Editor - Robert Scott Wadsworth <> P.O. Box 5772, Oregon City, OR 97045-8272

WE UNDERSTAND ARAFAT - ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE

The following is from a Washington Times report released on January 17, 1997. "Israeli intelligence has undergone a 'revolutionary reassessment' of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, concluding that they have dangerously underestimated him. Arafat has destroyed the Israeli intelligence network in the disputed territories, has full control over the Islamic terrorist group Hamas, and is ready for a military confrontation with Israel, they believe.

According to Israeli journalist Ehud Ya'ari, and expert in Arab affairs and the Israeli intelligence community, 'Some of the best brains in Israeli intelligence believe that Arafat is heading for a huge confrontation down the road.' Ya'ari, Middle East correspondent for Israel Television and an associate of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, was writing in the January 9 issue of the Jerusalem Report. His assessment has been confirmed by Israeli political and intelligence sources.

For the past four years, Israeli security heads have worked from the assumptions that Arafart has no option other than cooperation with Israel, that he faces a serious threat from Hamas, and that he must maintain Israeli good will to gain further diplomatic concessions. This dependence on Israel would keep Arafat in check, they believed.

Today, they believe that Arafat is preparing for a violent confrontation with Israel which could escalate into war. Hamas poses no threat to Arafat due to his ruthless security police, and Arafat is able to 'turn on and off' Palestinian popular protests in areas he controls. Israeli intelligence has been surprised by Arafat's effectiveness at taking advantage of Arabs who had served as informers for Israel, 'turning former Palestinian collaborators... into their guides to the Israeli modus operandi,' in the words of Ya'ri.

The Israeli cabinet and the parliamentary security committee have been informed of the new assessments."

CONGRESSIONAL REPORT: SYRIA, IRAN, IRAQ, PALESTINIANS COOPERATING FOR WAR

The following was released by Arutz Sheva News Service, Israel, on January 21, 1997.

"A U.S. Congressional Task Force report warns that Syria, Iran, Iraq, and the Palestinian Authority are cooperating in preparation for war with Israel. Syrian President Assad and Saddam Hussein of Iraq met secretly to this end in the spring of 1996. Other secret meetings have been held between the Syrian government and the Palestinian Authority, including agreements that the Palestinian police and other 'armed elements' will cause 'flare-ups in the Israeli interior in case of an escalation in the north.' This is the first media revelation of the report, although it was released last month.

In an exclusive interview with Arutz-7 correspondent Yedidya Atlas, U.S. Congressman Jim Saxton (R, N.J.) who heads the Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, said that the American Administration is making a mistake in not relating to the possibility of a break-out of war in the Middle East with more seriousness. Saxton said, 'Because the American people want to hear that the peace process is succeeding, it becomes less difficult for the administration to brush aside possible threats to Israel, rather than deal with them directly... According to this report, there is a clear and present danger to Israel and the Israeli people. By watching the policies of the former Israeli government and the current policies of the U.S. government, one would think that things are just wonderful and that we have nothing to worry about in the Middle East, and all we have to do is make agreements like Hevron and everything will work out fine. But those of us in this Congressional Task Force believe the facts that are presented in this report... and that the [Clinton Administration] should recognize that the reality may not be the same as it would prefer to see... '

Excerpts from the Congressional Task Force report:

"Approaching the end of 1996, the Middle East may well be on the verge of a major regional war. Numerous sources in the region report that the supreme leaders -- both civilians and military -- in most Arab states, as well as in Iran and Pakistan are convinced that the present vulnerability of Israel is so great that there is a unique opportunity to, at the very least, begin the process leading to the destruction of Israel. These circumstances are considered to be a historic window of opportunity the Muslim World should not miss. Toward this end, several Arab states, as well as Iran and Pakistan, have been engaged in a frantic military build-up and active preparation in the last few months."

