On November 5, 2022, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Squirm,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Seeking and Finding God!”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

In Psalm 90, we find “a prayer of Moses the man of God.” He discusses the very foundational truth that man’s physical life is only temporary… and VERY short. Verse 10 states: “The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” We understand, of course, that these numbers are only average estimates in this day and age; many people might die before they turn seventy, and others may even get as old as one hundred years, and counting. But Moses makes the point that death IS inevitable, and he continues in verse 12: “So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

David echoed this sentiment in Psalm 39:4: “LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am.”

This admonition is not only meant for older people. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12:1: “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,” continuing in verses 13 and 14: ”… Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether it is good or whether it is evil.”

This physical life is not an end in itself… it is a training ground to qualify for a better life to come. But while “in the flesh,” we must have the right focus, as so aptly expressed by James:

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,’ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanished away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15).

We must acknowledge God in all our ways, striving to become more and more like Him—becoming perfect as He is perfect (cp. Matthew 5:48). Jesus enjoyed this physical life in a right and godly way, but He never lost sight of His real purpose—why He came and what He had to do. While God wants us to “prosper in all things” (3 John) and that we have “life” “more abundantly” (John 10:10), having “all sufficiency in all things” (2 Corinthians 9:8), His ultimate goal for us is much more permanent and eternal.

He wants us to become born-again immortal members in His very Family, and in working for that goal, we must be willing to give up everything, counting it as rubbish (Philippians 3:8), in order to attain the resurrection from the dead to eternal life (verses 10-11). In that, we follow and are looking unto Christ who was rich, but, in comparison, became poor for our sakes (2 Corinthians 8:9). He was willing “for the joy that was set before Him” to endure the cross and to despise the shame (cp. Hebrews 12:2).

His focus was always on God the Father, only saying and doing the things which were pleasing in God’s sight. He knew how short His physical life would be, and He could not afford to become side-tracked. We, too, must avoid becoming entangled with the affairs of this life which could easily cloud our minds as to what is really important for us. Rather, we need to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5), and when we do, we will number our days to gain a heart of wisdom, knowing they will end soon, but only in this physical realm.

by Norbert Link

We begin with the election day in Israel and the return of Benjamin Netanyahu which could lead to a collision course between the USA and Israel; report on the terrible South Korea stampede on Halloween; speak on the election in Brazil resulting in the victory of a “corrupt” “hardline socialist”; point out ongoing frictions between the USA and the Arab world; report on concerns about a new trade war between America and Europe; and show that Europe is waking up on defense.  

We speak on new developments regarding the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine; and publish a remarkable article reporting on America’s past war crimes. We also show that Germany is heading for “rough years ahead” and give further examples of the terrible “leadership” of Germany’s chancellor and his health minister.

We report on another appalling move by the CDC; crazy and dangerous experiments by English and American scientists; and conclude with an article about the newest WMD destroying America—Fentanyl. Please view in this regard our new StandingWatch program, titled, “How We Are Destroying Ourselves.”

Throughout this section, we have underlined pertinent statements in the quoted articles, for the convenience and quick overview of the reader.

Election Day in Israel

Israel Today wrote on November 1:

“Today we choose our next prime minister, his government coalition, and those who we believe can meet the many challenges of the modern Jewish state… the airwaves are crammed with the dizzying spin of candidates flattering themselves as though they will somehow miraculously protect our nation from our enemies, from ourselves, and unify the country. In the next breath they gleefully point out just how horrible their opponent would be if elected…

“Politicians don’t even bother anymore to offer an honest assessment…”

Sadly, this assessment is true for politicians all over the world, and the USA is certainly no exception.

Netanyahu Is Back

JTA wrote on November 2:

“As most of the votes in Israel continue to be tallied on Wednesday, Benjamin Netanyahu looks assured of returning to power, as his far-right bloc of parties is predicted to win around 65 seats, well above the 61 needed in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament.

“The official final results are not expected to be finalized on Wednesday, but over 80% of the votes had been counted by the afternoon local time.

“Many of the votes that have not yet been counted are nicknamed ‘double-envelope ballots,’ cast by security officers, prisoners, diplomats abroad, residents of assisted living facilities and hospital patients and staff. These ballots have in recent years heavily favored right-wing parties.

“Netanyahu, who has only been out of the prime minister’s office for 16 months, is expected to form a coalition with multiple haredi Orthodox parties and the Religious Zionism slate of two parties, led by the far-right extremists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Ben-Gvir has worried American Jewish leaders with his anti-Arab, anti-LGBTQ and other inflammatory rhetoric…

“Current Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s party is predicted to win 24 seats, compared to 32 for Netanyahu’s Likud…

“Ben-Gvir, touted as a rising star who has electrified the conservative electorate, will likely be given a high-ranking cabinet position. He is hoping to be named security minister, which would put him in charge of the country’s police force.”

The Associated Press wrote on November 2:

“Tuesday’s election was Israel’s fifth in less than four years, with all of them focused largely on Netanyahu’s fitness to govern. On trial for a slew of corruption charges, Netanyahu, who denied wrongdoing, is seen by supporters as the victim of a witch hunt and vilified by opponents as a crook and threat to democracy…

“Netanyahu was Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, governing for 12 consecutive years – and 15 years altogether – before he was ousted last year by a diverse coalition led by the centrist Yair Lapid, the current caretaker prime minister. But the coalition that Lapid cobbled together, which included the first Arab party ever to join a government, was decimated by infighting and collapsed after just one year in power…

“The night’s strongest showing was by the Religious Zionism party, which emerged as the third-largest party. At an all-male campaign gathering in Jerusalem, religious men wearing Jewish skullcaps and waving Israeli flags danced in celebration. At the celebration, supporters of the party’s top candidate, Itamar Ben-Gvir, chanted ‘Death to terrorists.’

“Ben-Gvir is a [of] disciple Rabbi, Meir Kahane, who was banned from parliament and whose Kach party was branded a terrorist group by the United States before he was assassinated in New York in 1990…

“Such positions could put a future Netanyahu government on a collision course with the Biden administration, which supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians…”

Ultimately, America will rise up against Israel.

Terrible South Korea Stampede Causes Many Fatalities and Injuries

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 30:

“At least [151] people were killed in a stampede on Saturday night in the South Korean capital of Seoul… An additional 150 people were injured in the crush, which took place in the city’s Itaewon district, where Halloween festivities were taking place… Most of the dead are in their teens and 20s…

“Local media estimated that 100,000 people were in the streets of Itaewon on Saturday night for the Halloween parties. The festivities were the largest they had been in years after South Korea eased its coronavirus restrictions in recent months…

“EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was ‘deeply saddened… by the terrible events in central Seoul. What [was] meant to be a celebration turned into a tragedy with so many young casualties,’ he tweeted…”

The problem is, Halloween is a festival in honor of Satan and should not be celebrated by anyone. Note the next article:

Halloween—a Demonic Festival

CBN wrote on October 30:

“Millions of people will be celebrating Halloween on Monday, October 31, including many Christians. In fact, Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday in America, typically grossing around $10 billion in sales… However, many do not realize there’s a darker reality to this celebration and it is steeped in paganism and witchcraft…

“CBN News’ Charlene Aaron interviewed former Satanist John Ramirez, who warned that Christians should have nothing to do with practicing pagan customs. ‘Halloween is the most diabolical demonic holiday,’ he said.”

It certainly is…

Brazil’s New (Old) Left Leader

Breitbart wrote on October 30:

“The top electoral authority in Brazil announced on Sunday evening that 77-year-old hardline socialist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, once convicted and sentenced to over two decades in prison for alleged corruption, had won this year’s presidential election against incumbent conservative Jair Bolsonaro…

“Little more than a percentage point separated Lula, who served as president previously from 2003 to 2011, from Bolsonaro… National newspaper of record O Globo described the results as the closest election since 1989, when Lula narrowly lost to Fernando Collor de Mello, who was impeached and ousted from office over corruption allegations in 1992…

“Lula’s victory is particularly momentous given that, during 2018 elections, which Bolsonaro won, he was in prison after being found guilty of buying a luxury beachfront property with bribe money. The case was part of a much larger corruption investigation… which unveiled a nationwide corruption scheme involving dozens of high-ranking politicians that operated during Lula’s presidential tenure. The government enriched itself by offering overpriced contracts for infrastructure and other public works projects to private contractors… and those private contractors would then use some of the excess money to bribe the politicians, securing future contracts.

“Last year, the nation’s top court, the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), let the now president-elect run for office again by overturning his conviction on the grounds that the judge initially in charge of the case, Sergio Moro, was personally biased against Lula and originally did not have jurisdiction to try the case. The reasoning did not challenge any of the evidence against Lula or the appeals that affirmed the original conviction…

“Leftist American President Joe Biden was among the first to congratulate Lula on his reported victory on Sunday. Biden, as a candidate in 2020, had vowed to destroy the Brazilian economy…  if Bolsonaro did not accept an unspecified $20-billion environmental investment, prompting Bolsonaro to later threaten to go to war with the United States. Their relationship never recovered.”

Reuters added on October 31 that “Argentine President Alberto Fernandez flew to Sao Paulo to meet the president-elect on Monday and hailed ‘a new era for the history of Latin America. A time of hope and future that begins today.’… Congratulations also poured in from other foreign leaders [besides Biden], including China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.”

An interesting list of leaders congratulating the new corrupt leader of Brazil. We do not expect that the relationship between the USA and Brazil will become or remain friendly in the long run.

America Insults Arab World?

Israel 365 wrote on October 30:

“The Saudis believe that the Biden administration’s hostility towards Saudi Arabia is the result of the influence of far-left US politicians who have infiltrated the Democratic Party.

“The Saudis, in addition, are warning that the Biden administration is acting against America’s interests in the Middle East by alienating and insulting Saudi Arabia and other traditional allies of the US in the Arab world.”

Coming–Trade War Between Europe and the USA?

Politico wrote on October 27:

“After publicly falling out, Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron have found something they agree on: mounting alarm over unfair competition from the U.S. and the potential need for Europe to hit back… both leaders agreed that the EU cannot remain idle if Washington pushes ahead with its Inflation Reduction Act, which offers tax cuts and energy benefits for companies investing on U.S. soil, in its current form.

“Specifically, the recently signed U.S. legislation encourages consumers to ‘Buy American’ when it comes to choosing an electric vehicle — a move particularly galling for major car industries in the likes of France and Germany… [According to Scholz and Macron,] similar incentive schemes for companies will be needed to avoid unfair competition or losing investments. That move would risk plunging transatlantic relations into a new trade war…

“In a blow to Germany’s industrial core, chemical giant BASF announced plans Wednesday to reduce its business activities and jobs in Germany, with company chief Martin Brudermüller citing heightened gas prices — which he criticized for being six times as high as in the U.S. — as well as increasing EU regulation as the reason….”

Europe Wakes Up on Defense

The Media Line wrote on November 1:

“Now that 15 European countries have joined the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative, a joint defense system, the likely sale of Israel’s Arrow 3 air defense system to Germany will become the largest defense export in Israeli history, reaching a sum of 3 billion euros. Jerusalem and Berlin are waiting for Washington to approve the deal; the United States has the right to veto any sale of the Israeli defense system, since the US financed the research and development of the Arrow 3…

“Israeli defense industries have always had a market in Europe, but since the Russia-Ukraine war started, …there is that deep understanding among central, eastern and northern European countries that the threat is real, and that big wars are not over… As the threat grows… the demand for advanced and proven systems like Arrow 3 is growing as well… the Russian invasion of Ukraine served as a wake-up call for many European countries regarding… the lack of capabilities to cope with the Russian attack on their territory… the United States… is probably not enthusiastic about watching Germany’s accelerated military build-up plans over the past year…”

And so, Europe will develop a powerful Army.

Germany Warns Serbia

Insider Paper wrote on November 1:

“Germany has cautioned Serbia against cultivating deeper ties with Russia, warning that it could thwart its bid to join the European Union, a German government source said on Tuesday. Two days ahead of a Western Balkans summit in the German capital intended to bolster relations with the six countries of the region, the senior official said Belgrade needed to decide whose side it was on: Moscow’s or the EU’s… ‘Should he choose the other path, it will have ensuing consequences’ for Belgrade’s future with the EU, the official said.

“Serbia has been a candidate to join the European Union since 2012 but its prospects are seen as bleak without a normalisation of relations with Kosovo… Tensions have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, with many Serbs sympathetic to traditional ally Russia…

“Thursday’s summit in Berlin hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will bring together the heads of government of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia as well as EU leaders.”

It will be interesting to see in whose corner Serbia will end up. Serbia’s interest in Russia is well-known.

Too Much Money for Ukraine?

The Week wrote on October 18:

“House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has suggested the days of Ukraine aid could come to an end should Republicans regain the lower chamber in the upcoming midterm elections… ‘I think people are gonna be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a [free] blank check to Ukraine. They just won’t do it…’ McCarthy recently [said]. ‘And then there’s the things [the Biden administration] is not doing domestically…’

“So far, the U.S. has approved over $60 billion in support for Ukraine… with more than $18.2 billion in security assistance given since January 2021… Other Republicans, including those running for office in November have criticized the amount of money the U.S. has contributed to the war.”

Der Spiegel wrote on October 26 that not only Republicans, but also Democrats are becoming critical of Joe Biden’s actions towards and military support for Ukraine.

Russia Suspends Black Sea Grain Export Deal

Thomson/Reuters wrote on October 29:

“Russia’s suspension of a Black Sea grain export deal requires a strong international response from the United Nations and the Group of 20 major economies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday. In a video address, he accused Russia of trying to create an artificial famine in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

“U.S. President Joe Biden denounced the move as ‘purely outrageous’ and said it would increase starvation.

“Russia’s defense ministry said Ukraine attacked the Black Sea Fleet near Sevastopol on the annexed Crimean peninsula with 16 drones early on Saturday, and that British navy ‘specialists’ had helped coordinate the ‘terrorist’ attack.

“The suspension will cut Ukrainian grain exports from its crucial Black Sea ports… The deal allows shipments of grain from Ukraine, one of the world’s largest exporters, that the Russian invasion had halted.”

In the meantime, Russia has allegedly agreed to resume the Black Sea grain export deal.

Reuters reported on November 2:

“Russia said on Wednesday it would resume its participation in a deal freeing up grain exports from war-torn Ukraine, reversing a move that world leaders had said threatened to exacerbate global hunger. Moscow announced the sudden reversal after Turkey and the United Nations helped keep Ukrainian grain flowing for several days without Russian participation in inspections.

“The Russian defence ministry justified the change by saying it had received guarantees from Kyiv not to use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations against Russia...”

Russia has also claimed now that British navy personnel blew up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines on September 26. Britain strongly denied this claim. Previously, Russia had said “Washington had a motive as it wants to sell more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe” (Thomson/Reuters, October 29).

All Guilty of War Crimes

MSN wrote on October 30:

“Russian bombs and artillery have killed thousands of civilians while destroying Ukrainian schools, hospitals and apartment buildings.

“As of this week, the UN has tallied 15,908 civilian casualties, including 6,306 killed. Those numbers, which include hundreds of children, are likely low. Russia’s strike this summer on a crowded shopping mall drew the condemnation of leaders of the G7: ‘Indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians constitute a war crime,’ said the elected leaders of the largest Western democracies. ‘Russian President Putin and those responsible will be held to account.’

