Interesting thread. I must admit, I never saw it before today. It took my a while, but I read the whole thing. There is much here that I never saw before and does give me SOME insight to the historical as well as to the practical.

In the Scriptures, there is ONLY ONE place that even comes close to speaking about "world peace". It is the book of Zechariah which speaks of turning "swords into plowshares" and every man living under their own vine. Even so, there is STILL the need for ONE GROUP who "as for me and my house, we will worship the LORD." What this ONE PERSON who represents the group is SPECIFICALLY tied to is the "plummet"--Zech 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of
Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

The three "yardsticks" are totally prophetic. In addition to the "normal" two which are used for measuring (the measuring line and the plummet/plumb bob), there is included the "line of flax" which means "comminuting linen". This is meant to take whatever being measured and to "atomize" it--reduce it to the atomic size.

It makes a great deal of sense that ancient Babylon is the "east" of which is spoken. If it is Babylon from which this individual appears,it CANNOT be ancient Babylon since it no longer exists. However, Mystery Babylon DOES. From Mystery Babylon, Zerubbabel appears to FINISH the temple which HE built the foundations of. Zerubbabel, itself, means "offspring of Babylon" or son of Babylon. You might say that it is a bit of an anomaly for a son of Babylon (a seemingly negative name) to become the one to FINISH (consummate) the final building of the Holy Temple and all that it signifies.

Jesus, Himself, implies in Matthew 24 that the "gospel of the kindgom" will be the last message on earth before the "end" comes. The disciples asked Him what the "end" was and how it would come about. The word "end" that they used simply meant what would be the end of the Jewish Dispensation. Jesus's answer to them used an entirely different word which referred to the FINAL, Prophetic end and the Gospel of the Kingdom preceded it. UNTIL the gospel of the kingdom is preached to the whole world, the END will simply not come.

It is plainly seen that Jesus's WHOLE duty was to the House of Israel and His gospel concerned salvation, alone. If THIS was the gospel He was speaking of, the END should have followed His ministry. Of course, it did not. Thus, the Gospel of the Kingdom INCLUDED the gospel of salvation--but it is far more. The Gospel of the Kingdom involves God the Father and the entire Creation--and how it all works. There is a mountain of evidence that shows this is so--and it will all be revealed in its time. Until then, the END will not come.

The so-called "third temple" has been defined in the People's Encyclopedia as a "perfect example of a Shemitic temple", but it would be impossible to build. There are a variety of reasons for this, and modern-day Israel is at a loss as to how it may come about. The very prophecies, themselves, seem to make it impossible. They simply do not understand the prophecies. They will not understand it until it actually happens "in one day".

It is NOT the nationality, race, appearance or ANYTHING to do with the one who will bring this message to the world. He is, indeed, a nobody. It is ALL about the message. ONLY the message, itself, can affect us. Jesus, Himself, was not a "comely man" that we should desire Him. They were not drawn to his "looks". They were drawn to His Power, His Spirit and His Truth. "No man spoke" like He did. This was a new thing in the earth. The Gospel of the Kingdom is a new thing as well.

Thanks for bringing this thread back. I enjoyed it a lot.