On March 28, 2020, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (March 28, 2020),” and the sermon, titled, “God’s Message to Laodicea.”

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.

Restrictions get tighter and our “freedom” grows increasingly limited when it comes to what we were able to do just weeks ago. The question is whether more drastic measures are in the immediate future as cases of the Coronavirus increase and a “handle” on it looks grimmer, while leaders grasp for answers on how to deal with this crisis.

As the days continue, measures to cope with this new lifestyle become more extreme with “stay-at-home” orders. In focusing on California, people were encouraged just recently to go outside and go hiking, go to the beach, go to the park, and limit gatherings to less than 10 persons, and at the same time practicing “social distancing.” Yet, the public did what they assumed was “ok” to do, based on this convoluted information, until these recommendations were changed in California once again, leading to complete closures of beaches and parks and hiking trails along with threats of $1000 fines due to the overcrowding of people “gathering” at these places.

When there is nothing else to do, what can one expect?  Now everyone is restricted from what one can do outside.  What will the next day bring?  As the days go by, people’s patience will run out and stress, depression and anxiety will increase, which could very well lead to anger and taking matters into one’s own hands.  According to a report by CNN, dated March 19, “Gun sellers across the United States are reporting major spikes in firearm and bullet purchases as the coronavirus spreads across the country… ‘The world has never seen anything like this and people want to make sure they’re prepared for whatever lies ahead, whether that be food shortages, government shutdown, or worse,’ a spokesperson for Ammo.com said in an emailed statement. ‘When everything around you is uncertain, having a supply of ammunition can make our customers feel safer.’” This is a scary scenario and if people get tested on what they can or can’t do anymore, can we imagine what this could lead to, perhaps if martial law went into effect?

On March 10, 2017, I wrote an editorial, titled, “Civil War in America?” where this question was asked regarding the very possibility of this occurring in the near future, but at that time it focused on controversial governmental decisions which angered many people; yet were supported by others.  We saw then a stark contrast in viewpoints from two different sides within the nation. Much hasn’t changed since then.  In fact, things have gotten A LOT worse, as we can see now reactions to responses to the Coronavirus epidemic and what it has led to, not just in this country, but all around the world.

That editorial addressed what is extremely relevant right now, which is that “what WE in God’s Church know is that overall, America will not be able to emerge out of the mess they are currently in; that the relationship between America and the rest of the world will get worse and worse; and that this nation will end up in captivity and slavery because of the terrible sins they are committing (Zechariah 7:4-14; 8:7-15; 9:10; 10:6-10; 11:4-17).” This is still coming and that is why we need to be READY NOW, and continue to watch what is happening, as it says in Matthew 24:42: “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”

Mankind doesn’t seem to understand who the god of this world actually is, and it cannot connect the dots as to why all this is happening. On the other hand, God’s people DO understand why.  The vast majority will be caught off guard even more so as things WILL get worse and they will not even know what hit them until it is too late.

I concluded the editorial in the same way this one is ending here, stating that, “This is why we in God’s Church must proceed in warning our people and the rest of the world of what is coming in the near future (Ezekiel 33:2-7; Isaiah 62:6; Luke 21:36).”

by Norbert Link

In this special issue, we are reporting on the coronavirus and worldwide governmental autocratic and totalitarian measurers in so-called democratic societies to deal with the crisis, raising the strong possibility of global economic collapse. While many people in Europe agree with extreme methods of their governments to combat the coronavirus, President Trump intends to end soon the pain of the shutdown in the USA. However, as can be expected, his medical team and certain governors oppose such a plan. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Please End the Pain of the Coronavirus Shutdown!”  

We also compare the symptoms and the disproportionate rate of sickness and death of the coronavirus with other infectious diseases, and point out that legal scholars question the constitutionality of governmental methods restricting or abolishing individual freedoms.

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

Quarantine in US States

As of Sunday night, a statewide lockdown was declared in New York (after the governor had stated for days and weeks that he would NOT issue such an order) California (in a convoluted order by the governor), Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio and Louisiana.

Subsequently, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida and others joined the club of panic-stricken governors as well who have severely limited the individual freedoms of US citizens.

The Guardian reported on March 22 that this means that “Nearly one in three Americans was under orders on Sunday to stay home.”

 This is totally insane.

Ending the Pain of the Shutdown?

Reuters reported on March 23:

“President Donald Trump is… expressing concern at the damage the coronavirus shutdown is doing to the U.S. economy and is debating whether it can be safely reopened…

“In a tweet late on Sunday, Trump tweeted: ‘We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself,’ adding that at the end of the 15-day shutdown period [by the end of March], ‘we will make a decision as to which way we want to go.’…”

Breitbart added:

“On Monday, the president also shared messages on Twitter thanking him for the suggestion. ‘If Trump saves us from the Depression everyone else was leading us into by reversing the country’s course on this, I am going to build a statue to him in my front yard…,’ lawyer Robert Barnes [see the article from Barnes below] wrote on Twitter. Trump wrote: ‘Robert, we will end up stronger than ever before. Thank you!’”

Newsmax wrote:

“Axios pointed out that such a policy would almost certainly result in strong disagreement with the health experts, who are expected to push for a longer period of social distancing and quarantining across the nation…”

On March 23, Trump repeated publicly in a press conference that he is thinking of easing the restrictions soon. He said: “Our country wasn’t built to be shut down…”

When asked whether he had received the endorsement of physicians for his plan, he answered that they are in consultation, but if it were up to the doctors, the whole world would stay in quarantine for two years and they would never open the world. He repeated the same assessment on Tuesday and said he would like to open it up by Easter so that Churches could have live assemblies again. Medical “experts” and the mass media reacted with anxiety, rejection and sometimes even with furor.

Others, politicians and doctors alike, have likewise expressed their objections to the lockdowns and have been heavily attacked by the mainstream press as a consequence. Let us hope and pray that President Trump will carry out what he expressed and make an end to the unconscionable measures of quarantining healthy people, leading to their personal destruction and the sure destruction of the entire economy.

Shutting Down our Economy

On March 24, Newsmax published the following article by Patrick Buchanan, which was titled, “Can We Afford Killing the Economy to Kill the Virus?”

“… all ‘nonessential businesses’ are being closed and their workers sent home to shelter in place and to keep ‘social distance’ from friends and neighbors to minimize the risk of spreading this easily transmissible virus. Unfortunately, what is ‘nonessential’ to some – bars, restaurants, hotels, stores, cruise ships, tourist sites, shops, malls – are places of employment and indispensable sources of income for millions of other Americans.

“Close the businesses where these Americans work and you terminate the paychecks on which they depend to pay the rent and buy the food and medicines they and their families need to shelter and live. And if the salaries and wages on which workers depend are cut off, how are these millions of newly unemployed supposed to live?…

“Many Americans can survive on what they have on hand for two or four weeks. Far fewer can survive without income for two or four months. If we shut down the economy, what will we have when the medical crisis passes, be that in May, June, July, August or September?…

“At some point, the country is going to have to open up the supply chains and take the risks to let the market work to provide food – or people will engage in panic buying, hoarding and using any means to get what they need for themselves and their families. Reports of folks in this heavily armed nation stocking up on guns and ammunition suggest a widespread apprehension of what may be coming…”

And if we don’t get back to “normal” pretty soon, we will have destroyed our economy completely.

Many Negative Reactions in USA

AP wrote on March 20:

“Solar Tactical… urged customers to call local police to protest the effort to close… ‘Your 2nd Amendment right is no longer considered essential during forced shelter in place,’ the shop said…”

This is just one example of many others who are VERY upset about the stay at home orders. As we mentioned in the previous Update, the sale of firearms has astronomically increased, and there is a REAL DANGER of civil unrest and civil war breaking out in the USA.

When Breitbart published the stay home order by Governor Newsom in California (the first US state declaring a lockdown), readers responded with furor. Here are some excerpts:

“California is a New Venezuela in the making… Politicians don’t have the authority to violate your Constitutional rights, period. Once you give up your rights it takes guns to get them back… The street people and illegals have more rights than working Americans apparently, so Newsom is locking up the working public to do more unnecessary damage to the economy… the incarcerated are being freed while law-abiding citizens are being locked in their homes. Sounds like Communism to me…

“Thousand are killed & raped each year by illegals – He sets killers loose on streets in his sanctuary state, yet he’s worried about Corona?… Most of us need to go out to work just to keep the roof over our heads. Staying home and waiting for things to get better is guaranteed homelessness… I need to take care of my family… He did announce the abortions will continue… 22,000 DEAD! In the USA! Oh wait. That’s just the normal flu since last August. Never mind…”

US Constitution Quarantined

On March 22, the Drudge Report linked to an article of RT in which they published an opinion piece by Robert Barnes, an American constitutional lawyer (mentioned above), as follows:

“Do we really think ‘it can’t happen here’ in America? Could we quarantine the constitution? Are we doing it already?

“Panics from pandemics unleash unchecked governmental power. The very premise of popular films like V for Vendetta reveal this: a group uses a virus to seize power and create a totalitarian society. Anyone could witness this from far-off lands, watching the news about China locking people up in their own homes and then removing them screaming from those homes whenever the state wanted. World War I and the Great Depression birthed virulent forms of governments with leaders like Hitler, Mao, Mussolini and Stalin.

“Governments across America already used the pandemic, and the media-stoked panic around the pandemic particularly, to limit, restrict or remove First Amendment freedoms of speech and free association, with officials complaining about the potential restraints the freedom of religion imposed upon them. Others denied or declared the right to deny Second Amendment rights of gun purchase for personal safety… They want to coordinate with tech companies to surveil and spy on your everyday movements and activities, in violation of the Fourth Amendment and potentially waive, unilaterally, your medical right to privacy in multiple contexts. Stay-at-home orders deprive you of your profession, occupation, business and property, without any due process of law at all beyond an executive fiat in violation of the Fifth Amendment right to due process.

“Governments request the authority to involuntarily imprison any American on mere fear of infection without any probable cause of crime or clear and present danger of harm by that person’s volitional conduct, deny access to personal counsel in an unsupervised, un-surveilled manner in violation of the Sixth Amendment, and act as judge, jury and executioner in violation of the Seventh Amendment right to a trial by jury, as jury trials themselves get suspended around the country in the nation’s quieted courts and fear-muted public…

“Our founders were intimately familiar with pandemics, viruses and plagues, yet they did not allow any to suspend our Constitutional liberties. Not one word in the Constitution about plagues or pandemics to exempt the government from any of our Bill of Rights. Why do our current courts allow it? Because the public is asleep at the wheel. Think the pandemic threatens to kill us all? A review of the data shows the pandemic is more panic than plague.

“Time to wake up… Only when an awake public asserts their human liberties to protest the loss of their liberties will, then, governments quit using public health crises to seize power that does not belong to them…”

Very well expressed and VERY true. We see the deprivation of individual liberties and freedoms all over the world.

Trampling on the Constitution  

Fox News reported on March 26:

 “… growing segments of the U.S. population say state and federal governments are trampling on freedoms central to American life in the name of protecting public health… Laws spelling out what steps a state can take during a pandemic can be complex and difficult for judges to sort through.

“Some haven’t been updated in decades… And they also differ state to state…

 “A few Americans are already fed up and have taken their grievances to court by suing their respective states. But a relative trickle of legal challenges will likely become a flood if lockdowns drag on for weeks and frustrations mount…”

Totalitarianism in “Democratic” Societies—UK Becomes Totalitarian

The Sun wrote on March 20:

“PEOPLE suspected of being infected with Covid-19 could be held for up to six weeks under new powers being proposed by the Government. Patients would be initially detained for 14 days, but that can be extended if doctors still have concerns…

“The sweeping laws give the [government the] power to order [people] not to attend work or to stay in isolation, or ban them from travelling. And they will face a £1000 fine if they don’t comply… Officials will be able to suspend all plane and ship arrivals at airports or ports… The emergency powers will be able to be ‘switched on’ and ‘switched off’ if and when needed – for up to two years…

Deutsche Welle reported on March 24:

“The UK imposed a three-week lockdown, with the possibility of an extension. People may only leave their homes to go to work, buy groceries, visit the doctor, or for exercise. Gatherings of more than two people are not allowed.”

