Introduction:

And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
Zechariah 12:3

      Jerusalem is a holy city to three faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  As such, the debate over who should control the city is more than just a political one; it is a battle over which god is God, and which religion is the truth.  Centuries have passed since the founding of Jerusalem and, as Scripture has predicted, it has become a stumbling block for anyone who tries to pick it up.

      The sons of Israel could not hold it when they abandoned their convenant with God and were conquered by Babylon and Solomon's Temple destroyed. Centuries later the Romans again left the city in ruins, including Herod's temple as predicted by Jesus.  The battles over Jerusalem continued when Christian Crusaders tried in vain to drive out the Muslims who occupied the city.  The Ottoman Turks finally succeeded in gaining control over the city for hundreds of years and yet their empire also crumbled.  More recently, the British, who governed Jerusalem during the turbulent years leading up to the rebirth of Israel, discovered just how true the prophecies were regarding the difficulty of managing this city.

      The modern state of Israel won control over Jerusalem during the 1967 war. They later relocated their capital to Jerusalem amid much controversy.  The much debated, highly emotional status of Jerusalem is scheduled to be discussed in future peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.  However, as history has shown, there are no easy answers to this question.

The Apple of God's Eye Turns 60 April 29, 2008

The Betrayal of the Chosen February 27, 2008

The Devil is in The Details November 27, 2007

Consider This a Warning October 30, 2007

Bulldozers Dig On Temple Mount August 28, 2007

The Tribe of Levi and the Coming Third Temple July 24, 2007

Tisha b'Av July 24, 2007

Hamasistan vs. Fatahland June 26, 2007

Will History Repeat Itself? June 05, 2007

A Timely Study: The Betrayal of the Chosen by Chuck Missler

Book Excerpt: Prophecy Past and Future: An Example by Chuck Missler

Updated Briefing: The Next Holocaust and the Refuge in Edom: Part 2 by Chuck Missler

Mid-East Update: What the Hamas Victory Means by Barry Rubin

Mid-East Update: What Happens Now? by Chuck Missler

Trip Update An Insider's Briefing on Israel by Chuck Missler

Betrayal of the Chosen? The New Bush Doctrine by Chuck Missler

Middle East Update: No Hurry for Peace by Barry Rubin

To the U.S. Senate: An Appeal on Israel's Behalf by Benjamin Netanyahu

Strategic Perspective: The Case for Jerusalem by John Loeffler

News Sources

NEW! Israel at 60 - BBC Special report on Israel as it celebrates its 60th anniversary.

NEW! German Archaeologist on Trail of Ark of the Covenant - German researchers claim to have found the remains of the palace of the Queen of Sheba — and an altar that may have held the Ark. The discovery, announced by the University of Hamburg last week, has stirred skeptical rumblings from the archaeological community. The location of the Ark, indeed its existence, has been a source of controversy for centuries.

NEW! Israeli Jews Doubt Peace Prospects - According to a survey conducted by Tel Aviv University, 70 percent of Israeli Jews do not believe in the chances of reaching a deal with the Palestinians despite renewed peace talks. Israel and the Palestinians restarted peace talks at a US conference last November after a seven-year hiatus, but little tangible progress has been made since despite a joint commitment to try to ink a deal by the end of the year.

Hamas Says It Has 200,000 Suicide Bombers - Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, said on Tuesday that Hamas has 200,000 people who want to blow themselves up inside Israel. Zahar says Israel will pay if it rejects the Egyptian initiative for truce with the Palestinians.

Western Wall Stones in Danger of Crumbling - Some of the stones at Jerusalem's Western Wall are in danger of crumbling. The damaged stones that are beginning to disintegrate are not the ancient ones dating back to the Second Temple Period, but the small uniform stones that make up part of the wall built in the 19th century.

Hezbollah Seeks Revenge - This Saturday will mark 40 days since Imad Mughniyeh's assassination on February 12 by a car bomb in Damascus. There have been reports that Hezbollah is planning a large-scale attack on Israel in retaliation for assassination. In the past, Hezbollah has timed its reprisals for the 40th day of mourning. Israel has enhanced security at its embassies and put its military on heightened alert.

Temple Institute Prepares Linen Garments - For the first time in 1,938 years the linen garments of the lay priests are being produced in preparation for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. The last priestly garments to have been worn were those worn by the priests who were martyred by the Roman legions who brutally invaded and destroyed the Holy Temple on the ninth day of the month of Av, in the year 70 AD.

