Jerusalem: The Goal of Bloody Military Crusades

(Revised 7-20-2009)

Since Christians and Muslims fought for control of Jerusalem for nearly a thousand years, and since Jews and Muslims have been fighting over it since about 1917 and especially since 1948, it is important that we understand the history of all that fighting, war and bloodshed.

I trust that with a true understanding of that history; with a true understanding of the core universal teachings, principles and values common to all three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), and with a true understanding of the extent to which all three religions have been distorted and coopted by proud and militant zealots who are ignorant of God and divine intent, we will, in due time, finally be able to put an end to the fighting and killing.

Since most people in the West don’t know much about Islam (the religion of Muslims), I should tell you that it began to become popular in about 621 AD, and just ten years later when its founder Muhammad died, Islam was established throughout the Arabian peninsula. Islamic rule went into northern Africa and other parts of the Mediterranean basin within the first two decades after its establishment. Within a century of Muhammad's death, Islam had spread both by military conquest and by voluntary conversion, to Spain and Portugal, to India and to Central Asia, establishing Islam as a formidable world empire.

I must be bluntly honest and tell you that the trouble with Islam began when Muslims began ignoring Muhammad’s commandment in the Qur’an that there "must be no coercion in matters of faith." (2:256) Coercion or the imposition of religion on unwilling people or all citizens is not permitted. If people disagree with a Muslim, he is to say: "Unto you your moral law, and unto me, mine." (109:6) In fact, in the Qur'an, as in Jewish and Christian scriptures, there is an emphatic prohibition of imposition, force and compulsion in religious matters, and we are certainly not supposed to kill in the name of our religion.

Unfortunately, the trouble in Islam increased when it was sharply divided in 680 when Muhammad's son-in-law Ali’s son, Husayn, along with most of the Muhammad’s family, were brutally massacred by the forces of the Syrian Caliph (Muslim Chief), Yazid I. (And by the way, that’s when the first conflicts and division started between those who were to become Sunnis and Shiites.)

Thus the trouble with Islam really began not long after the death of Muhammad, and in that respect it was somewhat similar to the trouble with Christianity, which began not long after the death of Jesus (Yeshuah). And throughout their history the trouble in both religions has been that men competed for power, wealth and domain in the name of their religion, and gained it even if they had to use force of arms.

Many Muslims simply ignored the most important teachings of their religion, just as many Christians did. In fact, in those days most of Europe was deep in the Dark Ages as a result of "Christian" military imperialism and rigid, tyrannical theocracy. And that was in large part because in the fourth century the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and made it the official religion of his military empire. Post fourth century Christianity was very dominant, coercive, and oppressive. And I’ve discussed the resulting Dark Ages on other pages and in the books.

It is arguable whether Islam had become just as oppressive and tyrannical, but it is my understanding that it was in some respects. But Christianity became even more so when the cruel "Christian" Inquisitions began in 1088, and then when the imperialist military Crusades began in 1099. That was largely because of the erroneous doctrines of men that the Christ Jesus warned against, because those doctrines created the "divine right" of popes, emperors and kings to try to rule the world by living by the sword and hating and killing their enemies, against the advice and teachings of Jesus.

The Christians of that time simply ignored many of the universal teachings, and instead focused on the doctrine of preeminence and superiority with which they were thoroughly indoctrinated. In that respect, they were much like the American "Christian Right" of today. That is why eleventh century "Christians" launched the Inquisition and then the Crusades against Islam.

According to many historians, the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099 by Christian Crusaders was part of the first crusade, and they conquered and took control of Jerusalem. But the "Christian" Kingdom of Jerusalem that grew after that conquest was gradually weakened by corruption and internal disputes. Consequently, the Christians were completely defeated in 1187 by the Muslim leader Saladin, who took most of the Christian nobility of the kingdom as prisoners, and throughout the summer Saladin quickly took control of Jerusalem and other areas.

