical and royal proceedings, reflecting the complex relationship between the Papacy and European monarchies. Pope Clement V, under pressure from King Philip, disbanded the order in 1312 through the papal bull Vox in excelso. The assets of the Templars were supposed to be transferred to the Knights Hospitaller, but much of their wealth was seized by local monarchs.

The Legacy of the Last Templars

The last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, was burned at the stake in 1314, along with his second-in-command, Geoffroi de Charney. Before his death, it is said that de Molay cursed King Philip IV and Pope Clement V, claiming they would soon meet him before God. Intriguingly, both the pope and the king died within the year, further cementing the legend surrounding the Templars' demise.

Conclusion

The dissolution of the Knights Templar on Friday the 13th left a lasting legacy that contributed to the day's association with bad luck. The dramatic fall of this once-mighty order is a testament to the volatile mix of power, greed, and politics that characterized medieval Europe. The Templars' story has since become enveloped in myth and legend, inspiring countless books, movies, and conspiracy theories. Yet, at the heart of these tales lies a real historical event that forever changed the course of European history and contributed to the mystique of Friday the 13th.

https://templarblog.com/blogs/our-community-blog-post/what-happened-to-the-knights-templar-on-friday-the-13th

Ophiuchus (/ˌɒfiˈjuːkəs/) is a large constellation straddling the celestial equator. Its name comes from the Ancient Greek ὀφιοῦχος (ophioûkhos), meaning "serpent-bearer", and it is commonly represented as a man grasping a snake. The serpent is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. An old alternative name for the constellation was Serpentarius.[1]

Location

Ophiuchus lies between Aquila, Serpens, Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Hercules, northwest of the center of the Milky Way. The southern part lies between Scorpius to the west and Sagittarius to the east.[2] In the northern hemisphere, it is best visible in summer.[3] It is opposite of Orion. Ophiuchus is depicted as a man grasping a serpent; the interposition of his body divides the snake constellation Serpens into two parts, Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda. Ophiuchus straddles the equator with the majority of its area lying in the southern hemisphere. Rasalhague, its brightest star, lies near the northern edge of Ophiuchus at about +12° 30′ declination.[4] The constellation extends southward to −30° declination. Segments of the ecliptic within Ophiuchus are south of −20° declination (see chart at right).

In contrast to Orion, from November to January (summer in the Southern Hemisphere, winter in the Northern Hemisphere), Ophiuchus is in the daytime sky and thus not visible at most latitudes. However, for much of the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere's winter months, the Sun is below the horizon even at midday. Stars (and thus parts of Ophiuchus, especially Rasalhague) are then visible at twilight for a few hours around local noon, low in the south. In the Northern Hemisphere's spring and summer months, when Ophiuchus is normally visible in the night sky, the constellation is actually not visible, because the midnight sun obscures the stars at those times and places in the Arctic. In countries close to the equator, Ophiuchus appears overhead in June around midnight and in the October evening sky.[citation needed]

Features

Stars

See also: List of stars in Ophiuchus

The brightest stars in Ophiuchus include α Ophiuchi, called Rasalhague ("head of the serpent charmer"), at magnitude 2.07, and η Ophiuchi, known as Sabik ("the preceding one"), at magnitude 2.43.[5][6] Alpha Ophiuchi is composed of an A-type (bluish-white) giant star[7] and a K-type main sequence star.[8] The primary is a rapid rotator[9] with an inclined axis of rotation.[10] Eta Ophiuchi is a binary system.[11] Other bright stars in the constellation include β Ophiuchi, Cebalrai ("dog of the shepherd")[12] and λ Ophiuchi, or Marfik ("the elbow").[13] Beta Ophiuchi is an evolved red giant star that is slightly more massive than the Sun.[14][15] Lambda Ophiuchi is a binary star system with the primary being more massive and luminous than the Sun.[16][17]

RS Ophiuchi is part of a class called recurrent novae, whose brightness increase at irregular intervals by hundreds of times in a period of just a few days. It is thought to be at the brink of becoming a type-1a supernova.[18] It erupts around every 15 years and usually has a magnitude of around 5.0 during eruptions, most recently in 2021.[19][20]

Barnard's Star, one of the nearest stars to the Solar System (the only stars closer are the Alpha Centauri binary star system and Proxima Centauri), lies in Ophiuchus. It is located to the left of β and just north of the V-shaped group of stars in an area that was once occupied by the now-obsolete constellation of Taurus Poniatovii (Poniatowski's Bull). It is thought that an exoplanet orbits around the star,[21] but later studies have refuted this claim.[22] In 1998, an intense flare was observed.[23][24] The star has also been a target of plans for interstellar travel such as Project Daedalus.[25][26] In 2005, astronomers using data from the Green Bank Telescope discovered a superbubble so large that it extends beyond the plane of the galaxy.[27] It is called the Ophiuchus Superbubble.

In April 2007, astronomers announced that the Swedish-built Odin satellite had made the first detection of clouds of molecular oxygen in space, following observations in the constellation Ophiuchus.[28] The supernova of 1604 was first observed on 9 October 1604, near θ Ophiuchi. Johannes Kepler saw it first on 16 October and studied it so extensively that the supernova was subsequently called Kepler's Supernova. He published his findings in a book titled De stella nova in pede Serpentarii (On the New Star in Ophiuchus's Foot). Galileo used its brief appearance to counter the Aristotelian dogma that the heavens are changeless. It was a Type Ia supernova[29] and the most recent Milky Way supernova visible to the unaided eye.[30] In 2009 it was announced that GJ 1214, a star in Ophiuchus, undergoes repeated, cyclical dimming with a period of about 1.5 days consistent with the transit of a small orbiting planet.[31] The planet's low density (about 40% that of Earth) suggests that the planet may have a substantial component of low-density gas—possibly hydrogen or steam.[32] The proximity of this star to Earth (42 light years) makes it a tempting target for further observations.[according to whom?] The host star emits X-rays which could have removed mass from the exoplanet.[33] In April 2010, the naked-eye star ζ Ophiuchi was occulted by the asteroid 824 Anastasia.[34][35][36]

Deep-sky objects

Infrared light view of Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud complex from NASA

Photo from Rogelio Bernal Andreo of the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud complex

Ophiuchus contains several star clusters, such as IC 4665, NGC 6633, M9, M10, M12, M14, M19, M62, and M107, as well as the nebula IC 4603-4604.

M9 is a globular cluster which may have an extra-galactic origin.[38] M10 is a fairly close globular cluster, only 20,000 light-years from Earth. It has a magnitude of 6.6 and is a Shapley class VII cluster. This means that it has "intermediate" concentration; it is only somewhat concentrated towards its center.[39] M12 is a globular cluster which is around 5 kiloparsecs from the Solar System.[40] M14 is another globular cluster which is somewhat farther away.[41] Globular cluster M19 is oblate-shaped[42] with multiple different types of variable stars.[43] M62 is a globular cluster rich in variable stars such as RR Lyrae variables[44] and has two generations of stars with different element abundances.[45] M107 is also rich in variable stars.[46]

The unusual galaxy merger remnant and starburst galaxy NGC 6240 is also in Ophiuchus. At a distance of 400 million light-years, this "butterfly-shaped" galaxy has two supermassive black holes 3,000 light-years apart. Confirmation of the fact that both nuclei contain black holes was obtained by spectra from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Astronomers estimate that the black holes will merge in another billion years. NGC 6240 also has an unusually high rate of star formation, classifying it as a starburst galaxy. This is likely due to the heat generated by the orbiting black holes and the aftermath of the collision.[47] Both have active galactic nuclei.[48]

In 2006, a new nearby star cluster was discovered associated with the 4th magnitude star Mu Ophiuchi.[49] The Mamajek 2 cluster appears to be a poor cluster remnant analogous to the Ursa Major Moving Group, but 7 times more distant (approximately 170 parsecs away). Mamajek 2 appears to have formed in the same star-forming complex as the NGC 2516 cluster roughly 135 million years ago.[50]

Barnard 68 is a large dark nebula, located 410 light-years from Earth. Despite its diameter of 0.4 light-years, Barnard 68 only has twice the mass of the Sun, making it both very diffuse and very cold, with a temperature of about 16 kelvins. Though it is currently stable, Barnard 68 will eventually collapse, inciting the process of star formation. One unusual feature of Barnard 68 is its vibrations, which have a period of 250,000 years. Astronomers speculate that this phenomenon is caused by the shock wave from a supernova.[47] Barnard 68 has blocked thousands of stars visible at other wavelengths[51] and the distribution of dust in Barnard 68 has been mapped.[52][53]

The space probe Voyager 1, the furthest man-made object from earth, is traveling in the direction of Ophiuchus. It is located between α Herculis, α Ophiuchi and κ Ophiuchi at right ascension 17h 13m and declination +12° 25’ (July 2020).[54]

In November 2022, the USA's NSF NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory) announced the unambiguous identification of the nearest stellar black hole orbited by a G-type main-sequence star, the system identified as Gaia BH1 at around 1,560 light years from the Sun.[55]

History and mythology

There is no evidence of the constellation preceding the classical era, and in Babylonian astronomy, a "Sitting Gods" constellation seems to have been located in the general area of Ophiuchus. However, Gavin White proposes that Ophiuchus may in fact be remotely descended from this Babylonian constellation, representing Nirah, a serpent-god who was sometimes depicted with his upper half human but with serpents for legs.[56]

The earliest mention of the constellation is in Aratus, informed by the lost catalogue of Eudoxus of Cnidus (4th century BCE):[57]

To the Phantom's back the Crown is near, but by his head mark near at hand the head of Ophiuchus, and then from it you can trace the starlit Ophiuchus himself: so brightly set beneath his head appear his gleaming shoulders. They would be clear to mark even at the midmonth moon, but his hands are not at all so bright; for faint runs the gleam of stars along on this side and on that. Yet they too can be seen, for they are not feeble. Both firmly clutch the Serpent, which encircles the waist of Ophiuchus, but he, steadfast with both his feet well set, tramples a huge monster, even the Scorpion, standing upright on his eye and breast. Now the Serpent is wreathed about his two hands – a little above his right hand, but in many folds high above his left.[58]

To the ancient Greeks, the constellation represented the god Apollo struggling with a huge snake that guarded the Oracle of Delphi.[59]

Later myths identified Ophiuchus with Laocoön, the Trojan priest of Poseidon, who warned his fellow Trojans about the Trojan Horse and was later slain by a pair of sea serpents sent by the gods to punish him.[59] According to Roman era mythography,[60] the figure represents the healer Asclepius, who learned the secrets of keeping death at bay after observing one serpent bringing another healing herbs. To prevent the entire human race from becoming immortal under Asclepius' care, Jupiter killed him with a bolt of lightning, but later placed his image in the heavens to honor his good works. In medieval Islamic astronomy (Azophi's Uranometry, 10th century), the constellation was known as Al-Ḥawwa', "the snake-charmer".[61]

Aratus describes Ophiuchus as trampling on Scorpius with his feet. This is depicted in Renaissance to Early Modern star charts, beginning with Albrecht Dürer in 1515; in some depictions (such as that of Johannes Kepler in De Stella Nova, 1606), Scorpius also seems to threaten to sting Serpentarius in the foot. This is consistent with Azophi, who already included ψ Oph and ω Oph as the snake-charmer's "left foot", and θ Oph and ο Oph as his "right foot", making Ophiuchus a zodiacal constellation at least as regards his feet.[62] This arrangement has been taken as symbolic in later literature and placed in relation to the words spoken by God to the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15).[63]

Zodiac

Main article: Ophiuchus (astrology)

Ophiuchus is one of the 13 constellations that cross the ecliptic.[64] It has sometimes been suggested as the "13th sign of the zodiac". However, this confuses zodiac or astrological signs with constellations.[65] The signs of the zodiac are a 12-fold division of the ecliptic, so that each sign spans 30° of celestial longitude, approximately the distance the Sun travels in a month, and (in the Western tradition) are aligned with the seasons so that the March equinox always falls on the boundary between Pisces and Aries.[66][67] Constellations, on the other hand, are unequal in size and are based on the positions of the stars. The constellations of the zodiac have only a loose association with the signs of the zodiac, and do not in general coincide with them.[68] In Western astrology the constellation of Aquarius, for example, largely corresponds to the sign of Pisces. Similarly, the constellation of Ophiuchus occupies most (29 November – 18 December[69]) of the sign of Sagittarius (23 November – 21 December). The differences are due to the fact that the time of year that the Sun passes through a particular zodiac constellation's position has slowly changed (because of the precession of the Earth's rotational axis) over the centuries from when the Babylonians originally developed the zodiac.[70][71]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiuchus

The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a timber rattlesnake[1][2] coiled and ready to strike. Beneath the rattlesnake are the words Dont Tread on Me [sic].[a] Some modern versions of the flag include an apostrophe in the word "don't".

The flag is named after Christopher Gadsden, a South Carolinian delegate to the Continental Congress and brigadier general in the Continental Army,[4][5] who designed the flag in 1775 during the American Revolution.[6] He gave the flag to Commodore Esek Hopkins, and it was unfurled on the main mast of Hopkins' flagship USS Alfred on December 20, 1775.[5][7] Two days later, Congress made Hopkins commander-in-chief of the Continental Navy.[8] He adopted the Gadsden banner as his personal flag, flying it from the mainmast of the flagship while he was aboard.[5] The Continental Marines also flew the flag during the early part of the war.[6]

The rattlesnake was a symbol of the unity of the Thirteen Colonies at the start of the Revolutionary War, and it had a long history as a political symbol in America. Benjamin Franklin used it for his Join, or Die woodcut in 1754.[5][9] Gadsden intended his flag to serve as a physical symbol of the American Revolution's ideals.[5]

The flag has been described as the "most popular symbol of the American Revolution".[5] Its design proclaims an assertive warning of vigilance and willingness to act in defense against coercion.[10] This has led it to be associated with the ideas of individualism and liberty.[11][12][13][14][15][16] It is often used in the United States as a symbol of right-libertarianism, classical liberalism, and small government, as well as for distrust or defiance against authorities and government.[17][18][19]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_flag

Join, or Die. is a political cartoon showing the disunity in the American colonies, originally in the context of the French and Indian War in 1754. Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the original publication by The Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754,[1] is the earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by an American colonist in Colonial America.[2] It was based on a superstition that if a snake was cut in pieces and the pieces were put together before sunset, the snake would return to life.

The cartoon is a woodcut showing a snake cut into eighths, with each segment labeled with the initials of one of the American colonies or regions. New England was represented as one segment, rather than the four colonies it was at that time. Delaware was not listed separately as it was part of Pennsylvania. Georgia, however, was omitted completely. As a result, it has eight segments of a snake rather than the traditional 13 colonies.[3] The poster focused solely on the colonies that claimed shared identities as Americans. The cartoon appeared along with Franklin's editorial about the "disunited state" of the colonies and helped make his point about the importance of colonial unity. It later became a symbol of colonial freedom during the American Revolutionary War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Join,_or_Die

The Templars in America 

One of the requirements of the Beast empire is that it be a democratic nation born of Templar French Freemasonry, the father of modern democracy. 

Michael Baigent, co-author of The Temple and The Lodge, has traced the movement of the Templars to America. He discovered that Sionist English Freemasonry reigned supreme in Boston until a higher degree Templar lodge was warranted in 1756 by Grand Lodge Scotland. "There were thus two rival Provincial Grand Lodges in Boston," says Baigent, "St. John's, under the aegis of the Grand Lodge of England, and St. Andrew's, under the aegis of Grand Lodge of Scotland.... And on 28 August 1769, St. Andrew's conferred, for the first time anywhere in the world, a new Freemasonic degree - specifically called the Knights Templar Degree."23 

Shortly thereafter another form of Templar Freemasonry came to America. The quasi-Jacobite Grand Lodge of York warranted lodges in Virginia.24 York Rite Freemasonry created additional degrees in the New World until it reached the 13th and final degree, known as the Knights Templar degree. 

Thirteen-degree Templar York Rite Masonry, having ceased operation in England after establishing its base in the New World, exists today only in North America. Michael Baigent was able to trace the westward migration of the Templars by following their esoteric number "13." As you recall, the original Templar order consisted of thirteen degrees. The number "13" also commemorates Friday the 13th, 1307, the day persecution of the Templars began. In 1314, Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burned at the stake. Only in America, says Baigent, has the Templar Grand Master received his most flattering and lavish public homage, in the form of a youth organization sponsored by Freemasonry, the Order of DeMolay.

Templar Military Lodges 

The Templars also stealthily entered America through military lodges. Of particular significance are those chartered by the Irish Grand Lodge, which offered the higher degrees of Jacobite Masonry. Later these lodges incorporated the French Templar Scottish Rite degrees, further dividing colonial America between two rival forms of Freemasonry. While British politics in the colonies was dominated by English Masons in the Northeast, her military was under the influence of French Templar Field Lodges throughout the colonies - not a stable union for governing "13" rebellious colonies.2

European Templars Settle America 

Another identifying characteristic of the Beast's revived Roman empire, according to our analysis of Daniel 7:7-8 in chapter 26, is that it must be populated by immigrants from the territory governed by the old Roman empire. Of course colonial America was populated by peoples from a Europe shaped by ancient Rome and later by the Holy Roman Empire. Templar influence in America began after Prince Charles Edward, the Young Stuart Pretender, failed to regain his British throne. As you recall, in 1746 he was soundly defeated, forever dashing the hopes of Scottish Templars recapturing England. As a result, many Irish and Scottish Templar Jacobites who had fought with Charles Stuart fled to America. Those who returned to France with the Prince founded the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 

Between 1745 and 1753, the British and European Templar population in the New World had increased dramatically. In 1754 Benjamin Franklin attempted to relieve population pressure by proposing a plan for the union of all 13 colonies. The British government rejected Franklin's proposal, fearing a united America would be difficult to control. Subsequently, the exploding population was forced to move west into French territory, which precipitated the French and Indian War in America, a phase of the Seven Years War on the continent of Europe. During this war the French military brought to the New World the Templar Scottish Rite, first setting up base at Boston, then Charleston, S.C.26 Michael Baigent, in The Temple and The Lodge, explains:

Prior to the Seven Years War, most of the Freemasonry in North America was orthodox pro- Hanoverian, warranted by Grand Lodge [London]. During the Seven Years War, however, "higher degree" [Templar] Freemasonry, by means of regimental field lodges, was transplanted on a large scale to the American colonies and quickly took root. Boston - the soil from which the American Revolution was to spring - exemplifies the process of transplantation and the friction that sometimes arose from it.27

Benjamin Franklin: Templar Spy Master 

Benjamin Franklin became a Mason in February 1731 and Provincial Grand Master of Pennsylvania in 1734, and again in 1749. In 1756 he was inducted into the Royal Society in absensia. (The Royal Society, you may recall, was an English Masonic front organization for the Rosicrucian Priory of Sion.) 

Between 1757 and 1762, and again between 1764 and 1775, Franklin spent considerable time in England and France. While in England, he discovered English Freemasonry's "Secret Doctrine" for America. Franklin was in London in 1775 when he was made aware that war between the colonies and Great Britain might break out at any moment, so in March he returned to Philadelphia. Later that year he attended the Second Continental Congress, through which he helped draft the Declaration of Independence. In 1776 he was sent to Paris where he came in contact with the Illuminati. Franklin learned of the esoteric significance of the number "13" and the Illuminati plan for the "13" American colonies. He stayed in Paris only a short while, returning to America with this important information. On the afternoon of July 4, 1776, he, with two other Masons, were appointed by the Continental Congress to design the Great Seal of the United States of America, which would include the Seal of the Illuminati. 

Baigent suggests that Franklin favored the Illuminati plan to create a New World democracy, a "Philosophical Atlantis," over the British plan for an oligarchic expansion of empire. When Franklin was in France, he began to build a spy network in preparation for America's independence from England. Baigent gives us the details: 

On 9 November [1777], a special committee - the "Committee of Congress for Secret Correspondence" - was appointed to establish a network of contacts among "our friends abroad." This committee consisted of Robert Morris, John Jay, Benjamin Harrison, John Dickinson and Benjamin Franklin. It was to operate extensively through Freemasonic channels and to lead to the creation of an elaborate spy network. At the same time, and quite coincidentally, it was to overlap a British spy network which ran parallel to it and also operated through Freemasonic channels. Both networks were to be based primarily in Paris, which became the centre for a vast web of espionage, intrigue and shifting allegiances.28 

Spying was not foreign to Franklin. As Deputy Postmaster General for the American colonies from the 1750s until 1775, he became particularly friendly with his British counterpart, Sir Francis Dashwood, who moved in Jacobite Masonic circles. Dashwood also had Masonic friends who were staunch supporters of Charles Edward Stuart. While in England Franklin stayed at Dashwood's estate. Michael Baigent gives us more details about the "traditional" role of spymaster incumbent upon Postmasters-General: 

Because it afforded access to virtually all letters, all communications, the position of Postmaster-General was also traditionally that of spymaster. And during the American War for Independence, their experience as Postmasters-General was to stand both Dashwood and Franklin in good stead. 

In his dual role of spymaster and colonial ambassador to France, Franklin established his centre of operations in Paris. He was accompanied here by two other appointees of the Congressional Committee for Secret Correspondence, Silas Deane and Arthur Lee. Lee's brother was based in London. So, too, was Franklin's sister, who is also believed to have been engaged in espionage.29 

Franklin's sister introduced Franklin to the Howe brothers, one a General in the British Army, the other an Admiral, both of whom belonged to Templar military lodges in the colonial theater of operation. As Templars they were favorable to the rebellion. And in fact in 1781 the Howe brothers were accused of "belonging to a 'faction' which conspired to facilitate the colonists' bid for independence."30 

Franklin's Templar Masonic friends in the postal service and in the military also had Templar sympathizers in the British Parliament. These traitors to the British Crown clandestinely raised money for the Colonial Continental Army and remitted it to Franklin in Paris. Franklin passed it on to North America, or used it in France to purchase arms and material. In 1778 Franklin joined the Illuminati lodge "Neuf Soeurs" (Nine Sisters), assisting in the initiation of Voltaire. Later he became Grand Master of the Lodge. In 1782 Franklin joined a more elusive and mysterious Freemasonic conclave, the Royal Lodge of Commanders of the Temple West. 

As stated earlier, the British spy network in Paris was also Masonic. Its agents had penetrated Franklin's operation by joining his Nine Sisters' Lodge. Thus, "the British government was kept apprised not only of the colonists' activities, but also of French plans for entering the war."31 

British knowledge of the impending colonial revolt did not, however, reach ears in America, because the British colonial high command in charge of the Crown's army and navy in the New World (namely the Howe brothers) were Templar Freemasons solidly in the camp of Franklin. To guarantee the success of the American Revolution, the Howe brothers displayed dilatory conduct throughout the war.

A Templar American Revolution 

The war for American independence was a continuation of the battle between English and French Freemasonry. The conflict over the control of "New Atlantis" originated in Boston between two adversarial lodges, Sionist St. John's and Templar St. Andrew's. Among the members of St. Andrew's were John Hancock and Paul Revere. To the south in Virginia were two other Templar Masons, Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, who in 1769 prompted the Virginia Assembly to formally condemn the British government. Events swiftly accelerated toward open conflict between England and her American colonies. In 1770 the famous Boston Massacre occurred when British sentries killed five rioters. In 1771 thirteen rebels were executed for treason in North Carolina. In 1772 two prominent Freemasons, John Brown and Abraham Whipple, had attacked a customs ship off Rhode Island and burned it. In 1773 the British government increased the tax on tea to keep the British East India Company solvent. In retaliation, Templar Masons from St. Andrew's Lodge dressed as Mohawk Indians, boarded the Dartmouth in Boston harbor and dumped its tea overboard. This was the famous "Boston Tea Party" that is said to have triggered the American Revolution.32 

It took three months for the news of the "Boston Tea Party" to reach London, whereupon the British Parliament declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion. Not realizing the significance of the Masonic division in the colonies, the Crown's action was swift and misguidedly drastic. The "Boston Port Bill," which placed an embargo on all trade with Boston, for example, effectively closed the port,33 and stiffened colonial resolve against the Crown. 

On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia to plan action against the British. The Congress was under the presidency of Templar Freemason Peyton Randolph, a prominent attorney and Provincial Grand Master of Virginia. Boston delegates included Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. In February 1775, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress met and announced plans for armed resistance. Within a month Templar Freemason Patrick Henry made his famous speech - "Give me liberty, or give me death" - to Virginia's Provincial Assembly. On April 18, 1775, 700 British troops were dispatched outside Boston. Templar Freemason Paul Revere made his famous ride, announcing "The Red Coats are coming!" The Templar bid to take America from Rosicrucian England had begun.34

Scarlet and the Beast

by John Daniel

https://ia803001.us.archive.org/28/items/ScarletAndTheBeastJohnDaniel1995/Scarlet%20and%20the%20Beast,%20John%20Daniel%20(1995).pdf 

Remarks by President Obama and His Holiness Pope Francis at Arrival Ceremony

South Lawn

9:32 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good morning.  

AUDIENCE:  Good morning!  (Applause.)  

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  What a beautiful day the Lord has made.  Holy Father, on behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White House.  (Applause.)  I should explain that our backyard is not typically this crowded -- (laughter) -- but the size and spirit of today’s gathering is just a small reflection of the deep devotion of some 70 million American Catholics.  (Applause.)  It reflects, as well, the way that your message of love and hope has inspired so many people across our nation and around the world.  So on behalf of the American people, it is my great honor and privilege to welcome you to the United States of America.  (Applause.)   

Today, we mark many firsts.  Your Holiness, you have been celebrated as the first Pope from the Americas.  (Applause.) This is your first visit to the United States.  (Applause.)  And you are also the first pontiff to share an encyclical through a Twitter account.  (Laughter.)    

Holy Father, your visit not only allows us, in some small way, to reciprocate the extraordinary hospitality that you extended to me at the Vatican last year.  It also reveals how much all Americans, from every background and every faith, value the role that the Catholic Church plays in strengthening America.  (Applause.)  From my time working in impoverished neighborhoods with the Catholic Church in Chicago, to my travels as President, I’ve seen firsthand how, every single day, Catholic communities, priests, nuns, laity are feeding the hungry, healing the sick, sheltering the homeless, educating our children, and fortifying the faith that sustains so many.  

And what is true in America is true around the world.  From the busy streets of Buenos Aires to the remote villages in Kenya, Catholic organizations serve the poor, minister to prisoners, build schools, build homes, operate orphanages and hospitals.  And just as the Church has stood with those struggling to break the chains of poverty, the Church so often has given voice and hope to those seeking to break the chains of violence and oppression.  

And yet, I believe the excitement around your visit, Holy Father, must be attributed not only to your role as Pope, but to your unique qualities as a person.  (Applause.)  In your humility, your embrace of simplicity, in the gentleness of your words and the generosity of your spirit, we see a living example of Jesus’ teachings, a leader whose moral authority comes not just through words but also through deeds.  (Applause.)   

You call on all of us, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, to put the “least of these” at the center of our concerns.  You remind us that in the eyes of God our measure as individuals, and our measure as a society, is not determined by wealth or power or station or celebrity, but by how well we hew to Scripture’s call to lift up the poor and the marginalized -- (applause) -- to stand up for justice and against inequality, and to ensure that every human being is able to live in dignity –- because we are all made in the image of God.  (Applause.)  

You remind us that “the Lord’s most powerful message” is mercy.  And that means welcoming the stranger with empathy and a truly open heart –- (applause) -- from the refugee who flees war-torn lands to the immigrant who leaves home in search of a better life.  (Applause.)  It means showing compassion and love for the marginalized and the outcast, to those who have suffered, and those who have caused suffering and seek redemption.  You remind us of the costs of war, particularly on the powerless and defenseless, and urge us toward the imperative of peace.  (Applause.)  

Holy Father, we are grateful for your invaluable support of our new beginning with the Cuban people -- (applause) -- which holds out the promise of better relations between our countries, greater cooperation across our hemisphere, and a better life for the Cuban people.  We thank you for your passionate voice against the deadly conflicts that ravage the lives of so many men, women and children, and your call for nations to resist the sirens of war and resolve disputes through diplomacy. 

You remind us that people are only truly free when they can practice their faith freely.  (Applause.)  Here in the United States, we cherish religious liberty.  It was the basis for so much of what brought us together.  And here in the United States, we cherish our religious liberty, but around the world, at this very moment, children of God, including Christians, are targeted and even killed because of their faith.  Believers are prevented from gathering at their places of worship.  The faithful are imprisoned, and churches are destroyed.  So we stand with you in defense of religious freedom and interfaith dialogue, knowing that people everywhere must be able to live out their faith free from fear and free from intimidation.  (Applause.)  

And, Holy Father, you remind us that we have a sacred obligation to protect our planet, God’s magnificent gift to us.  (Applause.)  We support your call to all world leaders to support the communities most vulnerable to changing climate, and to come together to preserve our precious world for future generations.  (Applause.)

Your Holiness, in your words and deeds, you set a profound moral example.  And in these gentle but firm reminders of our obligations to God and to one another, you are shaking us out of complacency.  All of us may, at times, experience discomfort when we contemplate the distance between how we lead our daily lives and what we know to be true, what we know to be right.  But I believe such discomfort is a blessing, for it points to something better.  You shake our conscience from slumber; you call on us to rejoice in Good News, and give us confidence that we can come together in humility and service, and pursue a world that is more loving, more just, and more free.  Here at home and around the world, may our generation heed your call to “never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope.”

For that great gift of hope, Holy Father, we thank you, and welcome you, with joy and gratitude, to the United States of America.  (Applause.)

HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS:  Good morning.

AUDIENCE:  Good morning!

HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS:  Mr. President, I am deeply grateful for your welcome in the name of the all Americans.  As a son of an immigrant family, I am happy to be a guest in this country, which was largely built by such families.  (Applause.)

I look forward to these days of encounter and dialogue in which I hope to listen to and share many of the hopes and dreams of the American people.  During my visit, I will have the honor of addressing Congress, where I hope, as a brother of this country, to offer words of encouragement to those called to guide the nation’s political future in fidelity to its founding principles.  I will also travel to Philadelphia for the eighth World Meeting of Families to celebrate and support the institutions of marriage and the family at this critical moment in the history of our civilization.  (Applause.) 

Mr. President, together with their fellow citizens, American Catholics are committed to building a society which is truly tolerant and inclusive, to safeguarding the rights of individuals and communities, and to rejecting every form of unjust discrimination.  (Applause.)  With countless other people of good will, they are likewise concerned that efforts to build a just and wisely ordered society respect their deepest concerns and the right to religious liberty.  (Applause.)  That freedom reminds one of America’s most precious possessions.  And, as my brothers, the United States Bishops, have reminded us, all are called to be vigilant, precisely as good citizens, to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it.  (Applause.)  

Mr. President, I find it encouraging that you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution.  (Applause.)  Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to our future generation.  (Applause.)  When it comes to the care of our common home, we are living at a critical moment of history.  We still have time to make the change needed to bring about a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.  (Applause.)  

Such change demands on our part a serious and responsible recognition not only of the kind of world we may be leaving to our children, but also to the millions of people living under a system which has overlooked them.  Our common home has been part of this group of the excluded, which cries out to heaven and which today powerfully strikes our homes, our cities, our societies.  To use a telling phrase of the Reverend Martin Luther King, we can say that we have defaulted on a promissory note, and now is the time to honor it.  (Applause.) 

We know by faith that the Creator does not abandon us; He never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity has the ability to work together in building our common home.  As Christians inspired by this certainty, we wish to commit ourselves to the conscious and responsible care of our common home.

Mr. President, the efforts which were recently made to mend broken relationships and to open new doors to cooperation within our human family represent positive steps along the path of reconciliation, justice and freedom. 

I would like all men and women of good will in this great nation to support the efforts of the international community to protect the vulnerable in our world and to stimulate integral and inclusive models of development -- (applause) -- so that our brothers and sisters everywhere may know the blessings of peace and prosperity which God wills for all his children.

Mr. President, once again I thank you for your welcome, and I look forward to these days in your country.  God bless America.  (Applause.)  

END 

9:53 A.M. EDT

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/09/23/remarks-president-obama-and-his-holiness-pope-francis-arrival-ceremony

Pope Francis[b] (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio;[c] 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. He is the first pope from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order), the first from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio was inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958 after recovering from severe illness. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969; from 1973 to 1979, he was the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina. He became the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina; the administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him to be a political rival.

Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi. Throughout his public life, Francis has been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, international visibility as pope, concern for the poor and commitment to interreligious dialogue. He is known for having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors by, for instance, choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guest house rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes.[2]

Francis has made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman Curia.[3][4] He maintains that the Catholic Church should be more sympathetic toward members of the LGBTQ community, and has stated that while blessings of same-sex unions are not permitted, the individuals can be blessed as long as blessings are not given in a liturgical context.[5] Francis is a critic of unbridled capitalism, consumerism, and overdevelopment;[6] he has made action on climate change a leading focus of his papacy.[7] He is widely interpreted as denouncing the death penalty as intrinsically evil,[8] stating that the Catholic Church is committed to its abolition.[9] In international diplomacy, Francis has criticized the rise of right-wing populism, called for the decriminalization of homosexuality,[10] helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, negotiated a deal with China to define how much influence the Communist Party has in appointing Chinese bishops, and has supported the cause of refugees. He has called on the Western world to increase immigration levels significantly.[11][12] In 2022, he apologized for the Church's role in the "cultural genocide" of the Canadian Indigenous peoples.[13] Francis convened the Synod on Synodality which was described as the culmination of his papacy and the most important event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council.[4][14][15]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis

[666] 6. 1On the side of the superior general, what will aid toward this union of hearts are the qualities of his person [G], to be treated in Part IX [723-25], with which he will perform his office, 2which is to be for all the members a head from which the influence required for the end sought by the Society ought to descend to them all. 3It is thus from the general as head that all authority of the provincials should flow, from the provincials that of the local superiors, and from the local superiors that of the individual members. 4And from this same head, or at least by his commission and approval, should likewise come the appointing of missions. And the same should apply to communicating the graces of the Society. 5For the more the subjects are dependent upon their superiors, the better will the love, obedience, and union among them be preserved." 

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." 

Jeremiah 17:9-10

9. Interprovincial Works and Houses in Rome

304 §1. In the spirit of our fourth vow, the Society confirms its commitment to the interprovincial Roman works entrusted to it by the Holy See: the Pontifical Gregorian University and its associated institutes, the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, as well as the Pontifical Russicum College, the Vatican Radio, and the Vatican Observatory, all of which are common works of the whole Society, placed directly under the superior general. Recognizing the very valuable service that these institutions have offered and continue to offer today, it calls upon major superiors who share Father General s responsibility for them to continue their help through subsidies and especially by training and offering professors and other personnel to them.

§2. Also recommended to the care of all the provinces are those other works or houses in Rome that render a service to the entire Society, such as the Historical Institute of the Society of Jesus and the international colleges of the Society in Rome.[142]

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

The SSN Numbering Scheme

Number Has Three Parts

The nine-digit SSN is composed of three parts:

The first set of three digits is called the Area Number

The second set of two digits is called the Group Number

The final set of four digits is the Serial Number

Area Number

The Area Number is assigned by the geographical region. Prior to 1972, cards were issued in local Social Security offices around the country and the Area Number represented the State in which the card was issued. This did not necessarily have to be the State where the applicant lived, since a person could apply for their card in any Social Security office. Since 1972, when SSA began assigning SSNs and issuing cards centrally from Baltimore, the area number assigned has been based on the ZIP code in the mailing address provided on the application for the original Social Security card. The applicant's mailing address does not have to be the same as their place of residence. Thus, the Area Number does not necessarily represent the State of residence of the applicant, either prior to 1972 or since.

Generally, numbers were assigned beginning in the northeast and moving westward. So people on the east coast have the lowest numbers and those on the west coast have the highest numbers.

Note: One should not make too much of the "geographical code." It is not meant to be any kind of useable geographical information. The numbering scheme was designed in 1936 (before computers) to make it easier for SSA to store the applications in our files in Baltimore since the files were organized by regions as well as alphabetically. It was really just a bookkeeping device for our own internal use and was never intended to be anything more than that.

 Group Number

Within each area, the group number (middle two (2) digits) range from 01 to 99 but are not assigned in consecutive order. For administrative reasons, group numbers issued first consist of the ODD numbers from 01 through 09 and then EVEN numbers from 10 through 98, within each area number allocated to a State. After all numbers in group 98 of a particular area have been issued, the EVEN Groups 02 through 08 are used, followed by ODD Groups 11 through 99.

https://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/geocard.html

Masonic Insurance

Masonic Insurance In The Past

Southern Tier Masonic Relief Association

Masonic insurance is not available to Freemasons, today, through the fraternity.  

However, such has not always been the case.

Prior to the advent of social security and other governmental programs in the United States, fraternal orders provided for the insurance needs of their members.

Fraternal orders included not only members of the Freemason fraternity, but members of different groups which had united because of their similar interests.

These fraternal orders included members of unions, professional societies, savings and investment associations and others.

In the late 1800s, few people could afford health and life insurance.

During this time, mutual types of insurance organizations sprang up and for a low premium, they insured people who would otherwise not be able to afford insurance, individually.

Masonic Insurance

For lack of a better word, today, to describe how these mutual aid associations worked, we tend to classify the offerings of these fraternal orders as Masonic insurance organizations.

However, the words "life insurance policy" as we know it today, connote a somewhat different product than the mutual aid and benefit associations which the majority of these fraternities, unions, societies and associations offered at the time.

These organizations did not offer the vast array of products with which we are now familiar.  Hence, people did not use such terms as "life insurance quotes" or "term life insurance quotes".  Most of these fraternal organizations operated on slightly different variations of a popular assessment system used during that time.  (The basic assessment system is discussed later in this page.)

Each of these Masonic insurance aid and relief organizations provided a death benefit to the widows and surviving family of members of the mutual aid organization within the fraternity.

During this time, insurance for the populace in the United States was still in its infancy.  The United States experienced much internal strife and upheaval during the late 1800s, including 3 wars, 2 of which were fought on United States soil.  (Civil War and the many ongoing Indian Wars).

Coupled with the wars, the 1800s also saw enormous financial upheaval.  Today, we speak of "The Great Depression" of the 1930s in the United States, almost as if it had been a singular event, however historically, the United States experienced 4 economic depressions during the 1800s.

Economic Depressions:  1807 to 1929

1807-1814:   President:  Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

Trade embargo cut U.S. imports.  This led to the War of 1812, during which time the capitol in Washington, D.C. was burned by British soldiers.

1837-1844:  President:  Andrew Jackson (1829-1837), Jackson was a member of Harmony Lodge No. 1, Nashville, Tennessee, an Honorary Member of Federal Lodge No. 1 F & A M in Washington, D.C. and Jackson Lodge No. 1, F & AM, Tallahassee, Florida.  In 1822 and 1823, he served as Grand Master of Masons in Tennessee.

Monetary deflation brought about many business failures.

1873-1879:  President:  Ulysses S. Grant

The U.S. was on the Gold Standard, however its gold holdings were insufficient to meet the demand for money resulting from the growth of the economy.

1893-1898:  Presidents:  Grover Cleveland (1893-1897), William McKinley (1897-1901),  McKinley was made a Mason May 3, 1865 in Hiram Lodge, No. 21, A.F. & A..M. in Winchester, Virginia.

The transportation industry (railroads) underwent a radical decline.  Many of the major railroads went bankrupt.  (Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, Erie Railroad, Northern Pacific, Union Pacific, Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad).  This set off a financial panic.  Industries related to the railroads then failed.  Since railroads were the only real means of mass transportation of commodities at the time, shipping became difficult and expensive.  Subsequently, businesses unrelated to the railroad industry also failed.

1929-1941:  Presidents:  Herbert Hoover, (1929-1933), Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) Hoover was made a Mason November 28, 1911 in Holland Lodge No. 8, F. & A.M. in New York, New York.

Deflation was caused by excess capacity.  (More goods were made than were sold.)  This led to high unemployment.  (1929: 3.2% was normal unemployment, 1933:  25% unemployment)

Historical Events Which Contributed To The Need for Masonic Insurance

1861-1865:  American Civil War, Northern states vs. Southern states.  Much of the southern part of the United States was thrown into abject poverty after the war ended.

1865:  April 14th, President Lincoln was assassinated.

1873-1879:  Depression

1876:  June 25,  Indian Wars: The US 7th Cavalry under Lieutenant George A. Custer was routed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This was only one battle.  The history books show 17 Indian Wars beginning with the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe to the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890.

1893-1898:  Depression

1898:  Spanish-American War:  On April 25, 1898 the United States declared war on Spain following the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898.

Wars and economic depressions were not direct causes of the need for mutual aid and there has been no evidence found that Masonic Mutual Aid organizations insured soldiers while they were engaged in wartime activities, however indirectly, wars decreased the number of family members who were capable of physically and economically assisting the more elderly members within the family unit.

Economic depressions (2 depressions, 14 years apart, each of which lasted 6 years and 5 years, respectively) also added to the hardship experienced by widows and orphans during this period in history.

Masonic Insurance Association Programs

The 1800s was a period which saw many wars, much bloodshed and great loss of lives in the United States.

In this time of great need, Masonic relief organizations and other fraternal organizations met these needs by providing aid to help the afflicted.

Masonic associations were formed to provide a form of Masonic life insurance to provide to the widow, orphans, heir, asignee or legatee of a deceased member as many dollars as there were members in good standing on the books of the corporation.

Much like today's HMO's (Health Maintenance Organizations), some fraternal insurance organizations provided medical care by using their own doctors.  Others provided medical care utilizing "society doctors" on a fixed fee basis.

Many of these Masonic mutual aid organizations extended aid to their members even if the member did not have a justifiable written claim under the benefit's contractual rules.

This combination of charity with mutual aid was in keeping with the spirit of why the fund was created rather than solely performing as contractually stated.

While most of these Masonic insurance organizations are no longer in business, at least one of them has evolved to become a widely diversified multi service organization.

Masonic Mutual Relief Association of the District of Columbia

1869:  In 1869, 4 years after the end of the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States, (1865-1869) signed a congressional act chartering the Masonic Mutual Relief Association of the District of Columbia.  This association was created to provide death benefits to the widows and orphans of Freemasons.  (Andrew Johnson was made a Mason in May, 1851 in Greeneville Lodge No. 119, (now No. 3), F. & A.M., Greeneville, Tennessee.)

The two pages, below are from the Fortieth Congress, Session III, in 1869.  They describe the beginnings of the Masonic Mutual Relief Association of the District of Columbia.

Note:  Please do not confuse the Masonic Mutual Relief Association of the District of Columbia with the current Masonic Relief Association of the United States and Canada.  They are two separate entities.

See Chapter CXXXIV, Sections 1-6 below, which begins with the last paragraph on page 334 and continues onto page 335.

1869:  The Original Charter of the Masonic Mutual Relief Association

           of the District of Columbia

Masonic Insurance Charter - Page 1

Masonic Insurance Charter Page 2

Acacia Life Insurance

...From Masonic Insurance Provider to Mega Insurance Conglomerate

1869 to Present

The following information is credited to "A Unique and Different Company", The Story of Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Company by Howard W. Kacy, Member of the Newcomen Society, President, Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Company, Washington, D.C., Copyright 1964. (Howard W. Kacy, Mason and member of DeMolay Legion of Honor).

Many of the excerpts below are taken from this booklet which is the published speech delivered at the 1964 Washington Dinner of The Newcomen Society in North America, held in the Ballroom of The Mayflower Hotel, at Washington, D.C. with Mr. Howard W. Kacy as guest of honor.

In 1955, Mr. Kacy was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Company. He and his predecessor brought the Acacia from a small fraternal insurance society to a position of prominence among the great financial institutions of the world.

Masonic Insurance Assessment System of the Masonic Mutual Relief Association of the District of Columbia.

1869: Each prospective member paid $ 3.10 to become an insured member of the Association. Under the assessment system, whenever a member died, each of the remaining members would be assessed $ 1.10. The dollar would be paid to the deceased's beneficiary and the 10 cents was retained by the Association to defray operating expenses.

Most of the expenses were incurred through the purchase of specially printed United States Postal Cards which were used to notify members of assessment.

The Secretary also received some part-time compensation for attending to the details incident to the collecting of the assessments. It was agreed that whenever the balance in the treasury justified it, an assessment would be waived.

1895: At the annual meeting in 1895, Mr. Montgomery (Secretary of the Association), reviewed the record the Association made during its first quarter century. It had received $ 770,000 in income, of which $ 749,000 was from assessments and the rest from membership applications, rent, interest, etc.

Beneficiaries had received $ 701,000 and assets amounted to $ 14,000, consisting mainly of the building which housed the Association's office.

The remaining $ 55,000 had gone for the entire expense of management, the cost of getting new business, etc. In other words, 91 cents of every dollar received had been paid to beneficiaries, 7-1/4 cents had gone for expenses, and 1-3/4 cents had been credited to assets.

The average amount paid to beneficiaries had been $ 1,242, while deceased members had paid in an average of $ 259. The average annual cost per $ 1,000 of insurance for all ages was $ 18.15.

1908: In 1908, the official company name was changed from "The Masonic Mutual Relief Association of the District of Columbia" to the "Masonic Mutual Life Association of the District of Columbia.

1922: In 1922, the company once again changed its name, this time to the Acacia Mutual Life Association. The logo should be a familiar one to all Masons...the Masonic symbol of immortality,... the Acacia tree. Despite the name change however, their charter still required them to confine their sales to members of the Masonic order.

1932: In 1932, (63 years after its inception), Acacia Mutual Life Association discontinued the practice of limiting Masonic insurance coverage to Masons and evolved into a full-fledged mutual legal reserve life insurance company.

WWII Era: During World War II, Acacia liberalized the “war clauses” on most of its life policies and became known as the “Serviceman’s Company.”

1984: In 1984, Acacia purchased Calvert Group, Ltd. , which is an industry leader in socially responsible investing.

1985: In 1985, the company received Congressional approval for the creation of Acacia Federal Savings Bank.

2006: The Ameritas Acacia Companies merged with Union Central Mutual Holding Company to form UNIFI Mutual Holding Company.

2009: From its Masonic insurance beginnings,... today, 140 years, several name changes and multiple mergers later, Acacia Life Insurance offers universal life insurance, whole life insurance, term insurance, annuities, retirement mutual funds plans as well as municipal bonds, estate planning and socially responsible investing.

It is the only life insurance company that operates under a federal charter in the United States.

End of Excerpts from "A Unique and Different Company", The Story of Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Company by Howard W. Kacy, Member of the Newcomen Society, President, Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Company, Washington, D.C., Copyright 1964.

Additional information on this page is also credited to "Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Co. Charter Amendments", 98th Congress, 1st Session, House of Representatives, Report No. 98-108.

Other Masonic Insurance and Masonic Relief Organizations: Circa 1896

Here are the names of some of the other Mutual Aid associations and Masonic Relief organizations of over 100 years ago which offered forms of Masonic insurance.

The information, below is from the Assessment Insurance Pocket Register of Life Associations (1896) printed by The Spectator Company (Spectator Life Insurance Magazine).

Canton Masonic Mutual Benevolent Society

Chicago Northwestern Masonic Aid Association

Knights Templars & Masonic Mutual Aid Association

Knights Templars & Masons Life Ind. Co.

Masonic Aid Association of Dakota

Masonic Life Association

Masonic Life Association of Western New York

Masonic Mutual Aid Association

Masonic Mutual Benefit Society

Masonic Mutual Benefit Society of Kansas

Masonic Mutual Life Association

Masonic Union Life Association

Massachusetts Masonic Life Association

Northwestern Masonic Aid Association

Northwestern Mutual Relief Association

Northwestern Ohio Masonic Relief Association

Southern Tier Masonic Relief Association

United States Masonic Benevolent Association

Below is an 1884 one cent postal card Masonic insurance assessment notification announcement from Southern Tier Masonic Relief Association of Elmira New York

The Masonic Insurance postcard, above, dated January 1, 1884 from the Secretary's office of the Southern Tier Masonic Relief Association in Elmira, New York says:

Assessment No. 206, Deaths Nos. 641, 642, 643, 644, 645 & 646.

"You are hereby notified that by the decease of the following named Brethren, you are required to pay into the treasury of this Association FOUR DOLLARS within Thirty Days from the date hereof. Deaths 641, 642 and 643 will be paid from the surplus fund.

Underneath, it gives the age, name, residence, lodge and lodge number, cause of death, date "cert'f" and date of death.

Fraternal, But Non-Masonic Insurance

Although few fraternal mutual aid, mutual relief or Masonic benefit societies remain, today.,...in the mid to late 1800s, (1868-1900), these forms of life insurance were available from not only Freemason organizations, but numerous other fraternal groups in the United States.

The Independent Order of the Odd Fellows, and the Modern Woodmen of America, both fraternal organizations, offered insurance to their members. There were also many others.

Why is Masonic Insurance No Longer Available?

1890-1919: A factor that may have contributed to the decline of Masonic insurance and fraternal insurance in general was governmental price regulation.

By the 1890s, a movement was underway to impose a mandatory pricing structure on fraternal insurance companies.

Beginning in 1891, the National Fraternal Congress drafted a series of bills that, among other things, compelled all fraternals to charge rates no lower than those indicated by a mortality table which the NFC had computed.

These bills were introduced into state legislatures and by 1919, 40 states had modeled some form of the NFC's (National Fraternal Congress) bill which had been passed into law.

The Great Depression (1929-1941)

1930s: Before the Social Security Act of 1935 was enacted, a limited form of the Social Security program began as a measure to implement a form of "social insurance" during the Great Depression of the 1930s, (1929-1941) when more than 50% of senior citizens in the United States lived at or below poverty level.

1935: The New Deal: The Social Security Act was passed by Congress and signed on August 14, 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. (32nd President, 1933-1945, a Master Mason who was made a Mason in 1911 in Holland Lodge. No. 8 F & AM, New York, New York,..the same Lodge in which George Washington, the Nation's first President, held honorary membership.)

When President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law in 1935, he stated,

“We can never insure one hundred percent of the population against one hundred percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life, but we have tried to frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.”

1945: The End of Masonic Insurance Offered by the Fraternity: With the advent of Social Security, as well as other governmental services and factors, the need for Masonic insurance offered by the fraternity declined.

Today, becoming a Freemason does not include any type of Masonic insurance offered by the fraternity such as discount life insurance, term insurance or auto insurance as a benefit of membership. /p>

However, when there was need, true to its basic tenets of Brotherly Love, Charitable Relief and Truth, the fraternity of Freemasonry fully met these moral obligations in the spirit of Brotherhood and Freemasons provided a form of insurance to their brethren.

https://www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com/masonic-insurance.html

The 9/11 Event &  Negative Occult Use of the Numbers 9 & 11

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ith the 9/11 event (New York, Sept 11th, 2001), there is much more than meets the eye.

We need to look beyond the facades of what has been painted to us for so long. Out side of the 9/11 conspiracy theory and truth movement, there is also an eery spiritual side. A very real hidden truth of life that we have been dealing with  for eons - and that is the creation of illusion as well as  spiritual warfare.

So we are not just talking about physical war and terror here, we are going beyond that into the 'unseen' worlds.

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Once you start to understand the occult workings and nefarious intention of certain groups of people in power in the world, your eyes will be more open and you will begin to notice it more and more.

The signs are everywhere, and the more you look, the more you will find.

Let's look at the numbers...

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In the Gematria numerology system used in Kabbalah, 911 is a secret occult number.  When you add up each digit, which is how numerology works, you get the number 11 (because 9+1+1=11).

Or, some dark occultists see 911 as a way to represent the number 92

(in this case the 9 is kept and 11 is converted to 2 (1+1)).  92 is said to be

an extremely dark occult number used for black magic.

Either way you look at it, they both numerologically break down to the Master number 11 (because 9 +2 = 11 also).

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Let's examine all of this from a number of angles.

Read further below some darker meanings of the numbers 9 and 11, and just how much those numbers are evident and mysteriously interwoven in the 9.11.2001

New York event.

Let's start with a basic look at numerology,

The number 9 in western numerology, namely the Pythagorus method, can represent death, destruction and endings. It is well known as signifying an end of a cycle, 9 can bring up drama, karma and chaos.

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11  is a Master number, giving it extra impetus, potential and power.

It is associated with illumination and enlightenment.

11 can be dramatic, emotionally charged and overwhelming, as it amplifies vibrations..

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However there is an ancient numerological code system used by the elite. It is Kabbalistic and called Gematria, as it combines secret geometry with math.

