Thought by some to be the most important visit Israel had ever hosted, Pope John Paul II's "personal spiritual journey" to the Holy Land turned out to be one of the most political of his 22-year pontificate.
by Melvin Rhodes
The pope's visit comes at a critical
time in the long and troubled history of the Middle East.
The biblical lands that constitute the
Holy Land are the birthplace of three major religions-in chronological
order of their appearance on the world stage, Judaism, Christianity
and Islam. The region is also the crossroads of the three continents
that have played the most significant roles in the history of the world.
Jerusalem, at the very center of it all, has been fought over more
than any other single piece of real estate in history. The Bible tells
us that it is to be fought over at least one more time, "trampled by
the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).
Nobody can deny the city's disputed status.
Its 3,000-year history has seen it dominated by many different nations
and peoples, including the three religions that deem the city holy.
Roman Catholics had possession of it for
over one hundred years during the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. The
Protestant British took it from the Moslem Turks in 1917, ruling the
city until it was divided 31 years later as the modern nation of Israel
was born. The "Old City" of Jerusalem was to remain a part of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan until the Six-Day War of 1967. For 33 years, Israel
has controlled all of Jerusalem and considers it "the Eternal Capital
of Israel," though few other nations recognize it as such, preferring
to keep their embassies in less controversial Tel Aviv.
What few people realize is that many of
the prophecies in the Bible that relate to the "end time"-prior to
the second coming of Jesus Christ-could not possibly have been fulfilled
until the modern state of Israel was established in 1948. Israel's
existence has led to never-ending conflict in the region. The Jewish
state is the most powerful military force in the area, having gained
the upper hand over its enemies through the continuous conflict that
has afflicted the peoples of the area for over half a century.