Israel Still Building in East Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday he will keep building in parts of the West Bank and Jerusalem that Israel wants to keep in a future peace deal, angering the chief Palestinian negotiator. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks resumed Monday in Jerusalem after a break of several weeks because of a spike in violence, but the session ended in discord.

Israel Says Hezbollah Has 30,000 Rockets - Israel has said Hezbollah is rearming and has an arsenal that includes 10,000 long-range rockets and 20,000 short-range rockets in southern Lebanon in violation of a UN arms embargo. Before the 2006 war, Israel estimates that Hezbollah had 13,000 rockets deployed. During the war, Hezbollah bombarded Israel with nearly 4,000 rockets.

Hezbollah Planning Large-Scale Attack - An Arab newspaper claims that Hezbollah is planning a large-scale attack on Israel in retaliation for its alleged assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyah. In the past, Hezbollah has timed its reprisals for the 40th day of mourning, in this case March 22-23. According to the report, the attack is being planned in coordination with Syria and Iran.

Part of Noah's Ark Found? - Explorers claim to have found "material evidence" to prove that Noah's Ark is real and rests on mount Ararat in Turkey. The Turkish-Hong Kong team reportedly found a petrified wooden structure in a cave, which they believe is part of the Ark.

First Temple Seal Found in Jerusalem - A stone seal bearing the name of one of the families who, according to the book of Nehemiah, acted as servants in the First Temple and then returned to Jerusalem after being exiled to Babylonia has been uncovered in an archaeological excavation in Jerusalem's City of David.

Abbas Rules Out Talks with Hamas - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused any talks with Hamas unless it relinquishes their control of Gaza to his Palestinian Authority. Egyptian officials have been pressing Abbas to compromise with Hamas which currently has total control of the Gaza Strip on Egypt's border. Hamas militants recently blew holes in the border, allowing tens of thousands of Palestinians to cross into Rafah.

Tens of Thousands Cross Downed Gaza Wall - Masked gunmen destroyed about two-thirds of the metal wall separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt in the town of Rafah and tens of thousands of Palestinians poured across the border to buy supplies made scarce by an Israeli blockade of the impoverished territory.

US Considering Int'l Force in West Bank - The US may be preparing a plan to station third party troops in the West Bank. The international troops would secure the area after an Israeli withdrawal and before the Palestinian Authority can take over full security control.

19 Killed in Israeli-Palestinian Conflicts - Israeli troops killed a son of Gaza's most powerful leader along with 18 other Palestinians on Tuesday in the bloodiest day of fighting in the coastal area since Hamas militants seized control last summer.

Bush Embarks on Middle East Visit - US President George W Bush is due in Jerusalem on a landmark visit to the region to help kick-start peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. It is the President's first visit to Israel and the West Bank since taking office.

Israel, Palestinians Can't Break Impasse - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday held their first summit since renewing peace talks last month, but failed to resolve a dispute over planned Israeli construction in east Jerusalem.

Americans Still Support Israel - According to a new poll Americans' support for Israel remains extremely high, with 62 percent of Americans considering themselves supporters of Israel and only 9 percent as supporters of the Palestinians. The poll also shows Americans do not believe the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear projects and worry the NIE report will make the US less safe.

Israel Marks 60 Years Since Palestine Split - It was one of the most dramatic moments in the modern history of the Middle East — the world's nations voting one by one in the UN General Assembly to partition the Holy Land into separate Jewish and Arab states...

Temple Institute: High Priest's Crown Complete - The Temple Institute in Jerusalem announces the completion of the Tzitz, the High Priest's headplate - now ready for use in the Holy Temple. The tzitz is made of pure gold, was fashioned over the course of a more than a year by the craftsmen of the Temple Institute, and is ready to be worn by the High Priest in the rebuilt Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah Wall Found in Jerusalem - A wall mentioned in the Bible's Book of Nehemiah and long sought by archaeologists apparently has been found, an Israeli archaeologist says.

Annapolis Summit Aims for Peace in 2008 - The Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed themselves Tuesday to negotiate a peace treaty by the end of 2008, setting themselves a deadline for ending a conflict that has endured for six decades. The agreement merely creates a framework for talks, and does not address the fundamental issues between Israel and a future Palestine - such as Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the final borders of a Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

State Department Announces Annapolis Summit - After some speculation that the meeting would not take place, the US State Department has officially announced that the Annapolis Middle-East summit will take place on November 27. More than 40 countries, institutions and individuals were invited to the meeting, which will determine the future course of peace negotiations.

