hedrick@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Charles Hedrick) (10/25/86)
TRINITY AT DAWN Christianity and the Idols of Warfare Dawn is the eschatological moment -- the time when appeared the angels of the resurrection of Christ, and our own resurrection in his Name, time when the angel of the Lord confronted Jacob giving him the name of 'Israel', time when the angel, arising where does the Sun - at dawn, "seals" the faithful with the Name of God (Revelation), time when the Morning Star appears before dawn of the Day, like the Messianic "star arising out of Jacob" (Numbers, Dead Sea Scrolls, Revelation) become "the Star of Bethlehem arising in the East" - where is the Dayspring (G.Luke), time when the glory of Christ appears from the womb of the dawn (Psalm 110), time when suddenly appears Man's Desire, the Sun of Righteousness with healing rays, in the Temple of our hearts (Malachi), time when appears the Manna from heaven (Exodus), time when appears the dew of light and resurrection to life (Isaiah 26), time when appears the Son of Man, Light of the World, to his fishermen in their boats - there standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee... But in the desert 40 years ago was marked the death or grave of this "Christian" age, so-called, and the horrifying dawn of the God of Nuclear War, and the whoring high priests of the profitable technology of Death. In the darkness just before the dawn, on the horizon of the Earth - arose an abomination whose ungodly "glory" would utterly destroy our planet - enshrouding it with a great burial shroud of death, marking the Crucifixion of the Son of Man and the grave of mankind with the infernal cross __T__ of a thermonuclear cloud. The diabolical name of the abomination arising like a terrifying angel of light upon the dark wilderness of Earth and among the hearts of mankind -- the name was that distinctive Christian name for God -- the first-born Bomb was called -- "Trinity". It is the military/economic "superpowers" of this age who would indefinitely secure an incredible "peace" with probable horror - with threatsof horrifying retaliation against the hundreds of millions of the nameless, who have no military ambitions or real political voice. Everywhere they exploit injustice and suffering among the poor, waste human and material resources, poison our common planet, and profit largely by mercenary warfare all over the world - in the name of pseudo- benevolent ideologies, religiously appealing to the "necessary evil" of an abomination. They say "peace and security" - but there is no peace. At any time since WW2, twenty-five percent of the nations have been at war, and one-third of the war machinery is sold by each of the U.S./S.U. Even the modern state of Israel, arising soon after the Bomb, created to be "a light unto the Gentile nations" according to Isaiah, has war machinery as its principal export. Some light - of destruction. The total world military expenditure is greater than the combined income of the poorer half of the human race. Jesus said, "When you see 'the abomination which causes desolation' standing (arising) where it does not belong (in the Temple, in our hearts, on the Earth) -- then those in Judaea should run for for the hills ..." Now Luke, writing for Gentiles, apparently suggests that this is related to recurrence of Jerusalem, surrounded by enemies, while the Apocalyptist suggests all these shall be destroyed "by fire from heaven". Now according to early Christian history, some Christians of the community of Judaea escaped the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. (This by divine warning according to this ancient tradition.) But what are the allusions of this obscure apocalypse of the Gospel, attributed to Jesus himself? The editorial comment in the Gospel refers the reader to Daniel, advising some "understanding". In Daniel, "the abomination of desolation" is an idol honoring a pagan "god" of war, said to be "an alien god, one unknown to your fathers,a god of fortresses, prevailing against fortresses, honored with very great wealth, and by allotment of property and authority to those who would worship..." (very close, concise paraphrase). According to historians, this was the idol of Zeus Olympios, which was erected by the false priests of the Temple as accomplices of the then-superpower Greek/Syrian provincial political leader Antiochus IV, at the time of the Maccabees. Some hasidim (pious pacifists) did then escape the city, refusing to worship the idol, but they were hunted down and killed. There ensued the well-known Maccabean revolt against this abomination which desecrated the Temple. Later this Greek god of war was identified with the Roman god Jupiter Capitolinus (note the analogy), responsible for national defense of Rome. Now the warning "run for the hills" occurs once before - in Genesis, when Lot is urged "to run for your life .. to the hills", before Sodom is destroyed, at dawn, apparently by a rising inferno, according to the view of Abraham in the distance, by fire from heaven according to tradition. This agrees with the parallel to Luke in Revelation. I suppose that all this is well-known. But I would like to observe something else. As I said before, Jesus was condemned to death by the Imperial state and by its false religious accomplices. This is paralleled before by the evil cooperation of the false priesthood with the earlier pagan superpower, erecting an idol of war in the Temple. Moreover, in Revelation, it is prophesied of the end times that false prophets (apparently false-Christians, apostates according to NT tradition, but they can also be athiest pseudo-benevolent high- priests of technology) would cooperate with the military/economic Beast(s) once again, erecting an idol which 'speaks' in honor of the Beast. [We sure have enough of this today on TV broadcasts and advertisements.] Clearly this is refers to the same "abomination" as before. Today so-called "fundementalists" religiously insist upon the godliness of the Bomb and of their own Superpower, which has the Better Bomb and Bomb Deterrent. The Apocalyptist forsees that they will make an economy which compells everyone to work for the interests of the Beast(s). [universal taxation for the military/economic interests of ancient Rome] The false prophets deceive the world with wonders, even calling down fire from heaven in the sight of mankind. We have ICBM's, supersonic fighters, Star Wars, and the high technology of Death within sight, preached from the pulpit - the Good News of Peace through Mutually Assured Destruction and Prosperity by lifelong employment for Death. As the religious "fundementalists" of ancient Jerusalem shouted to Imperial Pilate before the Crucifixion, "We have no God but Caesar." And when it was finished, to fulfill prophecy "the soldiers" who put Jesus to death, did cast lots for his garments, the remnants of the appearance of Christ - but nothing else. When Jesus was evangelist of the true kingdom of God, he was met with many opponents and violent enemies. It is said that some of his disciples wanted "call down fire from heaven", like the false prophets of the Apocalypse, to destroy his enemies. But Jesus sharply rebuked them, saying that they did not realize that their spirit was opposed to the spirit of Christ. Jesus was condemned to death by the ancient Imperial state with its false religious accomplices. In the aftermath of final nuclear holocaust, those who may survive will surely judge us to be accomplices of the Crucifixion, having betrayed the Son of Man and mankind as well. We pray for the mercy of God shown to us in Christ, and for the life of the world to come. David Harwood