To: <bprlist@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [bprlist] Re: 144000
From: "John B
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 08:58:46 +1300
Hi,
Re the numbers.
144000 = 12x12x10x10x10
12 in the OT was the symbolic number representing Israel as the kingdom of
God.
In the NT particularly in Revelation 12 is the number of the church as the
kingdom of God.
10 is the number representing numerical completion, so 10 cubed would
represent a perfect completion.
Hence 12 squared by 10 cubed would seem in the NT to indicate the perfect
cokpletion of the church.
If we look at it this way then the dimensions of the New Jerusalem, i.e. the
completed church, in Rev 20,21 become important.
a city, a cube - its sides being 12,000 stadia long.
A cube has 12 edges.
Hence the outside dimensions of the new Jerusalem are
12 x 12,000 = 144,000.
It is a standard principle of biblical interpretation that we should
endeavour as much as possible to interpret the use of symbols in a standard
way, particularly within the same book. It seems unlikely to me that John
would give us 144,000 in Rev 7&14 and then gives us 144,000 again in ch20,21
and make them different things.
This of course would radically alter the idea of what are the 144,000 and
what do they do?
If the 144,000 are the completed church then they are the same as the great
multitude in the latter half of ch 7 - but they are seen from two different
vantage points. In the first half of the chapter they are being seen as the
Israel of God, his kingdom, in the second half of the chapter they are being
seen in their vastness as individuals.
This would overcome the difficulties many are obviously experiencing with
the interpretation of ch 14:1-5. I f we compare 14:1-5 and what is said
there aboutt he 144,000 with the seven letters to the 7 churches in ch 2,3
we find repeatedly they are indenitfied as the same. Again the normal rule
of interpretation would suggest we should interpret phrases in ch 14 (which
are symbolic) against the plain statements of the same book in ch 2&3.
Ch14.
1. They are followers of the Lamb, iei Christians.
2. His name and father name on their foreheads c/f 3:12
3. 14:4 literally reads "who alone had been redeemed from all the earth".
This plain statement says that only the 144,000 are redeemed but the clear
NT teaching is that it is the church that is redeemed. Also the phrase "from
all the earth" would indicate a wider source than just Israel, i.e. from the
nations.
4. virgins - a common OT symbo, meaning "worshippers of the true God", it
does not have to mean a literal sense of being unmarried or not having had
sex. So it could apply to Christians and would naturally seem to here. In
Revelation and in the NT generally every symbol that in the OT belonged to
Israel is taken and given to the church with the exception of "Jacob" which
signifies those who have descended from Jacob naturally but dont have his
faith so are excluded from the covenant.
5. Follow the lamb - just like every other Christian.
6. Purchased from among men - as we are by his blood.
7. As first fruits - we are the harvest.
An interestimng parellel to this passage is found in the apocrypha in 2
Esdras
2 Esdras 2:42-48 (NEB).
"I, Ezra, saw on Mt Zion a crowd too large to count, all singing hymns of
praise to the Lord. In the middle stood a very tall young man, taller than
all the rest, who was setting a crown (stephanos) on the head of each of
them, he stood out above them all. I was enthralled at the sight, and asked
the angel, "Sir, who are these?" He replied, "They are those who have laid
aside their mortal garments and put on the immortal, those who acknowledged
the name of God. Now they are being given crowns and palms." And I asked
again, "Who is the young man setting crowns on their heads and giving them
palms?" And the Angel replied, "He is the son of God, whom they acknowledged
in this mortal life..."
This is the second usage of a passage from 2 Esdras in Rev ch 6&7. This is
significant.
The parallel is obvious. This suggests that Rev 14:1-5 is a picture of the
judgement seat of Christ where Christians receive their rewards.
This answers the question of "What do they do?" - if they are the church
they are not some select group. In ch 7 we see them being sealed - we are
sealed by the Holy Spirit. In ch 14 we see them being rewarded at the
judgement seat. The only other direct reference to them in Rev is 9:4 where
it is clear the seal gives special proptection from the judgements of the
tribulation.
Immediately the question will arise in your minds, "But the church doesn't
go through the tribulation does it?" Well my question is, "Where does one
find in scripture the teaching that we are raptured before it?" try 2
Thessalonians for a starter.
Johninnz
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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] US says Mideast security situation 'seriously deteriorating'
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 05:19:16 -0000
US says Mideast security situation 'seriously deteriorating'
WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (AFP) -
http://asia.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/world/
The United States said Tuesday the security situation in Israel and
the Palestinian territories had seriously deteroriated since the
weekend and threatened to spiral out of control.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said political
assassinations carried out by Israel and attacks on Israeli settlers
by Palestinians had to stop if peace talks were to resume.
"Our assessment is that the events of the last 48 hours represent a
serious deterioration of the security situation on the ground at a
time that we all recognize is very, very sensitive," Boucher told
reporters.
"The use of Israeli helicopter gunships, Palestinian attacks against
settlements and motorists, the use of mortars by Palestinians and the
targeted killings by the Israeli defense force today are producing a
new cycle of action or reaction which can become impossible to
control," he said.
Boucher referred to the latest in a series of pinpoint strikes
against Palestinian activists in which the Israeli army killed a
senior officer in Yasser Arafat's personal bodyguard, accusing Massud
Ayyad of being a terrorist.
Ayyad was killed when an Israeli helicopter gunship fired a volley of
rockets on his car in the northern Gaza Strip. In Gaza and elsewhere,
two Palestinians were killed in other incidents and gunbattles raged,
leaving around 36 Palestinians wounded.
"Both the Israelis and the Palestinians need to do everything they
can to stop the violence, to maintain calm, and to create the right
environment for dialogue and negotiation," Boucher said.
He spoke as envoys sent to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister-elect
Ariel Sharon met with US State Department officials and a Palestinian
official urged President George W. Bush "not to repeat the mistakes
of the past" in the peace.