However, it should be noted that Saladin was merciful, and treated the Christian prisoners well. And even when Saladin had taken Acre, Nablus, Jaffa, Toron, Sidon, Beirut and Ascalon by mid-September in 1187, he behaved the same way, and he was regarded even by Europeans as a noble and merciful warrior.

The same cannot be said of Richard "The Lion Heart," King of England, who in 1191 led the third Christian Crusade against Saladin in an attempt to retake Jerusalem. Richard in fact slaughtered thousands of Muslim prisoners he had taken. And even though Richard scored a victory over Saladin’s forces in Jaffa, his crusade failed to take Jerusalem, just as the second one had.

After the fourth and fifth Christian Crusades failed, a sixth Crusade was waged by German Emperor Frederick II, who in 1223 took his Crusader vow in the presence of the Catholic Pope. He massed his army in 1227, and he set sail for the Mid-East. Ironically, illness plagued his troops, so there was a delay so long that the Pope excommunicated Frederick. He assembled a second army anyway, and finally sailed again in 1228. But when Frederick arrived in the "Holy Land," he found he didn’t have the power to accomplish much. Because of his own lack of forces, and because of the lack of forces of the Muslim leader, Al-Kamil, there were no "grand battles," no epic struggles, no fight to the death over Jerusalem.

Fredrick did, however, manage to reach an agreement with Al-Kamil, and they signed a treaty, the result of which was that Jerusalem was returned to the Christians, along with some other cities and areas. Frederick was granted the right to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem if he so chose. In return, the Muslims were to retain possession of the Dome of the Rock and the Mosque al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, and were to be allowed free access to and within the city. Al-Kamil got a ten-year truce out of the deal, which meant he would have the freedom to concentrate on re-uniting Syria with Egypt.

Not long after that, though, after the Siege of Jerusalem in 1244 by Muslim forces, Jerusalem was once again recaptured from the Christians (to whom it had been given by treaty). And, to make a long story shorter, that’s the way it’s gone ever since, and of course others like the Turks have had their hand in conquering and gaining control in the area.

One of the most notable battles for Jerusalem in more modern times was in 1917 in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I by a British officer leading Palestinian forces. As I discussed on the page titled The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, that was portrayed in the great movie Lawrence of Arabia, and the crucial thing about it was that the British then betrayed the Palestinians, even though the Palestinians were the main force that drove the Turks out of Palestine to enable the British to take over!

Another notable battle was during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, after the United Nations granted the right to establish the modern State of Israel. Palestinians understandably objected to their land being taken away from them, while millions of Palestinians were dislocated and made refugees (as I discussed on the page I just referred to).

Then there was the 1967 Six Day War during which the Israelis captured all of the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the West Bank in a matter of days. Then Israeli military forces turned to the Syrian front, stormed the Golan Heights, and then claimed Jerusalem.

Then there was the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria launched a military offensive to try to reverse some of the Israeli land grabs. And, of course, the Jewish Zionists and Christian Zionists have been trying ever since to gain complete control of Jerusalem, and drive Muslims out. It’s the same old story, with slightly different players.

The main problem is the hypocritical and false idea that God wants us (whether we call ourselves Jews or Christians or Muslims) to kill if we have to in order to rule Jerusalem. It’s absurd, when you really think about it, but that’s what has been going on.

Why? Mainly because none of the militants understand the true purpose of their religion, or Divine Intent. They ignore and betray God, and they instead obey men who claim that God is on their side.

Of course, it’s also because some Jews and Christians misunderstand symbolic prophecy and believe a Messiah King or Moshiach King will come in person to build a "Third Temple" on the "Mountain of the Lord" in Jerusalem, and then rule the world. They believe there is literal scriptural prophetic justification for that belief. Similarly, some Muslims believe that an Imam Mahdi will come in person to rule prior to Jesus’ return, and then rule with Jesus.

That’s a big problem, because that is what triggered the last long-lasting round of conflict and violence between Palestinians and Israelis, which began on September 28, 2000, with Ariel Sharon’s provocative visit to the holy site known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount, where they think a "Third Temple" must be built.

