As I was reading a book, looking out now and then at the landscape far
below, our plane suddenly slowed down, began a descent. Having been a pilot
for decades, I knew something was wrong. The Captain came on the intercom
and said, :"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are going to have to interrupt your
trip to Norfolk, and land at Little Rock. There is nothing wrong with this
airplane; the airplane is perfectly safe, but there has been a threat
concerning aircraft headed toward the New York area, and since we are
enroute to the general vicinity, we are being required to land." He then
apologized for any inconvenience, and we continued a rapid descent.
A few minutes later, he came back on to say that we were not the only
airplane being required to land; that there were "about a thousand aircraft
being asked to land immediately." At that point, I knew something big was
happening. As we landed, I could see that four or five other large jets had
arrived before us. As we taxied in another American Airlines jet landed, and
I could see yet another one in the landing pattern.
We had to wait for a ramp, for the airport was rapidly becoming crowded
Eventually, when I exited the plane, I saw people gathered around a TV
monitor to my left, beside the entry gate. Many were crying; some with eyes
and mouths wide open; some sitting on the floor, faces in their hands. I
looked in amazement as I saw the two twin Trade Towers in New York; one of
them in flames. It was as I watched that the first huge building began to
collapse from the top -- floor after floor smashing into the floor below,
slowly disintegrating before my eyes, with huge billowing clouds of smoke
and dust rising into the air. Apparently, the camera I was watching had not
yet caught the sight of the SECOND airplane smashing into the other tower.
I was shocked, stunned; it was a mind-numbing experience! Immediately, I
thought "Bin Laden!" Or SOME terrorist group! At the moment, I was sickened,
stricken with grief for the awesome sight of mass death before me --- yet, I
remembered that only days before, during a sermon in Tyler, I had repeated
the statement that I had seen from some of the lesser-known news sources,
that "something big was going to happen, which would make the destruction of
the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City look like a walk in the park."
The airport was a scene of utter chaos. Someone said about 15 to 17 jets had
suddenly landed at Little Rock; the gates, ground handlers and baggage crews
were overwhelmed. I knew I needed to get back to Headquarters as soon as
possible! But how? I quickly canvassed the rental car agencies, only to find
all of them except Hertz completely sold out -- with a line of about 150
people waiting in front of Hertz. The Copilot of our flight came up to me
and asked about cars, and I told him the situation. I then decided to go
back to the gate -- a long walk -- and see if they were going to offload the
baggage here, or continue on to Norfolk. I was not permitted to pass back
through security -- they had closed down the airport. It was later I learned
no flights were going to be allowed into the air for perhaps two days!
By the time I finally managed to find a Taxi, and go to a nearby motel (the main ones were full), I found a line of about 7 to 10 people waiting at the desk of the "Days' Inn." The harried young lady was checking them in, with apologies that the rooms were not made up. I found I could obtain a room, and, in about a half hour, did so. I quickly called home; called the office; let them know where I was, gave them my telephone number. Time and again (for it took many calls) all circuits were busy, and it took me quite a while to get through. Meanwhile, the television set was tuned to CNN, and I was watching in horror as I learned that the Pentagon had also been attacked; that another aircraft had plunged into the ground in Pennsylvania!
It was then that a different camera angle showed the second aircraft flying straight into the second building and exploding in a huge orange ball of flames! Adjectives cannot describe what I saw; what I felt. Outrage. Anger. Rage. Shock. Pity. My mind balked at recreating the scene aboard those aircraft; the screaming, begging, crying, praying people, knowing that their plane was in the hands of a madman who was going to crash it -- the victims who were suddenly crushed as thousands of tons of concrete came collapsing upon them as those gigantic buildings disintegrated into clouds of smoke and rubble. One thing I know: No airlines pilot would have been at the controls of those airplanes and flown them straight into those buildings, or into the Pentagon!
No, this attack was carried out by persons who knew how to fly those planes.
Either they had been airlines or military pilots from some Middle Eastern
country, or private pilots, who knew enough to steer the aircraft! Any
pilot, knowing he was going to die in any event, would refuse, even at the
cost of his own life, to do such a thing! To me, the crash in Pennsylvania
was the outcome of just such a scenario. The pilot of that aircraft must
have fought the terrorists; managed to plunge the airplane into the ground,
instead of proceeding -- (in my opinion) either to the White House or the
Capitol building -- most probably the White House.
Think about it! These filthy, bestial, insane, hateful terrorists struck at
the largest, most imposing symbols of American power, wealth, and military
might! For decades, those huge towers amazed millions of visitors from all
over the world. The Pentagon, built during the second World War, is known to
house the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and is the chief nerve center of America's
command and control for our military forces all over the world; in
communication with all our ships at sea; all overseas bases; all troops,
deployed wherever they are. Obviously the airplane sent plunging into the
Pentagon was trying to cripple our military, World-Wide!
The most significant target left would be the White House! We will never
know the things that took place in that plane which crashed in Pennsylvania,
but I cannot help but think of it as a desperate struggle between a wounded
pilot and crew -- either a crash which occurred during that struggle, or a
brave, self-sacrificing pilot who determined he would NOT obey those filthy
terrorists, and crash his plane into the White House!
Now, what will be the impact of this massive attack? Several times
yesterday, as I waited around a TV set in the lobby, I remarked to people
that "more people have died today than were killed in the Korean War!" This
morning, while it is yet dark outside (I arose at 5:00 AM, after a very
brief, and very restive, disturbed sleep), I called our minister in the New
York City area, whose son works in Manhattan, Mr. Larry Summerville. I was
very relieved to hear that Larry, his wife and son are all right; his son
was "about fifty blocks" from the building, and was among those who took to
the streets, evacuating the area, as he saw the gigantic clouds of dust and
smoke billowing up into the air. I have asked them to contribute their own
eyewitness experiences, and will publish them in our next newspaper. Mrs.