According to former Satanic Priest, occult expert and truth movement advocate  Mark Passio, the number 9:

"has very significant mathematical properties and is the number of EGO and illusion.”

Let’s examine what happens to magical number 9 when you do various forms of equation:

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9 in Numerological Addition:

Look at this pattern:

9+1=10 (1+0)=1

9 +2=11 (1+1) = 2

9 +3=12 (1+2) = 3

Notice how the numbers in bold in each equation are the same…  

What  you can notice here is a pattern. It shows that whatever you add to 9, the sum of that equation is that same number (like when you add numbers to zero). This pattern continues when you try adding different numbers. So when it comes down to it, the 9 has no real significance to the number you are adding it to, as it just stays the same!

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So what Mark Passion is pointing out, is:

“to add 9 is to add illusion or… ego…. or base consciousness  - and when you add the ‘beast’ (base consciousness), you can never affect any change in value. You bring no value to the equation.

You are adding zero!”

So the idea is that nothing is added, only illusion.

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9 in Numerological Multiplication:

9x1=9

9x2=18 (1+8)=9

9x3=27 (2+7)=9

Here you can see that whatever you times by 9 equals 9 numerologically. It doesn’t change. So whatever you do, you are stuck in the 9 energy (for nefarious occult purposes, they would be focusing on the negative aspects of 9 - because we must understand that there are both positive and negative attributes of each number).

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“So what this is saying symbolically, is [that] multiplying base consciousness only gets you more base consciousness. You can never create anything new!”

We can loosely interpret base consciousness as being the opposite vibration of higher consciousness.

So it is the flipside, a lower, dense, negative energy, which can include continual chaos, ego, fear, terror and illusion.

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I guess that’s why the psychopaths love 911 so much!

9/11 is about trickery, smoky mirrors and illusion.

They tricked us to an aggressive agenda of war and terror.

Find out more about the conspiracy theories & truth movement here.

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Heres another fascinating observation.

When you align each letter of the word ISIS with numerology, the number pattern is as follows:  9191

Take this one more step, and look at the Dollar Sign: $

Some people are saying that the dollar sign with two vertical lines is another ay on the word/numbers of ISIS.

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We all know that '911' is globally known as the Emergency Services number of the United States of America. Doesn't that stand out to you, or at least make you wonder?

Creating 911 as the emergency number further adds to the theory that the number is used as a negative occult creation, as an evil manifestation that feeds off the negative vibration of alarm, terror, fear, desperation, illness, death and  dire emergency situations.

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So the idea is that every time that number is seen, thought of or dialled, it acts as a kind of trigger or code, an energy source for darkness. It is being used as a food or fuel for negative sources that like to feed off of fear energy. Having 911 as the emergency number keeps that energy alive.

On top of this, both Iran and Iraq have the area code 119, which of course is 911 in reverse.

What a candid example of smug control from behind the scenes, and secrets hidden in plain sight. It is a cruel, secret  trick, and strategic, nefarious game played right in front of our eyes.

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Now don't you think its a bit of a 'coincidental' and apt that America's so-called worst terror attacks happened on the date:

September 11th, 2001 and was  boldly dubbed  "9/11"? It's extremely uncanny, isn't it, that its simply referred to as "9/11."

How many times have you seen the number 911 now? It is even more amplified! The power is growing and 'they' are having the last laugh.

I don't know of any such events that have been  globally attributed and nicknamed a number, according to its date - do you?

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I thought so, until one day I noticed 7/7.

Interestingly, the 7/7 London bombings, were the first ever coordinated  Islamic suicide attacks in Britain.

Doesn't it catch your eye that they labelled it "7/7"?

You might be interested to know that the number 77 is used a lot by dark occultists. We all know that 7 is a powerful number. The positive side of 7 is about enlightenment and high spirituality. When used for occult means, they are flipping  its power to the dark side.

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Let's briefly examine 7/7 (so that you can see trends and semblances to the modus operandus behind  9/11).

The date of the 7/7 event was: 7/7/2005.

2005 was a '7' year numeroligically (2+0+0+5=7, so 2005 was a 7 year numerologically) - so you can read the numbers of the day as 7/7/7.

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This triple use of 7 is a strategic representation of 3 (7x3=21=2+1=3), which is the trinity, triangle or pyramid - a symbol often used by the societies such as the Illuminati.

Interestingly, in this event, 52 people were killed (5+2=7), and more than 700 injured (notice the repeated number 7)!

My question is: why aren't other massive negative events in the world called 6/2, or 8/12 etc???

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Back to 911...

The former twin towers of the stoic World Trade Center stood proudly as two prominent  pillars, forming the numeric, vertical structure and appearance of the number 11. The towers, standing  side-by-side like the number 11, had 110 floors (1+1+0=11).

The local radio station #qq was also housed there, and their icon was the image of the twin towers standing for the number 11.

The tower is 1776 feet in height, and 1776 is a crucial year, as it was when we had the first 4th of July, as well as the year the illuminati was formed Also, half of 1776 is the number 888 !

And when you analyse other number synchronicities and hidden numerology  you'll be astonished how many times the numbers 9 and especially 11 appear and re-appear not only with regard to the date & location of the event, even backwards and forwards in time / history.  Below are the eery facts. Let's take a closer look:

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The first thing to note is that the event happened on 9/11( 9+1+1=11).

Now the 9th of November is also the 254th day of the year, and 2+5+4=11.

On top of this, it is interesting to note that there were 111 days left to the year.

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Furthermore, the event happened in New York City, which contains 11 letters, and New York was the 11th state to be added to the 'union'.  

The plane that hit the North Tower was Flight Number 11.

In fact it was American Airlines (AA), Flight 11

(AA +11 = 1111 because A is attributed with the number 1 in numerology).

92 people on board died (9+2=11).

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11 of those people were crew members.

The time of impact was 8:46am (8+4+6= 18 which breaks down to 9 (1+8=9).

The plane that hit the South Tower had 65 passengers (6+5=11).

It struck 9 floors all together (between the 77th and 85th).

The South Tower collapsed after 56 minutes (5+6=11).

The North Tower collapsed at 10:28am (1+0+2+8=11).

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On 9/11, Bush Junior declared 11 days of mourning and the American flag was strategically half raised for 11 days.

Many years before the 9/11 event another incident had occurred. On the 13th Feb 1975, there was a fire on the 11th floor of the North Tower.  

Other Notable World Events with reference to 9/11:

According to Fritz Springmeir, on 9/11/1972, exactly19 years before 9/11/2001, Muslim terrorists were said to have killed 11 Israeli Olympic athletes in the Munich attack. I haven't been able to coroborate the exact date as Sept 11th.

On 9/11/1990, President George Bush told Congress:

"Out of these struggling times we conceive our 5th objective, a New World Order coming into view... where nations join the common cause to reach the common aspirations of mankind."

Exactly 11 years later, to the day, 9/11 happened.

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Hauntingly, exactly 911 days after the 9/11 attacks, there was another negative event in the media - the Madrid train bombings.

It is said that on that very day, the owner of the world trade center bought another tower, the Sears tower for you guessed it - $911 million!

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Another interesting fact is that the World Trade Center took 11 years to be built.

Not only that, but strategically, on September 11th, 1990, EXACTLY 11 years before 9/11 (2001), President Bush George Bush delivered a speech, where he referenced that the 'New World Order' was inevitable.

In my opinion, the New One Trade Center building I mention further below was cunningly erected after  the tragedy of 9/11, reflects this secret masonic desire happening behind the scenes to take full control  of the world (global domination)  by creating a faux 'one world unity' type adage, with a more sinister  political  and economical hidden agenda.  

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After 9/11, the approval for the construction of the new monolithic One Trade Center Tower was on 26th April, 2006 (that date breaks down to 11).

The formal agreement was drafted on the following day which was the 75th anniversary of the Empire State Building.

Incidentally the Empire State Building was officially opened on the 1st May, 1931 (another 11 date). May 1st is also the date that the Illuminati was founded in 1776, and is known to be a negative occult day of the year.

Notably also that building was also completed on April 11th, 1931 (another 11 date).

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A ceremony was held on December 18th, 2006 (another 11 date), when a steel beam was installed onto the base of the new World Trade Center.

On July 4th, 2011 (notably Independence Day, July 4th = 7+4=11), it was lit up with the colours of the American flag. Interesting side fact: Independence Day was started on July 4th, 1776, the very year that the illuminati was also formed. Coincidence? I think not.

The first section of the tower's antennae was installed on 12th December, 2012 (another 11 date).

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On November 12th, 2013 *another 11 date)  it was controversially declared that this new building was the tallest building in the U.S. because of the spire on top.

Further plays on 911, is that when Osama Bin Laden was recorded to claim responsibility for the attacks, the date stamped on the video was November 9. That is 11/9 (9/11 in reverse), and, just like demons, these people playing with the dark love to reverse things.

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Further to this, after hiding in Pakistan for 9 years, the claimed date for Osama Bin Laden's death (murder)  was:

May 2nd, 2011 (5+2+2+0+1+1=11).

That is also one day after May 1st, which is known as a sacrifice day as well as the date that the Illuminati was formed in 1776.

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We all clearly know that 9/11 happened in on 9.11. 2001.

Exactly one year later on its one year anniversary on 9.11.2012, a Benghazi terror attack occurred. This kind of situation is known as an 'anniversary attack'.

What is important to note here is that sometimes  dates are picked on purpose to inflict war, terror, revenge or a negative event of some kind,  it cant just be boiled down to mere coincidence.

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9/11 also happened 11 years before the infamous year of 2012. On 21-12-2012 (21st December), the ancient Mayans prophecized an unprecedented time of transformation on earth.

On that date, the Mayans knew that  there would be a galactic alignment between the earth, sun and Milky Way (a phenomenon that happens once every 26,000 years ), and they predicted that this event would affect the entire universe, through its vibrational energy and by acting as a kind of portal.

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It was to mark the beginning of a time of great awakening.

Read more about that here. Curiously, the exact moment of alignment was at 11:11 universal time.

Perhaps negative 11 events are created in order to manifest the dark, flip side of the number 11, and to counteract the positive energy that 11 can bring. This could also explain why many people are repetitively seeing the number 11:11 as a code or sign - read about that here.

https://www.nataliakuna.com/911-event--negative-occult-use-of-numbers-9--11.html

18 U.S. Code § 666 - Theft or bribery concerning programs receiving Federal funds | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute (cornell.edu)

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/666

As per numerology, 666 when added comes to 9, a tricky number that stands for greediness, and natural disasters. But 9 (6+6+6+18=1+8=9 is also the number of Mars (Mangal) which means extra energy which can either make or break. It is impulsive, restless, stubborn and inflexible,' adds Jumaani.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad-times/666-the-devil-or-cupid/articleshow/1621141.cms#

I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification

Use Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers must properly complete Form I-9 for every individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and noncitizens. Both employees and employers (or authorized representatives of the employer) must complete the form.

On the form, an employee must attest to their employment authorization. The employee must also present their employer with acceptable documents as evidence of identity and employment authorization. The employer must examine these documents to determine whether they reasonably appear to be genuine and relate to the employee, then record the document information on the employee’s Form I-9. Certain employers who choose to remotely examine the employee’s documentation under a DHS-authorized alternative procedure rather than via physical examination must indicate they did so by checking the box provided."

https://www.uscis.gov/i-9

ROME Survey Page 

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/lp/landing-page-rome.html

Can. 666 In the use of means of social communication, necessary discretion is to be observed and those things are to be avoided which are harmful to one’s vocation and dangerous to the chastity of a consecrated person."

TITLE II. RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES (Cann. 607 - 709)

CODE OF CANON LAW

https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib2-cann607-709_en.html

Head:

1. See Illness, mental

2. The superior general, head of the Society [666]"

page 463

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Revelation 13:18

New International Version

18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Revelation 13:18 Or is humanity’s number

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2013%3A18&version=NIV

Pope Francis shares views on sex and masturbation as he kisses feet of prisoners

Twelve inmates at a juvenile prison on the outskirts of Rome, Italy, sat in a row as the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, kneeled in front of them and bathed and kissed their feet

Video Loading

Pope Francis washes and dries the feet of a dozen residents of a Rome juvenile prison

By Ryan Fahey News Reporter

08:28, 7 Apr 2023 Updated08:39, 7 Apr 2023

 

Pope Francis has shared views on sex and masturbation as he was seen kissing the feet of prisoners.

In a Holy Thursday ritual symbolising humility, Pope Francis washed and dried the feet of a dozen residents of a Rome juvenile prison, assuring them of their dignity and telling them "any of us" can fall into sin.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/pope-francis-shares-views-sex-29652125

California's new sex ed guidelines encourage teachers to talk to students about gender identity, masturbation

May 8, 2019, 7:54 PM PDT

By Associated Press

Critics say the new guidelines are an assault on parental rights and expose children to ideas about sexuality and gender that should be taught at home.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/california-s-new-sex-ed-guidelines-encourage-teachers-talk-students-n1003596

Francis has made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman Curia.[3][4] He maintains that the Catholic Church should be more sympathetic toward members of the LGBTQ community, and has stated that while blessings of same-sex unions are not permitted, the individuals can be blessed as long as blessings are not given in a liturgical context.[5] Francis is a critic of unbridled capitalism, consumerism, and overdevelopment;[6] he has made action on climate change a leading focus of his papacy.[7] He is widely interpreted as denouncing the death penalty as intrinsically evil,[8] stating that the Catholic Church is committed to its abolition.[9] In international diplomacy, Francis has criticized the rise of right-wing populism, called for the decriminalization of homosexuality,[10] helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, negotiated a deal with China to define how much influence the Communist Party has in appointing Chinese bishops, and has supported the cause of refugees. He has called on the Western world to increase immigration levels significantly.[11][12] In 2022, he apologized for the Church's role in the "cultural genocide" of the Canadian Indigenous peoples.[13] Francis convened the Synod on Synodality which was described as the culmination of his papacy and the most important event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council.[4][14][15]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis

John 13

1599 Geneva Bible

13 4 Christ rising from supper, 14 to command humility to his Apostles, washeth their feet. 21 He noteth the traitor Judas, 26 with an evident token. 34 He commendeth charity. 37, 38 He foretelleth Peter of his denial.

1 Now [a]before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, forasmuch as he loved his [b]own which were in the world, unto the end he loved them.

2 And when supper was done (and that the devil had now put in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.)

3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his [c]hands, and that he was come forth from God, and went to God,

4 He [d]riseth from Supper, and layeth aside his upper garments, and took a towel, and girded himself.

5 After that, he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel, wherewith he was girded.

6 Then came he to Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do, thou knowest not now: but thou shalt know it hereafter.

8 Peter said unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou shalt have [e]no part with me.

9 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also the hands and the head.

10 Jesus said to him, He that is washed, needeth not, save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

11 For he knew who should betray him: therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

12 ¶ So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13 Ye call me Master, and Lord, and ye say well: for so am I.

14 If I then your Lord, and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do, even as I have done to you.

16 Verily, verily I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his master, neither the [f]ambassador greater than he that sent him.

17 If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.

18 ¶ [g]I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me, hath lift up his heel against me.

19 From henceforth tell I you before it come, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe that I am he.

20 Verily, verily I say unto you, If I send any, he that receiveth him, receiveth me, and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.

21 When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in the Spirit, and [h]testified, and said, Verily, verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

23 Now there was one of his disciples, which [i]leaned on Jesus’ bosom, whom Jesus loved.

24 To him beckoned therefore Simon Peter, that he should ask who it was of whom he spake.

25 He then as he leaned on Jesus’ breast, said unto him, Lord, who is it?

26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it: and he wet a sop, and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son.

27 And after the sop, Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

28 But none of them that were at table, knew, for what cause he spake it unto him.

29 For some of them thought because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast: or that he should give something to the poor.

30 As soon then as he had received the sop, he went immediately out, and it was night.

31 ¶ [j]When he was gone out, Jesus said, [k]Now is the son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

33 [l]Little children, yet a little while am I with you: ye shall seek me, but as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, can ye not come: also to you say I now.

34 A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know, that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

36 [m]Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now: but thou shalt follow me afterward.

37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why can I not follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.

38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou have denied me thrice.

Footnotes

John 13:1 Christ no less certain of the victory, than of the combat which was at hand, using the sign of washing the feet, doth partly thereby give an example of singular modesty, and his great love toward his Apostles in this notable act, being like very shortly to depart from them: and partly witnesseth unto them, that it is he only which washeth away the filth of his people, and that by little and little, in their time and season.

John 13:1 Them of his household, that is, his Saints.

John 13:3 Into his power.

John 13:4 In that he is said to rise, it argueth that there was a space between the ceremonies of the Passover, and this washing of feet, at what time it seemeth that the Supper was instituted.

John 13:8 Unless thou suffer me to wash thee, thou shalt have no part in the kingdom of heaven.

John 13:16 The word signifieth an Apostle which is anyone that is sent from another.

John 13:18 The betraying of Christ was not casual, or a thing that happened by chance, but the Father so ordained the cause of our salvation, to reconcile us unto himself in his Son, and the Son did willingly and voluntarily obey the Father.

John 13:21 He affirmed it openly, and sealed it.

John 13:23 John’s leaning was such, that sitting down in his bed, his head was toward Jesus’ head: so that it was an easy matter for him to touch Jesus’ bosom: for it is certain that in old time men used not to sit at the table, but to lie down: on the one side.

John 13:31 We have to consider the glorifying of Christ in his ignominy.

John 13:31 This verse and the next following, are a most plain and evident testimony of the divinity of Christ.

John 13:33 The eternal glory shall flow by little and little from the head into the members. But in the meantime, we must take good heed that we pass over the race of this life in brotherly love.

John 13:36 An heavy example of rash trust and confidence.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2013&version=GNV

Why did Jesus choose Judas?

Answer

Jesus chose Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve disciples. Judas was “a devil” (John 6:70–71), “a thief” (John 12:6), an unbeliever (John 6:64), and spiritually unclean (John 13:10), yet he held a respected position within the group (John 13:29). Since Jesus “knew what was in each person” (John 2:25), it may seem puzzling that He would select Judas, the one who would later betray Him.

Jesus chose Judas as a disciple because, ultimately, Judas fit into the plan of God. Jesus had come to earth to die for the redemption of sinners. That death, “the just for the unjust” (1 Peter 3:18, NKJV), was not an accident but was God’s intended purpose. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming for baptism, he spoke of Jesus as a sacrifice: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV).

Jesus was not fooled by Judas. He knew exactly what Judas was like and what he was going to do: “Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him” (John 6:64). In Judas, we have a clear example of how a person can be religious, hear the Word of God taught, witness genuine miracles, and for all appearances seem to be saved, and yet not be born again.

One of the reasons Jesus chose Judas was that prophecy had to be fulfilled. Speaking of His imminent betrayal, Jesus says, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him” (Matthew 26:24; cf. John 13:18).

After Christ’s resurrection, Peter also points to fulfilled prophecy in relation to Judas: “Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus” (Acts 1:16, ESV). He also links Judas’s actions to Psalms 69:25 and 109:8 (Acts 1:20).

Another reason that Jesus chose Judas was that God’s sovereign plan had to be accomplished. In Acts 2:23 Peter states in his sermon to the people of Jerusalem that “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23, ESV). Not only was the betrayal of Jesus foreknown by God, but it was part of His “definite plan.”

So, Jesus chose Judas to fulfill prophecy and because the plan of God required someone to betray the innocent Son of Man. However, none of this means that Judas and others who condemned and crucified Jesus were without fault. Judas Iscariot bore the responsibility for what he chose to do. Jesus said, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born” (Mark 14:21).

Peter also speaks about the sovereign plan of God and the guilt of those who act in sinful ways. In Acts 3:17 Peter says, “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:17–19). Even though the people had “acted in ignorance” in the fulfilling of prophecy, and even though Christ had to suffer according to the plan of God, the people who brought about Jesus’ death were guilty and had to “repent.”

Throughout the Bible, we see that God can use even the most wicked of mankind’s actions for good (see Genesis 50:20). Nothing could be more wicked than betraying and murdering the Son of God, yet in spite of that evil—even through that evil—God provided salvation and “disarmed the powers and authorities [and] . . . made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” (Colossians 2:15).

God does not create evil, but He does control it. God does not participate in sin, but, in His power and wisdom, God can and sometimes does use the sin already existing in our world to fulfill His purpose. Judas was chosen with the foreknowledge of God that he would betray Jesus, but his betrayal, rather than stop God’s plan for salvation, actually advanced it.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-choose-Judas.html

https://www.facebook.com/billy.dunn.50767/posts/pfbid037Lad9QfEE2D4h2PMmqoEhT5jKav4YCEA1s7cJGHmF96fVPgr9tTXGkS9xFtk2fJAl

The Body is The Temple of The Soul

Writer's picture: Alex Chen

Alex Chen

Jun 29, 2022

3 min read

Updated: Jun 30, 2022

Over the past year, I've become ever more fascinated with Chinese medicine. I'm pretty healthy, but my mother has accumulated pain and discomfort throughout her body over the years. Through acupoint massage and diet, I've managed to reduce my mom's pain and discomfort and also improve her emotions (I wrote about all this in my TCM Series). However, I'm not a trained professional, so my abilities are limited.

A couple months ago, I had the great fortune of meeting a TCM doctor named Kun Liu (Angel), and she is at the top of her field. She comes from a family of TCM doctors, so she's been surrounded by TCM since childhood. She also got her doctorate degree in TCM and has over 15 years of clinical experience. She is a busy and highly sought after doctor, but I managed to get an online consultation with her for my mother and I.

Before our first meeting, she told me to send her pictures of our meals for 4 days. Usually, my mother does the cooking in our household because she has the most free time, but she's never enjoyed cooking. She is also a devoted Buddhist, and she learned to not be so attached to the body and worldly pleasures like food.

https://www.weeklywisdomblog.com/post/the-body-is-the-temple-of-the-soul

[251] 5. 1While eating they should be careful to observe temperance, decorum, and propriety both interior and exterior in everything. 2A blessing should precede the meal, and it should be followed by a thanksgiving which all should recite with proper devotion and reverence. 3While the meal is being eaten, food should be given also to the soul, through the reading of a book[4] which is devotional rather than difficult so that all can understand it and draw profit from it, or through having someone preach during that time according to what the superiors may order, or through doing something similar for the glory of God our Lord [E].

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Genesis 2:24

1599 Geneva Bible

24 Therefore shall man leave [a]his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Genesis 2:24 So that marriage requireth a greater duty of us toward our wives, than otherwise we are bound to show to our parents.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%3A24&version=GNV

1 John 5:7-9

1599 Geneva Bible

7 For there are three, which bear record in heaven, the Father, the [a]Word, and the holy Ghost: and these three are [b]one.

8 And there are three, which bear record in the earth, the Spirit, and the Water and the Blood: and these three agree in one.

9 [c]If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for [d]this is the witness of God, which he testified of his Son.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1 John 5:7 See John 8:13, 14.

1 John 5:7 Agree in one.

1 John 5:9 He showeth by an Argument of comparison, of what great weight the heavenly testimony is, that the Father hath given of the Son, unto whom agreeth both the Son himself and the holy Ghost.

1 John 5:9 I conclude this aright: for that testimony which I said is given in heaven, cometh from God, who so setteth forth his Son.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%205%3A7-9&version=GNV

With regard to self-immolation, it should be pointed out that, unlike Jainism, Buddhism is generally against religious suicide350 and self-mutilation (Sheth, 2012: 73-74), but there are exceptions both in Theravada as well as in Mahāyāna. The Theravāda Jātaka tales relate several instances of religious suicide in some of the previous lives of Gautama Buddha. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra, the most important and well-known Mahāyāna Scriptural text and often referred to briefly as the Lotus Sutra, extols the case of the Bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, who previously, as the Bodhisattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, burnt his own body as an act of honor (pūjā) accorded to the Buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśri and to the Lotus Sutra. It also mentions that youth who burn some part of their body at the relic chambers of the Buddhas gain immense merit (Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra, ch. 22, pp. 237, 240). Such examples are adduced in order to justify exceptional cases of heroic, altruistic and sublime self-sacrifice of one’s life. For Thich Nhat Hahn self-immolation is neither good nor bad. It transcends the question whether self-immolation is good strategy in peace activism. But we must make an effort to put ourselves in the shoes of the immolators and try to see things with their eyes. They intend to enkindle the awareness of people and awaken them (Nhat Hahn 1975: 62). We had begun our social justice trip in India. Even though we now move on to Tibet, yet, in consonance with the cyclic worldview of Buddhism, we actually return to India: the reason is that the Dalai Lama has established a Tibetan Government in Exile in India.

The Buddha & Jesus

An Anthology of Articles by Jesuits engaged in

Buddhist Studies and Inter-religious Dialogue

Edited by

Cyril Veliath, SJ

Faculty of Global Studies

Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan

https://web.archive.org/web/20220929093250/https://jcapsj.org/the-buddha-jesus/

On 11 June 1963, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc self-immolated outside the Cambodian embassy in the city of Saigon in Vietnam. Journalists were notified in advance to show up, but had not been told what would happen. The US journalist Malcolm Browne photographed the scene. His photograph became an enduring worldwide image of Buddhist protest.

Many in the US assume that the self-immolation was a protest against the war in Vietnam, paralleling anti-war protestors at home. This idea fits nicely into the popular association of Buddhism with peace. It is, however, wrong. Quang Duc’s self-immolation and the others that followed were a protest against the South Vietnamese Ngo Dinh Diem administration and its allies in the West. Vietnamese Buddhists felt persecuted by the Vietnamese administration’s pro-Catholic stance. Their self-immolations were acts to defend Buddhism.

Buddhists have always been involved in civil disobedience movements and peace-making agendas, such as the Sarvodaya movement in Sri Lanka. Further, Buddhist meditations have proven incredibly helpful in the rehabilitation of criminals. In short, Buddhism, to its practitioners, is not an ‘accoutrement’ to life or ‘just’ a philosophy – it is a full-bodied religion whose adherents are eager to protect. The myth of Buddhism as a wholly peaceful religion ignores Buddhists’ agency and diversity – and the fact that they will go to great lengths to defend their religion, whether by way of pistol-bearing monks or self-immolating protesters.

Recently, Buddhists in Myanmar and Sri Lanka have also called for violence. In 2013, Time magazine placed the Burmese Buddhist monk U Wirathu on their cover with the headline ‘The Face of Buddhist Terror’. U Wirathu has been a fiery critic of Burmese Muslims, particularly those who identify as Rohingya. The 2014 Myanmar census found that Buddhists make up 89 per cent of the population, compared with Muslims at 4.3 per cent. Nevertheless, U Wirathu and his counterparts argue that both Burmese Buddhism and Myanmar itself are threatened by the ‘Islamification of Asia’. In well-attended sermons, U Wirathu has repeatedly derided Muslims and Islam, accusing them of seeking to destroy Burmese culture and the future of Buddhism. In one sermon, he likened Muslims to the African carp, explaining that they are inherently violent, prone to breed quickly, and want to eat their own kind.

U Wirathu is a member of the 969 movement. This movement and the Ma Ba Tha (the Patriotic Association of Myanmar) retain significant influence over the Buddhists of Myanmar. They distribute pamphlets and taped sermons that warn about the threat of Islam. Their work to foment fear of Muslims helps to propel Burmese Buddhists toward violence, as in the murderous anti-Muslim riots in the central city of Meiktila in 2013, where at least 40 people died. Before these, there were powerful precursors from the western Rakhine state. Since 2012, nearly 140,000 Rohingya have been displaced from their homes in Rakhine. Most of these Rohingya have been deported from homes into special internment camps. Due to the terrible conditions in these camps, journalists such as Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times argue that the Buddhist treatment of the Rohingya constitutes genocide.

In 2015, the two Burmese Buddhist organisations successfully lobbied for the passage of pro-Buddhist legislation. Many international human-rights groups argue that these new laws are discriminatory against minority groups, particularly Muslims. U Wirathu continues to develop connections not only with Thailand’s Buddhist monks, but also with Sri Lankan Buddhist monks.

The Buddhist organisation ran an incendiary campaign, calling for a boycott on stores selling halal-certified meat

From 1983, Sri Lanka was engaged in a civil war. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam fought to separate and form their own independent state of Tamil Eelam. The Sri Lankan government opposed this, both through secular language and Buddhist rhetoric. Buddhist monks fiercely argued against negotiations, and for fighting to keep Sri Lanka ‘whole’. For these monks, Sri Lanka is the true land of Buddhism and it was under attack. Monks were straightforward political players, delivering incendiary speeches, joining political parties (such as the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna), and taking part in violent clashes.

The civil war ended in 2009, but Sri Lankan Buddhist monks have continued to push their political agendas. Since 2011, there have been further escalations in violent rhetoric by Sri Lankan Buddhist nationalist organisations such as the Sinhala Ravaya (The Roar of the Sinhalese), the Ravana Balaya (Ravana’s Force) and the Bodu Bala Sena (The Army of Buddhist Power). Often, the rhetoric is directed at businesses, for example against halal provision for Muslims. In early 2013, the Bodu Bala Sena ran an incendiary campaign, calling for a boycott against stores that provided halal-certified meat. The Buddhist organisation falsely alleged that Muslims were slaughtering young calves (an illegal practice), and accused the governing body for halal-certification, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, of taking steps to bring about Sharia law in Sri Lanka.

Similar to their counterparts in Myanmar, these Sri Lankan Buddhist groups have incited anti-Muslim riots, as in Aluthgama in 2014. Buddhist groups have been implicated in the assassination of politicians and peace activists. The growing influence of these hyper-nationalist Buddhist organisations, together with the Sri Lankan government’s tacit support (through a lack of response) has spurred NGOs and local communities to protest. In November 2016, 367 Sri Lankan citizens submitted a collective complaint about the inaction of the police to protect minorities from the persistence of Buddhist monk-led attacks.

No religion has a monopoly on ‘violent people’, nor does any one religion have a greater propensity for violence. Rather, social conditions such as poverty and societal upheavals generate violent behaviour, regardless of religion. It is no coincidence that poorer regions and neighbourhoods suffer higher crime rates. When people find the world changing around them, they turn to their religion to make sense of things. Some look to religion as a means to preserve what they have, and religion provides a way of understanding one’s place in the world and, more importantly, one’s duty.

In order to comprehend such people’s justifications for violence, it is important to explore their worldview, namely, the way in which Buddhists understand and protect what is sacred to them. Although Buddhism is incredibly diverse, all Buddhists venerate the Triple Jewels: Buddha, Dharma (doctrine) and Sangha (monastic community). As long as these jewels remain in the world, humanity still has a way of escaping the vicious cycle of rebirth. Buddhists, along with Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, believe that time is cyclical, and that there is a decline before the end of each great cycle.

According to Buddhists, their doctrine provides rulers with justice, societies with equilibrium, and individuals with a path to salvation. Its attenuation, therefore, is one sign of the decline. Another is the absence, or dwindling numbers, of the sangha. When there are no more monks, Buddhist End Times will begin.

Buddhist scriptures measure internal time by how many breaths you take, and external (cosmic) time through the rotation of four kalpas, or aeons. Unlike in Abrahamic religions, time in Buddhism has no beginning. It is a constant cycle. There is no definitive amount of time given for each kalpa, but Buddhist scriptures provide suggestive analogies. In the Prajnaparamita Sutra, one kalpa lasts longer than the time required to wear away an 18,000-square-metre rock by brushing it with a piece of cloth once every 100 years.

The first kalpa is a formative and chaotic period. In the second kalpa, the chaos continues to unfold. It is only in the third kalpa in which the chaos declines, and the world enters into a rapid stage of evolution. The fourth and final kalpa is called the Age of Destruction. It ends with an apocalyptic rainfall that destroys all life and sparks the beginning of the first kalpa. Buddhists believe that we are living in the fourth and final section of the last kalpa. The end of the kalpa will inevitably come and, when it does, a new Buddha will emerge: Maitreya, the Buddha-to-be. But Buddhists can forestall the end. The longer the Buddhist monks and their doctrine remain strong, then the slower the pace toward the end of the kalpa.

Buddhist traditions have different ways of identifying the signs of deterioration. According to legend, on the eve of the Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) becoming awakened, he was tempted by Mara, the embodiment of desire, death and rebirth. Although he conquered his desires and vanquished Mara, many Buddhists have believed that the re-appearance of Mara is a sign that the End Times have arrived. Others think that the erosion of their sacred Three Jewels signals the beginning of the end. In order to forestall the quickening of the End Times, Buddhists have fought against the manifestations of Mara and to preserve the integrity of their practices and doctrine.

For instance, in sixth-century China, the Buddhist monk Faqing led a revolt and declared the arrival of a new Buddha. He marshalled 50,000 men to fight, promising them that, with each kill, they would reach a higher stage in the bodhisattva path. In ninth-century Tibet, Emperor Langdarma was assassinated by a Tibetan lama. According to Tibetan sources, Langdarma had become possessed by demonic forces (gdon). He destroyed monasteries and began to attack the Buddhist establishment. Things were changing and not in the right direction. The murder of Langdarma ‘saved’ Buddhism in Tibet. It has become such an important event that the Tibetans commemorate the murder in their Cham dance, which offers moral instructions through performance.

Japanese fighter planes carried images of the Buddhist embodiment of compassion, Avalokiteshvara

During the Meiji Restoration, the Japanese emperor strengthened support for Shintoism, and began to dismantle Buddhist institutions that were not favourable to the state. Buddhist monks had a choice of either complying with the state, or leaving the monkhood. Many remained and supported the onset of Japanese imperialism. During the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05, Rinzai Buddhist monks spoke out in favour of the military campaign. For them, the war was a fight for the preservation of civilisation and the Buddhist doctrine – a fight for the world.

The Buddhist call-to-arms reoccurred throughout the Second World War. Japanese fighter planes carried images of the Buddhist embodiment of compassion, Avalokiteshvara. Zen and Pure Land Buddhist monks argued that the Second World War was justified in order to preserve ‘true’ Buddhism. The Buddhist traditions in places such as China, Korea and Singapore had become corrupt and faulty. It was a sign of decay.

As humanity moves closer to the Buddhist End Times, the Buddhist doctrine explains that it will become harder for a person to become enlightened. In recent years, many Buddhists have turned to Pure Land Buddhism. These Buddhists believe that our world is now fraught with a multitude of obstacles to becoming fully awakened. To avoid this, a follower practices uttering Amitabh’s name (nianfo) and visualizing him. In this way, the follower ensures a rebirth in Pure Land, where he can receive the teachings from the Bodhisattva Amitabha to reach enlightenment. Pure Land Buddhism is one of the largest populated traditions in East Asia, and is quickly expanding its numbers globally. While some Buddhists turn to traditions such as Pure Land Buddhism, others fight to preserve what they believe is true Buddhism, such as in southern Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

Over the centuries, there have been tremendous changes to Buddhism. Indeed, change is one of the foundational principles in Buddhism: all is impermanent. Some changes are in concert with modernity, others are in reaction. Each Buddhist tradition has transformed with the times – and the times are always changing. But there are persistent patterns that keep pace with these changes. Buddhist monks in the early sixth-century China led revolts to defend Buddhism. Today, monks in Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka continue to fight – violently – for their religion and to call their followers to action. The cycle of violence continues in this final stage of the cycle of time: the Kali Yuga, the Age of Destruction.

Monks with guns

Westerners think that Buddhism is about peace and non-violence. So how come Buddhist monks are in arms against Islam?

https://aeon.co/essays/buddhism-can-be-as-violent-as-any-other-religion

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The alumbrados of Castile were a movement that caused much trouble during the first three decades of the sixteenth century. Their ideas were represented by the “Big Three” beatas who, under noble patronage, for at least a decade previous to the arrest in 1524 of the “mother” of the movement (Isabel de la Cruz) had successfully proselytized and spread their ideas throughout Old and New Castile.1

The alumbrados certainly were a charismatic bunch; they enjoyed success with the elites of Castilian society, comuneros, but above all with women and conversos. As a religious movement led by women the alumbrados were part of a growing trend of individual, charismatic female piety. By the time of Cardinal Cisneros’s death in 1517, however, the era of the alumbrados and their grassroots converso spirituality was nearing its end. While the actual heyday of their movement was short-lived the alumbrados made a huge impact upon the minds Prospering in the environment of Catholic spiritual exploration fostered by the personal theological interests of the Archbishop of Toledo Cardinal Ximenez de Cisneros the alumbrados presented an interiorized approach to Christianity. Equipped with the meditational practice of dejamiento the alumbrados stressed the importance of an individual, pseudo-mystical “abandonment” to God and His will. They also emphasized the insignificance of external rituals and works, calling them ataduras or “shackles” to the material world, ties that only served to hinder one’s abandonment to God.

of the Inquisitors who prosecuted them and upon the Spanish religious imagination, an impact that would last across seas and time."

EL SABOR DE HEREJIA: THE EDICT OF 1525, THE ALUMBRADOS

AND THE INQUISITORS’ USAGE OF LOCURA

By

JAVIER A. MONTOYA

http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0041385/montoya_j.pdf

Alumbrado, (Spanish: “Enlightened”, ) Italian Illuminato, plural Illuminati, a follower of a mystical movement in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. Its adherents claimed that the human soul, having attained a certain degree of perfection, was permitted a vision of the divine and entered into direct communication with the Holy Spirit. From this state the soul could neither advance nor retrogress. Consequently, participation in the liturgy, good works, and observance of the exterior forms of religious life were unnecessary for those who had received the “light.” The Alumbrados came primarily from among the reformed Franciscans and the Jesuits, but their doctrines seem to have influenced all classes of people. The extravagant claims made for their visions and revelations caused them to be relentlessly persecuted. The Inquisition issued edicts against them on three occasions (1568, 1574, and 1623)."

https://www.britannica.com/event/Alumbrado

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Pali Buddha (“the Awakened One, the Enlightened One”), from buddha (“awakened, enlightened”), from Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddha, “awakened, enlightened”), past participle of बोधति (bodhati, “to wake, to awaken”). Distantly related to English bid and bede. Also cognate with Russian будить (buditʹ, “to wake up”)."

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Buddha

Gautama

surname of the Buddha, from Sanskrit Gotamah, properly a patronymic, literally "descendant of the greatest ox," from superlative of gauh "ox, bull, cow."

https://www.etymonline.com/word/buddha

Unam Sanctam

One God, One Faith, One Spiritual Authority

Pope Boniface VIII - 1302

Bull of Pope Boniface VIII promulgated November 18, 1302

For, according to the Blessed Dionysius, it is a law of the divinity that the lowest things reach the highest place by intermediaries. Then, according to the order of the universe, all things are not led back to order equally and immediately, but the lowest by the intermediary, and the inferior by the superior. Hence we must recognize the more clearly that spiritual power surpasses in dignity and in nobility any temporal power whatever, as spiritual things surpass the temporal. This we see very clearly also by the payment, benediction, and consecration of the tithes, but the acceptance of power itself and by the government even of things. For with truth as our witness, it belongs to spiritual power to establish the terrestrial power and to pass judgement if it has not been good. Thus is accomplished the prophecy of Jeremias concerning the Church and the ecclesiastical power: ‘Behold to-day I have placed you over nations, and over kingdoms‘ and the rest. Therefore, if the terrestrial power err, it will be judged by the spiritual power; but if a minor spiritual power err, it will be judged by a superior spiritual power; but if the highest power of all err, it can be judged only by God, and not by man, according to the testimony of the Apostle: ‘The spiritual man judgeth of all things and he himself is judged by no man‘ [1 Cor 2:15]. This authority, however, (though it has been given to man and is exercised by man), is not human but rather divine, granted to Peter by a divine word and reaffirmed to him (Peter) and his successors by the One Whom Peter confessed, the Lord saying to Peter himself, ‘Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in Heaven‘ etc., [Mt 16:19]. Therefore whoever resists this power thus ordained by God, resists the ordinance of God [Rom 13:2], unless he invent like Manicheus two beginnings, which is false and judged by us heretical, since according to the testimony of Moses, it is not in the beginnings but in the beginning that God created heaven and earth [Gen 1:1]. Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.

https://www.papalencyclicals.net/bon08/b8unam.htm

THE CONFLICT: PRIORY OF SION VERSUS KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

Secret societies by virtue of their very secrecy have often kept historians at bay, and the historians, reluctant to confess their ignorance, prefer to diminish the consequence of their subject. Freemasonry.. is of vital importance to any social, psychological, cultural or political history of eighteenth-century Europe, and even to the founding of the United States; but most history books don't even mention it. It is almost as if an implicit policy obtained: If something cannot be exhaustively documented, it must be irrelevant and thereby not worth discussing I at all. Investigators of the Holy Grail' Freemasonry, French and English, as we know it today, finds its loots in two organizations of the Middle Ages - the Priory of Sion and the Order of the Knights Templar. What follows is the fascinating, if sometimes complicated and obscure history, of how these two modern, anti-Christian secular secret societies - English and French Freemasonry - developed from two groups that themselves had roots in the occult. We will see how the Priory of Sion desired to rule the world from the throne of David in Jerusalem through its counterfeit Jewish Merovingian bloodline, and how its own creation, the Knights Templar, moved beyond its role as police and protector of Sion to financial masters of medieval Europe. We will trace the alliance of Sion and the Templars, their dispute over the discovery of Solomon's treasures, and the terrible intrigues which followed that led to the undoing of the Templars in their struggle over wealth, power, and politics. We will reveal the beliefs of these two groups: that Jesus fathered children by Mary Magdalene; that a spiritual god of good (Satan) battles a material god of evil; that Lucifer, not Jesus, deserves worship; that a "Spear of Destiny" (later sought and possessed by Hitler) allows the holder to rule the world. We will also present data about the whereabouts of King Solomon's wealth, the plan to one day return it to Jerusalem, and reveal that the ultimate goal of these two groups is world government, and that their descendants, English and French Freemasonry, desire the same. The Historical Trail: The Priory of Sion and the Holy Grail In 1982 and 1986 three secular revisionist authors, Michael Baigent~ Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln published Holy Blood, Holy Grail followed by The Messianic Legacy. These two books dramatically reveal a secret order structured in the manner of Freemasonry, and founded in Europe twelve centuries before the Grand Lodge was officially formed in 1717. This order protects both the Holy Grail and the Merovingian bloodline, which bloodline carried Mystery Babylon into the Catholic Church in 496 A.D. 56 The Holy Grail, of course, is the so-called cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper. The Merovingians, owners of the Holy Grail, teach that Jesus fathered children by Mary Magdalene. The Merovingians claim to be the offspring of that "holy" union, and as such, assert they are Jews of the Davidic line.

In Revelation 17:3-5 the apostle John describes a vision, which Rev. J. R. Church in Guardians of the Grail believes is fulfilled in the Grail legend. The Whore of Babylon is holding in her hand a golden cup full of blasphemy. Church believes the cup is the blasphemous Holy Grail Another element of the Grail legend is the spear supposed to have pierced the side of Jesus, also known as the Spear of Longinus or the Spear of Destiny. Whoever possesses this spear, so the legend goes, will rule the world. The Merovingians, whose descendants are the Habsburg pretenders to the Austrian throne today, are in possession of the spear. It is on display in the Habsburg museum in Vienna, Austria~ No one, however, knows the location of the Holy Grail. At least no one is telling. Although heretical, this secret society should not be discounted, for it is alive and well today. In fact, in 1956, an Order calling itself the Prieure de Sion, or Priory of Sion, registered itself publicly for the first time with the French government. (Sion is French for Zion.) It is from this Order that the legend of the Holy Grail originated five centuries after Christ's death. Rev. Church remarks of this organization: This mysterious group is presently made up of over 9,000 men, including Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews, and Moslems. The members of this secret sect should be considered unfaithful to their respective beliefs, for in reality they are neither Christian nor Catholic, they are neither Jew nor Moslem. Their doctrine sidesteps the basic tenets of those beliefs and replaces them with the teachings of their greatest prophet - whom they believe to be Buddha.2 From this secret order J. R. Church believes will come the Anti-Christ, for he writes, "Their ultimate goal is world government!'"

Scarlet and the Beast

by John Daniel

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zCd0nFuvnM4OYWuVW5QUBCpsTfBv5bYx/view?usp=sharing

Kathryn Janeway is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. She was the main character of the television series Star Trek: Voyager, which aired between 1995 and 2001. She served as the captain of the Starfleet starship USS Voyager while it was lost in the Delta Quadrant on the other side of the galaxy. After returning home to the Alpha Quadrant, she is promoted to vice admiral and briefly appears in the 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis. She is seen again commanding the USS Dauntless in Star Trek: Prodigy, searching for the missing USS Protostar which was being commanded by Captain Chakotay, her former first officer on Voyager, at the time of its disappearance.

Although other female captains had appeared in previous Star Trek episodes and other media, Janeway was the first to serve as the central character of a live-action Star Trek television series. She has also appeared in other media including books and video games. In all of her screen appearances, she has been played by Kate Mulgrew.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Janeway

Jane

fem. proper name, from French Jeanne, Old French Jehane, from Medieval Latin Johanna (see John). As a generic name for "girl, girlfriend" it is attested from 1906 in U.S. slang. Never a top-10 list name for girls born in the U.S., it ranked in the top 50 from 1931 to 1956. It may owe its "everywoman" reputation rather to its association with the popular boy's name John.

Entries linking to Jane

John 

masc. proper name, Middle English Jon, Jan (mid-12c.), from Old French Jan, Jean, Jehan (Modern French Jean), from Medieval Latin Johannes, an alteration of Late Latin Joannes, from Greek Ioannes, from Hebrew Yohanan (longer form y'hohanan), said to mean literally "Jehovah has favored" or "Jah is gracious," from hanan "he was gracious."

Greek conformed the Hebrew ending to its own customs. The -h- in English was inserted in imitation of the Medieval Latin form. Old English had the Biblical name as Iohannes. As the name of John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, it was one of the most frequent Christian given names, and in England by early 14c. it rivaled William in popularity and was used generically (in Middle English especially of priests) and as an appellative (as in John Barleycorn, John Bull, John Q. Public). Somehow it also became the characteristic name of a Chinaman (1818).

The Latin name also is the source of French Jean, Spanish Juan, Italian Giovanni, Portuguese João, also Dutch Jan, Hans, German Johann, Russian Ivan. Welsh form was Ieuan, Efan (see Evan), but Ioan was adopted for the Welsh Authorized Version of the Bible, hence frequency of Jones as a Welsh surname.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/Jane

Santa Maria della Strada

Q: Is there a Jesuit Madonna of the Street? Who is she?

A: Roberto Ferruzzi's The Madonna of the Streets is not the only prominent Madonna of the Streets. The Jesuits also have a famous MADonna of the Streets displayed in the Gesu Church in Rome under the title Santa Maria della Strada, or Our Lady of the Street (or Way).

Going back to the fifth century, 425 A.D., the Astalli family erected a shrine to the Virgin Mary in district seven of the ancient city of Rome. The Madonna of this shrine was sometimes called the Madonna degli Astalli, or the Madonna of the Astalli family, which later became known as the Jesuits' Madonna della Strada.1

After establishing the Society of Jesus in 1540, Paul III gave the first Church to St. Ignatius and his companions in February, 1541,2 after the former pastor and owner, Peter Codacio, became a Jesuit.3 The name of the church was Santa Maria Della Strada.

In 1568, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese erected the Gesu Church of Rome, the mother church of the Jesuits, in place of the church of Santa Maria della Strada in which the icon, Madonna della Strada, was displayed. The tradition was to commemorate shrines and churches that already existed on the land set aside for the new church by building chapels dedicated to those displaced within newer and larger churches.4

Thus, the chapel of the Madonna della Strada came into existence as the home of the icon of the same name. The presence of the icon of the Mother and Child offers two points of immediate interest regarding the meaning of the icon in the context of this major Jesuit Church.

The icon is strategically located between two altars, the first dedicated to St. Ignatius, the second, the main altar of the Church, dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. The Church itself is dedicated overall to "God, the Virgin, and Jesus."5 This location of the MADonna chapel illustrates the characteristically intercessory role of Mary; first in the architecture of the Gesu Church, secondly, in the iconographic scheme of the same church,6 which is based upon the Triple Colloquy of Spirituality of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, the heart and foundation of Ignatian spirituality.

The icon of the Madonna della Strada is also the main altarpiece in the Madonna chapel.7 Other paintings include scenes from the life of Mary in the Protoevangelium of James, from the Songs of Songs, and Isaiah of the Hebrew Bible, and from the infancy narratives of the Christian Testament.8

– Father Louis A. Bonacci, S.J. "

Santa Maria della Strada : University of Dayton, Ohio (udayton.edu)

https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/s/santa-maria-della-strada.php

St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome is considered the mother church of all the Catholic churches in the Western world; inscribed on the church facade for all to see are the Latin words “omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et CAPUT,” meaning, “The mother and HEAD of all the churches of the city and of the world.”

https://www.simplycatholic.com/st-john-lateran-basilica/

The word cathedral is derived, possibly via the French cathédrale, from the Latin ecclesia cathedralis and from the Latin cathedra ('seat'), and ultimately from the Ancient Greek καθέδρα (kathédra), 'seat, bench', from κατά (kata) 'down' and ἕδρα (hedra) 'seat, base, chair'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral

In the second prelude, for Chief- Gene ral read highest Leader, and for captain read leader. For the first Leader the Spanish Autograph has Captain General, and for the second (leader), caudillo ; the former title expressing, as Father Rothaan remarks, a Commander-in-Chief of lawful warfare, the latter designating rather the leader of a faction, and being often used in a bad sense, as of a captain of robbers or malefactors. In order to express in some measure this distinction, he has made use of the terms Dux Generalis (LeaderGeneral) and CAPUT (HEAD) in his literal Version. The Common Version makes no distinction ; and hence, in order to render this Version with strict faithfulness, must read, both here and in the next two paragraphs, leader instead of captain, although (as the reader will already have perceived) this latter is the term which erceived) this latter is the term which corresponds the more nearly with the Spanish original. In all three places Father Rothaan has caput : in the third prelude he has again Dux instead of Imperator : see above. In the first point, in order to be strictly with the Common Version, readier?/ and smoky chair in stead of chair offire and smoke ; although this latter is what the Autograph has, a certain great chair of fire and smoke, " in which", observes Father Rothaan, there is no solidity, no true glory, but mere agitation and perpetual disturbance joined with thick darkness"; And this image", he adds, " exhibits the evil spirit such as he is, but not such as he offers himself to men's minds."

The Spiritual Exercises of Loyola

https://ia801306.us.archive.org/8/items/a588350800loyouoft/a588350800loyouoft.pdf

The Engineer Corps of Hell, or Rome's Sappers and Miners: Containing the Tactics of the "Militia of the Pope," or the Secret Manual of the Jesuits, ... and Lovers of Civil and Religious Liber Paperback – August 24, 2018

by Edwin Allen Sherman (Author)

3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars    4 ratings

See all formats and editions

Excerpt from The Engineer Corps of Hell, or Rome's Sappers and Miners

In presenting to our readers this translation from the Spanish Of the monita secreta (secret monitor) of the Jesuits, it is but due that a clear and truthful statement Of how the work came into our hands should be given. In the month Of August of 1870, the Secretariat Of all the bodies Of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freema sonry in the City Of San Francisco, California, had been placed in our hands, and we then occupied an Office, which had been assigned to us, in the Masonic Temple of this city. Scarcely had we then entered upon our duties, when one morning in the month of September, 1870, a rap was heard at our'door, and, on Opening it, a stranger, feeble in body, with a pallid face bearing the evidence of great suffering and of sickness, inquired if that was the office Of the Secretary of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, which we answered in the affirmative and invited him in and gave him a seat.

https://www.amazon.com/Engineer-Corps-Romes-Sappers-Miners/dp/1332416179

http://pdf.amazingdiscoveries.org/eBooks/Secret_Instructions_of_the_Jesuits.pdf

The Scottish Rite Cathedral, now named the Scottish Rite Theatre, is church-style building in Peoria, Illinois that houses the Scottish Rite Bodies of the Valley of Peoria. The building is at 400 NE Perry Avenue, at the corner with Spalding Avenue. The cathedral is listed as a contributing property to Peoria's North Side Historic District.

