To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - China News Digest items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 09:04:35 +0000

From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)

Hong Kong Inventor Creates Device to Interrupt Mobile Phone Calls

[CND, 10/14/99] A Hong Kong inventor has invented a hand-held device
which can interrupt mobile telephone calls, AFP reported on Wednesday,
quoting the Hong Kong Standard.

Anil Vora invented "mobile squelcher," a device that cuts off mobile
phone conversations when pointed to the direction of a mobile phone
user. What motivated Vora is his unhappiness with rampant noises
created by mobile phone users in enclosed public areas, such as trains
and restaurants.

The interruptions are very effective in discouraging mobile phone
users from continuing their conversation, according to Vora. The
inventor is busy meeting prospective clients for his invention at the
week-long Hong Kong Electronic Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and
Exhibition Center. (Ray ZHANG, YIN De An)

Beijing Supports Moscow's Chechnya Action

[CND, 10/14/99] Beijing broke its silence and extended its
"understanding and support" for the first time to Moscow's
military action in Chechnya, reported AFP on Tuesday.

Beijing maintains that the Russian government must "safeguard its
national unification, territorial integrity and social stability,"
said foreign ministry spokeswoman ZHANG Qiyue to a news conference.
She also said, "The Chinese side believes that the issue of Chechnya
is the internal matter of Russia."

Moscow's recent military action in Chechnya has reportedly resulted in
700 deaths there. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had previously
criticized Moscow's military response by stating that "war cannot be
the answer to terrorism."

In the past several weeks, bombs have blown up apartment buildings in
Moscow. The Russian leadership has claimed this was the action of
terrorists from troubled regions in the Russian Federation.

In 1960, Beijing broke with the former Soviet Union. Diplomatic
relationships between Beijing and Moscow were re-established in 1989.
Next month, Boris Yeltsin is to have an informal summit with President
JIANG Zemin in Beijing. (Sue Bruell, Ouhong WANG, WU Yiyi)

Chinese Court Declares Homosexuality Unacceptable

[CND, 10/14/99] A Beijing court handed down the first ruling on
homosexuality in China, calling it abnormal and unacceptable to the
public, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.

The lawsuit was filed by XU Yan'guang against author FANG Gang and a
publishing company in Jilin province for 60,000 yuan for psychological
damage and financial losses after Xu was mentioned in a book written
by Fang.

In a verdict delivered last month at the Xuanwu District Court in
Beijing, the judge ordered the publishing company to pay the plaintiff
9,000 yuan as compensation. The defendants also were ordered to pay
for the plaintiff's legal costs and to make a public apology.

The book, Homosexuals in China, was published in April 1995 and sold
70,000 copies. Mr. Xu's name did not appear in the book. However, he
was described as the manager of a dance hall where a party attended by
homosexuals took place in 1993 on St. Valentine's Day. Mr. Xu was
depicted as a homosexual who volunteered for the gay telephone
hotline. Mr. Xu said since the book's publication, he has not been
able to find a job and his fiancee would not marry him.

The author said his lawyer plans to appeal the ruling. "I feel the
judgment is unfair. It is for doctors, not judges, to say if
homosexuality is abnormal. The court says that it is considered
abnormal, but by whom - all 1.2 billion Chinese? The most
authoritative definition is by the World Health Organization, which
has removed it from its list of illnesses," the author said. (Mei HUI,
WU Yiyi)

China to Stick to "One Child" Policy

[CND 10/14/99] The world's most populous country vowed to continue its
rigid birth control policy on Tuesday as the world population reached
six billion, AFP reported.

In a letter to a Beijing meeting marking the World Day of Six Billion,
Chinese Premier ZHU Rongji said that China would continue its current
family planning policy and practice in the next century in order to
preserve economic growth and to improve living standard, according to
a Xinhua report.

Mr. Zhu claimed that state policy had reduced more than 300 million
births over the past three decades and delayed the World Day of Six
Billion by four years.

Tens of thousands of family planning workers and volunteers used the
occasion to promote the official policy under the banner of
"Population and Sustainable Development" around the country. ZHANG
Weiqing, director of the State Family Planning Commission, told Xinhua
that the government considers birth control as an important long-term
task, indicating there will be no relaxation of the current "one
child" policy.

China's population exploded during the first 20 years of communist
rule largely due to the lack of government population policy and the
late chairman MAO Zedong's idea of "More people, more ideas, higher
spirit, and more strength." The country's population doubled from 400
million to 800 million during that period. Anarchy during the Cultural
Revolution made the situation even worse.

Official statistics shows that China's population was one fifth of the
world's total by 1998, compared to a quarter in 1988, with an average
birth rate of 1.8 children per household.

China's population reached one billion in 1981, 1.1 billion in 1988,
and 1.2 billion in 1995. Experts predicted a population of 1.3 billion
by 2003, with the country's population stabilizing at 1.5 to 1.6
billion between 2040 and 2050.

Human rights organizations have long been harshly critical of the
population control policy and practice of the Chinese government.
Women are allowed to have only one child except for ethnic minorities.
Violation of the policy usually results in fines around 10,000 yuan
(1,207 US dollars), lost of social welfare benefits, and even jobs. In
some rural areas, overzealous officials have used forced sterilization
and abortion to meet birth quotas. Destruction of homes and
confiscation of personal properties are also common practices to deter
people from having more children. (Weimin LIU, YIN De An)

via: CND-Global Editors <cnd-editor@cnd.org>

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Religion Today News Summary for 10/15/99
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 09:04:35 +0000

From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)

          C U R R E N T N E W S S U M M A R Y
            by the Editors at ReligionToday.com

October 15, 1999

Muslim nations are pursuing "a clear program of expansion and
re-conquest" in Europe, an Italian bishop told a Vatican synod.
Oil-rich nations are using their money "not to create jobs in
poor countries of North Africa and the Middle East but to build
mosques and cultural centers in Christian countries," said
72-year-old Giuseppe Bernardini, who lived in Muslim-dominated
Turkey for 42 years, according to Reuters.
..."Thanks to your democratic laws, we will invade you. Thanks to our
religious laws, we will dominate you," a Muslim leader once told him,
Bernardini said in a letter to the Synod of European Bishops. "One can
believe, because the domination has already begun." He said Islam has
become the second largest faith in Italy and that mosques have been
built in several cities. A $50 million mosque in Rome was financed by
23 Muslim nations, with $35 million coming from Saudi Arabia.
...Bernardini called on the pope to convene a special synod to address
the issue. John Paul II has attempted to foster better
Muslim-Christian relations and has visited several Islamic nations,
including Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan, preaching a message of
religious tolerance. He has asked Muslim nations that forbid Christian
worship to afford equal rights to all.