Israel Releases Palestinian Prisoners - Israel on Tuesday approved the release of 432 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of a peace conference to take place next week.

No Palestinian State at Annapolis - US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice told JTA that the upcoming summit in Annapolis will serve as a launching point for future negotiations but that it would not result in the creation of a Palestinian state.

Hamas Arrests Fatah Supporters - Hamas rounded up 400 Fatah supporters in Gaza at a rally marking the third anniversary of the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The rally, which drew a crowd of 200,000 people, ended in gunfire and seven people were killed.

Link to First Temple Found - Archaeologists overseeing contested Islamic infrastructure work on Jerusalem's Temple Mount have stumbled upon a sealed archaeological level dating back to the First Temple period. Archaeologists uncovered fragments of ceramic tableware and animal bone.

Quarry Used to Build Second Temple Found - Israeli archaeologists said they have discovered a quarry that provided King Herod with the stones he used to renovate the biblical Second Temple compound — offering rare insight into construction of the holiest site in Judaism.

37 Percent of Israelis Willing to Give Up Holy Sites - In a recent poll 37 percent of Israelis said they would be willing to cede sole sovereignty over Jerusalem's holy sites - many saying the site should be under international rule.

Christians in Gaza Being Targeted - Attacks on members of the 2,500-strong Christian community in the Gaza Strip have increased in recent months, especially since Hamas took full control of the area. The body of a Palestinian Christian man who worked in a Christian bookstore was found this week. Before his death he had received several death threats from radical Muslims who accused him of missionary activity.

Fatah Threatens Catastrophe if Summit Fails - Sources are now saying that the Middle East peace conference in Washington sponsored by US President Bush might be pushed off by two weeks, until late November. The delay would give Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas extra time to agree on a joint statement. Senior Fatah terrorists threaten a "new intifada" if the PA's demands are not met.

Hamas Trains Force of 10,000 - Hamas officials say they has been training and equipping a force of at least 10,000 fighters to stop any Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. The new force has been conducting military maneuvers in order to "send a message to the occupation forces that we are ready for any attack."

Rocket Injures Dozens in Israel - At least 69 Israeli soldiers were injured when a rocket fired from Gaza exploded in an army camp in southern Israel. It is the largest number of injuries sustained in a single rocket attack against Israel from Gaza.

Ancient Escape Hatch Found in Israel - Under threat from Romans ransacking Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, many of the city's Jewish residents crowded into an underground drainage channel to hide and later flee the chaos through Jerusalem's southern end. The ancient tunnel was recently discovered buried beneath rubble, a monument to one of the great dramatic scenes of the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70 AD.

3,000-Year-Old Beehives Found in Israel - Archaeologists digging in northern Israel have discovered evidence of a 3,000-year-old beekeeping industry, including remnants of ancient honeycombs, beeswax and what they believe are the oldest intact beehives ever found. The Bible repeatedly refers to Israel as a "land of milk and honey," but that's believed to refer to honey made from dates and figs — there is no mention of honeybee cultivation. But the new find shows that the Holy Land was home to a highly developed beekeeping industry nearly 3,000 years ago.

Syrian Missile Deployment Nearly Complete - Syria has almost completed a massive deployment of missiles capable of carrying non-conventional warheads as far as the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, Israel's Army Radio reported on Monday.

Hamas Children's Show Encourages Martyrdom - A Palestinian children's show has come under renewed criticism for encouraging violence and hatred. The show "Tomorrow's Pioneers," is a Hamas television program best known for bringing the world a militant Mickey Mouse look-alike and then having him killed off by an Israeli interrogator.

Israel Army Ousts Hebron Settlers - Israeli forces have forcibly removed dozens of Jewish settlers from two houses in the West Bank town of Hebron.

Archaeologists Try to Safeguard Ancient City of Petra - Archaeologists called Tuesday for urgent steps to safeguard Petra, the ancient rose-red rock city recently picked as one of the new seven wonders of the world, saying an increase in visitors could damage it unless protective measures were taken.

Warriors May Have Occupied Dead Sea Scrolls Site - Fierce warriors once occupied the famous complex where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written, new research suggests. The Qumran gained legendary status in the archaeological world when a shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in nearby caves in 1947.