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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Major 7.3 Undersea Earthquake Rocks Indonesia
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 05:21:29 -0000
Major 7.3 Undersea Earthquake Rocks Indonesia
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/nm/20010213/wl/quake_indonesia_dc_2.htm
l
CANBERRA (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake measuring 7.3 on the
Richter scale rocked the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday,
strong enough to cause considerable damage and create tidal waves,
the Australian Geological Survey Organization said.
``That's a major earthquake. It is a potentially very damaging
earthquake,'' the organization's spokesman Kevin McCue told Reuters.
He said he had not received any reports of damage.
The earthquake occurred at 6.28 am Canberra Time, with an epicenter
in the ocean around 250 miles west of Jakarta. The coast near the
epicenter is not considered to be densely populated, although
powerful earthquakes in the past have killed dozens of people in the
area.
Earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.3 can cause extensive damage in
built-up areas.
McCue said it was very possible the earthquake could create tsunamis,
or tidal waves.
``I wouldn't expect an Indian Ocean-wide one, but just locally I
wouldn't be at all surprised if there were tsunami effects close to
southern Sumatra,'' he said.
McCue said the earthquake was powerful enough to have shaken
buildings in Jakarta and as far away as Singapore.
``We've had no reports of damage, nothing. It's always very difficult
to get anything from that area, but I would imagine with an
earthquake of this size, normally tall buildings in Jakarta and
Singapore are shaken,'' he said.
``It wouldn't be felt by people on the street.''
Earthquakes regularly hit Indonesia.
An earthquake measuring 7.9 hit the same area in June 2000, killing
120 people and injuring 2000 in widespread landslides. An earthquake
measuring 6.8 killed at least 2,200 people on a string of islands in
Indonesia in 1992.
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To: messynews@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Carnage at bus stop
From: Stafford's Mail <simmonds@freeuk.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:15:39 GMT
Dear Friends
The latest report from Jerusalem follows. The 'ancient hatred' of
Ezekiel 35 becomes more and more apparent. Keep praying.
Stafford
===================================================
Jerry Golden "REPORT"
http://jerrygolden.bizland.com
At 8:15 AM when Israeli Soldiers who had leave are on their way back
to base. They usually stand at bus stops and hitchhike a ride back to
base. A Palestinian who was approved to drive Arabs out of Gaza to
work places in Israel he took a bus and at high speed drove into a
group of IDF Soldiers near Holon south of Tel-Aviv, killing 9 and
wounding 14. The driver was stopped when shot by Israeli police at a
road block some 20 Km south on his way back to Gaza.
Another Palestinian Fatah leader who has been responsible for several
terrorist attacks in Israel and one who was close to Yessar Arafat was
shot and killed this morning as well near Nablus.
The southern neighborhood of Jerusalem "Gilo" came under heavy
shelling from the Palestinians last night from the near by town of Bet
Jalla. The IDF returned fire I have not heard of any deaths or
wounded but there must be some. It is unfortunate for the
Palestinians who live in Bet Jalla, most of the time their homes are
taken over by Arafat's Tanzim and used as bases to fine on Gilo. The
return fire in most cases does very heavy damage to their homes. If
they complain they are killed, it's as simple as that.
There was heavy gun fights in Ramallah, Nablus, Gaza and Bet Jalla and
Gilo and dozen of cars being shot at in the Samaria last night as well.
This shooting war is heating up, and looks like things will get a lot
worse before there is any chance of them getting better. Shalom jerry
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Stafford's Mail <staffordsimmonds@ntlworld.com>
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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] The end of the age
From: Stafford's News <simmonds@freeuk.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:28:27 GMT
The following link leads to an interesting and challenging article at
the Antipas ministries site. http://www.isrp.org click on the sidebar
box entitled 'The Church and the State'
The first paragraphs follow.
===============================================
February 10, 2000
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
- George Orwell
THE CHURCH AND THE STATE by: S.R. Shearer
INTRODUCTION:
We begin today a new series of articles dealing with our growing proximity
to the "end of the age." WE ARE A LOT CLOSER THAN MOST PEOPLE THINK, and
if we are not careful, the same trap that caught the Jews of Germany will
catch us. In the Antipas Papers, I wrote:
"As evangelicals, we say that we believe we are living in the "Last Days,"
but we live as though they will never come - as if ignoring it all will
make it go away and give us time to relax and enjoy the "Good Life" that we
- as citizens of the richest and most powerful nation on earth - think
accrues to us as a result of 'divine right'.
Stafford staffordsimmonds@ntlworld.com
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To: messynews@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Life on the border of the Gaza strip
From: Stafford's Mail <simmonds@freeuk.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 10:53:52 GMT
Chris and Rina Dryer live along the border of the Gaza strip. They
have written a short article about their daily life there and I pass
it to you for your prayers. Blessings Stafford
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D
Thank you for the opportunity to be able to share our life experiences
with you. Most often one hears of the plight of the residents of Judea,
Samaria and the Gaza Strip. I am not trying to undermine or lessen the
trials of these people and may Hashem continue to strengthen them. In
particular the residents of the settlements of the Gaza Strip. These
people are living in conditions not unlike Bosnia. The likes of CNN
and the BBC fail to see or report on the lives that these men, women
and children are having to endure inside these settlements.
Others affected by the current conflict, are those who live on the 12
kibbutzim on the Israeli side of the Gaza strip. We face daily the
danger of having explosive devices placed on the border fence by the
Palestinians as well as the risk of sniper fire. We avoid sniper fire by
not allowing our children to play in exposed areas. The bombs are
detonated by cell phones or other remote devices. Praise Hashem that the
IDF is very effectively locating and disarming these devices. Although
we cannot say that these operations are carried out in total safety, the
casualty rate is very low in comparison to the amount of explosive
devices that are found.
The border between Gaza and Israel is an internationally recognized
border. These people are contravening international law. Should their
incursions not be taken as a declaration of war?
Daily living along this border also has it=92s difficulties. We are not
permitted free access to our fields. Every morning the IDF has to
inspect the fields before we may enter and that only with armed escort.
The Palestinians have a watch tower 150 yards inside the border and
watch our every move. Consequently we have to be armed when going into
the fields. If you want an idea of what this is like, try weeding your
garden with a backpack on with two bricks in it! It is uncomfortable and
awkward to say the least!