Religious police invaded two Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, house churches and
arrested 40 Christians Oct. 8. Police ransacked the houses and
confiscated Bibles, money, and other personal belongings,
International Christian Concern (see link #1 below) said. All but 13
people have been released. The Christians were forced to sign a
document admitting they violated Saudi laws and promising not to
attend religious meetings, ICC said. ...The names of the two house
churches are Jesus is Lord and Shalom. The 13 Christians held at
Riyadh's Malz prison are Renato Caraan, Cesar Lacierda, Rollando
Cubangbag, Loepoldo Co, Daniel Caballero, Rogel Bernabe, Nelson
Ventura, Fernando Tagadtad, Lope Arcella, Emmanual Derecho, Rogelio
Maon, Maximo Havanera, and Arnold Garcia. ...The raids came shortly
after Saudi officials allowed evangelistic meetings in an auditorium
outside Riyadh, ICC said. More than 1,000 people of various
nationalities attended the Oct. 5 services preached by Morris
Cerrullo. The event was unprecedented in Saudi Arabia, where Christian
worship is forbidden, ICC's Steve Snyder told Religion Today.
Christians came away encouraged and spiritually enthused by the
services, he said.

Eastern Orthodox theological students will mix with their
Catholic and Protestant peers at England's Cambridge University.
The Institute for Orthodox Studies is part of the Cambridge
Theological Federation, which includes Roman Catholic, Anglican,
Methodist, and United Reformed theological schools, Ecumenical
News International said. The Orthodox institute is one of only a
few that educates its students in an interdenominational setting.
...The experience will make students "not worse Orthodox, but
strengthened by experiences that will challenge them," Canadian-born
Orthodox priest John Jillions said. The program has the blessing of
the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, spiritual leader of the
world's 300 million Orthodox Christians. Three full-time students
include a South Korean nun and two men from Greece and India. Mixing
with students of other branches of Christianity will benefit everyone,
Jillions said. Western Christians will gain a better understanding of
Orthodoxy by mingling with the students, he said.

The minister who first challenged teens to ask "What Would Jesus
Do?" doubts the nationwide fad is a good thing. "I think it
diluted the message. People were wearing these bracelets who
didn't even understand what it meant," Janie Tinkleberg told
Knight-Ridder news service.
...Tinkleberg, assisted by an advertising executive in her
church, developed and distributed the now-famous "W.W.J.D"
bracelets to teens in her youth group. Religious and secular
marketers picked up on the idea and millions of the bracelets
have been sold in the past several years. The fad is dying down
and that's a good thing, she said. "I want this to fade so it
will end up where it belongs - back with people wearing them who
know what these little nylon bracelets really mean."
...Buddhists are jumping on the bandwagon. A new book, What Would
Buddha Do?, offers Buddhism's answers to 105 daily dilemmas. "What
would Buddha do about coffee addiction? He'd switch to tea," the book
says. "How would Buddha deal with road rage? He'd steer away from
anger." A person need not be a Buddhist to read the book, marketer
Bryce Willet said. "Americans feel free to look for spiritual wisdom
in many different traditions. They use different spiritual practices
they find meaningful."

The Boy Scouts (see link #2 below) should change its policy of
excluding homosexuals, the United Methodist Church's social
action agency says. The UMC is the country's largest sponsor of
Boy Scout troops, hosting 11,738 units that account for 421,579
boys, United Methodist News Service said.
... The denomination would like to "enthusiastically affirm and
encourage this continuing partnership of the church and scouting" but
cannot because of "discrimination against gays" that conflicts with
the church's Social Principles, the United Methodist Board of Church
and Society said during its Oct. 7-10 meeting. ...The denomination's
Commission on United Methodist Men has taken an opposite position on
the question of the involvement of homosexuals in Boy Scouts.

A conference featuring three prominent Christian leaders will be
broadcast live on the Internet this weekend. Touched by an Angel
creator Martha Williamson, Prison Fellowship founder Charles
Colson, and author William Bennett will speak at "The Christian
Mind in the New Millennium" in Colorado Springs Oct. 15-17. The
conference is based on Colson's 1999 book How Now Shall We Live?
(Tyndale), and deals with how Christians should think and live in a
culture that is fundamentally at odds with the Gospel. Coverage will
be webcast (see link #3 below) on the Christian site crosswalk.com
from 7:45 p.m. Mountain Time on Oct. 15 through noon Oct. 17.