Upday added on March 26:

 “Places of worship for services [are prohibited], with the exception of funerals, which are to be attended only by the immediate family… Police will be given the power to impose fines on people who do not adhere to the new measures…” 

Live in Sin to Fight Coronavirus

BuzzFeed News wrote on March 24:

“Couples in the UK have been told they must either start living together or not see each other in person for what is potentially several weeks… deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries said couples should consider the ‘strength of their relationship’ and commit to either spending the lockdown period together or apart…”

Pleading for a World Government

 Breaking Israel News wrote on March 26:

 “The United Kingdom’s former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called on world leaders to form a ‘temporary’ global government to resolve both the medical and economic crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic… that could enjoy executive powers to execute the response…

 “Highlighting the differences between the 2008 economic collapse that he dealt with and the current crisis, Brown added ‘This is first and foremost a medical emergency and there has to be joint action to deal with that. But the more you intervene to deal with the medical emergency, the more you put economies at risk.’”

Totalitarianism in Australia, France and Spain

Deutsche Welle reported on March 24:

“In Australia, traveling to foreign countries will be banned. Weddings can go ahead with no more than five people and funerals can go ahead with no more than 10 people.

“In France, people exercising may still go outside, but runners and walkers may only go out for up to an hour a day and must remain within a kilometer of their homes. Most marketplaces have been required to close. Since French President Emmanuel Macron put the country on lockdown a week ago, people have only been allowed to leave home for necessary reasons, as in the UK.”

“Spain also closed its external borders with its European neighbors. People are limited to only leaving their homes to go to the pharmacy and grocery shopping. [The same is true for Italy.] Outdoor exercise is also banned, except for taking a dog on a walk. Hundreds of thousands of police and military personnel are enforcing the lockdown.”

Dictatorships on the rise… in our “free” world. But not in Sweden… for now.

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 24:  “While other European countries are adding to growing lists of restrictions on public life, Sweden has kept schools, bars and restaurants open and is encouraging its citizens to go out for some exercise. Gatherings of up to 500 people are still allowed in Sweden…  Swedish authorities believe harsher restrictions aren’t worth the impact on society…”

What does Sweden understand that most other countries don’t? But it may not last for long.

Sweden “Re-Thinks”

 The Daily Mail wrote on March 26:

 “Sweden is considering cutting off Stockholm from the rest of the country after a spike of coronavirus deaths in the city… Sweden has so far  resisted following other European countries – including neighbours Norway and Denmark – into full lockdowns, but the latest figures have spooked politicians into a re-think… Now there are concerns that people living in the city could spread it to previously-unaffected parts of the countryside as they visit holiday homes during the Easter break…

 “As a result, ministers are drawing up plans to isolate Stockholm from the rest of the country to try and contain the spread. However, state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell advised these are only plans and stressed ‘we are not there yet.’ It marks a dramatic shift from where Sweden was just 24 hours ago – with schools and bars open, and people being encouraged to go outside for fresh air.

 “Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, in a televised speech on Sunday, urged people to ‘take responsibility’ and follow the government’s recommendations.

“Those include working from home if you can, staying home if you feel sick, practice social distancing, and stay home if you belong to a risk group or are over the age of 70. Gatherings of more than 500 people have been banned – compared to more than two people in Britain and Germany – and the government has advised secondary schools and universities to close their facilities and conduct classes online.”

Germany Becomes Totalitarian

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 20:

“The mounting coronavirus crisis has led to speculation that the German government will impose a state of emergency (“Notstandsgesetze”) for the first time ever…

“The German government… is already using powers… to limit some constitutionally-mandated freedoms during an epidemic: Namely, the freedoms of movement, assembly, and the inviolability of the home.

“However, if stronger powers are deemed necessary, then a state of emergency can be implemented… it also allows for the restriction of certain freedoms… citizens may be obliged by law to join ‘civilian services for defense purposes, including the protection of the civilian population.’… the right to the privacy of mail and telecommunications can also be restricted… the federal government can… effectively take over their police forces. As in a natural disaster, a threat to the free democratic order may also be used as a reason to deploy the armed services.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 19:

“The German military is preparing for a long-term operation inside the country… soldiers may also be used to maintain public order. Germany has around 180,000 soldiers in its standing army, plus 120,000 military reservists…”

In addition, the German media points out that police officers may be used more and more to enforce Merkel’s new convoluted “social-distancing” restrictions (see below), demanding for example of citizens walking on the street to identify themselves, which might constitute a violation of the German Constitution (compare t-online, dated March 22). But will the government care about this breach of the law? Note the next article.

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 22:

“The northwestern state of Lower Saxony has instituted a new wave of restrictions, including a ban on social contact, to hinder the spread of the coronavirus. Police in Hanover, Oldenburg, Braunschweig, Goslar and Göttingen have increased police presence to enforce the new restrictions.”

The ”free state” of Bavaria (“Freistaat Bayern”) became the first German state to impose lockdown measures. Other German states such as Saarland followed.

It has been reported that after a public debate in recent weeks on the authority of the German federal government vs. the German states, German Health Minister Jens Spahn (who has ambitions to become chancellor and whom Merkel praised as doing a good job) wants to get a law enacted to the effect that the federal government will take over the authorities of the German states in the attempt to fight the coronavirus. The German states would have to agree to voluntarily surrender their powers and to give their authority to the German federal government under the lead of Spahn.

Merkel in Self-Quarantine after Announcing New Convoluted Restrictions

npr wrote on March 22:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has put herself under self-quarantine after learning that her doctor who had vaccinated her against pneumonia on Friday has tested positive for COVID-19… The news of Merkel’s quarantine came soon after her government imposed new social-distancing rules that limit public gatherings to two people, not including families. [That’s the interpretation of what Merkel announced, which was in really poor German and also as equally convoluted as the announcement by the Governor of California.]…

“From now in Germany, when people do go outside, they are being told to keep a distance of four feet (1.5 meters) from anyone else… Germany is just one of many countries limiting crowds… The U.S. government has said that no more than 10 people should gather in one place [but some US states have been restricting this further], while Switzerland says people in groups of fewer than five must stay at least two meters apart or face a fine.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 24:

“Unlike other European countries, Germany has so far stopped short of ordering its over 80 million population to remain at home — instead opting for strict social distancing measures which were issued on March 22. Public gatherings of more than two people are banned, except for families and those who live together…”

Deutsche Welle added:

“In the event that [Merkel] becomes too ill to work, her cabinet would continue to function without her. There are plans for such an event, too. Article 69 of the Basic Law, or constitution, features a simple sentence: ‘The federal chancellor nominates a minister from the cabinet as deputy.’”

It was subsequently announced that Merkel tested negative initially, but that more tests are needed to establish that she did not contract the coronavirus.

And the People Want It So

Politico wrote on March 20:

“Despite having the most severe restrictions imposed on their liberty since World War II, polling suggests that people across Europe are largely behind their leaders…

“In times of crisis, leaders often benefit from a ‘rally around the flag’ effect, meaning that support for government rises, provided the situation is not obviously mishandled…

“In Italy, which was the bloc’s first country to introduce a nationwide lockdown on Tuesday last week, two-thirds of citizens said this week they are satisfied with the government’s response… In Belgium, which this week also imposed far-reaching restrictions on public life… 66 percent of participants… said they back the measures…

“[In] Germany… almost half of people are satisfied with the crisis management of their federal state… In Austria… [s]upport increased from 63 percent last week to 88 percent this week…”

Due to ongoing propaganda to the effect that certain measures must be taken to save lives, the approval ratings from European citizens for the dictatorial methods of their governments and the apparent unquestioned willingness to surrender their individual liberties and freedoms are frightening. When the beast arises in Europe, the same thoughtless reaction will be seen… and much worse.

Totalitarianism in Hungary

The Tiroler Tageszeitung reported on March 20 that the Hungarian government placed 140 companies under military supervision. According to n-tv, Hungary is also preparing for enacting emergency laws.

Totalitarianism in Israel — Netanyahu Uses Coronavirus to Stay in Power

The AP wrote on March 20:

“In recent days, Netanyahu and his surrogates have shut down the court system, approved the use of sophisticated phone-surveillance technology on the general public and temporarily suspended the activities of parliament… He has ordered people to stay indoors, ordered tens of thousands of people into home quarantine and virtually sealed its borders

“… his hand-picked justice minister all but closed the court system in a middle-of-the-night order just two days before Netanyahu’s trial on corruption charges was to begin. In another overnight move, Netanyahu’s Cabinet authorized the Shin Bet security agency to use phone-tracking technology to retrace the movements of infected people and identify those who had come into contact with them…

“Then, on Wednesday, Parliament Speaker Yuli Edelstein abruptly suspended activities at the Knesset… Edelstein rejected the public uproar and said he was committed to reconvening parliament.”

Subsequently, Israel’s Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein resigned rather than accede to a Supreme Court order to call a vote on his replacement.

Breaking Israel News wrote on March 23:

“The Israeli Army is preparing for an increased role in assisting the national effort to stem the spread of the Coronavirus. If a nation-wide quarantine [lockdown] goes into effect, Israeli troops in tandem with police units are readying to patrol the streets and enforce regulations.”

Austria’s Sebastian Kurz thanked Benjamin Netanyahu for his radical measures in his fight against the coronavirus, stating that this prompted him to do the same in Austria.

Now Billions in Lockdown

 AFP wrote on March 24:

“India ordered its billion-plus population on Tuesday to stay inside for three weeks, bringing a third of the world under lockdown as the coronavirus pandemic forced Japan to postpone the Olympics until next year… Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘total lockdown’ call doubled the number of people around the globe under some form of movement restriction to more than 2.6 billion people…

“Nearly 130 million Americans, or 40 percent of the population, are under or will soon come under some lockdown order, including in the largest state of California…

“The extraordinary measures being imposed around the world have radically altered daily life and have also revealed horrifying tales. Soldiers in Spain reported finding abandoned elderly people — some dead — at retirement homes. Younger people have been warned not to visit elderly loved ones to avoid spreading the virus to the most vulnerable.”

This is indeed a horrible testimony of man’s incompetence.

Coronavirus—Overwhelmingly Only Mild Symptoms and Mass Recovery

The Associated Press wrote on March 20:

“For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. It can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, for some people, especially older adults and those with existing health problems. [This is true for every flu.] Most people recover — those with mild illness in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks…”

Of the currently 530,000 pending cases of people who had been diagnosed with the virus, about 24,000 have died (many times of or in combination with other underlying illnesses), while about 121,500 have totally recovered (as of bing.com, March 26, 2020).

By comparison, the World Health Organization has determined that the flu kills between 250,000 to 500,000 people each year. About 10% of U.S. residents get influenza each year. About 36,000 Americans die each year from complications of the flu. So far, about 700 Americans have died of the coronavirus. The world’s deadliest infectious disease is tuberculosis. Each year, on average, 1 million people die of it.

The Week wrote on March 25:

“A plurality of COVID-19 cases in New York City are among those aged 18 to 44… 95% of people who have died so far [worldwide] had an underlying health condition.”

Downfall of the Economy

The Hour wrote on March 20:

“The U.S. economy is deteriorating more quickly than was expected just days ago, as extraordinary measures designed to curb the coronavirus keep 84 million Americans [by now, the number is even much higher] penned in their homes and cause the near-total shutdown of most businesses… Already, it’s clear that the initial economic decline will be sharper and more painful than during the 2008 financial crisis.

“Next week, roughly 3 million Americans will file first-time claims for unemployment assistance, more than four times the record high set in the depths of the 1982 recession… That’s just the start of a surge that could send the jobless rate spiking to 20 percent from today’s 3.5 percent… Estimates of the pandemic’s overall cost are staggering. Bridgewater Associates… says the economy will shrink over the next three months at an annual rate of 30 percent.