Why do we do this, or why do we continue to live this way, you may ask.
We are here, as we believe that Hashem, in His divine wisdom, placed us
here for such a time as this. The casualties on this side of the fence
are more spiritual than physical. We live within earshot of the
conflict. We have had shooting as close as 20 yards from our perimeter
fence. This sort of life is extremely stressful and is starting to take
its toll.
As I am writing this I can hear explosions inside the Gaza as well as
the tank coming to take up its position for the evening. The tank and
the angels of Hashem will be here to watch over us this evening.
We would ask for your prayer support to strengthen us in the spiritual
as well as the physical. It takes a lot to have to go out into the dark
every night to check that all is OK. It is hard to go to sleep at night
knowing that in a few hours you are going to be woken up and put on
alert. We thank Hashem for His grace, without it we would not be able to
stand.
Forwarded by:
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Stafford's Mail <staffordsimmonds@ntlworld.com>
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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) new book
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 07:41:23 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Send reply to: <benyosef@torahvoice.org>
From: "ben Yosef"
To: "ben Yosef"
Subject: new book
Date sent: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 07:46:51 +0200
Shalom,
The following are the thoughts from a review forwarded to me about a
new book published by Barnes & Noble:
Jihad in the West:
Muslim Conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries
by Paul Fregosi.
Since I have not read the book, and I was only forwarded excerpts from
the review, I am unable to separate between the review and the actual
statements in the book, so let me make that qualification.
NEVERTHELESS, IT IS EYE-OPENING. Also I have a few closing comments
at the end. Also, if you have not read it yet, you MUST read the
article "Wrong Ideas About Islam: What the West Needs to Know" at
www.torahvoice.org/housewar
Shalom Shalom
ben Yosef
"Muhammad, as well as being a fighting warrior, was responsible for the
deaths of thousands not only in battle but through execution and
assassination." Some 600 to 800 men of the Jewish Beni Qoreiga tribe in
Medina were executed by beheading, all in one day and night. The executions
were carried out in the market place. Trenches had been dug there in which to
put the corpses.
"That evening Muhammad left the scene as the beheadings were still going
on, and took the just widowed wife of one of the victims to his tent. The
young Jewish girl refused to become Muhammad's wife, so he kept her as a
concubine. Other women of the Jewish tribe, and also children, numbering
about 1000 were sold into slavery. There was certainly no conversion here,
and if there was coversion what would be the purpose?
"There was much profit made by the killing of the Beni Qoreiga tribe. Besides
the slaves there was livestock (camels, goats, sheep, and horses) and land,
date trees, houses, furniture, jewelry, and money. The plunder was divided up
into 3,072 parts, with one fifth going to the Prophet. Muhammad became rich
overnight.
"... 1,500 swords and scimitars were taken, and an equal number of shields.
1,000 spears and 300 coats of mail were taken. God was praised for the killings
in the Koran, in Sura 33, verse 25."
"Muhammad became a foe to be feared. The Jihad had been born in a deluge
of blood."
The review concludes:
"Religion is not spread by the taking, and selling, of slaves. There was much
money to be made in the escapades of Islam. The enemy was killed, and the
wives and children were taken as wives or slaves, or sold as slaves. One fifth
of the profit went to Muhammad. No wonder there was fighting between
Muslim leaders after the death of Muhammad. A leader obviously got the
biggest share of the booty. This had nothing to do with evangelization, unless
men wanted to convert to Islam to become plunderers themselves, to receive
part of the plunder."
Ben Yosef's comments:
Much has been made of recent efforts to tame down Islam or portray it is a
monotheistic religion that recognizes the unique role of Israel and the Temple
Mount. If the above review of the book by Fregosi is a slice of reality, we can
see that the whole foundation of Islam is quite the opposite.
Clearly Muhammad established Islam by putting his enemies to death. By
contrast, the leader of the Christian flock commanding his followers to "lay
down their lives," so wrote French philosopher Blaise Pascal, in his book
"Pensees." It is unfortunate that Christianity also later took up the sword in
persecuting its ideological enemies. But it should be clear that the leader of
the Christian flock did not instigate this.
And I have stated it many times before and will do so again, Islam
remains the only religion which beheads its enemies, which should be a
note of alarm and wake-up call for those who put faith in the New
Testament book of Revelation.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given
unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were BEHEADED for the
witness of Y'shua, (the Greek may imply "his" witness or not the
telling about Y'shua but the telling which he (Y'shua) himself said),
and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads,
or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with the anointed one a
thousand years." (Revelation 20:4)
Since Islam is today a worldwide, cross-cultural phenomenon, (not to
mention the fastest growing religion in the world), one should not
believe that the call to Jihad would apply only to the "infidel" in
Israel or the Jewish people worldwide. The song taught the school
children in the Islamic day schools in Israel remains, "First there
will be no Saturday (Shabbat) ... then there will be no Sunday!"
Shalom Shalom
ben Yosef
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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Tank returns to Gilo after Fatah threat
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 07:41:23 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Send reply to: <benyosef@torahvoice.org>
From: "ben Yosef"
To: "ben Yosef"
Subject: Tank returns to Gilo after Fatah threat to make life in Gilo "hell"; coalition talks;
Date sent: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 04:54:05 +0200
GILO, Jerusalem -- Our tank is back! I saw it yesterday morning
overlooking the Tunnel Road (which is closed this morning) that leads
from here to the south, as the bus passed by on my way to yeshiva. Its
turrent is aimed at the Palestinian settlement (it's time to start
viewing the dwellings of the enemies of Israel as temporary in nature)
of Beit Jala across the ravine from Gilo.
IDF fortificiations and checkpoint security also have been increased
all along our southern perimeter here. Yesterday (Tuesday) -- all day
yesterday -- you could hear helicopters somewhere above in the
overcast skies -- and jets streaking across the airspace of Jerusalem.
It appears that for now at least, we are taking seriously the threats
by Fatah Tanzim and Hamas leaders who have declared "We'll make life
in Gilo hell."
