Way back in the early fifties, while I was attending Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, someone took me to visit a lecture at DTS, the fundamentaist seminary down there. I heard a lot of strange words that I would later associate with Dallas Theological Seminary's best known graduate, Hal Lindsay: "Premillinialism, Rapture, Tribulation, Antichrist, and Millennium." Nearly three decades later I would meet Hal in person while touring Israel. It was at a most apocalyptic place to encounter him, Megiddo or Armageddon as it's called in the Bible. Our Jewish tour guide seemed quite friendly toward him, which came as a surprise to me. So I asked later if he'd read Lindsay's "Late Great Planet Earth," expecing him to shake his head. But our sophisticated, urbane, Londoner guide answered "Yes, I can learn something from everyone.... even a fool." His name was Malcolm and he had immigrated to Israel from England, where he was born and reared in London. And though he didn' believe in Christ, he knew the New Testament better than any of us clergy taking the tour. In further convesation with Malcolm, I found that he considered the state of Israel his earthly Kingdom of heaven; no interst in a hereafter. But he was quite young back then. I still watch Hal Lindsay on TV-23 now and then. He's always focused on Jerusalem and current events. On his last program he told of the myth that Islam has passed off to the world about Jerusalem being the third holiest site of their religion, following Mecca and Medina. Hal claimed that they had no ancient shrines there and had only in the 20th century begun to make such a claim by refurbishing that Dome of the Rock with a gold surface. It was a way of building opposition to Zionist colonies that finally grew to statehood in '48 despite Muslem opposition. So if he's got it straight, the Palestinian plea for Jerusalem as a capitol of the state they seek to form lacks credibility. Malcolm, if you're still alive today and read this, I'm sure you won't consider it just a fool's notion. In fact, GOD made the very first dome, called "firmament" (Gen.1:6), on the second day of creation. So domes signify the worlds over which they are built, as Muslems want their mosque to show on the Temple mount. I was in the Astrodome down at Housten years ago I got to see how a Bowl stadium is weatherized for use in all seasons. Now most major cities have done the same and have various kinds of domes in place of bowls. We're about the last state to get one atop our capitol, but the national one in D.C. was slow in coming too. So domes are a way of staking out your turf claim i.e."This is our particular world." Even Christianity tried to do that symbolically in the Middle Ages with something called "Christendom," a unique civilization. But it didn't work as we can clearly see in contemporary globalization. Domes are a thing of the past, from St.Peter's in Rome and St.Paul's in London, clear down to the pineapple shaped geodesic one in OKC on NW 23 at Classen. Even in the Bible there's to be "a new earth and a new heaven" to replace that original firmament dome. Then the only everlasting title/deed will belong to those who have their names written in the Lamb's book of life; not a matter of terra firma but of "heavendom." But perhaps one dome we'll keep is the top side of our skull under which is housed the brain, seat of our "wisedom." And that will be in a new and glorified body which comes up from the grave on Resurrection morning. We'll spend eterniy in praise and adoration of our Savior, far more exciting than even football or any other sport when we worship with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Say, that will even include a brand new brain for GOD's everlasting Kingdom, because age makes these old ones keep slowing down! Hallelujah, what a hope!! Heaven is our domacile or home (so maybe domes are not out after all).