On February 1, 2020, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (February 1, 2020),” and Norbert Link will also present the sermon, titled, “What Does the Bible Reveal about the Third Temple Prior to Christ’s Return?”

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.

When people die, depending on what they have accomplished in this life, they leave behind a legacy. Some people achieve much in their short time here on this earth but others not as much. It really depends on the effort, the vision they keep in mind, and the amount of zeal used to go after what they set their eyes on. Some people seem to inspire more and have a greater effect on others. And it seems that they are those who know what they want and go for it, while they are ignoring everything else, which might detract them, in pursuit of greatness.

It is inspiring to see people live their lives to the fullest. They seem to exude courage and strength. They also invest much work into what they are trying to achieve. They are relentless in what they want to accomplish. Setbacks happen to them, but they power through and keep pushing forward. History is littered with these types of people, and they are often studied and talked about as those whom everyone can aspire to be like.

For the most part, true Christians are not among the rich and famous.  They are not the elite of the world. They are usually not those who have several huge houses, tons of money and are well-known around the world. In fact, many times just the opposite seems to be true.

In 1 Corinthians 1:20-30, Paul rightly identifies members as those who do not belong to the great of this world. And the reason is that we have to learn how to glorify God; how to lean on Him for godly greatness and wisdom. Yes, with God’s help, we can and must become truly wise in His eyes in whatever we choose to pursue, knowing that in the end, this worldly wisdom is passing away (Philippians 3:8-10). It is hard at times to look at this world and see all the amazing or interesting things that people are doing or accomplishing. But it warrants the realization that a lot of times we get to see the “best” that people put forward. We don’t get to see the suffering and pain that they may go through. We need to realize that we must look at everything in context.

When we look at this world and solely focus on it, we lose focus on the Bible and its wisdom. It is so easy to get caught up and feel miserable because we are “missing out” or don’t have what others seem to have. But what we choose to build at this time is up to us (Matthew 7:24-27). God lets us choose how much we want to seek Him and how much we want to change. When we choose properly, circumstances start to change for us. When we start to leave behind our foolish desires and search after God with our whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13), then God can change our hearts (Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26; Hebrews 8:10). He can start to give us good things, maybe even some of the things we may not necessarily need, but we would like to have (Psalm 37:1-40).

We ought to realize that this present evil world is not going to be here for much longer. Our time grows shorter (Romans 13:11). So what do we choose? How do we become wise? James 3:13-18 warns us to be aware and constantly on guard against the wisdom of this world and the pulls of our own flesh. It is not so uncommon as we might like to think. We each have been guilty of behaving like this at times.

Our legacy as Christians is to remain on the path and finish the work assigned to each of us. It has to do with our mindset. Our legacy is about being faithful till the end—being faithful with what we have been given.

There is nothing in this life that is worth anything unless it has been given to us by God (John 14:27; Matthew 11:28-30; Jeremiah 42:12; James 1:1-27). We should take the time to read Scriptures like the ones mentioned herein; meditate on them; pray about them; and make every effort so that our entrance into the Kingdom of God will be supplied. Peter’s words in 2 Peter 1:3-11 are important in this context, because possessing godly qualities in increasing measure is the key. With God’s help, all of us are capable of this.

As we know, it is a matter of overcoming our own selves with our doubts, weaknesses and insecurities, as well as Satan and this evil world, while laying hold of what God’s Word says. When we do this properly, we WILL see progress. We will understand more and more as to what is right. We ought to try it out. James 2:24 and Philippians 2:12 warn us that we have to be working DAILY on our character. We have to be those who are laying it all on the line each day. When we do this, it doesn’t matter if we live or die, because we know that we are in God’s hands (Romans 14:8). And then we will die with the understanding that we will have left behind our true legacy (Revelation 2:26; 3:21; 20:4,6; Daniel 7:18, 22, 27).

by Norbert Link

We begin with serious reports about the new coronavirus which originated in China, apparently due to irresponsible and sickening human conduct, and which has by now spread to many countries around the world; report on several powerful earthquakes which struck within the last few days; point out that American troops were injured during the missile strikes by Iran on a base in Iraq, “totally belying President Donald Trump’s initial claim that no Americans were harmed” and prompting the largest Veterans organization in the USA to demand an apology from Trump for belittling the injuries.

We continue to speak on the explosive situation in Iraq and Iran and on Trump’s “deal of the century” peace plan which is dead on arrival, with absolutely NO chance for success.