“But that statement, endorsed of course by President Biden, glosses over America’s own complicated legacy of bombing civilians in World War II. Throughout that war, civilians worldwide sadly bore a heavy burden. The Japanese pulverized China’s wartime capital of Chongqing, while the Germans hammered British cities in the Blitz. The British subsequently retaliated, burning Hamburg, Berlin and, of course, Dresden, a city whose name has become synonymous with the horror of air warfare…

“As head of the 21st Bomber Command on Guam, LeMay chose to abandon America’s longtime strategy of daylight high-altitude precision attacks in favor of burning Japanese cities in low-level nighttime raids. For his inaugural strike on the night of March 9, 1945, he set his sights on Tokyo. LeMay’s 12-square-mile target area, which was 87.4 percent residential, had an average population density of 103,000 people per square mile, meaning the bombs fell largely on the kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms of the Japanese capital’s working-class civilians…

“At 12:07 a.m., his first bomber unloaded on the Japanese capital. For the next 142 minutes, nearly 300 planes dropped 1,665 tons of incendiaries. These napalm-filled explosives were designed to punch through the metal and tile roofs of shops and homes, spraying flaming jellied gasoline on walls, furniture and bedding. Hundreds of blazes soon erupted, ultimately melding into a massive tidal wave of fire that rolled across the city. Temperatures amid the conflagration soared as high as 2,800°F., hot enough to melt concrete, liquefy asphalt and fuse coins together. ‘The town was a blazing hell,’ recalled survivor Sumi Ogawa, ‘lit by the swirling and roiling flames.’…

“The sun rose the next morning to reveal an apocalyptic wasteland. The attack incinerated 16 square miles of Tokyo and killed 105,000 men, women and children. Another 40,000 people suffered injuries and a million were left homeless…

“Back in Washington, officials monitored the nation’s editorial pages and radio broadcasts for evidence that the killing of civilians might spark outrage among the American public. Those fears, however, proved unfounded…

“The lack of any public outcry served as a green light for LeMay, who over the next five months proceeded to burn dozens of Japanese cities… America, in short, was waging war against Japan’s civilians… In the 177 days from his strike on Tokyo until the Japanese surrender on board the USS Missouri, LeMay torched 66 Japanese cities, leveling 178 square miles. Of all those operations, LeMay’s raid on Tokyo proved one of the deadliest, rivaled only by the fatalities caused by the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the waning days of the war.

“All told, America’s bombing campaign against the Japanese homeland killed 330,000 people, injured nearly a half million more, and left 8.5 million homeless. ‘Curtis LeMay,’ observed his biographer Warren Kozak, ‘ordered the deaths of more civilians than any other man in U.S. history. No one else comes close, not William Tecumseh Sherman, not George S. Patton — no one.’

“It is important, as we grieve the awful war crimes Russia is committing in Ukraine, that we as Americans remember our own tragic history of attacks on civilians nearly eight decades ago in our quest for total victory.”

No nation has a corner on the market when it comes to terrible war crimes and the killing of innocent civilians.

Germany Warns of Rough Years Ahead

Reuters wrote on October 28:

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has plunged Europe into an era of insecurity, Germany said on Friday a day after Vladimir Putin predicted a ‘dangerous’ decade ahead. German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the 24 February invasion had ended ‘old dreams’ of a united continent.

“‘It has plunged us into another time, into an insecurity we thought we had overcome: a time marked by war, violence and flight, by concerns about the expansion of war into a wildfire in Europe,’ said the president, who is from a wing of Germany’s Social Democrats that long argued for closer economic ties to Moscow. ‘Harder years, rough years are coming.’

“Germany, which has joined European sanctions against Russia and weapons deliveries to Ukraine, has recorded the arrival of more than a million Ukrainian refugees and warned of possible energy shortages this winter after cuts in Russian gas supplies.

“Mr Putin… accused Western leaders of inciting the war in Ukraine, which he says was justified by Kyiv’s expressed wish to join Nato. Western dominance over world affairs was coming to an end and ‘ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and, at the same time, important decade since the end of the Second World War,’ Putin said.”

Unfortunately, Germans don’t listen anymore to Steinmeier, also because of his support of Russia and Germany’s dependence on Russian gas, as Bild Online commented on October 3:

“What a pity that the current Federal President can no longer shake anyone up, that his words simply fade away. But it is not surprising: Frank-Walter Steinmeier has lost all credibility. Hardly any other German politician has been on the wrong side of history as often as our head of state…

“A strong Federal President would never be more important than now, in times of war, energy crisis and inflation. A President who holds the country together. Unfortunately, the wrong person is sitting in Bellevue Palace.”

Wake Up, Chancellor Scholz

Focus wrote on October 30:

“‘Has Germany learned from its Russia problem? The test could come in China,’ writes the ‘New York Times’ on Sunday. The Danish newspaper Politiken has a headline: ‘Wake up Chancellor’. Who is meant is Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ‘geopolitical blindness,’ the newspaper judges. Shortly after the controversial deal for the Chinese state shipping company Cosco to enter the port of Hamburg, Scholz is preparing for his first visit to China.

“… SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and leading representatives of German business have warned against excessive Chinese influence. The pressure on the Chancellor is great these days.”

German Health Minister’s Lack of Credibility

 “Health Minister Lauterbach (59, SPD) wants to legalize cannabis, although the consumption of this drug can lead to significant health damage. This is based on the view that people act on their own responsibility, i.e. they should decide for themselves what danger they want to expose themselves to. The state should no longer make this decision for them through a ban.

“That is understandable. Why shouldn’t an informed citizen be able to decide for himself whether to consume cannabis? However, this argument contradicts everything Lauterbach thought was right in the case of Corona. No state coercive measure, no restriction of personal freedom was hard enough for him to avert damage to the health of the population. He propagated the lockdown, compulsory vaccinations, compulsory home office, bans on contact, the closure of schools, the complete standstill of cultural life, allegedly everything to protect health.

“Through this radical policy, he even made a career from a simple MP to a minister. So now the opposite…

“Lauterbach… still advocates vaccinating even young children. Children and young people were never particularly at risk from Covid-19…

“This health minister has got himself caught up in an irresolvable contradiction. Against the background of the Corona policy he is pushing, his cannabis approval just seems bigoted.”

The CDC Strikes Again

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on October 21:

“On Oct. 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention handed another huge gift to Big Pharma: In a little-publicized meeting, the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend adding the Covid vaccine to the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule. This makes the Covid vaccine market vast and indefinite—exposing children to unnecessary risks while shielding drug companies from liability.

“Throughout the pandemic, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration rubber-stamped every iteration of the vaccines that came through the door. So this final outcome is hardly surprising. And yet it still has the power to shock. It never should have come to this. Despite all the ‘sciencing’ that led us here, it is a completely perverse outcome. The Covid bonfire is down to its last fading embers—and now the CDC effectively decrees that every child forever should receive this novel, barely tested, potentially dangerous injection.

“The potential profits flowing from this approval are enormous. The Covid injections were all approved under emergency laws that effectively shielded the corporate developers from any liability. This temporary shield would expire in October 2024. When the CDC officially adds the shots to the childhood immunization schedule, all future liability transfers to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, or VICP. The shield extends to adult shots, as well; once the product is covered under VICP, manufacturers become immune against all consumer legal challenges, shifting damages claims to US taxpayers. Having already received FDA approval as ‘safe and effective,’ and with no concern for liability, the manufacturers are free to churn out mRNA injections as they will. Shots and boosters from birth until death, multiplied by every citizen in the nation. Childhood Covid vaccination is the 2021 windfall compounded into eternity.

“Children are at minuscule risk from the novel coronavirus and transmit it at lower rates than adults. That much we have known since the early days of the pandemic. Public-health authorities also acknowledge that the Pfizer/Moderna products don’t prevent infection or transmission of the virus, that the mRNA formulation doesn’t grant any lasting immunity, that the benefit of the shot against severe disease is only evident for older patients, and that there are risks of significant adverse events, including heart inflammation, neurological impairment, autoimmune disease, and death. There is no reason to inject children with this novel therapeutic.

“Parents have spoken with their feet; the uptake of these injections for children under 11 has been well below what officials were hoping. Despite a massive publicity campaign that likened vaccination to a ‘super-power’ and recruited Sesame Street characters to the cause, by September, only 6 percent of children under 5 had received even a single dose, and fewer than 2 percent were ‘fully vaccinated.’ Dr. Peter Hotez, CNN’s go-to vaccine advocate, thinks the reason is a failure to scare parents enough… maybe parents can see what is hiding in plain sight: Kids don’t need this shot, and the risk of harm is real.”

Let those who have ears to hear listen…

Crazy Scientific “Experiments” in England and the USA

Daily Mail wrote on October 31:

“British scientists intentionally created hybrid Covid strains in risky experiments judged to be like ‘playing with fire’, MailOnline can reveal.

“Hamsters were infected with mutant viruses, blends of the original Wuhan strain and parts of either Omicron or Delta. Critics of the research, carried out by Imperial College London, called it ‘insanity’ and warned the lab trials could, in theory, unleash a new viral threat. Twenty scientists were involved in the project, including one who sits on the Government’s advisory panel SAGE…

“Our revelation comes amid ongoing furore over similar experiments in the US, where authorities have proposed a crackdown on virus manipulation research. Earlier this month, DailyMail.com, MailOnline’s US equivalent, revealed academics at Boston University combined different parts of the Omicron and the original Wuhan Covid strains.

“Critics say this combined the higher lethality of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 version, which triggered the pandemic in early 2020, with the extreme transmissibility of the milder Omicron strain. Omicron is said to be just contagious as measles, although the claim is disputed. The hybrid virus they created killed 80 per cent of infected mice…

“A leak of such an engineered virus from the Wuhan Institute of Virology is one of the main theorised origins of the pandemic. The infamous lab carried out similar research involving coronaviruses found in bats, with some arguing this work constituted gain of function experiments, though others refute this. But others argued the Boston University research was unquestionably gain of function as it had the potential of increasing its transmissibility — even if the end result appeared to be the opposite.”

What are these crazy scientists up to? Do they want to eradicate most of mankind?

Fentanyl—a Weapon of Mass Destruction

National Interest wrote on October 27:

“Since 9/11, enterprises in China and cartels in Mexico have produced and exported thousands of pounds of a lethal chemical that has killed over 100,000 Americans. Despite this deadly assault on America, there has been no decisive whole-of-government reaction by the United States to solve this problem. In fact, there has been almost no coordinated reaction at all.

‘That lethal chemical is fentanyl, and it is high time for the Biden administration to declare it a weapon of mass destruction (WMD), treat the Mexican cartels that push it into the United States as foreign terrorist organizations (FTO), identify Communist China as the source of the problem and make it pay for it, and bring order to our southern border, the main gateway for this deadly drug.

“The numbers are staggering. Fentanyl can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times stronger than morphine, and as little as two milligrams can be fatal. Federal data indicates that of the almost 1 million drug overdose fatalities since 1999, most of which were from fentanyl. And the loss of life is growing rapidly: Fentanyl overdoses caused 57,832 deaths in 2020 and 71,238 in 2021, a 23 percent increase. Fentanyl overdoses are the number one cause of death for Americans between the ages of eighteen and forty-five. In 2021, fentanyl killed almost twice as many Americans in this age group than the second-place killer, motor vehicle accidents.

“Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol seized 11,201 pounds of fentanyl and noted that this quantity could kill every American citizen seven times over.”

America is being destroyed from the outside and is destroying itself from the inside.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

In the first of this two-part series, we looked at Scriptures which indicate that the early apostles thought that Jesus might return in their lifetime, and since that time, there have been many other predictions about the Second Coming right up until the present time. We showed that the world is currently in chaos with prophecies being fulfilled.  We also briefly reviewed the manifold and insurmountable problems around the world at this time.

It is the job of the true Church of God to preach the gospel about the soon-coming Kingdom of God on earth and to warn about what is to come.

In our booklet “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” the following is written under the heading, “We Must Be About Our Father’s Business,” on pages 25-26:

“As we saw earlier, when Jesus Christ came preaching the Kingdom of God, people thought that He would establish it right then. Note in Luke 19:11: ‘Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the Kingdom of God would appear immediately.’

“Although He, the future King of the Kingdom, was among them, the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on this earth would come much later—at the time of His second coming. He gave a parable in Luke 19 to explain this. Remember, He spoke in parables so that the world would not understand, but so that His disciples would understand.

“Luke 19:12: ‘Therefore He said: A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.’ Christ is talking about Himself. He is the nobleman who went into a far country—the third heaven—to receive from God the Father the kingdom or government or rulership over this earth.

“We read about this already in the account of Daniel 7:13-14, where the Son of Man would appear in the clouds before the Ancient of Days to receive everlasting dominion and a kingdom that shall not be destroyed, so that all peoples and nations should serve Him.

“And the angels confirmed this in Acts 1:11, when they told the disciples at the time when Christ ascended to heaven: ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’

“Before Christ, the nobleman, departed for the far country, he instructed his servants to keep busy during his absence. We read in Luke 19:13: ‘So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas [a mina was worth about three month’s salary], and said to them, “Do business till I come.”’

“What the master gave his servants was valuable. And they were to DO something with what they had received. They were not to sit back and do nothing. Over and over we read in the Bible that Christ expects action from His disciples. He tells us in Matthew 28:19-20 that we are to make disciples of all nations, ‘“teaching them to observe ALL THINGS that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” We already read in Mark 16 that we are to ‘go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’

“Also, He admonishes us in Matthew 24 to watch and to be ready when He, the Master, returns. Beginning in Verse 45: ‘Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and to drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant…will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.’

“Again, we see that Christ expects His servants to BE DOING something—but it has to be the RIGHT kind of work. In this parable, the head servant is charged with feeding his fellow servants healthy physical food while his master is gone.

“The analogy here is that of the ministry feeding the sheep healthy spiritual food until Christ returns. As Christ told Peter three times, ‘feed my sheep.’”

The Church must feed the sheep, those who have repented and been baptised and are living a life pleasing in the sight of God.  The Church also has the duty and responsibility to warn the world about what is surely now not too far away.  Let us list the reasons why we feel this way. 

1. We have seen that since the 1950’s, this has been the first time in recorded human history that we have had the capacity to commit cosmocide which is the destruction of planet Earth, especially as a result of human  Just as an aside, and purely out of Church of God interest, according to WordSense Dictionary online and  Wiktionary.org., the origin and history of the word “cosmocide” is shown as being in the “1989, Plain Truth – Volume 54, page 9, a magazine of the now defunct Worldwide Church of God.
2. In addition, we are now at the end of the 6,000 years allotted to man.   In our Q&A “Do you teach that modern man is only about 6,000 years old? Do you believe in a 6,000-year plan of God?”, https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-14722/ we read the following:

“The concept of a biblical 7,000-year plan and the creation of man about 6,000 years ago has been believed by Jews and Christians alike over the millennia. The historian Edward Gibbon wrote in ‘The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’ that this concept was taught by Rabbi Elias around 200 B.C., who expressed the common belief that it had been taught by the prophet Elijah. The Encyclopaedia Judaica explains that this tradition can even be traced back to Moses.”

3. From our understanding of prophecy, much is now in place for the end-time scenario with some important pieces of the jigsaw almost ready to be put in place, e.g., the arrival of the beast power in Europe and a new charismatic leader; a third temple to be built; nations with nuclear capabilities which could be unleashed at the press of a button; and all of the unprecedented problems that the world now faces for which there are no humanly-devised answers available.
4. Signs of the times.  We read in Matthew 24:32-33: “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer isSo you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” This follows on from Jesus talking about His Second Coming (see verses 29-31).   We have to discern what is going on in the world and how prophecy is being fulfilled.

There have always been scoffers about, and there are plenty today – those that deride the understanding that there is indeed a supreme Almighty God, and even if this is admitted, scoffing about the return of Christ abounds.

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).

We further read in 2 Peter 3:1-4 a passage that shows that there will be scoffers at the end of this age: “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder),  that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,  knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’”

Jude verses 17-18 also reveals mockers: “But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:  how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.” 

The original question asked was “Don’t you emphasise the end times too much when there still seems to be plenty of time left?,” and it is an assumption that there seems to be plenty of time left, but is there?

Some claim that it has been the end times since the inauguration of the New Testament Church in 31 AD and that it is a period of time from the first coming of Jesus Christ until His return.   After all, we read in 2 Peter 3:8: “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

On the website “got questions,” we read:

“In a sense, the marking of time is irrelevant to God because He transcends it. Peter, in 2 Peter 3:8, cautioned his readers not to let this one critical fact escape their notice—that God’s perspective on time is far different from mankind’s (Psalm 102:12; 24-27). The Lord does not count time as we do. He is above and outside of the sphere of time. God sees all of eternity’s past and eternity’s future. The time that passes on earth is of no consequence from God’s timeless perspective. A second is no different from an eon; a billion years pass like seconds to the eternal God.

“Though we cannot possibly comprehend this idea of eternity or the timelessness of God, we in our finite minds try to confine an infinite God to our time schedule. Those who foolishly demand that God operate according to their time frame ignore the fact that He is the ‘High and Lofty One . . . who lives forever’ (Isaiah 57:15).”