“… keeping friends and co-workers apart is a recipe for crippling the consumer spending that drives 70 percent of the $21 trillion economy… The sudden turnaround in U.S. economic fortunes is without historic parallel. As 2020 began, the U.S. had been growing without interruption since the middle of 2009… Now, the economy is screeching to a halt…”

The Atlantic wrote on March 20:

“No one alive has experienced an economic plunge this sudden…

“… we’re in a recession and everyone knows it. And what we’re experiencing is so much more than that: a black swan, a financial war, a plague…  What is happening is a shock to the American economy more sudden and severe than anyone alive has ever experienced… the unemployment rate seems certain to reach heights not seen since the Great Depression or even the miserable late 1800s…

“None of that is surprising. Planes have been grounded, conferences canceled, millions of Americans told not to leave their homes except to get groceries and other necessities. Because of the emergency measures now in place, businesses have had no choice but to let workers go. The list of employers laying off workers en masse includes cruise lines, airlines, hotels, restaurants, bars, cabinetmakers, linen companies, newspapers, bookstores, caterers, and festivals…

“The markets are not normal, either. The stock market lost 20 percent of its value in just 21 days–the fastest and sharpest bear market on record, faster than 1929, faster than 1987, 10 times faster than 2007. The financial system has required no less than seven emergency interventions by the Federal Reserve in the past week…

“Yet in the real economy, everything has halted, frozen in place. This is not a recession. It is an ice age.”

CNBC wrote on March 20:

“The Dow is down more than 24% for March and is currently on pace for its biggest one-month fall since September 1931.”

It picked up on Tuesday in response to Trump’s declaration of intent to lift the lockdown shortly, and with hope that a stimulus package would be approved soon. But the roller-coaster will continue. This man-made Satan-inspired catastrophe is without precedence.

UK Agriculture in Big Trouble without EU Workers

Forbes wrote on March 24:

“The U.K. organization for farmers, landowners and businesses in rural England and Wales has said labor shortages caused by coronavirus could be devastating for this years’ harvest. They are calling for a ‘land army’ of local labor to be recruited to assist the sector, which expects to see its labor supply cut by 75% as EU workers who normally come to the U.K. to work for the harvest season are prevented from coming.

“The U.K. agriculture sector was already in trouble, heavily reliant on EU workers as it is. Since the Brexit referendum in 2016, when the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, labor supply from the mainland has been dwindling, and the government’s recent immigration stance emphasizing high-skilled migration has provided little comfort.

“… the agriculture sector usually uses around 60,000 seasonal laborers per year to complete the harvest, and they expect only around 25% of that amount this year. Factor in a 20% coronavirus infection rate… they estimate some 80,000 people will need to be mobilized to protect Britain’s harvest…

“Crucially the government have classified agricultural workers as ‘key workers’, meaning under the new lockdown measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, they will be allowed to travel to work. But first you need to find them… without EU labor, the situation is dire for U.K. agriculture…”

Another example of how a country destroys itself.

US Nuclear Bombs to Stay in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 26:

“The US has stored nuclear bombs across Europe… including in Germany…”

“In the case of a nuclear strike, the American soldiers who guard the bombs located on the German air base… would attach the bomb to German fighter jets and activate the code. Then German crews would embark upon what insiders refer to as a ‘strike mission’ — delivering the American bombs to their destination… This agreement — American bombs guarded by American soldiers on a German base but flown by crews and planes of Germany’s military forces, the Bundeswehr — dates back to the Cold War and NATO’s nuclear deterrence strategy aimed at keeping the Soviet Union at bay…

“While the precise number of American bombs stored in Europe is unknown, estimates put them at roughly 150. Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy are all part of the sharing agreement. With the exception of those on Italian soil, all of the bombs are located within a few hundred kilometers of each other…

“In March 2010, Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, passed a cross-party resolution urging the government to ’emphatically’ work towards getting its American allies to withdraw all nuclear weapons from Germany… But, a decade on, that goal seems ever more elusive, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and investment in nuclear-capable medium-range missiles. Now, rather than working towards the bombs’ withdrawal, the US military is set to modernize and upgrade them…

“For now, however, despite a clear majority of its citizens firmly opposed to nuclear weapons, Germany seems unlikely to withdraw from the deal any time soon. Rather, it is set to receive modernized bombs… The modernization program, which will see the old bombs being dismantled and new ones delivered to American military sites in the US and across the world, is extremely expensive…

“The new bomb — the B-61-12 — will have ‘significantly enhanced capabilities‘… It is equipped with a tail kit, which enables it to be delivered and hit its target much more accurately… The current bombs are simply dropped from the plane, rather than like ones with tail kits, which guide themselves once released…

“It remains unclear when Germany will actually receive the bomb, as there has been a delay in the production of the bombs in the US, due to problems reproducing components… But… first tests for the integration of the weapon onto German Tornado jets are set to happen this year…”

Quite remarkable in the light of biblical prophecy.

Religious Nonsense

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 20:

“The Vatican has announced that the sins of faithful Catholics who have been struck down by the coronavirus will be forgiven… provided they say a certain number of prayers and read the Bible ‘for at least an hour.’”

Words fail…

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.

To answer this question, let us first of all look at some definitions.

In a previous Q&A we wrote:

“…the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) is followed by the Heavenly Signs (Revelation 6:12-14; Joel 2:30-31; Matthew 24:29) and by the Day of the Lord (Revelation 6:17). The indication is, from Scripture, that the Day of the Lord begins one year before Christ’s return (compare, for example, Isaiah 34:8). But even as the Day of the Lord does not end with Christ’s return, but is ongoing, so the Great Tribulation (which begins approximately 2½ years prior to the Day of the Lord) does not end, either, when the Day of the Lord starts. Rather, it continues until Satan, who causes the Great Tribulation to occur, is removed from his throne.

“Christ returns to cut the Great Tribulation short (Matthew 24:21-22). This means, the Great Tribulation is still ongoing — it overlaps for one year, in that sense, with the Day of the Lord. So, all in all, the Great Tribulation lasts approximately 3½ years, but during the last year of the Great Tribulation, God starts to intervene — approximately one year before Christ’s actual return…” We also understand that God could shorten these days to less than 3 ½ years.  (Compare our free booklet, “When and How Will Christ Return?”)

In the above-quoted Q&A, we also pointed out that the Day of the Lord is the day of GOD’S wrath, while the Great Tribulation is the time of Satan’s wrath.

There have been many disastrous and catastrophic wars down through the ages. In World War 1 and World War 2, many millions were killed or injured as we can read below.

On the historyonthenet.com website, we read:

“World War One was one of the deadliest conflicts in the history of the human race, in which over 16 million people died. The total number of both civilian and military casualties is estimated at around 37 million people. The war killed almost 7 million civilians and 10 million military personnel.”

On the worldwar2-database.blogspot.com website, these figures are given: “… most suggest that some 60 million people died in World War II, including about 20 million soldiers and 40 million civilians.  Many civilians died because of disease, starvation, massacres, bombing and deliberate genocide. The Soviet Union lost around 27 million people during the war, almost half of all World War II deaths.  One of every four Soviet citizens was killed or wounded in that war.”

We rightly think of the horrors that both sides of the war suffered, but we read in Matthew 24:21-22 about a time in the not-too-distant future, which will dwarf anything that has happened in the last 6,000 years of mankind on earth: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

God does not mince His words. Mankind will be on the brink of extinction when Jesus Christ returns to stop that happening.

Why is this happening?   God who created all things through Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 3:9) has given instructions on how and how not to live.   God instructed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and they were deceived by Satan the devil.   Mankind then continued on the wrong path so much so that “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). God was sorry that He had made man on the earth and was grieved in His spirit” (verse 6).   This seems to be about 1,650 years after man was created.

About a thousand years later, God gave Israel the choice between blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (see Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28). History shows that Israel, generally, made a mess of such opportunities.   The Old Testament is replete with examples of some kings of Israel and Judah who had the right approach but following David and Solomon, only a few kings of Judah lived righteous lives, while none of the kings of Israel did. Usually, the leaders lived in opposition and rebellion towards God, and the people followed their bad example.  In short, God’s Way was usually superseded by men who thought that they knew better.

Fast forward to the New Testament when Jesus Christ was listened to and sought after by many thousands, but on the day of Pentecost, there were just 120 disciples (Acts 1:15) awaiting the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5).   Since that time, the true Church of God has been a small, persecuted group and mankind has, in general, been a God-defying race.

Down through the ages, we have seen behavior and attitudes that are incompatible with God’s Way of Life, with man always seeming to think that he knows better than the One who created us all.

Do our present societies around the world reflect the Way of Life that God would have us live, and always for our own benefit?   The answer to that question can be seen by the mess that the world is currently experiencing.

Many pages could be used in showing how evil this world is, and it is getting worse by the day.   Wars and military conflicts abound; atheism seems to be a “religion” on its own; blasphemy by the young and the old; perversion in many sexual areas has become the norm; and abortion annually murders millions of innocent unborn children.   The Ten Commandments are shunned by most of the world, and man makes up his own laws and rules, usually in direct opposition to God’s expressed Will.   The list could go on for many pages.

Mankind today, generally, has no interest in God, most certainly not in the true God of the Bible, many denying that He even exists. To give one of so many examples that could be used, let us quote, selectively, the words that a British actor and entertainer made in 2015. This famous atheist described what he would say if he got to heaven – of course we know that we don’t go to heaven when we die and he doesn’t believe in God and so this would never happen anyway – but it is quite a blasphemous attack against God that he made.   He said:

“I will say bone cancer in children, what’s that about? How dare you, how dare you create a world that has such misery that is not our fault. It is not right.   It is utterly, utterly evil.  Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world that is full of injustice and pain?”

He added: “Because the God who created this universe, if it was created by God, is quite clearly a maniac, utter maniac.  Totally selfish.  We have to spend our life on our knees thanking him?!   What kind of god would do that?

“Yes, the world is very splendid but it also has in it insects whose whole lifecycle is to burrow into the eyes of children and make them blind.    They eat outwards from the eyes.   Why?   Why did you do that to us?   You could easily have made a creation in which that didn’t exist. It is simply not acceptable.

“It’s perfectly apparent that he is monstrous.   Utterly monstrous and deserves no respect whatsoever.  The moment you banish him, life becomes simpler, purer, cleaner, more worth living in my opinion.”

We quote that as a dire example of those who categorically refuse to see the hand of a great Creator God, but would add that there are many others who can be just as objectionable in their blasphemous approach. Statements like the one quoted above do reflect an utter ignorance of the fact that this is not God’s world, but that it is ruled by Satan the Devil who has also had tremendous influence on the nature of the animal world. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man.” Other booklets, which address the issues raised by the above-quoted atheist, are “Punishment for Our Sins,” “Sickness and Healing—What the Bible Tells Us,” and “Human Suffering—Why… and How Much Longer?”

In the 16th chapter in the Book of Revelation are further telling examples of man’s rebellious “intractability” – a word that can mean: unmanagableness, defiant, rebellious, obstinate, stubborn, disobedient – which is the trait of beings unwilling to obey.   Here we see the horrors of the seven bowls – the first one being malignant or loathsome sores on the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image, which shows the result of ignoring the Way of God (verse 2).

In the third verse, we read about the second bowl with the sea turning to blood.

The third bowl in verse 4 reveals that the waters turned to blood.

The fourth bowl (verses 8-9) reveals that men will be scorched and instead of repenting, “they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.”

The fifth bowl is about darkness and pain (verses 10-11), and again, men were unrepentant and “they gnawed their tongues because of the pain and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.”

With the sixth bowl, the Euphrates dried up, and when the seventh bowl is poured out, the earth was utterly shaken, “And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great (Verse 21).”

In spite of such terrible events, some, or many, will blaspheme God’s Name, and will refuse to repent and simply will not give God the glory.   Of course, these events are right at the end of the time of terrible trouble, but the attitude manifested even at a time of very great distress shows how stubborn, defiant and obdurate man can be.

It should be become obvious why a loving God will allow the Great Tribulation and why He will bring about the Day of the Lord on the human race except for His people whom He will protect at that time.  It is because there is no other way of getting their attention and even at such a time of unprecedented horror, some will still not be entreated. Rather, they will still curse God and be disobedient and rebellious. Man will have brought this upon himself by his continuous rejection of the Way of God.