Summerville saw, out of her own window, the second aircraft fly straight
into the building, which is clearly visible from their home! One can only
imagine the trauma, the shock, at seeing this horrific tragedy in real time,
with one's own eyes, instead of on television!
For decades, I have been warning that a GLOBAL ECONOMIC COLLAPSE would
occur; that a GREAT DEPRESSION will strike this earth! This will give rise
to the rapid rise of dictatorships! Autocrats; military governors will oust
inept civilian rulerships in countries here and there! The United States of
Europe will NOT result from a gradual, peaceful, slow-moving coalition, but
from NECESSITY, from the result of WARS which give impetus to the need for a
super-powerful MILITARY, capable of intervening in world events.
For years, I have emphasized that the flash point for the beginning of the
Great Tribulation is JERUSALEM! God has said, "Behold, I will make JERUSALEM
a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in
siege both against Judah [the Jews] and Jerusalem. 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 12:2,3).
Yesterday, Palestinians in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem -- all
over Gaza and in the West Bank CELEBRATED!! Their children danced in the
streets, waving Palestinian flags, gleefully shouting out their happiness
that the United States, which they call "The Great Satan" had received such
a massive blow! What kind of a religion is it which promises "heaven" or
their version of it for MASS MURDER? Surely, Satan the Devil is pleased and
proud over the terror, the shock, the death of tens of thousands of helpless
civilians!
It is because of OUR SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL that these bestial, murdering
terrorists have mounted such a massive attack against us! The MOTIVES for
such hate-filled killing are those of RELIGION! And, behind the scenes, from
an economic and political point of view, it is also about OIL!
I knew, the moment I saw those buildings go down, that this would deal a
MASSIVE blow to the global economy! Already, stock markets are plunging! Our
US market has (wisely) been SHUT DOWN! They knew that PANIC would set it;
knew that the hundreds of major corporations and businesses which maintained
offices in the World Trade Center would be plunged into chaos! TENS OF
BILLIONS of dollars have been lost! Thousand of computers, with their hard
drives chock full of financial and corporate data; contracts, insurance
documents, legal documents -- all gone in a massive destructive fire and
collapse! The shocks will (and are now) reverberate all over the world!
As a symbol of the greed, avarice, and thoughtless, calloused cynicism of
mankind, as I was leaving Little Rock, when a kind and thoughtful church
member drove all the way from Tyler to Little Rock to pick me up and bring
me home yesterday, we saw that gas stations had taken down their price
signs; had pasted a hasty sign on the pump -- ALREADY THREE DOLLARS per
gallon! May God reward them according to their works! There are always, like
vultures waiting for prey, those who will gouge, and take advantage of the
suffering of others! As we left Little Rock, we found some stations within
only about 30 miles whose prices were still at the dollar thirty-nine level!
Now, watch oil prices. Watch the stock markets. Watch what happens if and
when the US government determines WHO masterminded this huge attack! IS THIS
THE BEGINNING OF WORLD WAR III? Remember, World War II did not begin all at
once! It began SLOWLY, with Hitler scrapping the Treat of Versailles, and
marching his troops into the Rhineland. It was two years BEFORE America was
bombed at Pearl Harbor that Europe was plunged into war!
IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROPHESIED GREAT TRIBULATION? All of you who
are a part of this WORK of the Watchman, are most probably, just like me,
SHOCKED at this -- BUT YOU ARE NOT SURPRISED!!
Just how important, now, are the little, petty grievances among and between brethren? How important are "hurt feelings" when TENS OF THOUSANDS ARE DEAD AND DYING? Just as the President has called upon Americans to COME TOGETHER in this time of terrible national tragedy, so I call upon God's divided people to COME TOGETHER in their most determined, spiritual resolve to DO THE WORK OF GOD; to let the peoples of our country, and nations all over the world, know that these mind-numbing events are but a prelude to GREAT TRIBULATION which is surely coming upon our people!
Christ said the time is ahead when NOT ONE STONE will be left atop another
in Jerusalem! Will a massive WAR now break out in the Mideast? Will the US
attack Afghanistan, or Iraq, or Iran, or other gulf states? Will Israel join
in? Will Europe respond?
I cannot know each daily event in advance, but I DO KNOW the overall
picture, according to the prophecies of the Bible! I know that GREAT EVENTS
are now beginning to take place, as I have warned, and warned, and warned!
It is time, and past time, for God's people to JOIN TOGETHER AND DO THE
WORK!
Jesus Christ, the LIVING HEAD of this church is waiting to see how HIS
people will respond in such a time! Will we respond by HELPING those who are
so stricken as best we can? Will we PRAY for those shattered lives; those
horribly injured; those children without parents; those who leapt from
hundred-story windows to their deaths, screaming in terror? Will we COME
TOGETHER as the people of God, with our eyes on these events as Christ
commands us?
For those of you who are fairly new to our web site -- by all means read all
I have written about the Middle East,
including the booklet posted in the literature section! I will TRY to get
out another letter, and another newspaper as soon as I can! THANK you, to
all who are helping support this work! I need to do a special TV program
right away this morning, and try to FedEx it up to Chicago -- if the planes
will fly! God bless all those whose hearts are right! With love, and in
haste,