We speak on Russia’s ongoing persecution of religious minorities; and address the rocky relationship between the UK and the EU which made Brexit inevitable. For much more information on this development, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “BREXIT DONE! The UK GONE! Was It Inevitable?” 

We address an unusual locust plague in parts of Africa; an interesting development in Germany’s Protestant Church regarding Carnival celebrations for children; the continuing rivalry between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis and their respective supporters.

We speak on corrupt Italy; right-wing extremism in Germany and the failure to learn from history; and the startling announcement that the doomsday clock has moved within 100 seconds of midnight (midnight meaning the end of the world as we know it).

We speak on Trump’s participation in the anti-abortion “March to Life,” during which he gave lip service to the opposition of abortion (but not totally); while scoring a victory by the Republican majority within the Supreme Court pertaining to his unchristian immigration policy about the new “public charge rule.”  

We conclude with a remarkable article about the Third Temple and the developing history of Muslim thinking regarding Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

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

The New Coronavirus

The Sun wrote on January 25:

“[Surgeon] Dr Liang Wudong, 62, passed away today after becoming struck down with the deadly virus on January 16… Dr Wudong [was]  the 41st person to die from the disease with [almost 6,000] cases reported in China alone [and with 56 million people now on lockdown]. [Internationally, almost 10,000 cases have been reported.] [It was also reported a second doctor, Jiang Jijun died from a heart attack while treating the afflicted. It is not yet known if the infectious disease specialist died as a result of the coronavirus or from exhaustion. Reportedly, a doctor in France died of the disease as well.]

“Vietnam, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong all now have confirmed cases — alongside the US, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. France yesterday confirmed three cases and Australia one – with all patients returning from Wuhan… experts have now warned Britain is on the brink of an epidemic… [In the meantime, at least four cases have surfaced in Germany. The disease has been identified in at least 18 countries. Over 200 people have died so far.]

“And the bleak prediction reveals [that] by February 4, the number of infected people in Wuhan [which has a population of 11 million] could hit [in excess of 350,000]. Preliminary research suggested the coronavirus [originated] at Wuhan’s seafood market… which sold live koalas, snakes, rats and wolf pups to locals to eat. [It]has since been shut down while an investigation is carried out.”

The Daily Mail added on January 25:

“Disturbing footage shows [a] diner calmly dipping a baby MOUSE in a bowl of sauce before eating it alive as part of [a] banned Chinese delicacy known as ‘Three Squeaks’.”

Absolutely disgusting!

In another article, the Sun wrote on January 25:

“The killer coronavirus was spread from bats to snakes to humans, experts have claimed.

“A new study published in the China Science Bulletin this week claimed that the new coronavirus shared a strain of virus found in bats. Previous deadly outbreaks of SARS and Ebola were also believed to have originated in the flying mammal…

“Meanwhile, scientists at Peking University also claim that the deadly virus was passed to humans from bats – but say it was through a mutation in snakes… It meant that they likely provided a ‘reservoir’ for the viral strain to grow stronger and replicate. Snakes are sold at the Huanan Seafood Market in central Wuhan and may have jumped to other animals before passing to humans, they claim… The expert believes that the new strain was an RNA virus, meaning that its mutation speed was 100 times faster than that of a DNA virus such as smallpox.”

Some irresponsible articles in the mass media try to minimize the dangers of the new virus, suggesting that it only affects older and weak people. This is demonstrably not the case, and such denial is not only unhelpful and ignorant, but very dangerous.

Will 65 Million People Die of Coronavirus Pandemic?

Business Insider wrote January 23:

“Health experts issued an ominous warning about a coronavirus pandemic 3 months ago…

“Eric Toner, a scientist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, wasn’t shocked when news of a mysterious coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, surfaced in early January. Less than three months earlier, Toner had staged a simulation of a global pandemic involving a coronavirus…

“Toner’s simulation imagined a fictional virus called CAPS. The analysis… looked at what would happen if a pandemic originated in Brazil’s pig farms… The virus in Toner’s simulation… would be deadlier than SARS, but about as easy to catch as the flu.

“The pretend outbreak started small: Farmers began coming down with symptoms that resembled the flu or pneumonia. From there, the virus spread to crowded and impoverished urban neighborhoods in South America. Flights were canceled, and travel bookings dipped by 45%… A year later, it had killed 65 million people. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, by contrast, claimed as many as 50 million lives.

