The Second Syrian

by George F Spall

It was as recently as 1982 that a would-be Wonder-worker was promised to the world. More than thirty of the world's newspapers promised him. Interest flamed briefly like the flare of an oil flame flung into the dark sky. When the advertisement appeared there was a moment of bright promise, then an uncertain wait for the next burst of illumination. It has not come.

The few minutes' brilliance deceives the neighbours into thinking that the dawn is near. A few dogs bark and roosters crow, then nature snuggles down for another nap. If we were not so sure that the sunrise would come, the brief bright sky would deceive us.

The Bible had promised God would send a Redeemer, so it was that the hope of a miracle man's arrival awakened such interest. People wanted a man to disarm thousands of nuclear warheads without exploding them. They looked for a man to feed the hungry poor without depleting the wealth of the greedy rich. Disappointed, there was nothing to do but snigger, then slip back into apathy or spiritual torpor.

However, we must not allow ourselves to drift into a doze. That elusive Maitreya is not a shy phantom. He is an active fellow. He will emerge claiming to be the Imman Mahdi of the Moslems, Messiah of the Jews, Fifth Buddha, Christ of the Christians and the Hindu Krishna. No wonder he's called the Master!

His agents are everywhere. They insidiously infiltrate governments and their multiplied departments of administration at all levels and in all countries. They are in defence and security organizations, philanthropic societies and educational institutions. Churches welcome these preachers of Peace, Tolerance and Unity.

The halls of the mighty welcome their skills in developing 'Mind powers', expanding 'Personal Potential', 'Discovering the Real You Within', helping us achieve our 'god-hood'! Many thousands of dollars are spent by corporate bodies and government departments so that their executives can execute -- painlessly we hope. And there are many such bodies.

Perhaps very few of the great minds thus developed are aware that they have been recruited into the NEW AGE MOVEMENT and that they probably have the Maitreya for Director. Very many Christians are being seduced, so much so that we hear of pastors telling their people they must not read books that warn against the seduction. The clergy of a by-gone day forbade their people to read books that would enlighten them and the Dark Ages was the result. They held back civilization for hundred of years.

Israel 's prophets denounced those that preached peace when there was none. Peace and Prosperity are attractive carrots, colourful and aromatic. Donkeys love them -- allured by the lure!

Long ago, in the year 341 BCE to be precise, the great orator Demosthenes preached peace like that. He eased the apprehensions of the Athenians by assuring them that the threatening but unknown Philip of Macedon need not be feared. "He is but a nobody from nowhere, a pestilential slave, a barbarian -- forget him!"

They did. However, not only did the barbarian overwhelm them, but he raised his son to become Alexander the Great, and his military genius brought the Babylonian and then the Persian worlds under Grecian feet. He made the language he spoke to be the language of literature for centuries to come. Indeed, Greek culture suffused the Roman world and still survives in our own.

Demosthenes was deceived. We must see to it that we are not. We need to look twice at those deceptive 'carrots', Peace and Prosperity.

It was from that very empire not so very long afterwards that Antiochus IV came. He was governor of Syria when it included Israel in its borders. He was a winsome man of fair words and flattery but became one of history's most infamous tyrants. The prophet Daniel painted a clear word picture of him some four hundred years or so before he came (chapter 11). His cruelties and impieties drove Israel to revolt and it was then that Israel's heroic story was written in blood by the Maccabees.

It is not an accident that again there is a Syria hoping to be great at Israel's expense. Greater Syria has already cost Lebanon dearly and Israel is not unaware of what may lie just ahead.

Neither is it an accident that the prophet Daniel gave so much attention to Syria when he wrote so long ago, (for example, in chapter 11:40ff where many Bible students believe "king of the north" refers to Syria just as "king of the south" is Egypt). Daniel not only saw the fairly close future but he also saw the far-off latter days -- these latter days indeed -- "the time of the end" (11:40).

Daniel said that there is to be a treaty confirmed with Israel (9:27) for a seven year period, and surely that treaty will have to be already in existence for it to be confirmed. The Somebody who will sign it is expected to be from the old Roman world because it was Roman soldiers who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE. So a man from Syria would fill the bill because Syria in those days was Roman.

Remembering what is written in Isaiah (in 10:5, 10:24ff, 14:25, 19:23, 32:13, 30:31, 31:8, 52:4), for example: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with the rod . . . after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation (the tribulation?) shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction . . . And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck . . . " (10:24,25,27), it is appropriate to recall that of the two million Assyrians in the world, about twelve thousand reside within Syria.

A consensus of opinion, both Jewish and Christian, believes that a Temple will be built in these latter days. In the present climate of Arab-Israel relations, of course, this is not possible, but it could change. Quite apart from rumours of war which change from day to day, there is an alternative which is quite possible. The Chernobyl disaster might well have initiated it. The fear of war, especially nuclear war, may well mean that the world will listen to a man of peace -- a man like Maitreya.

Benjamin Crème, the self-proclaimed emissary of the mysterious Maitreya, says in his book, THE RE-APPEARANCE OF THE CHRIST AND THE MASTERS OF WISDOM, that the Christ is already in the world in a Syrian body. The threat of war between Israel and Syria is still there, but moves towards a negotiated peace are more possible nowadays.

The NEW AGE MOVEMENT is running through society like a wildfire, a veritable conflagration. No one can blame a frightened humanity for grasping eagerly at a promise of 'New World Order' and 'Universal Peace'. The time is just right for a Man of Marvels to arrive.

We catch the buzz-words in all levels of society, both in secular and religious circles. Christian churches and synagogues use them. Incredibly, Jews who are outside synagogues use them. Jewish humanism, which declines both Torah and prayer and has no God is familiar with them. Of course, they all have the 'god-within'. Several books alert us to them -- MIND DYNAMICS, CONSCIOUSNESS EXPANSION, INNER HEALING, T.M., E.S.T., ALERTED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, WORLD INTEGRATION, UNITY IN DIVERSITY. They all sound so good carrots!!

Already a world-wide attempt has been organized to raise many millions of dollars to feed the starving million of Africa. Who would not support it? Maybe this is a trial run to see how World Integration can be made to work!

It is likely that it will be a war with Syria that Israel will win that will make it possible for the Orthodox to put a Temple a few metres away from the Dome of the Rock. But war may be averted. The NEW AGE MOVEMENT now so strongly entrenched in the United Nations, in the secular world, amongst Jews and Christians, Hindus and Buddhists, for they all recognize the 'god-within' idea, may be able to make it work.

It would be wonderful for all people to enjoy such peace. However, it must be recognized that men and women who are not at peace within themselves can hardly be expected to keep peace among each other.

Messiah warned everybody: "Then, if any man say unto you, Lo! Here is Christ, or there: believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and miracles, insomuch, that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say to you, Behold, he is in the desert: go not forth. Behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not." (Matthew 24:213-26).

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