The phrase “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” shows the difference between God and man and is just a way of trying to show that the difference between the ways of God and the ways of man are so great that words cannot do this justice.   It is a way of trying to describe that which we cannot really understand.  God is patient, and He gives us the time we need; man, generally, is impatient.

However, the idea that in regard to Christ’s Second Coming, the end-times began with Christ’s first coming does not at all convey accurately what the Bible is talking about. The prophecies and statements regarding Christ’s Second Coming do not refer to events which occurred about 2,000 years ago, but are written for the last generation—for OUR learning and instruction, “on whom the end of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Paul was inspired to address us today, even though, as we pointed out in the previous Q&A, he might have thought that he would experience the return of Christ in his lifetime. Also compare Christ’s words in Revelation 1:1-3, saying that the time of the Day of the Lord (the main theme of the Book of Revelation) was near or at hand. Again, He addressed the end-time generation with this statement, as it could by no means be said that the Day of the Lord was near about 2,000 years ago.

No one knows the time of Jesus Christ’s return, except the Father, who is the One who will decide as to when He will send Christ back, and those who take it easy, not expecting His return anytime soon, could be caught out as we read in Matthew 24:36-44, and that would be a very unfortunate position to be in.  Jesus was “about His Father’s business” at the age of 12 as we read in Luke 2:41-49.   Can we, as followers of Jesus, do any less?

The signs are there in the world today that man simply does not have the answers to the many and varied problems that exist, and only the intervention of God to save mankind will resolve this matter.   But we must be close as we understand prophecy and how it is being fulfilled on the world scene now.   It surely cannot be that long but it is for the Father only to decide such timing.

Let us consider this. Regardless as to when Christ returns, those called and chosen will have lived a far better life than they would have done had they remained “in the world” and its ways.   God’s Way brings far more joy, happiness and peace of mind and it enables them to be a part of the end-time commission to the Church to preach the gospel. And the future for those called and chosen by God will be an eternity of serving and sharing in the Kingdom of God.

Please see the sermon given by Mr Eric Rank entitled “Don’t Stop Living,” given on 20^th August 2022, where he encourages everyone to proceed with normal planning in our lives involving God in every way and aligning ourselves with His Way of Life and if Christ returns before such plans come to maturity, then something much better will replace them – the Kingdom of God. https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/dont-stop-living/

We know from Scripture that Jesus will return and whether we died before this or are still alive at that time, we will be with Him when He does.   As we read earlier in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Until that time happens, it is our job to warn the nations about what is just around the corner.   We do that through the StandingWatch programme, through all of the material that is available on our website, and through our advertising and involvement with social media outlets that allow us to reach right across the globe.   And we will continue to do this for as long as we are able and for as long as God allows us to do this in His service.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“How We Are Destroying Ourselves,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: 

Certain developments might very well contribute to the prophesied downfall of America and Britain. We report on dangerous and risky experiments taking place in laboratories in London, England, and in Boston, USA, which were called “insanity” and which could unleash, in theory, a new deadly “viral threat”; and we address a new lethal chemical, dubbed as a “weapon of mass destruction,” which has arrived on American soil in quantities which could kill every American citizen seven times over.

“Der Thron Davids und Jakobs Gedenkstein („der Stein des Schicksals“),” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Throne of David and Jacob’s Pillar Stone (‘the Stone of Destiny’).”

“Wachsen in der Erkenntnis Gottes—Aber wie?” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Mike Richter. Title in English:  “Grow in the Knowledge of God—But How?”

“Sind wir das Salz der Erde?” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Thilo Hanstein. Title in English: “Are We the Salt of the Earth?”

“Live with the Right Vision—Comments on News and Prophecy (October 29, 2022), the first message presented last by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Terrible Events are escalating in the world on a daily basis, and the future looks grim. Some say that there is no reason to study hard in school or college in order to get good grades; pursue a career, get married, have children, and plan otherwise for the future in general, as the world will end soon and Christ’s return is on the horizon. But is this the right approach?

“How Are We to Do God’s Work?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Many different ideas exist today as to what is the responsibility of God’s Church in these end times, and how to accomplish what we are commissioned to do. The Bible compares our task with the blowing of trumpets to warn of impending disaster. It also shows us how we are to blow these trumpets. It takes dedication and zeal, as well as total reliance on God and the conviction that He will bless our efforts as long as we are loyal to Him and do not give up.

On October 26, 2022, Norbert Link will present the first message, titled, “Comments on News and Prophecy (October 29, 2022),” and the sermon, titled, “How Are We to Do God’s Work?”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

The end of this age is upon us, and we are experiencing ever-increasing troubles just as the Word of God has warned. Beyond the cataclysmic things happening around us in the world, we all seem to be going through many extraordinary personal challenges.

At times, we might even wonder where God is and if He is watching over us. Will He respond when we pray about the bad things we suffer? Does He really and personally hear the myriads of other requests His people bring before Him?

We are told by the Apostle Peter, ^“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12). The Apostle James adds: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience [endurance or perseverance]” (James 1:2-3).

Peter adds:

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

It isn’t too difficult to find many other Scriptures which explain exactly why God allows us to go through trials. The point is this, God may not remove the ordeal immediately, but, if we keep trusting Him, He will bring us through the trial.

Consider what Jesus asked the Father when He prayed, “‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus knew that He was facing death, and He asked the Father three different times to be delivered from what He was about to suffer. God didn’t answer those three requests from Jesus by removing the trial, but He sent an angel to give Him strength.

And so, Jesus persevered to complete this great trial, but it was difficult right up until the last moment, for Jesus said, “‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Matthew 27:46). Of course, the Father did not forsake His Son, but the trial Jesus faced was death and He, alone, had to endure and complete it. He passed that trial and now lives because God resurrected Him (1 Corinthians 6:14; Galatians 1:1; 1 Peter 1:21).

Just like Jesus, none of us wants to suffer great trials, but we know that we will be tested in order to perfect us. In tough times, we have this assurance:

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

With that promise, we can also pray to God, saying: “‘Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”

by Norbert Link

We begin with dramatic events in Britain, including Liz Truss’s resignation as Prime Minister and her replacement with Rishi Sunak, whose appointment has been described as historic, with the caveat that none of what is happening in Britain constitutes good news for the country. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Britain’s Fall Is Inevitable.” 

We continue with the planned coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023; and the dictatorship of China.

We publish several articles about the growing fear of nuclear war, involving Russia, which WILL indeed occur, but not in the way as anticipated by most observers. It is also pointed out that Russia considers Europe as part of the Russian-Ukrainian war. In this regard, please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “How and When Will There Be Worldwide Nuclear War?” 

We report on the threat of political turmoil and civil unrest in Europe and especially in Germany; and we publish several articles about Joe Biden and Donald Trump, as well as Steve Bannon.

We continue with Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the USA and Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to return as Prime Minister, while current PM Lapid warns the world of the danger posed by the military collaboration between Russia and Iran.

We conclude with further developments pointing at the building of the third temple in the near future, and with the “resurrection” of the ancient horrible god Baal.

Throughout this section, we have underlined pertinent statements in the quoted articles, for the convenience and quick overview of the reader.

Liz Truss Resigns

The Associated Press wrote on October 20:

“British Prime Minister Liz Truss quit Thursday after a tumultuous and historically brief term marred by economic policies that roiled financial markets and a rebellion in her political party that obliterated her authority.

“After just 45 days in office, Truss became the third Conservative prime minister to be toppled in as many years, and she will go down as the shortest-serving leader in British history. Her resignation extends the instability that has shaken Britain since it broke off from the European Union and leaves its leadership in limbo as the country faces a cost-of-living crisis and looming recession…

“The low-tax, low-regulation economic policies that got Truss elected by her party proved disastrous in the real world at a time of soaring inflation and weak growth. Her Sept. 23 economic plan included a raft of tax cuts that investors worried Britain couldn’t afford. It pummeled the value of the pound and drove up the cost of mortgages, causing economic pain for people and businesses already struggling… That financial tumult led to the replacement of Truss’ Treasury chief, multiple policy U-turns and a breakdown of discipline in the governing Conservative Party.

“Truss resigned just a day after vowing to stay in power, saying she was ‘a fighter and not a quitter.’ But she couldn’t hold on any longer after a senior minister quit her government amid a barrage of criticism and a vote in the House of Commons Wednesday descended into chaos and acrimony… Where the Conservative Party goes from here is not clear. Its myriad factions — from hard-right Brexiteers to centrist ‘One Nation’ Tories — are at each other’s throats… An editorial in the Daily Mail on Thursday was headlined: ‘The wheels have come off the Tory clown car.’”

Truss’ fall was inevitable. The Sun already asked on October 14: “In one truly disastrous day she threw her closest ally [Chancellor KWASI Kwarteng] under the bus, installed a controversial replacement and looked evasive and bewildered at a press ­conference where The Sun asked — on behalf of our despairing readers — how she could justify staying in her job.” The Sun also wrote on October 14 that even prior to her resignation, “Liz Truss’ first 40 days in power… ended in [the] biggest political meltdown for 300 years.”

The Liz Truss Debacle… and What America Should Take Note Of

The New York Post wrote on October 20:

“The joke in Britain is that the country is becoming like Italy – but without the weather.  In other words – ungovernable. Just as Italian politics seem to throw up a new government most weeks, so the UK seems to be churning through Prime Ministers.  Liz Truss… barely unpacked her bags in Downing Street before having to pack them back up again…

“So what on earth caused this mess?  There are a number of reasons…

“All of the Western world is now suffering economic turmoil and cost of living crises.  Nobody who is in power is going to look good at such a time.  But it was the choice of politicians in Britain – as it was in America – to pump out free money since 2008.  We did so under the apparent belief that the costs of money-printing would never arrive.

“Then, before that money splurge had even finished we had another one – the great COVID money splurge.  Then on top of that, we had the costs coming from the war in Ukraine.  Like so many politicians in this country, Liz Truss tried to get through this by promising people more of everything.

“Her disastrous mini-budget last month saw her promise of tax cuts and a massive increase in borrowing.  The markets were spooked – and rightly so… recent years have shown that politicians on the right are just as able as those on the left to borrow like there´s no tomorrow…

“When politicians promise one thing and do another then all politics becomes restless… US politicians are as expert as British ones in pushing difficult problems away…

“… Most of us can remember a time when there were at least some politicians admired across the political aisle.  People who were respected because – whether you agreed with them or not – they seemed to have their country´s best interests at heart.  How many politicians of this generation can this be said about?  Perhaps it´s the fault of the people going into politics.  Or perhaps the ones going into it want the wrong things?  Certainly, a lot of them seem to put their own advancement ahead of their country.  When they are also visibly incapable of their job there´s no way that voters won´t notice that too.

“Today Britain looks like a shambles.  Its reputation for calm politics has been shot and the ruling party´s reputation for economic competency has been shattered…

“It could be the same here any day.  American politicians seem to think that America´s financial dominance makes us immune from disaster.  But there is no law in nature that makes this so. Our politicians also promise everything and anything.  Like their counterparts in the UK, they promise to give more money to everyone without saying where it´s going to come from… How long can this go on?  As in Britain, it will go on until the day it doesn´t.  And if that day ever comes here it will make what is happening in Britain look like an absolute model of calm…”

A completely different perspective is published in the next article.

Fox News published on October 21 an opinion piece by Nile Gardiner, Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation and a former aide to Margaret Thatcher:

“With Prime Minister Liz Truss’s resignation, we have witnessed a Shakespearean tragedy, the result of a stunning loss of nerve in 10 Downing Street, coupled with a nefarious and ultimately successful attempt by Tory liberals to drive her out after just 44 days in office. A government with a majority of over 70 parliamentary seats has basically collapsed, emboldening the left.

“My former boss, Lady Thatcher, would have been appalled. This is the biggest political coup in the U.K. since the Iron Lady herself stepped down as P.M. in 1990 after being forced to resign by her own party. Liz Truss’s resignation and disastrously short tenure is a leadership lesson for conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic. Never surrender to the left, don’t U-turn on key policies, and stick to conservative principles and ideals.

“It has been monumentally sad to see the former prime minister apologizing for free-market, low-tax policies after sustained attacks on her ‘mini-budget,’ which had originally pledged to cut individual and corporate taxes. No British leader should ever say sorry for cutting taxes and advancing economic freedom. The damage being done here to the Conservative Party’s standing and credibility is immense… The reversal of the tax cut agenda is a victory for those who believe in the power of the state over individuals and free markets. It is a huge step backwards for the U.K., and is the path to economic decline. The U-turns on tax policy have been catastrophic, and the consequences for the British economy will be dire.

“The P.M. should never have surrendered to the left, and should have ignored the attacks from the IMF, Joe Biden, and Britain’s liberal elites. The British Conservative Party is literally destroying itself… with a recession the likely result.  Abandoning economic freedom is a terrible mistake and a gift to the Socialist left, including the Biden presidency in the United States, which strongly opposed the U.K. tax cut agenda.

“President Biden’s lecturing of the British prime minister on economic policy has been both outrageous and ridiculous. The Biden economy has been an absolute disaster, with soaring inflation, crashing markets and a looming recession. He is the last person on Earth who should be handing out economic advice with his track record…

“The priority for the new P.M. must be to protect the future of Brexit, secure Britain’s borders and sovereignty, and advance economic freedom, while ensuring that the Socialist left and the Scottish Nationalists are not in a position to destroy Brexit and the United Kingdom.”

Rishi Sunak New PM

The Associated Press wrote on October 24:

“Former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak is set to become Britain’s next prime minister after winning the Conservative leadership race Monday — and now faces the huge task of stabilizing the party and country at a time of economic and political turbulence. Sunak will be Britain’s first leader of color…

“Sunak lost out to Truss in the last Conservative election… He promised ‘integrity, professionalism and accountability’ if he formed a government — a veiled criticism of the scandal-tarred Johnson and the problem-plagued Truss. Sunak will now be asked by King Charles III to form a government…

“Sunak’s victory is historic: He is the first British prime minister of South Asian heritage, the first Hindu to hold the post and the youngest for 200 years. His challenge is enormous as he tries to unite a demoralized and divided party that trails far behind the opposition in opinion polls, and seeks to shore up an economy reeling after Truss’ brief, disastrous experiment in libertarian economics…

“Sunak’s position strengthened after former leader Boris Johnson dramatically quit the race on Sunday night, ending a short-lived, high-profile attempt to return to the prime minister’s job he was ousted from little more than three months ago…

“Johnson spent the weekend trying to gain support from fellow Conservative lawmakers after flying back from a Caribbean vacation. Late Sunday he said he had amassed the backing of 102 colleagues. But he was far behind Sunak in support, and said he had concluded that ‘you can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in Parliament.’ The prospect of a return by Johnson had thrown the already divided Conservative Party into further turmoil…

“In his Sunday statement, Johnson insisted he was ‘well placed to deliver a Conservative victory’ in the next national election, due by 2024…

“The Conservative Party turmoil is fueling demands for a national election. Under Britain’s parliamentary system, there does not need to be one until the end of 2024, though the government has the power to call one sooner. Currently that looks unlikely…”

And so, Sunak will become the next PM—the third leader within just three months. The German outlet, t-online, described him as the “kingslayer” without a white vest. Whether he will keep his post for a while will have to be seen. Breitbart described him as a globalist [see also below], “best known for signing the cheques on the mega-money lockdown policies of the Covid era and pushing the national tax burden to the highest levels in decades,” continuing, “…this development can hardly be good news for Britain.”