God wants to get the attention of man and show him the right way to live, but a 6,000 year history, under the evil sway of Satan, has twisted and distorted many minds; so much so that even in the most adverse of conditions, some will still go the way of the evil one.   Man has to learn, once and for all, that the only right way of living is the Way of God which will be a loving, joyous and righteous way,  and any who refuse to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will ultimately be as if they had never existed.

There is so much more on this subject. We have several additional booklets, addressing these important questions, including “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord” and “How Can We Know that Christ’s Return Is Near?” All our booklets are free for the asking.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

A shortened Church Conference will be conducted via SKYPE this coming Sunday and Monday (March 29-30, 2020).

“Please End the Pain of the Coronavirus Shutdown!” is the title of the new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Do we “let the cure be worse than the problem itself”? President Trump thinks so. This program shows the dangerous consequences of governmental measures causing unparalleled suffering for our people and incredible damage to our economy, with fears of massive suicides and even civil war. Why is the public “asleep at the wheel,” when it comes to mounting violations of our constitutional rights and freedoms?

“Coronavirus und Gottes Botschaft an Laodizäa” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link.  Title in English: “Coronavirus and God’s Message to Laodicea.”

“Gott wird für Sie sorgen!” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Pastor Michael Link. Title in English: “God Will Take Care of You!”

“Einsicht,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Mike Richter. Title in English. “Understanding.”

“God’s Letter to Philadelphia,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Why is the letter to the church in Philadelphia extremely important for us today? What is meant with the key of David; the open door; the hour of trial; the place of safety; the third horseman of the Apocalypse; and Satan’s wrath; and how are we to understand the prophesied expensive time and the reactions to the coronavirus which cause the financial ruin of many businesses and contribute to the complete destruction of our economy?

On March 21, 2020, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (March 21, 2020),” and the sermon, titled, “God’s Letter to Philadelphia.”

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.

Coronavirus! A man-made pandemic which originated in China, apparently due to the ungodly consumption of unclean meat. It is destroying the world—its civilization; its societies and global economy. Panic reaction to the virus has changed our daily lives… including cancellations of social and sport events; closure of schools, restaurants and shops; serious restrictions for our jobs and work abilities; national and international travel bans; prohibitions of assemblies and confinements in mandated isolation and quarantine… as well as cancellations of our religious worship services.

Many countries have already banned church services, and who is to say as to how long these limitations of our religious and individual liberties and freedoms will continue… It is as if we are victims of a worldwide war… and in a sense, we are—each country seems to fight a suicidal war against itself and an all-encompassing “preemptive” war against other nations.

When hearing this mind-boggling news which affects many innocent people and which sounds like the wild imaginations of a science fiction or horror movie, I wonder how much we have taken our freedom from autocratic restrictions and totalitarian governmental intervention for granted with the opportunity to assemble each week for our religious services. Many times, the sad truth is that we begin to really miss something when it is taken away from us. The Bible admonishes us that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25). Many have not heeded God’s warning in this regard, or they might have attended half-heartedly, lacking real zeal and enthusiasm for God and His people.

In Old Testament times, ancient Israel and Judah polluted God’s holy days—either not keeping them at all or keeping them grudgingly with their own added traditions—and God was very angry about this and punished them with many plagues and ultimately, with destruction, death, war and captivity.

We can read about this in Ezekiel 20:12-13:

“Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me… and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths…” As a consequence, God said that He would rule over them with “a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out” (verse 34).

Ezekiel 22:26 adds:

“Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.”

Sadly, man seldom learns from his mistakes, it seems, and today’s “priests” in our modern nations have hidden their eyes from God’s holy Sabbaths as well. As a consequence, God pronounces a curse on us for repeating the sins of our forefathers.

In Hosea 2:11, God tells us how He feels about “days of worship,” which man created for himself, while rejecting God’s Sabbaths:

“I will also cause all her mirth to cease, Her feast days, Her New Moons, Her Sabbaths—All her appointed feasts.”

But we should not overlook the fact that God is also angry with the lackadaisical attitude with which some of His people might be “keeping” His Holy Days, and that He announces the possibility of preventing them from keeping His Sabbaths by assembling for worship services, as they did not really appreciate this great privilege anyway.

Hosea 9:5 gives us this sobering warning in the context of future slavery and captivity for our nations which will also include some—if not many—of God’s people: “What will you do in the appointed day And in the day of the feast of the LORD?” The Neue Luther Bibel 2009 writes: “What will you do then during the annual feasts and the feast days of the LORD?”

Amos 8:10-12 also adds this sad prophecy:

“I will turn your feasts [or feast days] into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation… ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD God, ‘That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, But shall not find it.’”

Are we experiencing now a foretaste of what is going to come—a last warning perhaps and a strong admonition from God to get our act together, before it is too late? To get us back on track to worship the true God of the Bible with zeal, dedication, enthusiasm and love? All of us are called upon to examine ourselves and to make sure that God provides us with protection from the worldwide plagues and their consequences, and to appreciate fully the Sabbaths which God gave us as a sign between Him and His people.

by Norbert Link

It seems that not a day [or even an hour] goes by when we don’t read or hear about new horrible developments regarding a variety of measures in the human attempt to combat the coronavirus pandemic. In this issue, we have concentrated on the most alarming and deeply concerning and frighteningly mind-boggling prohibitions and bans. The unthinkable (including the restrictions of our individual and collective liberties and freedoms) has become the norm; and the most bizarre has been embraced.

 In other news, we speak of interesting events in and pertaining to Israel; the forgotten horrible Syrian war; the devastating locust plague approaching the Middle East; the hotchpotch of interpretations by biblical “scholars” regarding end-time prophecy; and the strange phenomenon of mind control in our “free” societies.

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

Worldwide Lack of True Leadership

Politico wrote on March 16:

“Welcome to politics’ darkest hour. If the coronavirus outbreak has taught us anything beyond the necessity of careful hygiene, it’s that the first victim of a pandemic is leadership. At no time in the past 75 years… have global leaders so utterly failed to deliver.

“… Few may have expected inspired leadership from U.S. President Donald Trump… Even so, his fumbling of a national address on the emergency, followed by his trademark blame-shifting… will be remembered as a low point in American political leadership…

“Boris Johnson… has sounded more like the Grim Reaper. ‘Many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time,’ he said in a televised address on Friday, insisting that his government has ‘a clear plan.’ Trouble is, the strategy underlying that plan… appears to have unnerved more people than it has reassured, fueling fears that Johnson has no plan at all…

“The German chancellor [Angela Merkel]… left management of the pandemic to her youthful health minister, Jens Spahn… The government’s response to the crisis has been marked by crossed wires and confusion…”

The leaders of this world have been failing miserably.. .and not only in regard to the coronavirus. Very soon, a strong charismatic political military dictator will arise in Europe… and the world will blindly follow and even “worship” him.

Worldwide Economic Destruction

Newsmax wrote on March 17:

“Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley economists… declare[d] that the coronavirus has triggered a global recession, with the debate now focusing on its likely length and depth… The outlook could darken even further if the virus lasts longer than anticipated, or wields greater economic pain — given factories, schools, restaurants and shops are closing around the world…”

Reuters wrote on March 17:

“As governments in the United States and Europe start shutting restaurants and schools, as well as asking people to stay home, several investors are concerned the current crisis could snowball into something bigger than a recession, including a credit crisis, or even a depression.”

We have warned of the possibility of a coming global depression for quite some time.

Destruction of U.S. Economy

Politico wrote on March 16:

“The early signals from the coronavirus crisis point to a scale of damage unseen in the modern U.S. economy: the potential for millions of jobs lost in a single month, a historic and sudden plunge in economic activity across the nation and a pace of sharp market swings not seen since the Great Depression…”

The Drudge Report wrote on March 18 that the Dow Jones closed at 19,804 on the day when Trump was sworn into office, and that the index crashed below that on March 18, meaning all the gains since the Trump inauguration were wiped out.

Restrictions of Free Movement of Americans

CNN wrote on March 16:

“The White House advised all Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 and urged older people to stay at home altogether in a set of new guidelines… ‘We’ll see what happens, but they think August, could be July, could be longer than that,’ Trump said of the time when life might return to normal in the United States… The guidelines… will remain in place for 15 days, officials said.

“Included in the new guidance was a recommendation for all Americans to stay away from bars, restaurants and food courts and to avoid discretionary travel. The guidelines also suggest closing schools and canceling all social visits in homes. Some officials have warned that further attempts to limit Americans from traveling domestically could have a dire effect on the economy. Those arguments have been countered by health officials… Still, the guidelines issued on Monday were only recommendations and not mandates…”

Politicians follow the guidance of “health experts,” who have been admitting time and again that they really don’t know anything specific about the virus either. When the blind follow the blind…

Martial Law in the USA

Newsmax wrote on March 18:

“President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will invoke a federal provision not used since the Korean War that allows the government to marshal the private sector in response to the coronavirus pandemic…

“Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau jointly announced that the U.S.-Canada border would be closed, except for essential personnel and for trade…

“Trump likened the effort to the measures taken during World War II and said it would require national ‘sacrifice.’”

ABC7 wrote on March 16:

“Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for all California bars to close amid the coronavirus emergency and asking all Californians age 65 and older and those with chronic conditions to isolate themselves at home… Newsom’s call for the shutdowns was described as ‘guidance‘ rather than a legal order by the government…”

What an incredible “guidance” or, as other papers termed it, “encouragement” by a governor.

But it may get much worse. Fox News reported on March 18 that California is preparing for the worst case scenario, considering imposing martial law which “would take the extraordinary step of replacing the usual laws with military authority, with the possible suspension of civil liberties like freedom of association and movement.”

Our world is becoming—quite literally—a global prison camp. Spiritually, we have been imprisoned or held captive by Satan from the time of Adam and Eve’s sin.

Schools to Stay Closed

Politico wrote on March 17:

“California’s schools will likely stay closed for the rest of the academic year over coronavirus concerns, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday in a jaw-dropping prediction for families barely settling into new weekday routines with children at home… If it holds true, more than 6 million California public school students would remain home for an unprecedented length of time unless the state finds alternatives.

“Nearly 99 percent of the state’s schools have closed, though Newsom has not issued a state mandate requiring them to do so, citing concerns about the impact on low-income families… Earlier Tuesday, Kansas became the first U.S. state to officially close schools for the remainder of the academic year.”

It can be expected that the rest of the country will follow these panic-stricken examples. What a nightmarish scenario.

Hopeless Ignorance

Daily Mail wrote on March 18:

“The Surgeon General [Jerome Adam] warned on Wednesday that it could take longer than 15 days to slow the spread of coronavirus but that Americans must ‘pitch in’ and do their part now to stay home and self-isolate if they want the deadly disease to die… Some… are calling for harsher action, like a two-week national shutdown to force people indoors.

“There has not been a clear cut answer on how long Americans will have to continue living in this current state of crisis. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has said the current state of crisis could last nine months, whereas experts overseas say it could even longer…”

This is just one example to show the hopeless ignorance when it comes to the virus, and the futile attempts to deal with it.

Americans Prepare for Social Unrest and Civil War

The Guardian wrote on March 16:

“Sales of guns and ammunition are soaring across the US as fears of possible social unrest amid the coronavirus crisis are prompting some Americans to turn to firearms as a form of self-protection…

“Larry Hyatt, owner of one of the country’s largest gun shops… the Guardian that the scenes of mass buying at his store were virtually unprecedented. ‘This is only the second time in my 61 years of business that we’ve seen anything like this,’ he said, adding that the first occasion was the aftermath of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut in 2012.

“Hyatt said that the type of guns being bought was reflective of the fear prevalent among customers. There was almost no interest in hunting rifles. Instead, people were opting for target guns and there was big demand for AR-15 semi-automatic assault-style rifles. Asked why he thought the spike was happening, Hyatt replied: ‘Financial meltdown, pandemic, crime, politics … you throw it all into the pot, and you have one hell of a mess.’…

“Firearms are already the second most prevalent killer of children in the US after car crashes. In the 14- to 17-year-old bracket, gun injuries are the highest single cause of death…”

It seems like, people are getting mad in an attempt of self-destruction.