History

The Scottish Rite Bodies of the Valley of Peoria was established in Yates City, Illinois on February 25, 1867, and moved to Peoria in 1869. The body had 3 meeting locations in downtown Peoria before the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

Architecture

Hewitt, Emerson and Gregg architectural firm constructed the building at a cost of $400,000.[1] Herbert Hewitt of this firm was known designing the First National Bank Building, the highest building in Peoria at the time.[2] The cornerstone for the Scottish Rite Cathedral was laid on May 7, 1924.[3] It was dedicated in a public ceremony on January 13, 1925.[2][1]

The Gothic architecture was inspired by Edward Ulysses Henry's travels to Europe.[1] The cathedral design features flying buttresses and symbolic stained glass windows.[3] The cathedral has an auditorium with a stage[4] and 900 seats.[5][1]

Renovation

The Masonic membership in the Valley of Peoria was near 15,000 at one time, but had dropped to 1,200 by 2019, and was having trouble affording the maintenance of the building.[5][1] Kim Blickenstaff, who grew up in nearby East Peoria, bought the Cathedral on April 26, 2019, for $490,000, with plans to put it in a trust, operate it as a community venue, and allow Scottish Rite members to use the venue in perpetuity.[5]

Plans to open the theatre were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but construction work continued.[1] In 2020, the Peoria Historical Society awarded the KBD group a Historic Preservation Award.[6]

In January, 2023, the KBD group announced the venue would close on January 15.[7] The building was listed for sale in April 2023.[8]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Rite_Cathedral_%28Peoria,_Illinois%29

InterGalactic ConQuest 2025

April 11-13, 2025

Scottish Rite Masonic Center

Sacramento, CA

Gaming Convention with Sci-Fi programming

Join us for a weekend tabletop gaming convention!

We have planned an exciting array of board games, role playing games, and large scale miniature games!

The Lion's Gate hotel is a marvelous location with oodles of parking, great rooms, lots of nearby eateries, all on the historic McClellan Air Force Base grounds, now called McClellan Park.

https://scificons.com/events/info/23934/intergalactic-conquest-2025

The History and Legend of Scottish Rite Origins

The Story Unfolds…

Like much of early Masonic history, the origins of the Scottish Rite are uncertain. This is primarily due to the lack of historic documentation prior to the early 1700’s and not to any great veiled mystery. The few records kept were subject to loss, fire, weather and aging. So we can at best only speculate on many of our origins by looking at the few documents, historical references and legends that remain.

What We Know

In 1754, near Paris, Chevalier de Bonneville established the Chapter of Clermont. The Chapter resided in the College of Jesuits of Clermont, hence the name. It is said to have been created to honor the Duc de Clermont, then Grand Master of the English Grand Lodge of France.

The Chapter of Clermont was a “Chapter of the Advanced Degrees” and initially entailed six degrees and was later extended to 25 known degrees. The six initial degrees were 1˚, 2˚ and 3˚ St John’s Masonry, 4˚ Knight of the Eagle, 5˚ Illustrious Knight or Templar, 6˚ Sublime Illustrious Knight.

Interestingly enough historically, prior to the time of the Rite’s creation, James II had been in residence at Clermont in exile from Britain from 1688 to his death in 1701. As noted by German Masonic historian, Lenning… “whilst in exile, James II residing at the Jesuit College of Clermont in France, allowed his closest associates to fabricate certain degrees in order to extend their political views.” Lenning believed this to have been an attempt on the part of James and his associates to regain control of the British throne for the House of Stuart. If Lenning is right, this places the origins of the “Rite of Perfection” in the hands of James II and the Jacobite (Stuart) Freemasons who at the time were in exile from Great Britain throughout France and Italy. Lenning also contends that these degrees were introduced into French Freemasonry under the name of the Clermont System.

James II died in exile in 1701. His son James III is said to have continued his father’s Masonic legacy and later created further higher degrees.

Perhaps James II saw in the Jesuit morality plays of the College of Clermont a vessel for passing on a set of moral lessons. Some of the world’s greatest playwrights had emerged from Clermont. Jesuit tutelage had previously produced great writers such as Lope de Vega, Moliere, Racine, and the Corneille brothers. Ensconced in exile, I believe James II did find the inspiration and the training to help produce what would later become the first six degrees. From out of the darkness… comes light.

To be continued… (Author’s note… An in depth look at the Templar influence in Scottish Rite masonry’s origins can be found by visiting the Rosslyn Templars’ website.)"

https://web.archive.org/web/20190615041607/http://www.traversecityscottishrite.com/scottish-rite-history.html

PART VI 1THE PERSONAL LIFE OF THOSE ALREADY ADMITTED AND INCORPORATED INTO THE BODY OF THE SOCIETY

SECTION 1: THE APOSTOLIC CHARACTER OF OUR VOWS IN GENERAL

143 §1. Our consecration by profession of the evangelical counsels, by which we respond to a divine vocation, is at one and the same time the following of Christ poor, virginal, and obedient and a rejection of those idols that the world is always prepared to adore, especially wealth, pleasure, prestige, and power. Hence, our poverty, chastity, and obedience ought visibly and efficaciously to bear witness to this attitude, whereby we proclaim the evangelical possibility of a certain communion among men and women that is a foretaste of the future kingdom of God.[1]

§2. Our religious vows, while binding us, also set us free:

free, by our vow of poverty, to share the life of the poor and to use whatever resources we may have, not for our own security and comfort, but for service;

free, by our vow of chastity, to be men for others, in friendship and communion with all, but especially with those who share our mission of service;

free, by our vow of obedience, to respond to the call of Christ as made known to us by him whom the Spirit has placed over the Church, and to follow the lead of all our superiors.[2] [1] See GC 32, d. 4, no. 16; see GC 31, d. 16, no. 4; d. 17, no. 2; d. 18, no. 3. [2] GC 32, d. 2, no. 20. 215

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Note 370.—"Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret. The 32nd degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite, and for many years, or until the institution of the 33d degree, this was the highest degree, or ne plus ultra of Masonry. The body is styled a Consistory, and should be held in a building of two stories. The officers are, a Thrice Illustrious Commander, First and Second Lieutenants, a Minister of State, a Grand Chancellor, a Grand Treasurer, a Grand Secretary, and a Grand Captain of the Guard. In the East a throne, elevated on seven steps, which is the seat of the Thrice Illustrious Commander, who wears a robe of royal purple, and he and the Lieutenants, wear swords. The collar of this degree is black, lined with scarlet, and in the center, at the point, a double-headed eagle, of silver or gold, on a red Teutonic cross. The apron is of white satin, with a border of gold lace, one inch wide, lined with scarlet; on the flap is a double-headed eagle, on each side of which is the flag of the country in which the body is located, the flag of Prussia and the Beause- -ant of the Kadosh degree; on the apron is the camp of the Crusaders, , which is thus explained; it is composed of an enneagon, within which is ' inscribed a heptagon, within that a pentagon, and in the center an equilateral triangle, within which is a circle. Between the heptagon and pentagon are placed five standards, in the designs of whigjl are five letters, which form a particular word. The first standard is purple, on which is emblazoned the ark of the covenant, with a palm, tree on each side; the ark has the motto Laus Deo. The second is blue, on which is a lion, of gold, couchant, holding in his mouth a golden key, with a collar of the same metal on his neck, and on it is the device, Ad majorem Dei gloriam. The third is white, and displays a heart in flames, with two wings; it is surmounted by a crown of laurels. The fourth is green, and bears a double-headed black eagle, crowned, holding a sword in his right claw, and a bleeding heart in his left. The fifth bears a black ox. on a field of gold. On the sides of the enneagon are nine tents, with flags, representing the divisions of the Masonic army; on the angles are nine pinions, of the same color as the flag of the tent that precedes it. The hall of the Consistory is hung with black, strewed with tears of silver. The jewel is a double-headed white and black eagle, resting on a Teutonic cross, of gold, worn attached to the collar or ribbon. ^The members are called Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret. The moral of the degree teaches opposition to bigotry, superstition, and all the passions and vices which disgrace human nature."—Macoy's Encyclopaedia and Pictionary of Freemasonry, Article Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret

MISSIONS FROM THE SUPREME PONTIFF

252 §1. To be truly Christian, our service to the Church must be anchored in fidelity to Christ, who makes all things new; to be proper to the Society, it must be done in union with the successors of Peter[32]

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Thomas Trace Beatie (born 1974[1]) is an American public speaker, author, and advocate of transgender rights and sexuality issues, with a focus on transgender fertility and reproductive rights.[2]

Beatie came out as a trans man in early 1997. Beatie had gender-affirming surgery in March 2002 and became known as "the pregnant man" after he became pregnant through artificial insemination in 2007.[3] Beatie chose to be pregnant, with donated sperm,[4][5] because his wife Nancy was sterile.

The couple filed for divorce in 2012. The Beatie case is the first of its kind on record, where a documented legal male gave birth within a marriage to a woman, and for the first time, a court challenged a marriage where the husband gave birth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Beatie 

Latium is a 1669 work by the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher. It was dedicated to Pope Clement X and a 1671 edition was published in Amsterdam by Johannes van Waesbergen.[1] The work was the first to discuss the topography, archeology and history of the Lazio region.[2] It was based partly on Kircher's extensive walks in the countryside around Rome, although it included sites that he had probably not visited in person.[3] The work included many illustrations of the contemporary countryside, as well as reconstructions of ancient buildings.[4]: 92  It also included an account of his discovery of the ruined sanctuary at Mentorella, which he had already recounted in his 1665 work Historia Eustachio Mariana.[4]: 94

Contents

Kircher’s stated purpose in Latium was to use the physical remains of ancient Latium as illustrations of human mutability and transience.[5] It was divided into five books. The first covered the origins and ancient history of the Latins. The second contained chapters describing (I) the region of Monte Cavo, Lake Albano and the ancient town of Alba Longa; (II) Tusculum; (III) the ancient Praeneste and the modern town of Palestrina, and (IV) the region of Labici and the ancient Hernici tribe. The third book examined the ancient history of Tivoli and the fourth, the countryside and ancient remains around it. The fifth book was devoted to the Pontine marshes.[1][6] The Pontine Marshes to the southeast of Rome had been discussed by Kircher in his 1658 work Scrutinium Physico-Medicum because they were a source of malaria that prevented the agricultural development of the neighbouring region and imposed a heavy burden of disease on its population. Kircher was probably one of the first people to recommend the taking of quinine in Rome to counter malaria. Pope Urban VIII had brought in the Dutch engineer De Wit to begin draining the marshes and in Latium Kircher noted these efforts approvingly, illustrating the devices used to pump out the water.[7]

Ancient history of Latium

In Book I, Kircher advanced the theory that Latium had been populated after the time of the Tower of Babel, or possibly before. Indeed he held that it had originally been settled by Noah, and that this was supported by local legends about Saturn and Janus, who he believed were in fact Noah himself.[5] Thus, he held, the mythological account of the castration of Saturn was a variant of the Biblical story of the discovery of Noah's nakedness by Ham. Such speculative theories were to be developed in his later works Turris Babel and Arca Noë.[8]: 44

During his countryside walks, Kircher was searching for evidence that would allow him to reconstruct the history of the region from its earliest times right up to the pontificate of Pope Alexander VII. Although the timeline he constructed was highly inaccurate, the evidence he gathered was the first attempt at a complete chronological reconstruction of the region’s history.[9]

The Nile mosaic

Around 1600 a Roman mosaic was discovered at the Temple of Fortuna Primigenia at Praeneste. It is known to modern scholarship as "the Nile mosaic" because it is understood to represent the course of the River Nile from the mountains of Ethiopia through Sudan and Egypt to the sea. However in Book III of Latium Kircher offered a completely different interpretation of the piece, based on the idea that it depicted ceremonies in honour of the goddess of fortune. The upper part, he said, depicted wild animals, representing fortune's dangers. He noted that the people of ancient Praeneste were devotees of Hercules, who was famous for having destroyed monsters and overcome ill fortune. Beneath this, he said, was depicted the veneration of the goddess and consultation of her oracle. He correctly identified the temple of Serapis but this did not serve as a clue of the mosaic's real subject. At the bottom there are festivals and processions in honour of the goddess.[4]: 87–88

Illustrations

Latium was published in folio with 27 engraved plates. These included illustrations, maps, and plans, including 15 double-page foldouts.[10] The illustrations included views of the countryside, sculptures, mosaics, coins and mechanical devices such as watermills.[6]

The frontispiece was by Romeyn de Hooghe. It depicted a seated figure of the genius loci Latia. On one side of her stands a mountain on which Atlas hold up the world, and on the other figures a volcano. These emblems represent, perhaps, the temporal and spiritual power of Rome respectively. Above her hang both ancient and contemporary arms. Romulus and Remus and their she-wolf adopted mother play behind her back while a putto presents her with the papal tiara and the keys of Saint Peter. She is wearing regalia that show that her presence and her power are intimately connected with the Catholic Church.[3] Her crown identifies her as the protector of a city, and the star above it is the symbols of the Chigi family to which Pope Alexander VII belonged. She holds a long sceptre topped with the hand of justice and her eyes fall on a mitre, a cardinal's hat, and other Catholic religious objects. Her robe covers the imperial eagle and her foot rests on the orb of temporal power, indicating her primacy over the Holy Roman Emperor. Beneath Latia is inscribed the Latin motto 'Latium cui par nihil est, nihil Secundu' ('Latium, to which none is equal, and second to none'). At the bottom of the illustration the male figures are the gods of the river Tiber and its Tivoli tributary the Aniene. The female figure with butterfly wings is the goddess of the Aniene, otherwise Ino, resting on symbols of her mythological shipwreck.[4]: 39

The imagery of the frontispiece was intended to emphasise the purpose of Kircher’s claim that his contemporary Rome was connected not just to the ancient city that preceded it, but to a both the ancient classical and biblical worlds. The figure of Latia was Etruscan, the sceptre she hold resembled the regalia of ancient Egypt, while Greece was represented by the winged figure of Ino.[9]

The illustration depicting the apotheosis of Homer was signed by Giovanni Battista Galestruzzi. The aerial view of Palestrina and the plate of the Nile mosaic were signed by Agapito de Bernardini.[6]: 178 [4]: 51  The maps in the book were the work of Innocenzo Mattei.[11] The book also reused a number of earlier illustrations from previously published works, by Étienne Dupérac, Daniele Stoopendahl and Matteo Greuter. The image of the reconstruction of Hadrian’s villa was a replica of the illustration by Francesco Contini and the image of the temple of Fortune was a replica of a piece by Domenico Castelli.[6]: 182

Critical reception

The work was criticised by many scholars of Kircher’s time for its inaccuracies and speculations about ancient history. Raffaello Fabretti pointed out that Kircher’s text was full of mistakes,[5] his images of aqueducts were inaccurate and his map wrongly located the source of the Aqua Virgo near Colonna.[12] Kircher intended to write a similar work on Etruria, entitled Iter Etruscum, but this was never published, because the Jesuit censors would not approve it.[3][13]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latium_(1669)

THE American Capitol abounds with clues of its Roman origins. “Freedom,” the Roman goddess whose statue crowns the dome, was created in Rome at the studio of American sculptor Thomas Crawford. We find a whole pantheon of Roman deities in the great fresco covering the dome’s interior rotunda: Persephone, Ceres, Freedom, Vulcan, Mercury, even a deified George Washington. These figures were the creation of Vatican artist Constantino Brumidi. The fact that the national Statehouse evolved as a “capitol” bespeaks Roman influence. No building can rightly be called a capitol unless it’s a temple of Jupiter, the great father-god of Rome who ruled heaven with his thunderbolts and nourished the earth with his fertilizing rains. If it was a capitolium, it belonged to Jupiter and his priests. Jupiter’s mascot was the eagle, which the founding fathers made their mascot as well. A Roman eagle tops the governing idol of the House of Representatives, a forty-six-inch sterling silverand- ebony wand called a “mace.” The mace is “the symbol of authority in the House.”4 W h e n the Sergeant-at-arms displays it before an unruly member of Congress, the mace restores order. Its position at the rostrum tells whether the House is in “committee” or in “session.” America’s national motto “Annuit Coeptis” came from a prayer to Jupiter. It appears in Book IX of Virgil’s epic propaganda, the Aeneid, a poem commissioned just before the birth of Christ by Caius Maecenas, the multi-billionaire power behind Augustus Caesar. The poem’s objective was to fashion Rome into an imperial monarchy for which its citizens would gladly sacrifice their lives. Fascism may be an ugly word to many, but its stately emblem is apparently offensive to no one. T h e emblem of fascism, a pair of them, commands the wall above and behind the speaker’s rostrum in the Chamber of the House of Representatives. They’re called fasces, and I can think of no reason for them to be there other than to declare the fascistic nature of American republican democracy. 6 A fasces is a Roman device. Actually, it originated with the ancient Etruscans, from whom the earliest Romans derived their religious jurisprudence nearly three thousand years ago. It’s an axe-head whose handle is a bundle of rods tightly strapped together by a red sinew. It symbolizes the ordering of priestly functions into a single infallible sovereign, an autocrat who could require life and limb of his subjects. If the fasces is entwined with laurel, like the pair on the House wall, it signifies Caesarean military power. The Romans called this infallible sovereign Pontifex Maximus, “Supreme Bridgebuilder.” No Roman was called Pontifex Maximus until the title was given to Julius Caesar in 48 BC. Today’s Pontifex Maximus is Pope John Paul II. As we shall discover in a forthcoming chapter, John Paul does not hold that title alone. He shares it with a mysterious partner, a military man, a man holding an office that has been known for more than four centuries as “Papa Nero,” the Black Pope. I shall present evidence that the House fasces represent the Black Pope, who indeed rules the world. Later, I will develop what is sure to become a controversial hypothesis: that the Black Pope rules by divine appointment, and for the ultimate good of mankind.

Rulers of Evil

by F. Tupper Saussy

https://archive.org/details/rulers-of-evil-f.-tupper-saussy_202201/Rulers%20of%20Evil%20F.%20Tupper%20Saussy/

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The statue is a figure of a classically draped woman,[8] likely inspired by the Roman goddess of liberty Libertas.[9] In a contrapposto pose,[8][10] she holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. With her left foot she steps on a broken chain and shackle,[8] commemorating the national abolition of slavery following the American Civil War.[11][12][13] After its dedication the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, being subsequently seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea.

The idea for the statue was conceived in 1865, when the French historian and abolitionist Édouard de Laboulaye proposed a monument to commemorate the upcoming centennial of U.S. independence (1876), the perseverance of American democracy and the liberation of the nation's slaves.[14] The Franco-Prussian War delayed progress until 1875, when Laboulaye proposed that the people of France finance the statue and the United States provide the site and build the pedestal. Bartholdi completed the head and the torch-bearing arm before the statue was fully designed, and these pieces were exhibited for publicity at international expositions.

The torch-bearing arm was displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, and in Madison Square Park in Manhattan from 1876 to 1882. Fundraising proved difficult, especially for the Americans, and by 1885 work on the pedestal was threatened by lack of funds. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer, of the New York World, started a drive for donations to finish the project and attracted more than 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar (equivalent to $35 in 2024). The statue was built in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the completed pedestal on what was then called Bedloe's Island. The statue's completion was marked by New York's first ticker-tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland.

The statue was administered by the United States Lighthouse Board until 1901 and then by the Department of War; since 1933, it has been maintained by the National Park Service as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and is a major tourist attraction. Limited numbers of visitors can access the rim of the pedestal and the interior of the statue's crown from within; public access to the torch has been barred since 1916.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty

"Endgame" is the series finale of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, episodes 25 and 26 of the seventh season and 171 and 172 in the overall series. It was originally shown May 23, 2001, on the UPN network as a double-length episode and later presented as such in DVD collections, but it is shown in syndicated broadcasts as a two-part story.

Plot

In the year 2404, the Federation and the re-assembled crew of Voyager are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the ship's return to Earth, 23 years after it was stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Kathryn Janeway – now an admiral – reminisces with her crew, but reflects on the high personal costs of the long journey. She launches a plot to undo some of them by intervening at a key point in their history, changing a decision she now regrets. She steals an illegal time travel device and – with the reluctant help of now-Captain Harry Kim – takes a shuttlecraft back to 2378, where she meets up with Voyager, still in the Delta Quadrant. She pulls rank on younger Captain Janeway and orders the ship to return to a nebula filled with Borg that they had passed a few days before. She provides advanced technologies that allow Voyager to survive the massive Borg defenses, destroy two Borg vessels, and enter a transwarp corridor, which the Borg use for interstellar travel. Voyager comes upon a Borg transwarp hub, which connects distant parts of the galaxy, and could save the ship from sixteen more years stranded in the Delta Quadrant.

However, Captain Janeway wants to use Admiral Janeway's future technology to instead destroy the transwarp network; this can only be done from its terminus in the Delta Quadrant. Admiral Janeway explains that 23 additional crew members will die on the remainder of their trip home, including Seven of Nine (whose death will emotionally devastate Chakotay), and that Tuvok will develop dementia from a neurological condition that could have been treated in the Alpha Quadrant. Troubled by the choice, Captain Janeway discusses the issue with the crew, who agree that destroying the hub – severely diminishing the Borg threat to the Alpha Quadrant – is more important. The admiral is inspired by their spirit, and works with the captain on a scheme to do both.

The admiral takes her shuttlecraft and enters the transwarp hub, arriving at the Unicomplex – the center of all Borg activity and the home of the Borg Queen.[a] She pretends to offer a deal in defiance of the captain's plans: her future technologies, in exchange for sending Voyager safely home. However, the Queen captures the admiral and begins to assimilate her into the Borg collective. Admiral Janeway then turns the tables by unleashing a pathogen she was carrying in her bloodstream into the collective, devastating it and killing the Queen. The Unicomplex suffers a cascade failure and explodes, killing the admiral as well.

Meanwhile, Captain Janeway and Voyager have entered a transwarp corridor, pursued by a surviving Borg sphere that is trying to destroy Voyager and crew in a last-chance attempt to create a time-travel paradox that will undo the devastating damage that Admiral Janeway has just done. Unable to fight back against the sphere's defenses, Captain Janeway takes Voyager inside it, destroying it from the inside just as they emerge from the collapsing transwarp corridor near Earth. They are met by a fleet of Starfleet vessels that had been sent to confront the Borg, which instead escort Voyager home to Earth. B'Elanna Torres gives birth to her and Tom Paris’ child.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endgame_(Star_Trek:_Voyager)

The Big Little Jesus

Dragnet

Plot

Synopsis - The Big Little Jesus Season 3 Episode 17 12-24-53 Friday, Smith are small talking while Joe prepares his Christmas cards for mailing. They are working robbery when the phone rings, the Old Mission Church has had a theft, the baby Jesus statue was taken from the manger; gone. Friday, Smith are on the way to the church.

Joe narrates the church was at Sunset Blvd. and Main, it was there before the trains came to town; an old church. Father Xavier Rojas meets with the officers, saying the manger scene was put up every December 21st and taken down after the holy season; the infant statue was missing, it had been there thirty years. It was last scene the night before, the Father would like it returned before Christmas Day Mass, less than twenty-four hours. Friday, Smith say they would see what they could do. Father Rojas tells the men the statue can be replaced at a low cost, but it would not be the same, as children have come and some gone while the statue has been at the church.

Pawn shops are notified of the theft, one altar boy is questioned, he went home immediately after mass, the other altar boy was not at home, his father said he had a part-time job, but he would be able to meet the police afterward. Friday, Smith check with Mr. Flavin, a religious artifacts shop-owner, eccentric is Mr. Flavin, no luck with anyone selling him a statue.

Friday, Smith move on to their next possible lead. At HQ, Joseph Heffernan, the other altar boy comes in reporting the statue could have been there, but he was not certain. There was one person left in the sanctuary when he left, a familiar parishioner, no name given, a description given and a possible employer. Checking with the employer yielded nothing, but they did get his name, Claude Stroup. The altar boy noticed Stroup was carrying a bundle when he left the church.

The officers go to a transient hotel, where Stroup lives, talk to the desk clerk. He says Stroup is not in, telling the men of times long ago when Stroup was accused of a robbery. Friday thinks Stroup is their guy based on the bundle he was carrying and his past troubles. Friday, Smith leave word with the desk clerk to call them when he sees Claude, and not to say anything to him.

Friday narrates Stroup's name was run through records, there was no record of him under that name. The Captain insists they meet a criminal coming down from up north, priority over finding the statue even though the hotel clerk just called; Stroup is in the lobby. The Captain has a change of mind, says he can send two others to meet the bus, he orders Friday, Smith to attend to the missing statue.

Friday, Smith pick up Claud Stroup at his hotel and bring him downtown for questioning. He borrowed a friend's car, when he leaving, the car bumped another vehicle, that is what he thinks the police are questioning him. The bundle was his torn-pants in for repair. He says he would not take a statue. Friday says he does not think Claude would either; Friday tells him to go home, Smith says there is no report of any vehicle accident or otherwise. It is time they tell the priest they have been unsuccessful.

Friday, Smith go tell the priest they have had no luck finding the statue. The Father said he understood. A little boy is coming into the church, pulling a wagon, the statue is in the wagon. The Father addresses the boy as poquito. The boy's name is Paco Mendoza, he took the statue yesterday, saying he had promised the baby Jesus would have the first ride in the new wagon if his prayers were answered; he got the wagon. Paco Mendoza and Father Rojas return the statue to the manger.

Father Rojas explains the firemen fix old toys and give them to children. Paco's family is poor says Father; Friday replies, Are they Father? Friday, Smith walk out of the church; case closed.

Church interiors were photographed in the Old Mission Plaza Church, founded September 4, 1781, the founding date of The City of Los Angeles.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0565840/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Matthew 13:47-50

New King James Version

The Parable of the Dragnet

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013%3A47-50&version=NKJV

Pope Francis Unveils Christmas Nativity With Baby Jesus Atop A Keffiyeh

The pontiff declared "Enough wars, enough violence!" while presenting a scene by two Palestinian artists near the Vatican on Saturday.

Kelby Vera

By 

Kelby Vera

Dec 8, 2024, 07:29 PM EST 

Pope Francis made a plea for peace while unveiling a nativity featuring baby Jesus nestled in a keffiyeh in Vatican City on Saturday.

The pontiff declared “Enough wars, enough violence!” while receiving a delegation of representatives from the Palestinian groups that organized the project by Bethlehem-based artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi, Vatican News reported.

Part of a series of scenes from a collection titled “Nativity of Bethlehem 2024,” the biblical tableau shows figures of the holy family carved from olive wood while baby Jesus lies atop a keffiyeh, a style of scarf worn across the Middle East which has become a symbol of Palestinians’ resistance to the ongoing occupation by Israel.

Above the family is a panel of glass inscribed with, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to all people” in Latin and Arabic. 

At the event, the pope went on to tell his audience to “remember the brothers and sisters, who, right there [in Bethlehem] and in other parts of the world, are suffering from the tragedy of war,” according to the Times of Israel.

Following the nativity’s dedication, the New Arab reported that a mass for peace and a ceasefire in the region took place at the Angeli Chapel.

Pope Francis has previously called the public to support a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel as well as the safe release of hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attacks.

The head of the Holy See directly questioned Israel’s aggressive military response in interviews from a new book published last month, in which he calls for an investigation into whether Israel’s actions in Palestine “fits into the technical definition” of genocide.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pope-francis-baby-jesus-keffiyeh-nativity_n_67560b2fe4b06b50ac931068 

Luke 13:31-33

1599 Geneva Bible

31 [a]The same day there came certain Pharisees, and said unto him, Depart, and go hence: for Herod will kill thee.

32 Then said he unto them, Go ye and tell that [b]fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and will heal still [c]today, and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be [d]perfected.

33 [e]Nevertheless I must walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a Prophet should perish out of Jerusalem.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Luke 13:31 We must go forward in the case of our calling, through the midst of terrors, whether they be true or fained.

Luke 13:32 That deceitful and treacherous man.

Luke 13:32 That is, a small time, and Theophylact saith, it is a proverb: or else, by Today, we may understand the time that now is, and by Tomorrow, the time to come, meaning thereby all the time of his ministry and office.

Luke 13:32 To wit, when the sacrifice for sin is ended.

Luke 13:33 There are nowhere more cruel enemies of the godly, than they which are within the Sanctuary and Church itself: but God seeth it, and will in his time have an account of it.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2013%3A31-33&version=GNV

On March 1, 1932, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. (born June 22, 1930), the 20-month-old son of colonel Charles Lindbergh and his wife, aviatrix and author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was murdered after being abducted from his crib in the upper floor of the Lindberghs' home, Highfields, in East Amwell, New Jersey, United States.[1] On May 12, the child's corpse was discovered by a truck driver by the side of a nearby road.[2][3]

In September 1934, a German immigrant carpenter named Bruno Richard Hauptmann was arrested for the crime. After a trial that lasted from January 2 to February 13, 1935, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Despite his conviction, he continued to profess his innocence, but all appeals failed and he was executed in the electric chair at the New Jersey State Prison on April 3, 1936.[4] Hauptmann's guilt or lack thereof continues to be debated in the modern day. Newspaper writer H. L. Mencken called the kidnapping and trial "the biggest story since the Resurrection".[5][6] American media called it the "crime of the century"; legal scholars have referred to the trial as one of the "trials of the century".[7] The crime spurred the U.S. Congress to pass the Federal Kidnapping Act (commonly referred to as the "Little Lindbergh Law"), which made transporting a kidnapping victim across state lines a federal crime.[8]

Kidnapping

At approximately 9 p.m. on March 1, 1932, the Lindberghs' nurse, Betty Gow, found that 20-month-old Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was not with his mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, who had just come out of the bath. Gow then alerted Charles Lindbergh who immediately went to the child's room, where he found a ransom note, containing poor handwriting and grammar, in an envelope on the windowsill. Taking a gun, Lindbergh went around the house and grounds with the family butler, Olly Whateley;[9] they found impressions in the ground under the window of the baby's room, pieces of a wooden ladder, and a baby's blanket.[10] Whateley telephoned the Hopewell police department while Lindbergh contacted his attorney and friend, Henry Breckinridge, and the New Jersey state police.[10]

Investigation

An extensive search of the home and its surrounding area was conducted by police from nearby Hopewell Borough in coordination with the New Jersey State Police.

The ransom note

After midnight, a fingerprint expert examined the ransom note and ladder; no usable fingerprints or footprints were found, leading experts to conclude that the kidnapper(s) wore gloves and had some type of cloth on the soles of their shoes.[11] No adult fingerprints were found in the baby's room, including in areas witnesses admitted to touching, such as the window, but the baby's fingerprints were found.

The brief, handwritten ransom note had many spelling and grammar irregularities:

Dear Sir! Have 50.000$ redy 25 000$ in 20$ bills 15000$ in 10$ bills and 10000$ in 5$ bills After 2–4 days we will inform you were to deliver the mony. We warn you for making anyding public or for notify the Police the child is in gut care. Indication for all letters are Singnature and 3 hohls.[12]

At the bottom of the note were two interconnected blue circles surrounding a red circle, with a hole punched through the red circle and two more holes to the left and right.

Re-creation of the ransom note's "signature", with black dots rep­re­sent­ing punc­tures in the paper

On further examination of the ransom note by professionals, they found that it was all written by the same person. They determined that due to the odd English, the writer must have been foreign and had spent some time in the United States but little. The FBI then found a sketch artist to make a portrait of the man that they believed to be the kidnapper.[13]

Another attempt at identifying the kidnapper was made by examining the ladder that was used in the crime to abduct the child. Police realized that while the ladder was built incorrectly, it was built by someone who knew how to construct with wood and had prior building experience. No fingerprints were found on the ladder. Slivers of the wood were examined, as the police believed that this evidence would lead to the kidnapper. They had a professional see how many different types of wood were used, what pattern was made by the nail holes and if it had been made indoors or outdoors. This was later a key element in the trial of the man who was accused of the kidnapping.

On March 2, 1932, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover contacted the Trenton New Jersey Police Department. He told the New Jersey police that they could contact the FBI for any resources and would provide any assistance if needed. The FBI did not have federal jurisdiction until May 13, 1932 when the President declared that the FBI was at the disposal of the New Jersey Police Department and that the FBI should coordinate and conduct the investigation.

The New Jersey State police offered a $25,000 reward, equivalent to $558,000 in 2023, for anyone who could provide information pertaining to the case.

On March 4, 1932 a man by the name of Gaston B. Means had a discussion with Evalyn Walsh McLean and told her that he would be of great importance in retrieving the Lindbergh baby. Means told McLean that he could find these kidnappers because he was approached weeks before the abduction about participating in a "big kidnapping" and he claimed that his friend was the kidnapper of the Lindbergh child. The following day, Means told McLean that he had made contact with the person who had the Lindbergh child. He then convinced Mrs. McLean to give him $100,000 to obtain the child because the ransom money had doubled. McLean obliged, believing that Means really knew where the child was. She waited for the child's return every day until she finally asked Means for her money back. When he refused, Mrs. McLean reported him to the police and he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison on embezzlement charges.[14]

Violet Sharpe,[a] who was suspected as a conspirator, died by suicide on June 10,[15][16] before she was scheduled to be questioned for the fourth time.[17] Her involvement was later ruled out due to her having an alibi for the night of March 1, 1932.

In October 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation would take jurisdiction over the case.[citation needed]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindbergh_kidnapping

Rapture

rapture (n.)

c. 1600, "act of carrying off" as prey or plunder, from rapt + -ure, or else from French rapture, from Medieval Latin raptura "seizure, rape, kidnapping," from Latin raptus "a carrying off, abduction, snatching away; rape" (see rapt). The earliest attested use in English is with women as objects and in 17c. it sometimes meant rape (v.), which word is a close relation to this one.

The sense of "spiritual ecstasy, state of mental transport or exaltation" is recorded by c. 1600 (raptures). The connecting notion is a sudden or violent taking and carrying away. The meaning "expression of exalted or passionate feeling" in words or music is from 1610s.

also from c. 1600

https://www.etymonline.com/word/rapture 

40 Christians Kidnapped from Church During Worship 5/09/2023 

Nigeria (International Christian Concern) – Gunmen kidnapped 40 Christians on Sunday, during church worship in northern Nigeria.

https://www.persecution.org/2023/05/09/40-christians-kidnapped-during-worship/

PARTICULAR AND DAILY EXAMEN 

It contains in it three times, and two to examine oneself. The first time is in the morning, immediately on rising, when one ought to propose to guard himself with diligence against that particular sin or defect which he wants to correct and amend. The second time is after dinner, when one is to ask of God our Lord what one wants, namely, grace to remember how many times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect, and to amend himself in the future. Then let him make the first Examen, asking account of his soul of that particular thing proposed, which he wants to correct and amend. Let him go over hour by hour, or period by period, commencing at the hour he rose, and continuing up to the hour and instant of the present examen, and let him make in the first line of the G------- as many dots as were the times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect. Then let him resolve anew to amend himself up to the second Examen which he will make. The third time: After supper, the second Examen will be made, in the same way, hour by hour, commencing at the first Examen and continuing up to the present (second) one, and let him make in the second line of the same G------- as many dots as were the times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect. FOUR ADDITIONS FOLLOW TO RID ONESELF SOONER OF THAT PARTICULAR SIN OR DEFECT First Addition. The first Addition is that each time one falls into that particular sin or defect, let him put his hand on his breast, grieving for having fallen: which can be done even in the presence of many, without their perceiving what he is doing. Second Addition. The second: As the first line of the G------- means the first Examen, and the second line the second Examen, let him look at night if there is amendment from the first line to the second, that is, from the first Examen to the second. Third Addition. The third: To compare the second day with the first; that is, the two Examens of the present day with the other two Examens of the previous day, and see if he has amended himself from one day to the other. Fourth Addition. The fourth Addition: To compare one week with another, and see if he has amended himself in the present week over the week past. Note. It is to be noted that the first (large) G------- which follows means the Sunday: the second (smaller), the Monday: the third, the Tuesday, and so on.

GGGGGG

"The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola

TRANSLATED FROM

THE AUTOGRAPH

BY

FATHER ELDER MULLAN, S.J.

I.H.S.

NEW YORK

P.J. KENEDY & SONS

PRINTERS TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE

https://ia801306.us.archive.org/8/items/a588350800loyouoft/a588350800loyouoft.pdf

Fifthly.—The “Just Man made Perfect” is the Alchemist (or rather, Rosicrucian) who, having found the Philosophers’ Stone (San Graal, or Holy Grail, or “Sang Reale,” or “Holy Rapture,” or Magic Birth into the Celestial Fire, or Flame of Self-Extinguishnient, or of “Ecstacy”), becomes immortal (and disappears, or “dies” to the world. His “chariot of fire” being that of Enoch, or “Translation.” To die is simply the falling asunder and disintegration of the mecha-nism of the senses,* which have contracted inwards and formed (in life) the prison of the soul—a prison of pains and penalties; from between the bars of the windows of which (or out of the eyes) the suffering, languishing SPIRIT looks for the often long-coming releasing GREAT SPIRIT— DEATH. To “Rise”—is to cast off the chains of mortality. To become “Glorified” is to discover in one’s own identity the glorious, godlike gifts or MAGIC—which are the wings upon which to rise. Those men who have passed (as through a door) in their lifetime from the “hither” side (or world) to the “thither” side (or the world invisiblefollowing into the LIGHT the divine beckon to Paradise of the ANGELS of LIGHT, are the BROTHERS of the ROSY CROSS, or the ROSICRUCIANS, as they have been called; who “know everything,” can “do anything,” and have even arrogated to themselves, when in them should be set-up the same angelical-magical spirit which was in the Christ-Jesus, to be of the “COUNCIL of GOD.” Though, in the world, they were the humblest of the servants of the Almighty." 

The Rosicrucians Their Rites and Mysteries by Hargrave Jennings

https://libarch.nmu.org.ua/bitstream/handle/GenofondUA/2321/14424326d2ce7345a64d668efea1e7e0.pdf?sequence=1

The Falling Man is a photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew of a man falling from the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks in New York City. The unidentified man in the image was trapped on the upper floors of the North Tower, and it is unclear whether he fell while searching for safety or he jumped to escape the fire and smoke. The photograph was taken at 9:41:15 A.M.

The photograph was widely criticized after publication in international media on September 12, 2001, with readers labeling the image as disturbing, cold-blooded, ghoulish, and sadistic.[1][2] However, in the years following, the photo has gained acclamation.[3]

A Time magazine retrospective published in 2016 stated "Falling Man's identity is still unknown, but he is believed to have been an employee at the Windows on the World restaurant, which sat atop the North Tower. The true power of Falling Man, however, is less about who its subject was and more about what he became: a makeshift Unknown Soldier in an often unknown and uncertain war, suspended forever in history."[4]

Background

See also: Casualties of the September 11 attacks

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, four passenger jets were commandeered by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists after takeoff. Two of these hijacked airliners, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were intentionally crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City, killing or trapping well over 1300 people above the 91st floor of the North Tower and more than 600 above the 76th floor of the South.

That morning, an estimated 200 people were witnessed falling from the upper levels of the burning skyscrapers.[5][6] All but three came from the North Tower, where considerably more people were confined to a much smaller number of floors. Most of the people who fell from the World Trade Center deliberately jumped to their deaths to escape the smoke, flames, and extreme heat (in some places, estimated at over 2,000 °F (1,090 °C)). A smaller percentage of the falling deaths were accidents caused by people losing their grip or being knocked off-balance near window ledges, or attempting to climb down to a lower floor below the fire. Officials could not recover or identify the remains of those forced out of the towers due to the conditions on the ground near the base of the building at the time, prior to their collapse. The New York City medical examiner's office said it does not classify them as "jumpers," explaining that a "jumper" is defined as someone who "goes to the office in the morning knowing that they will commit suicide," adding that the victims who fell from the towers did not want to die but "were forced out by the smoke and flames or blown out."[6] The medical examiner's office listed manner of death as homicide for all deaths associated with the 9/11 attacks.

The morning of September 11, Richard Drew was on assignment for the Associated Press, photographing a maternity fashion show in Bryant Park.[7][8] Alerted by his editor to the attacks, Drew took the subway to the Chambers Street subway station, near the World Trade Center site.[7][9] He took the falling man image while at the corner of West and Vesey Street from a low angle.[10] He took eight photographs in sequence, after realizing that a series of loud cracking sounds was not that of falling concrete, but rather people hitting the ground.[10] He took between ten and twelve different sequences of images of people jumping from the tower, before having to leave the site due to the South Tower's collapse.[7]

The man fell from the south side of the North Tower's west face. Thus, the left half of the backdrop features the North Tower while the South Tower is visible on the right. The photograph gives the impression that the man is falling straight down; however, a series of photographs taken of his fall shows him to be tumbling through the air.[9][11][12]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Falling_Man 

Operation Mockingbird is an alleged large-scale program of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that began in the early years of the Cold War and attempted to manipulate domestic American news media organizations for propaganda purposes. According to author Deborah Davis, Operation Mockingbird recruited leading American journalists into a propaganda network and influenced the operations of front groups. CIA support of front groups was exposed when an April 1967 Ramparts article reported that the National Student Association received funding from the CIA.[1] In 1975, Church Committee Congressional investigations revealed Agency connections with journalists and civic groups.

In 1973, a document referred to as the "Family Jewels"[2] was published by the CIA containing a reference to "Project Mockingbird", which was the name of an operation in 1963 which wiretapped two journalists who had published articles based on classified material.[3] The document does not contain references to "Operation Mockingbird".[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird 

The Origin of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Doctrine

June 11, 2022

By Mark Williams.

How did the pretribulation doctrine come about? A brief rundown would go something like this:

In 1591 a Jesuit priest named Francisco Ribera wrote a 500-page commentary on the grand points of Babylon and the antichrist, the object being to set aside the Protestant teaching that the Papacy is the antichrist. In his commentary, he assigned the first chapters of Revelation to the first century. The rest he restricted to a literal three and a half years at the end of time, BEFORE the resurrection. He taught that the Jewish temple would be rebuilt by a single individual antichrist that would abolish the Christian religion, deny Christ, pretend to be God, and conquer the world. Thus was laid the foundation for Dispensationalism.

In 1812 another Jesuit priest, named Emmanuel Lacunza, started teaching that there would be a 45-day tribulation period, AFTER Christ’s coming.

In 1826 Edward Irving translated Lacunza’s book and published it in 1827. Sometime after that, Irving started to teach a three-and-a-half-year tribulation after Christ’s coming.

In 1830, a man named John Darby of the Plymouth Brethren started teaching a seven-year tribulation period. He came to America seven times to promote his teaching. When George Muller of Bristol came up against the Dispensationalist doctrines of the Brethren movement, he severed all connection with it. “The time came,” he said, “when I had to either part from my Bible or part from John Darby. I chose to keep my precious Bible.”

So in 1812, we see the teaching of a 45-day tribulation after the rapture.

Around 1827 Edward Irving taught a three and a-half-year tribulation after the rapture. Then in 1830, the final turn to a seven-year tribulation after the rapture. Others picked up on this new doctrine and added to it.

In 1909, C. I. Scofield published the Scofield Reference Bible. His dispensational notes were mixed in with the verses of the Bible so well that if you didn’t know better, you would think they were part of the Holy Scriptures. Over two million copies of his Bible were sold with this new dispensational teaching. Scofield, although not a Plymouth Brethren, was a devoted disciple of John Darby.

After that, W. E. Blackstone wrote a book titled Jesus Is Coming Again. A millionaire financed sending several hundred thousand copies of this book to missionaries throughout the world.

After Israel became a nation in 1948, prophecy teachers sprung up like wildfire, teaching that the Second Coming would happen approximately forty years after Israel became a nation. They got this belief from misinterpreting the word “generation” in Matthew 24. Hundreds of books were written on this subject. People learned about this new doctrine, not from the Bible, but from these so-called prophecy books.

Today Dispensationalism has become the generally accepted belief of the Fundamentalist wing of popular Protestantism.

In his tract, “Who is the Antichrist?” a former Catholic priest, Joseph Zacchello, says: “The Jesuits were the first ones to introduce a new theory in order to divert men’s minds from perceiving the fulfillment of the prophecies of the antichrist in the papal church. The Jesuit Ribera brought out the futuristic system, which asserts that the antichrist is yet to appear.” And to this statement, he adds: “Protestants who advocate the futuristic system are pleasing the pope and are playing into the hands of Rome.”

The teaching that the Church is to be raptured to heaven just prior to a time called the great tribulation was not known prior to the 1800s. It’s amazing with all the writings left to us from early Christians on the rapture, all agreed that if there is going to be a tribulation at the end of time, the Church would go through it. Since no voice spoke out in favor of a pre-tribulation rapture, the only conclusion possible is that the Church did not teach this in the beginning and that it should not be teaching it now.

Conclusion

This material was condensed down from hundreds of pages of notes just to give you a quick insight into the problem we are facing today. If we continue to curl up into a ball and keep our mouths shut because somebody might get their feelings hurt, the original truth that was taught by Jesus and his apostles, will one day vanish.

I’m not saying that we should go out and create war with those who disagree, but we should, in a loving manner, spread the whole truth of the Gospel. And if it were only on the last days, it would be easier for me to keep my mouth shut. But Satan has caused Christians to pervert his truth in dozens of chapters throughout the Bible.

It’s sad to think that a large part of God’s Church teaches that the Abrahamic covenant is yet to be fulfilled and yet the Bible teaches it has been fulfilled to the very letter. It’s sad to see Christians teaching that Jesus Christ isn’t reigning now when a simple study of the Bible shows he is and that Jesus is reigning from David’s throne now just as the Scriptures foretold. It’s sad to see Christians misleading the world into believing that after Christ comes back, there will still be a chance for salvation, and again, the Bible says no such thing. Friends, the Bible warns against believing in false doctrine, and yet to many, it’s not a problem. I believe that Christians can come together with a more unified understanding of the Scriptures, but only if we take the time to study amongst ourselves and not be afraid to ask questions or get our feelings hurt. Our goal should be stamping out false doctrine and becoming unified in Christ Jesus. Remember, we are commanded to study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Now if you still disagree with my notes, I would love to hear what you have to say and I promise to keep an open and honest heart. I for one do not want to stand face to face with Jesus only to find out that I’ve been deceived my whole life and neither should you.

Download a PDF file of this article.

https://www.jamesjpn.net/basic-bible/the-origin-of-the-pre-tribulation-rapture-doctrine/?print=pdf

https://www.jamesjpn.net/basic-bible/the-origin-of-the-pre-tribulation-rapture-doctrine/ 

How and to whom did Jesus pay our ransom?

A ransom is something that is paid to provide for the release of someone who is held captive. Jesus paid our ransom to free us from sin, death, and hell. Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are found God’s requirements for sacrifices. In Old Testament times, God commanded the Israelites to make animal sacrifices for substitutionary atonement; that is, an animal’s death took the place of a person’s death, death being the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23). Exodus 29:36a states, "Each day you must sacrifice a young bull as an offering for the atonement of sin."

God demands holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16). God’s Law demands holiness. We cannot give God full holiness because of the sins we commit (Romans 3:23); therefore, God demands satisfaction of His Law. Sacrifices to Him satisfied the requirements. This is where Jesus comes in. Hebrews 9:12-15 tells us: "Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ritual defilement. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, so that all who are invited can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant."

Also, read Romans 8:3-4, "The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit."

Clearly, Jesus paid the ransom for our lives to God. That ransom was His own life, the shedding of His own blood, a sacrifice. Due to His sacrificial death, each person on earth has the opportunity to accept that gift of atonement and be forgiven by God. For without His death, God’s Law would still need to be satisfied—by our own death.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-pay-ransom.html

CHAPTER SEVEN – SHABTAI, SHIMON AND SHARON – DESTROYING THE JEWS

ALM 1 - THE DEUTSCH DEVILS

Rabbi Marvin Antelman was right all along. Way back in 1974, he identified the source of all the evil against Jews and humanity but his message and style were too unaccessible to get through to anyone but the most advanced students of antisemitism. What he lacked most was simplicity, a common enough failure of thinkers decades in advance of their contemporaries. What he needed was someone to put out a Cliff's Notes simplified explanation of his thesis...and someone, without intention, just did. The name of the book is, 50 Jewish Messiahs by Jerry Rabow (Gefen Publishing, Jerusalem). It is an informative but shallow overview of just what the title says, but in its shallowness lies vital depth. We begin with Chapter 17, about the "most damaging messiah to the Jewish people," Shabbatai Zvi. First we'll read Rabow and then add commentary opening Rabbi Antelman's work to the wide world. Recall that there are various accepted English spellings for Shabtai Tzvi, and the Sabbataians. The spelling presented depends on the writer:

pp 91 - Shabbatai Zvi was born in Smyrna, Turkey on the ninth of Av, 1626. The ninth day of Av is the day of a triple tragedy for the Jewish nation. According to tradition, the First Temple, the Second Temple and Bar Kokhba's Betar fortress all fell on this day.

pp 93 - He changed the holiday celebrations and violated the dietary prohibitions. All of this followed from his declaration that the usual rules were inapplicable to messianic times.

pp 95 - He declared that the coming of the messianic era meant that the biblical commandments were no longer binding. He proclaimed that God now permitted everything. ** This is Rabbi Antelman's central assertion; that Shabbataism was the polar opposite of Judaism. That Shabbatai Zvi's program was to destroy all the tenets of the Torah and replace them with their opposites. Incredibly, more than half the Jews of the world at the time, believed he would be revealed as their promised messiah: **

pp 101 - Then he finally made the announcement for which the Jewish community had been waiting for 1600 years - he would begin the Redemption on the 15th day of the month of Sivan, June 18, 1666. ** There are many who will recognize the significance of the date. June is the sixth month, 18 divided by three is 6+6+6 and 1666 is clear enough. Either he knew what he was doing or the prophesies of the emergence of an evil false messiah or anti-Christ are right, and Shabbatai Zvi was him. **

pp 110 - Through all of this, Shabbatai continued to issue proclamations of the theological changes wrought by the coming of the messianic age. Shabbatai's new prayer was, "Praised be He who permits the forbidden." Since all things would be permitted in the age of the messiah, Shabbatai declared many of the old restrictions of the Torah no longer applicable. He abolished the laws concerning sexual relationships. He eventually declared that all of the thirty six major biblical sins were now permitted and instructed some of his followers that it was their duty to perform such sins in order to hasten the Redemption.

Shabtai Tzvi, Labor Zionism and the Holocaust

by Barry Chamish

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B66Pc9x2hkIrV2Y3QWxPbkpKYWc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-5ak831cRNQohyyjZYfFKvw

"As above, so below" is a popular modern paraphrase of the second verse of the Emerald Tablet, a short Hermetic text which first appeared in an Arabic source from the late eighth or early ninth century.[1] The paraphrase is based on one of several existing Latin translations of the Emerald Tablet, in which the second verse appears as follows:[2]

Quod est superius est sicut quod inferius, et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius.

That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.

The paraphrase is peculiar to this Latin version, and differs from the original Arabic, which reads "from" rather than "like to".

Following its use by prominent modern occultists such as Helena P. Blavatsky (1831–1891, co-founder of the Theosophical Society) and the anonymous author of the Kybalion (often taken to be William W. Atkinson, 1862–1932, a pioneer of the New Thought movement), the paraphrase started to take on a life of its own, becoming an often cited motto in New Age circles.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_above,_so_below

Nova music festival massacre

On 7 October 2023, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian nationalist organization Hamas, initiated a sudden attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. As part of the attack, 364 individuals, mostly civilians, were killed and many more wounded at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, an open-air music festival during the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret near kibbutz Re'im. Hamas also took 40 people hostage, and men and women were reportedly subject to sexual and gender-based violence.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_music_festival_massacre

A nova (pl. novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white dwarfs in close binary systems, but causes of the dramatic appearance of a nova vary, depending on the circumstances of the two progenitor stars. The main sub-classes of novae are classical novae, recurrent novae (RNe), and dwarf novae. They are all considered to be cataclysmic variable stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova

Revelation 16:8

1599 Geneva Bible

8 [a]And the fourth Angel poured out his vial on the sun, and it was given to him to torment men with heat of fire,

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2016%3A8-10&version=GNV

AI Overview

Astronomers estimate that there are about 200 billion trillion stars in the observable universe. That's 200 sextillion stars, or 200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Explanation

To estimate the number of stars in the universe, astronomers:

Measure the color and brightness of starlight from our galaxy, the Milky Way

Use that information to estimate how many stars are in the Milky Way

Multiply the number of stars in the Milky Way by the number of galaxies in the universe

However, this is only a rough estimate because not all galaxies are the same. For example, spiral galaxies can have over a trillion stars, while giant elliptical galaxies can have 100 trillion stars.

Other ways to put it

The number of stars in the universe is so large that it's hard to imagine. It's about 10 times the number of cups of water in all the oceans of Earth.

