Bro Neil Lipken, there were

Important Events in 1997

edited from http://www.revelation13.net/Israel.html

If Comet Hale-Bopp is a celestial messenger, then did anything of religious significance occur at the time it peaked in brightness? Was there an event of religious significance near the time of approach of this comet? Yes, there was-- a red heifer (cow) was born in the fall of 1996 in Israel, (and also in March 2002 in Israel), something that has not happened since Biblical times. The ashes of a red heifer are to be used in a purification rite to allow the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem (refer to Biblical passage Numbers 19:2: "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish..."). The birth of this cow now (its parents are not red) is nothing less then an event of great hope in Israel, and may imply the Messiah will come soon, and it is now time to think about rebuilding the temple (there is a complication-- a Moslem holy site, the Dome of the Rock, is now on the temple mount). It is also interesting that Comet Hale-Bopp was closest to earth on March 23 1997 on Palm Sunday which was also the day of Purim, a Jewish holiday of happy celebration, when there was also a lunar eclipse; and the comet was closest to the sun near Easter. And on April 11, 1997, there was a fire in the Cathedral housing the Shroud of Turin, the cloth which some believe is the burial cloth of Christ. Another way Comet Hale-Bopp may be linked to Biblical events: this comet's previous passage by earth is calculated to be around 2213 B.C. This is near the time that Abraham was born (near 2166 B.C., the exact date is not known). Abraham is considered to be the father of the nation of Israel. And Comet Hale-Bopp had 2 tails-- a white and a blue tail. White and blue are the colors on the flag of Israel. So the white and blue colors of this comet are a sign for us in the U.S. of the importance of the state of Israel, and why its defense should be a top priority for the U.S..

Also note another unusual event that occurred with Comet Hale-Bopp was the rare occurrence of a comet (Comet Hale-Bopp) seen during a solar eclipse seen in Mongolia and Siberia on March 8-9 1997. Such occurrences of a comet seen during a solar eclipse are rare, the previous ones being in 1948 and 1882. In this case the comet seen during a solar eclipse in Mongolia and Siberia may have been a sign of the rise of the Antichrist as Russian President Putin coming to power in 1999. And I think such comets seen during solar eclipses may be connected with Israel, since the previous cases were:

-- During the total solar eclipse of May 17, 1882, in Egypt, a bright comet was seen close to the sun. This was not the same comet as the very bright comet seen in September 1882, but rather was a sungrazing comet that approached the sun from the other side, and and was not seen except during the May 1882 eclipse.

Note that a significant event in religious history at that time was the beginning of the Zionist movement, to recreate the state of Israel in Palestine. In 1882, Leon Pinsker's pamphlet "Autoemancipation" was published, and it encouraged the Jewish people to create their own nation. Also, another significant event in 1882 was the birth of Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose victory in World War II later led to the creation of Israel in 1948.

-- On November 1, 1948, during a solar eclipse seen in Africa, a comet was seen near the sun. In the history of Israel, the significant event then was that the State of Israel was born in May 1948. Also, near the time of this eclipse Prince Charles of England was born, on Nov. 14, 1948, and note that England freeing Palestine from Moslem control was a key event that later resulted in the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

Note the historical parallels between Israel and the U.S., which also indicate the importance of the U.S.'s role as the defender of Israel:

-- The U.S. began from 13 colonies, and Israel began from 13 tribes

-- Israel was divided into two countries, Israel and Judah. Today a reborn Israel is united as one nation. And the U.S. went through a period during the Civil War when it was divided into Northern and Southern parts, but was united into one nation by the Northern victory in the Civil War.

I think that the Genesis 12 promise to Abraham, has a second meaning for the U.S.: that the U.S., a nation united by another Abraham, President Lincoln, would become a great nation that would be a blessing to the world.

Lewis Brackett