Restriction of Free Movements of Brits

Express wrote on March 15:

The Sun reported on June 17 that Boris Johnson, in employing “war-time” measures, asked that “OVER a million people should stay inside their homes for 12 weeks and everyone else must avoid going out… The over 70s, those who are pregnant, and anyone with underlying health conditions (around 20million Brits) should try not to leave their homes if they can, and avoid crowded spaces immediately.”

The website of ageuk.org reported:

“People aged over 70, pregnant people, and people with underlying health conditions are being asked to stay at home and avoid unnecessary, close contact with other people for up to 12 weeks by 21-22 March.”

Europe Closes External Borders

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 18:

“All 27 EU member states on Tuesday evening committed to implementing travel restriction measures… EU member states have said they will temporarily restrict non-essential journeys to travelers from [other] countries to the bloc… The purpose of the new restrictions is to keep individual EU states from closing their national borders…

“Several EU member states have already closed their national borders. The commission hopes the new restrictions will encourage them to lift internal border control measures.”

This is such a juvenile approach, and it is also, in part, in obvious retaliation of Trump’s European travel ban directed towards the European Schengen zone as well as the UK and Ireland. In response, on March 19, the US State Department issued the highest (level four) international travel warning and urged Americans not to travel abroad under any circumstances and to return home if they are already abroad.

Frightening Developments in Europe

The Guardian wrote on March 17:

“The EU has endorsed the strictest travel ban in its history as France joined Italy and Spain in full lockdown… some member states, including Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, unilaterally began imposing border checks… Charles Michel, the president of the European council, said: ‘We are confronting… a long and difficult crisis…’

“Emmanuel Macron… said on Monday night the country was ‘at war’, announcing that the army would help move patients to hospitals and 100,000 police would check the new regulations were being observed…  Anyone leaving their home must complete a legal document downloaded from the interior ministry’s website, or written out by hand, declaring on their honour that they are out for one of the permitted reasons…

“The struggle against the coronavirus was an ‘economic and financial war’ that will last for some considerable time, [French finance minister Bruno] Le Maire said. ‘It will be lengthy and it will be violent … this war will require us to mobilise all our forces,’ he said.”

Terrible images of dictatorial countries and their inhumane actions from the past and present are coming to mind.

Also, the following was reported by Breitbart on March 18:

“The Prime Minister of France warned that if the United Kingdom doesn’t enact stricter measures to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Britons will be banned from travelling to France.”

Europe’s hostility towards the UK will increase.

Nation of Israel Asks Vatican to Restore Temple Vessels

Breaking Israel News reported on March 15:

“… the Nation of Israel requests that the Vatican immediately return to Jerusalem the Temple vessels that have been stored in Rome for nearly 2000 years… Josephus Flavius, a first-century Roman-Jewish scholar of priestly descent, reported that the Temple artifacts were indeed taken to Rome and placed in Vespasian’s Temple of Peace, completed in 75 CE.

“Since that time, there have been several unverified sightings of the Menorah in the Vatican… In the second half of the 12th century, a Spanish Jew known as Benjamin of Tudela… claims in his journal that the Jews of Rome knew that the Temple vessels were hidden in a cave in the Vatican…

“It should be noted that on Sunday, the Waqf (Muslim authority) ordered the silver-domed al Aqsa Mosque and the gold-domed Dome of the Rock closed until further notice. Jews are still visiting their holiest site, the Temple Mount.”

The relationship between Israel and the Vatican, which was never good, will dramatically deteriorate.

Israel Government Still in Limbo

Times of Israel wrote on March 16:

“Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz vowed on Monday to cobble together a coalition ‘within days’ after President Reuven Rivlin tasked the centrist alliance leader with forming a government…

“The ceremonial tapping of Gantz to form the government came hours after Rivlin hosted the Blue and White leader along with Netanyahu for a three-way summit Sunday evening in an effort to encourage the two men to form an emergency unity government amid the coronavirus outbreak… Rivlin’s proposal this time was based on the previous offer, but reportedly gives Netanyahu a full year as prime minister before handing the baton to Gantz…”

Much could happen within a year. Also, Netanyahu announced on March 19:  “The government will approve tonight emergency regulations to limit movement. You are ordered to stay at home… This isn’t a request, this isn’t a recommendation, but a binding requirement that will be enforced.”

This emergency declaration has been strongly condemned  in Israel, as have been newly-rolled out regulations that allow the government to track mobile phones of individuals with coronavirus or suspected of being infected.. 

Syrian War Has Caused Death, Misery and Ruin

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 15:

“… the ongoing war in Syria entered its tenth year to little fanfare on Sunday… the decade-long conflict has displaced 11 million people, killed more than 384,000, including 116,000 civilians, and created an international humanitarian crisis with no end in sight… Last week, the UN wrote on Twitter that ‘a decade of fighting has brought nothing but ruin and misery. There is no military solution…’’

While the world is occupied with the coronavirus, millions of people suffer from displacement, ruin, misery and death in war. The world ignores this serious problem and stands idly by.

The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 17:

“Turkey sends flights to evacuate its own citizens [from the EU] while it denies health care to [140,000] asylum seekers who flee to Greece amid unprecedented EU closures.”

Locust Plague Coincides with Coronavirus

Times of Israel wrote on March 16:

“A plague of locusts the likes of which have been unseen for over 30 years is about to hit Africa and the Middle East. Adding to the perfect biblical storm, the current coronavirus pandemic is affecting travel of international experts and in-country gatherings for training to combat the locust threat…

“The Desert Locust… ‘is the most destructive migratory pest in the world,’ according to the Locust Watch website. As depicted in the Book of Exodus, when the highly mobile swarms of Desert Locust form, ‘they are ravenous eaters who consume their own weight per day, targeting food crops and forage’…

“The current widespread breeding in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia represents ‘an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods at the beginning of the upcoming cropping season,’ writes the Locus Watch website… It appears that the hardest hit countries will include Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Iran, Pakistan, and Sudan…

“Not all regions of the Middle East will be affected, however. Despite the proximity to the Jewish holiday of Passover… it appears that the swarms will not hit Israel or the country’s crops.”

Pandemics and worldwide famine are prophesied.

What Religious “Scholars” (Don’t) Know

The Washington Post wrote on March 17:

“This is not the end of the world, according to Christians who study the end of the world… Could this be a sign of the apocalypse? It sure might feel apocalyptic. But not if you ask Christian writers and pastors who have spent years focusing their message on the Book of Revelation — the New Testament’s final book.

“… many evangelical leaders interpret it to mean that Jesus will return to Earth, believers will be raptured to heaven and those left behind will suffer seven dreadful years of calamities… Jeff Kinley, a writer of books on biblical prophecy… pointed… to Jesus’ words about the events before the end times in Luke 21:11: ‘There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.’ ‘I think he’s referring to a future time,’ Kinley said. ‘I don’t think this is an actual fulfillment of that.’ The Bible is very specific about what will happen before the End Times, Kinley says, and those events haven’t all unfolded yet. For one major thing, the ancient temple in Jerusalem is supposed to be rebuilt first.

“Gary Ray, a writer for the prophecy website Unsealed, agreed: He and his fellow evangelical End-Times writers are focused on what is happening with holy sites in Israel, not disease… In Ray’s opinion, these portents should send non-Christians rushing toward the Bible, so they can convert while there is still time before the Christians are raptured and everyone else has to endure the wretched seven years…

“One reason for all these relatively rosy assessments from people who might otherwise be doomsday prophesiers? It might be… the president, who is very popular among evangelical Christians…

“James Beverley, a professor at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, said he found… that charismatic and Pentecostal prophets, who normally think the End Times are near, have been less likely to forecast doom during the Trump administration. ‘Some are saying that Satan is the source of evils like the virus, but the doom and gloom message is missing. There is such a positive view on Trump and such strong wishes for his reelection that there is deep hope that the virus will die out, a strong economy will return and Trump will defeat the Democratic nominee,’ Beverley wrote in an email. ‘It is stunning how optimistic charismatic prophets are since Trump won in 2016.’”

As it is almost always the case, the article reflects the opinions of biblical “scholars” which might include some few parcels of truth with a whole big bag of errors. Try to pick out for yourself where you can find the small pieces of truth and the many huge errors in the article.

Mind Control in Our “Free” Societies

Daily Mail published on March 14 the following article by one of their journalists:

“It was a bright, cold day in Oxford and everywhere I looked, rainbow flags flapped and fluttered in the sharp wind. They flew from the ancient colleges along the High Street. They flew from the Town Hall…

The mere act of suggesting that there is anything oppressive about these banners will ensure that I am convicted of ‘homophobia’… It is startling to recall walking down the same street more than 50 years ago, when nobody had ever thought of rainbow flags and this was still a free country…

“A huge change in sexual morality of all kinds was cleverly presented as mainly being the liberation of homosexuals from persecution… Britain is full of people who have never wholly agreed with the great sexual revolution which has overtaken us in the past 30 years, and is now embraced by the Conservative Party and the churches.

“But even in private they hesitate to say so… For they know a terrible thing. If they are denounced, they could lose their livelihoods… We also have an embryonic Thought Police patrolling Twitter. And we have increasingly ferocious official lying…

“Some sort of national emergency – a major terror attack, an economic collapse, perhaps even a devastating epidemic – will at some point speed up our descent into a semi-totalitarian dusk. The Civil Contingencies Act already gives government astonishing powers to rule by diktat if it can think of a good enough excuse…

“There is no barricade of law which stands between us and the introduction of an unfree society. There is no major party which can be relied [on] to oppose such a change, provided it can be dressed up as being in the interests of ‘security’, of ‘equality and diversity’ or of not offending people…

“How long before students all over Britain will note the appearance of rainbow flags each February, and think that it has always been so, and that there never was another opinion?”

Biblical standards are disappearing in our societies… and woe to those who want to uphold them.  

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.

First, we should look at where the command to de-leaven our homes is mentioned in the Bible, beginning with the Old Testament.

We read in Exodus 12:15-20:

“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.”

This is the first place where this is mentioned and the penalty for not complying was being “cut off” from the congregation. The Jews understood correctly that the removal of leaven would have to be completed “at the eve of this festival,” prior to the beginning of the First Day of Unleavened Bread.

Adam Clarke’s commentary explains that “leaven was an emblem of sin, because it proceeded from corruption; and the putting away of this implied the turning to God with simplicity and uprightness of heart.” We should note, however, that the biblical passage, quoted above, does not specifically explain this meaning. As we will see, this will be explained later in Old Testament passages, and the full explanation can be found in the New Testament where the spirit of the law is discussed.

Exodus 13:3-10 also addresses de-leavening and abstaining from eating leavened products for seven days, while eating unleavened products:

“And Moses said to the people: ‘Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, “This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.” It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.”

Here it is stated that it was a sign and annual memorial when God brought them out of Egypt, which occurred on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, at night.

Another place speaking about eating unleavened products and abstaining from leaven for seven days is mentioned in Deuteronomy 16:3-4:

“You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. And no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory for seven days…”

Notice the reference here to coming out of Egypt, where they had been held captive and had been afflicted for many years. The Church of God has understood that Egypt is used here as a type of sin and that the introduction of a little leaven to a clump of dough will eventually leaven the whole lump. This is further explained, for example, in 1 Corinthians 5:6:

“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?”

This is a clear reference to a little sin which, if not removed, will corrupt a person. It might even corrupt others in the church. If a person is sinning continually in plain sight and is not removed or “cut off” from the congregation, it might affect others. Paul is referring to this principle when he addressed a person having sexual relations with his mother or stepmother, which evil conduct was known, tolerated and even endorsed by some in the church.

Paul was aware of the danger of tolerating sinful behavior. If we do not put sin out of our lives, it could lead to our destruction and the destruction of others. Even a little sin or compromise can be catastrophic if not being dealt with. It is compared to leaven which puffs up both in its physical use and in a person’s life.

