Raiders of the Lost Menorah

Rome’s Arch of Titus depicts the triumphant return of Roman’s legions from the destruction of Jerusalem. Titus, on horse drawn chariot, accompanied by the winged goddess Victoria leads a laurelled procession carrying the temple menorah, the symbol of the Nation of Israel. Biblical Archeology Review (July/August 2005), with cover featuring that relief, recounts a meeting between Israel’s Minister of Religious Affairs Shimon Shetreet and Vatican officials: A “tense silence” was reported when Shetreet suggested that Israel’s golden menorah may be in a Vatican storeroom and requested the Pope’s assistance in its location. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains why this and similar requests have met with a similar response:

The requests by Shetreet, the president, and the chief rabbis reflect the long-held belief that the Catholic Church – as the inheritor of Rome, took possession of the empire’s booty – as documented by the Arch of Titus. … This is not to say that 2,000 years or so have been enough time for the [Vatican’s] Foreign Ministry to formulate a policy on the matter. Unofficially at least, we look forward to the restoration of the treasures of the Jewish people … but do not anticipate this will occur before the coming of the Messiah.

After almost 2000 years of erecting monuments on every “holy” site, launching crusades to recapture the “holy” land, and instigating negotiations to declare the “holy” city an international city under the papal control, it is obvious that the raiders of the lost menorah want more than Israel’s symbol, they want “ISRAEL”! Therefore, we should not anticipate that the Roman Church – as the self proclaimed inheritor of Israel’s promises, will ever consider themselves other than “THE ISRAEL OF GOD” before the coming of the Messiah.

The purpose and the primary emphasis of Romanism has always been and will be to the end, a desire for total world dominance. Now they have laps where they are not as influential as at other times. But their goal as clearly stated by the dogma of the church is a total dominance of the religious world (The Valley Church, emphasis added).¹³)

¹³The Valley Church, Thyatira, 3/24/74, (audio tape).