-----------
RELATED LINKS:
1: http://www.persecution.org/
2:http://www.religiontoday.com/Archive/NewsSummary/view.cgi?file=19990812.brf.html
3: http://www.crosswalk.com/webcast/christianmind/

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today items (10/14/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 09:18:51 +0000

From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)

President of EU calls for rapid growth of 28 countries

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Electronic Telegraph-London

Thu Oct 14,1999 -- The European Union should be ready to start
expanding its membership from 15 to 28 countries within three years,
the president of the European Commission said yesterday. Romano Prodi
said this would unite the continent "for the first time since the fall
of the Roman Empire". Unveiling a new timetable for EU enlargement, he
urged the community to adopt a far more ambitious strategy to build
peace and prosperity across Europe. Mr Prodi told MEPs that he wanted
six countries now lagging behind in the enlargement queue - Bulgaria,
Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania and Slovakia - to begin accession
negotiations in Brussels next year. He also proposed that Turkey
should be recognised as a "candidate" nation for the first time,
although he conceded that Ankara had not met the "political criteria
with their emphasis on human rights" necessary to begin accession
talks. Mr Prodi will put these ideas to a meeting of EU heads of
government in Helsinki in December. Last night, Robin Cook, the
Foreign Secretary, endorsed Mr Prodi's plans to admit the six into
formal accession negotiations, saying that a new phase in the EU
enlargement process had begun. He also welcomed the move to bring
Turkey into the European fold after a recent thawing in relations with
its old enemy, Greece. Mr Cook said: "We must seize this historic
opportunity." But many EU diplomats doubt whether more than five
countries - Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Malta - would be
ready to meet the economic and political conditions for entry by 2003.
At present, accession negotiations are under way in Brussels with six
nations regarded as the frontrunners for entry: the Czech Republic,
Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus. Even these "first
division" members had, until recently, been thought unlikely to gain
admission before 2005. Unsurprisingly, the suggestion that Turkey
should be granted "candidate" status proved controversial among Greek
Cypriots pushing for the divided island's admission into the EU. They
complained that the move would take pressure off Ankara to reach a
political settlement on the island. While admitting that the road to
enlargement was littered with obstacles, the commission president
stressed that after the Kosovo conflict and 10 years after the
collapse of the Berlin Wall, Europe was at a crossroads. He said: "Now
as never before, perhaps never again, we have the chance to create a
new Europe in which all the peoples of the this continent can live
together in peace, security, freedom, justice and equality." Under Mr
Prodi's revised plan, the EU would have revamped its institutions
before 2003 so that they could function with a membership of more than
20. This would mean less use of national vetoes and a maximum of one
commissioner per country.

Prodi unveils EU superstate

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Electronic Telegraph-London

Thu Oct 14,1999 -- A radical blueprint of a more powerful European
Union, in which Britain would lose its veto over tax policy and be
bound by a joint constitution, is to be published next week by Romano
Prodi, the new President of the European Commission. The document,
co-written by Lord Simon of Highbury, a Government adviser and former
trade minister, will be seized on by critics as evidence of plans to
create a European superstate. It will embarrass Tony Blair and
undermine his attempt to emphasise the benefits of EU membership at
today's long-awaited launch of Britain in Europe, the pro-euro
campaign group. He is determined to expose what he sees as
anti-European myths, including the fears of a superstate. The
disclosure will also overshadow the summit of EU ministers on justice
and home affairs in Tampere, Finland, this weekend. The report,
commissioned by Mr Prodi following his recent appointment, proposes
wholesale extension of the EC's powers and far greater integration
between member states. It recommends that qualified majority voting
should be "the rule" rather than the exception in an enlarged EU. This
would almost certainly mean that Britain and other member states would
lose their veto over issues such as indirect taxation. Another
proposal is for the treaties which govern European business to be torn
up and replaced by two documents designed to make it easier to
introduce changes. One, setting out the "principles, aims and
institutional framework" of the EU would be widely interpreted as a de
facto constitution for Europe. The other would cover policies agreed
by members and could be amended in isolation without interfering with
the constitutional aspects. The report also calls for closer links on
foreign and defence policy to be formalised. William Hague is certain
to seize on the strongly federalist tract as evidence of Mr Blair's
collusion in a Brussels plot to create a "United States of Europe". It
will provide much-needed ammunition for Mr Hague's battle to promote
the Tories as the party most in tune with the public on Europe and
undermine Labour's attempt to present them as "extremists". The wise
men, chaired by Jean Luc Dehaene, the former Belgian Prime Minister,
and also Richard von Weizacker, the former President of Germany, were
appointed by Mr Prodi last month. According to insiders, their report
is "far more radical" than expected. Most EU members, including
Britain, want the next IGC to play a limited role. However, Mr Prodi
is determined to use the summit to press ahead with far-reaching
reforms. Yesterday he called for the EU to be ready to expand from 15
to 28 countries within three years. His spokesman said: "It is not
practical to have too many vetoes. We are trying to make sure we can
pass some kind of legislation without being blocked by one state." Mr
Prodi also plans to cut the number of commissioners, which would
almost certainly see Britain losing one of its Brussels
representatives.

United Jewish Communities to present 'Isaiah Award' to Yassir Arafat

Weekend News Today
By Weekend Staff
Source: IsraelWire

Thu Oct 14,1999 -- According to a report released by the
Jerusalem-based Israel Resource News Agency (IRNA), the United Jewish
Communities (UJC) of Boston is planning to go ahead with the
presentation of its most prestigious "Isaiah Award" for his efforts to
bring peace to the region to PLO Authority (PA) Chairman Yassir
Arafat. The report contradicts an earlier report by ISRAELWIRE based
on a report in the Jewish Advocate of Boston, in which it was
indicated that the UJC had made the decision to withdraw the planned
presentation of the award and another recipient was being sought.
According to the INRA report released on October 13, a PA spokesman
said that the award was not presented to Arafat Wednesday when the UJC
mission visited the PLO leader because of Arafat's visit to Tokyo. No
additional information regarding the planned award presentation was
available at the time of this report.

Arabs have problem with new building between Jerusalem and Bethlehem

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz

Thu Oct 14,1999 -- The Israeli authorities started establishing a new
building on the border passage between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In a
press conference held in Bethlehem today, broadcast by Israel Radio,
the head of Bethlehem muniplicity, Hanna Naser, accused Israel of
exploiting the building work to seize land affiliated to the city of
Bethlehem. The spokesman of the governmental works coordinator in the
area denied these accusations, saying that the construction work is
being done to be ready for the year 2000 based on the expectations of
increased movement through the border passage.