Notice the further instruction by Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”

We are to de-leaven our homes and abstain from leavened products and thereby remind ourselves that we have to purge out the sin and disassociate ourselves from the sinner who, like a rotten apple, influences others. We are to get rid of sinful conduct, repent of it and be a new lump by becoming spiritually renewed before God. We must not justify sin or make excuses for the sin, but rather, we must eradicate it and replace it with righteous behavior.

Paul restated the same injunction in Galatians 5:9: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

The importance of removing leaven from our homes—a physical act—lies foremost in its spiritual application: It represents removing sin—a type of leaven—which, if not dealt with and repented of, can ultimately lead to the second death in the lake of fire.

There are several examples in the Bible where, if we are obedient in doing the physical things required of us, the spiritual meaning and understanding is revealed later. That is why obedience even in commanded physical matters is so important since it tests us to see if we will obey God in everything, and God can and will add the spiritual understanding in His due time.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)

compiled by Dave Harris

We are very sad to announce that Mr. Ray Goodrum died on March 14, 2020, in Kelowna, British Columbia. Mr. Goodrum was a long-time member in God’s Church, and he is survived by his wife, Virgie, and son, Frank.

A new Member Letter (March 2020) has been mailed to our subscribers and is now posted. In this letter, Pastor Michael Link points to prophecy being fulfilled as never before, and he asks if we are indeed really ready for what comes next. This letter has also been translated into German and posted on our website. In addition, this week’s Editorial has also been translated into German and posted on our German website.

Due to flight restrictions and for other considerations, we have cancelled our Church Conference scheduled for the last part of March. However, we plan to use SKYPE to take care of necessary business and for further discussions. Sadly, all international and national flights for the Passover season were also cancelled.

The text and cover design for our new booklet, “The Ten Commandments,” has been submitted by graphic artist Shelly Bruno in preparation for final edits before printing.

The latest 3-part Q&A series on “Should We Be Afraid of the Future?” has been translated and posted on our Spanish page.  Title in Spanish: ¿Deberíamos tener miedo al futuro?

“Coronavirus and Worldwide Wars… an Incredible Paradox!” is the title of the new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

While we are living in a world with awesome progress, we are unsuccessfully trying to fight appalling evil. Why is this so? While mankind is combating the coronavirus to save lives, it is engaged in preparations for a global all-encompassing nuclear war which could eradicate the human race. How can we explain this paradox?

“Trump’s ‘Irresponsible’ and ‘Incompetent’ European Travel Ban,” is the title of last week’s StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Indeed, “incompetent” and “irresponsible” are words which were used to describe President Trump’s European travel ban to “protect” against the “foreign” coronavirus, and much more drastic words have been uttered. The condemnation of his latest action without notice, which contradicted everything which he had said earlier, is worldwide, for different reasons. Panic and fear are engulfing this entire Satan-ruled world, and wide-ranging decisions with huge devastating consequences are being made which will also destroy our entire economy. Where will all of this lead, and what can YOU do about it?

“Coronavirus und Gottes Botschaft an seine Kirche in Philadelphia,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Coronavirus and God’s Message to His Church in Philadelphia.”

“Die einzig wahre Gesinnung,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Robert Kintzi. Title in English: “The Only True Attitude.”

“God’s Design Plan,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are clear that none of us have seen the face of God the Father in this earthly existence. While only a very few were blessed to have walked with Jesus Christ during His time on earth, He was clear in His messages to mankind that those who believe, without having seen, are truly blessed. The Bible is rich with the information that we can rely on to grow in our faith and understanding. In addition, all that God has created—each one of us, and the world around us also has God’s signature design. In this Sermonette we will explore the Scriptures that bring this to light, and help us to see just how God created mankind to reflect His and His Son’s image, and His never-ending promise to those who believe and obey His commands.

“A Reason For The Hope That Is In You,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible instructs us to always be ready to have an answer for the hope that is within us when people ask us about our beliefs. What are your reasons for continuing to hope for the future that God promises?

On March 14, 2020, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “God’s Design Plan,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “A Reason For The Hope That Is In You.”

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.

Jesus said to His disciples, those with whom He had just observed Passover, “‘you are My friends,’” but He added this conditional requirement, “‘if you do whatever I command you’” (John 15:14).

The Bible shows that the building block for friendship in the Family of God is love, and it is what Jesus requires of us: “‘This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you’” (John 15:12, also, verse 17). In fact, Jesus uses His own example to set the standard:

“‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another… as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’” (John 13:34-35).

In what way has Jesus loved us? Just how far was He willing to go to prove His friendship with us? He defined it this way: “‘Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends’” (John 15:13); and we know that “Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus magnified the second part of God’s commandments—“‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:39).

God, Himself, calls Abraham “‘My friend’” (Isaiah 41:8), and God “spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend’” (Exodus 33:11). Both did what God commanded them to do.

Can it also be said that we are friends with the Father and Jesus Christ? Jesus prayed that this would take place among His disciples:

‘”I do not pray for these alone (those whom He had earlier called His friends), but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me’” (John 17:20-23).

The depth of our relationship as friends with the Father and Jesus Christ is shown in that we share in the knowledge of what the Family of God is doing, and that we are part of it:

“‘No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you’” (John 15:15-16).

One thing we can ask the Father is that He will indeed help us to do whatever He commands. That is exactly what Jesus did! He depended on the Father, and the Bible reveals that Jesus prayed for help in the work given to Him to accomplish. Jesus was able to say: “‘I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do’” (John 17:4).

And so it likewise falls to us to finish the work God has commanded us to do. We are chosen for this—because we are the friends of God.

by Norbert Link

We begin with new developments about the coronavirus, President Trump’s convoluted explosive and strongly condemned announcement of a travel ban for most Europeans and man’s stupid and somewhat suicidal “attempts” to deal with the crisis. We should be able to see how quickly we are moving towards World War III and the end of civilization, as we know it.

We also speak on the shameful worldwide arms trade, which only manifests additional aspects of man’s self-destroying stupidity; as well as the election results in Israel and Biden’s victory over Sanders.

We conclude with interesting developments within the Catholic Church.

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

Trump Bans Travel from Europe, but…

The messages from the White House and the Trump Administration have been as confusing as ever.

The Week wrote on March 11:

“In an address to the nation Wednesday night from the Oval Office, President Trump said because of the coronavirus pandemic, he is suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days, with the restrictions not applying to the United Kingdom. The action will go into effect Friday at midnight. Trump did not say why the UK, which has 460 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, is exempt. Trump… criticized the European Union, saying it ‘failed to take the same precautions and restrict travel from China and other hotspots. As a result, a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travelers from Europe.’

“After Trump’s address, Acting Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said the travel suspension does ‘not apply to American citizens or legal permanent residents or their families.’”

But consider this, from ABC News, dated March 11:

“The new travel restrictions affecting Europe… will include exemptions for the United Kingdom and Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings.”

And then, here is this “clarification,” as reported by the AP, dated March 11:

“Trump said… the U.S. would monitor the situation to determine if travel could be reopened earlier.

“Homeland Security officials later clarified that the new travel restrictions would only apply to most foreign nationals who have been in the ‘Schengen Area’ at any point for 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States [see below].”

The Sun wrote on March 11:

“He singled out the UK as an exemption to the ban – but there was confusion as a later statement from the Department of Homeland Security said only countries in the Schengen area of free movement would be barred, therefore meaning Ireland was also exempt.

“The Schengen Area is the term given to the 26 European states which allow passport-free travel through their borders. The Department of Homeland Security subsequently issued this statement:

“‘Several countries in the Schengen Area will be impacted by the travel ban.

“‘President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation, which suspends the entry of most foreign nationals who have been in certain European countries at any point during the 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States.

“‘These countries, known as the Schengen Area, include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. This does not apply to legal permanent residents, (generally) immediate family members of U.S. citizens, and other individuals who are identified in the proclamation.’…

“DHS Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf said… he intends to implement a Notice of Arrivals Restriction which requires that US passengers who’ve been in the Schengen Area ‘to travel through select airports’ for enhanced screening procedures.”

Deutsche Welle added that, allegedly, the restrictions do not apply to “Any lawful permanent resident of the US and any foreign national who is the spouse of a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Foreign nationals who are parents or legal guardians of a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Foreign nationals who are siblings of a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, and who are under 21 years old and unmarried. Foreign nationals who are foster children of a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Any member of the US armed forces.”

Panic at the Airports

Reuters wrote on March 12:

“Bleary-eyed and stressed, travellers scrambled at European airports to board flights to the United States on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping travel restrictions… Trump’s announcement has disrupted the travel plans of tens of thousands of people and hit airlines already reeling from the coronavirus outbreak… ‘It caused a mass panic,’ said 20-year-old Anna Grace, a U.S. student at Suffolk University who was on her first trip to Europe…

“A Delta crew member said Trump’s travel ban had caught the airline off-guard. ‘It’s going to be a big mess,’ said the crew member, who asked not to be named. ‘We were not expecting something like that…’”

Trump’s New Travel Ban Condemned

Daily Mail added on March 12:

“Vice President Mike Pence said on Thursday morning that all Americans returning from Europe would be asked to quarantine [for 14 days] when they return…

“The State Department also warned Americans against all non-essential travel abroad, raising the prospect of mandatory quarantines and further bans that could leave people stranded…

“The announcement was quickly met with criticism from a range of industries. Dr Margaret Harris from the World Health Organisation was among those criticizing the travel ban…

“The Association of Flight Attendants was also quick to criticize Trump, branding his travel ban ‘irresponsible‘ and saying it is ‘about politics, not public safety’. ‘There is no explanation for how this will help fight the spread of the virus,’ a statement said. ‘It makes little sense when the virus is already in the United States. The President expressly stated the United Kingdom is not included in the travel ban and yet the UK health minister herself has the virus.’”

It’s all politics… sadly. The Bible warns us that figurative “children” would run the USA.

Trump Has Declared War on Europe

CNBC wrote on March 11:

“Calling coronavirus a ‘foreign virus,’ Trump attacked Europe for not taking the same actions to control the disease that he had…

“Trump… later clarified in a tweet [the Daily Mail calls it an “astonishing clarification”] that cargo and goods would not be affected by the ban.”

He had originally said in his speech that the ban would apply to people AND CARGO. The White House later “clarified” that he had “misspoken.”

Reports alleged that the speech was written by right-wing hardcore anti-immigration guru and senior advisor to the President, Stephen Miller, and that Trump, unusually nervous as he was backtracking virtually everything that he had said earlier about the virus, gave the address by just reading from the teleprompter, without seemingly understanding himself WHAT he was saying (hence the subsequent numerous clarifications). His words of “foreign virus” sound like Miller’s handiwork. But this does not excuse Trump for what he said.

Those who are familiar with the history of the Worldwide Church of God after Herbert W. Armstrong’s death are reminded of the sermons and “speeches” by successor Joseph W. Tkach, who had received the scripts written by Mike Feazell and read those, without comprehending what he was saying, only to clarify later what he “meant,” but by that time, the damage had already been done.

Europe Responds

The Guardian wrote on March 12:

“The EU has condemned Donald Trump’s unilateral ban on travel from 26 European countries… In a joint statement, the presidents of the European commission and European council defended Europe’s record in managing the pandemic and sharply criticised the White House for its failure to consult its allies.

“… global markets reeled after Trump imposed sweeping restrictions on travel from the passport-free Schengen zone on Wednesday night, battering airlines and further straining ties with Europe.”

Trump’s action could be compared with that of an autocratic dictator. A NUCLEAR WAR between the US and Europe is prophesied!

Trump Failed Completely

AFP wrote on March 12:

“President Donald Trump had one job to do in a primetime address on coronavirus: reassure an anxious nation, a panicking stock market and divided world. Instead, he left many confused and more scared… Trump’s short speech late Wednesday featured a tired-sounding president responding to the global coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic fallout with a mix of bluster, blaming and a jaw-dropping error [regarding cargo and goods]…

“If Americans watching television might have been confused, investors were in shock. The White House quickly issued a clarification that no, trade was not being halted between the European Union and the United States. But the damage was done. The first sign that things were going wrong was when Wall Street stock futures nosedived the minute the cameras switched off. Less than 12 hours later, on Thursday morning, trading had to be stopped when the Dow Jones plummeted seven percent, mirroring 10 percent falls in European markets…

“Also, what Trump did not explain in his speech was that only European countries in the EU Schengen visa-free area are on the list. He said it wouldn’t include Britain, but this also means that 22 other non-Schengen countries are exempted. Questions were immediately raised over how this would prevent spreading of a virus already present in the United States. And why would travelers from Britain, for example, be any less likely to be infected?… As Politico noted drily, there was another ‘convenient side effect’ to Trump’s partial travel ban. ‘They exempt nations where three Trump-owned golf resorts are located.’”