Missions to learn more

The European Space Agency's Gaia mission is mapping about 1 billion stars in the Milky Way. The mission's data will help astronomers better understand the structure and evolution of our galaxy.

Generative AI is experimental.

In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and interact with each other. On distance scales larger than the string scale, a string acts like a particle, with its mass, charge, and other properties determined by the vibrational state of the string. In string theory, one of the many vibrational states of the string corresponds to the graviton, a quantum mechanical particle that carries the gravitational force. Thus, string theory is a theory of quantum gravity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory

A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_reaction

2 Peter 3:10

1599 Geneva Bible

10 [a]But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a [b]noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%203%3A10&version=GNV

2030-2031 APPARITION CHARACTERISTICS

Another general rule for predicting oppositions of Mars is from the following: the planet has an approximate 15.8-year periodic opposition cycle, which consists of three or four Aphelic oppositions and three consecutive Perihelic oppositions. Perihelic oppositions are also called "favorable" because the Earth and Mars come closest to each other on those occasions. We sometimes refer to this as the seven Martian synodic periods. This cycle is repeated every 79 years (± 4 to 5 days) and, if one were to live long enough, one would see this cycle nearly replicated in approximately 284 years. The 2031 Mars apparition is considered Transitional (between Aphelic and Perihelic) because the orbital longitude at opposition will be 68.4° from the aphelion longitude of 70° Ls and 111.6° Ls from perihelion (250° Ls).

NOTE: Ls is the planetocentric longitude of the Sun along the ecliptic of Mars’ sky. 0° Ls is defined as that point where the Sun crosses the Martian celestial equator from south to north, that is the planet’s northern hemisphere vernal equinox. The other Ls values that define the beginnings of Martian northern hemisphere seasons are: summer, 90° Ls; autumn, 180° Ls; and winter, 270° Ls. For Mars’ southern hemisphere these values represent the opposite seasons. Distance (A.U.) - Distance from Earth to Mars in astronomical units, where one (1) A.U. equals 92,955,807.267 miles or 149,597,870.691 km.

Opposition occurs 11 months after conjunction when Mars is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. At that time, the two planets will lie nearly in a straight line with respect to the Sun, or five weeks after retrogression begins. Opposition will occur at 1157 UT on May 04, 2031 (138.4° Ls) with an apparent planetary disk diameter of 16.7 arcsec. Mars will remain visible for more than twelve months after opposition and then become lost in the glare of the Sun around May 31, 2032 as it approaches the next conjunction (July 11, 2032). The cycle is complete in 780 Earth days.

Closest approach occurs at 0350 UT on May 12, 2031 (142.1° Ls) with an apparent planetary disk diameter of 16.9 at a distance of 0.5533578 astronomical units (AU) or 51,437,823 miles (82,781,152 km). During closest approach in 2031 the apparent diameter of Mars will be 2.4 arcsec larger than it was at the same period in 2029; however, it will be 17.1 degrees lower in the sky - not quite as good for observing the Red Planet for observers in the northern hemisphere. It should also be noted that closest approach between Earth and Mars is not necessarily coincident with the time of opposition but varies by as much as two weeks.

https://www.alpo-astronomy.org/jbeish/2031_MARS.htm

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They were created with the aim of "peace and prosperity for people and the planet..."[1][2][3] – while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. The SDGs highlight the connections between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development. Sustainability is at the center of the SDGs.[4][5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals

– Chapter Three – The Final Edit

The End-Time Anti-Christ scenario begins with the “strong covenant”22 which will initiate the Seven Year Great Tribulation of the juxtaposed Seventieth Week of Daniel. The doctrine states that this “man of sin” who brings this treaty to build the Jewish Temple, will not be revealed until an ambiguous restrainer23 is taken out of the way. This ambiguous restrainer is believed to be the Holy Ghost by the Futurist, however this belief can only be pure speculation.24 The Leading Role So when this seven year covenant-agreement-treaty is made between some prominent person and Israel (and whoever else needs to be involved?), the pre-tribulation rapture is supposed to immediately take place, and Great Tribulation will ensue because the Holy Spirit is also supposed to be removed from the earth as well as all true Christians. Since about the time that Jimmy Carter was the U.S. President, beginning with the Camp David Accords in 1978, it seems that it has fallen to U.S. Presidents to broker peace deals in the mid-east. So it would seem likely that it will be a U.S. President that will play the part of the pseudo anti-christ character who will broker a deal for the building of a Third Temple. Just who will step up to bring an agreement which includes building the Temple? Who wants to be pegged as the Anti-Christ figure of the popular but fictional prophecy? Early in his 22Dan. 9.27 ESV 232 Thes 2.6 ESV 24See the chapter, The Restrainer in my book, The Rapture Will be Canceled, for a Historicist understanding of this passage. 34 – Chapter Three – The Final Edit presidency I thought that Barack Obama was an easy candidate, but here we are several days after the election of Donald Trump and the following article appears in the Breaking Israel News: Sanhedrin Asks Putin and Trump to Build Third Temple in Jerusalem25 “The Nascent Sanhedrin is calling on Russian President Vladmir Putin and US president-elect Donald Trump to join forces and fulfill their Biblically-mandated roles by rebuilding the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.” The article then likens the pair of leaders to Cyrus the Great who helped Israel rebuild the Temple after the Babylonian desolation, but because of positive statements they have made in the past about Israel and Jerusalem. “We are poised to rebuild the Temple. The political conditions today, in which the two most important national leaders in the world support the Jewish right to Jerusalem as their spiritual inheritance, is historically unprecedented,” Rabbi Weiss told Breaking Israel News. Only time will tell if it will be a US president that will be credited with the peace process that is responsible for bringing about the necessary treaty or agreement to make the building of a Third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount a reality. But when it does happen, that's when the fun begins! Any prominent statesman, perhaps the Presidents son25http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/78372/bin-exclusive-sanhedrin-asksputin-trump-build-third-temple-jerusalem/#blXplPAIWtjSHfz9.99 Let the Show Begin – 35 in-law Jared Kushner, could be put up for the role, but this is one role that I can't imagine many are eager to volunteer for. However the Futurist interpretation of the Daniel Seventieth Week and the several Thessalonian combined text on this is so ambiguous that however things work out it is flexible enough to accommodate.

Let the Show Begin

Entertain if you will the scene as the curtain opens: So it begins and no one is raptured away. How long will the adherents wait before they give up on the pretribulation rapture? The groundbreaking for the Temple takes place and the construction is moving along smoothly, three months pass, six months pass, a year! It has become all too obvious that the pre-tribulation rapture was the wrong one of the three multiple choices. But that is the beauty of this interpretation, there are two more choices. However, this first failure or nonevent exposes the Futurist Restrainer Doctrine fallacy, for the Holy Spirit cannot exit the earth if Christians are still present – but the treaty has been signed and the Anti-Christ has been revealed. Or was he? Remember! The man of sin cannot be revealed until the restrainer (Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way! So not only is the pre-tribulation Rapture wrong, but the Restrainer/Holy Spirit assumption is also wrong. Some may even be comforted by the fact that neither of these assumptions were ever explicitly stated in the scripture (that's why they are assumptions). Nevertheless many will just move along to accept the mid-tribulation/pre-wrath option instead, regardless of the fact that these are also based upon the same type of shallow assumptions and conjecture. 36 – Chapter Three – The Final Edit But there are lingering questions: Since the Holy Spirit remains, who is the Anti-Christ, since he could not be revealed yet? Who made the “strong covenant” that kicked off the tribulation? Can the mid-tribulation position be a real option if the pre-tribulation fails to materialize? For all of those who hold to a mid- or posttribulation position this conundrum should be resolved well in advance of the arrival of their expected Seven Year Great Tribulation period. Nonetheless, we can easily imagine a series of events like the following taking place in the near future:

 ==================

Dateline: 2023 With the intervention of the most popular Pope in recent history into the peace process, the US President, took credit for the agreement hammered out by his team of negotiators between The State of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf in the Mideast peace process. Thereafter it was announced by the Temple Institute that ground breaking for the Third Jewish Temple would commence within ninety days. The actual Architectural drawings had already just been completed and it was believed that the sacrifice could begin in time for the commencement of Passover 5785, four short years away. The Islamic protest throughout the Mideast was vocal, violent, expected and well covered, but the Palestinians would finally get the autonomy they desired in the West Bank and Gaza strip. The Jewish protest, based upon prevailing orthodox thought, that the Temple must be built upon the very spot occupied by The Dome Let the Show Begin – 37 of the Rock and then only after the Messiah appeared, were just as vocal but lacked mainstream attention due to the absence of violence. Pastor John Hogee thundered from his televised mega church pulpit, “Are you ready to be raptured? We will fly away – oh glory – as soon as the agreement takes affect…” which of course made sense because the treaty was signed and they were not gone yet. The Pastor proclaimed it now undeniable, the identification of the current U.S. President as the bible predicted end-time Anti-Christ. The Temple cornerstone which had been prepared several years in advance was placed symbolically in a ground breaking ceremony 96 days later. Still no rapture of true believers took place. Notorious debates raged since the day the agreement was signed, millions of disappointed Evangelicals were now ready to embrace the Mid-tribulation position, some even moved to the Post-trib position. Also becoming very vocal, and drawing many converts was the Universal Church that holds to a no-rapture position, instead teaching that the rapture is part of the Millenarian Heresy, “When none of the three raptures materialize, all those disappointed will be welcomed to the True Church with open arms,” could be easily proclaimed by the popular Catholic Evangelist, Mark Malleti. Most Evangelicals took a wait and see position, because the Mid-trib place was so neatly and beforehand prepared for them. The Agreement called for The Temple Mount to be expanded and partitioned between the three great Abrahamic Faiths and completed over the next seven years. The Dome of the Rock would remain according to 38 – Chapter Three – The Final Edit the new Jewish interfaith initiative. The “God’s Holy Mountain Vision” project hoped to defuse religious strife by showing that the Jews’ “end-of-days vision” could harmoniously accommodate Islam’s present architectural hegemony on the Temple Mount. “This vision of religious shrines in peaceful proximity can transform the Temple Mount from a place of contention to its original sacred role as a place of worship shared by Jews, Muslims and Christians,” said Yoav Frankel, director of the initiative. Frankel considers the scenario: … that the Temple be rebuilt on the current or an extended Temple Mount in peaceful proximity to the Dome and other houses of prayer such as the Aksa Mosque and nearby Christian shrines. There would also be room for a Christian Cathedral on a northward extension. True to form, Mega Pastor John Hogee released his newest book, Rapture Delayed – The Mercy of God, before the year was out, this would be an even bigger best seller than his last multimillion seller during the Blood Moon mania of 2014. In the pages of this book you would learn why God had delayed the rapture to the mid-tribulation position, of course backed by as many biblical references as his prior pre-tribulation position. You could also find overt hints that God may wait further to the post-tribulation position, and that no matter which position was Gods final decision, all true believers would go to heaven when they die if they asked Jesus into their hearts, “Give your heart to Jesus today…” he would say. Albert and Rosanne Henderson, a couple in their late 60s, had attended Northside Evangelical Church for more than 30 years, where not a whole lot of time was Let the Show Begin – 39 spent on bible prophecy until now. Oh yes, they believed in the pre-tribulation rapture ever since the book The Late Great Planet Earth was major part of bible study back around 1980. The excitement and urgency had long since worn off. What was there to get excited about? Their church, as almost all of the American Evangelical world did not have to worry about such things as dealing with the coming One World Mark Monetary System, because they would all be simply pre-wrath raptured away before anything bad happened to them. But with the added heavy weight of current events, it was time to rethink their long held position. A friend had given them a book, The Rapture Will Be Canceled, several years ago, but now it was time to actually read it, they could not forget the haunting title which had presently become accurately prophetic.

Pastor Bob preaches at his own little church on the other side of town. He becomes very excited about everything that happens in Israel, waiting with baited breath to be whisked away at any moment. He has no tolerance for those who question the official view of prophecy accepted by him and the giants of the kingdom such as John Hogee and Chuck Mistler, neither does he have the time of day for weak minded Christians who revere God’s Law or god forbid, won’t eat pork! His faith and consequently the faith of his entire little congregation was shaking to its core. Bob was seriously considering returning to his roots and the Universal Mother Church, now feeling that he’d been led astray so many years ago by Evangelical arguments. He pondered his absolute rage while watching a YouTube video several months ago, Show me the Gap Chuck or something like that: how anyone could challenge a giant 40 – Chapter Three – The Final Edit in Gods Kingdom like Chuck Mistler on prophecy brought him to a rage of four letter epithets he could not easily forget. But now he avoided mention of the rapture debate and failure at all, his sermons were beginning to sound very ecumenical these days. Three years of mounting Islamic protest, violence, sabotage and continual bomb threats had all but stopped the progress of the God’s Holy Mountain Vision, most specifically for the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. The expansion on the north end was progressing nicely, but every attempt to progress beyond the eastward expansion where the Jewish Temple was being built was met with resistance from every quarter. Islam protested, Animal Rights protested, Environmentalists protested, even Orthodox Jewry protested. No one was happy, the treaty would need to be renegotiated. And behind the scenes that’s exactly what was happening. The Vatican was now playing the major role in the peace process as a voice of reason and sanity. The Temple Mount Cathedral on the North Expansion was progressing nicely and well in balance with the stature of the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque combination on the south, also undergoing renovation for the great celebration. The compromise? Jews would settle for a Temple type National Synagogue of similar stature on its East Expansion. No animal sacrifice would be allowed on the Temple Mount whatsoever, period. Those progressive Jews which played the major role now proposed that the sacrifice could satisfy every tenet of Torah Law if commenced off site. Orthodox Jews maintained that Messiah would come and build the Temple after removing the Christian and Islamic edifices on the Mount, then the sacrifice Let the Show Begin – 41 would commence, they were content to wait. Appropriate changes for the Temple Mount National Synagogue were already in the works. With the end of the prospect for a Jewish sacrifice even the Islamic protests died down to an unmentionable murmur. At the same time Evangelical rapture adherents announced that the end of the prospective sacrifice satisfied their interpretation of the Daniel prophecy, “and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.” And it was in the middle of their Seven Year Tribulation. Months passed and nothing happened. Four years from the signing of the agreement – the 1260 days; the times, time and half a time; three and a half years had undeniably passed. Still no mass rapture of true believers took place.

Most of the Evangelical, the true rapture believers, moved to the only remaining position available for them, the Post-tribulation position. There was no other position available as far as they were concerned. Rapture theology had been so completely scrutinized over the last four years that a majority of Evangelicals had already left it behind, some concluding that the whole seven year tribulation was not even biblical. The holdouts were scorned and embarrassed so much that it only strengthened their resolve that they would be raptured away at the post seven year tribulation position. Then the world would see, but “because of Gods merciful delay there would be no second chance for those left behind,” said John Hogee, “they would surely experience the wrath of God when Jesus suddenly appeared and destroyed all of the wicked.” 42 – Chapter Three – The Final Edit The Grand Opening Celebration date of the “God’s Holy Mountain Vision” was set, seven years to the day of the signing of the agreement. Those diehard Evangelical Rapturists remained firm, but were secretly scared that it would not happen, those who put off the belief were afraid, but hopeful that it would happen. Finally the day came. The Vicar of Christ took the podium and proclaimed the beginning of a new era of world peace. A majority of Evangelicals who had once vociferously proclaimed the rapture, were now drawing attention to the fact that the rapture was always in contention even within the ranks. “Pre, Mid, and Posttribulation debates were always the norm, perhapsevidently the whole rapture idea was mistaken. In this world without end all the faithful will certainly go to heaven when they die, that is when we will join the resurrection of the dead,” were now the comforting words of Pastor John Hogee. For many of the elect, it was like waking from a dream, a great delusion – the scales had fallen from their eyes. They finally recognized the true Biblical and Historical Anti-Christ, he had been seated in plain sight all along. They could not go along, they knew what was coming and the only escape was in Christ alone to protect them even if martyrdom was their fate. It was widely preached and well accepted, few would make it to His return through the tribulation of the days to come. They would now be excluded from the one world Mark Money System. They could not, would not participate. The Mark of the Beast Inquisitions were growing stronger every year, the black market was an outlawed and dangerous necessity. There were few places of refuge from the long arm of the UN police and Let the Show Begin – 43 relocation forces in the fragmented States of the northern continent. Chaos and disorder was a regional hardship and also their ally. Losing their livelihoods and their homes, the true church was on the move spreading the gospel as they went. Miraculous provision, circumstance and healing was commonplace with this sojourning church movement, they had truly become, the church in the wilderness. We left home in the middle of the night. The reports were all too common – they would also come for us. I had been a fan of alternative media so had plenty of exposure to prepper ideas, but never went all out for the storage food bunker mentality of the extremist bent. I had a different tact: never let the fuel go below half a tank and head for the hills when bug out time did arrive. We hooked the small two horse trailer to the back of our three quarter ton pickup truck, of course we brought our two best horses and all the food and comforts we could cram in with us. There would be provisions where we were going. Mountain Home was an 8500 foot seasonal resort community where there were plenty of empty cabins. We were certainly frightened, but we knew this day was coming.

==================

When the Temple Mount Agreement is announced many believe they will immediately be raptured away, so rather than being alarmed they are elated but soon will discover that they were mistaken. By the end of the play many of those who trusted the false “rapture/left behind” prophets may be ready to listen to a more historical position on Bible Prophecy. The rest of the story will be lived out beyond the seven year tribulation 44 – Chapter Three – The Final Edit deception by each and every one of us who live long enough to see it through.

The Abraham Accord

Harbinger of the Temple Mount Play about to Begin

by Nicklas Arthur

https://www.nicklasarthur.info/The-Abraham-Accord-Rapture.off

https://www.facebook.com/billy.dunn.50767/posts/pfbid031HgudULTDY5gBhjmBL9j4FYrBg4dWFADz837zbxSYZsuF8TyjSH91UVGZyk4UwQil

Citing 'Two Corinthians,' Trump Struggles To Make The Sale To Evangelicals

January 18, 201610:42 PM ET

By 

Jessica Taylor

There were a few stumbles during Donald Trump's sojourn to Liberty University on Monday.

He mispronounced a book of the Bible. He cursed — twice. And on Martin Luther King Day, the GOP presidential candidate said he was honoring the slain civil-rights leader by dedicating to him the record crowds he says he drew for the school's opening convocation. (Students are required to attend.)

"We're going to protect Christianity. I can say that. I don't have to be politically correct," he thundered at the beginning of his speech at the conservative evangelical university.

Then he moved on to cite "Two Corinthians 3:17, that's the whole ballgame. ... Is that the one you like?" Trump asked. "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

That's a verse that's etched on campus buildings, but that verse comes from "Second Corinthians" — not "Two."

Students in the room snickered and laughed, and advisers to two of Trump's top rivals, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, were quick to point out the gaffe on Twitter.

Trump was once leading with conservative evangelical voters in the polls, but that support has slipped, especially in Iowa, which votes in two weeks. And it's Cruz who's challenging him the most heavily for religious conservatives.

Trump has boasted of his religious credentials, but there have been some missteps along the way. Last year, he told an Iowa evangelical gathering he had never asked God for forgiveness — a central tenet of the Christian faith — and he repeated that Sunday on CNN. He's declined to cite his favorite Bible verse or even his favorite testament. And the Presbyterian church he says he attends in Manhattan has said he's not an active member.

Those discrepancies haven't mattered yet to many evangelicals, and also didn't seem to faze many Liberty students either.

Sophomore Kathy Abdallah said she liked what Trump had to say, but as to whether his faith was genuine, she said she was taking his word for it.

"The Bible says we don't know the heart," Abdallah said. "He says he is [a Christian] at the very least."

There were still other head-scratching moments from Trump. He was speaking on Martin Luther King Day, a choice which had already angered some students and alumni due to inflammatory and controversial remarks Trump has made about Muslims, Mexican immigrants, women and other minorities during the course of his campaign — something they say isn't in line with the spirit of Dr. King.

The school defended the pick, telling Yahoo News, "I think this one was picked to afford Mr. Trump the opportunity to, among other things, honor Dr. King. It wasn't like we said, 'Let's go find someone who would be anti-Martin Luther King.'"

But Trump did not use his speech to pay homage to King and only acknowledged him in the context of boasting about the record crowd size he drew.

"And the first thing I said to Jerry and Becki [Falwell] when I got here: 'Did we break the record?'" he told students. "They said, 'Yes, you did, by quite a bit.' So we'll dedicate that to Martin Luther King, a great man. And that's a little bit of an achievement, I will tell you."

He echoed that milestone and dedication again at the end of his speech: "It's an honor, in terms of Martin Luther King, to have broken the record. We're dedicating the record to the late, great Martin Luther King, OK? But it's an honor."

A spokeswoman for Liberty would only say attendance was more than 11,000, but did not confirm whether it was a record for a convocation. Students living on campus are required to attend the thrice-weekly gatherings and can only miss a few each semester.

Despite his audience, Trump didn't deviate much from his usual stump speech. He boasted of his plan to build a wall along the Southern border and make Mexico pay for it, crediting himself with raising illegal immigration as an important issue in the GOP primary.

His loudest applause line came when he promised to defend the Second Amendment, and he pledged to stop the so-called "War on Christmas" by having stores say, "Merry Christmas" again instead of "Happy Holidays."

He didn't clean up or edit some usual lines in his speech — despite speaking at what felt like a church service. A praise and worship band even sang contemporary hymns before Trump spoke.

"We're mismanaged. We don't know what the hell we're doing," he said of the country's current political leadership. Later he promised if he were president, he would make sure Microsoft made their "damn computers" in the U.S. and not China.

Students began commenting on social media about Trump's language, and as CNN noted, cursing is against the student code of conduct, and can be punished with "reprimands and fines."

Overall, students were politely receptive to Trump's speech, but it was far from the raucous reception he usually gets at his own campaign rallies, typically featuring sustained applause lines and standing ovations.

One person, who lavished praise on Trump — and gave him considerable cover — was Jerry Falwell Jr. The university president typically introduces political speakers invited to the school's convocation — Cruz kicked off his presidential campaign there back in March; Ben Carson spoke there; and even Bernie Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic nomination, accepted their invitation to talk to student body last September.

But this introduction was far more laudatory than any from Falwell in the past, including Cruz. He said the business mogul reminded him of his late father, the famed televangelist Jerry Falwell, who founded the school. And while he noted neither he nor the school was endorsing anyone for president, the long exhortation of praise sounded like just that.

Falwell referred to Trump as "one of the greatest visionaries of our time."

He added, "In my opinion, Mr. Trump lives a life of loving and helping others as Jesus taught in the New Testament." He then rattled off ways Trump had helped people who were struggling financially and in need.

As for Christians who might have misgivings about voting for a twice-divorced former casino mogul, Falwell reminded students that his father had no problem voting for Ronald Reagan, a divorced Hollywood actor, over Democrat Jimmy Carter, a Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher, in 1980.

"We are all sinners," Falwell said.

Not all students were as taken with Trump, though. Freshman Gabriel O'Dea called Trump's speech "all flash, no substance" and said he was a "little upset" over how much Falwell praised the GOP presidential hopeful.

"[Trump] offered up a lot of great ideas but no way to get from Point A to Point B," said O'Dea, who said he was leaning toward voting for Rubio. "He didn't offer any solutions."

https://www.npr.org/2016/01/18/463528847/citing-two-corinthians-trump-struggles-to-make-the-sale-to-evangelicals 

Donald Trump Owned Several Atlantic City Casinos That Went Bankrupt — Despite This, He Said, 'Atlantic City Fueled A Lot Of Growth For Me'

Jeannine Mancini

November 13, 2023 4 min read

In the glittering world of Atlantic City’s casinos during the 1980s, Donald Trump emerged as a major player. His entry into the casino industry was timed with the booming popularity of Atlantic City as a gambling haven, second only to Las Vegas. Trump’s ambition led him to acquire three of the city’s major casinos, marking him as a significant presence in the thriving industry.

Then the landscape of casino gambling shifted dramatically. The legalization of gambling in other states gradually eroded the monopoly Atlantic City once enjoyed. The decentralization of the gambling industry started to draw crowds away, impacting the city’s and Trump’s casino revenues.

Trump’s challenges in the casino industry were not just external. The internal financial structure of his ventures, particularly the Taj Mahal, was fraught with risks. Heavily reliant on debt, these establishments faced immense pressure to generate substantial revenue. Financial analysts, like Mark Hoffberg of The Wall Street Journal, predicted early on that the seasonal fluctuations in tourism would severely impact these casinos’ ability to cover operational costs and debt payments.

Trump’s response to these challenges was varied and controversial. He initially dismissed critics and analysts who foresaw the impending financial troubles. As the predictions materialized, Trump’s strategy included blaming external factors and individuals, including contractors and business associates, for the failures.

By the early 1990s, the financial situation of Trump’s casino empire had become critical. Multiple bankruptcy filings ensued: the Trump Taj Mahal in 1991, followed by Trump Plaza and Trump Castle in 1992 and later Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc. in 2004. These filings were a clear indication of the dire state of his casino ventures.

Despite the setbacks, Trump’s finances remained somewhat insulated from the turmoil of his business ventures. He managed to negotiate deals with creditors that allowed him to avoid personal bankruptcy and maintain a semblance of financial stability. The dichotomy between the failure of his casinos and the preservation of his wealth highlights Trump’s complex relationship with his businesses.

In 2009, Trump resigned as chairman of Trump Entertainment Resorts, just before the company filed for bankruptcy protection again. This move was in line with his past strategies, distancing himself from the financial failures while maintaining his brand and wealth.

“Atlantic City fueled a lot of growth for me,” Trump said, reflecting on the significant personal gains he managed to secure from these failing ventures through a combination of strategic financing and business maneuvers — a point he has often highlighted in defending his business record.

The eventual demolition of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in 2021, using 3,000 sticks of dynamite, symbolized the physical and metaphorical end of Trump’s tumultuous journey in the casino business. What began as a venture full of promise and ambition in Atlantic City eventually succumbed to the changing dynamics of the gambling industry and financial mismanagement.

As Trump faces his current legal challenges in New York, his business legacy is under scrutiny. This trial represents a critical moment that could influence public perception and the future trajectory of his varied business interests. The implications of the trial extend beyond any single sector, potentially impacting the broader spectrum of his business empire.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-owned-several-atlantic-181258334.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADtOE1c7OrY-4k7-idKr5AD3lcz-GFtbrg7gcaYB-MriEWUy3cEZMzYnc_GpJ91oasiMeYf6LnOXO7QGJAw2n8lIesxYe5cq49n7t_KJJ8Ijlzv9VHcVKSUzRx4RQtME6wJu1lcjigEDv2iB4yRmlkvNtF9u853zSEq8smP9E9GW

Casino is a 1995 epic crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, adapted by Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi from the latter's nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.[6] It stars Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, Frank Vincent and James Woods. The film was the eighth collaboration between director Scorsese and De Niro.

Casino follows Sam "Ace" Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish American gambling expert handicapper who is asked by the Chicago Outfit to oversee the day-to-day casino and hotel operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. Other significant characters include Nicky Santoro (Pesci), a "made man" and friend of Sam, and Ginger McKenna (Stone), a streetwise chip hustler whom Sam marries and has a daughter with. The film details Sam's operation of the casino, the difficulties he confronts in his job, the Mafia's involvement with the casino, and the gradual breakdown of his relationships and standing, as Las Vegas changes over the years.

The primary characters are based on real people: Sam is inspired by the life of Frank Rosenthal, also known as "Lefty", who ran the Stardust, Fremont, Marina, and Hacienda casinos in Las Vegas for the Chicago Outfit from 1968 until 1981. Nicky and Ginger are based on mob enforcer Anthony Spilotro and former dancer and socialite Geri McGee, respectively.

Casino was released on November 22, 1995, by Universal Pictures, to a mostly positive critical reception, and was a worldwide box office success. Stone's performance was singled out for acclaim, earning her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Plot

In 1973, sports handicapper and Mafia associate Sam "Ace" Rothstein is sent by the Chicago Outfit to Las Vegas to run the Tangiers Casino, with frontman Philip Green. Sam soon doubles the casino's profits, with the extra unaccounted-for cash skimmed directly from the casino count room and delivered to the Midwest Mafia bosses. Chicago boss Remo Gaggi sends Sam's childhood friend and mob enforcer Nicky Santoro to protect Sam, the cash skim, and the casino. Nicky recruits his younger brother Dominick and childhood friend Frankie Marino to gather an experienced crew specializing in shakedowns and jewelry burglaries. Nicky's criminal activities in Las Vegas start drawing too much media and police attention, and he is eventually placed in the Black Book, banning him from every casino in Nevada. Sam meets and falls in love with a beautiful con artist, showgirl, and former prostitute Ginger McKenna. They have a daughter, Amy, and marry. Sam entrusts Ginger with $2 million in cash and $1 million in jewelry. Still, their marriage is soon thrown into turmoil due to Ginger's relationship with her longtime boyfriend, hustler and pimp Lester Diamond. Sam has Nicky's crew beat Lester when they catch him accepting $25,000 of Sam's money from her.

In 1976, Sam fires slot manager Don Ward for incompetence. Ward is brother-in-law to Clark County Commission chairman Pat Webb, who is unable to convince Sam to re-hire Ward. Webb arranges for Sam's gaming license to be denied, jeopardizing Sam's position. Sam starts hosting a local television talk show from inside the casino, irritating both Nicky and the bosses back home for bringing more unneeded attention. Sam blames Nicky's recklessness for ongoing police and state government pressure, and Sam's attempts to get Nicky to leave Las Vegas only further strain their friendship.

When the Midwest bosses discover that people on the inside are stealing from their skim, they install incompetent Kansas City underboss Artie Piscano to oversee the operation. Disobeying orders, Piscano keeps detailed written records of the operation. Additionally, an FBI bug placed in Piscano's grocery store catches him talking in detail about the skim, prompting a full investigation into the Tangiers Casino.

In 1980, Ginger kidnaps little Amy, planning to flee to Europe with her and Lester. Sam convinces Ginger to return with Amy, then overhears her planning on the phone to kill him. Enraged, Sam kicks her out of their home but relents and forgives her. Ginger confides in Nicky about the situation, and the two start an affair. Sam soon discovers their affair, as do private investigators. Nicky ends his affair with Ginger once she asks him to kill Sam and threatens to go to the FBI. Ginger leaves Sam and takes all of her money and jewelry.

In 1982, the FBI discovers Piscano's records, closes the Tangiers, and Green agrees to cooperate. The FBI approaches Sam for help by showing him photos of Nicky and Ginger together, but he turns them down. The Chicago bosses are arrested, get ready for trial, and arrange the murders of anyone who might testify against them. In 1983, Ginger, whose personal fortune was squandered by lowlife associates, dies of a drug overdose called a hot dose in Los Angeles. That same year, Sam narrowly survives a car bomb, suspecting Nicky to be the culprit. Sam states that the bosses did not authorize the bombing because they had "other ideas" for him.

In 1986, the bosses, finally fed up with Nicky's recklessness and attempt on Sam's life, order Frankie and his crew to kill Nicky and Dominick. Invited to attend a meetup in a remote Illinois cornfield, they are brutally beaten with baseball bats upon arriving, stripped of their clothes, and buried alive in a shallow grave. With the Mafia now out of the casino industry, nearly all the old casinos are demolished, and new casinos are built with money from junk bonds. Sam laments the new impersonal, corporate-run resorts of Las Vegas. Because of his status as a reliable and high earner for the outfit, Sam is allowed to live, moving to San Diego and returning to sports handicapping; "right back where I started," as Sam puts it before asking, "Why mess up a good thing? And that's that."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino_(1995_film)

History of Casino Gaming Around the World

3 minute read

As we conclude the eighth year of live video gaming operations in Illinois it sure feels like time has flown by. 2020 has been an extremely difficult year for Americans and the Illinois VGT community. Reflecting on the market since go live we thought it would be fun to do a series of stories about the history of gaming. Starting with Part 1, the History of Casino Gaming Around the World.

Gaming has roots that trace back to mankind's earliest ancestors. However, it wasn't until the world's very first casino, known as Il Ridotto (Italian: “Private Room”), opened its doors in Venice, Italy, that gaming went from small rooms and backlots to a more organized fashion. In fact, Italy is also credited with the etymology of the word "casino" - it is derived from the Italian description for a "small house."

The earliest casinos

While gaming has been popular since the earliest cultures in places like ancient China and ancient Rome, casinos didn't enter the picture until 1638. Meant to provide fun and entertainment during downtimes of the Venetian Carnival, Il Ridotto had some very strict rules.

Only privileged individuals were allowed in the casino.

Patrons had to abide by a specific dress code at all times (specifically, wear hats and masks).

Guests were expected to be civil.

Players were required to order food or drink from the casino's menu.

Unfortunately, Il Ridotto was closed in 1774 by Giorgio Pisani, but others would soon rise to take its place - including new ones in Italy and around the globe.

Casinos in the 19th century

Although several new casinos were built during the 18th century, Europe really saw a casino boom in the 19th century. To accommodate their newfound popularity, casinos started expanding and growing larger. Moreover, many casinos began making customer service a top priority.

The 19th century brings with it the creation of highly luxurious casino development. The Prince of Monaco, Florestran I, approved Monaco’s first casino in 1856. Le Grand Casino de Monte Carlo. Made famous in modern day culture by many James Bond films such as “GoldenEye” and “Casino Royale”. The Grand Casino still stands today and recently removed their requirement to wear a sport coat and surprisingly offer a very well-priced luxurious restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Casinos in the United States

Traditional Englishmen are credited for introducing gaming to the original British colonies. Raffles, lotteries and card games in the U.S. are all traceable back to the country's birth, but casinos wouldn't make their appearance until the 1800s.

Most of the earliest U.S. casinos were riverboats located in and around New Orleans, but a few gambling halls were licensed throughout the state. The introduction of such properties was somewhat problematic due to the lack of formal legislation for gaming operations in the new and young America. Gaming activities were somewhat of a gray area until 1931 when Nevada officially passed the Wide Open Gambling Bill to effectively legalize casinos in the state. Fast forward to today, many other states followed suit, but none have reached the amount of fame as Las Vegas.

Casinos and their games have made many transformations since then. The high cost and sometimes difficult to access brick and mortar casino development eventually led to the popular VGT offering we see in Illinois today. No longer does a patron need to hop a flight to Vegas or take a drive to a regional casino as the same fun and excitement is offered by great companies like Prairie State Gaming. If you’re a patron looking for the hottest slots or a local establishment that wants the benefits of a great casino operator like Penn National Gaming (our parent company) with close to home customer service call Prairie State Gaming today for your Illinois Video Gaming servicing. To find out more about how video game terminals (VGT) can bring success to your establishment, contact Prairie State Gaming today.

https://www.prairiestategaming.com/blog/history-of-casino-gaming

casino (n.)

1744, "public room for music or dancing," from Italian casino, literally "a little house," diminutive of casa "house," from Latin casa "hut, cottage, cabin," which is of uncertain origin. The card game (also cassino) is attested by that name from 1792. Specifically as "building for aristocratic gambling" by 1820, first in an Italian context.

[T]he term Casino [is] indiscriminately applied to a set of farm offices, a country-seat, a gambling house, and a game of cards ... [Jane Waldie Watts, "Sketches Descriptive of Italy in the Years 1816 and 1817," London 1820]

also from 1744

Entries linking to casino

https://www.etymonline.com/word/casino

Steven Terner Mnuchin[1] (/məˈnuːʃɪn/ mə-NOO-shin;[2] born December 21, 1962) is an American investment banker[3] and film producer who served as the 77th United States secretary of the treasury as part of the first cabinet of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021. Serving for nearly a full presidential term, Mnuchin was one of the few high-profile members of Trump's cabinet whom the president did not dismiss during his first term.[4]

Mnuchin was born in New York City. Upon graduating from Yale University in 1985, Mnuchin joined the investment bank Goldman Sachs where his father, Robert Mnuchin, was a general partner. Mnuchin worked at Goldman Sachs for 17 years, eventually becoming its chief information officer. After he left Goldman Sachs in 2002, he worked for and founded several hedge funds and launched Dune Entertainment, a film production company that financed several films for 20th Century Fox. He later served on the boards of Kmart and Sears Holdings. During the financial crisis of 2007–2008 he bought failed residential bank Indymac, which he reorganized as OneWest Bank and resold, becoming embroiled in lawsuits over questionable foreclosures.

Mnuchin joined Trump's presidential campaign in 2016, and was named National Finance Chairman for the campaign. On February 13, 2017, Mnuchin was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Secretary of the Treasury by a vote of 53–47.[5] As Secretary of the Treasury, Mnuchin supported the Trump tax cuts and the tax reform of 2017, and advocated reducing personal and corporate tax rates.[6] In regard to regulatory policy, Mnuchin supported President Trump’s partial repeal of the Dodd–Frank Act, citing the complexity of the legislation.[7]

Early life and education

Steven Mnuchin was born on December 21, 1962, in New York City, the second-youngest son in his family.[8][9] Mnuchin's family is Jewish.[9][10][11] He is the son of Robert E. Mnuchin of Washington, Connecticut, and Elaine Terner Cooper of New York.[12] Robert Mnuchin was a partner at Goldman Sachs in charge of equity trading and a member of the management committee. He is also the founder of an art gallery in New York City, the Mnuchin Gallery.[12][13] Mnuchin's great-grandfather, Aaron Mnuchin, a Russian-born diamond dealer who later resided in Belgium, emigrated to the U.S. in 1916.[14]

Mnuchin attended Riverdale Country School in New York City. He graduated from Yale University in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in economics.[8][15][16] At Yale, Mnuchin was publisher of the Yale Daily News,[17][18] and was also initiated into Skull and Bones in 1985.[19][20] While a student at Yale, Mnuchin drove a Porsche and lived at New Haven's Taft Hotel.[21]

Mnuchin's first job was as a trainee at investment bank Salomon Brothers in the early 1980s, while still studying at Yale.[20][22]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Mnuchin

Steven Mnuchin set to lead 250 strong US delegation at Jerusalem embassy opening

Group reportedly to include Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsay Graham, Jewish leaders and heads of pro-Israel Christian organizations

By ToI Staff

22 April 2018, 11:01 pm

Washington, DC on April 21, 2018. (AFP PHOTO / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS)

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is to lead a delegation of 250 people from the United States, including some 40 politicians, to the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem next month, Channel 10 news reported Sunday.

Mnuchin will be accompanied by US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump, as well as 40 senators and representatives, the report said.

The Times of Israel first reported last week that Kushner and Ivanka Trump were likely to attend.

Kushner has been a key architect of the US administration’s efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

The delegation will fly in to attend the official dedication ceremony for the US Embassy in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood on May 14, the TV report said.

Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsay Graham are reportedly expected to attend, as is Trump’s Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt. The group is also expected to include Jewish leaders and heads of pro-Israel Christian organizations.

Channel 10 said there was no official confirmation from the White House, the Treasury, or US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that the Foreign Ministry will host a reception for “guests” coming to Israel on the occasion of the embassy dedication. He did not provide further details.

“Initially, the interim embassy in Arnona will contain office space for the ambassador [Friedman] and a small staff. By the end of next year, we will complete the construction of additional office space in the Arnona compound that will provide the ambassador and his team with expanded interim capacity,” an official in the Tel Aviv embassy told The Times of Israel last week.

“Most embassy staff will continue to live and work in Tel Aviv during this period, until a new embassy is built in Jerusalem. We expect the process of site selection, design, planning and permitting, and construction of a permanent embassy to take additional years to complete.”

Friedman, who owns a home in Jerusalem, will “continue to divide his time between his official residence in Herzliya and a residence in Jerusalem during the initial phases of the embassy move, as this is a multi-year process,” the official said.

Trump, who formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and announced the embassy relocation on December 6, had mulled attending the inauguration, but reportedly decided against it.

On March 5, the US president was asked if he would travel to Israel to cut the ribbon on the new facility, almost a year after his first visit to Jerusalem as president.

“I may. I may,” he said during a meeting with Netanyahu in the White House. “We’re looking at coming. If I can, I will.”

While US officials later denied reports that he decided not to come to Israel in May, a presidential visit to Israel is not planned, officials said.

Raphael Ahren contributed to this report.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/steven-mnuchin-set-to-lead-250-strong-us-delegation-at-jerusalem-embassy-opening/

Easton's Bible Dictionary - Corn

Corn [N] [S]

The word so rendered (dagan) in Genesis 27:28 Genesis 27:37 , Numbers 18:27 , Deuteronomy 28:51 , Lamentations 2:12 , is a general term representing all the commodities we usually describe by the words corn, grain, seeds, peas, beans. With this corresponds the use of the word in John 12:24 .

In Genesis 41:35 Genesis 41:49 , Proverbs 11:26 , Joel 2:24 ("wheat"), the word thus translated (bar; i.e., "winnowed") means corn purified from chaff. With this corresponds the use of the word in the New Testament ( Matthew 3:12 ; Luke 3:17 ; Acts 7:12 ). In Psalms 65:13 it means "growing corn."

In Genesis 42:1 Genesis 42:2 Genesis 42:19 , Joshua 9:14 , Nehemiah 10:31 ("victuals"), the word (sheber; i.e., "broken," i.e., grist) denotes generally victuals, provisions, and corn as a principal article of food.

From the time of Solomon, corn began to be exported from Palestine ( Ezekiel 27:17 ; Amos 8:5 ). "Plenty of corn" was a part of Issac's blessing conferred upon Jacob ( Genesis 27:28 ; Compare Psalms 65:13 ).

Smith's Bible Dictionary - Corn

Corn. [N] [E]

The most common kinds were wheat, barley, spelt, Authorized Version, ( Exodus 9:32 ) and Isai 28:25 "rye;" ( Ezekiel 4:9 ) "fitches" and millet; oats are mentioned only by rabbinical writers. Our Indian corn was unknown in Bible times. Corn-crops are still reckoned at twentyfold what was sown, and were anciently much more. ( Genesis 41:22 ) The Jewish law permitted any one in passing through a filed of standing corn to pluck and eat. ( 23:25 ) see also Matt 12:1 From Solomons time, ( 2 Chronicles 2:10 2 Chronicles 2:15 ) as agriculture became developed under a settled government, Palestine was a corn-exporting country, and her grain was largely taken by her commercial neighbor Tyre. ( Ezekiel 27:17 ) comp. Amos 8:5

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Corn

CORN

korn (daghan; sitos):

A word used for cereals generally (Genesis 27:28,37, etc., the King James Version) much as our English word "corn." the American Standard Revised Version almost invariably substitutes "grain" for "corn." The latter may be taken to include

(1) barley,

(2) wheat,

(3) fitches (vetches),

(4) lentils,

(5) beans,

(6) millet,

(7) rye--the wrong translation for vetches,

(8) pulse--for all these see separate articles.

Rye and oats are not cultivated in Palestine For many references to corn see AGRICULTURE; FOOD. "A corn kokkos, the Revised Version (British and American) "grain" of wheat" is mentioned (John 12:24).

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/corn/

Dagon (Hebrew: דָּגוֹן, Dāgōn) or Dagan (Sumerian: 𒀭𒁕𒃶, romanized: dda-gan;[1] Phoenician: 𐤃𐤂𐤍, romanized: Dāgān) was a god worshipped in ancient Syria across the middle of the Euphrates, with primary temples located in Tuttul and Terqa, though many attestations of his cult come from cities such as Mari and Emar as well. In settlements situated in the upper Euphrates area, he was regarded as the "father of gods" similar to Mesopotamian Enlil or Hurrian Kumarbi, as well as a lord of the land, a god of prosperity, and a source of royal legitimacy. A large number of theophoric names, both masculine and feminine, attests that he was a popular deity. He was also worshiped further east, in Mesopotamia, where many rulers regarded him as the god capable of granting them kingship over the western areas.

Attestations of Dagan from coastal areas are much less frequent and come mostly from the northern city of Ugarit, where Dagan's cult had a limited scope. According to the Hebrew Bible, Dagan was also the national god of the Philistines, with temples at Ashdod and Gaza, but there is no extrabiblical evidence confirming this.[2] The extrasolar object designated Fomalhaut b is named after Dagon.

Etymology

Multiple origins have been proposed for Dagan's name.

According to Philo of Byblos, the Phoenician author Sanchuniathon explained Dagon as a word for "grain" (siton).[3] Historian Manfred Hutter considers it possible that the god's name derives from the root *dgn (to be cloudy), which he interprets as a sign that he was originally a weather god.[4] However, the notion of Dagan being a weather god is rejected by most researchers of this deity (see the Dagan and weather gods section below).

Lluís Feliu in his monograph The God Dagan in Bronze Age Syria rejects both of these theories and concludes that Dagan's name originated in a pre-Semitic language spoken in inland Syria.[5] This theory is supported by Alfonso Archi as well.[6] Multiple other ancient Syrian deities are regarded as originating in such a substratum, including Aštabi, Ishara and Kubaba.[7][8][9][10]

The association with a Hebrew word for "fish" (as in Hebrew: דג, Tib. /dɔːg/) in medieval exegesis has led to an incorrect interpretation of Dagan as a fish god.[3]

Divine genealogy and syncretism

No known text deals with the parentage or creation of Dagan.[11] His wife was Shalash; while well attested in Tuttul and elsewhere, she is seemingly absent in sources pertaining to Dagan's cult in Terqa.[12] Their children were Hadad (analogous to Ugaritic Baal)[13] and possibly Hebat,[14] who is attested alongside Dagan and Shalash in a mourning ritual from ancient Aleppo.[15] Daniel Schwemer considers it possible that Dagan, while always viewed as a "father of gods," only became the father of the weather god under Hurrian influence.[13]

While Wilfred G. Lambert proposed in 1980 that Ishara was sometimes regarded as the wife of Dagan,[16] and this theory is repeated as fact in older reference works such as Jeremy Black's and Anthony Green's Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia,[17] it is no longer considered the consensus.[18][19] Lluís Feliu in his study of Dagan concludes that the association between these two deities was limited to sharing temples in Mesopotamia, and was most likely based on their origin in the western region and shared status as foreign deities in the eyes of Mesopotamian theologians. He also points out that there is no indication that they were closely connected outside of Babylonia, especially in parts of Syria where they were most commonly worshiped.[18] He additionally remarks that Lambert mistakenly assumed Ishara is one and the same as Haburitum, goddess of the river Habur, who also appears in Mesopotamian texts in association with Dagan.[20] Both Feliu[20] and Alfonso Archi point out that Haburitum and Ishara could appear side by side in the same documents, and therefore cannot be two names of the same deity.[21] Archi considers it more likely that Haburitum was analogous to Belet Nagar.[21][19] Like Feliu, he considers it implausible that Dagan was ever regarded as Ishara's husband.[19] He points out that the latter's character was similar to Ishtar's.[19]

Dagan, Enlil and Kumarbi

In Mesopotamia, Dagan was equated with Enlil due to their shared role as "fathers of gods." This equation was eventually codified by the god list An = Anum, which additionally equated their spouses with each other.[22] However, which of the two parts of this equation was viewed as the primary god varied. In Mari, it was Dagan who received Enlil's epithets, and in Emar the logographic writing dKUR, a shortened version of Enlil's epithet dKur-gal (Great Mountain), stood for Dagan's name in the late Bronze Age.[23] It is unclear if this equation was responsible for the logographic writing of the name of Emar's city god as dNIN.URTA, as the god of Emar is unlikely to be Dagan's primary son Hadad (whose name was written logographically as dIŠKUR), and in Hurrian sources from Syria dNIN.URTA is the war god Aštabi rather than a weather god.[24]

In Hurrian tradition, Dagan was equated with Kumarbi,[25] though only because of shared senior position in the respective pantheons.[26] Kumarbi was nonetheless called "the Dagan of the Hurrians,"[10] and Shalash was viewed as his spouse due to this syncretic process.[27] However, she is absent from Hurrian myths about Kumarbi.

Dagan and weather gods

Due to the similarity between the names of Dagan's wife Shalash and Shala, wife of Adad in Mesopotamia, some researches conclude that the two goddesses were the same and that Dagan was possibly a weather god himself.[28] However, there is no clear proof that Dagan fulfilled such a function or that he was conflated with any weather gods.[29][30]

Dagan and Nisaba

In some documents from Syrian cities, for example Halab and Ugarit, the logogram dNISABA designates Dagan.[31] As noted by Alphonso Archi, in Western Semitic languages such as Ugaritic Dagan's name was homophonous with the word for grain (dgn in alphabetic Ugaritic texts), and the logographic writing of his name as dNISABA was likely a form of wordplay popular among scribes, relying on the fact that the name of Nisaba, the Mesopotamian goddess of writing, could simply be understood as "grain" too.[32]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagon 

Agent Orange: This nickname gained traction during Trump's presidency, alluding to his controversial policies and the color of his trademark hair. It has a dual meaning, referencing both his hair color and the herbicide of the same name used during the Vietnam War.

https://abatul.com/

History of the Orange Order

The Loyal Orange Institution was formed on 21st September 1795 shortly after the ‘Battle of the Diamond’ outside Loughgall, Co. Armagh. Three well-known local men of the area, James Wilson, Dan Winter, and James Sloan, established the institution. Whilst much is made of these ‘founding fathers’ within Orange circles; from a spiritual perspective we see no evidence that any of them had evangelical credentials. History, in fact, shows that all three men were dedicated Freemasons and two of the three were actually proprietors of licensed premises.

The Bible addresses such people, saying, “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” (Habakkuk 2:15). The Rev. Allan Dunlop, addressing this passage of Scripture in his book ‘Where Shadows Fall’ (p. 37), says, “The curse of God is upon the drink trade for what profits it brings are wrung from widows tears, children’s terror, women’s virtue and young men’s strength; and of wives and mothers broken hearts.”

It is true to say that Dan Winter came from a Quaker background, although his ungodly lifestyle shows he was anything but a dedicated Quaker. Firstly, Quakers have always practised strict ‘total abstinence’ and have always opposed the devilish influence of alcohol. Winter was the proprietor of a public house. Secondly, Quakers have always been opposed to the heathenish practices and teachings of Freemasonry. Winter was a zealous Freemason. Thirdly, Quakers have always been pacifists, opposing all type of fighting. Winter was the leader of the local ‘Peep O’ Day Boys’ (an illegal Protestant militia group of the day), and he was also a well-known ‘cock fighter’ in the area.

The ‘Battle of the Diamond’ itself lasted only fifteen minutes and was centred on Dan Winter’s public house, which was located at the Diamond crossroads. This battle (or skirmish) resulted in Winter’s premises being burnt to the ground by the attacking Roman Catholics who were ironically known as ‘the Defenders’. This place was the special focus of the attack as it was the gathering house for the local ‘Peep O’ Day Boys’. Prior to the battle, the authorities had made several arrests and various arms seizures relating to this illegal group.

Winter’s supporters, many of whom were Freemasons, gathered around the debris of the public house and pledged themselves to form a new secret society, made up wholly of Protestant men. Now that they no longer had Winter’s premises as a meeting place the men retired to James Sloan’s public house in the local village of Loughgall. Here the Orange Institution was properly organised.

The founders of the Orange Institution were known as ‘unwarranted masons’, ‘clandestine masons’ or ‘hedge’ Masons. These Masons were a rebellious group who would not accept the existing degree format of the ruling Masonic Grand Lodge of the day. Belinda Loftus, in her book ‘Mirrors’ (p.24) confirms that the clandestine or hedge Masons were “unwarranted by the Grand Lodge in Dublin” because Irish Masonry “refused to recognise any degrees but craft.” Up until the early 1800s the Grand Masonic Lodge of Ireland only accepted three degrees, – Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason, collectively known as the ‘Craft degrees’ or the ‘Blue Lodge’. All other degrees were held to be illegal.

Read a detailed exposure of the Royal Arch Purple by W P Malcomson:

The Unwarranted Masons were the more zealous (or esoteric) Masons who adhered to the many mystical degrees, which today are accepted within the domain of higher degree Freemasonry. These degrees are found under the auspices of the Red Lodge, known as the Chapter and the Chivalry degrees, known as the Preceptory.

The Irish Masonic publication ‘History of Freemasonry in the Province of Antrim’ alludes to these clandestine Masons. It explain how these men would ascend to “the top of some neighbouring hill, and there, towards the close of a summers evening, after the manner of the ancient Druids, perform their rites and ceremonies, the meeting being properly tyled and guarded…They were unwarranted and recognised no authority and no authority recognised them” (p.143&144).