A leaflet issued Monday by Fatah vows to escalate the intifada and
focus on Gilo. It states that Fatah will "continue to strike at Gilo
and turn the lives of the settlers (there) to hell." Fatah considers
our neighborhood of about 35,000 plus Jewish residents and only a
handful of Israeli Arabs to be a "West Bank" settlement built on
Palestinian land captured in the 1967 War.
As reported yesterday in the Jerusalem Post, the election of Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon is seen by Fatah as "a direct challenge to the
intifada (Palestinian uprising based on ultra-Nationalistic goals
seeking a state in the unannexed territories ... and now, it seems
Gilo, which is annexed by Israel).
Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti stated: "Sharon is the last bullet in
the Israeli pocket before surrender. We have nothing to talk about
with Sharon. He has nothing to offer."
At one point, the Fatah members made up the Tanzim militia
representing the mainstream of Palestinian sentiment as the remnant of
the personal militia of PLO Leader Yasser Arafat. Some argue that
dissent in Arafat's ranks has forged a closer union between Fatah and
the more radical terrorist cells operating among the Palestinians.
This union seems evident and already well consolidated since similar
statements have been made by Hamas. For instance, spiritual leader
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was quoted in the Saudi Arabian press as stating
that he expects "only evil, harm and agression from Sharon."
The growing "lawlessness" of the Tanzim, is -- if these reports can be
deemed credible -- alarming even Arafat who Western diplomats believe
is NOW willing to calm the situation on the ground. But everytime
Arafat has made such a gesture in the past, there have always been
strings attached and we find out that his heardened heart is not
really ready to budge an inch. The most he can hope for today with
his damaged credibility in the eyes of Israelis and his dwindling
influence among the Palestinians is to ease the economic sanctions and
try to resume the "peace" talks.
But he has a history of punctuating every word of peace with an act of
violence (I suppose to get our attention). We should not be surprised.
As it is today, has been in the past and will continue to be, this is
the Arab (which is to say the Moslem way). See our article on the
Islamic definition of the word "peace" which explains why we cannot
EVER come to terms: www.torahvoice.org/housewar.htm (I wish we would
eliminate the word "peace" and change it to what it really is viewed
as by the Palestinians: "a time out").
(When my 10-year-old sometimes (not very often) acts like half of that
age, and I have to administer "a time out" which is anything but
"peaceful", he certainly knows the difference!)
The question on the minds of many residents here in Gilo today is just
how secure IS our community especially if Sharon negotiates a unity
coalition with the Left ... and places former Prime Minister Ehud
Barak at the helm as Minister of Defense. If Barak will put back on
his General Stars that's one thing, but those tie-dyed bell-bottoms
and peace beads are killing us!
Maybe it's a sign of the times, but traveling on the bus yesterday
down Jaffa Road, I noticed that a symbol long part of the graffiti on
the sides of the buildings on the side streets had been desecrated!
Someone had spray painted over the 60s symbol of peace, (you remember?
the peace sign inside a circle that was so popular at Woodstock) which
has been there enough years to start to fade in its limited exposure
to the sun, with the "yellow" star of David. (I'll take the fifth on
why it was "yellow.")
In months past, Barak has called we residents in GILO, the Hebrew
equivalent of "cry-babies" when he removed our tanks and decided
instead to enclose us as a walled city erecting massive protective
concrete walls around the exposed bus stops and apartments as a
"deterrent" to the attacks from the Palestinian settlement of Beit
Jala across the gully separating it from Gilo.
So we have to wonder whether he will be in a "zig" or a "zag" mood
(general or peacenik) when push comes to shove if he is named defense
minister.
On the one hand, we realize that such a time of emergency demands a
cooperative government and with a narrow coalition of right wing and
religious MKs, this is fragile at best given the history of certain
(I'm not naming names and I'm hoping things have changed) interests
who realize that their few votes wield tremendous power in such an
arrangment and therefore they have the freedom to "hold out" for their
pet proposals. As the March 31 deadline to pass a budget gets closer
(and these independent voices begin to be heard), the political
pundits here are stating that Sharon's government is doomed to failure
from the start and needs to fail so that the entire Knesset can be
dissolved and the new Knesset will better reflect the people.
On the other hand, if Sharon has to compromise too much to Labor's
ideology, the constituency that overwhelmingly elected Sharon -- will
not be united behind their new "fearless leader," especially if Barak,
continues zig-zagging on defense concerns and is put in charge of the
distribution of armaments and the ammo pile!
According to the coaltion terms now being debated, Sharon's government
has already agreed to seek a long-term interim agreement with the
Palestinians, (this means a return to the pre-Rabin and Netanyahu
status agreements that put the disposition of Jerusalem and the
settlement issue under a stack of papers for future review). But the
terms of this long-term interim agreement, according to the Post
report this morning, "would require painful concessions by both
sides." The "option" of relocating settlements would be "left open"
and no new settlements would be built.
That sounds to me like a "short-term" interim agreement between Likud
and Labor which does not offer the settlers and the settlement towns
much hope. Also the prohibition of "no new settlements" is
sufficiently vague to allow the Likud-Labor government its discretion
in whether to tear down new housing within existing settlements.
True, Jerusalem is no longer on the table and Palestinian statehood is
delayed and put back on a reciprocity (you show us peace, we'll give
you increasing "autonomy") arrangement. If there is anything good to
say about this new batch of brew being mixed it is that the government
would honor accords approved by the Knesset, but not former US
president Bill Clinton's plan or any arrangement reached with the
Palestinians in the recent talks in Taba. One question that still
needs to be finalized -- and perhaps the key question since it will
determine the authority to ENFORCE the new plan -- is the "mechanism
for coordinating decision-making in the government."
(But if ANYONE thinks the Palestinians who have been offered 95
percent of their expectations under Barak will sit still for anything
less today, I still have that property in Arkansas. In the end, I
believe it will be just as it has been, the Palestinians will make
Israel's decisions for them. Under Barak that meant giving them just
about everything they wanted. Under Sharon, with the leaven of Labor
mixed in, that could mean the same thing.
