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Um, yeah, the last time someone in Lebanon tried dicking with Israel, it didn't end well at all. Something tells me that whoever fired this doesn't give a crap if Lebanon gets hammered again as long as they can fight some Israelis. Real nice.

Why is it that nobody seems to notice when Israel launches napalm and white phosphorous all over Lebanon, yet somehow two rockets from lebanon get instant international recognition....

I hate Israel.
I hate the Palestinians.
I dislike Iran.
I dislike Iraq.
I hate George Bush.
I dislike Hezbollah.

I like people who support one of the few functional democracies in the Middle East, and severely dislike people who destroy them.  Especially those who claim to be all pro-democracy, and morally correct.

Fried Chicken wrote:

Why is it that nobody seems to notice when Israel launches napalm and white phosphorous all over Lebanon, yet somehow two rockets from lebanon get instant international recognition....

Um - I don't think that's the case.
Israel sneezes and the media pays attention.

It seems to me that internationally, Israeli actions are scrutinized more than any other country EXCEPT the United States and maybe Iran.

bratboy wrote:

It will be interesting to see what happens in the West Bank now that Fatah and Abbas have reestablished control...

I think we just saw a civil war occur before a country even formed. I suspect that the two regions, already physically separated, and now governmentally separated, will drift even further - eventually leaving a "hamastan" (as people have been calling it) in the Gaza strip, and a "Palestine" in the west bank.

In some ways, I see this as a win. I suspect that the West Bank will eventually settle down, and come to a peace agreement with Israel. Fatah has been shown to be corrupt and greedy, which is good - because it means they can may come to an agreement if the price is right.

Hamastan, on the other hand, will continue to be a problem - but it isn't as large an area to contain. The only trouble aspect is the large coast line, which someone (likely Israel) will have to monitor.

People always think it will happen in their lifetime.

That's what has kept the scam going for so long.

resedit wrote:

btw - I brought it up because I suspect that at some point in my lifetime, we will see the "prince who is to come" that deceives the nations, negotiates a peace treaty, and potentially makes it possible to rebuild the temple.

Maybe not in my lifetime, and some of you think maybe never, but I'll be honest - I have a particular interest in events in that part of the world because my religion has prophecies concerning it written thousands of years ago that seem extremely likely to come to fruition in the very near future.

When the fig tree blooms, you know that summer is near.

Well, that's fine if you believe that, res.  But let me point out to you that not everybody (like myself for example) does.

Fortunately Israel isn't taking the bait.  And fortunately for them, they've gotten rid of their Rumsfeld (Peretz) and replaced him with someone who knows what he's doing.  It also appears that Olmert won't be ousted before his time, which is good for disengagement.

It will be interesting to see what happens with this latest split.  Perhaps more militant Muslims will head to Gaza, more moderate ones will head to the WB.  Apparently we now have to walk on eggshells for fear of offending Muslims.  Yikes.

These words come not from Iran, but from Pakistan.  Supposedly our ally in the War on T'rr'r.

Then again, I don't see the whole rapture and end times nonsense from a literal interpretation of Revelation to be much different than the nonsense that is Muslim doctrine.

In any case, I think this does go to the core cultural conflict that will need to be addressed at some point.  As more nations include Islam in government structures, they are becoming much less tolerant.  One of the cornerstones of a free democracy is freedom of expression.  If I can't type the above without fear of being imprisoned or killed, then I do not live in a free society.  Coming from Iran, it's par for the course.  But from Pakistan, that's more unsettling.  Methinks we don't have as many "allies" in the region as we think we do...

radarman wrote:

I wouldn't hold my breath, though. The middle east and North Africa have been a hotbed of wars and enslavement for at least two millenia. Just go through the OT, or read some of the archeological studies. My grandmother was apparently convinced we were all about to start ascending when the 1967 war broke out.

Oh - I know.
But there are several things that really have never happened before.

1) The prophecy in Daniel (and revelation) refers to a beast with many horns. Horns represent kings. While it is one kingdom, there clearly is some division within them - as a new horn arises that ejects some other horns.

I can't say for sure it is the EU - but the beast is Rome, which is modern day Europe - and the EU is looking more and more like a unified Europe - a single kingdom with many kings.

2) Gog and Magog - those are regions that identify with Iran and Russia. They have a coalition in Ezekiel, but to my knowledge - there never has been one, at least militarily, though it looks an aweful lot like one may be forming now.

3) Israel has re-established the Sanhedrin - this is preparation for the construction of a new temple, which I believe must exist. The search for a Red Heifer is in full swing.

I know it seems like it can't be done because of the mosque - but if my sources are correct, the mosque isn't in the way. The wailing wall is not actually the western wall of the temple. The temple was completely destroyed in AD 70. Including the wall. The site was identified back in the middle ages (I think it was middle ages) by a "scholar" who got a lot of other things wrong. We know where Herod's palace was. We know Herod could look on the temple from his palace (Josephus). If my sources are correct - that makes it impossible for the Dome of the Rock to be where the Temple was.

What is the wailing wall then? Herod had a building to house troops in defense of the Temple Mound. When Rome crushed Israel and destroyed Jerusalem, they used that building as an outpost to maintain peace. The wailing wall is what is left from that building.

Now it is possible that that is all phooey, investigating that further is on my list of things to do, but if that is the case - Israel certainly knows it is the case. Why do they not make it public? Because doing so would cause a demand from the religious Jews to rebuild the temple, and politically they are not ready to do that yet - with the Dome of the Rock in the way, they have an excuse to make the people wait. But the formation of the Sanhedrin is an indicator that they don't want to wait too much longer - even if the Dome is really in the way.

4) Wars and rumors of wars do not mean the end is hear, they are but the birth pangs, but it specifically says it is not the end yet. Jesus spoke specifically of the desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, which is the anti-christ in the Temple (as Paul describes), a temple that hasn't been rebuilt yet.

-=-

I don't believe all the signs are here yet, but I think they very well could be here in my lifetime.

Every generation may have had people who thought so, but we are told to hope for it and to watch for it, yet we are also told not to despair when it hasn't happened.

Obviously those who discount the Bible as the inspired Word of God are going to heckle. You can't discount the Bible and believe what it prophecies to be true at the same time. So their heckling is rather meaningless to those who do believe, just as our hope for the return of Messiah is rather meaningless to them.

I suspect that the end times won't begin for a while, though the exact time (like the end times) seems to vary. I suspect that it won't happen until the end of the current age (Pisces) and the beginning of the next (Aquarius).

Remember, Moses had to contend with people worshing the ram (Aries). This age ended approximately when Jesus was born, transitioning into Pisces (the Fish). If Jesus actually said he would be around until the end of the age, rather than the world as current translated, then it would be logical to conclude that he meant the end of the current astrological age, and that fits. He says to look for the man holding a vessel of water (Aquarius). Note that the symbol of Christianity is the fish.

That said, assuming everyone is holding to historical astronomy/astrology, and not Nostradomus (or some other nut), it looks like 2600 AD. (note, astrology in this sense is the mapping of constellations, not predicting the future, or determining your "sign")

http://www.geocities.com/astrologyages/ … uarius.htm

Of course, this makes some pretty serious assumptions.

robco wrote:

Just remember, the antichrist will be jewish.

Oh God, it's Jon Stewart!

Sorry, I just can't help myself.