Winter, Sloan and Wilson, accompanied by others, felt the great need to instigate a ceremony of initiation into the new body and not surprisingly Freemasonry was chosen as the model. They used the Masonic template to formulate their degree structure. That is why the Loyal Orders teaching, titles, symbols and rituals so closely resembles that of Freemasonry.

Initially the Orange had one sole degree known simply as the ‘Orange degree’. As the months progressed the founding fathers introduced a further degree somewhere around late 1796. The ‘Orange Marksman’ degree as it was originally designated, became better known as the ‘Purple degree’. It was constructed in Portadown, in the home of prominent Freemason, John Templeton – a location frequently used for Masonic ceremonies. Orange historian (and well known Freemason of his day) Colonel R.H. Wallace outlined in his ‘History of the Orange Order’ (1899) how the founders “were observed going into and out of a house in which a Masonic Lodge held its meetings,” and that, “He [Mr Templeton] invited them into the Masonic room, and there and then satisfactory arrangements were made.” He concluded by saying, “the influence of the place and its associations can be discerned in the results” (p. 50). Another Orange historian R.M. Sibbett in ‘Orangeism in Ireland and Throughout the Empire’ (1938) explained how, “The subject uppermost in their minds was touched upon and discussed, and, at the request of Mr. Templeton, they adjourned to a room which had been used for other ceremonies. Here the warrant was produced, the lodge was reopened, and a higher Order was added.”

A further degree was added as Orangeism consolidated itself. The Royal Arch Purple Chapter book states that, “Probably late in the year 1796 or early 1797 a third degree known as Purple Marksman was added to the ritual. It is likely to have been composed by the same hands, probably in the same room as that of the Orange Marksman or Purpleman” (History of the Royal Arch Purple Order p. 39).

Whilst little is known of the exact content of these three degrees it seems certain that they were highly ritualistic in character, being modelled on the first three degrees of Freemasonry, namely, Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason. The Royal Arch Purple Chapter book testifies that these three initial Orange degrees were “elaborate degrees” (p. 59).

Orange degree – Entered Apprentice degree

Orange Marksman degree – Fellowcraft degree

Purple Marksman degree – Master Mason degree

These were the three main degrees that were worked within the Order between 1795 and 1798, although many other ritualistic degrees were finding their way into Orangeism throughout the island of Ireland. Most of these degrees can today be found within the Royal Black Institution.

During this early period each individual Orange lodge administered its own control over the working of degrees, as no controlling authority existed to govern the degree system. A Grand Lodge of Ulster, as it were, was formed on 12th of July 1797, although it seemed to exercise little power over the whole island of Ireland.

The prevailing confusion within the Order, coupled with a large influx of new members, due to the deteriorating political situation in the form of the Republican uprising of the ‘United Irelanders’, resulted in the formation of a Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland on 21st April 1798. This brought much needed stability and leadership to the Order at a strategic period in its history.

Grand Lodge immediately addressed the bewildering amount of unnecessary ritualism that had found its way into Orangeism, and here began a process of reform which purged out all the ritualistic baggage which had settled itself within the Order. This resulted in the disposal of the original three (elaborate) degrees of the Orange. These were replaced with two simplified degrees of ‘Orange’ and ‘Plain Purple’. Out with the old degrees went the old leadership of James Wilson, Dan Winter, and James Sloan.

Wasting little time, Grand Lodge released a strong statement on 13th December 1798 which reflected the hierarchy’s strong desire to separate themselves from former error, stating: “That many persons having introduced various Orders into the Orange Society which will very much tend to injure the regularity of the institution. The Grand Lodge disavows any Order but Orange and Purple and there can be none other regular unless issuing and approved by them.”

From this date forward, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland accepted only two degrees within the Order – ‘Orange’ and ‘Plain Purple’. Between 1798 and 1800 Grand Lodge began a process of implementing this simplification by standardising procedures throughout every lodge in Ireland. That they might eradicate any lingering injurious behaviour by spurious characters, they abolished the old Orange Order in 1800, with its ritualistic connections, obliging every Orangeman to rejoin a now simplified new Orange Institution.

Grand Lodges opposition to Royal Arch Purple and Black degrees

1798-1801

1802-1828

1834-1875

1876-1878

1880-1913

1925

Those ritualistic Orangemen inside the Order who bore allegiance to the former neo-Masonic degrees were far from happy at this radical reform. Some continued to practise these illegal degrees in a clandestine manner, in blatant violation of the rules of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland.

Facing strong persecution from a now powerful Grand Lodge and realising their beleaguered position, they merged the three old degrees into one large ritualistic degree. The Arch Purple Chapter’s book ‘History of the Royal Arch Purple Order’ explains: “Sometime between 1800 and 1811, possibly in 1802, a new degree was devised by the Brethren who valued and loved the old traditions and who were concerned by the turn of events” (p. 58). This degree was ” developed from the three pre 1798 ‘old degrees’ ” (p. 59). This elaborate degree became known as the ‘Royal Arch Purple degree’.

Orange degree

Orange Marksman degree – Royal Arch Purple degree

Purple Marksman degree

The Arch Purple Chapter’s book also confirms its composition, how that it was designed to “include as much as possible of the travel and ritual of the original three.”

The draft to the Arch Purple Chapter’s book diplomatically traces the roots of the Royal Arch Purple degree, stating that, “In light of the evidence available it would appear that the degree given today evolved from certain practices which had their origin in the Masonic Order, together with some innovations which had been introduced by those brethren conferring the degree in different areas being added to the original theme of the pre 1800 degrees to form a new ritual.” Even this guarded statement was omitted from the published book!

Nevertheless, in their book ‘The Orange Order: An Evangelical Perspective’ Grand Chaplain of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland (which owns the Royal Arch Purple as its third degree) Rev. Ian Meredith and Irish Arch Purple man Rev. Brian Kennaway comment on the Arch Purple degree. They state, “It has to be admitted that this is the most ‘Masonic-like’ part of our ceremony.” They later describe it as “a Christianised or ‘Reformed Freemasonry’ ” (pp. 12, 25).

From its inception, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland looked upon this neo-Masonic Royal Arch Purple degree with understandable abhorrence. It was viewed as being incompatible with, and contrary to, both Protestantism and Orangeism. Those ritualistic Orangemen who practised the degree were persecuted by Grand Lodge, forcing them to practise the degree in great secrecy for fear of expulsion from the Order. Grand Lodge maintained this position throughout the whole of the 1800s and into the early 20th century. The hard line assumed by the Orange Institution in Ireland mirrored the resolute stance of Orangeism throughout Great Britain.

The history of the Royal Black Institution

The history of the Royal Black degrees

Royal Black Institution, the Crusades and the Jesuits

https://www.evangelicaltruth.com/royal-black-institution-crusades-the-jesuits/

https://www.evangelicaltruth.com/history-of-the-orange-order/

Casino (7/10) Movie CLIP - Lester Diamond (1995) HD

CLIP DESCRIPTION:

Ace (Robert De Niro) confronts Lester (James Woods) and a humiliated Ginger (Sharon Stone) at a coffee shop. Two thugs beat the hell out of Lester.

FILM DESCRIPTION:

The inner-workings of a corrupt Las Vegas casino are exposed in Martin Scorsese's story of crime and punishment. The film chronicles the lives and times of three characters: "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro), a bookmaking wizard; Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), a Mafia underboss and longtime best friend to Ace; and Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone, in a role she was born to play), a leggy ex-prostitute with a fondness for jewelry and a penchant for playing the field. Ace plays by the rules (albeit Vegas rules, which, as he reminds the audience in voiceover, would make him a criminal in any other state), while Nicky and Ginger lie, cheat, and steal their respective ways to the top. The film's first hour and a half details their rise to power, while the second half follows their downfall as the FBI, corrupt government officials, and angry mob bosses pick apart their Camelot piece by piece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcAaILQ0ATo

The Principality of Orange (French: Principauté d'Orange) was, from 1163 to 1713, a feudal state in Provence, in the south of modern-day France, on the east bank of the river Rhone, north of the city of Avignon, and surrounded by the independent papal state of Comtat Venaissin.

It was constituted in 1163, when Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I elevated the Burgundian County of Orange (consisting of the city of Orange and the land surrounding it) to a sovereign principality within the Empire. The principality became part of the scattered holdings of the house of Orange-Nassau from the time that William the Silent inherited the title of Prince of Orange from his cousin in 1544, until it was finally ceded to France in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht. Although permanently lost by the Nassaus then, this fief gave its name to the extant Royal House of the Netherlands. The area of the principality was approximately 12 miles (19 km) long by 9 miles (14 km) wide, or 108 square miles (280 km2).[1]

History

Counts of Baux

The Carolingian counts of Orange had their origin in the 8th century, and the fief passed into the family of the lords of Baux. The Baux counts of Orange became fully independent with the breakup of the Kingdom of Burgundy after 1033.[citation needed] In 1163 Orange was raised to a principality, as a fief of the Holy Roman Empire.

Orange University

In 1365, Orange university was founded by Charles IV when he was in Arles for his coronation as king of Arles.

In 1431, the Count of Provence waived taxation duties for Orange's rulers (Mary of Baux-Orange and Jean de Châlons of Burgundy) in exchange for liquid assets to be used for a ransom. The town and principality of Orange was a part of administration and province of Dauphiné.

House of Orange-Nassau

In 1544, William the Silent, count of Nassau, with large properties in the Netherlands, inherited the principality. William, 11 years old at the time, was the cousin of René of Châlon who died without an heir when he was shot at St. Dizier in 1544 during the Franco-Imperial wars. René, it turned out, willed his entire fortune to this very young relative. Among those titles and estates was the Principality of Orange. René's mother, Claudia, had held the title prior to it being passed to young William since Philibert de Châlon was her brother.

When William inherited the Principality, it was incorporated into the holdings of what became the House of Orange. This pitched it into the Protestant side in the Wars of Religion, during which the town was badly damaged. In 1568 the Eighty Years' War began with William as Stadtholder of Holland leading the bid for independence of the Netherlands from Spain. William the Silent was assassinated in Delft in 1584. It was his son, Maurice of Nassau (Prince of Orange after his elder brother died in 1618), with the help of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, who solidified the independence of the Dutch republic.

As an independent enclave within France, Orange became an attractive destination for Protestants and a Huguenot stronghold. William III of Orange, who ruled England as William III of England, was the last Prince of Orange to rule the principality.

Annexation by France

The principality was captured by the forces of Louis XIV under François Adhémar de Monteil Comte de Grignan, in 1672 during the Franco-Dutch War, and again in August 1682, but William did not concede his claim to rule. In 1702, William III died childless and the right to the principality became a matter of dispute between Frederick I of Prussia and John William Friso of Nassau-Dietz, who both claimed the title 'Prince of Orange'. In 1702 also, Louis XIV of France enfeoffed François Louis, Prince of Conti, a relative of the Châlon dynasty, with the Principality of Orange, so that there were three claimants to the title.

Finally in 1713 in the Treaty of Utrecht, Frederick I of Prussia ceded the Principality to France (without surrendering the princely title) in which cession the Holy Roman Empire as suzerain concurred, though John William Friso of Nassau-Dietz, the other claimant to the principality, did not concur. Only with the treaty of partition in 1732 did John William Friso's successor William IV, Prince of Orange, renounce all his claims to the territory, but again (like Frederick I) he did not renounce his claim to the title. In the same treaty an agreement was made between both claimants, stipulating that both houses be allowed to use the title.[2]

In 1713, after Orange was officially ceded to France, it became a part of the Province of the Dauphiné.

Following the French Revolution of 1789, Orange was absorbed into the French département of Drôme in 1790, then Bouches-du-Rhône, then finally Vaucluse.

In 1814, after the defeat of Napoleon, the Dutch Republic was not revived but replaced into the Kingdom of the United Netherlands, under a King of the House of Orange-Nassau. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna took care of a French sensitivity by stipulating that the Kingdom of the Netherlands would be ruled by the House of Oranje-Nassau – "Oranje", not "Orange" as had been the custom until then. The English language, however, continues to use the term Orange-Nassau.[3]

Today, Dutch crown princess Amalia carries the title "Princess of Orange" in the official form of Prinses van Oranje.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Orange

Trump International, Scotland

@TrumpScotland

Donald J Trump, 45th President of the United States, announced today the start of a new golf venture in Scotland: the MacLeod course, to be built at Trump International Scotland in Aberdeenshire in honor of his late mother Mary Anne MacLeod.

10:47 AM · May 1, 2023

https://x.com/TrumpScotland/status/1653093764271857666

James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 1688 – 1 January 1766) [a] was the House of Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland from 1701 until his death in 1766. The only son of James II of England and his second wife, Mary of Modena, he was Prince of Wales and heir until his Catholic father was deposed and exiled in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. His Protestant half-sister Mary II and her husband William III became co-monarchs. As a Catholic, he was subsequently excluded from the succession by the Act of Settlement 1701.

Raised primarily in France and Italy, when his father died in September 1701 James claimed the thrones. As part of the War of the Spanish Succession, in 1708 Louis XIV of France backed a landing in Scotland on his behalf. This failed, as did further attempts in 1715 and 1719. Led by his elder son Charles Edward Stuart, the 1745 Rising was the last serious effort to restore the House of Stuart.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Francis_Edward_Stuart 

The Crowns of America

So often one hears politicians quoting the British Constitution as if it actually exists by way of adocumentary privilege — but it does not. It is simply an accumulation of old customs and precedents concerning parliamentary sanctions, together with a number of specific laws defining certain aspects. Since Scotland's 1320 Declaration of Arbroath was nullified by England's Treaty of Union in 1707, the oldest Written Constitution now in force is that of the United States of America. It was adopted in 1787, ratified in 1788, and effected in 1789. In that same year began the French Revolution, which abolished feudalism and ‘absolute’ monarchy in France, thereby influencing politics in much of Europe. In close to 200 years since the Revolution, France and other European States (with Britain as a noticeable exception) have adopted Written Constitutions to protect the rights and liberties of individuals — but who champions these Constitutions on behalf of the people? A popular alternative to absolute monarchy or dictatorship has been found in Republicanism. The Republic of the United States was created primarily to free the emergent nation from the despotism of Britain’s House of Hanover. Yet its citizens tend still to be fascinated by the concept of monarchy. No matter how Republican the spirit, the need for a central symbol remains. Neither a flag nor a president can fulfil this unifying role, for by virtue of the ‘party system’ presidents are always politically motivated. Republicanism was devised on the principle of fraternal status, yet an ideally classless society can never exist in an environment that promotes displays of eminence and superiority by degrees of wealth and possession. For the most part, those responsible for the United States’ morally inspired Constitution were Rosicrucians and Freemasons, notable characters such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Charles Thompson. The last, who designed the Great Seal of the United States of America, was a member of Franklin’s American Philosophical Society — a counterpart of Britain’s Invisible College. The imagery of the Seal is directly related to alchemical tradition, inherited from the allegory of the ancient Egyptian Therapeutate. The eagle, the olive branch, the arrows, and the pentagrams are all occult symbols of opposites: good and evil, male and female, war and peace, darkness and light. On the reverse (as repeated on the dollar bill) is the truncated pyramid, indicating the loss of the Old Wisdom, severed and forced underground by the Church establishment. But above this are the rays of ever-hopeful light, incorporating the ‘all-seeing eye’, used as a symbol during the French Revolution.

In establishing their Republic, the Americans could still not escape the ideal of a parallel monarchy — a central focus of non-political, patriotic attachment. George Washington was actually offered kingship, but declined because he had no immediately qualifying heritage. Instead he turned to the Royal House of Stuart. In November 1782 four Americans arrived at the San Clemente Palazzo in Florence, the residence of Charles III Stuart in exile. They were Mr Galloway of Maryland, two brothers named Sylvester from Pennsylvania, and Mr Fish, a lawyer from New York. They were taken to Charles Edward by his secretary, John Stewart. Also present was the Hon Charles Hervey-Townshend (later Britain’s ambassador to The Hague) and the Prince's future wife, Marguerite, Comtesse de Massillan. The interview — which revolved around the contemporary transatlantic dilemma — is doctimented in the US Senate archives and in the Manorwater Papers. Writers such as Sir Compton Mackenzie and Sir Charles Petrie have also described the occasion when Charles Edward Stuart was invited to become ‘King of the Americans’. Some years earlier, Charles had been similarly approached by the men of Boston, but once the War of Independence was over George Washington sent his own envoys. It would have been a great irony for the House of Hanover to lose the North American colonies to the Stuarts. But Charles declined the offer for a number of reasons, not the least of which was his lack of a legitimate male heir at the time. He knew that without a due successor the United States could easily fall to Hanover again at his death, thereby defeating the whole Independence effort. Since those days, many other radical events have taken place: the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, two major World Wars, and a host of changes as countries have swapped one style of government for another. Meanwhile, civil and international disputes continue just as they did in the Middle Ages. They are motivated by trade, politics, religion, and whatever other banners are flown to justify the constant struggle for territorial and economic control. The Holy Roman Empire has disappeared, the German Reichs have failed, and the British Empire has collapsed. The Russian Empire fell to Communism, which has itself been disgraced and crumbled to ruin, while Capitalism teeters on the very brink of acceptability. With the Cold War now ended, America faces a new threat to her superpower status from the Pacific countries. In the meantime, the nations of Europe band together in what was once a seemingly well conceived economic community, but which is already suffering from the same pressures of individual custom and national sovereignty that beset the Holy Roman Empire. Whether nations are governed by military-style regimes or elected parliaments, by autocrats or democrats, and whether formally described as monarchist, socialist or republican, the net product is always the same: the few control the fate of the many. In situations of dictatorship this is a natural experience — but it should not be the case in a democratic institution based on the principle of majority vote. True democracy is government by the people for the people, in either direct or representative form, ignoring class distinctions and tolerating minority views. The American Constitution sets out an ideal for this form of democracy ... but, in line with other nations, there is always a large sector of the community that is not represented by the party in power. Because presidents and prime ministers are politically tied, and because political parties take their respective turns at individual helms, the inevitable result is a lack of continuity for the nations concerned. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but there is no reliable ongoing institution to champion the civil rights and liberties of people in such conditions of ever-changing leadership. Britain does, at least, retain a monarchy, but it is a politically constrained monarchy, and as such is ineffectual in performing its role as guardian of the nation. The United States, unlike Britain, has a Written Constitution — but has no one with the power to uphold its principles against successive governments who determinedly pursue their own politically vested interests. Is there an answer to the anomaly — an answer that could bring not just a ray of hope but a shining light for the future? There certainly is, but its energy relies on those in governmental service appreciating their roles as ‘representatives’ of society rather than presuming to stand at the head of society. Alongside the political administration, an appointed Constitutional champion would be empowered to keep check on any potential disparities and infringements of the Constitution that might occur. This can be achieved in the manner first envisaged by George Washington and the American Fathers. Their original plan was for a democratic Parliament combined with a working Constitutional Monarchy bound not to Parliament or the Church but to the people and their Written Constitution. In such an environment, sovereignty would ultimately rest with the people, while the monarch (as an operative Guardian of the Realm) would pledge an ‘Oath of Fealty to the Nation’ — not the reverse, as in Britain’s case, whereby the nation pays homage to the sovereignty of Parliament and the monarchy. The unfulfilled ambition of the American Fathers was that government ministers should be elected by the majority vote of the people, but that their actions be directed within the boundaries of the Constitution. Because that Constitution belongs to the people, its champion — as George Washington perceived — should be a monarch whose obligation is not to politics or religion but to the sovereign nation. Through the natural system of heredity (being born and bred to the task), such a Constitutional guardian would provide an ‘ongoing continuity’ of public representation through successive governments. In this regard both monarchs and ministers would be servants of the Constitution on behalf of the Community of the Realm. Such a concept of moral government lies at the very heart of the Grail Code, and it remains within the bounds of possibility for every civilized Nation State. A leading British politician recently claimed that it was not his job to be popular! Not so—a popular minister is a trusted minister, and holding a deserved electoral trust facilitates the democratic process. No minister can honestly expound an ideal of equality in society when that minister is deemed to possess some form of prior lordship over society. Class structure is always decided from above, never from below. It is therefore for those on self-made pedestals to be seen to kick them aside in the interests of harmony and unity. Jesus was not in the least humbled when he washed his Apostles’ feet; he was raised to the realm of a true Grail King — the realm of equality and princely service. This is the eternal ‘Precept of the Sangréal’, and it is expressed in Grail lore with the utmost clarity: only by asking ‘Whom does the Grail serve?’ will the wound of the Fisher King be healed, and the Wasteland returned to fertility.

pages 438-443 "The Sangreal Today"

Bloodline of the Holy Grail

by Laurence Gardner

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zsH4O_ls0IgWEYXLXWCo7I3IUi32FJhq/view?usp=sharing

Roman Britain was the territory that became the Roman province of Britannia after the Roman conquest of Britain, consisting of a large part of the island of Great Britain. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410.[1][2]

Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 and 54 BC as part of his Gallic Wars.[3] According to Caesar, the Britons had been overrun or culturally assimilated by the Belgae during the British Iron Age and had been aiding Caesar's enemies. The Belgae were the only Celtic tribe to cross the sea into Britain, for to all other Celtic tribes this land was unknown.[4] He received tribute, installed the friendly king Mandubracius over the Trinovantes, and returned to Gaul. Planned invasions under Augustus were called off in 34, 27, and 25 BC. In 40 AD, Caligula assembled 200,000 men at the Channel on the continent, only to have them gather seashells (musculi) according to Suetonius, perhaps as a symbolic gesture to proclaim Caligula's victory over the sea.[5] Three years later, Claudius directed four legions to invade Britain and restore the exiled king Verica over the Atrebates.[6] The Romans defeated the Catuvellauni, and then organized their conquests as the province of Britain. By 47 AD, the Romans held the lands southeast of the Fosse Way. Control over Wales was delayed by reverses and the effects of Boudica's uprising, but the Romans expanded steadily northwards.

The conquest of Britain continued under command of Gnaeus Julius Agricola (77–84), who expanded the Roman Empire as far as Caledonia. In mid-84 AD, Agricola faced the armies of the Caledonians, led by Calgacus, at the Battle of Mons Graupius. Battle casualties were estimated by Tacitus to be upwards of 10,000 on the Caledonian side and about 360 on the Roman side. The bloodbath at Mons Graupius concluded the forty-year conquest of Britain, a period that possibly saw between 100,000 and 250,000 Britons killed.[7] In the context of pre-industrial warfare and of a total population of Britain of c. 2 million, these are very high figures.[8]

Under the 2nd-century emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, two walls were built to defend the Roman province from the Caledonians, whose realms in the Scottish Highlands were never controlled. Around 197 AD, the Severan Reforms divided Britain into two provinces: Britannia Superior and Britannia Inferior.[9] During the Diocletian Reforms, at the end of the 3rd century, Britannia was divided into four provinces under the direction of a vicarius, who administered the Diocese of the Britains.[10] A fifth province, Valentia, is attested in the later 4th century. For much of the later period of the Roman occupation, Britannia was subject to barbarian invasions and often came under the control of imperial usurpers and imperial pretenders. The final Roman withdrawal from Britain occurred around 410; the native kingdoms are considered to have formed Sub-Roman Britain after that.

Following the conquest of the Britons, a distinctive Romano-British culture emerged as the Romans introduced improved agriculture, urban planning, industrial production, and architecture. The Roman goddess Britannia became the female personification of Britain. After the initial invasions, Roman historians generally only mention Britain in passing. Thus, most present knowledge derives from archaeological investigations and occasional epigraphic evidence lauding the Britannic achievements of an emperor.[11] Roman citizens settled in Britain from many parts of the Empire.[12]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Britain 

Constantine came to Britain with his father, the emperor Constantius, in 305.  Constantius died in July the following year in York.

The system of succession at the time demanded that another Caesar should become emperor but the soldiers in York immediately proclaimed Constantine their leader.  It proved to be a pivotal moment in history.  He is known as Constantine the Great for very good reasons.

After nearly 80 years, and three generations of political fragmentation, Constantine united the whole of the Roman Empire under one ruler.  By 324 he had extended his power and was sole emperor, restoring stability and security to the Roman world.

Constantine also abandoned Rome as the most important city in the empire, building a new capital modestly named Constantinople (now Istanbul).  In the next two centuries, Rome and Italy became vulnerable to barbarian invasions.  The much more easily defensible Constantinople lasted for another thousand years.

Finally, and perhaps most famously, Constantine’s strong support for Christianity had an incalculable impact on European history.  He is said to have been converted to the faith in AD 312, although this has not been corroborated.

At the time only around ten per cent of the Roman empire’s population was Christian.  The majority of the ruling elite worshipped the old gods of Rome.  Constantine was the first emperor to allow Christians to worship freely, helping to unite and promote the faith.  He went on to instigate the celebration of the birth of Christ we call Christmas.

In 314, a year after Constantine’s edict on religious tolerance, Eboracum had its first Bishop.  Along with the Bishop’s of Londinium (London) and Lindum (Lincoln), he attended the Christian Council at Arles.

Constantine didn’t stay long in York, establishing Trier as his base for his campaigns against the Germans perhaps a year after his succession.  However his place in York's history was already very firmly sealed.

http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/themes/constantine-the-great

Equites

From the reign of Constantine the Great (r. 306–337 AD) onwards, there was an explosive increase in the membership of both aristocratic orders. Under Diocletian, the number of sitting members of the Senate remained at around 600, the level it had retained for the whole duration of the Principate.[80] Constantine established Constantinople as a twin capital of the empire, with its own senate, initially of 300 members. By 387, their number had swollen to 2,000, while the Senate in Rome probably reached a comparable size, so that the upper order reached total numbers similar to the equo publico equites of the early Principate.[81] By this time, even some commanders of military regiments were accorded senatorial status.[82]

At the same time the order of equites was also expanded vastly by the proliferation of public posts in the late empire, most of which were now filled by equestrians. The Principate had been a remarkably slim-line administration, with about 250 senior officials running the vast empire, relying on local government and private contractors to deliver the necessary taxes and services. During the 3rd century the imperial bureaucracy, all officials and ranks expanded. By the time of the Notitia Dignitatum, dated to 395 AD, comparable senior positions had grown to approximately 6,000, a 24-fold increase.[83] The total number enrolled in the imperial civilian service, the militia inermata ('unarmed service') is estimated to have been 30–40,000: the service was professionalized with a staff made up almost entirely of free men on salary, and enrolled in a fictional legion, I Audiutrix.[84]

In addition, large numbers of decuriones (local councillors) were granted equestrian rank, often obtaining it by bribery. Officials of ever lower rank were granted equestrian rank as reward for good service, e.g. in 365, the actuarii (accountants) of military regiments. This inflation in the number of equites inevitably led to the debasement of the order's prestige. By AD 400, equites were no longer an echelon of nobility, but just a title associated with mid-level administrative posts.[56]

Constantine established a third order of nobility, the comites (companions (of the emperor), singular form comes, the origin of the medieval noble rank of count). This overlapped with senators and equites, drawing members from both. Originally, the comites were a highly exclusive group, comprising the most senior administrative and military officers, such as the commanders of the comitatus, or mobile field armies. But comites rapidly followed the same path as equites, being devalued by excessive grants until the title became meaningless by 450.[82]

In the late 4th and in the 5th century, therefore, the senatorial class at Rome and Constantinople became the closest equivalent to the equo publico equestrian class of the early Principate. It contained many ancient and illustrious families, some of whom claimed descent from the aristocracy of the Republic, but had, as described, lost almost all political and military power.[85] Nevertheless, senators retained great influence due to their enormous inherited wealth and their role as the guardians of Roman tradition and culture.[86]

Centuries of capital accumulation, in the form of vast landed estates (latifundia) across many provinces resulted in enormous wealth for most senators. Many received annual rents in cash and in kind of over 5,000 lbs of gold, equivalent to 360,000 solidi (or 5 million Augustan-era denarii), at a time when a miles (common soldier) would earn no more than four solidi a year in cash. Even senators of middling wealth could expect an income 1,000–1,500 lbs of gold.[87]

The 4th-century historian Ammianus Marcellinus, a former high-ranking military staff officer who spent his retirement years in Rome, bitterly attacked the Italian aristocracy, denouncing their extravagant palaces, clothes, games and banquets and above all their lives of total idleness and frivolity.[88] In his words can be heard the contempt for the senatorial class of a career soldier who had spent his lifetime defending the empire, a view clearly shared by Diocletian and his Illyrian successors. But it was the latter who reduced the aristocracy to that state, by displacing them from their traditional role of governing the empire and leading the army.[89]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equites  

"Church of The Holy Sepulchre

Following the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70 during the First Jewish–Roman War, Jerusalem had been reduced to ruins. In AD 130, the Roman emperor Hadrian began the building of a Roman colony, the new city of Aelia Capitolina, on the site. Circa AD 135, he ordered that a cave containing a rock-cut tomb[c] be filled in to create a flat foundation for a temple dedicated to Jupiter or Venus.[3][12] The temple remained until the early 4th century.[13][14]

Constantine and Helena: context for the first sanctuary

After seeing a vision of a cross in the sky in 312,[15] Constantine the Great began to favor Christianity, signed the Edict of Milan legalising the religion, and sent his mother, Helena, to Jerusalem to look for Christ's tomb. With the help of Bishop of Caesarea Eusebius and Bishop of Jerusalem Macarius, three crosses were found near a tomb; one which allegedly cured people of death was presumed to be the True Cross Jesus was crucified on, leading the Romans to believe that they had found Calvary.[15][16]

Constantine ordered in about 326 that the temple to Jupiter/Venus be replaced by a church.[3] After the temple was torn down and its ruins removed, the soil was removed from the cave, revealing a rock-cut tomb that Helena and Macarius identified as the burial site of Jesus.[2][17][18][19]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre 

"The origins of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem date back to the First Crusade, when its leader, Godfrey de Bouillon, liberated Jerusalem. As part of his operations to organize the religious, military and public bodies of the territories newly freed from Muslim control, he founded the Order of Canons of the Holy Sepulchre. According to accounts of the Crusades, in 1103 the first King of Jerusalem, Baldwin I, assumed the leadership of this canonical order, and reserved the right for himself and his successors (as agents of the Patriarch of Jerusalem) to appoint Knights to it, should the Patriarch be absent or unable to do so.The Order’s members included not only the Regular Canons (Fratres) but also the Secular Canons (Confratres) and the Sergentes. The latter were armed knights chosen from the crusader troops for their qualities of valor and dedication; they vowed to obey Augustinian Rule of poverty and obedience and undertook specifically, under the command of the King of Jerusalem, to defend the Holy Sepulchre and the Holy Places.Very soon after the First Crusade the troops – including the Knights of the Order of Canons of the Holy Sepulchre – began to return to their homelands. This led to the creation of priories all over Europe, which were part of the Order as they came under the jurisdiction of the noble knights or prelates who had been invested on the Holy Sepulchre itself and who, although they were no longer in the direct service of the King of Jerusalem, continued to belong to the Order of Canons.The Order first began to fail as a cohesive military body of knights after Saladin regained Jerusalem in 1182, and completely ceased to exist in that format after the defeat of Acre in 1291. The passing of the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem left the Order without a leader, though it continued to survive in the European priories thanks to the protection of sovereigns, princes, bishops and the Holy See. The priories kept alive the ideals of the Crusader Knights: propagation of the Faith, defense of the weak, charity towards other human beings. With the exception of events in Spain, it was only rarely that the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre ever took part again in military action to defend Christianity.In the 14th century, the Holy See made an extremely high payment to the Egyptian Sultan so that he would grant the right to protect the Christian Sanctuaries to the Franciscan Friars Minor. Throughout the whole period of the Latin Patriarchate’s suppression, the right to create new Knights was the prerogative of the representative of the highest Catholic authority in the Holy Land: the Custos.In 1847 the Patriarchate was restored and Pope Pius IX modernized the Order, issuing a new Constitution, which placed it under the direct protection of the Holy See and conferred its government to the Latin Patriarch. The Order’s fundamental role was also defined: to uphold the works of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, whilst preserving the spiritual duty of propagating the Faith.In 1949, Pius XII decreed that the Grand Master of the Order should be a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and assigned the position of Grand Prior to the Patriarch of Jerusalem. In 1962 Pope John XXIII and, in 1967, Pope Paul VI reorganized and revitalized the Order by adding more specific regulations to the Constitution with the intention of making the Order’s activities more co-coordinated and more effective.In February 1996, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II enhanced the Order’s status. Today it is a Public Association of faithful with a legal canonical and public personality, constituted by the Holy See under Canon Law 312, paragraph 1:1. 

https://eohsjeastern.org/a-brief-history/

Horses: the extent to which they can be possessed in our houses [575, 576]; the extent to which they can be used on missions [574, 625]

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complementary Norms

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

"The Order carries through ancient tradition, the Coat of Arms attributed to the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, which is of silver to the Jerusalem Cross of gold and enamelled in the color of blood." "Motto: “Deus lo vult” in capital ROMAN characters on a forked band under the point of the shield." 

Insignia, Decorations and Attire – Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (midatlanticeohs.com)

EQUESTRIAN ORDER OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE OF JERUSALEM

https://www.midatlanticeohs.com/insignia-decorations-and-attire/ 

"The Priory of Sion is an initiatory Order of chivalry, founded on July 15 1099 in Jerusalem, by Godfrey of Bouillon, at the Abbey "Our Lady of Mount Sion" as "Order of our Lady of Mount Sion."The Order, after being registered for the first time in history, in 1956, and then being dissolved in 1993, was newly registered in 2015, perpetuating the legitimate Pierre Plantard de Saint-Clair's lineage, through the actual Grand Master, Marco Rigamonti.The Priory of Sion is characterized by a gnostic and rosicrucian influence, who sets himself the task of supporting and nurturing personal growth, moral and spiritual, with respect and in harmony with the personal objectives that each of us, by nature, has to carry through in life experience.It's also our purpose the esoteric research as the study and experience related to the transcendent and mystical in an environment of communion with our Brothers and Sisters, Members of the Order.The Priory of Sion today inherits a tradition of esoteric, philosophical, spiritual and cultural legacy, which favors the cultivation of values and principles that offers the way to live a more aware and noble personal dimension.We work through symbols, ancient rituals, theurgic practice and traditions, in order to live a personal and collective sprirituality in communion with our Brothers and Sisters.The Order is apolitical and forbids its members to be made a place of political debate, or even worse, to be exploited for such purposes."

http://www.prieure-de-sion.com/ 

The Prieuré was cited by name in references extending from the twelfth to the early seventeenth century. Then, in documents dating from 1619, it was stated to have incurred the displeasure of King Louis XIII of France, who evicted them from their seat at Orléans and turned the premises over to the Jesuits.5 After that, the Prieuré de Sion seemed to vanish from the historical record, at least under that name, until 1956, when it appeared again, registered in the French Journal officiel. And yet the present-day Order had repeatedly cited certain of its activities between 1619 and the twentieth century, certain historical events in which it had played a role, certain historical developments in which it had some sort of vested interest. When we examined the events and developments in question, we found indisputable evidence attesting to the involvement of an organised and coherent cadre working in concert behind the scenes, sometimes using other institutions as a façade. This cadre was not named specifically, but everything indicated that it was indeed the Prieuré de Sion. What was more, it proved to involve precisely the same network of interlinked families claiming Merovingian descent. Whether it was the intrigues and the Wars of Religion in the sixteenth century, the insurrection known as the Fronde in the seventeenth century or the Masonic conspiracies of the eighteenth century, successive generations of precisely the same families were implicated, operating in accordance with a single consistent pattern."

The Messianic Legacy

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UV7FwghOOhdkp4fdk2SzG7oem2nRleW0/view?usp=sharing 

The equites (/ˈɛkwɪtiːz/; lit. 'horse' or 'cavalrymen', though sometimes referred to as "knights" in English) constituted the second of the property-based classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the senatorial class. A member of the equestrian order was known as an eques (Latin: [ˈɛ.kʷɛs]).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equites

Roses and ancient Roman rituals

During the Roman Empire, Rosalia or Rosaria was a festival of roses celebrated on various dates, primarily in May, but scattered through mid-July. The observance is sometimes called a rosatio (rose-adornment) or the dies rosationis, ‘day of rose-adornment’.

Flowers were traditional symbols of rejuvenation, rebirth, and in Greece and Rome, wreaths and garlands of flowers and greenery were worn by both men and women for festive occasions. They were offered to deities, particularly the goddesses Venus, Persephone and Flora, the goddess of Spring.Venus received roses at her ritual cleansing (lavatio) on April 1st and at the wine festival (Vinalia). And, in Athens, roses and violets could be adornments for Dionysian feasts.

The Roman army celebrated the Rosaliae signorum, rose festivals at which they adorned the military standards with garlands. The rose festivals of ancient times are recorded in at least forty-one inscriptions in Latin and sixteen in Greek, where the observance is often called a rhodismos.

An Imperial-era business letter, written on papyrus, documents that 4,000 narcissus  flowers were sent from a florist to a wedding. We know too, that men wore a garland of flowers more than women. First century AD Roman poet Statius describes a groom as wearing a wreath of roses, violets, and lilies.

“When the Emperor made a formal arrival – an adventus- at a city, garlands of flowers might be among the gestures of greeting.”

And then, of course, early Christian writers transferred the imagery of garlands and crowns of roses and violets to the cult of the saints. Blood and flowers are linked in divine metamorphosis in mythology.

And in fact every year, at the Pantheon, a place of Christian worship, which was converted from a pagan temple, to the Basilica of Mary and the Martyrs, celebrate Pentecost by dropping rose petals through the roof.  Like many pagan rituals, they were continued in Christian times, but with a different meaning.

https://www.italysbestrome.com/roses-and-ancient-roman-rituals/

The oldest written evidence of rose cultivation comes from a tablet discussing the Akkadian king Sargon I’s military campaign to the west. Sargon brought rosebush saplings with him on the campaign so rose cultivation could begin in these newly acquired territories soon after his conquest. It was an act of supreme confidence and evidence of roses’ importance to Akkadian culture.

https://deathscent.com/2022/02/18/rosalia/

A large late 18th c Portuguese Order of Christ sash badge, set with 106 cushion-cut white topazes (approx. 10.3 ctw, tested) and 32 flat-cut red foiled garnets/quartzes, in a gilt silver frame with original fittings preserved. The large bail to reverse is designed to hold a wide sash. 18th c portraits of Portuguese monarchs (e.g. Joseph I, Maria I, Peter III) almost always feature the subject wearing an Order of Christ cross around the neck on a red silk sash, this badge being an indispensable element of royal portraits due to the Portuguese sovereign serving as the order’s Grand Master. Created in 1318 by Dinis I as a continuation of the Knights Templar (a yet older Crusade-era military order with a role in the founding of Portugal), the Order of Christ has long contributed to the country’s coastal defense and maritime strength. During the Renaissance age of sail, it was the Order that commandeered naval explorations by dispatching its own fleets and building overseas commanderies; both Henry the Navigator and Vasco de Gama were members. By the late 18th c, the Order of Christ was indelibly tied to Portuguese national and social identity. Membership, limited to Portuguese Catholics of noble descent, was a marker of social status. Thriving trade with England and Brazil, encouraged by the liberalizing economic policies of the King’s chief minister the Marquis of Pombal, led to the rise of wealthy mercantile bourgeoisie in Lisbon and Porto. Changing distribution of wealth promoted greater social mobility and progressivism. In 1775, the government decreed by law to allow merchants of great wealth to be ennobled, and in 1789, Queen Maria I secularized the Order. The late 18th c therefore witnessed the height of membership expansion and popularity. The present badge’s design type features a cross of Portugal, a unique blend of the cross pattée and cross potent, and long a national symbol. The upper rosette pendant, an initiation symbol, represents the circular sun painted in the vault of the Convent of the Order of Christ.

https://www.hhantiquejewelry.com/shop/late-18th-c-portuguese-order-of-christ-cross/

Around 1530, more than eighty years before the publication of the first manifesto, the association of cross and rose already existed in Portugal in the Convent of the Order of Christ, home of the Knights Templar, later renamed Order of Christ. Three bocetes were, and still are, on the abóboda (vault) of the initiation room. The rose can clearly be seen at the center of the cross.[34][35] At the same time, a minor writing by Paracelsus called Prognosticatio Eximii Doctoris Paracelsi (1530), containing 32 prophecies with allegorical pictures surrounded by enigmatic texts, makes reference to an image of a double cross over an open rose; this is one of the examples used to prove the "Fraternity of the Rose Cross" existed far earlier than 1614.[36]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucianism

Rosa Jesuitica, oder Jesuitische Rottgesellen, das ist, Eine Frag ob die Zween Orden, der ganandten Ritter von der Neerscharen Jesu, und der Rosen-Creuzer ein einiger Ordensen: per J. P. D. a S. Jesuitarum Protectorum. Prague, 1620.” (4to).

This is a truly curious tract upon the “relations of the Jesuits and the Rosicrucians."

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dT28PyPUPfqDfC0iVg7nGFsle8vYBXLf/view?usp=sharing 

The Western Schism, also known as the Papal Schism, the Great Occidental Schism, or the Schism of 1378 (Latin: Magnum schisma occidentale, Ecclesiae occidentalis schisma), was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 1378 to 1417 in which bishops residing in Rome and Avignon both claimed to be the true pope, and were joined by a third line of Pisan claimants in 1409. The schism was driven by personalities and political allegiances, with the Avignon Papacy being closely associated with the French monarchy.

The papacy had resided in Avignon since 1309, but Pope Gregory XI returned to Rome in 1377. The Catholic Church split in 1378 after Gregory XI's death and Urban VI's election. A group of French cardinals declared his election invalid and elected Clement VII as pope. After several attempts at reconciliation, the Council of Pisa (1409) declared that both rivals were illegitimate and elected a third purported pope. The schism was finally resolved when the Pisan claimant Antipope John XXIII called the Council of Constance (1414–1418). The Council arranged the renunciation of both Roman pope Gregory XII and Pisan antipope John XXIII. The Avignon antipope Benedict XIII was excommunicated, while Pope Martin V was elected and reigned from Rome.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Schism 

Pope Leo X (r. 1513–1521) decided to complete the construction of the new St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. As the sale of certificates of indulgences had been a well-established method of papal fund raising, he announced new indulgences in the papal bull Sacrosanctis in 1515. On the advice of the banker Jakob Fugger (d. 1525), he appointed the pluralist prelate Albert of Brandenburg (d. 1545) to supervise the sale campaign in Germany.[note 22] The Dominican friar Johann Tetzel (d. 1519), a leading figure in the campaign, applied unusually aggressive marketing methods. A slogan attributed to him famously claimed that "As soon as the coin into the box rings, a soul from purgatory to heaven springs".[110][111] Frederick the Wise, Prince-elector of Saxony (r. 1486–1525) forbade the campaign because the Sacrosanctis suspended the sale of previous indulgences, depriving him of revenues that he had spent on his collection of relics.[note 23][94]

The campaign's vulgarity shocked many serious-minded believers,[94] among them Martin Luther, a theology professor at the University of Wittenberg in Saxony.[111][113] Born into a middle-class family, Luther entered an Augustinian monastery after a heavy thunderstorm dreadfully reminded him the risk of sudden death and eternal damnation, but his anxiety about his sinfulness did not abate.[114] His studies on the works of the Late Roman theologian Augustine of Hippo (d. 430) convinced him that those whom God chose as his elect received a gift of faith independently of their acts.[115] He first denounced the idea of justification through human efforts in his Disputatio contra scholasticam theologiam ('Disputation against Scholastic Theology') in September 1517.[116]

On 31 October 1517, Luther addressed a letter to Albert of Brandenburg, stating that the clerics preaching the St. Peter's indulgences were deceiving the faithful, and attached his Ninety-five Theses to it. He questioned the efficacy of indulgences for the dead, although also stated "If ... indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all ... doubts would be readily resolved".[117] Archbishop Albert ordered the theologians at the University of Mainz to examine the document. Tetzel, and the theologians Konrad Wimpina (d. 1531) and Johann Eck (d. 1543) were the first to associate some of Luther's propositions with Hussitism. The case was soon forwarded to the Roman Curia for judgement.[118] Pope Leo remained uninterested, and mentioned the case as "a quarrel among friars".[111][119]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation 

The Teutonic Order, or Teutonic Knights of St. Mary’s Hospital at Jerusalem, grew out of the establishment of a field hospital during the siege of Acre in the winter of 1190-91, by pious merchants of Bremen and Lubeck. When these merchants returned to Germany in 1191 they turned over the hospital to the chaplain Conrad and the chamberlain Burkhard.

With the model of the Hospitallers or Knights of St. John the Baptist, later known as Knights of Malta, before them, these men together with other Germans, formed a brotherhood, adopted the rules of the Hospitallers, and named their hospital “The Hospital of St. Mary of the Germans in Jerusalem” “in the hope and confidence that when the Holy City was reconquered they would there establish a house which should become the mother, head and mistress of the entire Order.” The new Order was confirmed by popes Clement III in 1191 and Celestine in 1196; it won as a patron the emperor, Henry VI, who bestowed upon it its first possessions in the West. In 1198 it was changed into a military Order by the adoption of the rules of the Knights Templars in addition to those of the Hospitallers. Unlike both of these older Orders, the Teutonic Knights were a strictly national organization, none but Germans of noble birth being admitted to it. “Like the knights of other orders, the Teutonic Knights lived a semimonastic life under the Augustinian rule, and in the same way they admitted priests and half-brothers (servientes) into their ranks. Like the other two orders, the Teutonic Order began as a charitable society, developed into a military club, and ended as something of a chartered company, exercising rights of sovereignty on the troubled confines of Christianity. Even in its last phase the Order did not forget its original purpose: it maintained several great hospitals in its new home on the southeast shore of the Baltic, in addition to an hotel des invalides at Marienburg for its sick or aged brethren.” F550 Under its fourth grand master, Hermann von Salza, 1210-39, the Order grew rapidly and made the most important advance in its history. After having aided the king of Hungary against the Comans, and receiving from the king the district of Burzenland in Transylvania, which it did not long retain, the Order was invited to assist in subduing the heathen Prussians. A Cistercian monk named Christian had succeeded in establishing the Church among the Prussians, and in 1212 was made bishop of Prussia. When the heathen arose and destroyed his churches, Christian called upon the Teutonic Knights for help and bestowed upon them Kulm, some of the frontier towns and such lands as they should conquer (1228). After driving the enemy out of Kulm and founding the cities of Kulm, Thorn and Marienwerder, the Order began the task of conquering and Christianizing Prussia. In 1235 it absorbed the Order of Dobrzin, which had been founded by bishop Christian, and in 1237 the Knights of the Sword of Livonia, founded by Albert, bishop of Riga, became a province of the Order.

Its successes in Prussia changed the character of the Teutonic Order. It lost all connection with the East, its grand master moved his seat from Acre, first to Venice in 1291, then in 1308 to Marienburg on the Vistula. The Order became a governing aristocracy, its statutes were altered to suit the new conditions. “The Order was at once supreme ecclesiastical and political authority .... The lay subjects of the Order consisted of two classes: on the one hand there were the conquered Prussians, in a position of serfdom, bound in time of war to serve the brethren in foreign expeditions; on the other hand there were the German immigrants, both urban and rural, along with the free Prussians, who had voluntarily submitted and remained faithful.” f551 By the middle of the fourteenth century the Teutonic Knights had become a world power. Their cities belonged to the Hanseatic League and shared in its power; Poland had been deprived of its outlet on the Baltic; the ships of the Order were a power on the sea; Marienburg with its brilliant court was not merely a school of chivalry, but for a time a literary center. Yet the downfall of the Order was close at hand. It alienated its subjects, who allied themselves with Poland; its missionary work was completed when the Lithuanians became Christians and also made common cause with Poland; the Slav reaction made the Germanizing efforts of the Knights still more unpopular. Internally the success of the Order brought with it a secularization which was disastrous. Poland regained a foothold on the Baltic. The Prussian League was formed in 1440 with the real purpose of opposing the Knights, and in 1454 offered Prussia to the Polish king. The peace of Thorn, 1466, left to the Order only East Prussia and made the knights vassals of Poland. But the German master and the Landmeister for Livonia would not serve Poland, and the Order in East Prussia adopted the policy of electing German princes as grand masters in the hope of again regaining independence, without success. The first of these German grand masters was Frederick of Saxony, 1498 to 1511. He was succeeded by Albert of Brandenburg. f552 Albert became involved in a devastating war with Poland, which was provisionally ended by a four years’ truce made in 1521. In September of that year Albert suggested the possibility of a revision of the statutes of the Order by Luther, probably in harmony with the plans outlined in the Open Letter to the German Nobility. So far as known Luther was not consulted at that time. Albert continued to take his place with the Roman Catholic princes. But when in April, 1522, he returned to Germany he came under the influence of Lazarus Spengler and Andreas Osiander and was won for the evangelical party. During the Diet at Nuremberg, 1522- 23, he protested that it was not the proper way to proceed against Luther, “if evident truth be condemned and books burned.”

Pope Hadrian VI urged upon Albert a reformation of the Order. In June, 1523, Albert secretly turned to Luther for advice concerning the reformation of the Order in head and members. On November 29th the two met at Wittenberg, and Luther advised Albert “to throw aside the foolish and absurd rules of the Order, to marry, and to convert the religious state into a secular state, either a principality or a duchy.” Melanchthon, who was present at the interview, gave the same advice. The grand master smiled and said nothing. But “with that evangelical protestant advice Luther laid the foundations for the development of the Prussian state, of the Prussian kingdom, and of the German empire which is inseparable from the development of the Prussian kingdom.” f554 Soon after this meeting Luther prepared the following treatise, intended, as Kawerau suggests, to be a “feeler, which should test the attitude of the knights of the Order as well as of the Prussian bishops, and prepare them for coming events.” The older collected editions of Luther’s works date the treatise March 28, 1523. But, as Kawerau points out, it is improbable that the treatise was written before the last month of 1523, and the date may be a mistake for December 12th. The original prints are undated; the editors may have confused the festivals of the Annunciation and of the Conception of the Virgin Mary, the latter of which may have been the date attached to the manuscript.

After the evangelical principles had been gradually introduced into Prussia by the two bishops, Georg von Polentz and Erhard von Queiss, the grand master returned to Prussia and carried out Luther’s suggestion. Peace was made with Poland, Prussia was converted into a duchy held as fief of the king of Poland and hereditary in the family of Albert. July 1, 1526, Albert was married to Dorothea, the daughter of the Danish king, and thus was founded the evangelical house of the Hohenzollern.

The progress of the Gospel in Prussia gave Luther much joy. In 1525 he wrote to the Bishop of Samland, Georg von Polentz: “Behold the wonder!

In rapid course, with full sails, the Gospel hastens to Prussia, whither it was not called, and where it was not sought after, while in Upper and Lower Germany, whither it came of its own accord, it is blasphemed, repelled and put to flight with all rage and madness.” f556 The Teutonic Order in its German and Livonian branches continued to exist, and laid claim to the rights of the Order in Prussia. It was finally suppressed in 1809, and its lands passed into the hands of the secular princes within whose territories they lay. But in 1840 the Order was resuscitated in Austria, and again engaged in hospital service, in which it is presumably active during the present war. But this Teutonic Order is not the same as that which became secularized at the time of the Reformation.

The Prussian branch passed into the Prussian kingdom, not into the restored Order. A Protestant branch exists in the ancient bailiwick of Utrecht, the members of which must profess the Calvinistic faith, and are dispensed from celibacy. See Catholic Encyclopedia, xiv, 542.

The subject of the monastic vows and of the marriage of monks had been discussed at great length before this treatise was written. For the development of that discussion we must refer here to the introduction to the Treatise on Monastic Vows, which was excluded from this volume because of its size. But the careful student will find that Luther has not merely repeated older arguments nor restated older positions. He has gone farther, his position is more advanced. In fact, upon the advance beyond the position taken in the Formula Missae Kawerau bases an argument for the later date of our treatise. “For the writing of this treatise immediately after the FormuIa Missae we find an argument in the remarkable agreement between the statements in the two concerning those who want to wait for decrees of a council and desire permission to be given them (to use the two kinds in the Lord’s Supper, or, in the later treatise, to marry) by such decrees. He who reads the analogous portions in the two treatises will easily recognize in the Exhortation to the Teutonic Knights the bold heightening of the thought to a paradox, and thus see in the Formula Missae the older form.” f558 The German text is found in Weimar Ed., xii, 232-244; Walch Ed., xix, 2157-76; Erlangen Ed., xxix 16-33; St. Louis Ed., xix, 1730-45; Berlin Ed., iv, 32-47. Literature : Introduction by KAWERAU in Weimar Ed., xii, 228-31; Prot. Realencyklopadie, 3d ed., Arts., Albrecht von Preussen, I, 310-23; Deutschorden, iv, 589-95; Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., Arts., Albert, i, 497, and Teutonic Order, xxvi, 676-9. The literature is given fully in all these articles. Compare also Schaff, Church History, vi, 588-600, and Kostlin-Kawerau, Martin Luther, i, 620-623. W. A. LAMBERT. LEBANON,PA.