Yesha Council statement

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Thu Oct 14,1999 -- Following the emergency meeting of the Yesha
Council leaders in Jerusalem on October 13, the following statements
were released: 1. The Yesha Council objects to any change of status
which will harm any of the new neighborhoods of the Jewish communities
in Yesha and will act in accordance with this decision to prevent any
harm befalling them. -- 2. The Yesha Council strenuously protests the
one sided actions of the government against Jewish communities while
at the same time continuous violations against the law are being
implemented by the Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem, Judea, and
Samaria. -- 3. The Yesha Council calls upon the Knesset opposition
parties and members of the governmental coalition to show solidarity
with us in these critical hours. -- 4. The Yesha Council calls upon
Prime Minister Barak to refrain from open confrontation with more than
half of the citizens of Israel, who support the over 200,000 law
abiding citizens of Israel who live in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. -- 5.
The Yesha Council calls upon all the public who are true to the
principles of Zionism and nationalism in Israel to show their
solidarity with the new neighborhoods and contact number 1-800-260-240
in order to register for those activities which will be approved by
and coordinated with the Yesha Council. The Yesha Council is
determined to continue to develop and build the Land of Israel in the
best interest of the Jewish people. We are secure in the knowledge
that the Jewish communities of Yesha are the backbone of the country
and serve both as the physical and spiritual front line protecting
Jewish rights in our Land. In addition, the residents of Ma'on vowed
to fight any attempts to remove them and military officials have
indicated they would remove residents by force if ordered to do so.
Yehudit Tayar, spokesperson for the Yesha Council issued the following
statement from New York on October 13, "If this decision is
implemented, we will take action. "This land is ours and we will not
sit idly by if and when they try to remove us. For every encampment
that is dismantled, others will take its place." Tayar added "I am in
the United States to raise public awareness to continue to assist us
with the development of the heartland of the Jewish people. We will
fight this decision, as it harms not only the communities of Yesha,
but Israel's security, independence and all of the people of Israel."

The final battle for the land of Israel

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Yahoo news (Reuters)

Thu Oct 14,1999 -- Jewish settlers vowed from the front line of their
rocky outposts not to go quietly. "He decided to start a fight with
us. We will fight back. We will fight with all we can muster," said
Shlomo Riklin of the Hagit outpost. Eliakim Haetzni, a settler leader,
added: "This is the beginning of the final battle for the land of
Israel." In a bid to defuse tensions, Barak spoke publicly in glowing
terms about the settlement movement on land Israel occupied in the
1967 Middle East war. But he defended his plan to dismantle outposts
the government says are illegal. "The settlement endeavor is important
and close to my heart. But a government cannot afford to be led by
illegal initiatives by citizens," Barak told reporters. Some 170,000
Jews live in 160 settlements scattered among nearly 3 million
Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinians want
all the area occupied by the settlements for a future state. Barak
wants large blocs of established settlements to be put under Israeli
sovereignty in a final peace treaty.

IDF moving ahead with withdrawal plan from Lebanon

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Thu Oct 14,1999 -- Prime Minister/Defense Minister Ehud Barak told
members of his cabinet on Wednesday that by next week, the plans for
an Israeli withdrawal from the security zone of southern Lebanon would
be prepared by the military and he would present them to the
government ministers. During his address to the cabinet, IDF Chief of
Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz told the ministers that the single biggest
military threat facing Israel today was Syrian ground-to-ground
missiles and as a result, the ministers realized there could be no
withdrawal agreement in southern Lebanon without Syrian agreement.
Despite criticism of having announced a deadline for a withdrawal,
Barak insists his government will meet the July 2000 target date for
an Israeli withdrawal from the zone. The director-general of the Prime
Minister's Office, Yossi Cucik, will head a ministerial committee
dealing with the issues of the planned withdrawal. The committee will
act as a liaison between the military and leaders of Israel's northern
communities.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Mount of Olives to split
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 09:57:16 +0000

From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)

Essay: The Return of the Ten Lost Tribes Fact or Fiction?

One of the first things that come to mind when thinking about
Moshiach, is the Return of the Ten Lost Tribes who were exiled and
separated from the rest of Jewry, thousands of years ago.

The Ten Tribes were exiled during the First Temple Era over 2,000
years ago, and have been separated from the rest of Jewry ever since.
But ultimately, they will be redeemed, and join the rest of Jewry at
the time of Moshiach.

...

Underground Tunnels; the Mt. of Olives; and the Three Resorts

The Midrash tells us that the Ten Tribes were exiled to three places:
Some were exiled to the land behind the Sambatyon River. Another group
was exiled to a *distant* land behind the River (this land was twice
the distance from Israel than the first Land); the 3rd group was
"swallowed in Rabbeslah."

The Midrash then describes the manner in which some of the 3rd Group
(who were "swallowed") will return:

"G-d will make them underground tunnels and they will travel through
them, until they reach the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. G-d will
stand on the mount causing it to split, and the Ten Tribes will emerge
from within." (Yalkut Shimoni, Yeshayah 469)

Obviously, this Midrash is not to be taken literally, it rather
alludes to the severe spiritual exile which this group is now enduring
and the spiritual transformation which they will undergo when Moshiach
comes:

The Ten Tribes were taken to exile and "were swallowed", i.e. they
have totally forgotten their Jewish Identity, as if it has been
"swallowed" by some external force. Their energy remains only in
potential form. When Moshiach comes, G-d will take them through
tunnels (symbolizing the process of refinement) and will lead them to
the Mount of Olives (a mountain which was (originally) dedicated to
the growing of fruit a symbol of utilization of potential energy.
Finally the mountain will split, and they will emerge; their Jewish
identity will re-emerge from the present state of "potential" and will
be fully realized.