My perception of whether and to what extent Labor should be involved
in Likud's administration is more basic. Simply stated, "WHAT ARE THE
MOTIVES OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED." After all, out of the abundance of
the heart, the mouth will speak ... or the politician will
manipulatively (I don't think that is a proper adverb, but it fits)
state.
These statements are most telling:
"It seems the language of the conditions [in the agreement] will be
relatively general," outgoing Labor Interior Minister Chaim Ramon told
a Labor faction meeting. "We have to remember that as representatives
of the public, WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO ONLY WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS, but we
also do not need to do the opposite of what the public wants. (That's
stated like a politician if I ever heard one). Note the subtle -- ever
so subtle -- message to the Labor constituency, that we can still have
power so long as we don't go overboard with out opposition. Or OK, so
our secular revolution has suffered a major blow, but lets hang in
there and we can win the next one and when we are back in power, who
cares what the public thinks!
Retiring Labor MK Uzi Baram surprised the faction meeting by
announcing that, for the first time in his life, he does not oppose
entering a national-unity government. "We cannot let the Likud form a
right-wing government and ruin all of OUR achievements," Baram said,
adding that the fact that he would feel uncomfortable joining a
Sharon-led government was one of his reasons for stepping down.
CLEARLY, the voices of Labor view Sharon as a TEMPORARY OBSTACLE to
THEIR program.
Justice Minister Yossi Beilin was a little more blunt:
"Some of Labor's ministers, who are afraid of losing their positions,
are prepared to sell out the soul of the Labor Party and kill off the
hope for peace," Beilin told reporters. "It is forbidden to sign a
political agreement that would bring a Labor endorsement to a Sharon
government's decision to give up on reaching a permanent-status
agreement with the Palestinians."
"If this will be the situation, Labor will be responsible for the
price in blood that will have to be paid until we ultimately get to
the same permanent agreement that US president Bill Clinton proposed
and the government of Israel agreed." (Uh, excuse me, lets state this
more accurately, that the soundly trounced, detested, secular-minded
Labor LEADERSHIP agreed. Hey BARAK and LABOR made the election into a
referendum for his secular reforms and support of such a permanent
status agreement. Sharon just ran for Prime Minister and trounced him
(and it). But Beilin is right on the point that the blood will be on
the hands of Labor whose policies put guns in the hands of
Palestinians who had only rocks before ... and on the hands of
Clinton.
The resignation of at least three Labor leaders and Labor MK Avi
Yehezkel, who quit the Labor negotiating team, saying that there was a
decision from the start to enter the government and Labor's
negotiators have not adopted a strong enough negotiating line, is also
telling.
"We sacrificed our positions and gave everything away," Yehezkel said.
"A national-unity government will not bring unity and it is a pity
that Barak did not stand on OUR principles." If anything, this
sentiment by Yehezkel says Labor is even further Left than Barak!
And then there is the Netanyahu camp, who believe Sharon can survive
neither a Labor nor a narrow coalition government and when the March
31 budget deadline comes and goes, we'll throw out that batch
altogether and re-elect Israel's rising star who controls the Likud on
the street.
The questions perhaps no one is considering -- not even those hoping
in Netanyahu -- are how long Fatah, Hamas, Hizbullah, Saddam and Syria
for starters, will sit still for all of this? ... and whether the four
cups of the next Passover seder a week after the budget deadline on
the night of Saturday April 7, (rescue, redemption, salvation and
return) www.torahvoice.org/seder.htm will have more than sumbolic
meaning?
Shalom Shalom & Hashem's love & blessings,
ben Yosef
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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] FW: ARE ISRAELI CITIZENS PREPARED FOR WAR?
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 07:41:24 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: "ben Yosef"
To: "ben Yosef"
Subject: FW: ARE ISRAELI CITIZENS PREPARED FOR WAR?
Date sent: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 04:57:13 +0200
Shalom,
As my attorney told me when he forwarded me the following message,
"Here's more than "I" would have told you. All true."
Please note that "I" (ben Yosef) nor my attorney wrote this but we do
agree with the sentiment expressed.
Shalom Shalom & Hashem's love & blessings (& mercy),
ben Yosef
Subject: ARE ISRAELI CITIZENS PREPARED FOR WAR?
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 05:02:31 -0600
From: "Winston MidEast Analysis & Commentary"
<gwinston@interaccess.com>
ARE ISRAELI CITIZENS PREPARED FOR WAR? by Emanuel A. Winston, Middle
East Analyst & Commentator
Are Israeli citizens prepared for war? The brief answer is a
resounding "No!" Only civilians in the territories (YESHA: Judea,
Samaria, and Gaza) are even partially prepared for an attack initiated
in the promised next Arab war against Israel. These Israeli citizens
have had to face continual attacks by the Arabs even before Arafat=92s
Rosh Hashana War 2000 which the Arab =91Hasbara=92 mechanism has
successfully coined by the name =91Al Aksa Intifada=92.
The pioneering settlers took seriously the promises of Arafat=92s
terrorist leaders and the frequent call of the religious clerics for
the Muslims to attack the Jews, particularly those pejoratively called
=91settlers=92. These Israeli civilians have tried to build up their
equipment stores such as rifle scopes, night vision equipment and
ammunition with desperate appeals to Jews and Christians across the
world for funds to buy such equipment denied them by Ehud Barak=92s
regime. One is reminded of the vicious world wide embargo against
selling arms to the newly born Jewish State in 1948. Now this boycott
comes from the leaders of Israel=92s Left.
Today this syndrome is so pervasive that the American Jewish
establishment=92s fund raisers refuse to give money to Jews "over the
Green Line" or in parts of Jerusalem - even if these funds are for
humanitarian needs such as schools, health and religious institutions.
But, still the inventory of exposed and vulnerable communities on the
front lines with hostile Arabs is woefully short should the Arabs
attack the various towns and villages (called Yeshuvim) as Arafat=92s
Palestinians promised they would. Areas inside of Israel, particularly
those near the =91new=92 Oslo borders, have virtually no protection from
Arab incursions, sharp shooting snipers or bombings set off by remote
control devices.