WORKS OF MARTIN LUTHER - TO THE KNIGHTS OF THE TEUTONIC ORDER AN EXHORTATION THAT THEY LAY ASIDE FALSE CHASTITY AND TAKE UPON THEM THE TRUE CHASTITY OF WEDLOCK (godrules.net)

https://www.godrules.net/library/luther/NEW1luther_c8.htm 

Teutonic Vatican Order – Starting in 1312 AD, many Templars in Germany or Eastern Europe joined the Order of Teutonic Knights of the Vatican (founded 1190 AD), which was already an official but autonomous branch of the Templar Order [80] [81].

The Teutonic Order continued as such for 739 years, until it was “reformed” in 1929, “re-established” in 1957, and “restructured” in 1965, becoming the “Order of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem”.  The modern Order of Mary has about 300 Clergy and 700 secular “Familiares” in a role analogous to Knights [82], but does not grant knighthood or damehood.

Surviving Templars from the Teutonic Order, after 1929, joined the Franciscan Sacred Order in England, Franciscan Vatican Order, Ancient Celtic Churches, or Rosicrucian Mystical Order (all continued to the present day).

Spanish Montesa Order – In 1317 AD, King James II of Spain “obtained from Pope John XXII… the possessions of the Templars in his Kingdom”, to create the “Military Order of Montesa… established… to take the place of the Order of the Temple… [as] the continuation.”  The Order of Montesa was placed under the Cistercian Rule, and based upon the Templar Order. [83]

Thus in 1317 AD, Pope John XXII, a Templar revivalist, supported Templar survival through the Order of Montessa by granting it Vatican Patronage.

Starting in 1317 AD, many Templars in Spain or Western Europe joined the Order of Montesa.

The Order of Montesa (from 1317 AD) operated for 270 years, until it was “united with the Crown” in 1587 AD, thereby dissolving it [84].

Surviving Templars from the Order of Montesa, after 1587 AD, joined the German Teutonic Order (until 1929), Portuguese Knights of Christ (until 1789), or joined the Franciscan Sacred Order in England, Franciscan Vatican Order, Ancient Celtic Churches, or Rosicrucian Mystical Order (continued to the present day).

Portugal Knights of Christ – In 1319 AD, in Portugal the Knights Templar were cleared of all charges, and Pope John XXII, a Templar revivalist, supported Templar survival by merely renaming the Portuguese branch of the Order to “Knights of Christ”, allowing to keep their assets.

Starting in 1319 AD, many Templars in Portugal or Western Europe joined the Knights of Christ.

In 1740 AD Pope Benedict XIV, a Templar revivalist, supported Templar survival as the “Knights of Christ” by granting the former headquarters of the Knights Templar to the King of Portugal for the renamed Order.

The Knights of Christ (from 1319 AD) operated for 470 years, until it was dismantled in 1789 AD:  It was reduced to an “honourary decoration of merit” by Queen Maria I in 1789 AD, fully “extinguished” with the end of the Portuguese Monarchy in 1910 AD, and later “reformulated” and “reinstated” in 1918 only as an “honorary award” under the President of the modern Republic of Portugal [85] [86].

A doctrine of customary international law holds that a “new government” of a modern secular “Republican State” does not have legal capacity of “rights of Fons Honourum” for the “exercise of heraldic jurisdiction” to maintain, revive nor even recognize Orders of Chivalry [87] [88] [89] [90].  Therefore, the modern Knights of Christ is not an Order of Chivalry, and thus does not grant knighthood or damehood.

Surviving Templars from the Knights of Christ, after 1789 AD, joined the German Teutonic Order (until 1929), or joined the Franciscan Sacred Order in England, Franciscan Vatican Order, Ancient Celtic Churches, or Rosicrucian Mystical Order (continued to the present day).

Rosicrucian Mystical Order – In ca. 1407 AD, the surviving Knights Templar in Portugal (renamed “Order of Christ” since 1319 AD) helped establish the Rosicrucian Order, named after the trademark Templar Red Cross, or “Rose Cross”, thus “Rosa-Cruz” (Portugese) or “Rossi-Croce” (Italian).

This is evidenced by the fact that the Portuguese Templar headquarters, the “Convent of the Order of Christ”, features three artifacts of a Rose at the center of a Cross in the initiation room, dated ca. 1530 AD [91] [92].  This establishes that many surviving Templars helped create and develop the Rosicrucian Order from 1407-1530 AD.

Starting in 1407 AD, and even more after 1530 AD, many Templars throughout Western Europe joined the Rosicrucian Mystical Order.

In 1740 AD Pope Benedict XIV, a Templar revivalist, supported Templar survival through the Rosicrucian Order by restoring “Templar Rosicrucian” lines of Apostolic Succession, “reinstating” those lines in the Vatican [93], and also by establishing the first Vatican “Academy of Antiquities” [94] to continue the Templar mission of exploring ancient origins of Christianity.

The Rosicrucian Order, as an esoteric society, was never established with sovereign authority, and thus by customary international law, it is not an Order of Chivalry [95], and thus does not grant knighthood or damehood.

Results Through Other Orders – In the end result, Templars from the original Order of the Temple of Solomon survived through other Orders, actively continuing Templar missions and living the Templar life of Chivalry, directly into the modern era.

After the other Orders of Chivalry which could grant knighthood and damehood ended, in 1587 AD (Spain), 1789 AD (Portugal) and 1929 AD (Germany), surviving Templars continued Templar missions through the Franciscan Sacred Order, Franciscan Vatican Order, Ancient Celtic Churches, and Rosicrucian Mystical Order.

However, none of these remaining institutions of Templar survival were Orders of Chivalry, and thus could not grant knighthood or damehood.

Also, only the Sacred Order of Saint Francis of Assisi in England (since 1212 AD) preserved and carried the rights of Templar Sovereign Succession, through the rare and unique “Templar Lines” of Apostolic Succession.

Therefore, from 2007-2013, the Franciscan Sacred Order completed the original plan from Saint Bernard, by reunification with surviving cultural and chivalric Templars from Ancient Celtic and Rosicrucian branches of the Old Catholic Churches, to restore and reestablish the Templar Order to full legitimacy.

https://knightstemplarorder.org/templar-order/survival-lineage/

The Order of Alcántara (Leonese: Orde de Alcántara, Spanish: Orden de Alcántara), also called the Knights of St. Julian,[1] was originally a military order of León, founded in 1166[2] and confirmed by Pope Alexander III in 1177.[3]

Alcántara

Alcántara is a town on the Tagus (which is here crossed by a bridge – cantara in Arabic, hence the name). The town is situated on the plain of Extremadura, a great field of conflict for the Muslims and Christians of Iberian Peninsula in the 12th century. Alcántara was first taken in 1167 by King Ferdinand II of León; In 1174 it fell again into the hands of Abu Yaqub Yusuf;[4] and was not recovered until 1214, when it was taken by King Alfonso IX of León.[5] The Order of Trujillo was the Castilian branch of the order until 1195.

To defend this conquest, on a border exposed to many assaults, the king resorted to military orders. The Middle Ages knew neither standing armies nor garrisons, a deficiency that the military orders supplied, combining as they did military training with monastic stability. In 1214 Alcántara was first committed to the care of the Castilian Knights of Calatrava, who had lately received great support after their performance in 1212 at the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa against the Almohades. Alonzo of León wished to found at Alcántara a special branch of this celebrated order for his realm. However, four years later the Order decided that the post was too far from its Castilian headquarters. They gave up the scheme and transferred the castle, with the permission of the king, to a peculiar Leonese order still in a formative stage, known as the Knights of St Julian de Pereiro.

History

Origins of the Order

This order's genesis is obscure, but according to a somewhat questionable tradition, St. Julian de Pereiro was a hermit of the country of Salamanca, where by his counsel, some knights built a castle on the river Tagus to oppose the Muslims. They are mentioned in 1176, in a grant of King Fernando of León, but without allusion to their military character. They are first acknowledged as a military order by a papal bull in 1177 by Pope Alexander III. Through their compact with the Knights of Calatrava, they accepted the Cistercian rule and costume, (a white mantle with the scarlet overcross), and they submitted to the right of inspection and correction from the Master of Calatrava. This union did not last long.

Internal dissensions

The Knights of Alcántara, under their new name, acquired many castles and estates, for the most part at the expense of the Muslims. They amassed great wealth from booty during the war and from pious donations. It was a turning point in their career. However, ambitions and dissensions increased among them. The post of grand master became the aim of rival aspirants. In 1318, the Grand Master, Ruy Vaz, was besieged by his own Knights, sustained in this by the Grand Master of Calatrava. This rent in their body produced no less than three grand masters in contention, supported severally by the Knights, by the Cistercians, and by the king. The rise of such dissensions could be attributed to the fact that military orders had lost the chief object of their vocation when the Moors were driven from their last foothold in the Iberian Peninsula. Some authors assign as causes of their disintegration the decimation of the cloisters by the Black Death in the fourteenth century, and the laxity which allowed recruitment from the most poorly qualified subjects. Lastly, there was the revolution in warfare, when the growth of modern artillery and infantry overpowered the armed cavalry of feudal times, while the orders still held to their obsolete mode of fighting. The orders, nevertheless, by their wealth and numerous vassals, remained a tremendous power in the kingdom, and before long were involved deeply in political agitations. During the fatal schism between Pedro of Castile and his brother, Henry the Bastard, which divided half Europe, the Knights of Alcántara were also split into two factions which warred upon each other.

Royal involvement

The kings, on their side, did not fail to take an active part in the election of the grand master, who could bring such valuable support to the royal authority. In 1409, the regent of Castile succeeded in having his son, Sancho, a boy of eight years, made Grand Master of Alcántara. These intrigues went on until 1492, when Pope Alexander VI invested the Catholic King, Ferdinand of Aragon, with the grand mastership of Alcántara for life. Adrian VI went farther, in favour of his pupil, Charles V, for in 1522 he bestowed the three masterships of Spain upon the Crown, even permitting their inheritance through the female line. The Knights of Alcántara were released from the vow of celibacy by the Holy See in 1540, and the ties of common life were sundered. The order was reduced to a system of endowments at the disposal of the king, of which he availed to himself to reward his nobles. There were no less than thirty-seven "Commanderies", with fifty-three castles or villages. Under the French domination the revenues of Alcántara were confiscated, in 1808, and they were only partly given back in 1814, after the restoration of Ferdinand VII.

The Liberal monarchy seized much of the Order's properties in the 1830s, but by royal decree of 7 April 1848 the majority of the benefices of the four Orders were restored. In the Concordat of 1851 the four Military Orders were allowed continued ecclesiastical jurisdiction over their territories, while the titular of the jurisdiction remained the King (or Queen), as administrator of the four Orders by Apostolic Delegation. Certain of the confiscated properties were restored and concentrated together near Ciudad Real, while others distributed more distantly were integrated into the dioceses in which they lay, and were removed from the Order's jurisdiction. The territories now concentrated around the city of Ciudad Real were designated as the new Priory, a Prelature nullius dioeceseos called the "Priory of the four reunited Military Orders of Santiago, Calatrava, Alcántara and Montesa", with the Prior holding the titular diocese of Dora and given as his Priory Church, or Cathedral, the former Parish Church of Santa María del Prado in Ciudad Real. The 1st Spanish Republic proclaimed on 12 February 1873 made as one of its first provisions the abolition of all Military Orders, by decree of 9 March following; the Pope, Pius IX, considering that the Orders' ecclesiastical jurisdiction was thereby rendered ineffective, transferred the administration of their benefices to the closest dioceses, in the Bull Quo graviu of 14 July 1873. The President of the Republic, the Duke of La Torre, seeing this as a concession by the Pope, re-established the Military Orders and their governing body, the Tribunal.

The Bull Ad Apostolicam published on 18 November 1875 re-established the Orders' ecclesiastical jurisdiction and the priory based at Ciudad Real. The solemn inauguration of the Priory followed, on 6 June 1876 and the first Prior appointed on the 29 September next. The administration was now re-titled once again by royal decree of 1 August 1876, as the Tribunal Metropolitano y Consejo de las Órdenes Militares, with the responsibility for regulating the proofs of nobility and the admission and investiture of the knights, the appointment of charges and officers, the creation or suppression of parishes, the construction or repair of churches and chapels, the direction of the benefices and hospitals and modification of regulations or statutes; the government thus formally recognised the continued legal existence of the four Orders.

Alfonso XIII obtained de facto papal approval of his new title of Grand Master and Perpetual Administrator when the Holy See confirmed certain regulations in 1916. A royal decree of 18 February 1906 introduced some modifications to the regulations governing the Metropolitan Tribunal and Council that were the last formal regulations introduced before the fall of the monarchy in 1931. The 2nd Republic purported to suppress the Orders in a decree of 29 April 1931, just two weeks after the proclamation of the Republic, and dissolve the Tribunal but did not mention the Consejo de las Órdenes Militares, leaving the juridical situation of this body intact. The suppression provoked an immediate protest by the Cardinal Primate since the religious character of these Orders was regulated by the Concordat. In a modification of the earlier act, the Ministry of War by a decree of 5 August 1931 declared the four Orders subject to the Spanish law on Associations, to which status it had also converted the five Maestranzas and named a "Junta, or Provisional Commission", to which it gave juridical personality in place of the Consejo.

The Count of Barcelona, father of King Juan Carlos I, was formally nominated by the King "Dean President of the Royal Council of the Orders of Chivalry of Santiago, Calatrava, Alcántara and Montesa" in 1978. Following his death the Grand Commander of the Order of Alcantara, the Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria, was appointed his successor and upon his death in 2015 his Son Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria[6] became the head of the Order.

List of grand masters

The following list is taken from Ayala Martínez.[7]

Gómez (c.1175–1200)

Benito Suárez (1200–1216)

Nuño Fernández (1218–1219)

García Sánchez (1219–1227)

Arias Pérez (1227–1234)

Pedro Ibáñez (1234–1254)

García Fernández (1254–1284)

Fernando Páez (1284–1292)

Fernando Pérez Gallego (1292–1298)

Gonzalo Pérez (1298–1316)

Rodrigo Vázquez (1316–1318)

Suero Pérez (1318–1335)

Rodrigo Pérez (1335–1337)

Gonzalo Martínez de Oviedo (1337–1340)

Nuño Chamizo (1340–1343)

Pedro Alfonso Pantoja (1343–1345)

Pedro Yáñez de Campo (1345)

Fernando Pérez Ponce de León (1346–1355)

Diego Gutiérrez de Cevallos (1355)

Suero Martínez (1356–1363)

Gutierre Gómez de Toledo (1362–1365)

Martín López de Córdoba (1365–1367)

Pedro Muñiz Godoy (1367)

Melén Suárez (1369–1370)

Rodrigo Díaz de la Vega (1370–1375)

Diego Martínez (1376–1383)

Diego Gómez Barroso (1383–1384)

Gonzalo Núñez Guzmán (1384–1385)

Martín Yáñez de Barbudo (1385–1394)

Fernando Rodríguez Villalobos (1394–1408)

Infante Sancho de Aragón (1408–1416)

Juan de Sotomayor (1416–1432)

Gutierre de Sotomayor (1432–1454)

Gómez de Cáceres y Solís (1458–1473)

Alonso de Monroy (1473–1477)

Francisco de Solís (1474–1475), elect

Juan de Zúñiga y Pimentel (1477–1494)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Alc%C3%A1ntara

Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (born 26 June 1992 in Madrid),[2] Duke of Noto (Duke of Capua 2012–2015), Grand Constable of the Order of Saint George of the Reunion, Grand Prefect of the Constantinian Order, Knight of Alcántara, Knight of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Married to Lady Charlotte Diana Lindesay-Bethune (born 12 May 1993), youngest child of Scottish businessman and politician James Lindesay-Bethune, 16th Earl of Lindsay, and his wife, Diana Mary Chamberlayne-Macdonald, on 25 September 2021 at Monreale Cathedral.

Princess Francesca Sofía of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (born 13 October 2023 in London)[8]

Prince Juan of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (born 18 April 2003 in Madrid)

Prince Pablo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (born 26 June 2004 in Madrid)

Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (born 3 January 2007 in Ciudad Real)

Princess Sofía of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (born 12 November 2008 in Madrid)[citation needed]

Princess Blanca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (born 7 April 2011 in Ciudad Real)[citation needed]

Princess María of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (born 5 March 2015 in Ciudad Real)[citation needed]

Honours

Dynastic

[additional citation(s) needed]

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (1986–2015)[9]

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: Sovereign and Grand Master of the Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius[10]

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: Sovereign and Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George[11][unreliable source?]

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: Sovereign and Grand Master of the Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: Sovereign and Grand Master of the Royal Order of the Two-Sicilies

National

 Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta[1]

 Vatican: Knight Grand Cross of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.[12]

 Spain: Commander of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise (22 December 2017)[13]

Other activities

This section may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. Please help to create a more balanced presentation. Discuss and resolve this issue before removing this message. (March 2021)

President of the Foundation for the Protection of Nature

President of the Foundation Lux Hispaniarum

President of the Foundation of the Hospital of Santiago de Cuenca

Patron of the Foundation of Commanderies of Santiago

Vice-President of the Delegation of the Community of Castilla-La Mancha of the APD

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Pedro,_Duke_of_Calabria

British Israelism (also called Anglo-Israelism) is a pseudo-historical[1][2] belief that the people of Great Britain are "genetically, racially, and linguistically the direct descendants" of the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel.[3] With roots in the 16th century, British Israelism was inspired by several 19th century English writings such as John Wilson's 1840 Our Israelitish Origin.[4] From the 1870s onward, numerous independent British Israelite organizations were set up throughout the British Empire as well as in the United States; as of the early 21st century, a number of these organizations are still active. In the United States, the idea gave rise to the Christian Identity movement.

The central tenets of British Israelism have been refuted by archaeological,[5] ethnological,[6] genetic,[7]: 181  and linguistic research.[8][9]: 33–34 

History

Earliest recorded expressions

According to Brackney (2012) and Fine (2015), the French Huguenot magistrate M. le Loyer's The Ten Lost Tribes, published in 1590, provided one of the earliest expressions of the belief that the Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Scandinavian, Germanic, and associated peoples are the direct descendants of the Old Testament Israelites.[3][10]: 176  Anglo-Israelism has also been attributed to King James VI and I (1566–1625),[10] who is reported to have believed he was the King of Israel.[3] Adriaan van Schrieck (1560–1621), who influenced Henry Spelman (1562–1641) and John Sadler (1615–74), wrote in the early 17th century about his ideas on the origins of the Celtic and Saxon peoples. In 1649, Sadler published Rights of the Kingdom,[11] "which argues for an 'Israelite genealogy for the British people'".[10]: 176 

Aspects of British Israelism and its influences have also been traced to Richard Brothers, who published A Revealed Knowledge of the Prophecies and Times in 1794,[12]: 1  John Wilson's Our Israelitish Origin (1844),[12]: 6-9  and John Pym Yeatman's The Shemetic Origin of the Nations of Western Europe (1879).[13]: 211 

Foundation

British Israelism arose in England, and then spread to the United States.[14]: 52–65  Its adherents cite various supposedly-medieval manuscripts to claim an older origin, but British Israelism appeared as a distinct movement in the early 1880s:

Although scattered British Israel societies are known to have existed as early as 1872, there was at first no real move to develop an organization beyond the small groups of believers which had arisen spontaneously. The beginnings of the movement as an identifiable religious force can, therefore, be more accurately placed in the 1880s, when the circumstances of the time were particularly propitious for the appearance of a movement so imperialistically-orientated.[15]

Peak of adherence to British Israelism – late 19th and early 20th centuries

The extent to which the British clergy became aware of the existence of the movement may be gauged by the comment which Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801–1890) made when he was asked why he had left the Church of England in 1845 in order to join the Roman Catholic Church. He said that there was a very real danger that the movement "would take over the Church of England."[16]: 86 

In the late 19th century, Edward Hine, Edward Wheler Bird, and Herbert Aldersmith developed the British Israelite movement. Hine and Bird achieved a degree of "doctrinal coherence" by eliminating competing forms of the ideology: in 1878, the Anglo-Ephraim Association of London, which followed Wilson by accepting the broader community of western European Germanic peoples as fellow Israelites who were also favoured by God, was absorbed into Bird's Metropolitan Anglo-Israel Association, which espoused the Anglo-exclusive view promoted by Hine.[13]: 209 

By 1886, the "Anglo-Israel Association" had 27 affiliated groups throughout Britain.[12]: 9  Hine later departed for the United States, where he promoted the movement.[14]: 56 [10]: 176 

The 1906 edition of the Jewish Encyclopedia stated that British Israelism's adherents "are said to number 2,000,000 in England and the United States",[17] an unreliable figure if association membership and journal subscription numbers are any guide; the number of passive Protestant sympathisers is almost impossible to determine.[13]: 209 

Between 1899 and 1902, members of the British-Israel Association of London dug up parts of the Hill of Tara in the belief that the Ark of the Covenant was buried there, doing much damage to one of Ireland's most ancient royal and archaeological sites.[18] At the same time, British Israelism became associated with various pseudo-archaeological pyramidology theories, such as the notion that the Pyramid of Khufu contained a prophetic numerology of the British peoples.[19]

In 1914, the thirty-fourth year of its publication, the Anglo-Israel Almanack listed the details of a large number of Kingdom Identity Groups which were operating independently throughout the British Isles as well as in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the United States of America.[citation needed]

In 1919, the British-Israel-World Federation (BIWF) was founded in London, and Covenant Publishing was founded in 1922. William Pascoe Goard was the first director of the publishing house. During this time, several prominent figures patronized the BIWF organization and its publisher; Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone was its Patron-in-chief prior to World War II. One of its highest-profile members was William Massey, then Prime Minister of New Zealand. Due to the expansive nature of the British Empire, believers in British Israelism spread worldwide and the BIWF expanded its organization to the British Commonwealth. Howard Rand promoted the teaching, and he became the National Commissioner of the Anglo-Saxon Federation of America in 1928. He published The Bulletin, later renamed The Messenger of the Covenant. More recently, it was renamed Destiny.[14]: 57 

A prolific author on British Israelism during the later 1930s and 40s was Alexander James Ferris.[20]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Israelism

The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British Government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a small minority Jewish population. The declaration was contained in a letter dated 2 November 1917 from the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. The text of the declaration was published in the press on 9 November 1917.

Immediately following Britain's declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire in November 1914, it began to consider the future of Palestine. Within two months a memorandum was circulated to the War Cabinet by a Zionist member, Herbert Samuel, proposing the support of Zionist ambitions in order to enlist the support of Jews in the wider war. A committee was established in April 1915 by British prime minister H. H. Asquith to determine their policy towards the Ottoman Empire including Palestine. Asquith, who had favoured post-war reform of the Ottoman Empire, resigned in December 1916; his replacement David Lloyd George favoured partition of the Empire. The first negotiations between the British and the Zionists took place at a conference on 7 February 1917 that included Sir Mark Sykes and the Zionist leadership. Subsequent discussions led to Balfour's request, on 19 June, that Rothschild and Chaim Weizmann submit a draft of a public declaration. Further drafts were discussed by the British Cabinet during September and October, with input from Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews but with no representation from the local population in Palestine.

By late 1917, in the lead-up to the Balfour Declaration, the wider war had reached a stalemate, with two of Britain's allies not fully engaged: the United States had yet to suffer a casualty, and the Russians were in the midst of a revolution with Bolsheviks taking over the government. A stalemate in southern Palestine was broken by the Battle of Beersheba on 31 October 1917. The release of the final declaration was authorised on 31 October; the preceding Cabinet discussion had referenced perceived propaganda benefits amongst the worldwide Jewish community for the Allied war effort.

The opening words of the declaration represented the first public expression of support for Zionism by a major political power. The term "national home" had no precedent in international law, and was intentionally vague as to whether a Jewish state was contemplated. The intended boundaries of Palestine were not specified, and the British government later confirmed that the words "in Palestine" meant that the Jewish national home was not intended to cover all of Palestine. The second half of the declaration was added to satisfy opponents of the policy, who had claimed that it would otherwise prejudice the position of the local population of Palestine and encourage antisemitism worldwide by "stamping the Jews as strangers in their native lands". The declaration called for safeguarding the civil and religious rights for the Palestinian Arabs, who composed the vast majority of the local population, and also the rights and political status of the Jewish communities in other countries outside of Palestine. The British government acknowledged in 1939 that the local population's wishes and interests should have been taken into account, and recognised in 2017 that the declaration should have called for the protection of the Palestinian Arabs' political rights.

The declaration had many long-lasting consequences. It greatly increased popular support for Zionism within Jewish communities worldwide, and became a core component of the British Mandate for Palestine, the founding document of Mandatory Palestine. It indirectly led to the emergence of the State of Israel and is considered a principal cause of the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict, often described as the world's most intractable. Controversy remains over a number of areas, such as whether the declaration contradicted earlier promises the British made to the Sharif of Mecca in the McMahon–Hussein correspondence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Declaration

The two-state solution is a proposed approach to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, by creating two states on the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. It is often contrasted with the one-state solution, which is the establishment a single state in former Mandatory Palestine with equal rights for all its inhabitants. The two-state solution is supported by many countries and the Palestinian Authority.[1] Israel currently does not support the idea, though it has in the past.[2]

The first proposal for separate Jewish and Arab states in the territory was made by the British Peel Commission report in 1937.[3] In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a partition plan for Palestine, leading to the 1948 Palestine war.[4][5] As a result, Israel was established on the area the UN had proposed for the Jewish state, as well as almost 60% of the area proposed for the Arab state. Israel took control of West Jerusalem, which was meant to be part of an international zone. Jordan took control of East Jerusalem and what became known as the West Bank, annexing it the following year. The territory which became the Gaza Strip was occupied by Egypt but never annexed. Since the 1967 Six-Day War, both the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza Strip have been militarily occupied by Israel, becoming known as the Palestinian territories.

The Palestine Liberation Organization has accepted the concept of a two-state solution since the 1982 Arab Summit.[clarification needed][6] In 2017, Hamas announced their revised charter, which claims to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, but without recognising the statehood of Israel.[7] Diplomatic efforts have centred around realizing a two-state solution, starting from the failed 2000 Camp David Summit and the Clinton Parameters, followed by the Taba Summit in 2001. The failure of the Camp David summit to reach an agreed two-state solution formed the backdrop to the commencement of the Second Intifada, the violent consequences of which marked a turning point among both peoples’ attitudes.[8][9][10] A two-state solution also formed the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative, the 2006–2008 peace offer, and the 2013–14 peace talks.

Currently there is no two-state solution proposal being negotiated between Israel and Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority supports the idea of a two-state solution;[1] Israel at times has also supported the idea, but nowadays rejects the creation of a Palestinian state.[2] Long-serving Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in 2015 rejected a Palestinian state.[11] He again rejected a Palestinian state in June 2023.[12][13] Former Israeli PMs Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert in late 2023 expressed support for a two-state solution.[14][15] Public support among Israelis and among Palestinians (measured separately) for "the concept of the two-state solution" have varied between far above and far below 50%, depending partly on how the question was phrased.

The major points of contention include the specific boundaries of the two states (though most proposals are based on the 1967 lines), the status of Jerusalem, the Israeli settlements and the right of return of Palestinian refugees. Observers have described the current situation in the whole territory, with the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and blockade of the Gaza Strip, as one of de facto Israeli sovereignty.[16][17] The two-state solution is an alternative to the one-state solution and what observers consider a de facto one-state reality.[16][17][18]

Following the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel and the subsequent Israel–Hamas war, multiple governments restarted discussions on a two-state solution. This received pushback from Israel's government, especially from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On 26 September 2024, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide co-chaired a meeting of representatives of about 90 countries, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, to launch a global alliance to strive for a two-state solution.[19][20][21][22][23]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-state_solution

What was the practice of casting lots?

Answer

The practice of casting lots is mentioned seventy times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament. In spite of the many references to casting lots in the Old Testament, nothing is known about the actual lots themselves. They could have been sticks of various lengths, flat stones like coins, or some kind of dice; but their exact nature is unknown. The closest modern practice to casting lots is likely flipping a coin.

The practice of casting lots occurs most often in connection with the division of the land under Joshua (Joshua chapters 14-21), a procedure that God instructed the Israelites on several times in the book of Numbers (Numbers 26:55; 33:54; 34:13; 36:2). God allowed the Israelites to cast lots in order to determine His will for a given situation (Joshua 18:6-10; 1 Chronicles 24:5,31). Various offices and functions in the temple were also determined by lot (1 Chronicles 24:5, 31; 25:8-9; 26:13-14). The sailors on Jonah’s ship (Jonah 1:7) also cast lots to determine who had brought God’s wrath upon their ship. The eleven apostles cast lots to determine who would replace Judas (Acts 1:26). Casting lots eventually became a game people played and made wagers on. This is seen in the Roman soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ garments (Matthew 27:35).

The last time we see lots being cast in Scripture is prior to the writing of the New Testament and before the day of Pentecost. Now that we have the completed Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us, there is probably no reason to be casting lots to make decisions. The New Testament nowhere instructs Christians to use a method similar to casting lots. The Word, the Spirit, and prayer should be sufficient for discerning God’s will today—not casting lots, rolling dice, or flipping a coin.

https://www.gotquestions.org/casting-lots.html

"Teflon Don" was a nickname for American mobster John Gotti (1940–2002).

Teflon Don may also refer to:

People

Vito Rizzuto (1946–2013), Canadian mafia leader known as "Montreal's Teflon Don" and "Canada's Teflon Don"

Rick Ross (born 1976), American rap producer whose original rap name was "Teflon Da Don"

Donald Trump (born 1946), American politician and businessman who is sometimes referred to as the Teflon Don by critics.

Other uses

Teflon Don (album), Rick Ross's 2010 album

"Teflon Don" (song), a 2023 song by Mike Lindup off the album Changes 2

"TEFLON DON" (song), a 2024 song by Future from the mixtape MIXTAPE PLUTO

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teflon_Don_(disambiguation)

Marla Ann Maples (born October 27, 1963)[1] is an American actress, television personality, model, singer and presenter. She was the second wife of former U.S. president Donald Trump. They married in 1993, two months after the birth of their daughter Tiffany, and divorced in 1999.[2][3]

Early life

Maples was born on October 27, 1963, in Cohutta, Georgia. Her mother, Ann Locklear Maples, was a homemaker and model, and her father, Stanley Edward Maples, a real estate developer, county commissioner, singer, and songwriter.[4][5] She has one half-sister from her father's previous marriage.[6]

Maples attended Northwest Whitfield High School in Tunnel Hill, Georgia, where she played basketball, served as class secretary and was crowned the 1980–1981 homecoming queen during her senior year (she returned for the 1991 homecoming to crown the school's new queen).[7]

After graduating from high school in 1981, Maples competed in beauty contests and pageants. In 1983, she won the Miss Resaca Beach Poster Girl Contest, in 1984 she was the runner-up to Miss Georgia USA, and in 1985 she won the Miss Hawaiian Tropic.[8][9]

She entered the University of Georgia in 1981 but left college before graduating.[4]

Career

Film, television, and theater

In 1991, Maples appeared as a celebrity guest at WWF WrestleMania VII, serving as special guest timekeeper in the main event match between Hulk Hogan and defending WWF Champion Sgt. Slaughter. In that year, Maples also made a special appearance in the hit television series Designing Women as herself. In August 1992, Maples joined the cast of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical The Will Rogers Follies as "Ziegfeld's Favorite", a role originated by Cady Huffman when the show opened in May 1991.[10][11]

In 1994, Maples appeared alongside then-husband Donald Trump in a cameo appearance in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air[12] and the television series Something Wilder in 1994.

Maples co-hosted the 1996 and 1997 Miss Universe Pageant and the 1997 Miss USA Pageant, both of which were owned by her then-husband.[13]

Maples appeared in the films Maximum Overdrive (1986), Executive Decision (1996), For Richer or Poorer (1997), Happiness (1998), Richie Rich's Christmas Wish (1998), Black and White (1999), Two of Hearts (1999), Loving Annabelle (2006), A Christmas Too Many (2007), and A Nanny for Christmas (2010).[citation needed]

In 2011, she returned to New York for Love, Loss and What I Wore, an off-Broadway production.[14] In 2013, Maples was featured on Oprah: Where Are They Now?[15]

Since then, she appeared in Switching Lanes, directed by Thomas Mikal Ford.[16][17]

On March 8, 2016, Maples was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 22 of Dancing with the Stars alongside her Switching Lanes co-star, Kim Fields.[18] She was partnered with professional dancer Tony Dovolani.[19] Maples and Dovolani were eliminated on Week 4 of competition and finished in 10th place. Maples also joined the women of ABC's morning talk show, The View, as a guest co-host on March 11, 2016.[20]

Maples is a keynote speaker with the London Speakers Bureau, focusing on inspiring women, wellness, spirituality, and motivation.[21]

Maples was featured in the Summer of Peace Summit 2018 with the opportunity to discuss topics of peace and finding common ground.[22]

Maples spoke at the 2018 Global Summit on Science, Spirituality, and Environment in India; the event brought together speakers from around the world to discuss the integration of science and spirituality, as well as self-transformation and world-transformation.[23]

Maples was a guest speaker on the Journeys of Faith podcast with Paula Faris in 2018.[24]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marla_Maples

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Marla Maples: 2nd Woman

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091499/characters/nm0005185

Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American horror film written and directed by Stephen King, in his only directorial effort.[5] The film stars Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, and Yeardley Smith. The screenplay was inspired by and loosely based on King's short story "Trucks", which was included in the author's first collection of short stories, Night Shift, and follows the events after all machines (including trucks, radios, arcade games, vending machines, etc.) become sentient when Earth crosses the tail of a comet, initiating a worldwide killing spree.

The film is King's only directorial effort, though dozens of films have been based on his novels or short stories. It contained black humor elements and a generally campy tone, which contrasts with King's somber subject matter in books. The film has a mid-1980s hard rock soundtrack composed entirely by the group AC/DC (King's favorite band), whose album Who Made Who was released as the Maximum Overdrive soundtrack. It includes the best-selling singles "Who Made Who", "You Shook Me All Night Long", and "Hells Bells".

Maximum Overdrive was theatrically released on July 25, 1986, to critical and commercial failure. It was nominated for two Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Director for King and Worst Actor for Estevez in 1987, but both lost to Prince for Under the Cherry Moon.[6] King disowned the film, describing it as a "moron movie", and considered the process a learning experience,[7] after which he intended never to direct again.[8]

Plot

On June 19, 1987, as the Earth crosses the tail of a rogue comet, Rhea-M, previously inanimate machines spring to life; an ATM insults a customer and a bascule bridge rises during heavy traffic, causing all vehicles upon the bridge to fall into the river or collide. Chaos sets in as machines begin attacking humans worldwide. At the Dixie Boy Truck Stop outside Wilmington, North Carolina, employee Duncan Keller is blinded after a gas pump sprays diesel in his eyes. After an electric knife injures waitress Wanda June and arcade machines in the back room electrocute a customer, cook and paroled ex-convict Bill Robinson begins to suspect foul play. Meanwhile, at a Little League game, a vending machine kills the coach by firing canned soda at him. A driverless road roller flattens a fleeing child, while Duncan's son Deke escapes on his bike.

Newlyweds Connie and Curtis discover a corpse at a roadside gas station, but escape in their car when a tow truck attempts to kill Curtis. Meanwhile, humans and pets are murdered by lawnmowers, chainsaws, electric hair dryers, pocket radios, RC cars and an ice cream truck. At the Dixie Boy, a garbage truck kills Duncan when he departs to search for Deke, and a truck sporting a giant fiberglass Green Goblin mask on its grille slams bible salesman Camp Loman into a ditch. Later, big rig trucks encircle the truck stop.

Connie and Curtis outmaneuver a semi-truck, causing it to crash off the side of the road and explode. They arrive at the fortified truck stop, where it is safer than out in the open. As they try to pass between the trucks, their car is hit and overturned. Bill and hitchhiker Brett Graham rush to help them before the trucks attack. The owner Bubba Hendershot uses M72 LAW rockets he had stored in a bunker hidden under the diner to destroy many of the trucks. Deke later arrives at the Dixie Boy and attempts entrance via the sewers, but is obstructed by the wire mesh covering the opening. That night, the survivors hear Loman screaming, and Bill and Curtis sneak out via the sewers to help him. Deke discovers Loman, believing him dead, but he awakens and attacks Deke. Bill and Curtis rescue Deke and determine that Loman is indeed dead, but a truck then chases them back into the pipe.

The next morning, a bulldozer and a platform truck drive to the truck stop. The angered Hendershot uses the rocket launcher to blow the bulldozer but only succeeds in blowing its roof off, but the platform truck fires its post-mounted machine gun into the building, killing many including him and Wanda. The truck then demands, via sending morse code signals through its horn that Deke deciphers, that the humans pump the trucks' diesel for them in exchange for their lives.

As the survivors realize that their own machines have enslaved them, Bill suggests that they escape to Haven, an island off the coast, on which no motorized vehicles are permitted. While the crew rests, Bill theorizes that the comet is actually a "broom" operated by interstellar aliens that are using Earth's machines to destroy humanity so the aliens can repopulate the Earth. The next day, during a fueling operation, Bill sneaks a grenade onto the platform truck, destroying it, then leads the party out of the diner via a sewer hatch to the main road just as the trucks and the bulldozer demolish the entire building. As the remaining people approach the marina, the ice cream truck appears, but Brett and Curtis open fire and destroy it. The Green Goblin truck stalks them to the marina and kills Brad, a trucker distracted by a diamond ring on a corpse's finger. After Bill destroys it with a hit from a rocket shot, the survivors board a sailboat and set sail for Haven.

Two days later, the machines go silent when a UFO hiding in the comet's tail is destroyed by a Soviet space platform disguised as a weather satellite, equipped with class IV nuclear missiles and a laser cannon. Six days later, Earth passes out of the comet's tail, and the survivors are still alive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_Overdrive

Camp Loman is a minor antagonist in Stephen King's 1986 film Maximum Overdrive. He is a middle-aged bible salesman.

He was portrayed by Christopher Murney.  

Biography

Loman is first seen in the scene where he is riding with Brett Graham, who later becomes the love interest for the protagonist Bill Robinson. While at the car, Loman keeps annoying Brett by touching her legs and upper thighs while listening to an emergency announcement that calls humans to get off the highways.

Brett immediately steers the car to the Dixie Boy truck stop, and Loman argues against her purpose to exit the highway. With the argument going on, the truck starts to move and attempts to hit the two, who ran to the truck stop building. Sometime later, Loman contacts with Wanda June and a trucker to sell a copy of the Bible. As he explains the benefits of the Bible, a truck hits and dumps junk to the car Loman rode earlier in the film, making him angry. He tries to stop the "driver" of that truck outside, with Bill and others asking Loman to return inside.

Loman continues to express anger to the truck, but the Green Goblin truck reverses towards Loman, hitting him out of his shoes down to a ditch. Loman lies unconscious in the ditch.

One night, the human survivors hear Loman calling for help from the ditch. Bill and another survivor, Curtis, are dispatched to the ditch via a sewer passage. Deke Keller, a young traveling survivor, went to the same ditch Loman ends up and encounters his body. Deke waves his hand and checks Loman's breathing, but doesn't immediately receive a response from him.  

When Deke tries to leave, Loman wakes up and grabs Deke's leg. Loman demands that Deke pull him out of the ditch, or else he'll kill him. He then dies of his injuries, his hand remaining locked around Deke's leg.

Bill and Curtis discover Deke calling for help from the dead Loman's grasp. As they release Deke, one of the trucks detects the humans and steers toward them to the ditch. The surviving humans quickly escape to the sewer from this truck, which runs over Loman's body.

https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Camp_Loman

William Jefferson Blythe Jr. (February 27, 1918 – May 17, 1946) was an American salesman of heavy equipment. He was the biological father of Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States.[1] Three months before his son was born, Blythe drowned following a car crash.

Personal life

William Jefferson Blythe Jr. was one of nine children born to William Jefferson Blythe Sr. (1884–1935), a farmer in Sherman, Texas, and Lou Birchie Ayers (1893–1946). Blythe Sr. was of English and Scottish descent, with a family tree in North America since the days of the thirteen colonies.[2]

Blythe was married five times.[3] He married for the first time in December 1935 to Virginia Adele Gash when they both were 17; they were divorced only thirteen months later. However, Virginia Gash and Blythe remained friends, and she visited him on occasion. A son was conceived during these visits, and Henry Leon Blythe was born in Sherman, Texas in January 1938,[4] eighteen months after his parents had been divorced.

Blythe married his second wife, 21-year-old Maxine Hamilton, in August 1938; they divorced two weeks later.[5]

Blythe next married Minnie Faye Gash, his first wife's sister, in December 1940. The marriage was annulled four months later in April 1941, without children.[citation needed]

Shortly after the annulment on May 3, 1941, Blythe married again. His fourth wife was Wanetta Ellen Alexander of Kansas City, Missouri, and the wedding was held in Jackson County, Missouri. Wanetta gave birth to Blythe's daughter on May 11, 1941, eight days after their wedding. She had become pregnant with Blythe's child prior to his short-lived third marriage to Minnie. Their daughter, Sharon Lee Blythe Pettijohn, died on April 24, 2022.[6] Blythe and Wanetta were formally divorced three years later, in April 1944, and lost touch immediately afterward. Wanetta, who eventually settled in Tucson, Arizona, had no inkling of Blythe's subsequent history until the presidential campaign of 1992 and a Washington Post story. Upon seeing old photographs of Bill Clinton's father flashed on TV, Wanetta "swears on a stack of Bibles ... that that was the man she was married to", said her son-in-law Bob Pettijohn, husband of her daughter Sharon.[7][8]

Blythe's divorce from Wanetta was granted in court on April 13, 1944. Seven months prior on September 4, 1943, Blythe had bigamously married Virginia Dell Cassidy of Bodcaw, Arkansas. Blythe and Virginia remained married until his death in a car crash on May 17, 1946. On August 19, 1946, three months after Blythe's death, Virginia gave birth to their only child, William Jefferson Blythe III. Bill, as a teen, took his stepfather's surname and became known as Bill Clinton, the future 42nd president of the United States. Virginia Blythe-Clinton had no knowledge of Blythe's previous marriages until decades later when The Washington Post ran an extensive story in 1993, based on birth and marriage registry records, to mark Father's Day.[9][10]

Blythe's eldest son, Henry Leon Blythe, never knew his biological father or paternal siblings. After their divorce, Virginia Gash moved to California and married first a man named Coffelt, then a man named Charles Ritzenthaler. She had lost touch with Blythe when their son was an infant, after he briefly married and then divorced her sister. Later in life, Henry Leon Blythe took the name Henry Leon Ritzenthaler in honor of his stepfather. Henry ran several small businesses in Paradise, California, including a janitorial business, dying in 2009. He was unaware of his connection to the future president until the presidential campaign of 1992, when an investigation by The Washington Post, based on birth registry records, revealed details of Bill Clinton's family. Ritzenthaler met his half-brother for the first time around that time, and the physical resemblance between the two was remarkable.[11]

Career

Blythe was a traveling heavy equipment salesman for most of his brief career.[12] It was while he worked as a travelling salesman that he met and married all his wives. After his fifth wedding in September 1943, Blythe shipped out for military service in World War II. He was stationed in Egypt and Italy. He worked in a motor pool as a mechanic, repairing jeeps and tanks.

After the war ended, Blythe returned to Hope, Arkansas, to be with his wife. Shortly after he returned, he purchased a house in Chicago and readied it to receive his wife and expected child; he was apparently laying the ground for a more settled and conventional married life. Blythe moved to the new house in Chicago while Virginia remained behind in Hope. In Chicago, Blythe returned to his old job as a traveling salesman for the Manbee Equipment Company, which repaired heavy machinery. He died three months before the birth of his son.[citation needed]

Death

On May 17, 1946, while traveling from Chicago, Illinois, to Hope, Arkansas, Blythe lost control of his 1942 Buick on U.S. Route 60 outside of Sikeston, Missouri, after one of his car's tires blew out. He survived the crash after being thrown from the car, but drowned in a drainage ditch. There were only three feet (1 meter) of water in the ditch.[13] Three months later, Blythe's widow, Virginia, gave birth to their son, whom she named William Jefferson Blythe III in honor of his father and grandfather. In 1950, Blythe's widow married Roger Clinton Sr.; 12 years later, Blythe's posthumous son legally adopted his stepfather's surname. He has a granddaughter, Chelsea Clinton, and 3 great-grandchildren through Bill.[citation needed]

Memorial

Blythe was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Hope, Hempstead County, Arkansas. In 1994, Virginia was interred beside him. In Clinton's 2004 autobiography, My Life, the elder Blythe was extensively mentioned, including a visit that Clinton made to the site where his father drowned.[citation needed] 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jefferson_Blythe_Jr.

In 1966, the Harris family began moving around various locations in the MIDWEST, with both parents working at multiple universities in succession over a brief period.[20][21][22] Kamala, along with her mother and sister, moved back to California in 1970.[23][24][21] African-American intellectuals and rights advocates constituted Harris's formative surroundings.[25] Harris's parents divorced when she was seven. When she was twelve, Harris and her sister moved with their mother to Montreal, Quebec.[26][27] Harris graduated from Westmount High School[b] in 1981.[29]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris

It was while investigating the Little Rock integration incident in 1957 that I first learned of Pike’s rapid advance in Freemasonry, and knowing that Weishaupt, using Thomas Jefferson and Moses Holbrook, had infiltrated Illuminists into the Masonic Lodges of America, I decided I would find out if the fact that Pike’s mansion in Little Rock had thirteen rooms had any significance. “Thirteen’ figures prominently in Satanic, Luciferian and Cabalistic rituals, codes, and writings, etc. My investigations produced documentary evidence to show that, because of Pike’s exceptional mental ability, he came under the notice of professors in Harvard who were members of the Illuminati, who developed in his mind the ‘idea that a One World Government, a One World Religion and a One World financial and economic system was the ONLY solution to the world’s many and varied problems. I next discovered that his departure from Harvard was not due to lack of finances, or because of a misunderstanding with the faculty over tuition fees, but because of his ‘radical’ ideas and teachings. When he returned home determined that he would ‘fight’ his way to the top despite all opposition, he was in a suitable frame of mind to be recruited as a ‘Minerval’ or ‘apprentice’ into the lower degrees of the Illuminati."

Satan Prince of This World by William Guy Carr

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hw94yTrcRzvZjNQOo8T5_w-jqL8v5IMu/view?usp=sharing

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, also known as Adams Field, is a joint civil-military airport on the east side of Little Rock, Arkansas. It is operated by the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission.

The largest commercial airport in Arkansas, it served more than 2.1 million passengers in the year spanning from March 2009 through to February 2010.[6] While Clinton National Airport does not have direct international passenger flights, more than 50 flights arrive or depart at Little Rock each day, with nonstop service to 14 cities.[7] The airport is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–2023, in which it is categorized as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[8]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_National_Airport

The President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site is located in HOPE, Arkansas.[2] Built in 1917 by Dr. H. S. Garrett, in this house the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, spent the first four years of his life, having been born on August 19, 1946, at Julia Chester Hospital in HOPE, Arkansas.[3][4] The house was owned by Clinton's maternal grandparents, Edith Grisham and James Eldridge Cassidy, and they cared for him when his mother, Virginia, was away working as an anesthetist in New Orleans.[5]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_William_Jefferson_Clinton_Birthplace_Home_National_Historic_Site

Tragedy and HOPE: A History of the World in Our Time is a work of history written by former Georgetown University professor and historian Carroll Quigley. The book covers the period of roughly 1880 to 1963 and is multidisciplinary in nature though perhaps focusing on the economic problems brought about by the First World War and the impact these had on subsequent events. While global in scope, the book focuses on Western civilization."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_and_Hope

In his first year (1965) in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, Bill Clinton took Quigley's course, receiving a 'B' as his final grade in both semesters (an excellent grade in a course where nearly half the students received D or lower).[1]: 94, 96 In 1991, Clinton named Quigley as an important influence on his aspirations and political philosophy, when Clinton launched his presidential campaign in a speech at Georgetown.[1]: 96 He said he learned from Quigley that “The future can be better than the past, and that each of us has a personal, moral responsibility to make it so.” Bill Clinton told his audiences, “that is what the new choice is all about....We are not here to save the Democratic party. We are here to save the United States of America.” It was Clinton's most effective speech, and he repeated variations time and time again as the blueprint for his campaign message in winning the Democratic nomination and the general election for President of the United States in 1992.[21][22]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_Quigley

Theorists also cite the inclusion of Bill Clinton at the meetings in 1991 before he was president and Tony Blair’s presence in 1993 before he became the British prime minister as examples of the group’s power. Past attendees have included former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (who will also be attending this year), former Chase Manhattan chief executive David Rockefeller, and British Prime Minister David Cameron."

Bilderberg Group: What To Know About the Secretive Meetings

https://time.com/4362872/bilderberg-group-meetings-2016-conspiracy-theories/

"Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner October 20, 2016 Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Henry Kissinger Gayle King Cardinal Dolan Katie Couric Chuck Schumer Mayor Bill de Blasio"

https://www.facebook.com/MariaBartiromo/posts/alfred-e-smith-memorial-foundation-dinner-october-20-2016-donald-trump-hillary-c/1353937201283479/

HOPE: all hope is to be placed in God, and with what degree of perfection [67]; eternal life alone is to be hoped for as a reward [82]; the extent to which this hope should be of assistance [288]; how hope should be shown by the dying | 595]; hope in the preservation and growth of the Society [812]. See also Faithfulness" 

The Constitutions of the Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms pg. 464

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Bill Clinton ‘Encouraged’ Trump to Run

SLICK WILLY

Updated Apr. 14, 2017 10:12AM EDT /

Published Aug. 05, 2015 3:33PM EDT

Bill Clinton called Donald Trump this spring and “encouraged Trump’s efforts to play a larger role in the Republican Party,” The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing five people familiar with the exchange. Clinton’s personal office confirmed the call occurred. Trump aides claim their boss was “candid about his political ambitions and his potential interest in seeking the White House during the talk....” Clinton “analyzed Trump’s prospects and his desire to rouse the GOP base,” according to Trump allies.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2015/08/05/bill-clinton-encouraged-trump

Trump and Harris neck-and-neck as she prepares to announce VP pick after meeting candidates Sunday: Live

Harris met with top running mate contenders Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro at her Washington DC residence

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kamala-harris-vp-pick-trump-polls-news-b2591106.html

Kamala Devi Harris[a] was born in Oakland, California,[15] on October 20, 1964.[16] Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan was a biologist who moved to the United States from India as a 19-year-old graduate student in 1958, and whose work on the progesterone receptor gene stimulated advances in breast cancer research.[17] Kamala Harris's father, DONALD J. Harris,[18] is a Stanford University professor of economics (emeritus) who arrived in the United States from Jamaica in 1961.[19]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris

Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.

Born in New York City, Trump graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics. He became the president of his family's real estate business in 1971, renamed it the Trump Organization, and began acquiring and building skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. After six business bankruptcies in the 1990s and 2000s, he began side ventures. From 2004 to 2015, he hosted the reality television show The Apprentice. A political outsider, Trump won the 2016 presidential election against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

In his first term, Trump imposed a travel ban on citizens from six Muslim-majority countries, expanded the U.S.–Mexico border wall, and implemented a family separation policy. He rolled back environmental and business regulations, signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and appointed three Supreme Court justices. In foreign policy, Trump withdrew the U.S. from agreements on climate, trade, and Iran's nuclear program, began a trade war with China, and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without reaching an agreement on denuclearization. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he downplayed its severity, contradicted health officials, and signed the CARES Act stimulus. Trump was impeached in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and in 2021 for incitement of insurrection; the Senate acquitted him in both cases. After his first term, scholars and historians ranked him as one of the worst presidents in American history.

