Month: November 2020

The 1960’s movie, Swiss Family Robinson, fired in my being an almost overwhelming desire to be part of such an idyllic setting.

Cast upon an uninhabited island after their ship has crashed upon the rocks outside an exposed reef in a raging storm, and then left to make do with what could be salvaged from the broken vessel, and such foodstuffs and materials as could be used from the bounties of such an island. With hard work, the family made lemonade out of lemons – so to speak. They built paradise!

I can still see in my memory the amazing tree house with its multi level rooms high up in the lofty branches, with a roped stairway from one level to the next, a water wheel driven bucket system which provided running water to the rooms high up, and the opening roof of the upper room which could be drawn back in the evening for star gazing.

The ingenious methods they devised to cope; i.e. fishing in the surf. The hilarious animal race, riding on Clementine the ostrich, Dutchess the zebra, Lightning the donkey and Rocky the elephant. Filmed on the Island of Tobago with its lush tropical vegetation, and many exotic settings, including its famous swimming hole under the falls. I hope the swinging rope over the pool is still there.

“The gathering to the New Jerusalem develops in time to the status of being “Zion” where God will visit. The growth is through refinement of the residents of the New Jerusalem… It will be a physical and spiritual enterprise to be accomplished by the hard effort of those interested in welcoming the Lord’s return.” (Was there an Original? Paper by Denver C. Snuffer Jr. P. 35-36.)

Perhaps, partly because of “Swiss Family Robinson” I have this longing to be in this New Jerusalem. I know many like me who have an aching desire to go there, but many of us have issues…

. We are old.
. We will be hard pressed to contribute physically.
. We are poor and contribute only little to the temple fund.
. We are unmarried, widowed, divorced. Can we go into the temple in such a state?
. I was/am a sinner.
. I would have to see it first.
. and many many more…..

There are probably as many situations for thinking we cannot or should not make a move to the New Jerusalem, if given the chance, as there are people. And sadly, there are those who think that because of their situations, they will not be given an invitation, nor even noticed. And others who think they could, and want to go there, but ask themselves questions like, can I go into the temple, or will my circumstances preclude me? If so then why pack up and move just to the “city?”

I know there are many who are so sure of themselves they would never think to ask any of these questions. Perhaps that is good and will work out well for them. There are, however, those like I have posed above. I know. I have talked with them. Mostly they have come asking these things of me. So I will ask this about myself:

“If I think that in spite of any existing circumstances such as listed above, or any other, that I can go to the city of The New Jerusalem, but doubt If I might ever be able to enter that beautiful edifice on the hill, why do I still want to go?”

Perhaps to answer that question, I’ll ask and then try to answer another related one:

“is there an umbrella of some sort which the Temple, set on a hill, will cast over the city, its surrounding precincts, and the people who will reside there, but who have not yet entered or cannot yet enter that Holy Edifice?” I think there is. Consider the following:

. Association with like minded, covenant people.
. Association with the endowed.
. Association with holy men, and angels.
. Physical and spiritual protection.
. Peace.
. Access to truth uncluttered by error.
. An increase of proximity with the Spirit, until the Perfect day.
. A library of the best books and artifacts of this earth. My opinion is that there will be a city library, separate from the library within the walls of the Temple.
. A holy place for conferences and festivals.
. One year for a vacation we traveled to all the temples in Utah in order to let our young grandchildren touch the temples. They knew they could not go inside, however the lasting impression on them has been immense in a lot of ways that are good. We too can be as little children.
. There will be many sacred things (I’m sure) visible from outside the temple, which to look upon will create a condition of holiness and wonder within us.
. In the encounter between the Lord and Paul as he was on his way to Damascus, Paul saw into the light, and heard the voice. Those with him seeing indeed a light, but hearing no voice nonetheless were left speechless by the experience. So too with Christ in the Temple.
. And then, one day, perhaps it will be my turn to go in. Oh be still, my heart….

I can yet think of many more benefits of coming to live within The city of The New Jerusalem, but even if I stop here, it –

Sounds like paradise to me.

Keith

The two links listed below should be read by everyone. They detail efforts being made via the courts to hold those responsible for the misery perpetrated via this fraudulent covid-19 “pandemic.”

My question since last April is why there seems to be no lawsuits jamming the courts over this fraudulent covid-19? Maybe there will be.

I can only hope that Governor Gary Herbert, and the local government supporters of this most recent lockdown, and those who have been elected to carry on his policies, will be caught up as defendants, and found guilty of complicity is this Orwellian fiasco to subjugate a gullible populace, and ruin and rob a complete State’s population of their fiscal and social well being.

And if the directions of these recent illegal State government actions turn out to be tied to prodding’s by his/their church leaders, may they be exposed as well!