Rishi’s Hindu Faith Under Scrutiny

The Sun wrote on October 24:

“Rishi’s Hindu faith helps guide his lifestyle. He is a lifelong teetotaller [someone who drinks no alcohol] and doesn’t eat beef. When he became an MP, he swore his oath on the Hindu holy book, the Bhagavad Gita. Fittingly, he became PM on the first day of Diwali, the religion’s most important festival… in true Rishi style he fasts on Mondays to help him stay in shape…”

Breitbart added on October 25:

“Sunak has the distinction of being so wealthy, with an estimated combined net worth of £730 million ($825 million) alongside his wife, that he will… be the first inhabitant of Number 10 Downing Street to have a larger fortune than the reigning British monarch, leading to questions about his ability to empathise with the plight of the common man during the economic crisis, which he, in part, helped to create…

“Sunak appeared at the World Economic Forum’s Green Horizon Summit in 2020 to advocate for a ‘whole of economy transition’ to ‘green energy’ sources. The connection to the WEF does not stop there, however, as the company founded by his father-in-law N. R. Narayana Murthy, Infosys, is a listed partner of the World Economic forum. Murthy also previously served as co-chairman for the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in 2005. Further confirming his intention to govern as a globalist PM, backer Tobias Ellwood MP hinted at Sunak ushering in the so-called Great Reset schemed up by WEF chairman Klaus Schwab…

“One of the key agenda points of Davos, to usher in a cashless society, has also been promoted by Sunak, who has been one of the leading figures pushing for the implementation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), through which governments would be able to track every expenditure made by citizens, leading to concerns that Britain will follow the likes of Communist China in implementing a social credit score…”

Live Mint wrote on October 25:

“‘A Hindu Prime Minister is now responsible for advising King Charles on appointments to the Church of England. Britain is dead,’ said Collin Pruett, Operations Associate at The American Conservative… Sunak always keeps an Idol of Shri Ganesh on his table… On the occasion of Janmashtami 2022, Sunak visited the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple with his wife Akshata in advance of the popular Hindu festival celebrating Lord Krishna’s birthday…

“British magazine gal-dem wrote on Twitter, ‘Rishi Sunak’s undemocratic election as Prime Minister is not a win for diversity, and we’re not celebrating it as one.’ One user replied that Idolatry would increase in Britain.”

None of this sounds too good…

King Charles to Be Crowned on May 6

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 11:

“Buckingham Palace on Tuesday said that King Charles III will be crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6 next year. The coronation will take place almost exactly 70 years after his late mother’s coronation on June 2, 1953… Charles, 73, will be crowned in a religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey conducted by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Camilla, the queen consort, will be crowned alongside her husband.

“The confirmation of the date comes following the death of Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in early September at the age of 96. Charles immediately became king upon the death of his mother, also taking over as the head of state of 14 Commonwealth countries including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

“But setting up a formal coronation ceremony is a far slower process. In Elizabeth’s case, it took more than a year to arrange a ceremony, which took place when Charles was a 4-year-old boy.

“The most important moment of the ceremony, at least from a historical and religious perspective, is when Charles will be ‘anointed, blessed and consecrated’ by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The British monarch is also the head of the Church of England and British royal tradition has it, like most other Christian European royal families do or did, that their claim to the throne is given and endorsed by [God].”

Please see our recent Q&As about the “Stone of Destiny.” https://www.eternalgod.org/what-do-we-know-of-the-stone-of-destiny-part-1/ and https://www.eternalgod.org/what-do-we-know-of-the-stone-of-destiny-part-2/

China’s Dictatorial Government

The Sun wrote on October 23:

“XI Jinping has made history in China after cementing absolute power with an unprecedented third term in office… Xi is celebrating a decade in office while being awarded another five-year term as general secretary – effectively making himself an ‘Emperor for Life’… Unlike his predecessor, Hu Jintao, the 69-year-old is refusing to bow out after 10 years and continues to flex his governmental powers…

“The unchallengeable leader – who famously banned Winnie the Pooh – is aided by vast security apparatus and the threat of death sentences for opponents. He stands as the unchallenged ‘core leader’ of the world’s most populous nation…

“Xi has used his ruthlessness and political talents to much effect, making himself the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao, whose brutal rule led to the death of millions…”

China will form a military alliance with Russia and other Far-Eastern countries. It is to be expected that all or many of these countries will be run by dictators.

The Fear of Nuclear War

The Sun wrote on October 14:

“Fears are growing that Putin is escalating the nuclear threat in the war in Ukraine… disaster expert Paul Ingram said: ‘… There are more than 12,000 nuclear warheads worldwide. Russia alone has almost 6,000 of them. The blast and radiation from these would lead to casualties of 200 to 300 million worldwide.’…

“Ingram… also warned of apocalyptic aftershocks from any nuclear conflict. ‘On top of the immediate deaths, the all-out nuclear exchange would throw up so much radioactive soot that it would obscure the sun for several years,’ he said. ‘This would lead to the deaths of up to five billion people worldwide.’

“He added that the danger of such a strike on a country like Ukraine, which is seen as a ‘breadbasket’ because of its wheat production, is that it could trigger worldwide food shortages… ‘Temperatures would plummet worldwide by up to 16C. Breadbaskets such as Ukraine would never rise above freezing point. ‘In the centre of London, we are more at risk of direct blasts and radiation, but no one would be safe.’

“As of January this year, there are approximately 12,700 nuclear warheads worldwide. Of those, the highest number, almost 6,000, are in Russia, while around 5,400 are in the US. The UK has 225 nuclear warheads… China, France, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea make up the world’s other nuclear powers.”

As far as we know…

France Won’t Respond with Nuclear Weapons

The National News wrote on October 12:

“France will not respond with nuclear weapons should Russia use them against Ukraine… ‘Our doctrine rests on the fundamental interests of the nation,’ Mr Macron told public broadcaster France 2 on Wednesday. ‘They are defined clearly and wouldn’t be directly affected at all if, for example, there was a ballistic nuclear attack in Ukraine, in the region.’…

“He acknowledged that France was ‘unable to deliver as much as the Ukrainians ask for. I’m obliged to keep some for us to protect ourselves and our eastern flank [of Nato]’.

Once again, France is giving Putin the green light.

On the Road to Nuclear War?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on October 10:

“Last week the New York Times ran a shocking article claiming that the US intelligence community believes the Ukrainian government to be responsible for the August attack that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian philosopher.

“Surely the established narrative that Ukraine is a model western democracy standing strong for our shared values against an aggressive Russian invader is damaged with reporting that Kiev conducted an al-Qaeda style attack on an innocent civilian inside Russia. The murder of Dugina was a textbook definition of terrorism, which is, ‘the use of violence or the threat of violence, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political goals.’

“Just over a month later, the Nordstream pipelines were blown up, seemingly ending at least in the near term the possibility that Germany may find a way to save its economy by mending fences with its main energy supplier. A leading Polish politician thanked the US for doing the job.

“Then over the weekend, the bridge connecting mainland Russia to Crimea was bombed, killing at least six civilians and leaving part of the bridge under water. Traffic was restored hours after the attack, but Russian President Vladimir Putin placed the blame on Ukraine’s intelligence service. We all know that Ukraine relies on its US masters, so we can assume the US provided the intelligence allowing the targeting of the bridge.

“There is a pattern here. More and more brazen attacks are being launched against Russia and Washington is doing little to hide US fingerprints. Why?

“The Biden Administration seems to be moving us closer to nuclear war over Ukraine and Biden himself seems to know it. Last week he said, Putin ‘is not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons…’ For the ‘first time since the Cuban missile crisis, we have a direct threat of the use [of nuclear weapons] if in fact things continue down the path they are going.’

“So the question is if he knows that his proxy war against Russia is moving us closer to the unthinkable – nuclear annihilation – why does his Administration persist in crossing red line after red line? Apparently, Biden’s ‘experts’ believe that Putin is bluffing and will do nothing about the Dugina assassination, the Nordstream pipeline sabotage, and the Kerch Bridge attack.

“But what if they’re wrong?…”

The German government has refused to give any information to a parliamentarian regarding the destruction of the Nordstream pipelines, citing security concerns. Something very fishy is going on here.

Why Putin May Not Be Bluffing

The New York Post wrote on October 8:

“On Sept. 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that he could resort to ‘all available means of destruction’ in his war against Ukraine, pointedly adding, ‘It’s not a bluff.’ Days later, he accused the United States of setting the nuclear warfare ‘precedent,’ referring to the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 to end World War II.

“On Monday, NATO warned that Russia may have deployed the nuclear powered submarine Belgorod into the Kara Sea to test the Poseidon ‘doomsday’ weapon it has aboard, capable of creating a ‘radioactive tsunami.’

“… here are eight reasons why Putin is likely not bluffing, just as he says, about using nuclear weapons.

“1. Putin is psychologically capable of crossing the nuclear threshold, especially when he feels cornered…

“2. Putin likely thinks this is his ‘last and decisive battle.’ When he hears calls by Western officials to try him in an international court as a war criminal, he fears he may end up like Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, captured by US soldiers in 2003, convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal, and put to death by hanging. He also fears the fate of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, who was shot in the head by his own people in 2011. Both events had a profound psychological impact on Putin, convincing him of America’s bad intentions.

“3. Russia’s post-Cold War doctrine includes a nuclear fallback option designed exactly for the kind of situation Moscow now faces. In the 1990s, the General Staff developed, on Putin’s orders, a limited nuclear war doctrine… The doctrine stipulates that a low-yield nuclear bomb can be detonated to shock an opposing force to abandon a fight and end a war…

“4. Putin likely believes that he will use nuclear weapons for the same reason the US did in Japan during WWII — to end the conflict. In August 1945, the US detonated two atomic bombs… over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing 149,000-225,000 people. The rationale was to hasten victory, while minimizing both US and Japanese casualties…

“5. The outcome in Ukraine is an existential issue for both Russia and Putin. While it’s not accepted by the West, Russia views former Soviet states like Ukraine as part of its sphere of influence and a strategic security perimeter. With NATO’s admission of the Baltic states, the distance between NATO forces and Russian territory has shrunk from 1,000 to 100 miles…

“6. Putin orchestrated the annexation of the four seized regions of Ukraine… precisely so he could use the nuclear option. By formally declaring these territories part of Russia, he has cleared the requirement in the Russian military doctrine for the deployment of nuclear weapons. Officially, the unclassified doctrine permits Russia’s Commander in Chief to use these last-resort weapons only in a defensive scenario to protect Russian territory. But the doctrine also allows ‘first-use’ of nuclear weapons even in an existential battle, like the one in Ukraine, in order to stave off defeat and end a conflict.

“7. Putin is worried about projecting weakness to China…

“8. Putin probably estimates that launching a low-yield nuclear strike in Ukraine will not trigger a US response, and certainly not with nuclear weapons…”

Musk and Kiyosaki Warn of Nuclear World War III

Benzinga wrote on October 16 that Egon Musk wrote on Twitter:

“Russia has the ability to destroy USA & Europe utterly with nuclear missiles in less than 30 minutes & vice versa… Would be great if someday humanity stopped pointing nukes at itself that would destroy almost all life on Earth…

“In any given year, there is a chance above zero that they will be launched. We are now at the highest risk in 60 years.”

The “kings of the East”—including Russia and China—WILL in due time destroy Europe completely.

Bitcoin.com wrote on October 22:

“The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has warned about World War III. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for over six years. More than 32 million copies of the book have been sold in over 51 languages across more than 109 countries.

“Kiyosaki tweeted earlier this week to his 2.1 million followers: ‘Hitler invaded countries like Romania for their oil & coal. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor when U.S. cut Japan from oil,’ he further wrote. ‘Was the sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline [the] start of WWIII?’

“More people are increasingly worried about the possibility of a third world war. On Thursday, Russia threatened that if Ukraine is admitted to the NATO military alliance, then the conflict in Ukraine would be guaranteed to escalate into World War Three.”

EU Part of the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict?

MSN wrote on October 20:

“The Russian government has warned that the military training mission to the Ukrainian Army agreed this week by the EU makes the bloc ‘part of the conflict’, in a new criticism of the international aid provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces by Kiev’s allied countries.

“The member states of the European Union approved on Monday a new military training mission to the Ukrainian Army with which European forces will train on EU territory some 15,000 soldiers fighting against the Russian invasion…

“In recent days, Moscow has also questioned the increase in military aid by NATO member states.”

Modern Diplomacy added on October 21:

“The Russia-Ukraine crisis dramatically changed the way Europeans think about their security. European governments, as well as ordinary people, are divided over the conflict. For example, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, and Sweden are much more willing to make sacrifices than those in France Germany, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic and in Serbia…

“While many people in Europe peacefully protest over supporting Ukraine to the detriment of national interests, politicians and military authorities decide for them. Their decisions are often threatening in its size and scope… Baltic States’ authorities said that war in Europe is no longer unthinkable… [The] Ukraine crisis has turned to [a] European crisis and could lead to irreparable consequences.”

The Russian moderator Wladimir Solowjow, a confidante of Putin, stated on public TV: “This is in fact World War III. We are de facto at war with NATO. I am not afraid to say this” (MSN, dated October 23).

Threat of Political Turmoil in Europe

ABC News wrote on October 21:

“In Romania, protesters blew horns and banged drums to voice their dismay over the rising cost of living. People across France took to the streets to demand pay increases that keep pace with inflation. Czech demonstrators rallied against government handling of the energy crisis. British railway staff and German pilots held strikes to push for better pay as prices rise.

“Across Europe, soaring inflation is behind a wave of protests and strikes that underscores growing discontent with the spiraling cost of living and threatens to unleash political turmoil…. Energy prices have driven inflation in the 19 countries that use the euro currency to a record 9.9%, making it harder for people to buy what they need. Some see little choice but to hit the streets…

“The fallout from the war in Ukraine has sharply raised the risk of civil unrest in Europe.”

This scenario is not unlikely, given the weak and incompetent leadership in many Western European countries.

Joe Biden’s Frightening Incompetence and Misrepresentations

The New York Post wrote on October 14:

“President Biden brushed off $7-a-gallon gas in California — saying ‘that’s always been the case’ and confusingly linking it to housing… Biden said without elaboration that ‘housing’ was ‘the most important thing’ for gas prices, which in California actually surged 39% over the past 12 months for an average of $6.20 per gallon…

“It’s unclear if Biden, who turns 80 next month, intended to draw a closer link between the two subjects before his reply was cut off by a different reporter’s question, but his answer attracted attention after a series of recent gaffes…

“The president has made a series of confounding remarks recently — heightening scrutiny given to his comment about California gas prices… the president said in a speech that he agrees with whatever the notoriously hotheaded Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) says.

“On Wednesday, he incorrectly said his late son Beau ‘lost his life in Iraq’ and that he visited the Rio Grande to see the need for land preservation, possibly confusing it with the Grand Canyon.

“Biden claimed Tuesday that firefighters nearly died extinguishing a 2004 fire at his Wilmington, Del., house — after saying last year that he ‘had a house burn down with my wife in it.’ The local fire department said Friday that ‘for the fire service, this could be considered an insignificant fire’…

“Last week, Biden… dubiously claimed that ‘I was sort of raised in the Puerto Rican community at home, politically.’

“Critics debate whether Biden, already the oldest-ever US president at 79, either is in mental decline or simply prone to misspeaking and exaggeration.

“Biden dropped out of his first presidential campaign in 1987 due to a scandal involving plagiarism of speeches and a law school paper. Biden appropriated British politician Neil Kinnock’s description of his family history — with Biden changing some details to falsely claim that ‘my ancestors … worked in the coal mines of northeast Pennsylvania and would come up after 12 hours and play football for four hours.’ Biden’s ancestors did not mine coal.

“Before he dropped out of the 1988 presidential primary, Biden also falsely claimed that he ‘graduated with three degrees from college,’ was named ‘the outstanding student in the political science department,’ ‘went to law school on a full academic scholarship — the only one in my class to have a full academic scholarship’ and ‘ended up in the top half’ of his class. None of those claims was true…

“Since Biden took office as president last year… there’s been a lengthy list of untruths or unverifiable personal anecdotes.

“Biden has told at least eight times as president a chronologically impossible tale involving a former Amtrak conductor to underscore his love of passenger rail — most recently last month while hosting union negotiators in the Oval Office. Biden admitted last month to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that ‘I wasn’t arrested’ trying to visit Nelson Mandela’ during the apartheid era, despite saying so at least three times in 2020.

“Biden last September told Jewish leaders that he remembered ‘spending time at’ and ‘going to’ Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018 after the worst anti-Semitic attack in US history, in which 11 people were murdered. The synagogue said he never visited and the White House later said he was thinking about a 2019 phone call to the synagogue’s rabbi.

“Later that month, Biden told an Idaho audience that his ‘first job offer’ came from local lumber and wood products business Boise Cascade. The company said it was news to them.

“In January, Biden told students at historically black colleges in Atlanta that he was arrested multiple times while protesting in favor of civil rights — another claim for which there is no evidence.