Trump is the central figure of Trumpism. Many of his comments and actions have been characterized as racially charged, racist or misogynistic, and he has made false and misleading statements and promoted conspiracy theories to a degree unprecedented in American politics. After losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, Trump attempted to overturn the outcome, culminating in the January 6 Capitol attack in 2021. In 2023, Trump was held liable in civil cases for sexual abuse and defamation and for business fraud. In 2024, he was found guilty of falsifying business records, making him the first U.S. president convicted of a felony. After winning the 2024 presidential election against Kamala Harris, Trump was sentenced to a penalty-free discharge, and two other felony indictments against him were dismissed.

Trump began his second term by pardoning around 1,500 January 6 rioters, initiating mass layoffs of the federal workforce, and starting a trade war with Mexico and Canada. Trump's broad and extensive use of executive orders has drawn numerous lawsuits challenging their legality. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

I began by attending Fordham University in the Bronx, mostly because I wanted to be close to home. I got along very well with the Jesuits who ran the school, but after two years, I decided that as long as I had to be in college, I might as well test myself against the best. I applied to the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and I got in. At the time, if you were going to make a career in business, Wharton was the place to go. Harvard Business School may produce a lot of CEOs—guys who manage public companies— but the real entrepreneurs all seemed to go to Wharton: Saul Steinberg, Leonard Lauder, Ron Perelman—the list goes on and on."

Donald Trump The Art of the Deal

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DLcbnLrl6moQT7nGj1JitG6AiQ6qgK0y/view?usp=sharing

University of Scranton welcomes President Biden

The university has illuminated its Class of 2020 Gateway in red and blue lights.

Author: WNEP Web Staff

Published: 10:52 PM EDT October 19, 2021

Updated: 10:52 PM EDT October 19, 2021

SCRANTON, Pa. — In preparation for President Joe Biden's visit, a university lit up their lights in his honor.

The University of Scranton has illuminated its Class of 2020 Gateway in blue and red with the number 46 prominently displayed to welcome the 46th president."

University of Scranton welcomes President Biden | wnep.com

https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/university-of-scranton-welcomes-president-biden-gateway-lights/523-cdba68b1-822b-4747-94be-4cd7e4de9d67

Hillary Clinton : "We Can Have this Jesuitical Argument about what exactly was meant" (re-upload) - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TxtqlWPplQ

MEET THE PRESS - RUSSERT BADGERS HILLARY ON THE IRAQ VOTE P2

MEET THE PRESS JANUARY 6, 2008

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0SL05Sls_U

"Barnum said and I quote "there's a sucker born every minute", villian Hillary claimed they were passive investors in whitewater they would have you believe they were innocent dupes in a series of unfortunate schemes perpetuated on them by unscrupulous cads mcquarrie no and the Hour of the Time tend to demonstrate to you that the exact opposite is true.

Number one, it was built in himself who masterminded the schemes in connection with the intelligence community with its roots in the Central Intelligence Agency. Number two, Hillary through her legal connections with a key player in much of the fraud, and three, the Clintons and their friends benefitted to the tune of millions of dollars.

One thing you have to understand is that the political machine in Arkansas is one of the most corrupt systems in the nation. It's impossible to be in Arkansas politics and not be corrupt and it is heavily under the control of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, of the Southern Jurisdiction.

Let me give you two examples of what we're talking about here. One Arkansas governor ensured every concrete and steel bridge in the state for fire, mind you, every concrete and steel bridge in the state for fire. Now, who, dear listeners, you think owned the insurance company?

Another governor up on fraud charges fired the judge. He replaced him with the town drunks who promptly dismissed the grand jury that was about to hand down an indictment. Hallelujah, Arkansas, that's just politics as usual in Arkansas. Bill was just following the footsteps of his illustrious predecessors but ypu see he had an extra incentive. The GABAA governor of Arkansas pays a disparity $35,000 a year. Clinton was not independently wealthy, it was a small-town boy with huge political ambition. He was picked by the power structure, his mentor was the man who wrote Tragedy and Hope, he was sent to England to Oxoford under a Rhodes Scholarship to learn how to lead the sheeple into the New World Order, into one world government. He's an Anglophile, he believes in British Israelism."

Whitewater - Hour of the Time - Bill Cooper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLPkY0fFoC0

Valley of Traverse City

ANCIENT ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE

The History and Legend of Scottish Rite Origins

The Story Unfolds…

Like much of early Masonic history, the origins of the Scottish Rite are uncertain. This is primarily due to the lack of historic documentation prior to the early 1700’s and not to any great veiled mystery. The few records kept were subject to loss, fire, weather and aging. So we can at best only speculate on many of our origins by looking at the few documents, historical references and legends that remain.

What We Know

n 1754, near Paris, Chevalier de Bonneville established the Chapter of Clermont. The Chapter resided in the College of Jesuits of Clermont, hence the name. It is said to have been created to honor the Duc de Clermont, then Grand Master of the English Grand Lodge of France.

The Chapter of Clermont was a “Chapter of the Advanced Degrees” and initially entailed six degrees and was later extended to 25 known degrees. The six initial degrees were 1˚, 2˚ and 3˚ St John’s Masonry, 4˚ Knight of the Eagle, 5˚ Illustrious Knight or Templar, 6˚ Sublime Illustrious Knight.

Interestingly enough historically, prior to the time of the Rite’s creation, James II had been in residence at Clermont in exile from Britain from 1688 to his death in 1701. As noted by German Masonic historian, Lenning… “whilst in exile, James II residing at the Jesuit College of Clermont in France, allowed his closest associates to fabricate certain degrees in order to extend their political views.” Lenning believed this to have been an attempt on the part of James and his associates to regain control of the British throne for the House of Stuart. If Lenning is right, this places the origins of the “Rite of Perfection” in the hands of James II and the Jacobite (Stuart) Freemasons who at the time were in exile from Great Britain throughout France and Italy. Lenning also contends that these degrees were introduced into French Freemasonry under the name of the Clermont System.

James II died in exile in 1701. His son James III is said to have continued his father’s Masonic legacy and later created further higher degrees.

Perhaps James II saw in the Jesuit morality plays of the College of Clermont a vessel for passing on a set of moral lessons. Some of the world’s greatest playwrights had emerged from Clermont. Jesuit tutelage had previously produced great writers such as Lope de Vega, Moliere, Racine, and the Corneille brothers. Ensconced in exile, I believe James II did find the inspiration and the training to help produce what would later become the first six degrees. From out of the darkness… comes light.

To be continued… (Author’s note… An in depth look at the Templar influence in Scottish Rite masonry’s origins can be found by visiting the Rosslyn Templars’ website.)"

https://web.archive.org/web/20190615041607/http://www.traversecityscottishrite.com/scottish-rite-history.html

PART VI 1THE PERSONAL LIFE OF THOSE ALREADY ADMITTED AND INCORPORATED INTO THE BODY OF THE SOCIETY

SECTION 1: THE APOSTOLIC CHARACTER OF OUR VOWS IN GENERAL

143 §1. Our consecration by profession of the evangelical counsels, by which we respond to a divine vocation, is at one and the same time the following of Christ poor, virginal, and obedient and a rejection of those idols that the world is always prepared to adore, especially wealth, pleasure, prestige, and power. Hence, our poverty, chastity, and obedience ought visibly and efficaciously to bear witness to this attitude, whereby we proclaim the evangelical possibility of a certain communion among men and women that is a foretaste of the future kingdom of God.[1]

§2. Our religious vows, while binding us, also set us free:

free, by our vow of poverty, to share the life of the poor and to use whatever resources we may have, not for our own security and comfort, but for service;

free, by our vow of chastity, to be men for others, in friendship and communion with all, but especially with those who share our mission of service;

free, by our vow of obedience, to respond to the call of Christ as made known to us by him whom the Spirit has placed over the Church, and to follow the lead of all our superiors.[2] [1] See GC 32, d. 4, no. 16; see GC 31, d. 16, no. 4; d. 17, no. 2; d. 18, no. 3. [2] GC 32, d. 2, no. 20. 215

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Just before the War of 1812, the British clandestinely organized several Scottish Rite Lodges in the northeast with headquarters at Boston. After the War they were discovered by Charleston, and following some negotiations, were permitted to operate under the English Masonic obedience (obedience meaning "constitution"). The Boston headquarters became known as the Northern Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite Freemasonry and has since been nicknamed the "Eastern Establishment." The Charleston headquarters became known as the Southern Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite Freemasonry. As stated earlier, the Southern Jurisdiction followed the French Masonic obedience.

The Southern Jurisdiction Supreme Council operates its "Grand East" or spiritual headquarters from Charleston. In 1870 it moved its "Secretariat" (political office) to Washington, D.C.68 An indication of Masonry's influence is the fact that of the two parades permitted to march down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C., one is the Inaugural Parade and the other the Shriner's Parade.

Shriners are sometimes referred to as thirty-second and a half degree Masons. The Shriners operate children's hospitals. (See Appendix 7 for their history).

All Masons in America must travel through the first three "Blue Lodge" degrees before choosing York or Scottish Rites, both of which are Templar Rites. The 13th degree York Mason and 32 degree Scottish Mason unite in the Shrine. (See Appendix 2, Fig. 3.)

We can make some general observations regarding the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions of American Freemasonry. The Northern Jurisdiction, which we can identify in American politics with the Eastern Establishment, is right-wing or moderate. It is the headquarters of America's aristocracy and is primarily Republican. The Southern Jurisdiction is left-wing or liberal, more or less comprised of the working middle class and common laborer, and usually Democrat. There are crossovers in both Jurisdictions, and when voters in America take sides on issues, we are caught up in this Masonic struggle of conservative versus liberal, right-wing versus left-wing, big business versus labor, free enterprise versus socialism, etc.

Scarlet and the Beast

by John Daniel

https://ia803001.us.archive.org/28/items/ScarletAndTheBeastJohnDaniel1995/Scarlet%20and%20the%20Beast,%20John%20Daniel%20(1995).pdf

The Real Story Of Billy Batts That ‘Goodfellas’ Didn’t Tell

By Gina Dimuro | Edited By Jaclyn Anglis

Published April 13, 2024

Updated August 29, 2024

Although Goodfellas famously depicted the murder of Gambino mobster William "Billy Batts" Bentvena, the real story was far too bloody for the movie to portray.

It was May 1970, and Gambino family mobster William Bentvena, better known as Billy Batts, was at Robert’s Lounge, a bar in Queens, New York owned by Lucchese family associate Jimmy Burke. Batts had just gotten out of prison after doing time for a drug-related charge.

According to Burke’s partner in crime, Henry Hill — who later told his life story to author Nicholas Pileggi in the book Wiseguy, which would then inspire Martin Scorsese’s 1990 film Goodfellas — Mafia families would throw a “welcome back” party any time one of their own got released from prison.

As Hill tells it, at Billy Batts’ welcome back party, Batts made a snide comment to fellow wiseguy Tommy DeSimone, asking him to shine his shoes. DeSimone was notoriously hypersensitive, quick to violence, and a complete loose cannon.

DeSimone fumed about the comment all night, but since Billy Batts was a “made man” in the Gambino family, he was untouchable. As Hill said, “if Tommy so much as took a slap at Billy, Tommy was dead.”

DeSimone had to swallow his anger and bide his time, but a few weeks later, on June 10, 1970, he got his opportunity for vengeance. This time Batts was at The Suite, a club owned by Hill, when DeSimone came in and brutally murdered him — but that was just the beginning of this grim tale.

This is the grisly story behind the murder of Billy Batts and the parts that Goodfellas left out.

The Early Life And Crimes Of William Bentvena, The Real Billy Batts

While much of William Bentvena’s early life is something of a mystery, there are a few concrete details about his younger years that can be gleaned.

William Bentvena was born on January 19, 1921, in New York City, growing up in roughly the same area as DeSimone and Hill. For some time, Bentvena disappears from the record. Details about his education, family life, and upbringing, among other things, are effectively nonexistent, but what is clear is that by the late 1950s, he had gotten involved with New York City’s mobsters.

In 1958, for example, when Bentvena was 37 years old, he became a member of a heroin smuggling ring known as the Ormento Group. The group was put together by Lucchese crime family member John Ormento, with the help of Carmine Galante and Anthony Mirra, according to U.S. court documents.

In 1959, William Bentvena became an associate of the Gambino crime family and also took on a job for “Joe the Crow” DelVecchio and Oreste “Ernie Boy” Abbamonte to conduct a drug deal in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Unfortunately for Billy Batts, this deal would lead to his arrest by undercover police, landing him charges of possession and exchange of narcotics.

Bentvena managed to avoid extensive jail time, however, and in 1961 he became a full member of the Gambino crime family. The cops would come for him again a year later, though, when he and Galante were busted in 1962, Bentvena received a 15-year jail sentence.

Billy Batts was released in 1970, but his newfound freedom was, of course, relatively short-lived.

The True Story Behind The Brutal Death Of Billy Batts

What should have been a celebratory night for Billy Batts ultimately proved to be the night that doomed him. He had been locked away for quite a while, and the last time he saw Tommy DeSimone, the latter was a young man, shining shoes and working his way up from the bottom.

But DeSimone wasn’t a rookie anymore. He had made a name for himself — and he was prone to violence.

During Billy Batts’ welcome-home party in May 1970, it’s likely that he didn’t mean to insult DeSimone when he asked him “if he still shined shoes,” as Henry Hill put it, but his intention didn’t matter. DeSimone was livid, and he told Hill and Jimmy Burke, “I’m gonna kill that f***.”

Two weeks later, on June 11, DeSimone followed through on that promise.

At The Suite, Hill wrote that Burke held Billy Batts down while DeSimone shouted “Shine these f***ing shoes!” before proceeding to beat Batts in the head with his gun.

The other wiseguys present at the scene panicked, knowing that the retribution for William Bentvena’s murder would be ferocious, and helped stuff the body into Hill’s car before rushing off to bury it.

Unfortunately for them, Billy Batts was not actually dead, and when they opened the trunk he “had to be killed again,” this time with a shovel and tire iron, instead of a kitchen knife and a gun, as portrayed in the notorious scene from Goodfellas.

As Hill later put it, “It was f*cking sickening… They didn’t actually shoot him. Tommy just stabbed him 30 or 40 f*cking times. F*cking horrible.”

Former JFK airport employee Kerry Whalen, who was working the night of the Lufthansa heist, wrote his own account in the 2015 book Inside the Lufthansa HEI$T: The FBI Lied that shed some new light on William Bentvena’s death.

Whalen used the Freedom of Information Act in 2001 to obtain FBI documents relating to the heist. He received about 1300 pages, although much of the vital information (including names of agents) were redacted.

One of the FBI documents, dated August 8, 1980, recounts the murder of “William Bentvena AKA Billy Batts” and confirms what Hill had described: Batts and DeSimone were out at Robert’s Lounge, a bar owned by Burke, when Batts sneeringly asked DeSimone to “shine his shoes,” a comment that caused DeSimone to go berserk.

The other wiseguys present at the scene panicked, knowing that the retribution for William Bentvena’s murder would be ferocious, and helped stuff the body into Hill’s car before rushing off to bury it.

Unfortunately for them, Billy Batts was not actually dead, and when they opened the trunk he “had to be killed again,” this time with a shovel and tire iron, instead of a kitchen knife and a gun, as portrayed in the notorious scene from Goodfellas.

As Hill later put it, “It was f*cking sickening… They didn’t actually shoot him. Tommy just stabbed him 30 or 40 f*cking times. F*cking horrible.”

Former JFK airport employee Kerry Whalen, who was working the night of the Lufthansa heist, wrote his own account in the 2015 book Inside the Lufthansa HEI$T: The FBI Lied that shed some new light on William Bentvena’s death.

Whalen used the Freedom of Information Act in 2001 to obtain FBI documents relating to the heist. He received about 1300 pages, although much of the vital information (including names of agents) were redacted.

One of the FBI documents, dated August 8, 1980, recounts the murder of “William Bentvena AKA Billy Batts” and confirms what Hill had described: Batts and DeSimone were out at Robert’s Lounge, a bar owned by Burke, when Batts sneeringly asked DeSimone to “shine his shoes,” a comment that caused DeSimone to go berserk.

Two weeks later, DeSimone and Burke encountered Batts at The Suite in Queens. The insult clearly had not been forgotten, as they then proceeded with the “vicious beating of Bentvena.”

To be sure, the death of the real Billy Batts was much worse than the movie. The true story behind what happened in Goodfellas was grislier than any film could have ever shown.

The Fate Of Billy Batts’ Murderers And The Full Story That Goodfellas Didn’t Tell

DeSimone did not escape reprisal for William Bentvena’s murder, although the true details of his own gruesome end did not emerge until nearly 30 years later.

According to the 2015 book Hill published with journalist Daniel Simon entitled The Lufthansa Heist: Behind the Six-Million-Dollar Cash Haul That Shook the World, Tommy DeSimone was done in by three bullets from the gun of Billy Batts’ old friend, John Gotti.

Hill claimed he withheld the details of the murder (which he had learned from a fellow mobster-turned-informant) from Pileggi during the writing of Wiseguy for fear of reprisal from those implicated.

As Hill tells it, the Gambino family had been stewing over DeSimone’s murders of Billy Batts and another one of their men, Ronald “Foxy” Jerothe. Things finally came to a head when Gotti heard DeSimone was about to become a “made man” himself — and therefore untouchable — and asked to meet with the Lucchese family capo, Paul Vario.

Vario, as it turned out, had his own reasons for wanting DeSimone out of the way.

Not only had the volatile gangster put the Lufthansa heist, which Vario’s gang orchestrated, in jeopardy when he lifted his ski mask, but he had also attempted to rape Hill’s wife (whom Vario happened to be having an affair with) while her husband was in jail.

John Gotti reportedly told Vario that for him, DeSimone being made after having murdered his friend was “as bad as putting a cactus up my ass. I wanna whack the bastard, and I want you to give me the green light.”

Vario gave his assent, Gotti pulled the trigger, and DeSimone never emerged from the Italian restaurant he stepped into one January night in 1979.

In the end, the man who killed Billy Batts met his own violent end, a fitting conclusion to one of the Mafia’s most infamous blood-soaked tales.

After learning about William Bentvena, a.k.a. Billy Batts, and his gruesome murder, check out Richard Kuklinski, the most prolific Mafia hitman of all time. Then, read about Vincent Asaro, “the last Goodfella” who was acquitted in the Lufthansa heist case.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/billy-batts

Acts 7:54-60

1599 Geneva Bible

The Stoning of Stephen 

54 [a]But when they heard these things, their hearts brast for anger, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

55 [b]But he being full of the holy Ghost, looked steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus [c]standing at the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.

57 [d]Then they gave a shout with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and [e]ran upon him violently all at once,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the [f]witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, named Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, who called on God, and said, Lord Jesus receive my spirit.

60 [g]And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, [h]lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had thus spoken, he [i]slept.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Acts 7:54 The more Satan is pressed, the more he brasteth out into an open rage.

Acts 7:55 The nearer that the Martyrs approach to death, the nearer they beholding Christ, do rise up even into heaven.

Acts 7:55 Ready to confirm him in the confession of the truth, and to receive him to him.

Acts 7:57 The zeal of hypocrites and superstitious people, breaketh out at length into most open madness.

Acts 7:57 This was done in a rage and fury: for at that time the Jews could put no man to death by law, as they confess before Pilate, saying that it was not lawful for them to put any man to death, and therefore it is reported by Josephus, lib. 20, that Ananus a Sadducee slew James the brother of the Lord, and for so doing, was accused before Albinus the President of the country.

Acts 7:58 It was appointed by the Law, that the witnesses should cast the first stones, Deut. 17:7.

Acts 7:60 Faith and charity never forsake the true servants of God, even to the last breath.

Acts 7:60 The word which he useth here noteth out such a kind of imputing or laying to one’s charge, as remaineth firm, and steady forever, never to be remitted.

Acts 7:60 See 1 Thess. 4:13.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%207%3A54-60&version=GNV

The Big Little Jesus

Dragnet

Plot

Synopsis - The Big Little Jesus Season 3 Episode 17 12-24-53 Friday, Smith are small talking while Joe prepares his Christmas cards for mailing. They are working robbery when the phone rings, the Old Mission Church has had a theft, the baby Jesus statue was taken from the manger; gone. Friday, Smith are on the way to the church.

Joe narrates the church was at Sunset Blvd. and Main, it was there before the trains came to town; an old church. Father Xavier Rojas meets with the officers, saying the manger scene was put up every December 21st and taken down after the holy season; the infant statue was missing, it had been there thirty years. It was last scene the night before, the Father would like it returned before Christmas Day Mass, less than twenty-four hours. Friday, Smith say they would see what they could do. Father Rojas tells the men the statue can be replaced at a low cost, but it would not be the same, as children have come and some gone while the statue has been at the church.

Pawn shops are notified of the theft, one altar boy is questioned, he went home immediately after mass, the other altar boy was not at home, his father said he had a part-time job, but he would be able to meet the police afterward. Friday, Smith check with Mr. Flavin, a religious artifacts shop-owner, eccentric is Mr. Flavin, no luck with anyone selling him a statue.

Friday, Smith move on to their next possible lead. At HQ, Joseph Heffernan, the other altar boy comes in reporting the statue could have been there, but he was not certain. There was one person left in the sanctuary when he left, a familiar parishioner, no name given, a description given and a possible employer. Checking with the employer yielded nothing, but they did get his name, Claude Stroup. The altar boy noticed Stroup was carrying a bundle when he left the church.

The officers go to a transient hotel, where Stroup lives, talk to the desk clerk. He says Stroup is not in, telling the men of times long ago when Stroup was accused of a robbery. Friday thinks Stroup is their guy based on the bundle he was carrying and his past troubles. Friday, Smith leave word with the desk clerk to call them when he sees Claude, and not to say anything to him.

Friday narrates Stroup's name was run through records, there was no record of him under that name. The Captain insists they meet a criminal coming down from up north, priority over finding the statue even though the hotel clerk just called; Stroup is in the lobby. The Captain has a change of mind, says he can send two others to meet the bus, he orders Friday, Smith to attend to the missing statue.

Friday, Smith pick up Claud Stroup at his hotel and bring him downtown for questioning. He borrowed a friend's car, when he leaving, the car bumped another vehicle, that is what he thinks the police are questioning him. The bundle was his torn-pants in for repair. He says he would not take a statue. Friday says he does not think Claude would either; Friday tells him to go home, Smith says there is no report of any vehicle accident or otherwise. It is time they tell the priest they have been unsuccessful.

Friday, Smith go tell the priest they have had no luck finding the statue. The Father said he understood. A little boy is coming into the church, pulling a wagon, the statue is in the wagon. The Father addresses the boy as poquito. The boy's name is Paco Mendoza, he took the statue yesterday, saying he had promised the baby Jesus would have the first ride in the new wagon if his prayers were answered; he got the wagon. Paco Mendoza and Father Rojas return the statue to the manger.

Father Rojas explains the firemen fix old toys and give them to children. Paco's family is poor says Father; Friday replies, Are they Father? Friday, Smith walk out of the church; case closed.

Church interiors were photographed in the Old Mission Plaza Church, founded September 4, 1781, the founding date of The City of Los Angeles.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0565840/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Matthew 13:47-50

New King James Version

The Parable of the Dragnet

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013%3A47-50&version=NKJV

Pope Francis Unveils Christmas Nativity With Baby Jesus Atop A Keffiyeh

The pontiff declared "Enough wars, enough violence!" while presenting a scene by two Palestinian artists near the Vatican on Saturday.

Kelby Vera

By 

Kelby Vera

Dec 8, 2024, 07:29 PM EST 

Pope Francis made a plea for peace while unveiling a nativity featuring baby Jesus nestled in a keffiyeh in Vatican City on Saturday.

The pontiff declared “Enough wars, enough violence!” while receiving a delegation of representatives from the Palestinian groups that organized the project by Bethlehem-based artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi, Vatican News reported.

Part of a series of scenes from a collection titled “Nativity of Bethlehem 2024,” the biblical tableau shows figures of the holy family carved from olive wood while baby Jesus lies atop a keffiyeh, a style of scarf worn across the Middle East which has become a symbol of Palestinians’ resistance to the ongoing occupation by Israel.

Above the family is a panel of glass inscribed with, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to all people” in Latin and Arabic. 

At the event, the pope went on to tell his audience to “remember the brothers and sisters, who, right there [in Bethlehem] and in other parts of the world, are suffering from the tragedy of war,” according to the Times of Israel.

Following the nativity’s dedication, the New Arab reported that a mass for peace and a ceasefire in the region took place at the Angeli Chapel.

Pope Francis has previously called the public to support a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel as well as the safe release of hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attacks.

The head of the Holy See directly questioned Israel’s aggressive military response in interviews from a new book published last month, in which he calls for an investigation into whether Israel’s actions in Palestine “fits into the technical definition” of genocide.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pope-francis-baby-jesus-keffiyeh-nativity_n_67560b2fe4b06b50ac931068 

Luke 13:31-33

1599 Geneva Bible

31 [a]The same day there came certain Pharisees, and said unto him, Depart, and go hence: for Herod will kill thee.

32 Then said he unto them, Go ye and tell that [b]fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and will heal still [c]today, and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be [d]perfected.

33 [e]Nevertheless I must walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a Prophet should perish out of Jerusalem.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Luke 13:31 We must go forward in the case of our calling, through the midst of terrors, whether they be true or fained.

Luke 13:32 That deceitful and treacherous man.

Luke 13:32 That is, a small time, and Theophylact saith, it is a proverb: or else, by Today, we may understand the time that now is, and by Tomorrow, the time to come, meaning thereby all the time of his ministry and office.

Luke 13:32 To wit, when the sacrifice for sin is ended.

Luke 13:33 There are nowhere more cruel enemies of the godly, than they which are within the Sanctuary and Church itself: but God seeth it, and will in his time have an account of it.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2013%3A31-33&version=GNV

On March 1, 1932, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. (born June 22, 1930), the 20-month-old son of colonel Charles Lindbergh and his wife, aviatrix and author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was murdered after being abducted from his crib in the upper floor of the Lindberghs' home, Highfields, in East Amwell, New Jersey, United States.[1] On May 12, the child's corpse was discovered by a truck driver by the side of a nearby road.[2][3]

In September 1934, a German immigrant carpenter named Bruno Richard Hauptmann was arrested for the crime. After a trial that lasted from January 2 to February 13, 1935, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Despite his conviction, he continued to profess his innocence, but all appeals failed and he was executed in the electric chair at the New Jersey State Prison on April 3, 1936.[4] Hauptmann's guilt or lack thereof continues to be debated in the modern day. Newspaper writer H. L. Mencken called the kidnapping and trial "the biggest story since the Resurrection".[5][6] American media called it the "crime of the century"; legal scholars have referred to the trial as one of the "trials of the century".[7] The crime spurred the U.S. Congress to pass the Federal Kidnapping Act (commonly referred to as the "Little Lindbergh Law"), which made transporting a kidnapping victim across state lines a federal crime.[8]

Kidnapping

At approximately 9 p.m. on March 1, 1932, the Lindberghs' nurse, Betty Gow, found that 20-month-old Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was not with his mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, who had just come out of the bath. Gow then alerted Charles Lindbergh who immediately went to the child's room, where he found a ransom note, containing poor handwriting and grammar, in an envelope on the windowsill. Taking a gun, Lindbergh went around the house and grounds with the family butler, Olly Whateley;[9] they found impressions in the ground under the window of the baby's room, pieces of a wooden ladder, and a baby's blanket.[10] Whateley telephoned the Hopewell police department while Lindbergh contacted his attorney and friend, Henry Breckinridge, and the New Jersey state police.[10]

Investigation

An extensive search of the home and its surrounding area was conducted by police from nearby Hopewell Borough in coordination with the New Jersey State Police.

The ransom note

After midnight, a fingerprint expert examined the ransom note and ladder; no usable fingerprints or footprints were found, leading experts to conclude that the kidnapper(s) wore gloves and had some type of cloth on the soles of their shoes.[11] No adult fingerprints were found in the baby's room, including in areas witnesses admitted to touching, such as the window, but the baby's fingerprints were found.

The brief, handwritten ransom note had many spelling and grammar irregularities:

Dear Sir! Have 50.000$ redy 25 000$ in 20$ bills 15000$ in 10$ bills and 10000$ in 5$ bills After 2–4 days we will inform you were to deliver the mony. We warn you for making anyding public or for notify the Police the child is in gut care. Indication for all letters are Singnature and 3 hohls.[12]

At the bottom of the note were two interconnected blue circles surrounding a red circle, with a hole punched through the red circle and two more holes to the left and right.

Re-creation of the ransom note's "signature", with black dots rep­re­sent­ing punc­tures in the paper

On further examination of the ransom note by professionals, they found that it was all written by the same person. They determined that due to the odd English, the writer must have been foreign and had spent some time in the United States but little. The FBI then found a sketch artist to make a portrait of the man that they believed to be the kidnapper.[13]

Another attempt at identifying the kidnapper was made by examining the ladder that was used in the crime to abduct the child. Police realized that while the ladder was built incorrectly, it was built by someone who knew how to construct with wood and had prior building experience. No fingerprints were found on the ladder. Slivers of the wood were examined, as the police believed that this evidence would lead to the kidnapper. They had a professional see how many different types of wood were used, what pattern was made by the nail holes and if it had been made indoors or outdoors. This was later a key element in the trial of the man who was accused of the kidnapping.

On March 2, 1932, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover contacted the Trenton New Jersey Police Department. He told the New Jersey police that they could contact the FBI for any resources and would provide any assistance if needed. The FBI did not have federal jurisdiction until May 13, 1932 when the President declared that the FBI was at the disposal of the New Jersey Police Department and that the FBI should coordinate and conduct the investigation.

The New Jersey State police offered a $25,000 reward, equivalent to $558,000 in 2023, for anyone who could provide information pertaining to the case.

On March 4, 1932 a man by the name of Gaston B. Means had a discussion with Evalyn Walsh McLean and told her that he would be of great importance in retrieving the Lindbergh baby. Means told McLean that he could find these kidnappers because he was approached weeks before the abduction about participating in a "big kidnapping" and he claimed that his friend was the kidnapper of the Lindbergh child. The following day, Means told McLean that he had made contact with the person who had the Lindbergh child. He then convinced Mrs. McLean to give him $100,000 to obtain the child because the ransom money had doubled. McLean obliged, believing that Means really knew where the child was. She waited for the child's return every day until she finally asked Means for her money back. When he refused, Mrs. McLean reported him to the police and he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison on embezzlement charges.[14]

Violet Sharpe,[a] who was suspected as a conspirator, died by suicide on June 10,[15][16] before she was scheduled to be questioned for the fourth time.[17] Her involvement was later ruled out due to her having an alibi for the night of March 1, 1932.

In October 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation would take jurisdiction over the case.[citation needed]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindbergh_kidnapping

Rapture

rapture (n.)

c. 1600, "act of carrying off" as prey or plunder, from rapt + -ure, or else from French rapture, from Medieval Latin raptura "seizure, rape, kidnapping," from Latin raptus "a carrying off, abduction, snatching away; rape" (see rapt). The earliest attested use in English is with women as objects and in 17c. it sometimes meant rape (v.), which word is a close relation to this one.

The sense of "spiritual ecstasy, state of mental transport or exaltation" is recorded by c. 1600 (raptures). The connecting notion is a sudden or violent taking and carrying away. The meaning "expression of exalted or passionate feeling" in words or music is from 1610s.

also from c. 1600

https://www.etymonline.com/word/rapture 

40 Christians Kidnapped from Church During Worship 5/09/2023 

Nigeria (International Christian Concern) – Gunmen kidnapped 40 Christians on Sunday, during church worship in northern Nigeria.

https://www.persecution.org/2023/05/09/40-christians-kidnapped-during-worship/

PARTICULAR AND DAILY EXAMEN 

It contains in it three times, and two to examine oneself. The first time is in the morning, immediately on rising, when one ought to propose to guard himself with diligence against that particular sin or defect which he wants to correct and amend. The second time is after dinner, when one is to ask of God our Lord what one wants, namely, grace to remember how many times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect, and to amend himself in the future. Then let him make the first Examen, asking account of his soul of that particular thing proposed, which he wants to correct and amend. Let him go over hour by hour, or period by period, commencing at the hour he rose, and continuing up to the hour and instant of the present examen, and let him make in the first line of the G------- as many dots as were the times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect. Then let him resolve anew to amend himself up to the second Examen which he will make. The third time: After supper, the second Examen will be made, in the same way, hour by hour, commencing at the first Examen and continuing up to the present (second) one, and let him make in the second line of the same G------- as many dots as were the times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect. FOUR ADDITIONS FOLLOW TO RID ONESELF SOONER OF THAT PARTICULAR SIN OR DEFECT First Addition. The first Addition is that each time one falls into that particular sin or defect, let him put his hand on his breast, grieving for having fallen: which can be done even in the presence of many, without their perceiving what he is doing. Second Addition. The second: As the first line of the G------- means the first Examen, and the second line the second Examen, let him look at night if there is amendment from the first line to the second, that is, from the first Examen to the second. Third Addition. The third: To compare the second day with the first; that is, the two Examens of the present day with the other two Examens of the previous day, and see if he has amended himself from one day to the other. Fourth Addition. The fourth Addition: To compare one week with another, and see if he has amended himself in the present week over the week past. Note. It is to be noted that the first (large) G------- which follows means the Sunday: the second (smaller), the Monday: the third, the Tuesday, and so on.

GGGGGG

"The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola

TRANSLATED FROM

THE AUTOGRAPH

BY

FATHER ELDER MULLAN, S.J.

I.H.S.

NEW YORK

P.J. KENEDY & SONS

PRINTERS TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE

https://ia801306.us.archive.org/8/items/a588350800loyouoft/a588350800loyouoft.pdf

Fifthly.—The “Just Man made Perfect” is the Alchemist (or rather, Rosicrucian) who, having found the Philosophers’ Stone (San Graal, or Holy Grail, or “Sang Reale,” or “Holy Rapture,” or Magic Birth into the Celestial Fire, or Flame of Self-Extinguishnient, or of “Ecstacy”), becomes immortal (and disappears, or “dies” to the world. His “chariot of fire” being that of Enoch, or “Translation.” To die is simply the falling asunder and disintegration of the mecha-nism of the senses,* which have contracted inwards and formed (in life) the prison of the soul—a prison of pains and penalties; from between the bars of the windows of which (or out of the eyes) the suffering, languishing SPIRIT looks for the often long-coming releasing GREAT SPIRIT— DEATH. To “Rise”—is to cast off the chains of mortality. To become “Glorified” is to discover in one’s own identity the glorious, godlike gifts or MAGIC—which are the wings upon which to rise. Those men who have passed (as through a door) in their lifetime from the “hither” side (or world) to the “thither” side (or the world invisiblefollowing into the LIGHT the divine beckon to Paradise of the ANGELS of LIGHT, are the BROTHERS of the ROSY CROSS, or the ROSICRUCIANS, as they have been called; who “know everything,” can “do anything,” and have even arrogated to themselves, when in them should be set-up the same angelical-magical spirit which was in the Christ-Jesus, to be of the “COUNCIL of GOD.” Though, in the world, they were the humblest of the servants of the Almighty." 

The Rosicrucians Their Rites and Mysteries by Hargrave Jennings

https://libarch.nmu.org.ua/bitstream/handle/GenofondUA/2321/14424326d2ce7345a64d668efea1e7e0.pdf?sequence=1

The Falling Man is a photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew of a man falling from the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks in New York City. The unidentified man in the image was trapped on the upper floors of the North Tower, and it is unclear whether he fell while searching for safety or he jumped to escape the fire and smoke. The photograph was taken at 9:41:15 A.M.

The photograph was widely criticized after publication in international media on September 12, 2001, with readers labeling the image as disturbing, cold-blooded, ghoulish, and sadistic.[1][2] However, in the years following, the photo has gained acclamation.[3]

A Time magazine retrospective published in 2016 stated "Falling Man's identity is still unknown, but he is believed to have been an employee at the Windows on the World restaurant, which sat atop the North Tower. The true power of Falling Man, however, is less about who its subject was and more about what he became: a makeshift Unknown Soldier in an often unknown and uncertain war, suspended forever in history."[4]

Background

See also: Casualties of the September 11 attacks

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, four passenger jets were commandeered by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists after takeoff. Two of these hijacked airliners, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were intentionally crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City, killing or trapping well over 1300 people above the 91st floor of the North Tower and more than 600 above the 76th floor of the South.

That morning, an estimated 200 people were witnessed falling from the upper levels of the burning skyscrapers.[5][6] All but three came from the North Tower, where considerably more people were confined to a much smaller number of floors. Most of the people who fell from the World Trade Center deliberately jumped to their deaths to escape the smoke, flames, and extreme heat (in some places, estimated at over 2,000 °F (1,090 °C)). A smaller percentage of the falling deaths were accidents caused by people losing their grip or being knocked off-balance near window ledges, or attempting to climb down to a lower floor below the fire. Officials could not recover or identify the remains of those forced out of the towers due to the conditions on the ground near the base of the building at the time, prior to their collapse. The New York City medical examiner's office said it does not classify them as "jumpers," explaining that a "jumper" is defined as someone who "goes to the office in the morning knowing that they will commit suicide," adding that the victims who fell from the towers did not want to die but "were forced out by the smoke and flames or blown out."[6] The medical examiner's office listed manner of death as homicide for all deaths associated with the 9/11 attacks.

The morning of September 11, Richard Drew was on assignment for the Associated Press, photographing a maternity fashion show in Bryant Park.[7][8] Alerted by his editor to the attacks, Drew took the subway to the Chambers Street subway station, near the World Trade Center site.[7][9] He took the falling man image while at the corner of West and Vesey Street from a low angle.[10] He took eight photographs in sequence, after realizing that a series of loud cracking sounds was not that of falling concrete, but rather people hitting the ground.[10] He took between ten and twelve different sequences of images of people jumping from the tower, before having to leave the site due to the South Tower's collapse.[7]

The man fell from the south side of the North Tower's west face. Thus, the left half of the backdrop features the North Tower while the South Tower is visible on the right. The photograph gives the impression that the man is falling straight down; however, a series of photographs taken of his fall shows him to be tumbling through the air.[9][11][12]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Falling_Man 

Operation Mockingbird is an alleged large-scale program of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that began in the early years of the Cold War and attempted to manipulate domestic American news media organizations for propaganda purposes. According to author Deborah Davis, Operation Mockingbird recruited leading American journalists into a propaganda network and influenced the operations of front groups. CIA support of front groups was exposed when an April 1967 Ramparts article reported that the National Student Association received funding from the CIA.[1] In 1975, Church Committee Congressional investigations revealed Agency connections with journalists and civic groups.

In 1973, a document referred to as the "Family Jewels"[2] was published by the CIA containing a reference to "Project Mockingbird", which was the name of an operation in 1963 which wiretapped two journalists who had published articles based on classified material.[3] The document does not contain references to "Operation Mockingbird".[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird 

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was created under the National Security Act of 1947, which President Truman signed on July 26, 1947. The CIA officially came into existence on September 18th that same year, which is when we celebrate our birthday.

With the passage of the 1947 Act, Truman achieved his goals of modernizing and unifying America’s armed services, and, by creating a centralized intelligence agency, reformed our intelligence capabilities. To protect American’s civil liberties, he made sure to clearly divide intelligence roles between domestic and foreign: FBI would handle anything domestic, while CIA was limited to foreign intelligence only. Furthermore, the Act specified that CIA would have no police, subpoena, or law enforcement powers.

President Truman appointed Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter as the first CIA director, known as the Director of Central Intelligence. He had been the Director of one of our immediate “ancestors,” called the Central Intelligence Group. The CIG was a bureaucratic anomaly with no independent budget, no statutory mandate, and staffers assigned from other departments of the government. America needed a peacetime, centralized intelligence agency with its own budget and mandate. That’s why Truman replaced the CIG and created the CIA.

The 1947 Act loosely defined CIA’s mission into four broad tasks:

The 1947 Act was relatively unchanged until 2004. President Bush, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, made major updates to the 1947 act, including the creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

If you’re interested, you can find out more about what is called “the National Security Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of December 2004” on the DNI’s website.

The importance of the 1947 National Security Act cannot be overstated. It created our Nation’s first peacetime intelligence agency, reflected America’s acceptance of its position as a world leader, and it remained a cornerstone of our national security policy for 75 years… and counting.

~ Molly

https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/ask-molly-the-national-security-act-of-1947/

Molly

fem. proper name, a diminutive of Moll, which is a familiar form of Mary.

molly (n.1)

a common 18c. colloquial term for "homosexual man" or "man who is deemed effeminate, a sissy," by 1707, perhaps 1690s. The fem. proper name Molly or Moll served as a type-name of a low-class girl or prostitute in old songs and ballads (perhaps in part for the sake of the easy rhymes).

But the colloquial word also resembles Latin mollis "soft," which also had been used classically in a specific pejorative sense in reference to men, "soft, effeminate, unmanly, weak," in Cicero, Livy, etc. A 1629 publication from the Catholic-Protestant theological disputes, "Truth's triumph ouer Trent," written in English with swerves into Latin, at one point describes the denizens of Hell as fideles fornicarios, adulteros, molles, and so forth, and molles is translated parenthetically in the text as "effeminate." Molly House as a term for a brothel frequented by gay men is attested in a court case from 1726.

also from 18c.

molly (n.2)

seabird, 1857, short for mollymawk, mallemuck, from Dutch mallemok, from mal "foolish" + mok "gull."

also from 1857

https://www.etymonline.com/word/molly

The Origin of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Doctrine

June 11, 2022

By Mark Williams.

How did the pretribulation doctrine come about? A brief rundown would go something like this:

In 1591 a Jesuit priest named Francisco Ribera wrote a 500-page commentary on the grand points of Babylon and the antichrist, the object being to set aside the Protestant teaching that the Papacy is the antichrist. In his commentary, he assigned the first chapters of Revelation to the first century. The rest he restricted to a literal three and a half years at the end of time, BEFORE the resurrection. He taught that the Jewish temple would be rebuilt by a single individual antichrist that would abolish the Christian religion, deny Christ, pretend to be God, and conquer the world. Thus was laid the foundation for Dispensationalism.

In 1812 another Jesuit priest, named Emmanuel Lacunza, started teaching that there would be a 45-day tribulation period, AFTER Christ’s coming.

In 1826 Edward Irving translated Lacunza’s book and published it in 1827. Sometime after that, Irving started to teach a three-and-a-half-year tribulation after Christ’s coming.

In 1830, a man named John Darby of the Plymouth Brethren started teaching a seven-year tribulation period. He came to America seven times to promote his teaching. When George Muller of Bristol came up against the Dispensationalist doctrines of the Brethren movement, he severed all connection with it. “The time came,” he said, “when I had to either part from my Bible or part from John Darby. I chose to keep my precious Bible.”

So in 1812, we see the teaching of a 45-day tribulation after the rapture.

Around 1827 Edward Irving taught a three and a-half-year tribulation after the rapture. Then in 1830, the final turn to a seven-year tribulation after the rapture. Others picked up on this new doctrine and added to it.

In 1909, C. I. Scofield published the Scofield Reference Bible. His dispensational notes were mixed in with the verses of the Bible so well that if you didn’t know better, you would think they were part of the Holy Scriptures. Over two million copies of his Bible were sold with this new dispensational teaching. Scofield, although not a Plymouth Brethren, was a devoted disciple of John Darby.

After that, W. E. Blackstone wrote a book titled Jesus Is Coming Again. A millionaire financed sending several hundred thousand copies of this book to missionaries throughout the world.

After Israel became a nation in 1948, prophecy teachers sprung up like wildfire, teaching that the Second Coming would happen approximately forty years after Israel became a nation. They got this belief from misinterpreting the word “generation” in Matthew 24. Hundreds of books were written on this subject. People learned about this new doctrine, not from the Bible, but from these so-called prophecy books.

Today Dispensationalism has become the generally accepted belief of the Fundamentalist wing of popular Protestantism.

In his tract, “Who is the Antichrist?” a former Catholic priest, Joseph Zacchello, says: “The Jesuits were the first ones to introduce a new theory in order to divert men’s minds from perceiving the fulfillment of the prophecies of the antichrist in the papal church. The Jesuit Ribera brought out the futuristic system, which asserts that the antichrist is yet to appear.” And to this statement, he adds: “Protestants who advocate the futuristic system are pleasing the pope and are playing into the hands of Rome.”

The teaching that the Church is to be raptured to heaven just prior to a time called the great tribulation was not known prior to the 1800s. It’s amazing with all the writings left to us from early Christians on the rapture, all agreed that if there is going to be a tribulation at the end of time, the Church would go through it. Since no voice spoke out in favor of a pre-tribulation rapture, the only conclusion possible is that the Church did not teach this in the beginning and that it should not be teaching it now.

Conclusion

This material was condensed down from hundreds of pages of notes just to give you a quick insight into the problem we are facing today. If we continue to curl up into a ball and keep our mouths shut because somebody might get their feelings hurt, the original truth that was taught by Jesus and his apostles, will one day vanish.

I’m not saying that we should go out and create war with those who disagree, but we should, in a loving manner, spread the whole truth of the Gospel. And if it were only on the last days, it would be easier for me to keep my mouth shut. But Satan has caused Christians to pervert his truth in dozens of chapters throughout the Bible.

It’s sad to think that a large part of God’s Church teaches that the Abrahamic covenant is yet to be fulfilled and yet the Bible teaches it has been fulfilled to the very letter. It’s sad to see Christians teaching that Jesus Christ isn’t reigning now when a simple study of the Bible shows he is and that Jesus is reigning from David’s throne now just as the Scriptures foretold. It’s sad to see Christians misleading the world into believing that after Christ comes back, there will still be a chance for salvation, and again, the Bible says no such thing. Friends, the Bible warns against believing in false doctrine, and yet to many, it’s not a problem. I believe that Christians can come together with a more unified understanding of the Scriptures, but only if we take the time to study amongst ourselves and not be afraid to ask questions or get our feelings hurt. Our goal should be stamping out false doctrine and becoming unified in Christ Jesus. Remember, we are commanded to study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Now if you still disagree with my notes, I would love to hear what you have to say and I promise to keep an open and honest heart. I for one do not want to stand face to face with Jesus only to find out that I’ve been deceived my whole life and neither should you.

Download a PDF file of this article.

https://www.jamesjpn.net/basic-bible/the-origin-of-the-pre-tribulation-rapture-doctrine/?print=pdf

https://www.jamesjpn.net/basic-bible/the-origin-of-the-pre-tribulation-rapture-doctrine/ 

Luke 24

1599 Geneva Bible

24 The women come to the sepulchre. 9 They report that which they heard of the Angels, unto the Apostles. 13 Christ doth accompany two going to Emmaus. 27 He expoundeth the Scriptures unto them. 39 He offereth himself to his Apostles to be handled. 49 He promiseth the holy Ghost. 51 He is carried up into heaven.

1 Now the [a]first day of the week [b]early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, and brought the odors which they had prepared, and certain women with them.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher,

3 And went in, but found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 And it came to pass, that as they were amazed thereat, behold, two men suddenly stood by them in shining vestures.

5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said to them, Why seek ye him that liveth, among the dead?

6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you, when he was yet in Galilee,

7 Saying, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

8 And they remembered his words,

9 [c]And returned from the sepulcher, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the remnant.

10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women with them which told these things unto the Apostles.

11 But their words seemed unto them as a feigned thing, neither believed they them.

12 [d]Then arose Peter and ran unto the sepulcher, and [e]looked in and saw the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

13 ¶ [f]And behold two of them went that same day to a town which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs, called Emmaus.

14 And they talked together of all these things that were done.

15 And it came to pass, as they communed together, and reasoned, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

16 [g]But their eyes were holden, that they could not know him.

17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk and are sad?

18 And [h]the one (named Cleopas) answered and said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass therein in these days?

19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Of Jesus of Nazareth, which was a Prophet, mighty indeed and in word before God, and all people,

20 [i]And how the high Priests, and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

21 But we trusted that it had been he that should have delivered Israel, and as touching all these things, today is the third day, that they were done.

22 Yea, and certain women among us made us astonied, which came early unto the sepulcher.

23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of Angels, which said, that he was alive.

24 Therefore certain of them which were with us, went to the sepulcher, and found it even so as the women had said, but him they saw not.

25 Then he said unto them, O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken!

26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

27 And he began at Moses, and at all the Prophets, and interpreted unto them in all the Scriptures the things which were written of him.

28 And they drew near unto the town, which they went to, but he made as though he would have gone further.

29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is towards night, and the day is far spent. So he went in to tarry with them.

30 And it came to pass, as he sat at table with them, he took the bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave it to them.

31 Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him: and he was [j]no more seen of them.

32 And they said between themselves, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and when he opened to us the Scriptures?

33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

34 Which said, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

35 Then they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in [k]breaking of bread.

36 ¶ [l]And as they spake these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said unto them, Peace be to you.

37 But they were abashed and afraid, supposing that they had seen a spirit.

38 Then he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and wherefore do [m]doubts arise in your hearts?

39 Behold mine hands and my feet: for it is I myself: handle me, and see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

40 And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and feet.

41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb,

43 And he took it, and did eat before them.

44 [n]And he said unto them, These are the words, which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all must be fulfilled which are written of me in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms.

45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures,

46 And said unto them, Thus is it written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead the third day,

47 And that repentance, and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all nations, [o]beginning at Jerusalem.

48 Now ye are witnesses of these things.

49 And behold, I do send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, [p]until ye be endued with power from on high.

50 [q]Afterward he lead them out into Bethany, and lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

51 And it came to pass, that as he blessed them, he departed from them, and was carried up into heaven.

52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

53 And were continually in the Temple, praising, and lauding God. Amen.

Footnotes

Luke 24:1 Poor silly women, even beside their expectation are chosen to be the first witnesses of the resurrection, that there might be no suspicion either of deceit or violence.

Luke 24:1 Very early as Mark saith: or as John saith, while it was yet dark, that is, when it was yet scarce the dawning of the day.

Luke 24:9 The cowardly and dastardly minds of the disciples is upbraided by the stout courage of women, (so wrought by God’s great mercy) to show that the kingdom of God consisteth in an extraordinary power.

Luke 24:12 Christ useth the incredulity of his disciples, to the fuller setting forth of the truth of his resurrection, lest they should seem to have believed that too lightly, which they preached afterward to all the world.

Luke 24:12 As it were holding down his head, and bowing his neck, looked diligently in.

Luke 24:13 The resurrection is proved by two other witnesses, which saw it, and that it was no forged thing framed of purpose in their own brains, all the circumstances do declare.

Luke 24:16 Were held back and stayed, God so appointing it, no doubt: and therefore his body was not invisible, but their eyes were dimmed.

Luke 24:18 Some of the old fathers think that the other disciple was this our Evangelist, but Epiphanius writing against the Saturnilians, saith it was Nathanael, but all these are uncertainties.

Luke 24:20 It appeareth by the converting of the forewarnings of the Prophets, that all those things are true and certain, which the Evangelists have put down in writing of Christ.

Luke 24:31 Suddenly taken away, and therefore we may not imagine that he was there in such a body as could not be seen, but believe indeed that he changed his place.

Luke 24:35 When he brake bread, which that people used, and as the Jews use yet at this day at the beginning of their meals, and say a prayer.

Luke 24:36 The Lord himself showeth by certain and necessary signs, that he was risen again, and that in the same body which he took upon him.

Luke 24:38 Divers and doubtful thoughts which fall oft into men’s heads, when any strange thing falleth out, whereof there is no great likelihood.

Luke 24:44 The preaching of the Gospel, which was promised to the Prophets and performed in his time, is committed unto the Apostles: the sum whereof, is repentance and remission of sins.

Luke 24:47 The Apostles who are the preachers of the Gospel beginning at Jerusalem.

Luke 24:49 Until the holy Ghost comes down from heaven upon you.

Luke 24:50 Christ ascendeth into heaven, and departing bodily from his disciples, filleth their hearts with the holy Ghost.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2024&version=GNV

How and to whom did Jesus pay our ransom?

A ransom is something that is paid to provide for the release of someone who is held captive. Jesus paid our ransom to free us from sin, death, and hell. Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are found God’s requirements for sacrifices. In Old Testament times, God commanded the Israelites to make animal sacrifices for substitutionary atonement; that is, an animal’s death took the place of a person’s death, death being the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23). Exodus 29:36a states, "Each day you must sacrifice a young bull as an offering for the atonement of sin."