We know the PLO Palestinian Army, Police and militia of 50-60,000 plus
at least 9 Secret Services have illegal weapons including machine
guns, rocket-propelled grenades; anti-tank missiles; shoulder-launched
anti-aircraft missiles, cannon, bombs, mortars, rockets and
sophisticated explosives. Regrettably, they have grown proficient with
the assistance of CIA training, much the same as was done to train
Muslims sent to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan.
In the event of an attack there are simply not enough soldiers or even
police to protect these areas. They are on their own. Worse yet, the
civilians are almost totally vulnerable and without training or
sufficient weapons for any protracted battles.
How did all this happen?
In the early 1980s those who led the Labor Party concluded that Israel
should withdraw, first to the 1967 cease-fire lines and later to the
partition lines of 1947. They began an insidious program of
re-directing the availability of weapons away from the Israeli public.
The main targets were the settlers but, these suicidal policies also
affected the general civilian body all over Israel. Those settlers on
Israel=92s frontiers guaranteed the protection of all Israel, the
kibbutzim, the cities, the coast, Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
They are the first line of defense. The Labor Party=92s =91conceptzia=92
(conception) was that, if the Israeli population did not have the
means to defend themselves, there would be fewer incidents of Israelis
shooting hostile Arabs even when Jewish civilians or soldiers were
attacked by mobs of armed Arabs. If Israelis are murdered or maimed,
they were to become what Yitzhak Rabin called "Sacrifices for Peace".
Very slowly a program was initiated of stripping weapons from the
hands of Israeli civilians. Where there were once small armories in
the Kibbutzim and Moshavim, with weapons provided by military, these
armories were emptied of their weapons and stand-by ammunition. Some
of this has since been reversed (but only marginally) as the Oslo
process failed and shootings of Israelis increased.
Some weapons were allowed to civilians but that became more of a
political cover-over so the government could not be charged with
totally disarming the civilian population. For an individual to get a
gun license for self-defense became a deliberate bureaucratic
nightmare. The Leftist Courts played a contributing role so that, even
when a civilian was trapped by a mob and, fearing for his life or that
of his family, if he shoots, he became a victim of government
harassment. Then the Police might arrest him and/or confiscate his
weapon - leaving him and his family vulnerable. He might be held in
jail for a long time, and then the Courts would virtually bankrupt him
with time-consuming trials, attorneys=92 fees and even jail. This well
integrated system was driven by the Leftist Governments, Police and
Courts.
Soldiers who shot in self defense faced court martial and possibly
jail. The purpose of the Left/Labor party was to instill a greater
fear of Israel=92s Justice system than the necessity to protect your
life and those of the civilians who depended upon you. The system
worked even to the point where Israeli soldiers were prepared, even
taught, to run away rather than take the risk of firing against a
life-threatening mob. Here again, politically correct officers who
adhered to the Dovish line of the Left were in positions of control.
Under some commanders soldiers were taught to run by a blizzard of
regulations in thick, incomprehensible manuals.
Now, with Arafat=92s =91Green Light=92 of his contrived =91al Aksa intifada=
=92
(a.k.a.: the Rosh Hashana War of 2000), there may be a real war.
Arafat=92s Palestinians are now close to Israeli population centers and
surround many of the towns in YESHA (the territories). They have
caused severe casualties to Israelis on the roads and shooting across
Israel=92s borders. Even Israeli civilians in the heart of her main
population centers have found that Israeli Arabs are a danger to
Israeli Jews as they demonstrate their first loyalty to Arafat.
Regrettably, the plan of Labor worked so well that most of the
civilian population is wholly unprepared to defend themselves today.
In YESHA many civilian communities do not have the weapons and, except
for those in or recently in the Army, they don=92t have the necessary
training. There is insufficient ammunition to hold off a concerted
assault until a hoped for rescue of soldiers. The soldiers may never
come since they may have to defend the borders from outside Arab
armies, such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon - even Egypt. The
Police know that they cannot provide sufficient protection because
they are too few and not trained for actual combat.
Many individual communities have recently assumed the responsibility
for upgrading their defensive weapons and training. In coordination
with the Army, they have evaluated their inventories, listed what is
needed and proceeded to raise funds from outside the country to supply
the night vision, rifle scopes, generators, lights, binoculars,
communications and medical emergency needs.
Various Leftist governments made stripping Israelis civilians of their
weapons one of their top priorities. Conversely, they have allowed
Arafat to smuggle in top quality weapons, including long range
telescopic sights for sniping from distances. Israelis are not allowed
to bring in really long range scopes or night vision scopes because
the Left has passed laws prohibiting importation of such equipment
except for military use. The military has been trying to provide arms
to some of the settlements but it is mostly old equipment with
insufficient ammunition. They cannot go against Labor=92s orders.
Except for individual communities=92 initiatives, there has been little
or no effort to equip or train civilians - even to walk guard patrols
like the Shomrim of past pioneering days. At this time, in the
February 6th elections Arik Sharon was elected by 25% margin due to
the specific failure of Ehud Barak to protect the Israeli people.
Saddam Hussein is threatening to send missiles with atomic, biological
or chemical warheads and increasing the possibility of war on Israel=92s
borders. The Barak government never even called on Israelis to clean
out their bomb shelters or safe rooms. (This was due to his personal
political considerations so as to not further alarm the voters during
the election campaign.)
If there are successful attacks on the civilian population then,
clearly, Barak, Peres, Beilin and all those who collaborated on the
plan to disarm the civilian population must be brought before an
impartial, non-political Blue Ribbon Commission of Inquiry for trial
with penalties for the guilty. They would be directly responsible for
whatever murders or maiming due to the planned vulnerabilities of the
people at large and for whom they are responsible. Could anyone even
dream that Jewish Leftists would deliberately hold back defensive
arms, allowing fellow Jews to be killed in order to advance their
fraudulent =91peace process=92?
They have encouraged and accelerated Arafat=92s war timetable. Now they
do not want to carry the legacy of having incited the Arab nations
into a full scale war, with catastrophic weapons of mass destruction.