"In late May 1996, Teheran demonstrated how seriously Iran takes the possibility of dispatching forces to the Israeli front. Iran conducted its largest military exercise ever -- Velayat. The essence of Velayat was a multiple corps deep offensive in the aftermath of a long range advance identical to the distance between Iran and Israel. The objective of Velayat was to confirm Iran's ability to send a strategically effective expeditionary force -- the Velayat Force -- to contribute to a regional war against high-quality armies. The primary intended objective of the exercise is Israel."

"In mid-June, Iran and Syria signed a major agreement specifically for the codification of their military cooperation against Israel. By mid-August, Iraq was brought into this framework with the establishment of tripartite "joint command" specifically aimed to expedite the preparations for, and conduct, "a major war against Israel..." In late September, the Palestinian factor was added to the joint preparations when the Palestinian Authority (PA) entered into a major military agreement with Syria. Significantly, this agreement is between the PA, and not the PLO, and Syria, thus explicitly committing the Palestinian forces in the territories. The essence of the agreement is for the Palestinian "police" forces and other armed elements (terrorist organizations) to flare-up the Israeli interior in case of an escalation in the north... In return, Syria will provide weapons and advanced training to PLO units in the refugees camps in southern Lebanon units disarmed as part of Israeli-Lebanese agreements. Meanwhile, the PLO's preparations for an imminent war are evident. In Gaza, Arafat ordered the marked acceleration of the building of a personal command bunker, four stories deep. Moreover, the PLO is rapidly building all over Gaza a chain of command centers, ammunition and weapons-storage areas -- all of them underground and well fortified to even withstand Israeli bombing and shelling. The PA's security services are also accumulating large stockpiles of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, including missiles, even though they are forbidden by the Oslo Accords."

In another news report by SNS news it was revealed that Syria performed a large number of Scud missile launch tests in mid-January, 1997. This information was released by U.S. military intelligence. Syria has hundreds of Scud missiles with warheads containing nerve gas and anthrax. Syria also has thousands of aerial bombs containing the same.

There is evidence that Turkey may also be joining in with Syria and Iran. Egypt has vowed to join in against Israel if there is war.

It appears that a large scale invasion of Israel may occur in the very near future. The talks over the status of Jerusalem start in March. According to Zechariah 12:3, it is Jerusalem that is the burdensome stone in the last days.

THE COMET OF 66 A.D.

In the year 66 A.D., Israel was invaded by Roman forces. In the Spring of 66 A.D., Halley's Comet appeared very bright in the sky over Jerusalem. The comet's closest approach to the earth occurred on March 20/21 of that year. The Passover was on March 28/29. The following is a quote from Josephus' "Wars of the Jews."

"Thus were the miserable people persuaded by these deceivers, and such as beheld God himself; while they did not attend, nor give credit, to the signs that were so evident, and did so plainly foretell their future desolation; but, like men infatuated, without either eyes to see or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciation that God made to them. Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, a comet that continued a whole year. Thus also before the Jew's rebellion, and before those commotions which preceded the war, when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread, on the eighth day of the month Xanthicus (Nisan), and at the ninth hour of the night, so great a light shone round about the altar and the holy house, that it appeared to be bright day-time; which light lasted for half an hour. This light seemed to be a good sign to the unskillful, but was so interpreted by the sacred scribes as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it."

The eighth day of Nisan in the year 66 A.D. began on March 21 when Halley's Comet was at its closest approach to the earth. In the quote above, "people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread" which is Nisan 15 or one week from the eighth of Nisan. The people were coming into Jerusalem for the feast, which was one week away.

Could the appearing and closest approach of Halley's Comet in 66 A.D., "immediately before" the Roman invasion be a foreshadowing of "Jacob's Trouble" in the end times, which may soon be upon us? I find it interesting that the closest approach to the earth of Comet Hale-Bopp will occur on March 22/23.