“Biden said at the Naval Academy’s graduation ceremony in May that he was appointed to the military school in 1965 bby the late Sen. J. Caleb Boggs (R-Del.). A search of Boggs’ archives failed to turn up evidence of the appointment.

“In some recent instances, however, Biden’s confusion was apparent, including when he searched for Waloriski at an Oct. 3 event in Washington, despite lowering the White House’s flags and calling her family to express sympathy after her recent death in a car crash.

“Biden said in a Tuesday interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper that he will make a final decision on seeking a second term following the Nov. 8 midterm elections. But Biden has consistently told allies he plans to run and told Tapper that ‘I can beat Donald Trump again.’”

These are incredible facts suggesting that Joe Biden is viewed by allies and enemies alike as being totally incapable of representing the USA in any way. It is interesting that for example the German mass media is NOT reporting Biden’s incredible incidents… perhaps because of fear that Trump might come back to power.

What If Trump Returns…

The Washington Post wrote on October 10:

“Imagine it’s Jan. 20, 2025. Inauguration Day. The president-elect raises his right hand and begins to recite the oath: I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear …It’s an anti-Trumper’s nightmare, but it could happen: 47 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents want Trump to be the nominee in 2024… And if Trump and Joe Biden are the contenders, Trump narrowly edges Biden, 48 to 46 percent, among registered voters…

“… Among the first things he would do, in the initial hours of his presidency, would be to fire [FBI Director] Christopher Wray and purge the FBI…  If Trump installed loyalists at the FBI and Justice Department… then any lingering federal investigations of Trump could be dropped…

“Once Trump has centralized power through cadres of vetted loyalists across government, what will he do with it? As The Post has previously chronicled, he’s already told us, in speeches over the past several months, some of his proposals if he decides to run: Execute drug dealers. Move homeless people to tent cities. Eliminate the Education Department. Restrict voting to one day using paper ballots. But there could be much more — including profound shifts in military and foreign policy…

“As for the use of military power abroad, Trump mostly favored withdrawals during his term (though he did authorize a drone strike to kill a key Iranian commander in Iraq in 2020 and, according to the Associated Press, considered an invasion of Venezuela in 2017). Trump wanted to pull U.S. troops out of South Korea, Germany and Somalia, but critics warned that those moves would be devastating to global security and alliances. A second term might see them come to pass… And depending on his views of Putin and the conflict in Ukraine, he might just stop the flow of arms, ammunition and material to Kyiv…

“Trump would almost certainly return to the issue that first built his following in the GOP and still animates the party: harsh measures to counter illegal immigration…

“Some of the preconditions for civil war — a weakening democracy with hindrances to popular participation and divisions along identity lines — are brewing in the United States… The spiral of violence, response and counter-response would create the kind of disorder that Trump… could use to justify invoking the Insurrection Act. Then federal troops would flood the streets of American cities — and this time, not for a parade. Could it happen here?… The message of prophets of democratic doom can sound over-the-top… But to dismiss it, they say, would be naïve…”

None of the above-mentioned scenarios would be impossible to occur.

Mediaite wrote on October 21:

“Donald Trump warned members of his former administration [including Mike Pence] that it would be ‘very disloyal’ for any of them to run against him in 2024.

“Trump hasn’t actually announced a run but has heavily teased one. In a Friday phone interview with Fox News Radio host Brian Kilmeade…, the former president avoided questions on when he would announce a run, should he choose to, but he also swiped at any potential Republican challengers from his own administration.”

Trump Should Contest Subpoena

Newsmax wrote on October 21:

“Alan Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School and one of this nation’s foremost authorities on the U.S. constitution, says former President Donald Trump would be wise to contest the House Jan. 6 committee’s subpoena to testify before Congress… ‘He should take [the matter] to court and challenge the subpoena on ‘executive privilege’ grounds, or any other grounds,’ Dershowitz [said]… ‘The way it should work: If Congress subpoenas you, and you refuse to speak, then Congress should go to court and demand the court enforce the subpoena.’

“Dershowitz opined that Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, who both served in the Trump administration and were also brought on contempt-of-Congress charges, should have forced Congress’ hand by taking their respective cases to the courts… ‘Until the court determines the rules’ for the Jan. 6 hearings, ‘there should be no criminal prosecutions… ‘This is Alice in Wonderland: Criminal prosecutions first, then we’ll decide what the law is. That does make no sense.’ [In other words, the court should decide first whether executive privilege or other reasons would prevent any criminal prosecution, but in this case, the opposite was applied.]

“Regarding Trump, Dershowitz says ‘he doesn’t have to [invoke] the 5th [Amendment]. He can argue that it’s a perjury trap’ to speak with the Jan. 6 committee, presumably under oath… Dershowitz then said of the committee’s actions, which are taking place a few weeks before the midterm elections: ‘I think there’s a lot of theater here, and not a lot of real law being practiced.’”

Bannon Sentenced

The Associated Press added on October 22:

“Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was sentenced Friday to serve four months behind bars after defying a subpoena from the House committee… U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols allowed Bannon to stay free pending appeal and also imposed a fine of $6,500 as part of the sentence. Bannon was convicted in July of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents…

“As he walked into court on Friday, Bannon told reporters, ‘This illegitimate regime, their judgment day is on 8 November when the Biden administration ends.’… Leaving the courthouse after the sentencing, Bannon said he believed Attorney General Merrick Garland would be impeached.”

Political Justice and the January 6^th Committee

Ron Paul wrote on October 24 in the Ron Paul Institute:

“Josef Stalin’s top henchman famously said, ‘show me the man and I’ll show you the crime.’ What it meant was that Soviet justice was about politics, not the rule of law. First decide who, for political reasons, is to be punished, and then the state will provide the crimes for which he will be charged.

“This dark era of politicized ‘justice’ has returned with former Trump campaign advisor Steve Bannon’s recent sentence to four months in jail for ‘contempt of Congress’ over his refusal to appear before the House January 6th Committee. How is it politicized justice for Bannon to be punished for ignoring a subpoena from the US Congress? Because many before him have been charged with contempt of Congress – including Democratic Party luminaries such as Eric Holder, Janet Reno, and Lois Lerner – and were never sentenced to jail time. Bannon’s sentence is meant to convey a political message to America: if you support Trump you are a criminal and you may find yourself in a cell next to Steve Bannon… Sending your political opponents to jail is what happens in a banana republic. It is un-American. But here we are.

“The goal of the January 6th Committee is not to seek justice for the ‘crime’ of trespassing and putting feet on Pelosi’s sacred desk, but to make sure that Donald Trump is never allowed to run for President again. That is the reason hundreds have been unjustly arrested and held in terrible conditions for non-crimes… Speaking of contempt of Congress, the real contempt is the existence of the January 6th Committee in the first place. It has been a partisan show trial from the beginning, where the only two ‘Republican’ Members were not chosen by Republicans but by Nancy Pelosi. The purpose of the Committee has been to prop up the false narrative that somehow a few rowdy protesters who broke into the Capitol Building were the equivalent of the storming of the Bastille…

“When justice becomes tangled in politics, freedom and liberty go out the window. We are not so naïve to think this is something that just arrived with the Biden Administration, but there seems little doubt it is spreading like a cancer…”

Saudi Arabia Condemns USA

Breitbart wrote on October 13:

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia issued an outraged statement Thursday condemning the White House, without naming any official in particular, for claiming that Riyadh supported an OPEC+ decision to cut oil production by two million barrels a day because it had decided to side with Russia in the ongoing Ukraine war.

“The extensive statement also mentioned rumors, first reported in the Wall Street Journal, that the leftist administration of President Joe Biden had attempted to convince Saudi officials to delay any oil production cut until after the midterm elections… The statement adds to what is becoming a growing scandal for the Biden administration that began with Biden himself visiting Saudi Arabia and meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), reportedly to urge him to increase Saudi Arabia’s oil production…

“According to this week’s Wall Street Journal report, the Riyadh visit went so poorly for Biden that MBS decided to cut scheduled oil production increases after meeting with the American president…

“Biden officials have dramatically announced a total reevaluation of diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia in the wake of the production cut and attempted to tie the decision to the Ukraine war, claiming Riyadh had now taken sides against Kyiv. In reality, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has maintained close communications with MBS for months and thanked Saudi Arabia for aiding in the release of Ukrainian prisoners. Saudi Arabia voted to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations on Wednesday…”

The relationship between Saudi Arabia and the USA, as well as the State of Israel, is prophesied to deteriorate.

The Intercept wrote on October 20:

“The Saudi-led oil cartel OPEC+’s announcement earlier this month that it was cutting 2 million barrels of oil per day.. rankled Democrats in Washington… Saudi Arabia actually pushed to cut oil production twice as much as Russian President Vladimir Putin, surprising the Russians… experts say the cut is targeted squarely at the Democratic Party — something Democratic officials have been loath to admit publicly.

“In 1973, Saudi Arabia led an oil embargo designed to punish the U.S. and other countries that supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Then, in 1979, Saudi Arabia again led an oil embargo — this time in the wake of the Iranian revolution, with the resultant high gas prices playing an arguably decisive role in Jimmy Carter’s loss to Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential race…

“In October 2018, following news of the grisly murder of Khashoggi, a column by then-chief of Saudi Arabia’s state-run media outlet, Al Arabiya, threatened ‘economic disaster’ if the U.S. sanctioned Riyadh… Turki Aldakhil, who is now Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UAE, [wrote:] ‘It would lead to Saudi Arabia’s failure to commit to producing 7.5 million barrels [of oil].’

“None of this is to say that Saudi Arabia under MBS hasn’t pursued cozier relations with Russia. MBS’s intensifying relationship with Putin dates back to June 2015, when, frustrated that President Barack Obama had rebuffed MBS’s requests for a meeting, the then deputy crown prince instead opted to meet with Putin on the sidelines of the 19th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“…the Biden administration this week announced that it would release 15 million barrels of oil from the strategic oil reserves. The White House is also considering lifting sanctions on Venezuela to mitigate the economic harm of OPEC+’s production cut, a move that some experts have for years been calling for…”

And so, America continues on its way to destruction.

Netanyahu: Israel Must Fulfill Biblical Prophecy

Israel Today wrote on October 21:

“Benjamin Netanyahu is hard on the campaign trail with less than two weeks to go until Israel’s fifth national election in four years… Netanyahu thanked Evangelical Christians for their support of Israel, and reminded them that the Jewish state’s rebirth is a ‘fulfillment of biblical prophecy.’ He stressed, however, that it is now up to Israel and her friends to secure that prophetic fulfillment. ‘

“‘While my father’s generation was charged with founding the state, my generation was charged with securing its future.’ Even so, the Israeli acknowledged that achieving that goal has required divine assistance: ‘A tiny state on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean is now ranked as the world’s eighth power with one-tenth of 1 percent of the world’s population. That’s not something that you can explain away. It’s a miracle of faith and fortitude.’”

Military Collaboration Between Russian and Iran Danger for the World

Israel Today wrote on October 21:

“Israeli Prime Minister… Lapid on Thursday highlighted the global threat posed by the growing military ties between Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the Islamic Republic of Iran… ‘We naturally think that relations between Russia and Iran are a serious problem not only for Israel, but also for Ukraine, Europe and the whole world. Iran is a dangerous terrorist state, and the fact that Russia does business with it puts the whole world in danger.’

“In apparent response to its forces losing ground in eastern Ukraine, Russia has begun to bombard Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities using missiles and Iranian suicide drones. Ukraine this week made a formal request to purchase Israeli missile shields like the Iron Dome to protect its cities against the Russian onslaught. Western powers are urging Israel to agree, but Lapid and his government have signaled that for now they prefer not to take sides against Russia, at least not militarily…”

In a coming attack of Far Eastern nations right AFTER Christ’s return, reported in advance in Ezekiel 38 and 39, Russia as well as Iran (ancient Persia) will BE part of that military alliance which will apparently be led by a Chinese dictator.

Coming… the Third Temple

Israel 365 News wrote on October 14:

“On Thursday night, 600 Jewish men from the tribe of Levi held a rehearsal on the steps leading up to the Temple Mount to prepare to play their role in providing the musical accompaniment for the Third Temple service…

“In the Bible, the tribe of Levi included Moses and Aaron. Kohanim (priests) are descendants of Aaron and his descendants became a subset of the tribe of Levi. The other members of the tribe were chosen by God to forfeit their portions of land in Israel and to serve in the Temple. The Levites performed various functions in the Temple including guarding as well [as] serving all the musical needs.

“Jewish communities are scrupulous about perpetuating the status of the Levites which is passed from father to son. Only Jewish men whose fathers were Levites are considered eligible. They are recognized for conspicuous honors in religious services and their status as Levites is inscribed on their gravestones… Levites… represent only about 4% of the Jewish population…

“The event on Thursday was the first post-pandemic rehearsal for the Levites, bringing together about 600 men to practice a medley from the Hallel service composed of Psalms 113-118 which is recited ‎on major and minor festivals…

“The municipal government is helping to prepare for the Third Temple… In the days that the Temples stood in Jerusalem, the Levites sang on the 15 steps— corresponding to the 15 Songs of Ascent in Psalms [120-134] —that led from the Ezrat Nashim (‘Court of Women’) to the Ezrat Yisrael (‘Court of Israelites’).”

It was also reported by the paper that “a full-dress reenactment of the water libation as it was performed in the Temple was held in Jerusalem.” 

All these steps… and many more… will lead to the building of the Third Temple PRIOR to the Return of Jesus Christ. This is clearly prophesied… for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

The Return of Baal

Israel 365 wrote on October 21:

“The Russian and Syrian governments announced that they are moving on to the next stage in reconstructing the ancient temple of the pagan god Ba’al in Palmyra. If successful, the project will necessarily mark the third incarnation of the Roman Victory Arch of Palmyra which an ancient Jewish source states must fall and be rebuilt three times before the arrival of the Messiah.

“… The Temple of Palmyra was dedicated in 32 CE to the worship of Ba’al. The earliest known inhabitants were the Amorites in the early second millennium BCE… The temple was built on the site of a prior pagan temple dating back to the third millennium BCE… Converted into a Christian church during the Byzantine Era, parts of the structure were modified into a mosque by Muslims in 1132. It remained in use as a mosque until the 1920s…

“Mentioned more than 90 times in the Bible, most notably when Elijah defeated the priests of Ba’al, also known as Moloch, in a contest to bring down fire from heaven to burn a sacrifice, Ba’al became the archetypical form of idol worship… Followers of Ba’al engaged in bisexual orgies and sacrificed human infants, burning them alive. Anthropologists conjecture that the child sacrifice was to cull the population after the inevitable outcome of wanton sexuality.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Since Jesus returned to heaven around 2,000 years ago, there have been continued interest and predictions about His return to earth.

We know from the Bible that even before Jesus was crucified, resurrected and then returned to heaven, the original apostles were looking to His Second Coming.  In Matthew 24:3, we read: “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’”   Jesus then lists what will happen before His return to earth, from verse 4 until the end of the chapter.

And after He had returned to heaven, some thought that His return was to be in their lifetime. Let us look at some examples of this.

In Acts 2:16-17, we see that Peter was speaking on the day of Pentecost in 31 AD, recorded by Luke some 30 years or so later, and Peter said: ^“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;  Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,  Your young men shall see visions,  Your old men shall dream dreams.”

Peter was quoting the prophet Joel and while this happened in part with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, as a forerunner, this prophecy has to be fulfilled at the end of this age.   It is fairly obvious that Peter thought that they were in the last days then; otherwise, why would he have quoted this prophecy at that time?   Also, Peter thought it was the end-time with his comment in 1 Peter 1:20: “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

Peter was joined by Paul in thinking that time was short then, as we read in 1 Corinthians 7:29: “…this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none…”

In 1 Corinthians 15:50-52, we read: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’’ When we use the word “we,” it obviously includes ourselves – and in this case it includes Paul.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, Paul also wrote: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

In Hebrews 1:1-2, we again see Paul referring to the last days: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”

James, the half-brother of Christ, had this to say in James 5:1-3: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”

The apostle John felt exactly the same, as we read in 1 John 2:18: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

Why did God allow all these men to think along these lines?   Surely, one of the reasons must have been that if it had been made clear to the apostles in the first century that Christ wouldn’t return for at least 2,000 years, discouragement could well have set in.   Irrespective of WHEN Christ will return – and the Scriptures are very clear that He will return – we have to be ready because we just don’t know when that most marvellous event will occur.   And it will only occur once.