God demands holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16). God’s Law demands holiness. We cannot give God full holiness because of the sins we commit (Romans 3:23); therefore, God demands satisfaction of His Law. Sacrifices to Him satisfied the requirements. This is where Jesus comes in. Hebrews 9:12-15 tells us: "Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ritual defilement. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, so that all who are invited can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant."

Also, read Romans 8:3-4, "The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit."

Clearly, Jesus paid the ransom for our lives to God. That ransom was His own life, the shedding of His own blood, a sacrifice. Due to His sacrificial death, each person on earth has the opportunity to accept that gift of atonement and be forgiven by God. For without His death, God’s Law would still need to be satisfied—by our own death.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-pay-ransom.html

"Equinox" is a two-part episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, the cliffhanger between the fifth and sixth seasons. This television episode features a 24th-century spacecraft, the USS Voyager, lost on the opposite side of the Galaxy as Earth, the Delta Quadrant, and they must make their way home.

In this installment, they encounter another Starfleet starship, the USS Equinox also stranded in the Delta Quadrant. This was presented in two parts, but aired several months apart, with part one airing on UPN on May 26, 1999 and the conclusion on September 22, 1999.

The cliffhanger closed out season five, while the opener for season six was the conclusion.[1] The two-part episode features Captain Ransom, played by actor John Savage, as well as several other guest stars.[1]

Part 1 is also the last episode of Star Trek: Voyager to air before the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series finale, "What You Leave Behind". The broadcast of Part 2 in September 1999 marked the first time since 1994 that only one Star Trek series was on the air.

Plot

Part 1

The crew of the USS Voyager is surprised to receive an emergency hail from another Federation starship, the Equinox, in the Delta Quadrant. They arrive to find the damaged ship under attack by nucleogenic lifeforms. Under advice from the Equinox captain, Rudy Ransom, Captain Kathryn Janeway has Voyager extend its shields around both ships, quelling the attack, though the creatures continue to bear down on the shields, weakening them over time.

Janeway and Ransom discuss how both their ships had been pulled into the Delta Quadrant, five years earlier, by The Caretaker. Ransom shares that they found a wormhole and made enhancements to their warp engines, explaining how this allowed the smaller and slower Equinox to travel the same 40,000 light years as Voyager on its return to Earth. Of Ransom's crew, only 12 are still alive.

While surveying, Voyager's crew finds an area of the ship they cannot access due to intentional overrides by the Equinox crew. Janeway sends the holographic Doctor to the area, where he finds the Equinox crew has been harvesting bio-energy from the nucleogenic creatures, slaughtering dozens of creatures just to enhance their warp drive, traversing 10,000 light years in two weeks.

The Equinox crew know that they can reach Earth within weeks if they use more murdered creatures. They then attack Voyager stealing a shield generator and escape, kidnapping Seven of Nine along the way. Voyager, unable to raise shields, suddenly finds itself under attack from the angry nucleogenic creatures.

Part 2

Seven has encrypted the codes accessing the Equinox warp controls, delaying their plan to murder another 63 aliens for fuel. After learning the Doctor in their sickbay is from Voyager, and erasing his ethical sub-routines as they did with their EMH, they tell him to probe Seven's brain to obtain the codes, despite the fact this may permanently incapacitate her. During the Doctor's preparations, he idly sings "Oh My Darling, Clementine" in a duet with the partially incapacitated Seven, much dismaying Ransom as he suddenly sees her in more human terms.

Janeway starts taking the objective of stopping Ransom to extremes. She orders torpedoes to be fired on the Equinox, nearly kills an Equinox crew member during an interrogation, tractor beams an Ankari ship to strong-arm their cooperation, and relieves Chakotay from command when he questions her orders.

Ransom starts to realize the error of his ways and orders the crew to return the Equinox to Voyager, but the remaining crew, except for Ensign Marla Gilmore, attempt to mutiny against this. With Gilmore's help, Ransom transports part of the crew, as well as the Doctor and Seven, back to Voyager, while the remaining mutineers are killed by the aliens. After transporting Gilmore to Voyager, Ransom stays behind, sacrificing himself to pilot the ship far enough away from Voyager to protect it from the resulting explosion.

As Voyager resumes its journey home, Janeway reinstates Chakotay to Commander and strips the five surviving Equinox crew members of their ranks while integrating them into Voyager's crew, telling them that they will work under heavy supervision until she personally deems them trustworthy. Seven promises to help the Doctor secure his ethical sub-routines from being deleted in the future.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox_(Star_Trek:_Voyager)

AI Overview

Montmartre's name, meaning "mountain of the martyr," comes from the martyrdom of Saint Denis, the Bishop of Paris, who was beheaded on the hill around 250 AD. 

Here's a more detailed explanation: 

"Mont" translates to "mountain" in French .

"Martre" is derived from "martyr" .

The hill is associated with the martyrdom of Saint Denis .

Saint Denis was the Bishop of Paris and is the patron saint of France.

He was beheaded on the hill around 250 AD.

The hill's religious symbolism is thought to be even older, possibly dating back to druidic times.

Montmartre is also known as "La Butte" which means a mound or small hill.

Generative AI is experimental.

Église St-Pierre de Montmartre

Montmartre & Northern Paris,Paris,France,Europe

Montmartre & Northern Paris

All that remains of the former Benedictine Abbey of Montmartre, this church dates back to the 12th century and is one of the oldest in Paris, though it has been much restored. Built atop a Roman temple to Mars, it was witness to the founding of the Jesuits in 1534, who met in the crypt under the guidance of Ignatius of Loyola.

Some say that the name Montmartre is derived from ‘Mons Martis’ (Latin for Mount of Mars); others prefer the Christian ‘Mont Martyr’ (Mount of the Martyr), a reference to the 3rd-century St Denis, who, according to legend, walked across Montmartre and on to the site of today’s Basilique de St-Denis after having been beheaded by Roman priests."

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/paris/montmartre-and-northern-paris/attractions/eglise-st-pierre-de-montmartre/a/poi-sig/1264286/1323143

In psychology a person who has a martyr complex desires the feeling of being a martyr for their own sake and seeks out suffering or persecution because it either feeds a physical need or a desire to avoid responsibility. In some cases, this results from the belief that the martyr has been singled out for persecution because of exceptional ability or integrity.[1] Other martyr complexes involve willful suffering in the name of love or duty. This has been observed especially in poor families, as well as in codependent or abusive relationships.[2][3] The desire for martyrdom is sometimes considered a form of masochism.[4] Allan Berger, however, described it as one of several patterns of "pain/suffering seeking behavior", including asceticism and penance.[5] Theologian Paul Johnson considers such beliefs a topic of concern for the mental health of clergy.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyr_complex

https://www.facebook.com/billy.dunn.50767/posts/pfbid0298fBs1TiEZsyA16VQEVpf58vcm4VLH59omL2XHjc2KVh1yzMmJYB2FQ4xXgDDiy5l

What is the meaning of chaff in the Bible?

Answer

Chaff is the loose, outer covering on wheat and other grains that must be separated in the threshing and winnowing process of harvesting grain. In Bible times, grain was threshed, or trampled, crushed, and beaten, on outdoor threshing floors to separate out the inedible parts of the grain, called chaff. The lightweight chaff would blow away on the wind or sometimes was burned as fuel. In the winnowing process, the grain was then tossed into the air, allowing the wind to further separate any remaining bits of the husk from the wheat. These bits, called chaff, would be carried away in fine particles like dust. In a few instances in Scripture, chaff also refers to dried grass or hay (Isaiah 5:24; 33:11).

Threshing and winnowing by hand were common in ancient times, allowing for vivid biblical imagery. Separating the worthless chaff from the valuable grain was a ready symbol for separating good from evil or showing the difference between God’s treatment of the godly versus the wicked. In Psalm 1:1–4, the people of God are blessed and firmly established, but “not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away” (verse 4).

In Isaiah 33, the righteous people of God survive judgment while the wicked nations are consumed. Speaking of the Assyrians, Isaiah says, “You conceive chaff, you give birth to straw; your breath is a fire that consumes you” (verse 11).

According to Hosea, God’s way of dealing with wickedness in Israel was to remove the idolaters like chaff swirling away on the wind: “Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears, like chaff swirling from a threshing floor, like smoke escaping through a window” (Hosea 13:3). The powerlessness of wicked people and nations against the judgment of God is compared to chaff floating on the wind: “Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale” (Isaiah 17:13; see also Zephaniah 2:2).

In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the ungodly nations of the world, represented as a statue constructed of various elements, disintegrate and disperse like chaff before the victorious kingdom of God: “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:35).

In the New Testament, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is portrayed by John the Baptist as the winnower or harvester of grain: “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:11–12; see also Luke 3:17). Jesus came the first time to save, but the second time He will come to judge the world with righteousness. The chaff—the wicked, the ungodly, the faithless, the unbelieving, the unfruitful—He will separate from the godly and consign to a horrible fate. Therefore, “be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

https://www.gotquestions.org/chaff-in-the-Bible.html

SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind their flagship event, WrestleMania. It is also considered one of the company's five biggest events of the year, along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank, referred to as the "Big Five". The event has been broadcast on pay-per-view (PPV) since the inaugural 1988 event and via livestreaming since the 2014 event.

The inaugural SummerSlam took place on August 29, 1988, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The 1992 event was the company's first major PPV to take place outside of North America with it being held at the original Wembley Stadium in London, England; it had a reported attendance of 80,355, which as of April 2023, WWE considers this to be their seventh largest live gate in history. From 2009 to 2014, SummerSlam was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and from 2015 to 2018, the event took place at the Barclays Center in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Beginning with the 2021 event, SummerSlam has been held in National Football League stadiums across the United States. From its inception up through that 2021 event, SummerSlam was held annually in August. The 2022 event marked the first and thus far only time that the event was not held in August, as it was instead held in July, with SummerSlam returning to August with the 2023 edition. The 2025 event will expand SummerSlam to two nights.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, that year's SummerSlam was WWE's first PPV and livestreaming event produced from their bio-secure bubble, the WWE ThunderDome. After the promotion resumed live touring with fans in July 2021, that year's SummerSlam was promoted as the "biggest event of 2021" due to WrestleMania 37 having to be held at a reduced venue capacity. The 2021 SummerSlam in turn became the highest-grossing SummerSlam event of all time until that record was broken with the 2023 event, which also became the highest-grossing non-WrestleMania event for WWE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SummerSlam

CHAPTER SEVEN – SHABTAI, SHIMON AND SHARON – DESTROYING THE JEWS

ALM 1 - THE DEUTSCH DEVILS

Rabbi Marvin Antelman was right all along. Way back in 1974, he identified the source of all the evil against Jews and humanity but his message and style were too unaccessible to get through to anyone but the most advanced students of antisemitism. What he lacked most was simplicity, a common enough failure of thinkers decades in advance of their contemporaries. What he needed was someone to put out a Cliff's Notes simplified explanation of his thesis...and someone, without intention, just did. The name of the book is, 50 Jewish Messiahs by Jerry Rabow (Gefen Publishing, Jerusalem). It is an informative but shallow overview of just what the title says, but in its shallowness lies vital depth. We begin with Chapter 17, about the "most damaging messiah to the Jewish people," Shabbatai Zvi. First we'll read Rabow and then add commentary opening Rabbi Antelman's work to the wide world. Recall that there are various accepted English spellings for Shabtai Tzvi, and the Sabbataians. The spelling presented depends on the writer:

pp 91 - Shabbatai Zvi was born in Smyrna, Turkey on the ninth of Av, 1626. The ninth day of Av is the day of a triple tragedy for the Jewish nation. According to tradition, the First Temple, the Second Temple and Bar Kokhba's Betar fortress all fell on this day.

pp 93 - He changed the holiday celebrations and violated the dietary prohibitions. All of this followed from his declaration that the usual rules were inapplicable to messianic times.

pp 95 - He declared that the coming of the messianic era meant that the biblical commandments were no longer binding. He proclaimed that God now permitted everything. ** This is Rabbi Antelman's central assertion; that Shabbataism was the polar opposite of Judaism. That Shabbatai Zvi's program was to destroy all the tenets of the Torah and replace them with their opposites. Incredibly, more than half the Jews of the world at the time, believed he would be revealed as their promised messiah: **

pp 101 - Then he finally made the announcement for which the Jewish community had been waiting for 1600 years - he would begin the Redemption on the 15th day of the month of Sivan, June 18, 1666. ** There are many who will recognize the significance of the date. June is the sixth month, 18 divided by three is 6+6+6 and 1666 is clear enough. Either he knew what he was doing or the prophesies of the emergence of an evil false messiah or anti-Christ are right, and Shabbatai Zvi was him. **

pp 110 - Through all of this, Shabbatai continued to issue proclamations of the theological changes wrought by the coming of the messianic age. Shabbatai's new prayer was, "Praised be He who permits the forbidden." Since all things would be permitted in the age of the messiah, Shabbatai declared many of the old restrictions of the Torah no longer applicable. He abolished the laws concerning sexual relationships. He eventually declared that all of the thirty six major biblical sins were now permitted and instructed some of his followers that it was their duty to perform such sins in order to hasten the Redemption.

Shabtai Tzvi, Labor Zionism and the Holocaust

by Barry Chamish

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B66Pc9x2hkIrV2Y3QWxPbkpKYWc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-5ak831cRNQohyyjZYfFKvw

"As above, so below" is a popular modern paraphrase of the second verse of the Emerald Tablet, a short Hermetic text which first appeared in an Arabic source from the late eighth or early ninth century.[1] The paraphrase is based on one of several existing Latin translations of the Emerald Tablet, in which the second verse appears as follows:[2]

Quod est superius est sicut quod inferius, et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius.

That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.

The paraphrase is peculiar to this Latin version, and differs from the original Arabic, which reads "from" rather than "like to".

Following its use by prominent modern occultists such as Helena P. Blavatsky (1831–1891, co-founder of the Theosophical Society) and the anonymous author of the Kybalion (often taken to be William W. Atkinson, 1862–1932, a pioneer of the New Thought movement), the paraphrase started to take on a life of its own, becoming an often cited motto in New Age circles.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_above,_so_below

Nova music festival massacre

On 7 October 2023, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian nationalist organization Hamas, initiated a sudden attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. As part of the attack, 364 individuals, mostly civilians, were killed and many more wounded at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, an open-air music festival during the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret near kibbutz Re'im. Hamas also took 40 people hostage, and men and women were reportedly subject to sexual and gender-based violence.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_music_festival_massacre

A nova (pl. novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white dwarfs in close binary systems, but causes of the dramatic appearance of a nova vary, depending on the circumstances of the two progenitor stars. The main sub-classes of novae are classical novae, recurrent novae (RNe), and dwarf novae. They are all considered to be cataclysmic variable stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova

Revelation 16:8

1599 Geneva Bible

8 [a]And the fourth Angel poured out his vial on the sun, and it was given to him to torment men with heat of fire,

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2016%3A8-10&version=GNV

SpaceX Roadster is not a natural celestial object, but rather a man-made object launched by SpaceX in February 2018 as part of the Falcon Heavy test flight. It is a red sports car owned by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and was launched as a demonstration of the Falcon Heavy's capabilities. The Roadster is not in a stable orbit around the Sun, but is instead on a heliocentric orbit that will take it to the asteroid belt and then back to the inner Solar System in the future. The Roadster also carries a mannequin named Starman, dressed in a spacesuit, in the driver's seat. The name "Roadster" refers to the type of car that is used as the payload for the Falcon Heavy, while "SpaceX" is the name of the private space exploration company founded by Elon Musk in 2002.

https://theskylive.com/roadster-info

416 Finally, those means that are proposed by our holy father Saint Ignatius in Part X of the Constitutions for the preservation and development not only of the body or exterior of the Society but also of its spirit, and for the attainment of the objective it seeks, which is to aid souls to reach their ultimate and supernatural end, [10] are to be observed eagerly and diligently by all, with a truly personal sense of responsibility for its increase and development, for the praise and service of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and the help of souls.[11]

L. D. S. "

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

A red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass (roughly 0.3–8 solar masses (M☉)) in a late phase of stellar evolution. The outer atmosphere is inflated and tenuous, making the radius large and the surface temperature around 5,000 K [K] (4,700 °C; 8,500 °F) or lower. The appearance of the red giant is from yellow-white to reddish-orange, including the spectral types K and M, sometimes G, but also class S stars and most carbon stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_giant

Solar flares are not directly related to the Earth's mantle, but they can have a significant impact on Earth if they are directed towards it:

Explanation

Solar flares are explosions on the Sun that release magnetic energy and cause a burst of radiation. They can occur in active regions of the Sun, often around sunspots.

Classification

Solar flares are classified by their peak brightness in X-ray wavelengths, with X-class flares being the most intense and A-class flares being the least intense.

Effects on Earth

When a solar flare is directed at Earth, it can cause a geomagnetic storm that can interfere with power grids, communications, and navigation systems. The severity of the interference depends on the intensity of the storm.

Monitoring

NASA, NOAA, and the US Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) monitor the Sun for solar flares and their associated magnetic storms

https://www.google.com/search?q=solar+flares+mantle&oq=solar+flares+mantle&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDsyBggAEEUYOzIKCAEQABiABBiiBDIKCAIQABiABBiiBNIBCDM3ODNqMGoxqAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Revelation 16:8

1599 Geneva Bible

8 [a]And the fourth Angel poured out his vial on the sun, and it was given to him to torment men with heat of fire,

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2016%3A8-10&version=GNV

9. Interprovincial Works and Houses in Rome

304 §1. In the spirit of our fourth vow, the Society confirms its commitment to the interprovincial Roman works entrusted to it by the Holy See: the Pontifical Gregorian University and its associated institutes, the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, as well as the Pontifical Russicum College, the Vatican Radio, and the Vatican Observatory, all of which are common works of the whole Society, placed directly under the superior general. Recognizing the very valuable service that these institutions have offered and continue to offer today, it calls upon major superiors who share Father General s responsibility for them to continue their help through subsidies and especially by training and offering professors and other personnel to them.

§2. Also recommended to the care of all the provinces are those other works or houses in Rome that render a service to the entire Society, such as the Historical Institute of the Society of Jesus and the international colleges of the Society in Rome.[142]

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Can. 666 In the use of means of social communication, necessary discretion is to be observed and those things are to be avoided which are harmful to one’s vocation and dangerous to the chastity of a consecrated person."

TITLE II. RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES (Cann. 607 - 709)

CODE OF CANON LAW

https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib2-cann607-709_en.html

Head:

1. See Illness, mental

2. The superior general, head of the Society [666]"

page 463

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Revelation 13:18

New International Version

18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Revelation 13:18 Or is humanity’s number

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2013%3A18&version=NIV

Civil Twilight:

Begins in the morning, or ends in the evening, when the geometric center of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.  Therefore morning civil twilight begins when the geometric center of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, and ends at sunrise.  Evening civil twilight begins at sunset, and ends when the geometric center of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.  Under these conditions absent fog or other restrictions, the brightest stars and planets can be seen, the horizon and terrestrial objects can be discerned, and in many cases, artificial lighting is not needed. Civil Twilight is also known as Civil Dawn and Civil Dusk.

Nautical Twilight:

Begins in the morning, or ends in the evening, when the geometric center of the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.  In general, the term nautical twilight refers to sailors being able to take reliable readings via well known stars because the horizon is still visible, even under moonless conditions.  Absent fog or other restrictions, outlines of terrestrial objects may still be discernible, but detailed outdoor activities are likely curtailed without artificial illumination. Nautical Twilight is also known as Nautical Dawn and Nautical Dusk.

Astronomical Twilight:

Begins in the morning, or ends in the evening, when the geometric center of the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon.  In astronomical twilight, sky illumination is so faint that most casual observers would regard the sky as fully dark, especially under urban or suburban light pollution.  Under astronomical twilight, the horizon is not discernible and moderately faint stars or planets can be observed with the naked eye under a non light polluted sky.  But to test the limits of naked eye observations, the sun needs to be more than 18 degrees below the horizon.  Point light sources such as stars and planets can be readily studied by astronomers under astronomical twilight.  But diffuse light sources such as galaxies, nebula, and globular clusters need to be observed under a totally dark sky, again when the sun is more than 18 degrees below the horizon.

https://www.weather.gov/fsd/twilight

BULL of Pope Boniface VIII promulgated November 18, 1302

For, according to the Blessed Dionysius, it is a law of the divinity that the lowest things reach the highest place by intermediaries. Then, according to the order of the universe, all things are not led back to order equally and immediately, but the lowest by the intermediary, and the inferior by the superior. Hence we must recognize the more clearly that spiritual power surpasses in dignity and in nobility any temporal power whatever, as spiritual things surpass the temporal. This we see very clearly also by the payment, benediction, and consecration of the tithes, but the acceptance of power itself and by the government even of things. For with truth as our witness, it belongs to spiritual power to establish the terrestrial power and to pass judgement if it has not been good. Thus is accomplished the prophecy of Jeremias concerning the Church and the ecclesiastical power: ‘Behold to-day I have placed you over nations, and over kingdoms‘ and the rest. Therefore, if the terrestrial power err, it will be judged by the spiritual power; but if a minor spiritual power err, it will be judged by a superior spiritual power; but if the highest power of all err, it can be judged only by God, and not by man, according to the testimony of the Apostle: ‘The spiritual man judgeth of all things and he himself is judged by no man‘ [1 Cor 2:15]. This authority, however, (though it has been given to man and is exercised by man), is not human but rather divine, granted to Peter by a divine word and reaffirmed to him (Peter) and his successors by the One Whom Peter confessed, the Lord saying to Peter himself, ‘Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in Heaven‘ etc., [Mt 16:19]. Therefore whoever resists this power thus ordained by God, resists the ordinance of God [Rom 13:2], unless he invent like Manicheus two beginnings, which is false and judged by us heretical, since according to the testimony of Moses, it is not in the beginnings but in the beginning that God created heaven and earth [Gen 1:1]. Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff."

https://www.papalencyclicals.net/bon08/b8unam.htm

AI Overview

Astronomers estimate that there are about 200 billion trillion stars in the observable universe. That's 200 sextillion stars, or 200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Explanation

To estimate the number of stars in the universe, astronomers:

Measure the color and brightness of starlight from our galaxy, the Milky Way

Use that information to estimate how many stars are in the Milky Way

Multiply the number of stars in the Milky Way by the number of galaxies in the universe

However, this is only a rough estimate because not all galaxies are the same. For example, spiral galaxies can have over a trillion stars, while giant elliptical galaxies can have 100 trillion stars.

Other ways to put it

The number of stars in the universe is so large that it's hard to imagine. It's about 10 times the number of cups of water in all the oceans of Earth.

Missions to learn more

The European Space Agency's Gaia mission is mapping about 1 billion stars in the Milky Way. The mission's data will help astronomers better understand the structure and evolution of our galaxy.

Generative AI is experimental.

In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and interact with each other. On distance scales larger than the string scale, a string acts like a particle, with its mass, charge, and other properties determined by the vibrational state of the string. In string theory, one of the many vibrational states of the string corresponds to the graviton, a quantum mechanical particle that carries the gravitational force. Thus, string theory is a theory of quantum gravity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory

A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_reaction

2 Peter 3:10

1599 Geneva Bible

10 [a]But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a [b]noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%203%3A10&version=GNV

2030-2031 APPARITION CHARACTERISTICS

Another general rule for predicting oppositions of Mars is from the following: the planet has an approximate 15.8-year periodic opposition cycle, which consists of three or four Aphelic oppositions and three consecutive Perihelic oppositions. Perihelic oppositions are also called "favorable" because the Earth and Mars come closest to each other on those occasions. We sometimes refer to this as the seven Martian synodic periods. This cycle is repeated every 79 years (± 4 to 5 days) and, if one were to live long enough, one would see this cycle nearly replicated in approximately 284 years. The 2031 Mars apparition is considered Transitional (between Aphelic and Perihelic) because the orbital longitude at opposition will be 68.4° from the aphelion longitude of 70° Ls and 111.6° Ls from perihelion (250° Ls).

NOTE: Ls is the planetocentric longitude of the Sun along the ecliptic of Mars’ sky. 0° Ls is defined as that point where the Sun crosses the Martian celestial equator from south to north, that is the planet’s northern hemisphere vernal equinox. The other Ls values that define the beginnings of Martian northern hemisphere seasons are: summer, 90° Ls; autumn, 180° Ls; and winter, 270° Ls. For Mars’ southern hemisphere these values represent the opposite seasons. Distance (A.U.) - Distance from Earth to Mars in astronomical units, where one (1) A.U. equals 92,955,807.267 miles or 149,597,870.691 km.

Opposition occurs 11 months after conjunction when Mars is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. At that time, the two planets will lie nearly in a straight line with respect to the Sun, or five weeks after retrogression begins. Opposition will occur at 1157 UT on May 04, 2031 (138.4° Ls) with an apparent planetary disk diameter of 16.7 arcsec. Mars will remain visible for more than twelve months after opposition and then become lost in the glare of the Sun around May 31, 2032 as it approaches the next conjunction (July 11, 2032). The cycle is complete in 780 Earth days.

Closest approach occurs at 0350 UT on May 12, 2031 (142.1° Ls) with an apparent planetary disk diameter of 16.9 at a distance of 0.5533578 astronomical units (AU) or 51,437,823 miles (82,781,152 km). During closest approach in 2031 the apparent diameter of Mars will be 2.4 arcsec larger than it was at the same period in 2029; however, it will be 17.1 degrees lower in the sky - not quite as good for observing the Red Planet for observers in the northern hemisphere. It should also be noted that closest approach between Earth and Mars is not necessarily coincident with the time of opposition but varies by as much as two weeks.

https://www.alpo-astronomy.org/jbeish/2031_MARS.htm

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They were created with the aim of "peace and prosperity for people and the planet..."[1][2][3] – while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. The SDGs highlight the connections between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development. Sustainability is at the center of the SDGs.[4][5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals

The Arab Spring (Arabic: الربيع العربي, romanized: ar-rabīʻ al-ʻarabī) or the First Arab Spring (to distinguish from the Second Arab Spring) was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in Tunisia in response to corruption and economic stagnation.[1][2] From Tunisia, the protests then spread to five other countries: Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain. Rulers were deposed (Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia in 2011, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya in 2011, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in 2011, and Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen in 2012) or major uprisings and social violence occurred including riots, civil wars, or insurgencies. Sustained street demonstrations took place in Morocco, Iraq, Algeria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Sudan. Minor protests took place in Djibouti, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.[3] A major slogan of the demonstrators in the Arab world is ash-shaʻb yurīd isqāṭ an-niẓām! (Arabic: الشعب يريد إسقاط النظام, lit. 'the people want to bring down the regime').[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring

Shanksville garnered global attention during the September 11 attacks when United Airlines Flight 93, bound from Newark, New Jersey, for San Francisco, crashed in adjacent Stonycreek Township after its passengers rebelled against the flight's al-Qaeda terrorist hijackers. It was the only one of the four hijacked planes that failed to reach the terrorists' intended target.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanksville,_Pennsylvania

A shiv, also chiv, schiv, shivvie or shank,[1][2] is a handcrafted bladed weapon resembling a knife that is commonly associated with prison inmates.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiv_(weapon)

There are multiple matches for Shiva, including a Hindu god and a Jewish mourning period.

Shiva (Hindu god)

Shiva is a major god in Hinduism, known as the god of destruction.

His name means "auspicious one".

He is also known as Mahadeva, which means "the great god".

Shiva is part of the Hindu trinity, the Trimurti, along with Brahma and Vishnu.

He is worshipped at many shrines in India and around the world.

Shiva is said to live in the Himalayas with his wife, Parvati.

Shiva (Jewish mourning period)

Shiva is a seven-day period of mourning that begins after the burial of a loved one.

The word "shiva" comes from the Hebrew word sheva, which means "seven".

During shiva, mourners traditionally stay home or at the home of the deceased.

They also wear torn clothing or a black ribbon pinned to their clothes.

Shiva is a time to remember, accept death, and return to life.

Generative AI is experimental.

Elon Musk: “We’re going straight to Mars. The Moon is a distraction.”

Eric Berger – Jan 3, 2025 9:28 AM |  1.1k

https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/01/elon-musk-were-going-straight-to-mars-the-moon-is-a-distraction/

In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Mars (Latin: Mārs, pronounced [maːrs])[4] is the god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome.[5] He is the son of Jupiter and Juno, and was pre-eminent among the Roman army's military gods. Most of his festivals were held in March, the month named for him (Latin Martius), and in October, the months which traditionally began and ended the season for both military campaigning and farming.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_(mythology)

How the Vatican created Islam

How the Vatican created Islam. The astonishing story from an ex-Jesuit priest, Alberto Rivera,

which was told to him by Cardinal Bea while he was at the Vatican.

By Alberto Rivera | cloakanddagger.de

Article from: http://www.davidicke.com/content/view/744/48/. From "The Prophet":

http://www.choosinglife.net/Islam.htm (website disabled)

This information came from Alberto Rivera, former Jesuit priest after his conversion to

Protestant Christianity. It is excerpted from "The Prophet," published by Chick Publications, PO

Box 661, Chino CA 91708. Since its publication, after several unsuccessful attempts on his life,

he died suddenly from food poisoning. His testimony should not be silenced. Dr. Rivera speaks

to us still ...

"What I'm going to tell you is what I learned in secret briefings in

the Vatican when I was a Jesuit priest, under oath and induction. A

Jesuit cardinal named Augustine Bea showed us how desperately

the Roman Catholics wanted Jerusalem at the end of the third

century. Because of its religious history and its strategic location,

the Holy City was considered a priceless treasure. A scheme had to

be developed to make Jerusalem a Roman Catholic city.

"The great untapped source of manpower that could do this job was the children of Ishmael. The

poor Arabs fell victim to one of the most clever plans ever devised by the powers of darkness.

Early Christians went everywhere with the gospel setting up small churches, but they met heavy

opposition. Both the Jews and the Roman government persecuted the believers in Christ to stop

their spread. But the Jews rebelled against Rome, and in 70 AD, Roman armies under General

Titus smashed Jerusalem and destroyed the great Jewish temple which was the heart of Jewish

worship...in fulfillment of Christ's prophecy in Matthew 24:2.

"On this holy placed today where the temple once stood, the Dome of the Rock Mosque stands

as Islam's second most holy place. Sweeping changes were in the wind. Corruption, apathy,

greed, cruelty, perversion and rebellion were eating at the Roman Empire, and it was ready to

collapse. The persecution against Christians was useless as they continued to lay down their lives

for the gospel of Christ.

"The only way Satan could stop this thrust was to create a counterfeit "Christian" religion to

destroy the work of God. The solution was in Rome. Their religion had come from ancient

Babylon and all it needed was a face-lift. This didn't happen overnight, but began in the writings

of the 'early church fathers'.

"It was through their writings that a new religion would take shape. The statue of Jupiter in

Rome was eventually called St. Peter, and the statue of Venus was changed to the Virgin Mary.

The site chosen for its headquarters was on one of the seven hills called 'Vaticanus', the place of

the diving serpent where the Satanic temple of Janus stood.

"The great counterfeit religion was Roman Catholicism, called 'Mystery, Babylon the Great, the

Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth'- Revelation 17:5. She was raised up to block

the gospel, slaughter the believers in Christ, establish religions, create wars and make the nations

drunk with the wine of her fornication as we will see.

"Three major religions have one thing in common - each has a holy place where they look for

guidance. Roman Catholicism looks to the Vatican as the Holy City. The Jews look to the wailing

wall in Jerusalem, and the Muslims look to Mecca as their Holy City. Each group believes that

they receive certain types of blessings for the rest of their lives for visiting their holy place. In

the beginning, Arab visitors would bring gifts to the 'House of God', and the keepers of the

Kaaba were gracious to all who came. Some brought their idols and, not wanting to offend these

people, their idols were placed inside the sanctuary. It is said that the Jews looked upon the

Kaaba as an outlying tabernacle of the Lord with veneration until it became polluted with idols.

"In a tribal contention over a well(Zamzam) the treasure of the Kaaba and the offerings that

pilgrims had given were dumped down the well and it was filled with sand - it disappeared.

Many years later Adb Al-Muttalib was given visions telling him where to find the well and its

treasure. He became the hero of Mecca, and he was destined to become the grandfather of

Muhammad. Before this time, Augustine became the bishop of North Africa and was effective in

winning Arabs to Roman Catholicism, including whole tribes. It was among these Arab converts

to Catholicism that the concept of looking for an Arab prophet developed.

"Muhammad's father died from illness and sons born to great Arab families in places like Mecca

were sent into the desert to be suckled and weaned and spend some of their childhood with

Bedouin tribes for training and to avoid the plagues in the cities.

"After his mother and grandfather also died, Muhammad was with his uncle when a Roman

Catholic monk learned of his identity and said, "Take your brother's son back to his country and

guard him against the Jews, for by god, if they see him and know of him that which I know, they

will construe evil against him. Great things are in store for this brother's son of yours."

"The Roman Catholic monk had fanned the flames for future Jewish persecutions at the hands of

the followers of Muhammad. The Vatican desperately wanted Jerusalem because of its religious

significance, but was blocked by the Jews.

"Another problem was the true Christians in North Africa who preached the gospel. Roman

Catholicism was growing in power, but would not tolerate opposition. Somehow the Vatican had

to create a weapon to eliminate both the Jews and the true Christian believers who refused to

accept Roman Catholicism. Lookng to North Africa, they saw the multitudes of Arabs as a

source of manpower to do their dirty work. Some Arabs had become Roman Catholic, and could

be used in reporting information to leaders in Rome. Others were used in an underground spy

network to carry out Rome's master plan to control the great multitudes of Arabs who rejected

Catholicism. When 'St Augustine' appeared on the scene, he knew what was going on. His

monasteries served as bases to seek out and destroy Bible manuscripts owned by the true

Christians.

"The Vatican wanted to create a messiah for the Arabs, someone they could raise up as a great

leader, a man with charisma whom they could train, and eventually unite all the non-Catholic

Arabs behind him, creating a mighty army that would ultimately capture Jerusalem for the pope.

In the Vatican briefing, Cardinal Bea told us this story:

'A wealthy Arabian lady who was a faithful follower of the pope played a tremendous part in this

drama. She was a widow named Khadijah. She gave her wealth to the church and retired to a

convent, but was given an assignment. She was to find a brilliant young man who could be used

by the Vatican to create a new religion and become the messiah for the children of Ishmael.

Khadijah had a cousin named Waraquah,, who was also a very faithful Roman Catholic and the

Vatican placed him in a critical role as Muhammad's advisor. He had tremendous influence on

Muhammad.

'Teachers were sent to young Muhammad and he had intensive training. Muhammad studied the

works of St. Augustine which prepared him for his "great calling." The Vatican had Catholic

Arabs across North Africa spread the story of a great one who was about to rise up among the

people and be the chosen one of their God.

'While Muhammad was being prepared, he was told that his enemies were the Jews and that the

only true Christians were Roman Catholic. He was taught that others calling themselves

Christians were actually wicked impostors and should be destroyed. Many Muslims believe this.

'Muhammad began receiving "divine revelations" and his wife's Catholic cousin Waraquah

helped interpret them. From this came the Koran. In the fifth year of Muhammad's mission,

persecution came against his followers because they refused to worship the idols in the Kaaba.

'Muhammad instructed some of them to flee to Abysinnia where Negus, the Roman Catholic king

accepted them because Muhammad's views on the virgin Mary were so close to Roman Catholic

doctrine. These Muslims received protection from Catholic kings because of Muhammad's

revelations.

'Muhammad later conquered Mecca and the Kaaba was cleared of idols. History proves that

before Islam came into existence, the Sabeans in Arabia worshiped the moon-god who was

married to the sun-god. They gave birth to three goddesses who were worshipped throughout the

Arab world as "Daughters of Allah" An idol excavated at Hazor in Palestine in 1950's shows

Allah sitting on a throne with the crescent moon on his chest.

'Muhammad claimed he had a vision from Allah and was told, "You are the messenger of Allah."

This began his career as a prophet and he received many messages. By the time Muhammad

ied, the religion of Islam was exploding. The nomadic Arab tribes were joining forces in the

name of Allah and his prophet, Muhammad.

'Some of Muhammad's writings were placed in the Koran, others were never published. They are

now in the hands of high ranking holy men (Ayatollahs) in the Islamic faith.'

"When Cardinal Bea shared with us in the Vatican, he said, these writings are guarded because

they contain information that links the Vatican to the creation of Islam. Both sides have so much

information on each other, that if exposed, it could create such a scandal that it would be a

disaster for both religions.

"In their "holy" book, the Koran, Christ is regarded as only a prophet. If the pope was His

representative on earth, then he also must be a prophet of God. This caused the followers of

Muhammad to fear and respect the pope as another "holy man."

"The pope moved quickly and issued bulls granting the Arab generals permission to invade and

conquer the nations of North Africa. The Vatican helped to finance the building of these massive

Islamic armies in exchange for three favors:

1. Eliminate the Jews and Christians (true believers, which they called infidels).

2. Protect the Augustinian Monks and Roman Catholics.

3. Conquer Jerusalem for "His Holiness" in the Vatican.

"As time went by, the power of Islam became tremendous - Jews and true Christians were

slaughtered, and Jerusalem fell into their hands. Roman Catholics were never attacked, nor were

their shrines, during this time. But when the pope asked for Jerusalem, he was surprised at their

denial! The Arab generals had such military success that they could not be intimidated by the

pope - nothing could stand in the way of their own plan.

"Under Waraquah's direction, Muhammad wrote that Abraham offered Ishmael as a sacrifice.

The Bible says that Isaac was the sacrifice, but Muhammad removed Isaac's name and inserted

Ishmael's name. As a result of this and Muhammad's vision, the faithful Muslims built a mosque,

the Dome of the Rock, in Ishmael's honor on the site of the Jewish temple that was destroyed in

70 AD. This made Jerusalem the 2nd most holy place in the Islam faith. How could they give

such a sacred shrine to the pope without causing a revolt?

"The pope realized what they had created was out of control when he heard they were calling

"His Holiness" an infidel. The Muslim generals were determined to conquer the world for Allah

and now they turned toward Europe. Islamic ambassadors approached the pope and asked for

papal bulls to give them permission to invade European countries.

"The Vatican was outraged; war was inevitable. Temporal power and control of the world was

considered the basic right of the pope. He wouldn't think of sharing it with those whom he

considered heathens.

"The pope raised up his armies and called them crusades to hold back the children of Ishmael

from grabbing Catholic Europe. The crusades lasted centuries and Jerusalem slipped out of the

pope's hands.

"Turkey fell and Spain and Portugal were invaded by Islamic forces. In Portugal, they called a

mountain village "Fatima" in honor of Muhammad's daughter, never dreaming it would become

world famous.

"Years later when the Muslim armies were poised on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, to

invade Italy, there was a serious problem. The Islamic generals realized they were too far

extended. It was time for peace talks. One of the negotiators was Francis of Assisi.

"As a result, the Muslims were allowed to occupy Turkey in a "Christian" world, and the

Catholics were allowed to occupy Lebanon in the Arab world. It was also agreed that the

Muslims could build mosques in Catholic countries without interference as long as Roman

Catholicism could flourish Arab countries.

"Cardinal Bea told us in Vatican briefings that both the Muslims and Roman Catholics agreed to

block and destroy the efforts of their common enemy, Bible-believing Christianm missionaries.

Through these concordats, Satan blocked the children of Ishmael from a knowledge of Scripture

and the truth.

"A light control was kept on Muslims from the Ayatollah down through the Islamic priests, nuns

and monks. The Vatican also engineers a campaign of hatred between the Muslim Arabs and the

Jews. Before this, they had co-existed peacefully.

"The Islamic community looks on the Bible-believing missionary as a devil who brings poison to

the children of Allah. This explains years of ministry in those countries with little results.

"The next plan was to control Islam. In 1910, Portugal was going

Socialistic. Red flags were appearing and the Catholic Church was

facing a major problem. Increasing numbers were against the

church.

"The Jesuits wanted Russia involved, and the location of this vision

at Fatima could play a key part in pulling Islam to the Mother

Church.

"In 1917, the Virgin appeared in Fatima. "The Mother of God" was

a smashing success, playing to overflow crowds. As a result, the

Socialists of Portugal suffered a major defeat.

"Roman Catholics world-wide began praying for the conversion of

Russia and the Jesuits invented the Novenas to Fatima which they

could perform throughout North Africa, spreading good public

relations to the Muslim world. The Arabs thought they were

honoring the daughter of Muhammad, which is what the Jesuits wanted them to believe.

"As a result of the vision of Fatima, Pope Pius XII ordered his Nazi army to crush Russia and the

Orthodox religion and make Russia Roman Catholic." A few years after he lost World war II,

Pope Pius XII startled the world with his phoney dancing sun vision to keep Fatima in the news.

It was great religious show biz and the world swallowed it.

"Not surprisingly, Pope Pius was the only one to see this vision.

As a result, a group of followers has grown into a Blue Army

world-wide, totaling millions of faithful Roman Catholics ready to

die for the blessed virgin.

"But we haven't seen anything yet. The Jesuits have their Virgin

Mary scheduled to appear four or five times in China, Russia, and

major appearance in the U.S.

Lucia de Santos, Francisco

Marco and Jacinta Maro in

1917. Image from:

mystae.com

"What has this got to do with Islam? Note Bishop Sheen's

statement: "Our Lady's appearances at Fatima marked the turning point in the history of the

world's 350 million Muslims. After the death of his daughter, Muhammad wrote that she "is the

most holy of all women in Paradise, next to Mary."

"He believed that the Virgin Mary chose to be known as Our Lady of Fatima as a sign and a

pledge that the Muslims who believe in Christ's virgin birth, will come to believe in His divinity.

"Bishop Sheen pointed out that the pilgrim virgin statues of Our Lady of Fatima were

enthusiastically received by Muslims in Africa, India, and elsewhere, and that many Muslims are

now coming into the Roman Catholic Church."

Article from: http://www.cloakanddagger.de/lenny/alberto_rivera.htm

http://remnantofgod.org/books/docs/how-the-vatican-created-islam.pdf

Daniel 2

1599 Geneva Bible

2 1 The dreams of Nebuchadnezzar. 13 The king commandeth all the wise men of Babylon to be slain, because they could not interpret his dream. 16 Daniel requireth time to solute the question. 24 Daniel is brought unto the king, and showeth him his dream, and the interpretation thereof. 44 Of the everlasting kingdom of Christ.

1 And in the [a]second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed [b]dreams wherewith his spirit was [c]troubled, and his [d]sleep was upon him.

2 Then the king commanded to call the enchanters, and the astrologians, and the sorcerers, and the [e]Chaldeans for to show the king his dreams: so they came and stood before the King.

3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the [f]Aramite’s language, O king, live forever: show thy servants thy dream, and we shall show the interpretation.

5 And the King answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me. If ye will not make me understand the dream with the interpretation thereof, ye [g]shall be drawn in pieces, and your houses shall be made a jakes.

6 But if ye declare the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards, and great honor: therefore show me the dream and the interpretation of it.

7 They answered again, and said, Let the king show [h]his servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation thereof.

8 Then the king answered, and said, I know certainly that ye [i]would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

9 But if ye will not declare me the dream, there is but one judgment for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words, to speak before me till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, that I may know, if ye can declare me the interpretation thereof.

10 Then the Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is no man upon earth that can declare the king’s matter: yea, there is neither King nor Prince nor lord that asked such things at an enchanter, or astrologian, or Chaldean.

11 For it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can declare it before the king, except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh.

12 For this cause the king was angry and in great fury, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babel.

13 ¶ And when sentence was given, the wise men were slain: and they [j]sought Daniel and his fellows to be put to death.

14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the king’s [k]chief steward, which was gone forth to put to death the wise men of Babel.

15 Yea, he answered and said unto Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the sentence so hasty from the king? Then Arioch declared the thing to Daniel.

16 So Daniel went and desired the king that he would give him leisure, and that he would show the king the interpretation thereof.

17 ¶ Then Daniel went to his house, and showed the matter to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah his companions,

18 That they should beseech the God of heaven for grace in this secret, that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babel.

19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision by night: therefore Daniel praised the God of heaven.

20 And Daniel answered and said, The Name of God be praised forever and ever: for wisdom and strength are his.

21 And he changeth the times and seasons: he taketh away kings: he setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and understanding to those that understand.

22 He discovereth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in darkness, and the [l]light dwelleth with him.

23 I thank thee and praise thee, O thou God of my [m]fathers, that thou hast given me wisdom and [n]strength, and hast showed me now the thing that we desired of thee: for thou hast declared unto us the king’s matter.

24 ¶ Therefore Daniel went unto Arioch, whom the King had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babel: he went and said thus unto him, Destroy not [o]the wise men of Babel, but bring me before the king, and I will declare unto the king the interpretation.

25 Then Arioch brought Daniel before the king in all haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the children of Judah that were brought captives, that will declare unto the king the interpretation.

26 Then answered the king, and said unto Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to show me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded, can neither the wise, the astrologians, the enchanters, nor the soothsayers declare unto the king.

28 But there is a God in [p]heaven that revealeth secrets, and showeth the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the things which thou hast seen in thine head upon thy bed, is this:

29 O king, when thou wast in thy bed, thoughts came into thy mind, what should come to pass hereafter, and he that revealeth secrets, telleth thee what shall come.

30 As [q]for me, this secret is not showed me for any wisdom that I have more than any other living, but only to show the king the interpretation, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thine heart.

31 O king, thou sawest, and behold, there was a great image: this great image whose glory was so excellent, stood before thee, and the form therefore was terrible.

32 This image’s head was of fine [r]gold, his breast, and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

33 His legs of iron, and his feet were part of iron, and part of clay.

34 Thou beheldest it till a stone was cut without hands, which smote the image upon his feet, that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken all together, and became like the chaff of the summer flowers, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36 This is the dream, and we will declare before the king the interpretation thereof.

37 ¶ O king, thou art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

38 And in all places where the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all: thou art [s]this head of gold.

39 And after thee shall rise another kingdom, [t]inferior to thee, of silver, and another [u]third kingdom shall be of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: for as iron breaketh in pieces, and subdueth all things, and as iron bruiseth all these things, so shall it break in [v]pieces, and bruise all.

41 Whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter’s clay, and part of iron: the kingdom shall be [w]divided, but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, as thou sawest the iron mixed with the clay, and earth.

42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so shall the kingdom be partly strong, and partly broken.

43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with clay and earth, they shall mingle themselves with [x]the seed of men: but they shall not join one with another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay.

44 And in the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which [y]shall never be destroyed: and this kingdom shall not be given to another people, but it shall break, and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

45 Whereas thou sawest, that the [z]stone was cut of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold: so the great God hath showed the king, what shall come to pass hereafter, and the dream is true, and the interpretation thereof is sure.

46 ¶ Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and [aa]bowed himself unto Daniel, and commanded that they should offer meat offerings, and sweet odors unto him.

47 Also the King answered unto Daniel, and said, I know of a truth that your [ab]God is a God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and the revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest open this secret.

48 So the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many and great [ac]gifts. He made him governor over the whole province of Babel, and chief of the rulers, and above all the wise men of Babel.

49 Then Daniel [ad]made request to the King, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the charge of the province of Babel: but Daniel sat in the [ae]gate of the king.

Footnotes

Daniel 2:1 The father and the son were both called by this name, so that this is meant of the son, when he reigned alone: for he reigned also after a sort with his father.

Daniel 2:1 Not that he had many dreams, but because many matters were contained in this dream.

Daniel 2:1 Because it was so rare and strange a dream: that he had not had the like.

Daniel 2:1 He was so heavy with sleep, that he began to sleep again. Some read, and his sleep was broken from him.

Daniel 2:2 For all these Astrologers and sorcerers called themselves by this name of honor, as though all the wisdom and knowledge of the country depended upon them, and that all other countries were void of the same.

Daniel 2:4 That is, in the Syrian tongue which differed not much from the Chaldeans, save it seemed to be more eloquent, and therefore the learned used to speak it, as the Jewish writers do to this day.

Daniel 2:5 This is a just reward of their arrogance (which vaunted of themselves that they had the knowledge of all things) that they should be proved fools, and that to their perpetual shame and confusion.

Daniel 2:7 Herein appeared their ignorance, that notwithstanding their brags, yet were they not able to tell the dream, except he entered them into the matter, and therefore they would pretend knowledge where was but mere ignorance, and so as deluders of the people, they were worthy to die.

Daniel 2:8 Hebrew, redeem the time.

Daniel 2:13 Which declareth that God would not have his servant joined in the company of these sorcerers and Astrologers, whose arts were wicked, and therefore justly ought to die, though the king did it upon a rage and no zeal.

Daniel 2:14 Or, the captain of the guards.

Daniel 2:22 He showeth that man hath neither wisdom nor knowledge, but very dark blindness and ignorance of himself: for it cometh only of God, that man understandeth anything.

Daniel 2:23 To whom thou madest thy promise, and who lived in thy fear: whereby he excludeth all other gods.

Daniel 2:23 Meaning, power to interpret it.

Daniel 2:24 Whereby appeareth that many were slain, as verse 13, and the rest at Daniel’s offer were preserved on condition: not that Daniel favored their wicked profession, but that he had respect to equity, because the King proceeded according to his wicked affection, and not considering if their science were lawful or no.

Daniel 2:28 He affirmeth that man by reason and art is not able to attain to the cause of God’s secrets, but the understanding only thereof must come of God: whereby he smiteth the king with a certain fear and reverence of God, that he might be the more apt to receive the high mysteries, that should be revealed.

Daniel 2:30 Because he had said that God only must reveal the signification of this dream, the King might have asked, why Daniel did enterprise to interpret it, and therefore he showeth that he was but God’s minister and had no gifts, but such as God had given him to set forth his glory.

Daniel 2:32 By gold, silver, brass and iron, are meant the Chaldean, Persian, Macedonian and Roman kingdoms, which should successively rule all the world till Christ (which is here called the stone) come himself, and destroy the last: and this was to assure the Jews, that their affliction should not end with the empire of the Chaldeans, but that they should patiently abide the coming of Messiah, which should be at the end of this fourth monarchy.

Daniel 2:38 Daniel leaveth out the kingdom of the Assyrians, which was before the Babylonian, both because it was not a Monarchy and general empire, and also because he would declare the things that were to come, to the coming of Christ, for the comfort of the elect among these wonderful alterations, and he calleth the Babylonian kingdom the golden head, because in respect of the other three, it was the best, and yet it was of itself wicked and cruel.

Daniel 2:39 Meaning, the Persians which were not inferior in dignity, power, and riches, but were worse touching ambition, cruelty, and all kind of vice, showing that the world should grow worse and worse, till it was restored by Christ.

Daniel 2:39 That is, of the Macedonians shall be of brass, not alluding to the hardness thereof, but to the vileness in respect of silver.

Daniel 2:40 That is, the Roman empire shall subdue all these other aforenamed, which after Alexander were divided into the Macedonians, Grecians, Syrians and Egyptians.

Daniel 2:41 They shall have civil wars, and continual discords among themselves.

Daniel 2:43 They shall by marriages and affinities think to make themselves strong: yet shall they never be joined in hearts.

Daniel 2:44 His purpose is to show, that all the kingdoms of the world are transitory, and that the kingdom of Christ shall only remain forever.

Daniel 2:45 Meaning Christ, who was sent of God, and not set up by man, whose kingdom at the beginning should be small and without beauty to man’s judgment, but should at length grow and fill the whole earth, which he calleth a great mountain, as verse 35. And this kingdom which is not only referred to the person of Christ, but also to the whole body of his Church, and to every member thereof, shall be eternal: for the Spirit that is in them is life eternal, Rom. 8:10.

Daniel 2:46 Though this humbling of the king seemed to deserve commendation, yet because he joined God’s honor with the Prophet’s, it is to be reproved, and Daniel herein erred, if he suffered it: but it is credible that Daniel admonished him of his fault, and did not suffer it.

Daniel 2:47 This confession was but a sudden motion, as it was also in Pharaoh, Exod. 9:28, but his heart was not touched, as appeared soon afterward.

Daniel 2:48 Not that the Prophet was desirous of gifts or honor, but because by this means he might relieve his poor brethren, which were grievously oppressed in this their captivity, and also he received them, lest he should offend this cruel king, which willingly gave them.

Daniel 2:49 He did not this for their private profit: but that the whole Church, which was then there in affliction, might have some release and ease by this benefit.

Daniel 2:49 Meaning, that either he was a judge, or that he had the whole authority, so than none could be admitted to the king’s presence, but by him.

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