Trump Sounded Incompetent and Markets Are Freaking Out

The Money Week wrote on March 12:

“Markets are having another bruising day. The specific catalyst today is Donald Trump’s somewhat garbled and last-minute decision [and “panicky pronouncement”] to shut the US to passenger air traffic from Europe… Basically, he sounded incompetent…

“Are all these things we’ve been vaguely worrying about – carry trades, exchange-traded funds backed by illiquid underlying assets, massively overvalued private companies – going to blow up? And when and if they do blow up, what else might they take with them? Coronavirus might be the pebble (OK, the massive boulder) that starts an avalanche elsewhere in markets. That’s why markets are freaking out…”

Trump—a Lethal Combination

The Guardian wrote on March 12:

“Trump in a time of coronavirus is a lethal combination. Everything about the president… make him the worst person imaginable to hold the world’s most powerful job in the face of pandemic.

“Confronting the threat requires global cooperation, perhaps more than at any time since the second world war. But Trump and his junior imitators around the world have taken a sledgehammer to the very notion of international solidarity.

“America’s closest allies were given no [prior] notice… The EU mission in Washington only found out about it when journalists started calling.

“The president has dealt with coronavirus the same way he approached every other challenge in his administration, first trying denial – and when that failed, blaming outsiders… It came as little surprise that his speech had been written by Stephen Miller, the author of the administration’s cruelest anti-immigration policies.”

One can only imagine what will happen under Trump when a military challenge develops between Europe and the USA, which is prophesied. 

Man’s Attempts to Deal with the Coronavirus Outbreak

The Associated Press wrote on March 9 about events PRIOR to Trump’s convoluted announcement:

“Stocks took their worst one-day beating on Wall Street since the global financial crisis of 2008 as a collapse in oil prices Monday combined with mounting alarm over what the coronavirus could do to the world economy… The drop was so sharp that it triggered the first automatic halt in trading in more than two decades…

“Together, the sell-offs reflected growing anxiety over the potential global economic damage from the coronavirus… prompting factory shutdowns, travel bans, closings of schools and stores, and cancellations of conventions and celebrations big and small…

“The market slide came as Italy, the hardest-hit place in Europe, began enforcing a lockdown against 16 million people in the north, or one-quarter of the country’s population, and then announced that travel restrictions would be extended nationwide [affecting 60 million people—an absolutely unparalleled and “unprecedented step for a democratic country” (The Week, dated March 9), and a highly controversial and extremely dubious measure with no guarantee for success] … The turmoil in Italy… is expected to push the country into recession and weigh on the European economy.

“Elsewhere around the world, Ireland went so far as to cancel St. Patrick’s Day parades, and Israel ordered all visitors quarantined [for 14 days] just weeks before Passover and Easter, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.”

The government of India has “strongly advised” to refrain from traveling to France, Spain and Germany. Saudi Arabia banned all travels to such countries.

Breitbart added on March 11, 2020 that on Wednesday, the Dow Jones plummeted again by 5%, and that “Many investors worry that a delay of several weeks could mean any economic stimulus could come too late to keep the U.S. economy growing. Some economists think that we may already be in a recession.”

As mentioned above, the Dow Jones and stock markets in the USA and Europe plunged again on Thursday, following Trump’s speech. A worldwide economic upheaval was prophesied, but it is amazing how man’s panic-stricken shortsightedness contributes to such catastrophic developments. Many times, our economic downfall is man-made. The reaction to the coronavirus is a prime example. Even prior to Trump’s ill-conceived speech, conflicting messages from governments, with advising against air travel or cruising (thereby completely destroying the airline and the cruise ship industries), combined with radical measures of cancellations of schools and universities and prohibitions of gatherings (such as sports events and music festivals) in the USA and in European countries led by Italy and now France and Germany (as well as Spain, for example, which closed all schools in and around Madrid) do little to install confidence and instead accelerate uncontrolled catastrophes and economic upheavals.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn (39), perhaps far too young and inexperienced to make such drastic decisions (but “old age does not protect against foolishness” either), asked for cancellation of all events with more than 1,000 participants. This includes soccer games. With that, Spahn sacrificed Germany’s “holy cow.” Bild Online wrote, “A soccer game without fans is a dead game. It is no more a soccer game. Without fans in attendance, soccer will die.” And that means, politicians recommending or ordering such measures may not survive either.

Spahn also said people should refrain from unnecessary travel to Italy, and also North Rhine-Westphalia, in the west of Germany. Angela Merkel said that 60 to 70% of Germans will be infected by the virus. German health experts say that this is unlikely and that in any event, the symptoms for most would be mild or negligible. Merkel also praised Spahn, saying that he does an excellent job. Austria closed all schools. France prohibited visits to all state health-care facilities for the elderly and recommended against visits to all such private institutions. Axios reported that “Google issued one of the most sweeping cautionary edicts, recommending on Tuesday that all its employees in North America work from home until at least April 10 amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.”

The NBA announced it had called off the rest of its season after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gorbert tested positive for the virus just before tip-off. Teammate Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive. Oregon and California have also banned gatherings of more than 250 people state-wide, with smaller gatherings only permitted if a minimum distance of 6 feet can be guaranteed between people.

A Mad World Held Captive by Satan Is Shutting Down

Here are some more highlights from news articles which appeared on March 12:

CNBC wrote: “Stocks plummeted once again on Thursday after President Donald Trump and the Federal Reserve both failed to quell concerns over the economic slowdown stemming from the coronavirus, leading to a historic drop for the U.S. markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 2,352.60 points lower.”

 AP wrote:

“France, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Lithuania,  Algeria and Slovakia joined the growing list of countries shutting down their school systems, and Europe’s most successful soccer team, Real Madrid, put all its players into quarantine after one tested positive… A rite of spring, college basketball’s NCAA tournament was canceled, while the NBA and NHL (National Hockey League) also decided their pros won’t play at all for now. Major League Baseball canceled spring training and postponed opening day for at least two weeks.”

The MLS (major league soccer) season has also been suspended. All of this will have an additional MAJOR impact on the economy.

The Week wrote:

“Starting Thursday, [Norway] announced measures… which involve practically shutting down the entire country.”

 Sacramento Bee wrote:

“The governor of Kentucky, a Bible belt state, has asked churches and other religious institutions to temporarily cancel services.”

Deutsche Welle wrote:

“Walt Disney Co will close its Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks in California through the end of March over coronavirus fears… The Vatican ordered all Catholic churches in Rome to be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The measure has been described as unprecedented in the modern era.”

 It was also reported that Maryland and Ohio are closing all schools. France closed all schools. Spain closed all harbors. Princess Cruise cancelled all cruises for 60 days.

The Guardian reported:

“Spain became Europe’s second worst-affected country with 2,968 cases and 84 deaths. Both houses of parliament are suspended and every cabinet member is being tested… Slovenia, Norway and Austria suspended teaching at schools and colleges, although the Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, said working parents will still be able to drop off children for supervision. The Netherlands banned gatherings of more than 100… The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is self-isolating while his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau awaits results from a coronavirus test. India… has barred all foreign tourists for one month… The Philippines halted domestic travel to and from the capital, Manila, and banned mass gatherings and closed schools for a month.”

Project Syndicate wrote on March 6: “[President Trump] and his supporters don’t trust experts, and the man appointed to lead the fight against the coronavirus, Vice President Mike Pence, is skeptical about science. But science, not prayers, will be needed to contain a disease that threatens the globe.”

With this kind of an arrogant and blasphemous recommendation of trusting “experts” rather than God, the way into the abyss would be unavoidable.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, stated that the coronavirus is allegedly 10 times more lethal than the ordinary flu. Fauci also advised older people not to fly anymore at all. 

Human Race in Grave Danger

The Daily Star wrote on March 11:

“The human race is in grave danger. Thousands of people are showing severe symptoms already and there is no known cure. No, not coronavirus, but sheer… stupidity. Never have so many brain cells been sacrificed on the altar of toilet paper fever…

“Those efficient German types actually have a word for panic buying – hamsterkauf… Hamsters hoard stuff in their cheeks. They also have very small brains. Go figure… if you’re one of those… who have cleared the shelves of stuff to decontaminate your hands with, you’re depriving everyone else. Which means they’ll be wandering around happily infecting us all…

“Even worse are those who have purchased every painkiller they can get… people are ill with other stuff, especially little kids… this applies to almost every aspect of this latest panic pandemic. Rather than all the deliberately scaremongering headlines and ­reports I’d love to see a story telling me how many people who have contracted coronavirus survive. Thousands.

“Respiratory diseases are responsible for killing thousands of Brits every year. In 2017-18 the Office for National Statistics recorded 50,100 excess winter deaths in England and Wales which they attributed to the strain of flu that year, an ineffective vaccine and weather. Yet did that send you into a tailspin of bog roll and pasta? No. So can we all stop being hysterical… and get a grip. Just wash your hands first, okay?”

This convincing article shows indeed the absolute stupidity man is able to display.

The Fear of the Black Death

New Statesman America wrote on March 6:

“When a ship sailed into one of the ports along England’s south coast in the summer of 1348, its unwitting crew also delivered ashore the most deadly cargo to ever reach the British Isles: Yersinia pestis, a bacterium causing bubonic plague. Having erupted out of Asia, the disease had travelled along the Silk Road and torn through Europe via rats roaming merchant ships.

“The symptoms of such a virulent infection, which would devastate England’s infrastructure, were as dramatic as its spread. First a fever, cold and general flu-like symptoms, followed by blackening buboes forming in the joints, most commonly the groin or the armpits. It was these buboes that would later give the disease its nickname: the Black Death. Sometimes people survived this stage, but usually the infection would reach the bloodstream and death was inevitable – and swift.

“Over the next few months the highly infectious disease ravaged the south of England, wiping out entire towns such as Bristol, and reaching London in November 1348. By New Year’s Day 1349, the mood was apocalyptic. The panic, fear and hysteria surrounding the Black Death were unprecedented…

“Following the 1348 Black Death, three decades of recurrent epidemics halved the British population from around five million to 2.5 million, until the infection eventually slowed in 1377. There was no cure for the Black Death… The plague returned in varying degrees over the next three centuries, until its final shattering year in 1665, when it devastated England yet again, acquiring the name the Great Plague. In London alone, almost 70,000 people died…

“After 800 years of enlightenment, medical advancement, antibiotics, vaccines and information, coronavirus has resurrected our dormant fear of the Black Death.”

These 800 years of so-called “enlightenment” have not prevented ancient and modern pandemics. The Bible indicates that even the Black Death will return.

Global Arms Trade Helps Destroying the World

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 9:

“The world is in turmoil, and the global arms trade is flourishing. No country exports more military equipment than the United States. And no country buys more weapons than Saudi Arabia… since 2015, 61% more weapons have been sold to the Middle East than in the preceding five years… more than a third of all weapons traded worldwide are now manufactured in the US…

“Russia is still the second biggest arms dealer in the world, but the gap is increasing…  France has established itself as the third-biggest arms dealer, exporting 72% more military equipment from 2015-2019 than in the previous five-year period…

“Germany continues to rank fourth among the world’s most important suppliers of arms, making it one of the five countries whose exports account for more than three-quarters of global trade in military equipment. Despite this, the German government likes to say it pursues a ‘restrictive’ arms export policy. However, between 2015 and 2019 Germany’s exports rose by 17%… NATO-member Germany is also supplying significant quantities of arms to non-NATO countries, or so-called third countries…”

Shame on those who profit from killing others. God’s intervention is coming soon, and His retribution will be swift and just.