In Mark 13:32, we read: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” We have no reason to believe that that is not still the same situation today.

It was not until the 1950’s that man had developed the capacity to blow himself off the face of the earth with nuclear bombs and other weapons and so the end couldn’t possibly have taken place before then.   In Mr Armstrong’s book “Tomorrow – What It Will Be Like”, he states the following on page 2:

“Besides nuclear annihilation, there are at least five other means by which mankind could be destroyed off the face of the globe: chemical warfare, biological warfare, overpopulation and resulting famine, disease epidemics, and environmental pollution.”

The return of Christ has been anticipated down through the last 2,000 years.   In the book, “The End of Time: Faith and Fear in the Shadow of the Millennium” by Damian Thompson, he writes: “What is it about the advent of the year 2000 which propelled millions of people in the direction of apocalyptic belief? Why should Christians who know perfectly well Christ was not born in A.D. 1 attached such importance to the calendar change question even more strangely, why should the prospect of a new millennium quicken the pulse of millions of non-Christians?

“For some time, Christians including Irenaeus around 115-200 AD and Justin Martyr (100-165 AD) continued to look for Christ to set up a literal kingdom of God on earth.  In the 3^rd century, Origen (185-254 AD) asserted that the kingdom existed not in time or space but in believer’s souls.

“AD 500 was another date that evoked excitement.   The terrors of the Year 1000 might be a myth, but there can be no denying the sense of doom which permeates so many documents of the period.   Throughout the tenth and early eleventh centuries, preachers and chroniclers regularly assured their audiences that their misfortunes were fulfillments of Biblical prophecies about the Last Days (p 42).”

Mr Thompson gives many more examples right down to the present time.  Throughout the centuries, speculation about the Second Coming has caused arguments and debates along with untold disappointment when it didn’t happen.

If we continue to read Mark 13:33-37, we learn what we are to do: “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

We are instructed to watch – not go to sleep and lose interest.   We have to maintain our zeal for the Work of God.

Wherever we look around the world, there are problems, many of them insurmountable and only the return of Jesus Christ will solve all of these issues.

In our weekly Update, number 1037, dated 2^nd September 2022, under the heading “Is God Punishing the United States of America?,” we quoted what the Jerusalem Post wrote on August 24: “… it is a challenge for me to believe that the series of ‘plagues’ that have befallen the United States of America of late are not part of some heavenly master plan…”

“The triumph of democracy and freedom over fascism and national land grabs energized the American body politic to take responsibility and rebuild the world after the devastating losses in the war.”

It then covers “over 300 mass shootings in the US this year as of early July, the largest number by far of any country in the world; then the weather showing that tens of millions of people are under extreme weather risk every day and as of July 5, 34,478 fires have already burned 4,582,301 acres of land.

“If one accepts the religious concept that whatever happens in the world is part of God’s plan for the world (and not everyone accepts that, to be sure), it is possible to postulate that God had a plan for the United States of America. It is almost as if God is now expressing displeasure with his servant, the US, in the course it has taken.”

It is interesting to read what a secular newspaper has to say.  In fact, they don’t mention many other areas where God is not pleased at all, including that of the sexual perversions that permeate the land where the abhorrent behaviour of Sodom and Gomorrah was summarily dealt with through their total destruction.   It should be further noted that this applies not only to the USA but to the other English-speaking countries, such as the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the world at large.

Perversion is celebrated as being good and must be accepted, and quoting God’s instruction on such matters is considered hate speech.   Large worldly churches blithely go along with the changes in society and try to fit in with them, rather than representing God and His Way of Life.   Blasphemy is used everywhere from the youngest to the oldest, and respect for God is negligible.  Left-wing media push the anti-God message, and most people just go along with it.

Russia is continuing to bomb the Ukraine, resulting in many casualties.   Problems between nations seem to never end with problems between the Israelis and Palestinians, other problems in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.   Inflation is rocketing around the world with the USA and UK both approaching double figures. Many other countries are also experiencing high double figures, and Zimbabwe, as of August 2022, had a staggering 600%.  Because of this, higher wages are sought with industrial action taken or threatened.  The cost of energy continues to be a huge problem with massive hikes in prices.

The continuing rise in abortion rates and the callous call for women’s rights to allow abortion at any time for any reason just add vast numbers to the killings experienced in the many wars in force around the globe.

Cruelty in war, and in society, to young children and defenceless animals proliferates as love for God and neighbour disappear over the horizon.  All of the above is just the tip of the iceberg but gives a brief overview of the problems that only God can solve. Yes, there are some decent people who try hard to do the right thing, but they do not truly understand the Way of God and what He expects from us.

The world is currently in crisis from which there seems to be, humanly speaking, no end.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Britain’s Fall Is Inevitable,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The situation in Great Britain is catastrophic, and God tells us why. The resignation of Liz Truss after just 45 days in office and the “undemocratic” election of Rishi Sunak should show even the casual observer that Britain’s fate is sealed; especially, when considering what Sunak stands for. One paper wrote that “a voice is missing to save England.” But is this really so?

“Großbritanniens Fall ist sicher,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topic as described above.

We are pleased to announce that ten people were baptized during the Fall Festival; also Daniel Blasinger was ordained Deacon during this time. Congratulations to ALL!

Please Note: Sermonettes and Sermons presented during the Fall Holy Days are or will be posted on our websites: www.eternalgod.org and https://www.ewigengottes.de/

“Our Ultimate Human Potential,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

First, God created spirit beings and things within the spirit world, and the Bible also shows us WHAT He created. In due course, He created the physical world—the universe with its galaxies, suns, and stars, and our earth. Science is still puzzled to this day as to how the universe came into being. The earth later became void and empty, and God renewed the face of the earth and created man. Why? What is the purpose of human existence, and what does the Bible reveal about the future of man… as well as the future of our solar system and the entire universe?

On October 1, 2022, Michael Link will present the first split-sermon, titled, “The Power of Three,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the second split-sermon titled, “Do Simple Better.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

The Day of Atonement will be observed on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, and services will be broadcast live beginning at 12:30 pm Pacific Time.

Eric Rank will present the Offertory, titled, “Treasure of the Heart,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Reconciled to God.”

This will be our last Update until after the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day.

When I was doing field studies for my undergraduate degree in NY many years ago, I became fascinated with a lighthouse at the far end of Long Island. The Montauk lighthouse is the last bit of stonework between NY and Portugal. It was commissioned by George Washington in 1792 and was completed in 1796. It is among the oldest such beacons in the United States. However, there are quite a few lighthouses around the world that date back many generations.

The oldest is said to be the Hercules lighthouse in Galicia, Spain, and records date it to the 2^nd century AD. Several others built in the 1500’s still survive. On our family trips to the Central California Coast, I became enamored with the Port San Luis Lighthouse that was built in 1890. The complex lens that has guided so many ships is fascinating. By design, theFresnel lens generated alternate red and white flashes of light every 30 seconds and was visible 17 nautical miles (31 km) out to sea. This lens, often referred to as “the invention that saved a million ships,” was retired in 1969 and replaced by a simple electric light.

The point is not to study lighthouses but to draw the parallel to the light of our lives that is God the Father and His Son. How easy it is in this world to lose one’s way. This is what Satan wants for us, for if we lose the path, we lose safe passage around sin. We need God’s light to guide us, and especially when we are lost and vulnerable.

Let’s consider a Scripture in Psalm 119, and in verse 105: “…Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s Word is our lighthouse in this foggy, murky world that is fraught with shoals and shallows. None of us wishes to lose the gift of life that God has given to each of us, but losing one’s opportunity for eternal life is far worse. Sadly, that is exactly what can happen if we miss His light and allow the darkness to guide us. Satan does not wish us to rely on God to avoid the trap of temptation.

Consider the words of Isaiah in chapter 60, and verses 19 and 20: “The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the LORD will be to your everlasting light, And your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended.”

 It isn’t just the light of the beacon that guides the ships into a channel and towards the port; the beacon also provides the warning that signals captains to consult the charts and look for danger. The beacon may also be linked with a navigational signal that offers an extra measure of security. So too, God’s Word is not only the navigational star to guide us, but it also provides us with the warnings that sin is around us, and we can succumb to it if we are not on our guard.

In God’s Kingdom after the Millennium, there will be no need for the sun and the moon—nor for the lamp. In Revelation 22, and in verse 5, we read: “There shall be no night there: they need no lamp, nor the light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” This Scripture points us back to Isaiah, both in chapter 60 as referenced above, and chapter 9 where he foreshadowed the coming light that was and is Jesus Christ. Jesus told us that He was the light of our lives in John 8, and in verse 12, where we read: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”

The point is that we need Jesus and the Father to navigate our course of action in this world. Without God’s mercy, we might wander aimlessly and become ensnared in the many traps that Satan sets for people in general, and the brethren in particular. We can only overcome this world by and through Jesus Christ.

 In Micah 7, and in verse 8, we read: “…the LORD will be a light to me.” The Israelites paid a price for losing their way to sinfulness, but God was merciful with them as He is with us. When we repent and obey, when we are sorrowful and seek Him, He will be there to guide our way. When we turn our thoughts, actions, and obedience to God, He does not abandon us. He will guide our path and strengthen us, but we must ask in faith and in obedience. And as we read in Numbers 6, and in verse 25, the outcome is like nothing we can imagine: “The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.”

 When we have faith and obey God’s commands, we can walk in His light, rather than stumble into evil. God’s expectation of us is simple: follow and obey! In Proverbs 6, and in verses 20 through 23, we see this clearly: “My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you, when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life…”

We know that God has given those of us whom He has called the path to follow and the beacon to light our way.

by Norbert Link

We begin with an explosive and prophetically relevant article, posing the question whether Europe will break with the United States. Biblical prophecy answers this question in the clear affirmative.

We report on dramatic comments by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and blasphemous statements by California’s Governor Gavin Newsom. We also publish a highly controversial and thought-provoking article about the US government and more of Biden’s embarrassing public statements. We also report on Canada’s decision to remove all COVID-19 travel measures.

We continue reporting on the situation in Russia and Ukraine, and report on damage, inflicted by apparent sabotage on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. We also publish an article by the New York Times about an interview with Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, revealing again Scholz’s weak and indecisive leadership, or its complete lack, coupled with signs of self-delusion.

Turning to dramatic events in Italy, we report on the victory of far-right Giorgia Meloni in the parliamentary elections, combined with the return of Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi, and ask what this could mean for the USA.

We speak on the unprecedented fall of the British pound and conclude with an article about the Catholic Church and Antichrist.

Throughout this section, we have underlined pertinent statements in the quoted articles, for the convenience and quick overview of the reader.

Will Europe Break With the United States?

On September 24, 2022, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Sonar21.com:

“I received a great question from a German reader who also happens to be a journalist. He asked, ‘What would be a way and what would be the practical implications if Europe in general and Germany in particular were to break with the US in order to find a European peace and economic framework including Russia?’

“The craven sycophancy demonstrated by Germany, France and the United Kingdom in their passionate embrace of America’s confrontation with Russia is now on life support. Despite continued bombastic threats to keep arming Ukraine until Russia collapses, economic reality is hitting the Europeans like an icy cold shower from a fire hose. Rapid inflation, particularly in the energy sector, is forcing factories and businesses to shutter operations. The de-industrialization of Europe, especially Germany and the UK, has started. German steel plants are closing, German bakeries are trying to figure out how to pay soaring utility bills while still making bread and pretzels and German toilet-paper manufacturer Hakle GmbH has applied for insolvency proceedings in self-administration…

“So, the economic situation in each of the countries is going to create enormous domestic pressure for the respective European governments, which currently are cheer-leading Ukraine and cursing Russia, to rethink their policies. The Russia/Ukraine war already has created significant fissures among EU members, with Hungary refusing to impose further sanctions on Russia. Cold, hungry voters will become increasingly outraged at sending millions of dollars to Ukraine while deprivation multiples from Berlin to London.

“Europe’s rift with Russia is huge and Russia is not in a mood to forgive… Russia holds the critical trump card–it can turn on the flow of gas and oil essential to rekindle manufacturing and home heating in Europe…

“How about Europe breaking with NATO? Or, more simply put, the breakup of NATO. Up to this point Europe has embraced the delusion that Russia cannot function economically without a European market. The last six months of Russia’s Special Military Operation have proven that the opposite is true–without Russia’s key resources Europe is a dead economy walking naked into a frozen winter.

“Europe’s two largest trading partners are China and the United States. Europe runs a trade deficit with China. If China demands payment in dollars, rather than Euros, then the inflationary pressure on Europe will escalate… the value of the US dollar has soared relative to the Euro and British pound sterling. They will have to spend more Euros to buy dollars, which means the trade deficit with China is likely to worsen.

“The situation with the United States is the opposite. The United States has run a deficit with Europe who, in turn, has enjoyed a surplus. That surplus will go away or, at a minimum, shrink dramatically. Germany’s ability to export products to the United States will weaken because of the price of the dollar and because European factories will close or cut back on production.

“Barring a miracle turnaround–i.e, inflation disappears and the energy crisis dissipates–the situation in Europe will become more dire. The history of these kinds of economic upheaval is littered with the corpses of politicians that insisted on pushing policies that hurt their voters. Germany’s [Weimar] Republic’s failure paved the way for the rise of Adolf Hitler to power…

“The United States is facing its own looming economic disaster. The collapse of the stock market–now down over 20% since the first of the year–is likely to continue. Notwithstanding the Biden administration’s strident insistence that there is no recession, the signs of recession are mounting, especially in the housing market. But the worsening economic picture is not yet sufficient to generate the necessary political pressure among the… American electorate to back away from sending billions to Ukraine. A major shock of stagflation or a collapse of the Ukrainian army, however, could change that calculus…

“Russia’s burgeoning trade and military relations with China, Iran, India and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Brazil is making Putin’s position stronger, not weaker. The eventual collapse of Ukraine as a result of a wrecked economy and/or battlefield defeats, will be more than a black eye for NATO and, by extension, Europe… The age of the United States’ Colossus is nearing its end…”

Very true on all counts.

The USA Would Lose World War III?

The Daily Mail wrote on September 24:

“Former President Trump said he hopes [he] is ‘wrong’ about the possibility of World War III because the U.S. is being run by ‘stupid people’ at a rally in Wilmington, N.C. on Friday…, as he predicted the U.S. would lose a conflict to Russia.”

The US WILL lose World War III, but the victor will be a United States of Europe.

Clinton: Trump the New Hitler?

Newsmax wrote on September 24:

“Hillary Clinton on Friday likened former President Donald Trump’s supporters to Nazis, and Trump himself to Adolf Hitler. ‘I remember as a young student, you know, trying to figure out, how people get basically drawn in by Hitler. How did that happen? I’d watch newsreels and I’d see this guy standing up there ranting and raving, and people shouting and raising their arms. I thought, “What’s happened to these people?”’ Clinton said Friday at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, miming the Nazi Sig Heil salute.

“‘You saw the rally in Ohio the other night,’ she continued… ‘Trump is there ranting and raving for more than an hour, and you have these rows of young men with their arms raised. I thought, “What is going on?”’…

“Clinton’s comments come after President Joe Biden at the beginning of September referred to the ‘MAGA’ voters of Trump as a threat to the United States.”

The verbal assassinations on all sides, with potential PRACTICAL consequences, are increasing.

Newsom Guilty of Biblical Distortion

Fox News wrote on September 22:

“Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking flak from Christians who are offended by his multi-state billboard campaign that promotes abortion by quoting Jesus. Last week, Newsom took to Twitter to tout the billboards his gubernatorial campaign is erecting in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and four other ‘anti-freedom’ states where abortion is restricted or outlawed. Some versions of the billboards, all of which urge women in such states to come to California to get abortions, advertise the state’s easily obtainable abortions by quoting Mark 12:31, where Jesus says, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.’…

“The idea that Newsom is using the words of Jesus Christ, the Holy Scriptures, to promote the killing of unborn children as somehow loving and commanded by God is quite frankly disgusting,’ said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice, in a statement to Fox News Digital…

“Many Twitter users echoed Sekulow’s sentiment, including Matthew P. Schneider, a Roman Catholic priest who serves as adjunct professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte, North Carolina. He described Newsom’s billboards as ‘one of the [worst] distortions of a Bible passage I’ve ever seen.’ ‘Shame on [Newsom] and his government,’ Schneider said. ‘The most basic level of loving your neighbor as yourself is not killing your neighbor, yet that’s exactly what abortion does.’…

“‘Good Catholic’ [Newsom] is now using Bible scriptures to encourage women to come to California to abort their babies,’ wrote David Giglio, a former congressional candidate who is also a Catholic. ‘A truly shameful display…’”

Other leading Democrats have taken similar positions as Newsom on the issue of abortion, when citing the Bible.