Moshiach.com Newsletter - Friday 10/15/99 Cheshvan 5 5760

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Four Horseman
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 13:46:54 +0000

From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)

"...in [Revelation] 6:2 the bowman sitting on a white horse, to whom
a crown was given, is the Parthian king. The bow was not
a Roman weapon: it was not used in Roman armies except by a few
auxiliaries levied among outlying tribes, who carried their national
weapon. The Parthian weapon was the bow; the warriors were all
horsemen; and they could use the bow as well when they were fleeing as
when they were charging. The writers of that period often mention the
Parthian terror on the East, and their devastating incursions were so
much dreaded at that time that Trajan undertook a Parthian war in 115.
Virgil foretells a Roman victory: the bow and the horse have been
useless:--

     With backward bows the Parthians shall be there,
     And, spurring from the fight, confess their fear.

Colour was also an important and significant detail. The Parthian king
in 6:2 rides on a white horse. White had been the sacred colour among
the old Persians, for whom the Parthians stood in later times; and
sacred white horses accompanied every Persian army. The commentators
who try to force a Roman meaning on this figure say that the Roman
general, when celebrating a Triumph, rode on a white horse. This is a
mistake; the general in a Triumph wore the purple and gold-embroidered
robes of Jupiter, and was borne like the god in a four-horse car.

The use of colour here as symbolical is illustrated by the custom of
Tamerlane. When he laid siege to a city, he put up white tents,
indicating clemency to the enemy. If resistance was prolonged forty
days, he changed the tents, and put up red ones, portending a bloody
capture. If obstinate resistance was persisted in for other forty
days, black tents were substituted: the city was to be sacked with a
general massacre. The meaning of the colours differs; there was no
universal principle of interpretation; significance depended to some
extent on circumstances and individual preference."

The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia
W. M. Ramsay

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Misc. News
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 14:09:55 +0000

From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)

EU EXPANSION MOVING FORWARD AND COMPARED TO ROMAN EMPIRE October 14,
1999

Associated Press reported: "European Commission President Romano Prodi
recommended today that negotiations begin next year with six countries
seeking future European Union membership, possibly as early as 2003.
Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania and Slovakia have
fulfilled the criteria necessary to begin talks to join the EU, Prodi
told the European Parliament in Brussels. Bulgaria and Romania,
however, must meet certain further conditions, he said. Talks are
already underway with six other nations: Cyprus, Estonia, Slovenia,
Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The six countries recommended
today had been relegated to a group on a slower path to membership.
Prodi said the negotiations should follow a 'differentiated'
approach, taking account of each candidate's progress. 'Rarely in the
course of history does an opportunity like this present itself,'
Prodi told parliament. 'For the first time since the fall of the
Roman Empire we have the opportunity to unite Europe. This time it
will not be by force of arms but on the basis of shared ideals and
agreed common rules.'..."

U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY SAYS AMERICANS SHOULD WELCOME TROOPS
ON AMERICAN SOIL October 14, 1999

WorldNetDaily columnist Jon E. Dougherty reported yesterday:
"Critics are denouncing recent congressional changes to the
Posse Comitatus Act that will allow a broader use of U.S. military
forces in a domestic law enforcement role including a new unit for
deployment in assisting civilian officers during a terrorist attack.
The new command, established Oct. 7 in Norfolk, Va., will be called
the U.S. Joint Forces Command, and replaces the former U.S. Atlantic
Command. At a ceremony commemorating the new unit, Defense Secretary
William Cohen told participants the American people shouldn't fear the
potential of seeing U.S. military forces on the streets of U.S.
cities. The military must 'deal with the threats we are most likely
to face,' Cohen told reporters, downplaying concerns about troops
operating on home soil. 'The American people should not be concerned
about it. They should welcome it.' The new command is designed to
prepare U.S. troops to fight abroad or to respond if terrorists strike
with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. In opposing the measure,
critics cite the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits federal
troops from participating in domestic law enforcement activities under
most circumstances. With the concern over domestic terrorism rising
since the World Trade Center bombing and numerous incidences of
cyber-attacks on U.S. defense and financial institutions, the Clinton
administration has begun to relax some of those restrictions..

INDIA ON ALERT SINCE MILITARY COUP IN PAKISTAN October 14, 1999

The London Times reported: "India last night said it viewed
the situation in Pakistan with 'grave concern' and put its
armed forces on heightened alert. News of the coup came as
Atal Behari Vajpayee, the newly re-elected
Prime Minister, was putting the finishing touches to his Cabinet,
which is due to hold a crisis meeting soon after the swearing-in of
the Hindu nationalist-led coalition Government today at the
President's palace in Delhi. India and Pakistan, the two new nuclear
powers, clashed earlier this year in a dispute over the divided
Himalayan region of Kashmir...Mr Vajpayee had indicated that he was
ready to resume talks with Nawaz Sharif after the breakdown of
relations between India and Pakistan in May. Though relations between
the two men were strained in recent months because of the fighting in
Kashmir, the news of a military coup in Pakistan is bound to cause
further concern in India. It is the Pakistani military, rather than
the Pakistani Prime Minister, which is believed to have been behind
the infiltration of militants into Indian-administered Kashmir..."