“Toner’s simulated pandemic also triggered a global financial crisis: Stock markets fell by 20% to 40%, and global gross domestic product plunged by 11%… [Toner said] that the Wuhan coronavirus could also have significant economic effects if the total number of cases hits the thousands…

“In the CAPS simulation, scientists were unable to develop a vaccine in time to stop a pandemic. That’s a realistic assumption: Even real coronaviruses like SARS or MERS… still don’t have vaccines… ‘It’s part of the world we live in now,’ Toner said. ‘We’re in an age of epidemics.’”

The Bible predicts that in the end time, millions upon millions will die of pandemics. See our new Q&A in this issue.

Allowing the Alteration of Germs

In light of the recent developments, the following older article by the New York Times, dated December 19, 2017, gains horrible morbid importance:

“Federal officials on Tuesday ended a moratorium imposed three years ago on funding research that alters germs to make them more lethal… Some scientists are eager to pursue these studies because they may show, for example, how a bird flu could mutate to more easily infect humans, or could yield clues to making a better vaccine [that is always the excuse for such horrible conduct]. Critics say these researchers risk creating a monster germ that could escape the lab and seed a pandemic…

“In October 2014, all federal funding was halted on efforts to make three viruses more dangerous: the flu virus, and those causing Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). But the new regulations apply to any pathogen that could potentially cause a pandemic. For example, they would apply to a request to create an Ebola virus transmissible through the air…

“There has been a long, fierce debate about projects — known as ‘gain of function’ research — intended to make pathogens more deadly or more transmissible… In 2011, an outcry arose when laboratories in Wisconsin and the Netherlands revealed that they were trying to mutate the lethal H5N1 bird flu in ways that would let it jump easily between ferrets, which are used to model human flu susceptibility. Tensions rose in 2014 after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accidentally exposed lab workers to anthrax and shipped a deadly flu virus to a laboratory that had asked for a benign strain. That year, the N.I.H. also found vials of smallpox in a freezer that had been forgotten for 50 years.

“When the moratorium was imposed, it effectively halted 21 projects… In the three years since, the N.I.H. created exceptions that funded ten of those projects. Five were flu-related, and five concerned the MERS virus. That virus is a coronavirus carried by camels that has infected about 2,100 people since it was discovered in 2012, and has killed about a third of them, according to the World Health Organization.”

It has been speculated and suggested that the Chinese new coronavirus had been manufactured in Chinese laboratories and then “escaped” by first infecting animals, such as bats or snakes. Sadly, this is a real possibility.

Powerful Earthquakes Strike

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 24:

“A powerful 6.8 [or 6.7] magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Friday, killing at least [41] people and injuring over [1,600] others… Some [390] aftershocks were recorded in the wake of the earthquake, with one clocking in at 5.4 magnitude…

“Turkey has a history of being rocked by powerful earthquakes. Thousands of people were killed and many more displaced when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the western city of Izmit in 1999. In 2011, more than 500 people were killed by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in the eastern city of Van.”

The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers search for survivors under the rubble in freezing winter conditions, as the temperature dropped to -8C (17.6F).

The Associated Press reported on January 27:

“An undersea earthquake with preliminary magnitude 5.2 occurred Tuesday off the Aegean Sea island of Karpathos… in an area close to the Greek resort islands of Rhodes and Crete.”

The Associated Press reported on January 28:

“A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond… the epicenter was… 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the surface.”

American Troops WERE Injured by Iran’s Attack

Reuters wrote on January 24:

“The Pentagon said on Friday that 34 service members had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following missile strikes by Iran on a base in Iraq earlier this month, a number higher than the military had previously announced. President Donald Trump and other top officials initially said Iran’s attack had not killed or injured any U.S. service members…

“[Pentagon’s] …handling of the injuries… has renewed questions over the U.S. military’s policy regarding how it deals with suspected brain injuries. While the U.S. military has to immediately report incidents threatening life, limb or eyesight, it does not have an urgent requirement to do so with suspected traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which can take time to manifest and diagnose… According to Pentagon data, about 408,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury since 2000.”

Several articles pointed out that the Pentagon has a “credibility problem,” in that they were very slow to admit these serious injuries. This could also pose a potential problem for Trump as he had said that the USA would retaliate militarily if American troops were to be injured or killed in Iran’s attack.