Chart 22 shows the path of Halley's Comet from March 18 to March 23, 66 A.D. Chart 23 shows the path of Halley's Comet from March 24 to April 15, 66 A.D. The comet most likely appeared very bright when passing through the constellations Ophiuchus and Scorpius (the constellations of the conflict and struggle between the Woman's seed and the Serpent's seed) between March 16 and March 20. In the evening of March 20, the comet was in conjunction with the star Zuben Akrabi (the price of the conflict) in the constellation Libra. Zuben Akrabi is the large star just above Halley's Comet in Chart 24. The price of the conflict was paid for and the conflict won 38 years prior to this, but most of Israel failed to believe this and rejected their Redeemer. Here, they are found wanting in the balances. The war lasted 3 1/2 years; the destruction of the temple occurred in 70 A.D.

Chart 25 shows a conjunction of the moon and Saturn in Virgo (the Woman) on March 27 (Nisan 14), 66 A.D. Halley's comet came into conjunction with the moon and Saturn later that evening.

COMET HALE-BOPP UPDATE

Comet Hale-Bopp can now be easily seen with the naked eye. It is at magnitude 2.3 at this writing and will most likely be very bright at its closest approach to the earth on March 22/23. It can be seen in the eastern sky about an hour before sunrise in the eastern and western U.S., and in the western sky after sunset in the western U.S. Hale-Bopp is now in the constellation Aquila (the Eagle - the smitten one falling) which belongs to the sign Capricornus (the goat of atonement slain for the redeemed). Jupiter is also in Capricorn. In early February the comet will pass through the constellation Sagitta (the arrow of God sent forth), which also is in the sign Capricornus. From mid to late February, the comet will pass through the constellation Cygnus (The Blesser surely returning), which belongs to the sign Aquarius (Their blessings ensured, or the living waters of blessing poured forth for the redeemed). The above meanings for the constellations are from E. W. Bullinger's "The Witness of the Stars" (1893), Kregel Publications.

PLANETARY CONJUNCTIONS

There are two planetary conjunctions occurring in February. There will be a Jupiter/Venus conjunction in the constellation Capricornus on February 6, and a Jupiter/Mercury conjunction in the same constellation on February 13. Venus and Mercury will come into conjunction in Aquarius on March 2; Mercury and Saturn will come into conjunction in Pisces (the blessings of the redeemed in abeyance - also representing Israel) on March 20. The comet Hale-Bopp will be in the constellation Andromeda (the redeemed in their bondage and affliction) which belongs to the sign Pisces, on March 20. See Chart 70 in "A Voice Crying in the Heavens."

"Come, Lord, and Tarry not,

Bring the long-looked-for day;

Oh, why these years of waiting here,

These ages of delay?

Come, for Thy saints still wait;

Daily ascends their cry:

'The Spirit and the Bride say, Come';

Dost Thou not hear their cry?

Come, for creation groans,

Impatient of Thy stay;

Worn out with these long years of ill,

These ages of delay.

Come, for Thine Israel pines,

An exile from Thy fold;

Oh, call to mind Thy faithful word,

And bless them as of old.

Come, for Thy foes are strong;

With taunting lips they say,

'Where is the promised advent now,

And where the dreaded day?

Come, for the good are few;

They lift the voice in vain;

Faith waxes fainter on the earth,

And love is on the wane.

Come, in Thy glorious might;

Come, with Thine iron rod;

Disperse Thy foes before Thy face,

Most mighty Son of God.

Come, and make all things new,

Build up this ruined earth;

Restore our faded paradise,

Creation's second birth.

Come, and begin Thy reign

Of everlasting peace;

Come, take the kingdom to Thyself,

Great King of Righteousness."

"Christ is coming! let Creation

From her groans and travail cease;

Let the glorious proclamation

Hope restore, and faith increase.

Christ is coming,

Come, thou blessed Prince of Peace."

May the rich blessings and grace of God the father, and His Son Jesus Christ be upon and within you.