Peres Sworn in As President of Israel - Shimon Peres took office as Israel's ninth president Sunday, pledging to devote his seven-year term in the ceremonial post to his lifelong dream of Middle East peace. Peres inherits an office tarnished by a sex scandal that forced his predecessor to resign. As foreign minister, Peres played a key role in the first Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, earning him the Nobel prize in 1994.

Hamas's Plans for Temple Mount Foiled - Hamas attempts to gain control of the Temple Mount and recruit new Israeli-Arab operatives in east Jerusalem have been foiled by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), a senior security official announced on Monday.

North American Aliyah Hits 25-Year High - North American Aliyah (immigration to Israel) will reach a 25-year record high this year, with immigrants arriving on twelve flights this summer. The number of Jews moving to Israel from North America has steadily climbed for the past five years, with 3,200 in 2006 and a 5-10% increase expected this year.

Israel Scraps Jerusalem Walkway - Plans for a new walkway to Jerusalem's holiest site have been cancelled amid controversy and concerns about damage to archaeological remains.

Israel Agrees to Release 250 Fatah Prisoners - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced yesterday that Israel will release 250 Palestinian prisoners, all members of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.

Lebanon-Syria Border Completely Porous - The border between Syria and Lebanon is highly porous, and there is no mechanism capable of preventing the smuggling of weapons and other materials, according to a special report by the United Nations' Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team. Israel has insisted for some time that Security Council Resolution 1701 - which brought an end to the Second Lebanon War - is not being implemented because the flow of arms into Lebanon from Syria is not being halted, as stipulated in the resolution.

Forty Years Later: The Six Day War Brought Peace -

Hamas Reportedly Captures Fatah HQ - Hamas forces reportedly captured the headquarters of the Fatah-allied security forces in northern Gaza on Tuesday, seizing a key prize in the bloody battle for control of Gaza and pushing the area closer to all-out civil war.

Palestinians are on Verge of Civil War - Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas warned Tuesday that his people were on the verge of civil war and said the infighting was worse than living under Israeli military rule. Hamas and Fatah have signed at least five cease-fire deals in an attempt to stop escalating violence in Gaza. The most recent truce held for only a couple of hours.

The Legacy: Israel In Prophecy In MP3 on CD-ROM - Chuck Missler Now in one self-contained CD-ROM; The Feasts of Israel, The Next Holocaust, Betrayal of the Chosen, The Prodigal Heirs, Legacy of Hate, and Jihad: America's New War! Click for more information - MP3 on CD-ROM

Thy Kingdom Come: Christ's Millennial Reign - Audio CD - Chuck Missler In this briefing pack, Chuck Missler and Albert Israeli will explore mysteries of the Kingdom teachings, including the detailed Millennial Temple and the confinement and release of the Evil One. Click for more information - Audio CD with MP3

The Next Holocaust - Chuck Missler What is the purpose of the Great Tribulation? What is the prophetic role of Ammon, Moab, and Edom (now known as Jordan)? Where does Jesus return? On the Mount of Olives or in Bozrah? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Betrayal of the Chosen - Chuck Missler This Briefing Package summarizes the bizarre, and largely unknown, history behind the State of Israel from the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 to the end of the 20th century. Click for more information - Audio Cassette

The Feasts of Israel - Chuck Missler / Dan Stolebarger The Feasts of Israel, set by God, are not only commemorative in a historical context, but are also prophetic. Click for more information - Audio Cassette

The Prodigal Heirs - Chuck Missler Has God abandoned Israel? Has the Church replaced Israel? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

The Legacy: Israel In Prophecy In MP3 on CD-ROM - Chuck Missler Now in one self-contained CD-ROM; The Feasts of Israel, The Next Holocaust, Betrayal of the Chosen, The Prodigal Heirs, Legacy of Hate, and Jihad: America's New War! Click for more information - MP3 on CD-ROM

A Legacy of Hate - Audio CD - Chuck Missler and Avi Lipkin Avi Lipkin, a former Israeli Defense Intelligence specialist, details many of the reasons for the historic tensions between Islam and the Jews. Click for more information - Audio CD with MP3

Roots of War - Audio CD - Chuck Missler On September 11, 2001, Islamic extremists shook the world. This briefing will update you on the history of the Middle East since the fall of the Roman Empire. Click for more information - Audio CD with MP3