NORTH KOREAN MILITARY BUILD-UP October 14, 1999

The World Tribune reported: "North Korea is strengthening its
huge military with missiles and biological weapons, a South
Korean defense report said Tuesday. The report said North Korea
is believed to be spending more than 30
percent of its budget this year on its military. North Korea
has announced a $9.5 billion budget for this year. North Korea,
the report said, is constructing five new tactical missile-launching
bases. Four of them are along the border with South Korea and one near
the border with China. In addition, North Korea's navy increased the
number of its submarines from 60 to 90 in the past year. Pyongyang,
with 1.1 million soldiers has the fifth largest military in the world.
Moreover, North Korea has stockpiled up to 5,000 tons of chemical
weapons and has acquired biological warfare capabilities. The report
said South Korea's 690,000-member armed forces, supported by 37,000
U.S. troops stationed here, can handle any military threat from
Pyongyang. 'The strength of our military is numerically inferior to
that of North Korea, but given the power of the combined [South]
Korea-U.S. forces, we are superior in certain fields in terms of
quality,' it said. The report said North Korea remains the world's
leading exporter of missile equipment and technology, selling at least
490 Scud missiles to Pakistan, India and Middle Eastern countries
since 1991. But the arms exports have not made a dent in Pyongyang's
deteriorating economy. Officials said North Korea's economy could grow
for the first time in a decade because Western aid. That growth,
however, is expected to be short-lived. In Seoul, South Korean
President Kim Dae Jung told the Kyodo news agency that he welcomes
normal relations between Japan and North Korea..."

GLOBAL TERRORIST ALERT FROM ISRAEL October 14, 1999

The London Telegraph reported: "The Israeli prime minister,
Ehud Barak, has issued a worldwide alert against possible terrorist
attacks by Iranian-backed groups who are likely to try to disrupt
Middle East peace. According to the Israeli press, intelligence agents
have found that Iran has stepped up supplies of arms and money to the
Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which reject the peace
process, and to the Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas, who are fighting to
force Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the
spiritual leader of Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, further
raised fears by saying a bomb could be placed on an Israeli bus within
days. He said: 'There is no ceasefire between us at the moment. There
could be an attack at any time.' Mr Barak did not mention Iran by
name, but he referred to the three groups which receive backing from
Teheran. He said: 'We have an estimate, based on past experience,
that extremist elements connected to Hizbollah, Islamic Jihad and
Hamas are planning to carry out attacks in Israel and abroad in order
to torpedo the peace process.' As Mr Barak, a retired general, has
long experience of intelligence matters, it is thought that his
warning must be based on specific information..."

EU RATIFIES AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL October 14, 1999

IsraelWire reported: "The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday has announced
that the level of relations between Israel and the European Union has
been upgraded following the elimination of the last obstacle in the
ratification of the association agreement between Israel and the EU.
The development is the result of a meeting between Foreign Minister
David levy and Belgium Foreign Minister Louis Michel this morning, who
the last EU foreign minister to oppose the ratification. Consequently,
economic, cultural, commercial, scientific and technological
cooperation can deepen. Foreign Minister Michel stated that due his to
satisfaction in the progress of the peace process and the policies of
the Israeli government, he now supports the ratification of the
association agreement and will present it to the Belgian parliament in
the coming weeks. Belgium and France were the last countries in the EU
to refuse to ratify the association agreement. During his visit to
Israel last week, French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine told Foreign
Minister Levy that he too supports the agreement, and today's support
by Belgium has removed the final obstacle. During meetings between
Minister Levy and the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European
Union on Monday, it was agreed to establish a joint Israel-EU forum to
promote bilateral relations in all fields - political, cultural,
public images, etc."

ECONOMIST PREDICTS AMERICAN YK2 RECESSION October 14, 1999

WorldNetDaily columnist David M. Bresnahan reported today:
"The U.S. economy is headed for a Y2K recession, and much of
the world could face a depression, according to one economic
expert. John F. Mauldin, investment analyst for ProFutures
Fund Management and author of a book on Y2K
investment strategies, is expecting a major recession in the
U.S. and a depression in many other countries. He goes so far
as to predict 20 percent unemployment in the U.S. after the
first of the year and a drop of 50 percent in the stock market.
Companies in many foreign countries are
building large inventories of parts and supplies in anticipation of
Y2K computer bug-related shortages at the start of the new year. The
impact of laying in those inventories may cause layoffs, a recession
in the U.S. and a depression in other parts of the world. The economic
prosperity bubble is very fragile and doesn't need much pressure to
pop. Not everyone agrees. Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, and chairman of
the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, sees
more hope for the economy..."

AFTER COUP PAKISTANI MILITARY SENDS INDIA A WARNING October
14, 1999

UPI reported today: "Pakistan army coup leader Gen. Pervaiz
Musharraf, in his first brief speech to the nation early Wednesday,
indirectly warned India not to make any aggressive moves against
Pakistan. 'Let no outside forces think that they can take advantage of
the prevailing situation,' Musharraf said in an apparent reference to
Pakistan's nuclear-capable neighbor, where troops have been put on
high alert. Both countries tested nuclear weapons in May 1998."

via: pre-trib-news <pretribnews@listbot.com>

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Noach
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 19:39:03 +0000

From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)

After seven days, the waters of the Flood came upon the earth. In the
six hundredth year of Noach's life, in the second month (Cheshvan), on
the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the depths
burst open; the windows of the skies opened up. It rained on the land
for forty days and forty nights. (Bereishis 7:10-12)

Today, the Flood remains to be the single most destructive event in
the history of the world (talk about weapons of mass destruction!). As
the Torah reports, the Flood "erased" every last vestige of life, save
for Noach and his family. All the descendants of Kayin
disappeared from the face of the earth as a result.

The Talmud states, at least according to one opinion, that the Flood
waters did not enter Eretz Yisroel [Land of Israel] (Zevachim 113b),
which is quite a feat, considering no wall existed at the border.
Then again, the entire Flood was a miracle, so what's one more
miracle? However, there is a book called, "Mysteries Of The Creation"
(Rabbi Dovid Brown) that brings sources to show how each miracle was
possible to be achieved without going outside the framework of the
"rules" of creation.

