Reform leader calls for Israel to Give ‘Mt. Zion’ to Catholic Church

A reader sent me a link to the following:

Published: May 12th, 2014

The former head of Israel’s Reform movement has called on the Israeli government to cede part of the David’s Tomb compound, located on Mount Zion, to the Catholic church.

“Rabbi” Uri Regev, the former director of the Israel Reform Action Committee and now the head of the Hiddush- Freedom of Religion for Israel NGO, said in a press release that ceding control of the Last Supper Room, located one floor above the site that many Jews believe is the burial spot of King David, could be a “forward looking gesture” that could give the Jewish People ability “to move beyond past disputes and persecutions … experienced in specific Christian and Muslim communities throughout generations. http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/reform-movement-give-jlem-site-to-church/2014/05/12/0/?print

The time will come when the Roman Church will gain control of this area. Some hope that it will happen in less than two weeks, though others deny it can ever happen.

Catholics call the building there the Cenacle. It is built using a wall that may be the first Christian worship building ever built by and for Christians. Some of us refer to is as the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill.

Pope Francis is scheduled to conduct Catholic mass in the building on May 25th. Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew is flying down to meet him and apparently attend that service. This building is part of the Vatican’s ecumenical plans.

On October 24, 2013, I was able to visit the this area.

While attempting to take some photos and to video there, I was approached by a Jewish rabbi named Avraham Goldstein of the Diaspora Yeshiva. Avraham Goldstein basically stated that his group once controlled the building and allowed Israeli government to have it under the condition that it would not be just given to a group like the Catholics of Rome.

So, I asked him to put that in writing in an email. So he sent me one on November 3, 2013:

1. Concerning the Cenacle (The Last Supper Room). Originally it belonged to the Yeshiva, but the Yeshiva gave it over to the Israel Ministry of Religions to administer.

2. The condition upon which the Cenacle was given over to the Israel Ministry of Religions was that the status quo would be upheld ;- that it is open to all religions and is not the specific property of any one faith. The Catholic Pope would like to have it exclusively at the disposal of the Catholic faith and to hold mass there. As things stand today this is the only building that is open to Jews, Christians and Moslems. We do not want it to be assigned to just one faith which could create problems with the Palestinians – which is certainly unecessary…

With thanks for your kind consideration of all these matters and with best wishes to you and blessings from Mount Zion,

Rabbi Avraham Goldstein
Diaspora Yeshiva
Mount Zion

He wants it kept from the Roman Catholics. Not all agree with him.

Because of various biblical prophecies, it is possible that this ‘Cenacle’ location is the area that the prophesied ‘man of sin’ will come to. In the New Testament, Christians are specifically referred to as ‘the temple of God’ (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16). Thus, if a physical building is something that the Bible teaches that the son of perdition will sit in, it may well be some type of place that Christians worshiped at, like the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill (the area currently known as Mt. Zion). Notice something that the man of sin is prophesied to do:

3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

If this is referring to an ancient site, then perhaps it could be referring to one the “Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill” (though only a relatively few original bricks remain). While Pope Francis is NOT this man of sin (the ‘man of sin’ is the beast of the sea, the final King of the North), Bible prophecy indicates that an antipope will support the final man of sin (cf. Revelation 13:11-17).

Even though much of the ‘Cenacle’ site is impacted by Greco-Romans, is it possible that God could possibly consider that the area is sufficiently related to the temple that it could possibly fulfill 2 Thessalonians 2:4?

Although this is not yet clear, there are some reasons to think that it might.

The Vatican continues to press for control of this building and some in Israel are supporting him.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill Could this building, often referred to as the Cenacle, which is located on a Mount Zion, possibly have been the oldest actual Christian church building? There is also a video titled Does the ‘Cenacle’ deal have prophetic ramifications?
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén?
Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a version in Mandarin: 主编：谁是’大罪人’？Here is a link to a related YouTube video, in English, titled Who is the Man of Sin?
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? You can also watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results?
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement? Are you aware of the ecumenical movement? Do you understand the biblical dangers of it? Do you know what the World Council of Churches is supposed to be all about? Are you aware what has been happening recently with the Eastern Orthodox? Did you know that in December 2013, Pope Francis’ representative essentially eliminated a ‘conservative order’ and said that they needed to abide by Vatican II? Will there be signs and wonders that will help bring about ecumenical unity? Is compromise away from the Bible what must occur for the type of unity that many Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic leaders want?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.