A recent statement was issued by the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem on Unity and Representation of the Christian Communities in the Holy Land on January 17, 2026. It was filled with the spirit of arrogance, power and a desire to control. Why do I say that? Well, they had to claim that they were the “Patriarchs and Heads of all the churches” seven times in a document that only had around twenty sentences! In the article they reiterated that they alone represent all the churches and their flocks in any and all matters pertaining to “Christian” not Catholic religious, communal and pastoral life in the Holy Land.
They also stated that any other organization to claim authority outside of the “Catholic” church will only wound the unity of the faithful and burden the pastoral mission entrusted to the historic churches in the very land where our Lord lived, taught, suffered, and rose from the dead. They quote Romans 12:5 where the church is made up of many members but are one body assuming they are the Head and they alone represent all of the “Christian”, not Catholic communities.
I have to remind the Patriarchs and Heads of only the “Catholic” churches in Jerusalem that they weren’t the first historic “Church” in the Holy Land. The Greek word for church is “ecclesia” which means “assembly” and the first ecclesia in the Holy Land were the Jewish people who were gathered at Mt Sinai over 1,000 year before the Catholic Church even existed! You sound like the Palestinian Jihadists who also claim they existed before Israel did when we even have proof that Israel existed from the Merneptah Stela in 1207BCE where even Egypt an Arab country was the first to recognize the people of Israel.
They went on to say that the problem was there are people who advance damaging ideologies, such as Christian Zionism, mislead “the public” sow confusion and harm the unity of the flock. What really upset them was the fact that these Christian Zionists have found favor among certain political “actors”. In Israel and beyond who seek to push a political agenda which may harm the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East. Not only that but they are very concerned that these Christian Zionists have even been welcomed at official levels both locally and internationally!
The Roman Catholic Church has been more concerned with politics than the Bible. These Christian Zionists know far more about the Bible than you could ever dream of. The Bible specifically claims the Land of Israel is to be forever undivided, never a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as its Capital and this is where the Messiah will reign from and not from Rome! You left Jerusalem 2000 years ago and you can stay in Rome.
For thousands of years the religious Jews thought Christianity was made up of only Catholics not realizing there are many who have never recognized their burdensome authority. The Catholic church alone over the last 75 years was who Israel felt they had to deal with politically. What the Catholic leadership is so upset about is the fact they have now been completely sidelined by True Christianity and the Nation of Israel no longer sees any need to ever recognize or regard them again. Hallelujah!
I will tell you a parable about the Book of Ruth. The Jews have faithfully been keeping Pentecost for thousands of years ever since that first Pentecost at Mt Sinai. Every year they stay up all night reading the Book of Ruth about these Gentile ladies who had been grafted into Israel. I believe Ruth and Orpah represent the “Church/Assembly”. In the story Orpah gives Naomi, the Jew, a token kiss and goes back to her pagan gods. Orpah’s name even means the “back of the neck” or to turn your back on. Ruth befriends Naomi, accepts Naomis God, and works the harvest from Passover to Pentecost. From that friendship comes King David and comes the messiah. What many do not know is that from Orpah descended Goliath! I believe prophetically in these last days before the Messiah comes there will be a big division and war between the Orpah/Goliath church who follows paganism and a pagan calendar and the Ruth/David assembly, who loves and is committed to the Jewish people and to the Biblical calendar.
You claim to be the Head of the body, well let it be known oh Goliath that the King of David assembly has just decapitated you!
Pastor Mark Biltz / El Shaddai Ministries is an American Christian pastor and author. His theories correlate solar and lunar eclipses with biblical prophecy, and he has published books on the topic. He is the Washington state director of Christians United for Israel.