Biden’s Victory

The Associated Press wrote on March 11:

“Joe Biden decisively won Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary, seizing a key battleground state that helped propel Bernie Sanders’ insurgent candidacy four years ago. The former vice president’s victory there, as well as in Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho, dealt a serious blow to Sanders and substantially widened Biden’s path to the nomination…

“Now it is Sanders… who must contemplate a path forward. He said at a news conference in Vermont on Wednesday afternoon that he will stay in the race and plans to appear at the Democratic debate against Biden on Sunday. The Democratic National Committee also said that Sunday’s debate between Sanders and Biden would be conducted without an audience.”

 It appears that Biden will become the Democratic nominee, but he will be defeated by Trump.

Why Netanyahu Won… and Still Might have Lost

Breaking Israel News wrote on March 8:

“As last week’s third round of elections approached, it became clear that every mandate was crucial to form a majority coalition. It seemed clear that fringe right-wing Otzma Yehudit was not going to pass the minimum threshold to earn a seat in the Knesset but their votes could earn Likud another vital two seats. With that in mind, Netanyahu tried to persuade Otzma Yehudit’s leader, Itamar Ben Gvir, to drop out of the race in January…

“Less than one week before Israelis headed for the ballot boxes, Ben Gvir [revealed] the condition that would persuade him to drop out of the race and put his power behind Netanyahu.  Most prominent among those conditions was the removal of the Waqf’s authority on the Temple Mount, thereby paving the way for a Jewish return to their holiest site.

“Netanyahu refused and Likud went on to win 36 seats. Their rival, Blue and White, won 33. As expected, Otzma Yehudit did not pass the threshold, winning a mere 20,000 votes. But those votes, if applied to other right-wing parties or to Likud, would have enhanced Netanyahu’s ability to form a right-wing coalition. It now seems doubtful that this will happen…

“Netanyahu admitted that his rejection of Ben Gvir’s offer hurt the party… But Netanyahu revealed that the Temple Mount condition was indeed the deal-breaker that led him to reject Ben Gvir’s offer. ‘But he had one condition that I permit Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount… this would have ignited the Middle East and brought down the anger of one billion Muslims on us…’

“The Sanhedrin weighed in… ‘The People of Israel were commanded by HaShem, the Creator of the universe, God of Israel to sacrifice the Passover lamb on the appointed time according to the Torah and on the very site designated to do so according to our traditions,’ wrote Rabbi Dov Stein, Secretary of the Sanhedrin… ‘The Deal of the Century signed between Israel and the United States contains a pledge to support the protocols of each religion on the Temple Mount…

“‘Thus, the Jewish People, represented here by the Court of the Sanhedrin, are expecting you, Mr. Netnayahu, to allow us to sacrifice our Passover lamb on the 14th day of Nisan (April 4, 2020) in the afternoon on a suitable altar we will build on-site near the site where the Jewish Temples once stood. This is in the hope that at some time in the future the Temple itself will be built in its full glory and the entire Jewish Nation can celebrate according to the Passover Laws.’…

“‘Mr. Netanyahy turned his back on the Temple Mount knowing that it would be his downfall. And it was. The only hope Mr. Netanyahu has is to act as a leader of Israel should and to open the doors to the Temple Mount… The same will be true of Donald Trump. His ability to resist all of the forces that have come up against him is to continue to pave the way for the Third Temple.’”

The Third Temple is at the forefront of the minds of many in Israel and elsewhere. And it appears that Trump will help in building the Third Temple, and THEN, Christ will return.

Catholic Church in Germany Supports Ecumenism  

CAN wrote on March 10:

“The new president of the German bishops’ conference [Bishop Georg Bätzing] has emphasized his support for… intercommunion with Lutherans… Bishop Bätzing also claimed Pope Francis supported the controversial process…

“Asserting that ecumenism is ‘on the right track’ in Germany, Bätzing reiterated his support for a document [promoting] non-Catholics receiving the Eucharist at Catholic Mass. Bätzing also suggested in future, Christians of any denomination should simply decide on their own, individual accord if – and when to receive [communion].

“Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has dismissed the document, saying it was based on [a wrong] ‘assumption… that the Catholic Eucharistic celebration and the Protestant last supper are identical.’”

The position of the Pope is less than clear, seemingly playing to both sides of the “debate.”

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.

(Español: ¿Deberíamos tener miedo al futuro?)

In the previous two Q&As, we spoke of one of the greatest fears which we could have—the fear of man—the fearful concern what man may think about us or do to us. We also addressed other fears which we might encounter, and we began to discuss that no matter what situation we might find ourselves in, and what circumstance might tempt us to become afraid, God shows us the way of escape from fear.

We saw that when they were facing or finding themselves in an extremely difficult situation, God’s servants turned to God for help, peace, security and salvation. We also spoke of a vital key when we are in the midst of uncertainty—the conviction and persuasion that God hears us when we call on Him, and we pointed out that to allow in our minds the possibility of such powerful godly intervention requires much faith on our part—which must be accompanied, at times, with godly encouragement.

When Paul and his companions were in a ship on the ocean and being confronted with a terrible storm which appeared likely to kill them all, God gave Paul a powerful encouraging promise. God might not act in exactly the same way with us today, but we need to know that God is there and able and willing to encourage us in ways which we would be able to understand.

We read in Acts 27:18-25:

“And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands. Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, ‘Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.” Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.’”

Paul had the absolute faith that God would intervene and protect and save him and his companions. One might say that this was an unusual circumstance in that God only saved Paul at that time because He wanted Paul to appear in Rome before Caesar, but this argument would miss the mark.

We find almost identical circumstances in the life of the original twelve apostles at the time when Jesus was dwelling with them as a Man.

We read in Mark 4:35-40:

“On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’”

They were lacking faith—having no faith at all—and as a consequence, they were fearful. Christ asked the question whether He would find faith on the earth upon His return. Without faith, we will be afraid. And even without enough faith, we will be fearful.

In another situation, we find the following, as recorded in Matthew 8:23-27:

“Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ But He said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”

Here, Christ is telling them that they did not have enough faith, which explained their fearfulness. Although the records in Matthew and Mark sound similar, they are not identical, but depict two separate events. Matthew describes a “tempest” or a shaking—a seaquake—, while Mark speaks of a “windstorm” or a whirlwind or a hurricane. The disciples showed and expressed fear in both incidents, lacking faith completely or not having enough faith.

Again, one might respond that Christ only saved the disciples at that time as He had plans for them. The Bible does not say this; and in addition, Christ has plans for every one of us whom He has called to salvation in this day and age.

We need faith in God to conquer fear. Christ tells us in John 14:1: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

This belief in God can be undermined when we are surrounded by evil occurrences or when we hear false or even correct rumors. These physical circumstances can undermine and destroy our faith, when we are not careful.

In Mark 5, we find an interesting example. Beginning in verse 22, we read:

“And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.’ So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.”

But while on the way, “some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’” (verse 35).

But Jesus was already on the way to heal the daughter. All seemed lost, when the terrible news came, but Jesus gave the following encouraging words to the father, in verse 36: “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe.’” And so, He went and resurrected the daughter who had in fact died. With God, nothing is impossible—even when it might appear to our limited understanding that nothing could be done. Rather than being discouraged by negative false rumors or even seemingly devastating statements of fact, we are to continue to believe in God and His help.

When we have no faith or not enough faith, we will fear. We must believe in God and His help. But the ultimate faith of which we speak and which is required to conquer all fear is not something which originates within us and which we can create. It is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).

Faith, hope and love belong together (1 Corinthians 13:13). And so, we will also fear if we do not have enough love. And we are not talking about some theoretical and esoteric concept of “love.” Rather, 1 John 5:3 tells us: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” With that kind of godly love, we will conquer fear. 1 John 4:18 says:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Fear involves torment, or is afraid of the penalty to be expected for violating God’s Law and not repenting of it, but the concept of love and lack of fear goes even deeper. When God’s love is in us, which is manifested by our obedience to His Word, then we know that nothing can and will happen to us which God, who is a God of love (1 John 4:8), will not allow, and everything will work out for our own good (Romans 8:28) .

How can God’s love be in us? The answer is given in Romans 5:5: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit [which] was given to us.”

God’s Holy Spirit in us gives us God’s love (the first of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23), as well as God’s faith (another characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit), and it also gives us God’s hope which does not disappoint. With God’s Spirit in us, we will conquer all fear.

God describes His Spirit in us in this way in 2 Timothy 1:7: “… God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

With the Holy Spirit in us, we will have God’s peace (the third characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit). Christ had the Holy Spirit of the Father in Him, which destroyed all fear and which enabled Him to sleep in a boat when it was threatened by earthquakes and hurricanes.

We read in Psalm 119:165: “Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.” This peace is a gift from God which Christ will share with us, as He said in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” And with that mindset, we conquer fear and can even have joy (the second characteristic of God’s Spirit) in the face of adversity.

We are told that even when we find ourselves in big trouble, we have no reason to be afraid, always knowing that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and that we must allow and agree with the fact that His Will must be done in our lives.  But with God’s Spirit in us, we will conquer fear and anxiety.

Some converted Christians might feel fear and anxiety for their unconverted loved ones—especially in the face of the terrible events which are prophesied to occur very soon in the unparalleled awful Great Tribulation.

But we must remember that our unconverted young children and even our unconverted mates who are not hostile to God and who are willing to dwell with us in peace are “sanctified” or “holy” in the eyes of God (1 Corinthians 7:14). And as God promises His faithful people protection from the evil days to come to test everyone on earth, so God DOES promise protection for them as well.

We read in Proverbs 14:26: “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.”

When God brought Israel out of Egyptian slavery, He allowed others to accompany them. Exodus 12:38 says: “A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock.”

We must also not forget that God hears our prayers for others. Moses prayed repeatedly to God for the people of Israel when they had sinned and God was about to destroy them, but because of Moses’ plea, God heard his prayers and relented. Abraham prayed for the people of Sodom, and God would have heard him and He would have refrained from destroying Sodom, if there had been at least 10 righteous people in the city.

God listens to our intercessory prayers—especially for our brethren and even our unconverted loved ones. We read in 2 Thessalonians 3:1, 3: “Finally, brethren, pray for us…  the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”

Paul says in Romans 15:30: “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me…”

Also in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11: “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.”

As Paul asked the brethren to pray for him, so we in the ministry are asking the same of you today.

God will not allow evil to come upon us that we would not be able to bear—and that includes evil for our children and unconverted loved ones. As we are in God’s hands, there is no reason to be afraid or to fear. But this lack of fear we can only have if we know—and we know that we know—that God is with us; that His Spirit is in us; and that He helps us and protects us.

Fear will hinder us to stand up boldly for God without compromise or shrinking back, and it will hinder us from proclaiming God’s whole counsel (Acts 20:27). It will prevent us from keeping His Law. Unless we conquer fear with God’s boldness and courage, His love and His faith, it will ultimately destroy us in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8 Authorized Version).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

The final text of our new book on the Ten Commandments has been sent to graphic artist Shelly Bruno in preparation for printing.

“Gottes Sendschreiben an Seine Kirche (Teil 2),” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “God’s Letters to His Church (Part 2).”

“Können wahre Christen glücklich sein?”, the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Djmitry Niemann, is now posted. Title in English: “True Christians Can be Happy.”

“The Coronavirus and the Migrant Crisis–Comments on News and Prophecy ( March 7, 2020),” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Europe and especially Germany are facing a most serious challenge in form of another migrant crisis, while the hysterical reactions to the coronavirus outbreak are reaching astronomical proportions. At the same time, it has been stated by experts that within the next 18 months, 65 million people might die of the virus. The global economy is already at the brink of recession, if not depression, and there is fear that another pandemic, much more deadly than the coronavirus, is on the horizon.

“The Heart of God,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Does God have a heart? What does it mean to put your whole heart into something?

• Initial information about our 2020 Feast sites (US and Germany) is posted on our website along with contact information.
• The 2020 Church Conference is scheduled to be conducted in Escondido, California. Arrival is scheduled to be Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and departure is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2020.