The US Government… Not To Be Trusted

On September 22, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by the Rutherford Institute:

“The US government has become a master of deceit… This is a government that lies, cheats, steals, spies, kills, maims, enslaves, breaks the laws, overreaches its authority, and abuses its power at almost every turn; treats its citizens like faceless statistics and economic units to be bought, sold, bartered, traded, and tracked; and wages wars for profit, jails its own people for profit, and has no qualms about spreading its reign of terror abroad.

“Worse, this is a government that has become almost indistinguishable from the evil it claims to be fighting…

“With every passing day, it becomes painfully clear that this is not a government that can be trusted with your life, your loved ones, your livelihood or your freedoms….

“[We] have the makings of a restructuring of reality straight out of Orwell’s 1984, where the Ministry of Truth polices speech and ensures that facts conform to whatever version of reality the government propagandists embrace.

“We’ve already seen this play out on the state and federal level with hate crime legislation that cracks down on so-called ‘hateful’ thoughts and expression, encourages self-censoring and reduces free debate on various subject matter.

“The end goal of these mind-control campaigns—packaged in the guise of the greater good—is to see how far the American people will allow the government to go in re-shaping the country in the image of a totalitarian police state.

“The government’s fear-mongering is yet another key element in its mind-control programming. National crises, global pandemics, reported terrorist attacks, and sporadic shootings leave us in a constant state of fear. The emotional panic that accompanies fear actually shuts down the prefrontal cortex or the rational thinking part of our brains…

“Fear not only increases the power of government, but it also divides the people into factions, persuades them to see each other as the enemy and keeps them screaming at each other so that they drown out all other sounds…”

Biden’s Embarrassing Errors

The New York Post wrote on September 28:

“President Biden asked for the late Rep. Jackie Walorski to identify herself at a Washington event Wednesday, forgetting that the Indiana Republican died in a car crash last month. Biden made the embarrassing error while thanking bipartisan members of Congress at a nutrition event near the White House. ‘I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan elected officials like Representative [Jim] McGovern, Senator [Mike] Braun, Senator [Cory] Booker, Representative Jackie — are you here? Where’s Jackie? — I think she was going to be here,’ the president said.

“Biden, 79, is the oldest-ever president and his mental acuity is regularly questioned by his political foes…

“The White House on Aug. 3 released a statement from Biden mourning [Jackie] Walorski after she perished in an Indiana wreck alongside her press secretary, Emma Thomson, and St. Joseph County Republican Party chairman Zachery Potts… ‘Jill and I are shocked and saddened by the death of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski of Indiana along with two members of her staff in a car accident today in Indiana,’ Biden said at the time… The flag atop the White House was flown at half-staff for two days after Walorski’s death and the congresswoman’s brother, Keith Walorski, told the Post that Biden called the family to offer his condolences.

“Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, allege that Biden is in mental decline. Those claims resurfaced after video showed first lady Jill Biden directed her husband where to go during another event Wednesday celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act…

“Biden’s record of forehead-slapping statements includes asking Missouri state Sen. Chuck Graham to stand up during a 2008 campaign event — before realizing too late that Graham was in a wheelchair…

“The president also has a habit of using improper words at awkward points in speeches. During a Middle East trip in July, for example, Biden told an audience in Israel that ‘we must … keep alive the truth and honor the Holocaust’ before correcting himself to say ‘horror of the Holocaust.’  Days later, in Saudi Arabia, Biden said during a speech: ‘We’ll always honor the bravery and selfishness — selflessness of the — and sacrifices of the Americans who served, including my son, Major Beau Biden, who was stationed in Iraq for a year.’

“Meanwhile, the president has regularly shared stories that either are false or impossible to verify. In January, Biden told students at historically black colleges in Atlanta that he was arrested during civil rights protests — for which there is no evidence. Biden in September 2021 told Jewish leaders that he remembered ‘spending time at’ and ‘going to’ the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh after the mass murder of 11 people there in 2018. The synagogue said he never visited and the White House later said he was thinking about a 2019 phone call to the synagogue’s rabbi.

“Also last September, Biden told an Idaho audience that his ‘first job offer’ came from local lumber and wood products business Boise Cascade. The company said it was news to them and Biden had not previously described an interest in moving to the state.

“And In May, Biden said at the Naval Academy’s graduation ceremony that he was appointed to the military school in 1965 by the late Sen. J. Caleb Boggs (R-Del.). A search of Boggs’ archives failed to turn up evidence of the appointment.”

Canada Removes All COVID-19 Travel Measures

National Post wrote on September 26:

“The federal government is removing all remaining COVID-19 related travel measures, ending masks on planes, vaccine mandates and the mandatory use of the ArriveCan app… Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the government had been following the science and now believes it is safe to relax these measures, starting Oct. 1.

“‘Based on the data accumulated over the last few weeks and months, we are announcing that the Government of Canada will not renew the order in council that expires on September 30 and will therefore remove all COVID-19 border requirements for all travellers entering Canada,’ he said… He strongly advised Canadians to get vaccinated and receive third or even fourth doses…

“Airlines, airports, tourism associations and other groups all called for the government to abandon the app and vaccine mandates months ago. Many other countries have scrapped similar requirements, though people travelling into the United States are still required to show proof of vaccination.”

It is hoped that the USA will likewise remove all travel restrictions very soon.

Russia’s Desperate Attempts to Win the War

AFP wrote on September 25:

“Russia on Saturday toughened penalties for voluntary surrender and refusal to fight with up to 10 years imprisonment, and replaced its top logistics general after a series of setbacks to its seven-month war in Ukraine. The tough new amendments and personnel change come days after Russia instigated partial mobilization with Kyiv taking back more and more territory in a counter-offensive. It also comes as Kremlin-held regions of eastern and southern Ukraine voted for a second day on becoming part of Russia, dramatically raising the stakes. Integrating the four regions into Russia would mean that Moscow would consider any military move there as an attack on its own territory…

“Military-age men have sought to leave, with flights full and neighboring countries receiving an influx of Russians, including Georgia where 2,300 private vehicles were waiting to enter at one crossing, regional Russian authorities said… A separate law, also signed on Saturday, facilitates Russian citizenship for foreigners who enlist in the Russian army as the Kremlin seeks to bolster its ranks…

“UN investigators on Friday accused Russia of committing war crimes on a ‘massive scale’ in Ukraine — listing bombings, executions, torture and horrific sexual violence. In the eastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian officials said they had exhumed 447 bodies from a site near the city of Izyum, which was recaptured from Russian forces. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of fabricating evidence of the alleged war crimes.”

Newsmax wrote on September 25:

“The United States warned on Sunday of ‘catastrophic consequences’ if Moscow were to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, after Russia’s foreign minister said regions holding widely-criticized referendums would get full protection if annexed by Moscow…”

The U.S. Sun wrote on September 28:

“RUSSIA claims to have won the ‘SHAM’ referendums as voting ended in Russian-held regions of Ukraine. Moscow-installed officials in the regions are now claiming almost total support among those who took part as Russian sources reported that 96% of voters want to join Putin’s regime.

“The ballots closed in Donetsk and Lugansk in the east and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south… Western leaders have already slammed the votes.”

Nord Stream Pipeline Network Sabotaged?

Breitbart wrote on September 21:

“The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it cannot rule out ‘sabotage’ as the cause of significant damage to the Nord Stream pipeline network that carries gas from Russia to Germany. The same thought occurred to various European officials as they turned gimlet eyes upon Russia as a potential suspect…

“‘The multiple undersea leaks mean neither pipeline will likely deliver any gas to the EU over the coming winter, irrespective of political developments in the Ukraine war. Depending on the scale of the damage, the leaks could even mean a permanent closure of both lines,’ a notice from the Eurasia Group, a risk consulting firm, said on Tuesday… ‘We are talking about three leaks with some distance between them, and that’s why it is hard to imagine that it is a coincidence,’ Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen observed.”

Germany’s Olaf Scholz Battle With the New York Times

The New York Times wrote on September 25:

“Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany gets right to the point when asked why his country will not send battle tanks to Ukraine: It is ‘a very dangerous war,’ he said. Ukraine has made gains recently against Russia, which invaded the country in February, and has been asking the West for reinforcements. But Germany has declined to lead the way in sending that aid… it took months and the threat of a parliamentary vote before [Scholz] approved any shipments of heavy weapons…

“But Mr. Scholz has refused to provide Ukraine with Leopard battle tanks or Marder infantry fighting vehicles, which Ukrainian officials have repeatedly asked for… Mr. Scholz’s refusal — which goes against the will of many even inside his own governing coalition — has earned him noisy and near-unanimous criticism among Germany’s Eastern European neighbors, not least in Ukraine. Commanders along the front say the Germans’ reluctance to provide battle tanks points to a policy of seeking a negotiated settlement along existing lines, rather than a Ukrainian success in pushing out the Russians…

“Pressed on that question in the interview with The Times, Mr. Scholz bristled. ‘Leadership does not mean you do what people ask you,’ he said. ‘Leadership is about taking the right decisions and to be very strong. And this is what I’m doing.’… In the interview, Mr. Scholz rejected any suggestion that the United States might in fact welcome Germany’s stepping up and taking the lead on sending battle tanks, which are cumbersome to transport, especially across an ocean… But after Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive, the U.S. Embassy in Berlin posted on Twitter what many interpreted as a veiled invitation to Germany: ‘We call on all allies and partners to lend as much support as possible to Ukraine in its struggle for democratic sovereignty,’ the embassy tweeted. ‘The decision on the type of aid ultimately lies with each country.’

“This month’s battlefield gains by Ukrainian forces have only added to the pressure on Mr. Scholz, whose government has cited different reasons at different times for not sending tanks. After Mr. Scholz’s defense minister, Christine Lambrecht, said this month that Germany had to hold onto its tanks to fulfill its obligations to NATO, the alliance’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said that arming Ukraine was more important…

“Even within Germany, impatience has been building. ‘All of Europe is waiting for Germany to make the first step,’ said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, a member of the Free Democrats, one of the three parties in Mr. Scholz’s coalition government, and the head of the parliamentary defense committee.

“Mr. Scholz’s caution was also evident during the interview in his reluctance to detail his own vision for how the war might end… Did he want Ukraine to win? ‘Russia can’t win,’ was as far as he would go…

“For a chancellor with a robotic manner that long ago earned him the nickname ‘Scholz-o-mat,’ there were moments during the sometimes tense interview with The Times when Mr. Scholz was surprisingly emotional when reacting to questions that challenged him. Several times, he berated journalists for asking those. Asked why Germany will still not spend 2 percent of gross domestic product on military spending in the next couple of years, as Mr. Scholz has said it would, he snapped: ‘Asking that question is not serious, to be very honest.’…

“But Mr. Putin’s veiled threat last week of a tactical nuclear strike when he was announcing the force buildup and promising to see the war through has been resonating in Berlin. ‘Unfortunately, nuclear blackmail seems to be working in Germany,’ said Claudia Major, the head of security policy at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. ‘If the chancellor is serious about leading, he will have to show initiative and, yes, step up,’ Ms. Major said. ‘Doing a lot and leading is not the same thing.’”

Scholz’s claim that he is a strong leader is a bad joke.. and a tragic self-illusion… His inability to lead is more than obvious.

Italy’s Move to the Right

ABC News wrote on September 24:

“Giorgia Meloni, leader of Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy), could become the first female prime minister in the history of Italy…

“The archconservative of Italian politics, Meloni entered politics at age 15 in 1992, joining the neo-fascist Social Movement, a group with pronounced sympathy for Benito Mussolini, the country’s dictator from 1925 to 1945. Fratelli d’Italia’s party imagery evokes Italy’s fascist past…

“The collapse of Draghi’s government in July threw Italy into a familiar political tumult… The right wing, though, has joined forces. Polls indicate Meloni will be the leading conservative finisher on Sunday; her government’s junior partners would be Matteo Salvini, leader of the League, and Silvio Berlusconi, the head of the center-right Forza Italia. Berlusconi, the media tycoon and conservative firebrand, rose to power in 1994 and won three stints as prime minister, in total the longest serving premier in the post-war era. Salvini has been seen as the conservative in the wings of Palazzo Chigi, while Meloni had led the smaller Fratelli d’Italia, distant from the mainstream…

“Anticipation for a far-right surge in Rome, which would follow closely behind Tuesday’s stunning electoral victory for the Swedish Democrats, a party with neo-Nazi origins, has already provoked barbed remarks from Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission chief. Von der Leyen was not keen to veil Brussels’ posture toward a government that could move to subvert democracy…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 26:

“The center-right coalition led by nationalist Giorgia Meloni secured a parliamentary majority in Italy’s general elections on Sunday, according to exit polls… the main center-left group, the Democratic Party, conceded defeat… Although she has been known for her euroskeptic stance, she has abandoned her calls for Rome to ditch the eurozone. Instead, she wants Italy to assert its interests more in the European Union.

“Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki, congratulated Meloni after exit polls showed that her coalition was winning. ‘In these difficult times, we need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges,’ said Orban’s political adviser Balazs Orban. Lawmakers from the German far-right AfD party and the French National Rally party have also hailed the right-wing victory in Italy. ‘We celebrate with Italy!’ AfD lawmaker Beatrix von Storch wrote late Sunday on Twitter. ‘Sweden in the north, Italy in the south: left-wing governments are yesterday’s news,’ she wrote…

“Given the complicated electoral system and the likelihood of coalition negotiations, the first session of the new parliament and formation of a new government is liable to take weeks, as it tends to in Germany after a national vote.”

The Associated Press wrote on September 26:

“Differences among Meloni’s potential coalition partners could loom. She has solidly backed the supplying of Ukraine with arms to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. In contrast, right-wing League leader Matteo Salvini, who before the war was a staunch admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has voiced concern that Western sanctions could end up hurting Italy’s economic interests more that punishing Russia’s.

“Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, another long-time Putin admirer, has said that his inclusion in a center-right bloc’s coalition would guarantee that Italy stays firmly anchored in the European Union and one of its most reliable members…

“What kind of government the eurozone’s third-largest economy might be getting was being closely watched in Europe, given Meloni’s criticism of ‘Brussels bureaucrats’ and her ties to other right-wing leaders. She recently defended Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban after the European Commission recommended suspending billions of euros in funding to Hungary over concerns about democratic backsliding and the possible mismanagement of EU money.”

Further developments in Italy could be significant, from a prophetic standpoint.

What Italy’s Election Could Mean for the USA

On September 26, The Ron Paul Institute wrote the following:

“Sunday was an historic election day for Italy. A conservative alliance with a populist flair absolutely trounced the technocrats who had been running the country into the ground for the past several years. The previous prime minister, former Goldman Sachs banker Mario Draghi, implemented one of the most restrictive – and inhuman – Covid shutdowns, which, along with supporting economically suicidal sanctions against Russia, have left Italy an economic basket case…

“Ironically, the democratic victory of Meloni and the rest of the Italian right likely owes a great deal of gratitude to one of Europe’s most undemocratic and anti-democratic leaders: European Union Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen… her message to Italian voters was ‘yes you can vote, but if you vote in a way I do not approve of, you will be punished.’ Italians rushed to vote in a way she did not approve of. It will be interesting to see what happens.

“How does any of this relate to the United States as the US moves closer to the midterm elections? Americans have also been given warnings by the political elites that they dare not vote for the ‘wrong’ candidates or parties.

“On September 1st, President Biden issued a warning similar to that of Europe’s von der Leyen. In one of the most bizarre speeches in political history, Biden warned that Trump supporters ‘…are determined to take this country backwards — backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love. They promote authoritarian leaders, and they fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country.’… it was a declaration of war against half of the country.”

It is also very interesting that America has been taken backwards under Biden in many different ways when considering the threats and attempts of abandoning constitutional rights of America’s citizens.