Newsmax added on January 28:

“The Pentagon on Tuesday raised to 50 the number of U.S. service members who suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iran’s missile strike earlier this month on an Iraqi air base, the third time the number of injuries has been increased.

“The new casualty total belies President Donald Trump’s initial claim that no Americans were harmed.”

Veterans Demand Apology from Trump

Newsmax wrote on January 24:

“Trump referred to the injuries as ‘headaches’ and ‘not very serious.’

“‘In light of today’s announcement from the defense department that 34 U.S. service members suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of Iran’s retaliatory strike and President Trump’s remarks which minimized these troops’ injuries, the Veterans of Foreign Wars cannot stand idle on this matter,’ group national commander William ‘Doc’ Schmitz said in a statement. [Schmitz represents the largest Veterans organization in the USA.]

“‘TBI is a serious injury and one that cannot be taken lightly. TBI is known to cause depression, memory loss, severe headaches, dizziness and fatigue — all injuries that come with both short- and long-term effects. The VFW expects an apology from the president to our servicemen and women for his misguided remarks.’”

Trump needs the support and the votes of the Veterans.

Iraq Wants US Troops Out

The Associated Press wrote on January 23:

“Waving national flags and banners denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump, tens of thousands of Iraqis marched peacefully through Baghdad on Friday to demand the ouster of U.S. troops from their country in a protest organized by [Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most revered Shiite cleric]…

“Al-Sadr, whose party won the most seats in the May 2018 parliamentary elections, had called the rally to demand the withdrawal of American troops following the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike near Baghdad’s airport that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The killing drew the ire of Iraqi officials from across the political spectrum.”

 It is only a matter of time until America will withdraw its troops from Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries.

Standing Up to Iran

Times of Israel wrote on January 24:

“US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday vowed to maintain pressure on Tehran and announced fresh sanctions against firms based in China, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates that conduct business with Iran… [by] operating in Iran’s oil and petrochemical sectors…

“US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday in Jerusalem called for the world to stand up to Iran, drawing a parallel between the Islamic Republic and Nazi Germany… Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged action against ‘the tyrants of Tehran,’ comparing what he considers the Iranian threat to the one that was posed by the Nazis.”

JTA added on January 23:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed gratitude for the Allied war to defeat Nazi Germany, even as he claimed the world had ‘largely’ abandoned the Jews during the Holocaust… ‘I am concerned that we have yet to see a unified and resolute stance against the most anti-Semitic regime on the planet – a regime that openly seeks to develop nuclear weapons and annihilate the one and only Jewish state,’ Netanyahu said, referencing Iran.”

The “world” will abandon the Jews once again.

Trump’s Middle East Peace Plan… Dead on Arrival

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 28:

“Three years in the making, the ‘Deal of the Century,’ US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, has finally been revealed…

“The Palestinians will have a capital in east Jerusalem based on northern and eastern neighborhoods that are outside the Israeli security barrier… Otherwise, Trump said Jerusalem will remain undivided as Israel’s capital…

“Israel will retain the Jordan Valley and all Israeli settlements in the West Bank in the broadest definition possible…

“Israel will be in control of security from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea…

“The plan does not include immediate recognition of a Palestinian state; rather, it expects a willingness on Israel’s part to create a pathway toward Palestinian statehood based on specific territory, which is about 70% of Judea and Samaria… The state will only come into existence in four years if the Palestinians accept the plan, if the Palestinian Authority stops paying terrorists and inciting terrorism and if Hamas and Islamic Jihad put down their weapons…”

This “plan” has not the slightest chance of success.

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 28:

“Massive criticism is expected from Arab and Muslim leaders, even though not all of it will be genuine. Extremist elements, meanwhile, will happily instrumentalize this plan to carry out terrorist attacks and perpetrate violence. None of this will do anything to bring peace to the Middle East.”

Those who worked on this peace plan for three years have been wasting their time. The Bible prophesies that they will say “Peace, peace,” but that there will be no peace.

Russia’s Persecution of Religious Minorities

The Associated Press wrote on January 23:

“A court in northern Russia on Friday fined two Jehovah’s Witnesses convicted of extremism related to their membership of the religious group… [They] were fined the equivalent of $4,850 and $5,600 for ‘carrying out activities of the religious organization by calling and holding meetings’ and ‘collecting money under the guise of fundraising.’

