Pope Benedict responded positively to an invitation extended by Israeli President Katsav when the two met recently at the Vatican and if everything works out this would be the second papal visit to Israel in a six year span.
The late Pope John Paul made an historic journey to Israel in 2000 visiting, Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum and the Western Wall at the Temple Mount. Although Pope Benedict has received many invitations to visit foreign countries, the incentive to visit Israel seems to be the recent discovery in Megiddo of the remains of what is believed to be the oldest Christian church in Israel dating back some eighteen centuries.
Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News
Another Papal visit to Israel, the second in a six year span, is a reminder of another famous world-religious leader who will come to Israel to rule from Jerusalem according to Bible prophecy. Pope Benedict's profound interest in the recent discovery in Megiddo of the remains of what is believed to be the oldest church Israel and maybe the entire Middle East, seems to be the reason for what could be another papal visit to Israel in the coming year.
Pope John Paul's historic visit to Israel in the year 2000 marked a significant change in Israeli-Vatican relations. Pope Benedict's positive response to Israel's invitation to visit the Jewish state seems to be opening the way for the visit to take place.
This second papal visit is another reminder of a future world-wide religious leader from Rome who will come to Jerusalem to setup his power base. That religious leader, referred to in the scriptures as the Antichrist, will leave Rome at the mid-way point of the seven year Tribulation Period, which is a terrible time of judgment in the future, and establish a presence in Jerusalem even entering the Jewish temple and claiming to be as God, Revelation 17:16-17 Daniel 27, and Second Thessalonians 2:4.
A potential papal visit to Israel in the near future is a foreshadow of the visit by Antichrist to Jerusalem, also possibly in the near future, according to Bible prophecy, Bible prophecy that will be fulfilled.