So they do what Labor has always done, namely, blame it on someone
else. In this case, the fall guy is Arik Sharon, the newly elected
Prime Minister.
Now that the Labor Left has put Israel into her worst military
position since 1948, perhaps it is just as well that a real General
was elected to save Israel once again. If there has to be a war, then
clearly it is better in the hands of Arik Sharon than anyone like the
Doves of Labor. And it is better that it begin with Israel holding as
much land as she has now, rather than later when she has been forced
to give away more land, strategic depth, water and Holy Sites.
If and when the next war starts, it would be a good idea to round up
the Oslo gang and place them where they cannot communicate with Arafat
until the battle is won. Having communicated Israel=92s negotiating
plans to Arafat in the past, they are simply not to be trusted with
defense secrets! Barak as Prime and Defense Minister has told Arafat
to clear out of targeted positions because he was going to send in
helicopter gun ships to hit them.
The Left led by Barak, Peres, Beilin, Sarid, Ben Ami have now entered
their denial phase or "Don=92t blame me!" for the war that=92s coming.
Labor as early as 1982, cut a deal with the Arafat to use his Arabs as
=91shock troops=92 as the final persuaders to push the settlers out of the
territories. The Left Labor/Meretz parties are ultimately responsible
for the 546 Israeli deaths by Palestinian terrorists (as of February
12th) because of the Left=92s concessionary appeasement policies since
the Oslo Declaration of Principles. And the Left Labor/Meretz parties
will be responsible for the coming war which they nurtured.
Having fed Arafat=92s vultures, the vultures now want more. The guilt
lies with the leaders and sub-leaders of the Labor and Meretz parties
so don=92t let them shift the blame for the war they encouraged. Having
deliberately supplied the Palestinians with many of the weapons which
have been used against Israeli soldiers and civilians, they cannot now
claim innocence.
In closing, while it may be politically advantageous to offer Barak
the portfolio of Defense Minister, clearly Barak is not competent for
the job. A Dove cannot conduct defense let alone offense. As for
inviting Shimon Peres to be Arik Sharon=92s Foreign Minister, that is a
critical mistake. As the fomenter of the secret Oslo negotiations, he
has a well known reputation as a liar in addition to his conniving
behavior against every government and Prime Minister he worked for.
Peres is a poor choice to represent Sharon=92s policy to the world=92s
leaders and influentials. Worse yet, sending Peres to America and/or
Europe to speak for the Sharon government, one can be certain that he
will twist Sharon=92s message and likely call for concentrated pressure
on Sharon and Israel. Recall that numerous times, he and Yitzhak Rabin
went to France, England and the U.S. asking for those nations to
pressure Israel to accommodate Arab demands. Shimon Peres is, was and
always will be a twisty man whom no one trusts.
Hopefully, the new Israeli Prime Minister, Arik Sharon, will
immediately undo the treachery by the Left Labor/Meretz parties and
prepare the Israeli public for what may be their greatest test. They
need a training program for civilians (both women and men) in weapons,
guarding and medical emergencies. The negative lessons of fearing the
government and the Leftist Court system for defending your life and
your family=92s safety must be reversed.
As for world opinion as expounded by CNN, NPR, the NEW YORK TIMES,
WASHINGTON POST and other journals, the more they howl, the more
certain we can be that the Israelis are doing it right.
There is much to accomplish to prepare Israel=92s Army and civilian
population for the war that Barak and crew have made inevitable by
conceding so much strategic land that Israel has been tactically
weakened. There is much to accomplish to undo the Arab world=92s
perception that Israel is weak. There is little time to do both. Arik.
. .start NOW!
###
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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Lost message
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 12:54:05 -0000
Hi guys...
Sorry for taking up list space with this item, but I don't know
of any other way to do it:
Sometime yesterday evening or early this morning, a list member
sent in a post that I accidently "rejected" and/or deleted. I don't
remember the name of the person that sent it in, nor do I remember
what the contents of the message was. It appeared as jibberish when
viewing it through Yahoo! Groups. So I decided to "reject" it which
means it goes back to the sender. However, when doing so, I was then
able to see the content for some reason (Yahoo! Groups has been doing
some strange things like this recently). Unfortunately, I could not
get out of the "reject" screen I was in, so the message was lost. If
you don't understand any of this don't worry <g>, I'm just wanting
the person that sent in the message to know that I was not ignoring
or rejecting their mail based on content. I don't want them to get
the wrong idea that I'm not interested in their input, while posting
items from other members. Soooo...if you are this member, please
resend your mail and I'll try to get it right this time <g>. And
please accept my apology.
Thanks for your time,
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To: John Brough <jmbrough@ihug.co.nz>
Subject: [bprlist] Tens and Twelves
From: Pam
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:07:02 -0500
Dear John:
I have been attempting to digest your email of this date, Re: 144000.
You have put a lot together in the one package. Too much for me to
assimilate in one meal.
The first course you serve up is: "12 in the OT was the symbolic number
representing Israel as the kingdom of God." There is no doubt the
number 12 applies to Israel but it also applies to the 12 princes of
Gen. 25:16, the sons of Ishmael. It is my understanding these 12 sons
were the progenitors of the present day Arab nations. At the moment
they are as far apart from each other as are the 12 tribes of Israel but
they could well be uniting, finally, as the Nation of Islam. The 12
tribes of Israel will not, I do not think, be reunited as a nation until
the return of the Lord to establish His 1,000 year reign. At that time,
I think, all the OT prophecies regarding their occupation of the land of
Canaan under the Kingship of the Messiah will be fulfilled.
In the next course you say: "In the NT particularly in Revelation 12
is the number of the church as the kingdom of God." That does not taste
right, to me, I am afraid. There are 7 churches, not 12, and the Bible
indicates the church is to be the Bride of Christ, in the Kingdom of
God, not the Kingdom of God, per se.
After that, John, I have to pause. 10 could well represent numerical
completion but it is my understanding the number 7 represents Biblical
completion so from there on you lost me. Sorry about that.