Sharon’s careless, arrogant and malicious provocation essentially ended the Mid-East peace process, and it unfortunately helped the hawkish hardline leader become President of Israel. His brutal and aggressive actions inevitably motivated and empowered Hamas and Hizbollah, and that’s why there has been so much suffering, death and destruction in the years following September 2000 and during the last seven years.

This is very important, because the issue regarding the Noble Sanctuary/Temple Mount has the potential to produce even far worse violence, death and destruction. That is why it’s so important to understand the facts of the matter.

First, what does the term "mountain of the Lord" really mean? Well, there are several references to a "mountain" of the Lord in Judaic Scriptures (Old Testament). And granted, a specific mountain is named as the mountain of the Lord in the eighth chapter of the book of Zechariah. Daniel 9:20-27 also speaks of the "holy mountain of God." Prophecies like that, and others I will mention, are used to justify the orthodox Jewish Zionist and fundamentalist Christian Zionist belief that the mountain of the Lord is a specific mountain in Jerusalem, and that a Moshiach/Messiah-King will rule the whole world from it.

However, they do not understand that such prophecies are symbolic, and that literal prophecies quite clearly state that the person who fulfills Judeo-Christian prophecy is a son of man, from your midst and of your brethren, and is a witness and servant-messenger chosen by God. And the true servant-messenger of God does not seek personal power, nor does he cause his voice to be heard in public, but serves to empower and liberate us all from all those who want to rule over us.

I will show you why the "mountain" of the Lord is not a specific place, and God’s will is that all human beings should be equal joint heirs to the "kingdom" to come, wherein we shall all share the "thrones" of our nations, with governments that are truly of, by and for the people, under God only (who is God by any other name, the omnipresent Great Spirit and Supreme Consciousness), who shall reign only in Spirit.

After "Babylon" falls, "The God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all other kingdoms [and nations], and it shall stand for ever." (Daniel 2:38-45) (See the page title The Fall of Babylon.)

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15)

But the son of man who makes it happen is not the Ancient One (aka the Christ, Avatar, etc.) who is and will remain in heaven with God. Instead, as I have shown on the page titled Prophecies Re: The "One To Come," the modern son of man is the messenger of God and the messenger of the Ancient One (the Christ-Avatar-Buddha-Sayoshyant-Mahdi-Sage in heaven), and the messenger for the Spirit of truth that Jesus said would come, to issue judgment, show you things to come, and glorify and bear testimony of the Christ in heaven.

Furthermore, and even more important, the one who fulfills prophecy is a true witness and chosen servant of God, "... so you may know and believe me, and understand that I am the Holy One. Before me there was no God formed, and neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord God, and beside me there is no Savior." (Isaiah 43:10-11)

You see, God’s true witness and servant-messenger will not play worldly King, or God or Savior, but serve merely as messenger for God the Savior. He will not exalt himself or seek power over you, or rule you. His mission is to liberate you from all those who want to rule over you, unite all humanity, and empower you all so that you may establish truly fair and democratic government.

Granted, Jeremiah 23:5_6 states: "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, the Lord of our righteousness."

But, like the Christ Jesus, I reject the throne, and this is one of many reasons why:

"In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord of our righteousness. For thus says the Lord: David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel." – Jeremiah 33:15-17

Notice that no man should or will sit upon the throne of the house of Israel. Jesus did not, and I will not. To fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah, I will not even speak in public or on the street (as Jesus did), or from behind a pulpit of podium. And I tell you that we shall all share the "thrones" of our nations as equal joint heirs to the new "kingdom" of God. That's the honest-to-God truth.

Now, to continue with regard to the "mountain," consider what is revealed in Isaiah 2:2 and Micah 4:1, which state: "...the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains..." Considering the wording of that phrase, I would ask how can "the mountain of the Lord’s house" literally be "established on the top of mountains"? If it was meant literally, why wouldn’t it just say that the Lord’s house shall be established on the mountain of the Lord? How can a literal mountain be placed on the top of mountains?