“Russia officially banned Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2017 and declared the group an extremist organization. The Kremlin has actively used vaguely worded extremism laws to crack down on opposition activists and religious minorities… Since 2017, Russian law enforcement have targeted hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses across the country, raiding their homes and arresting them on extremism charges. Thirty-four members of the group have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms so far, with almost 300 people currently being investigated…”

And again, the world stands idly by in silence in the face of Russia’s unconscionable atrocities, as it did when witnessing the horrors of Nazi Germany.

Britain to Leave

The Associated Press wrote on January 24:

“Britain’s delayed and disputed Brexit bill became law on Thursday, removing the last UK obstacle to the country leaving the European Union in just over a week… the Withdrawal Agreement Act… received royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II, the final formality in its legislative journey…

“The EU Parliament’s constitutional affairs committee voted by a large margin Thursday to approve the Brexit withdrawal deal, preparing the way for a vote of all European lawmakers in Brussels next Wednesday… [See next article below.]

“After the royal assent was announced, Scottish National Party lawmaker Ian Blackford said the UK was in a ‘constitutional crisis’ because the legislatures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland did not back the Brexit bill… Guy Verhofstadt, the leading EU lawmaker on Brexit, said the bloc’s parliament would continue to scrutinize the way Britain implemented the divorce agreement — especially to ensure that the rights of EU citizens living in the UK are protected after Brexit.”

All of this will clearly create more trouble for the UK’s unity and its already fragile relationship with Europe.

Brexit Done—“History Made”

 Express wrote on January 30:

 “THE European Parliament last night brought the curtain down on Brexit, paving the way for Britain to leave the bloc on Friday.

“Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage celebrated the UK’s divorce… Of the deal, Mr Farage said: ‘… The most significant point is what happens at 11pm this Friday marks the point of no return. Once we’ve left we are never coming back and the rest frankly is detail. We’re going, we will be gone.’”

How Europe Threatens the UK

The Independent wrote on January 22:

“The UK’s access to the single market will be weakened if it does not continue to sign up to EU rules after Brexit, Ursula von der Leyen has said… the European Commission’s president warned of ‘more distance’ between the UK and EU if such a state of affairs came about… Her comments came as the chancellor, Sajid Javid, said there was ‘no point’ in leaving the EU unless the UK was going to ditch the Brussels rule book…

“The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has set himself a deadline of reaching a trade deal by the end of the transition period in December. If one is not secured by that point, UK firms will face tariffs and quotas that could wreck their businesses…”

The relationship between the UK and the EU will become much more hostile.

A Look Back at the Rocky Relationship between Europe and Britain

The Guardian wrote on January 26:

“Last week, with the end of the UK’s 47-year membership of the club of European nations just days away, I looked back at some newspaper cuttings from my time as a Brussels correspondent… ‘British beef banned in Europe. Cattle prices fall. School meals hit. EU “rules” broken.’ Among the many crises in British relations with the EU down the years – from Margaret Thatcher’s bust-up over the European budget in the early 1980s to the UK’s exit from the ERM in 1992 – the beef war between London and Brussels ranks among the biggest.

“It was 29 March, 1996, and the European commission had just announced a worldwide ban on the export of British beef. The EU’s executive opted for decisive action after the Tory government admitted there could be a link between ‘mad cow’ disease and the mutant strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which could kill humans…

“When the European commission dropped its bombshell, France and Germany had already imposed their own unilateral bans on British beef. UK ministers had announced that millions of cattle across the UK would have to be slaughtered. Thousands of schools took meat off their lunch menus. Beef prices tumbled. Inevitably, in those testy post-Maastricht days of Tory rows over Europe, Eurosceptic MPs blamed the Europeans. The late Sir Teddy Taylor, a hardline anti-EU campaigner on the Conservative backbenches, urged retaliation in the form of a ban on French wine and French beef, while Bill Cash, still a Tory MP to this day, wanted to take the European commission to court.