Finally you say: "The parallel is obvious. This suggests that Rev
14:1-5 is a picture of the judgement seat of Christ where Christians
receive their rewards." I think the 144,000 are a special group of
Christians sealed by God before the start of the tribulation and
appearing, at the end, to receive their reward. I think they are called
‘the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb´ because they will be ‘harvested´
by God and sealed before the rest of the church is caught up and I think
the ‘reward´ of the 144,000 will be to ‘follow the Lamb withersoever He
goeth´, as the royal honor guard of the King, a very privileged
position! The other Christians, I think, will learn what each will be
doing during the 1,000 years, right after the rapture. Praise the Lord!
The church, as you say, John, is sealed by the Holy Spirit of God, as
will be the 144,000 but, just before the church is caught up, I think
the 144,000 will be sealed in the forehead, by God, and, as you say:
"it is clear the seal gives special protection from the judgements of
the tribulation."
As to your question: "Where does one find in scripture the teaching
that we are raptured before it?" I ask you, my friend, what does Rev.
3:10 mean to you? "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I
also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
God Bless you. Charlie Baker.
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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Tens and Twelves
From: "Jim
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 12:23:53 -0600
After twenty-five years in the ministry, two books on second coming prophecy
and endless study on the subject I have come to some simple conclussions:
1. There are very few clear cut answers on the subject in the Bible (like it
our not)
2. There is no more contriversial topic I know of (as it should be)
3. None of it really matters any way, Christ will come when it is time,
untill then Christians have one and only one task. It is called the GREAT
COMMISSION.
In Christ,
Rev. Jim D. Daniels
Midland Texas
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To: ben Yosef <benyosef@torahvoice.org>
Subject: [bprlist] Beheading.
From: Pam
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:32:03 -0500
Dear ben Josef:
Thank you for your review of the book: Jihad in the West. In it you
state the following:
["And I have stated it many times before and will do so again, Islam
remains the only religion which beheads its enemies, which should be a
note of alarm and wake-up call for those who put faith in the New
Testament book of Revelation.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given
unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were BEHEADED for the
witness of Y'shua, (the Greek may imply "his" witness or not the
telling about Y'shua but the telling which he (Y'shua) himself said),
and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads,
or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with the anointed one a
thousand years." (Revelation 20:4)"]
As a Christian who is awaiting the imminent rapture of the Church,
before the start of Daniel's 70th week, I pray those who have not yet
accepted Jesus Christ as their savior will realize what will face those
who are alive during that week and who refuse to worship the beast. It
is indeed 'a note of alarm' and should be a wake up call to all those
who do not put faith in the Word of God, including the New Testament
book of Revelation, so, thank you, again.
God Bless you. Charlie Baker.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Subject: [bprlist] Ouija board played role in slaying
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 14:44:21 -0000
Ouija board played role in slaying
2001-02-13
By Bob Doucette
Staff Writer
http://www.oklahoman.com/cgi-bin/show_article?
ID=3D638025&pic=3Dnone&TP=3Dgetarticle
MINCO =97 A woman suspected of fatally stabbing her son-in-law was=20
convinced that a Ouija board told her to do it, investigators said=20
Monday.=20
Carol Sue Elvaker, 53, was arrested Sunday in Lincoln County, hours=20
after the death of her son-in-law, Brian Roach, 34. She was charged=20
Monday with first-degree murder, said Brett Burns, Grady County=20
assistant district attorney.=20
Police found Roach dead at his home Sunday from one stab wound to his=20
chest, said Kym Koch, a spokeswoman with the Oklahoma State Bureau of=20
Investigation. Although initially viewed as a domestic violence=20
episode, police learned details that suggested something else.=20
Burns said Elvaker, her daughter Tammy Sue Roach, and Tammy Roach's=20
two daughters, ages 15 and 10, were playing with a Ouija board while=20
Brian Roach was asleep. Elvaker then attacked Brian Roach,=20
authorities said.=20
"This is basically the grandmother (Elvaker) saying that Brian Roach=20
needed to die," Burns said.=20
Elvaker also is suspected of trying to kill the man's 10-year-old=20
daughter.=20
"She thought the 10-year-old was evil and thought the father was=20
evil," Burns said.=20
Tammy Roach, 34, took the knife away from Elvaker and hid it in the=20
house. She then left the house with Elvaker and the two children,=20
Koch said.=20
Elvaker drove the four northeast toward Tulsa on Interstate 44,=20
authorities said. She eventually crashed the car into a road sign in=20
an attempt to kill all of them, Burns said.=20
Elvaker suffered two broken ankles in the wreck. The others were=20
injured slightly. After getting out of the car, Elvaker tried=20
unsuccessfully to push the 15-year-old daughter into traffic,=20
authorities said.=20
Despite her injuries, Elvaker ran from the scene, shed all her=20
clothes, jumped over the highway median barrier and ran into a wooded=20
area north of the interstate, Koch said.=20
Police found her hiding in the woods. She was taken to the University=20
of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for treatment, Koch said.=20
Tammy Roach was arrested Monday on a complaint of being an accessory=20
to murder.=20
Burns said Brian Roach begged for help, but was allowed to bleed to=20
death. Tammy Roach also hid the knife, supplied the getaway vehicle=20
and didn't try to get away from Elvaker when she had the chance,=20
Burns said.=20
Brian Roach's death ends a piece of Minco's civic history. In 1986,=20
Roach ran for mayor and won by eight votes. He was only 19 years old=20
at the time.=20
He unsuccessfully crusaded for more police officers during his first=20
year as mayor. He finished his public office career in 1991 as the=20
town's Ward 2 councilman.=20
The slaying follows an interstate kidnapping and sexual assault case=20
last week. The crimes are out of character for the city of 1,400,=20
Mayor Joe Gilbert said.=20
"Something like this, it's unbelievable. I guess it's everywhere," he=20
said.=20
Relatives told police that Elvaker does not have a history of mental=20
illness or odd behavior, Koch said.=20
There were no signs of alcohol or drug use. Authorities are unaware=20
of any history of domestic strife in the Roach household, Burns said.=20
"It's amazing how the grandmother was able to let this Ouija board=20
consume her life."=20
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