The author begins:

"How can water cover the entire world and not pour into Eretz Yisroel?
With what we now know (i.e., from the previous discussion), we can
readily see that according to Rabbi Yochanan, by the action of boiling
magma in the interior of the earth, G-d raised Eretz Yisroel above the
surrounding waters. After the mabbul (flood) the magma, and the land,
subsided." (page 101)

Though, we don't have to explain G-d's miracles according to the
apparent laws of nature, and, according to Kabbalah, we often don't,
still, the author's thesis is supported by the following midrash:

"If G-d intends to bring a flood of rainwater we don't have to worry"
[said the people to Noach]. "We are so tall that the water couldn't
get beyond our necks. If He plans to bring the water up from the
depths of the earth, we will plug the springs with our huge feet."
When the water gushed from the depths, the people did as they said and
plugged the springs. Therefore, G-d brought up water from the depths
at boiling temperatures and it cooked their flesh and melted their
skin. (Pirkei d'Rebi Eliezer, 22)

The author then goes on to posit that earthquakes are a medium of
"change" that G-d has often employed throughout history, and
therefore, will again employ at the "End-of-Days":

"... We have here an earthquake splitting mountains and moving earth,
all phenomena associated with plate movements. If we have any doubt
that the novi (Zecharia 14:1-5) means to predict an earthquake, we can
consult Yechezkel (38:18-20) who also foretold that war. He called the
enemy leader Gog from the land of Magog far to the north (Targum
Yonason: Germania (Germany); Talmud Yerushalmi: Goths; Yovlos 9:8:
people north of Black Sea), and specified his allies and the progress
of the war ... We see from this prophesy not only that the events
Zecharia foretells are clearly associated with an earthquake, but also
that the effects of this catastrophe will be worldwide ... This event
is obviously more than the usual earthquake, which is not worldwide
and does not bring down mountains. This is, rather, a major movement
of the plates comparable only to that in the time of Enosh, the
Arabian plate moving eastward, enlarging Eretz Yisroel, and the
boiling magma rising and descending, flattening mountains." (pp.
160-161)

This might explain the mysterious prediction of the Rokeach:

"Two-hundred-and-forty (240) years before the Seventh Millennium (Year
6000), the Lower Waters will rise up and cover the entire world, and
only Eretz Yisroel will remain, which will float on the surface of the
water like Noach's ark. They will approach Gan Aiden (Garden of Eden,
somewhere in present-day Iraq), the place from which the Four Rivers
emanate ..." (Gali Razyah, Rokeach, 1160-1237 CE)

Lower Waters cover the world? Eretz Yisroel float like Noach's ark?
What does this mean? In light of "Mysteries of the Creation," we have
a probable explanation.

To prove his point, the author quotes the following midrashim:

At that time, the whole world will quake and the people will wonder,
"Is a new mabbul coming on the world?" ... (Tanna d'Bei Eliyahu,
Chapter 2)

In the future, when G-d will punish Edom, He will shake the entire
world just as He did at the time of Mattan Torah (Giving of the
Torah). (Sifri, Devarim 33:2)

There is a gorge of disbelief when it comes to prophecies and
midrashim from the past about the present and the future. "Of Biblical
proportions" once meant "monstrous in size"; in the minds of many
modern, technological men, it now also means "mythical." This opinion
regarding the prophecies of the past and interpretation of the present
is not based upon fact, but rather, assumption--assumption that the
world functions today as it always has, and will.

What about the stories of the Bible and the ancients? Unlearned,
inexperienced, and technologically-archaic, they simply didn't have
the wherewithall to put the catastrophes of their times into the
proper scientific perspective. However, we do (assumption #2), and
therefore, in spite of the fact that we have had four "major"
earthquakes in four different areas we are only curious, and not
concerned--despite the warnings from the past, and now, the present.

Then again, they laughed at Noach, too. As I type and re-think all of
this, I recall the words of one comedian who, comically portraying
Noach's own disbelief before G-d, answered (on behalf of G-d),
"Noach--How long can you tread water?"

Hah! Good line! ... I think ....

Rabbi Pinchas Winston <winston@torah.org>
Perceptions - Noach: Our Own Flesh-and-Flood
http://www.torah.org

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

"Make for yourself an Ark of Gopher wood, make it with cages, and
cover it inside and outside with pitch." [6:14]

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi) asks: why did G-d call upon Noach to
build an Ark? There are many ways that G-d could protect or save all
those who eventually rode in the Ark -- so why the construction
project?

The answer is that construction of the Ark was supposed to become not
only common knowledge, but an inspiration. Noach spent 120 years
building it, in order that his generation would see him building it
and ask him what he was doing. And he would answer that the Holy One,
Blessed be He, was going to send a flood -- and perhaps they would
change their behavior.

Yet as we see, no one did. When the prophet Yonah came to the city of
Nineveh and told them that G-d was going to destroy the city because
of their evil behavior, everyone immediately stopped what they were
doing. The King himself came down off his throne, and sat on the
ground wearing sack cloth. But in Noach's generation, no one changed
his behavior; no one outside his immediate family was saved.

What was the difference? Why was Noach unable to have an impact in 120
years?

I heard the following answer: we see later in the parsha that "Noach
went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives, went with
him into the Ark, because of the waters of the flood." [Gen. 7:7]
Rashi says (from the Medrash Tanchuma) that Noach "believed and did
not believe" that there would be a flood, so he did not enter the Ark
until the last moment, when the rising water forced him to enter.

There is a great difference between belief of the mind and belief of
the heart. It is one thing to believe intellectually that something is
true, and quite another to feel it intensely, in the heart. The Birkas
Peretz says that Noach certainly believed the flood was coming, but on
an intellectual level. If he had internalized this knowledge and had
truly feared the coming flood, he would certainly have entered the Ark
immediately.

It was for this reason that Noach could not affect his generation.
Because he himself only believed that the flood was coming on an
intellectual level, he had no impact. Had he feared the destruction on
a visceral, internal level, _then_ he would have been able to reach
others. [This doubt was not necessarily a point against Noach - many
say that he held onto the hope that G-d would be merciful, even at the
last moment. But in any case, it made no difference:] Since Noach did
not feel absolute certainty in his heart, he could not adequately
transmit this fear to others.