“Throughout that spring and summer, the crisis widened. This was a time when the ambitions of the EU’s true believers in Brussels, Bonn and Paris were at their height. Helmut Kohl and Jacques Chirac were planning the launch of the euro… leaders were preparing also to admit several countries of former communist eastern Europe. The enlargement project was one of which the UK thoroughly approved…

“But John Major, who had launched his premiership in 1990 with a promise to put Britain ‘at the heart of Europe’, found himself trapped politically as the BSE disaster worsened. The rightwing tabloids were in full anti-EU cry, demanding he fight the beef ban… In an editorial at the end of March, the Sun warned that the survival of an independent UK, no less, was at stake: ‘If Brussels has the power to stop Britain from selling a product anywhere in the world, then we are no longer an independent sovereign nation with control over our own affairs,’ the paper said…

“On 21 May, Major… announced that the UK would refuse to co-operate in EU meetings until further notice. British non-co-operation with Europe – and its policies – had become official policy… In areas where British ministers had a veto in council meetings, non-co-operation meant they would effectively be blocking EU decisions, thwarting European plans for deeper integration…

“Non co-operation quickly took relations between London and Brussels to a historic low. For the first time in more than two decades serious questions were being asked about Britain’s membership, publicly, by senior British and European politicians. The beef crisis in itself was an isolated, very specific issue. But the way it had spiralled had highlighted deep faultlines in a relationship between a member state determined not to cede powers, and much of whose media was virulently anti-Brussels, and the proponents of a postwar European project that had as its entire purpose the unification of Europe, and the necessary surrender by participants of ever more sovereignty to the centre.

“EU leaders were beginning to wonder if the UK could continue as a full member if it was prepared to put spanners in the works of integration whenever it had a grievance…

“This coming Friday, 31 January, at midnight in Brussels, and 11pm UK time, it will all be over. The worst fears of the pro-Europeans here and on the continent will have been realised… The UK will be out… Could it have worked? If so, was the EU or the UK, or were both, to blame? Which British and EU leaders fell short? Or was it always doomed to failure?…

“As we prepare to leave, I asked diplomats, politicians, journalists on both sides of the channel why they thought Brexit had come to pass and they cited a multitude of reasons. The deep differences in postwar attitudes between the UK and its European partners; poor leadership in the EU and UK; a constantly hostile British media, and sheer bad luck and timing… The German MP Norbert Röttgen, who chairs the foreign affairs committee in the Bundestag, suggested the idea of the UK leaving was always so alien and nightmarish for EU leaders that they blinded themselves to the warning signals. By the time of the 2016 referendum the chance to find compromise had been lost… Röttgen knows, as does everyone, that it was the entire European political class that failed to stop the ‘unimaginable’ happening… These are perilous times…”

Brexit was inevitable. It had nothing to do with “sheer bad luck” or “bad timing,” but it was preordained to happen. The EU-UK cooperation was “doomed to failure.” The Bible says so, and we have been proclaiming this for decades.

For much more information, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “BREXIT DONE! The UK GONE! Was It Inevitable?”  

Billions of Locusts Devastate Parts of Africa

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 24:

“A locust invasion in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia has left crops devastated. It is the biggest swarm in decades, with [200] billions of the ravenous insects nibbling their way through the already climate-ravaged region…

“For Ethiopia and Somalia, the infestation is the biggest in 25 years, and for Kenya it is the greatest swarm in 70 years… A locust consumes their own weight in food every day… The insects could ‘reproduce rapidly and, if left unchecked, their current numbers could grow 500 times by June,’ spreading to Uganda and South Uganda…

“In an already vulnerable region with high levels of poverty, the locusts can further devastate crops, resulting in ‘a major food security problem’… The locusts… were the latest symptom of extreme weather conditions that also saw a 2019 drought end in one of the wettest rainy seasons in four decades in parts of East Africa, with mass floods killing hundreds. The year 2019 witnessed eight cyclones, the most in a single year since 1976.”

This most recent event has been described as an “unprecedented plague.”

No Carnival for Children in Germany’s Protestant Church

Bild Online reported on January 24 that Bishop Otfried July who is responsible for 1,200 congregations of the Protestant Church in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, cancelled carnival celebrations for their Kindertagesstätten (day-care centers), questioning the “compatibility between carnival and Christian values.”

Many parents were upset, and the Catholic Church voiced opposition to the prohibition, stating that they will continue celebrating carnival. Carnival is of course a Catholic invention based on pagan beliefs and practices.

Pope Francis vs. Pope Benedict

Express wrote on January 24:

“POPE FRANCIS has once again faced significant opposition after Benedict XVI slammed a new Vatican policy in a co-authored book before trying to remove his name from the text. Now, the current head of the Catholic Church is aiming to diminish his predecessor’s influence as he replaces a high-profile Benedict ally with one of his own backers… The New York Times reported yesterday that Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia, who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011, has stepped down from his role.