British Pound at All Time Low

BBC wrote on September 27:

“The pound has fallen to a record low against the dollar… If the pound stays at low levels against the dollar, imports of commodities priced in dollars, including oil and gas, will be more costly. Other imported goods could also become considerably more expensive, further pushing up inflation which is already at its highest rate for decades….

“Many people don’t think about exchange rates until it’s time to swap money for a foreign holiday. When you travel abroad, things will be more expensive if the pound buys less of the local currency. However, a fall in the pound affects household finances too.

“If the pound is worth less, the cost of importing goods from overseas goes up. For example, as oil is priced in dollars a weak pound can make filling up your car with petrol more expensive. Gas is also priced in dollars.

“Technology goods, like iPhones, that are made abroad, may get more expensive in UK shops. Even things that are made in the UK but from parts that are bought abroad can get much more expensive.”

The Catholic Church and Antichrist

LifeSiteNews wrote on September 23:

“Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller revealed in a new interview that during the discussions at the recent 29–30 August meeting of the College of Cardinals in Rome, a newly appointed cardinal and key papal advisor suggested that the power of the Pope over the Church is ‘unlimited.’ Müller reported that Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, S.J., a canon lawyer who helped the Pope with his curial reform, presented the ‘theory of the papacy as an unlimited power of divine right over the whole Church, as if the Pope were a Deus in terris [God on earth].’

“The German cardinal explained further that the ‘new cardinal Ghirlanda, S.J, as the most important advisor to the Pope in the reform of the curia, holds the view that everything the popes have ever said or done in the history of the Church is a dogma or a law de jure divino [by divine right].’…

“Müller made it clear that ‘the Pope has no authority to change the teaching of the Church.’ That teaching, he expounded, is ‘anchored in the revelation of God.’ ‘For in doing so, he would exalt himself as a man above God,’ he added.

“…the German bishops think they can make up a new teaching that is not loyal to the Church’s constant teaching. They do not only want to change the Church in Germany, the German prelate explained, but they want to carry their reforms to Rome. ‘In their blind arrogance,’ he stated, ‘they are not thinking of schism, but of taking over the Universal Church…They claim the leading role in the Universal Church.’… And here Cardinal Müller made a reference to the Antichrist: ‘Their [the German bishops’] goal is the transformation of the Church of the Triune God into a worldly welfare organization (NGO).

“‘Then we would finally have arrived at the “religion of universal brotherhood,” i.e. a religion without the God of revelation in Christ, without a truth that reaches beyond finite reason, without dogmas and sacraments as means of grace necessary for salvation – just as the great Russian religious philosopher Vladimir Soloviev described it in his writing Short Narrative of the Antichrist (1899). The world ruler of the universal philanthropy without God is contradicted here by Pope Peter II by hurling the confession against the Antichrist, who has spread himself on the throne of God…

“‘The German cardinal reminded Catholics of their duty, in light of this extreme Church crisis, to defy the commands of the Antichrist and his minions and to stay loyal to Jesus Christ and witness to Him… In a world where people presume to be God, to recreate themselves and to redeem themselves (cf. the main advisor of the New World Order: Yuval Noah Harari, Homo Deus [Man is God]), for us Christians there remains only the testimony of the word and, if necessary, of blood, that only the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior, because He has overcome the world, its arrogance and its sin and death as the wages of sin.’”

The reality is, popes have exalted themselves above God, and the final representative will do so even more. He will sit in the temple of God, claiming to be God. This, in conjunction with other developments, will be the ultimate fulfillment of the “abomination of desolation.”

 Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

In the previous installment, we began discussing the history of the Stone of Destiny and its relationship with the Throne of David. In this second installment, we will continue with astonishing claims in this regard.

1. Wallace Connon wrote in “The Stone of Destiny,” cp. 1951:

“Tradition identifies this stone with the one upon which Jacob rested his head at Bethel… Jacob’s sons carried it to Egypt, and from thence it passed to Spain with King Garthelus, son of Cecops, the builder of Athens.  About 700 B.C., it appears in Ireland… there it was placed upon the sacred hill of Tara, and called ‘Lia-Fail, the ‘fatal’ stone, or ‘stone of destiny’… Fergus II (d. 501), the founder of the Scottish monarchy and one of the Blood Royal of Ireland, received it in Scotland, and King Kenneth (d. 860) finally deposited it in the monastery of Scotland (846)… Upon the stone their kings, down to John Baliol, were crowned.

… after the death of Zedekiah [it] was carried by a migrating colony, with ‘Scota the King’s daughter’ under the leadership of the prophet Jeremiah.

“There is no record of what Jacob did with the Stone, but it is hardly likely that he who had had such a dream, and believed its import, would leave it lying just where he ‘set it up’; it is more likely that, at the earliest opportunity, he secured its safe keeping as an heirloom for the generations to some, the seed that were to be ‘as the dust of the earth.’”

In commenting on Jacob’s SECOND visit of Bethel in Genesis 35, it is stated:

“Is it not a reasonable suggestion that he used for this second occasion the same ‘pillar of stone’ as when at Bethel the previous time he had received his first promise from God?…

“It is but fair also to mention the Mohammedan belief that Jacob’s Stone was brought to Jerusalem, and is still preserved in the mosque now standing where the Temple once stood.”

We do not believe that the Stone is in Jerusalem AT THIS POINT, but it is interesting that the Muslims believe that “Jacob’s Stone” had been brought to Jerusalem at one time.

Much information about the history of the Stone of Destiny is provided by E. Raymond Capt, “Jacobs’s Pillar,” cp. 1977.

Capt draws a connection between the pillar, mentioned in 2 Kings 11:13, 14, with Jacob’s pillar stone, saying: “In the Revised Standard Version it is rendered, ‘standing by THE PILLAR, as was their custom,’ the article ‘the’ denoted a particular pillar, by, or upon, which it was the custom of Israel to crown their kings.” He also refers to 2 Chronicles 23:13, describing the king standing “at the pillar.” Later, Capt refers to Hosea 3:4, stating:

“‘The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a sacrifice, and WITHOUT AN IMAGE,’ or as the marginal reading gives it, ‘WITHOUT A STANDING PILLAR.’ Young’s Exhaustive Concordance gives, among other definitions of the original Hebrew word, both ‘Memorial stone’ and ‘pillar.’ Other authorities give us ‘pillar-rock’ and ‘pillar stone’ as the correct rendering. All this justifies our conclusion that the pillar in question is the Bethel Pillar Stone which was used as a Coronation Stone and retained by the royal family which ruled over the remnant of Judah until the overthrow of Zedekiah.”

Later, when referring to Jeremiah 15:14; Isaiah 37:31 and Jeremiah 1:10, Capt states:

“Since the planting and building was to take place in a land that Jeremiah did not know, it could not have been Egypt, Palestine or Babylon, or any of the small nations around Palestine. The expression ‘to pass’ is significant, for it implies travel by sea, passage by boat. … Upon leaving Egypt, Jeremiah would doubtless have had in his possession the Stone of Bethel…

“The ‘History of Ireland’ … states that the ancient Irish, called the ‘Danai’ or ‘Danes’, separated from Israel around the time of the Exodus from Egypt, crossed to Greece and then invaded Ireland. The ‘Tuatha De Danann’, means the ‘Tribe of Dan.’ The ‘Leabha Gabhala’, or ‘Book of Conquests of Ireland’, give their earlier name as ‘Tuathta De’, meaning ‘People of God.’… the ships of the Tuatha De Danann are accredited with bringing Jeremiah and Jacob’s Pillar to Ireland…

“Many of the ancient Irish records, when making reference to an ‘eastern king’s daughter,’ also mention an old man; ‘a patriarch, a saint, a prophet’, called ‘Ollam Fodhla’ and his scribe-companion called ‘Simon Brug, Brach, Break, Barech, Berach’, as it is variously spelled. Reportedly, they carried with them many ancient relics. Among these were a harp, an ark or chest, and a stone called, in Gaelic, ‘Lia -Fail’… meaning ‘Stone of Fate’ or ‘History of Destiny.’

“Tradition asserts that Ollam Fodhla was none other than Jeremiah, the prophet; that the king’s daughter was the heir of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. Simon Brug (Baruch) was Jeremiah’s scribe who figures prominently in Biblical history, and the harp was the one belonging to King David.  The ark or chest was the Ark of the Covenant. Finally, that the stone, ‘Lia Fail’ was the stone that Jacob anointed with oil at Bethel.”

Capt then relates several versions of the story as to how Jeremiah planted the throne of David in Ireland:

“One story relating to Scota (a princess from Egypt and daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt) tells of her son, named ‘Eochaidh’ (later called Eremhon or Heremon, meaning King) marrying a girl named ‘Tea Tephi’… Another version [which seems to be more reliable] lists Tea Tephi as being the daughter and heir of King Zedekiah (Scota, her younger sister, having married in Spain) who accompanied Jeremiah to Ireland to meet and marry Eochaidh. In this version Tea was made Queen at her husband’s coronation (by Jeremiah) on the Stone of Bethel… and the Harp of David became the national emblem.

“… all (versions) agree in the following: The Stone, known as the ‘Stone of Destiny’, came from Spain, and before that, from Egypt. It came in the company of an aged guardian, who was called ‘Ollam Folla’ (Hebrew words that mean ‘revealer’ or ‘prophet’). Eoachaidh (Eremhon) with his Queen Tea Tephi was crowned King of Ireland upon the Stone which remained at the Palace of Team-hair Breagh. It was the Coronation Stone of every ‘Ard-Righ’ (High King) of ‘Eireann’ for a period of about 1010 years; from King Eremhon (The Heremon) to the 131^st Ard-Righ, named ‘Murcheartach.’…”

Regarding the Harp of David, Capt states: “Tradition has it that the Harp of David was brought to Ireland by Jeremiah and is buried with Tea Tephi at Tara. It is a significant fact that the royal arms of Ireland is a representation of the Harp of David, and has been such for 2500 years.”

Capt also points out:

“The crowning of Eochaidh, the son of Scota (daughter of Zedekiah) on the Stone of Destiny completed the first ‘overturn’…”

We need to clarify that the transfer or receipt of the Stone would not constitute the “overturn” or transfer of the crown or the Throne of David, but this claim of the transfer of the Stone, in conjunction with coronations, is interesting and a contributing “visibly manifesting factor,” visualizing a change of location of the crown and Thone of David from Jerusalem to Ireland.

Capt continues:

“… after Fergus the Great… had obtained power of Scotland… he … ask[ed] [the King of Ireland] to send him this stone, to sit upon, for the purpose of being proclaimed King of Scotland… and he [received the stone and was] inaugurated King of Scotland on the same stone, and he was the first King of Scotland of the Scottish nation…

“When the Stone of Destiny landed on Scottish soil, it constituted the second ‘overturn’; the first being its removal from Palestine, through Egypt and Spain, to rest in Ireland…”

Again, the same comments as above apply. The transfer of the Stone does not constitute, per se, the overthrow or transfer of the “crown” or the rulership on the Throne of David from Ireland to Scotland.

Capt continues:

“On Moot Hill stands a stone chapel, marking the place where the Stone of Destiny had rested and where the kings of Scotland presided over their Parliaments until Edward I of England removed the Stone to Westminster Abbey… The third ‘overturn’ of Jacob’s Bethel Stone was realized when Edward I of England (1296 A.D.) carried off the Stone to Westminster Abbey. There it became the crowning stone of the successors to the English throne…”

Again, the same comments as to what constituted the third overthrow or transfer of the crown from Scotland to England apply. Continuing:

“King James VI of Scotland was crowned on the Stone in Westminster Abbey when he became James I of England…

“From the time of King Edward I onward, all the Monarchs of England have been crowned on the ‘Stone of Destiny’ and the Coronation Chair with the exception of Mary I (known as Bloody Mary)… Queen Elizabeth II was crowned upon the Stone in 1953, in fulfillment of God’s Covenant with David…

“… the Monarchy of Britain as well as most of the other monarchies of Europe are descendants from Judah… In the Scottish National Library there is a Gaelic manuscript … containing the complete genealogies of the Scottish Kings, showing their descent through the Irish Kings by way of Judah, Jacob and Isaac back to Abraham. In Windsor Castle there is also a genealogical table showing the descent of the British kings from David through the Irish and Scottish lines. Thus the Monastery existed long before there was a British Nation.”

Sometimes, the question is asked as to whether the Queen of England knew that she was Jewish, and whether her first-born son, King Charles III, also knows about his real heritage. Based on the foregoing, the answer would be yes, but it is a different issue as to whether or not they believed or believe it. On the other hand, according to an article of Die Abendzeitung of July 23, 2013, referring to an article of The Observer, Queen Victoria was convinced that the royal family members were direct descendants of King David, and that partially because of that belief, circumcision was practiced. Allegedly, King Charles III and his brothers Andrew and Edward were also circumcised, but it is unclear whether Charles’ and Diana’s sons William and Harry were.

Capt also makes the following interesting observation:

“One of the most significant facts about the Coronation Stone is that no similar rock formation exists in the British Isles… Odlum discovered a stratum of sandstone near the Red Sea at Bethel, geologically the same as the Coronation Stone…”

In 1996, the Stone was returned to Scotland and is now displayed in Edinburgh Castle. But this transfer of the Stone did not consist another overthrow of the crown and of the Throne of David, since, in any event, no king or queen has been coronated on that stone since its return to Scotland. It is clear that Queen Elizabeth sat on and occupied the Throne of David, and as of today, King Charles III occupies the Thone of David as well.

BBC wrote on September 8:

“At the moment the Queen died, the throne passed immediately and without ceremony to the heir, Charles, the former Prince of Wales… He will be known as King Charles III… The symbolic high point of the accession will be the coronation, when Charles is formally crowned. Because of the preparation needed, the coronation is not likely to happen very soon after Charles’s accession – Queen Elizabeth succeeded to the throne in February 1952, but was not crowned until June 1953. For the past 900 years the coronation has been held in Westminster Abbey – William the Conqueror was the first monarch to be crowned there, and Charles will be the 40th.”

When King Charles III’s coronation as the King of England occurs, it will be interesting to see whether the Stone will be loaned or sent back from Scotland to England for the purpose of the coronation, as did happen before. Even though it would not be necessary for the ongoing fulfillment of God’s promise and His prophecy regarding the crown and the Throne of David, it would still be a remarkable occurrence, given the claims made in regard to the Stone of Destiny or Jacob’s Pillar Stone.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Achtet auf den Schall der Posaune ,” the sermon presented on the Feast of Trumpets in Germany by Norbert Link, is now posted. Title in English: “Heed the Sound of the Trumpet.”

“Die Posaune Gottes,” the sermonette presented on the Feast of Trumpets in Germany by Manuel Müller, is now posted. Titled in English: “The Trumpet of God.”

“Die kommende prophezeite Verfolgung wahrer Christen,” the sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Norbert Link, is now posted. Title in English: “The Coming Prophesied Persecution of True Christians.”

“Der Ruf nach Antworten,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Manuel Giermann, is now posted. Title in English: “The Call for Answers.”

“I Have To,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Being convicted by the Holy Spirit can often put us in an uncomfortable position. Knowing what the right course of action is in our lives doesn’t make it easy! However, the strength and faith of Christ provide us with what we need to follow through.

“True Worship,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible instructs about what is required for true worship, and it warns about false worship. What about your worship—is it true or is it false?

“Look Inside,” the Offertory presented on the Feast of Trumpets by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are commanded to bring an offering before God on His appointed Holy Days. However, as we consider the amount to offer we have to examine our motivation and our heart. That means that our intent in giving back to God must extend beyond our budget and focus on our ability to honor and serve Him. In this message we will consider the scriptures and life examples that make this clear.

“The Trumpet Will Sound,” the sermon presented on the Feast of Trumpets by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Just as the Children of Israel were commanded to appear before God, so on this day, the Feast of Trumpets, we are assembled before God at His command to memorialize and mark the sounding of trumpets. It is important to consider the tremendous meaning of this Day according to what God has revealed to us.

Live Services for the Fall Holy Days will be available for viewing. Please consult our website, www.eternalgod.org, to see our schedule.

2022 FALL HOLY DAYS

Day of Atonement… October 5

Feast of Tabernacles… October 10-16, with Opening Night on October 9

Last Great Day… October 17