Keith

https://thenewamerican.com/huge-lawsuits-coming-against-covid-totalitarians-and-con-artists/?fbclid=IwAR0dzvQxcJbaogNTRoJ15DA2LgAcY49P6OWUqNfdFU0kGotagYjfm64QG34

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/10/17/coronavirus-fraud-biggest-crime-against-humanity.aspx

Mughrabi gate = The Mughrabi gate is the only gate to the Temple Mount that the Waqf allows non-Muslims to use for visiting the Temple Mount complex. The Mughrabi Gate is atop the Western Wall of the Temple Mount at a point between the prayer plaza to the north and the archaeological park. Other gates to the mount names: Gate of the Tribes, Moors Gate, Golden Gate. Until February 2004 the Mughrabi gate was accessed by an earthen ramp.

Jerusalem Islamic Waqf = an Islamic religious trust (sometimes called an “Islamic Religious Endowments” organization) best known for controlling and managing the current Islamic edifices on and around the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
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“There is a tradition that the Ark of the Covenant was taken to a Jewish settlement with a temple located at Elephantine Egypt, but those traditions are somewhat dubious. [There are] lots of claims, including that it is housed today in Ethiopia, but that one has proven to be false and no one has been able to substantiate any [other] rumors.  It is likely that, if it fell into non-Jewish possession, it would be melted down for the gold. If so, the[n the] original no longer exists.

I think it will have to be reconstructed, if it is to be around again.”
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One other tradition that still holds to this day is that the Ark was buried in a chamber under the Court of the Women, just prior to the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem in 587 BC.

This brings us to an incident which occurred in February of 2004.  After a period of torrential rain and heavy snow, an earthquake hit with its epicenter almost exactly under the earthen ramp access to the Mughrabi gate, giving it the coup de gras, causing it to collapse. 

Since the Six Day War that ramp was the only access for Jews and all other non-Muslems to the temple mount. If anyone was up for an entangled, convoluted, yet interesting legal exercise, it would be to unravel the right of access of the Jews to the Temple Mount.  It makes my head spin to try to get a grip on all the rules and regulations, both Muslim and Jewish, that has piled up over that one topic. Their are claims from the big three, Muslim, Jewish, and Christianity, plus a cabal of intrigues and a whole gamut of other combinations, secret and otherwise.

Interestingly enough when the ramp collapsed it was discovered (exposed, pun intended) that there had been excavation going on over a proceeding 10 year period attempting to expose the whole underground length of the Western (Wailing Wall, Ha Kotel Ha Ma’aravee, etc.) Wall.  At one point during this “archeological dig,” earth and stone had been removed away from the wall, and it exposed an ancient, filled in gate. In the vicinity of the gate it was found that water was leaking through the wall from the inside.  At that point, Religious Affairs Minister Aharon Abuhatzeira gave permission to breach the wall through the sealed gate.  A large cistern was discovered on the other side.  At this point Chief Rabbi Schlomo Goren came to inspect and after his tour, immediately gave orders to seal up the breech again “because of the sensitive nature of the area.”  “The cistern was a tunnel from the Second Temple period that; (it was speculated, but never confirmed, because those who could confirm stayed silent); it was speculated, could lead to the treasures of the temple, INCLUDING THE HOLY ARK.” (Almost a quote from “Jerusalem, The Eternal City.”  Galbraith, Ogden, Skinner. Page 483.)  

This caused a real stink when it was discovered the Israeli’s had breeched the wall. (and perhaps had entered the tunnel?)  Consequently, the Jerusalem Muslamic Waqf sealed the temple mount side of the wall also at the “underground cistern” to prevent continued or further “Jewish penetration.”  This all took a massive police intervention and a lot of political manuerving to quell the uprising it caused. In fact if my mind doesn’t fail me there were calls for holy Jihad throughout the Muslim world.

This stuff is better than either Dan Brown: The Da Vinvi Code, or Joel Rosenberg: The Copper Scroll. This stuff is a “real” thriller.  

I remember thinking at the time, how can I get over there to be in on this.  Well when I finally got there it was January 2007 and a temporary wooden ramp was in place up to the Mughrabi gate, but I never even got to go up onto the mount because there was a Palestinian uprising going on and the Jewish authorities had closed the whole Temple Mount even to Muslims who couldn’t prove they were older than 50, Even the wooden ramp was closed.  Shucks!!  This uprising was over the still ongoing archeological excavations where the old ramp had stood.  This one issue alone has put muslims all over the world on alert and ready to perpetrate Armageddon on the Jews.  Makes one wonder how a temple can ever be built there.  Or even if it will be built there.  Or……?

Well, we know a temple will be built at least someplace “in” (or is that the Book of Mormon “at”) Jerusalem before our Lord comes, and for me it’s exciting to speculate that some way or another, the ancient treasures, including the Ark will be made available.  It seems to me that perhaps a better place to build the temple would be on Mt. Gerizim or enclosing Jacob’s well where Jesus first publicly announced His Messiahship – to a woman, no less.  

Maybe the Two Prophets could with the spirit of prophesy, declare Samaria a suburb of Jerusalem. After all they are only about 40 miles apart, as the crow flies.

Keith

for further study of the issues with the Mughrabi gate I have attached the following link:

https://jcpa.org/article/the-mughrabi-gate-to-the-temple-mount-in-jerusalem-the-urgent-need-for-a-permanent-access-bridge-2/