The reason is because it was not meant literally, because the "mountain of the Lord" is not a specific place, and neither is the "Lord’s house" or the "Temple" of prophecy. They are merely symbolic terms, and that is indicated in many ways in scriptures.

For example: "He that overcomes will I make as a pillar in the temple of my God." (Revelation 3:12) Also, "the Lord God Almighty and ‘His’ Christ is the temple" of prophecy. (Revelation 21:22) "I will build another temple made without hands." (Mark 14:58)

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust not in lying words that say: ‘The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord.’ For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor; If you oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then you may dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever." (Jeremiah 7:3-7)

That is especially relevant today, because the modern State of Israel must make amends, stop oppressing their neighbors, and stop shedding the blood of innocent people claiming it is "collateral damage" to fulfill their Zionistic "divine right." Israel must repent, and serve the God of love and compassion, and be a good neighbor.

You see, Chapter 9 of the book of Daniel, which I mentioned above, is one of the books that speaks of the "holy mountain of God," and of "Messiah" and the "restoration of Jerusalem." However, it is all about the sins, trespasses, transgressions and iniquity of Israel. It actually speaks of a time to "finish the transgression," "make reconciliation for iniquity," and "bring in everlasting righteousness" — a time when the new State of Israel will have to face its transgressions and iniquity, and make reconciliation for it. And this certainly has not happened yet, but it will when they get the message. It will be brought about by the judgment of Gentiles and Jews and Muslims, and all others who are trying to rule by killing others in the name of their religion, and that judgment is issued by the witness and servant of God foretold by Isaiah and Jesus and many other prophets.

As for the "Temple of God," it is important to understand that no particular place is more holy than others. There are really no certain places that are holy, just as there are no human being that are holy. Only God is the Holy One and Savior, as Isaiah wrote. God is not an idol, not a place, and not a person.

Also consider that it is written that "He [the son of man] that overcomes will I make as a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." (Revelations 3:12) Clearly the temple is not a building, and that is confirmed by the fact that the "Lord God Almighty and ‘His’ Christ is the temple" of prophecy, as John wrote (Revelation 21:22), and we all have the potential of being pillars of that temple of God. It is not a material place, but a spiritual reality.

The "mountain of the Lord" is mostly a symbolic terms, as in "You shall have ...gladness of heart, as when on goes with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord." (Isaiah 30:29) "And the stone that smote the image [of the worldly king] became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." (Daniel 2:35)

The "mountain" is also another term for "the high and holy place were God inhabits eternity." (Isaiah 57:15) The Lord God actually resides in that high and holy place, which is the "house" of the Lord, and it’s also called heaven. And we should realize that the Lord God, like heaven, is at once within us and at hand, and is omnipresent and infinite, and always will be. And ALL human being are or can be "pillars of the Temple of God."

We can realize that, and we can realize that we are one with God and one with all humanity, when we overcome our egotism, "lose our self" in the realization of spiritual divine reality, and are actually reborn of the spirit and anointed with the Holy Spirit of the Lord of hosts.

I ask you to also consider what the Christian apostle John wrote when he described his experience in the realm of the spirit. He wrote that an angel had said: "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." (Revelation 21:9-10)

Those are all symbolic terms, referring to the high and holy "place" where the union with the Holy Spirit takes place. This becomes very evident when you read what John wrote just prior to that: "And I John saw the holy city of God, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Revelations 21:2)

The "bride" (of the "bridegroom lamb" of God) is the "city," and both terms are symbols for that which comes down out of heaven to meet one who has been carried away in spirit to that high and holy place where God inhabits eternity. And, by the way, I more fully explain what and who the "bridegroom-lamb" is in my fourth book, What IS the World Coming To? But I’ll give you an idea here.

"Behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him." ... and he "shall be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken." (Isaiah 62:11-12)

Notice that it mentions that the servant of God will be sought out, and will be as a "city" not forsaken, because that is consistent with what’s in the rest of the statement I showed you:

"He (the son of man) that overcomes will I make as a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name." (Jesus, in Revelation 3:12)

The prophet Isaiah also foretold that the servant-messenger of God is hidden in the "shadow of God’s hand." He sends "his work before him" only to be "rejected by his generation," as both Isaiah and Jesus foretold. He is the "city" sought out because he will be hidden even after his work is accepted and spread. Moreover, he serves the Christ in the Christ’s new name, which is consistent with what is written in Isaiah 62:2.

The man who serves as the "witness and servant of God," the "son of man," and the messenger for the "Spirit of truth" of Judeo-Christian prophecy delivers the prophesied message of judgment. It is the "stone" of truth, which is mentioned in yet another discussion of the "mountain of the Lord" in Daniel 2:34-35. It states that "a stone ... smote the image (of the "king of Babylon") upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces." ... "and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."

In that reference the "mountain of the Lord" is obviously not an actual mountain, but the symbol for the divine truth which will be spread all over the world. Like "New Jerusalem," it is a symbol of what is truly divine, ethereal and mystical. It is that which we should seek, with all our heart.

As for the "marriage of the lamb and the bride," it is not an event in the material world. It is the marriage of the human spirit-soul with the Divine Spirt that comes down out of heaven from God to meet us halfway, in the realm of the spirit. With me, it took place in 1971, when I was carried away in spirit, to where the "bride, New Jerusalem" is.

Remember, the Christ Jesus said he "will meet us in the air," the ethereal air. He said, "If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again." And he immediately added that this "meeting us in the air" and "coming again" would be only "to receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:3) He was not talking about a literal "second coming" on earth, but about the very real spiritual union that takes place between individual souls who have been, to put it in biblical terms, "carried away in spirit to that high and holy place where God inhabits eternity."

I know this is true, because I have been there.

As Albert Einstein said: "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mystical. It is the source of all true art and science." And"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

That is absolutely true. However, religion must be true, and divinely inspired. And since the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) have been distorted by the doctrines of men, they must be reformed in order to unite us as the human family that we are in the sight of God.

Those who fight over God or land or resources do not know God, nor do those who fight over religious sites or relics. There are no specific holy places or things or persons. God’s holiness is within us, all around us, and above us all the time ... omnipresent and eternal, even though it lies dormant in all those who are driven by egocentric desire and deluded with a false sense of superiority, whether because of religious, political, racial, nationalistic, or cultural beliefs.

We have but to seek the truth, with all our heart, and wake up to the divine reality that is really right here at hand, and has been all the time.

But, aside from all that, there’s another way of looking at it. As it turns out, Israel’s claims are not sound according to some archaeologists, especially regarding Jerusalem. They say evidence indicates that the "Western Wall" was built by Herod and is not directly related to the often cited Second Temple. Apparently, remains of the Jewish Temple have not been located in Jerusalem. And, according to Karen Armstrong, in her book Jerusalem, Jews did not pray at the Western Wall until the 15th century, and in the 16th century Jews were permitted to have a place of prayer at the Western Wall, even though it really had nothing to do with a Jewish temple.

In spite of that, as many people in the world see it, the Israeli government has been using illegal and illegitimate procedures, as well as deceitful and hypocritical methods to force its agenda regarding a Third Temple. Israel is not presenting its case openly, but is exerting its powers ignoring all legal, moral and historical considerations. The trouble is, nationalistic Israelis do not realize what they have become. They may not say they are "serving the Fatherland." However, the Museum of the Citadel of David has an inscription: The land of Israel is in the center of the world and Jerusalem is the center of the land of Israel. That is why right-wing Israel Zionists are doing what they are doing.

Please. Help spread the truth. Let freedom ring. Let peace come. Let God’s will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, and let God bless us all. But let us be worthy of that blessing. Let us love one another, as we should.