In the Torah, we learn that we have a mitzvah to correct others when
they make mistakes: "...you shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and you
shall not bear sin because of him." [Lev. 19:17] But the word "rebuke"
has harsh connotations which are entirely inappropriate in this
context. What is supposed to take place is a heart-to-heart
transmission of love and concern for the individual making the error.
A person should correct himself or herself first, for otherwise, how
can he or she claim to be motivated only by the severity of the issue?
And similarly, Maimonides says that the rebuke must be delivered in a
gentle voice -- and Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin said that this is a
mandatory prerequisite. One cannot fulfill the mitzvah of rebuke by
shouting.

When someone is truly motivated by knowledge of the truth and concern
for the other individual, then he or she will not yell at the other
person, but will speak gently. Shouting isn't merely a technical
disqualification; it is evidence that this "rebuke" is being delivered
for the wrong reasons.

We have a mitzvah of "rebuke" because it is yet another opportunity to
demonstrate our care, concern and love for others. We, too, have up to
120 years to deliver the message -- let's be certain we're able to
have an impact!

Project Genesis <genesis@torah.org>
PG LifeLine - Noach
http://www.torah.org

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

Re: "Noah" (Disney movie shown on ABC Sep19,99)

Just another sign of the times. Tony Danza is a "fun" actor to watch.
I used to like the series "Who's the Boss". And as an actor, he did a
"fitting" job on this movie as "Norman". I typically don't watch
Disney movies anymore because they have all become so New Age and
pro-sin. But when the name "Noah" went across the screen, I had to
watch it, as I did the other recent movie "Noah's Ark"; to see -what-
they would do with it.

It approached the "flood" as though it was a 20th century event about
to happen. Norman, a construction boss, driving around in his pickup
truck, ends up building an "ark" using modern construction techniques,
with bolts, electric lights, modern kitchen, etc. and also includes a
basketball court in the design for his son.

The full significance of the characters is not readily seen until the
very end as they are -in- the ark, and then again, after the rain has
stopped.

The person -speaking- to Noah-Norman is a Ferengy-Grand-Nagis
sounding, whiny little coot, named "Zak". (I find it interesting that
they chose a name starting with the -last- letter of the alphabet.)
Manipulative. As we know from Genesis, it was "God" who spoke to Noah.
So, would we understand this whiny character to be their rendition of
"God"?

But he, Zak, had a "boss" above him. And at the end it was revealed
that this "boss" was a "she", who was changing her mind, deciding
instead of merely "testing" Noah-Norman, to actually -have- a flood.
As they joked about a -woman- "changing her mind".

There was no mention of any -reason- for the flood. God's reason to
wipe out the evil of humanity as he had corrupted the earth. That
fact, combined with the -female- deity flightily changing her mind,
certainly goes along with today's world's idea of God's
indiscriminacy. His haphazard nature of zapping people at will; which
quality they accuse Christians of attributing to God.

Also, the female "boss" is another "god" -above- God. Satan said, "I
will be compared to the Most High." (Is14:14) And, indeed, ever since
Isis of Egypt, Queen of Heaven of the Canaanites, the Madonna of Rome,
and ultimately the New Age god "she", the world has placed their
Nimrod-originated female deity above God.

And finally, as the storm is beginning and Norman's family is going to
the ark, Norman also invites his friends and work associates to join
them in the ark. Zak shows up and tells Norman that, "No, only his
family can go into the ark." And Norman refuses to obey that
directive. Saying that all these people are his "family", and thus,
can come into the ark. That there's room for all of them.

So, there you have it. God, just on some feminine "whim" decides to
have a flood. But it's not for any "reason". There is no sin or
wickedness, for which reason people are being judged. And in the end,
everybody "makes it", because we are all "family". Even the crooked,
perverse scoundrels.

Isn't that what the world is promoting? Children do no wrong, and
don't need discipline and correcting. Criminals are not "bad", but
sick, so shouldn't be punished. And since they don't believe in hell
anyway, only heaven, everybody will get there, eventually, in their
own way. Just like the song, "Everything is beautiful in it's own
way..." As Touched by an Angel proclaims, "we're all God's children."

Even those purporting to be "Christians" proclaim these same
doctrines. As the Martins sing, "there's enough room...come on home,
come on in...it doesn't matter where you've been" while not also
proclaiming the need for repentance. Or, like the website someone
asked for my opinion about recently, their KJV-only statement of faith
blatantly proclaims that salvation does NOT include "sorrow" or "being
sorry" for one's sins. I guess they just have not seen Scriptures like
James 4:8-9 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse
your hands, sinners! And purify your hearts, double minded ones! Be
distressed, and mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to
mourning, and your joy into shame."

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is incurable; who can
know it? (Jer17:9) God who was "a swift witness against the sorcerers,
and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against
those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the
fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear
not me, saith the LORD of hosts" also says, "For I am Jehovah, I
change not..." (Mal3:5-6) While He does extend mercy on those who
repent and whose names are in the Book of Life; those who are not
found in the Book -will- be judged according to their works and be
cast into the Lake of Fire. (Rev20:13-14) Because everybody will -NOT-
"make it" into heaven. Everybody is -NOT- part of God's "family".
There is -NOT- "room enough" for those "..all profaning...or any
making an abomination or a lie...

 ...but only the ones having been written in the Book of Life of the
Lamb. (Rev21:27) ..having come through "repentance toward God and
faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.. (Acts20:21)

You may have also been deceived all this time. "Truly, then, God
overlooking the times of ignorance, now strictly commands all men
everywhere to repent," (Acts17:30)

Amen!

A Voice in the Wilderness
http://www.cet.com/~voice