“Archbishop Chaput has long been known as a traditionalist in the Catholic Church, and represented one of the many critics of Pope Francis in the US. The Argentine Pope announced this week that he had accepted the resignation and would take the opportunity to promote one of his backers in Philadelphia.

“Archbishop Chaput became a key figure in the traditionalist half of the Church, supporting the denial of communion to Catholic politicians who back abortion rights and opposing legalisation in support of gay marriage.

“Anti-Francis figures have launched numerous offensives on both his policy and his character, with one group of traditionalists even penning a book titled ‘The Dictator Pope’. Pope Francis also came under fire from Catholic Church critics when he welcomed Amazonian bishops to the Vatican last year. Following the visit, a letter was published by conservative rivals who scathingly referred to the Pope’s actions as ‘sacrilegious’. His critics took opposition to his proposed policy of allowing married men to become bishops in the Amazon.

“It read: ‘We respectfully ask Pope Francis to repent publicly and unambiguously of these objectively grave sins and of all the public offences that he has committed against God and the true religion, and to make reparation for these offences.’”

The Associated Press wrote on January 25:

“A Vatican cardinal [Cardinal Robert Sarah who heads the Vatican’s liturgical office] at the center of a storm over a book about celibacy and the Catholic priesthood is denouncing the ‘brutality’ of criticism directed at him and his collaborator, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI…

“Sarah, a Guinean prelate who is a hero to the church’s conservative and traditionalist wing, has insisted he remains obedient to Francis. But the two have clashed repeatedly, and the Vatican under the progressive Francis has found itself in the unusual position of issuing public corrections of Sarah’s positions. The Holy See, for example, intervened in 2016 after Sarah told a London liturgical conference that it was ‘very important’ for the church to return ‘as soon as possible’ to its old practice of the priest celebrating Mass facing east, with his back to the faithful… A year later, Francis publicly reprimanded Sarah for misinterpreting a new instruction giving bishops’ conferences the right to translate Mass missals…

“Sarah is due to offer his resignation to Francis in June when he turns 75, the mandatory retirement age for Catholic bishops.”

The controversy in the Catholic Church will not end any time soon, and it might contribute to explosive events mirroring occurrences which happened in the past.

Corrupt Italy

The Local wrote on January 24:

“Italy is still seen as one of Europe’s most corrupt countries… Italy ranked alongside Saudi Arabia and Rwanda… when it comes to perceived corruption in an annual index by Transparency International… the study ranks perceptions of official corruption levels around the world… [Italy improved slightly since 2018, but] analysts say they’ll be watching Italy closely as they say the trend could easily go into reverse… the list does not make any claims as to the actual level of corruption in a given country, but rather how much corruption people believe there is…

“According to the report, Italians believe the two most corrupt institutions in the country are political parties and parliament itself. Italy once again comes in far behind its northern European neighbours in the corruption stakes. Scandinavia dominated the top spots, with Denmark once again considered the world’s least corrupt country. Together with New Zealand, Denmark received 87 points, making the two countries the best placed on the list. Finland is 3rd on this year’s list, with Nordic neighbours Sweden and Norway in joint 4th and 7th respectively. The United Kingdom came 12th and the United States 23rd. Neighbouring Spain also outdid Italy with a score of 62, as did Portugal (64), and Malta (54). At the bottom of the European table, Hungary scored 46, Greece 45, and Bulgaria came in last with 42…

“The index… does not relate to corruption in the private sector, including money laundering and tax fraud.”

The perception of Italy’s corruption might lead to the rise of a strong political figure who will falsely claim to bring back honesty and reliability to the people.

Right-Wing Extremism in the German Army

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 26:

 “The head of Germany’s military intelligence service has confirmed hundreds of new investigations into soldiers with extremist right-wing leanings. Germany’s elite special forces unit appears to be a particular hotbed. Numerous cases of extremism in the German military and among other security forces have been brought to light in recent years…

“An additional 360 cases of suspected right-wing extremism were registered in 2019… Cases of suspected extremism were particularly concentrated among an elite unit known as Special Forces Command or KSK… The number of cases in the KSK also doubled in comparison with the start of 2019, he added.”

These are alarming developments which should wake everybody up.

Learning from History?

Times of Israel wrote on January 23:

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Thursday that his nation had not fully learned the lessons of the Holocaust, as Jew-hatred was still growing… Steinmeier expressed concern over continued anti-Semitism, noting a pattern of attacks on Jews in Germany, highlighting a shooting in October on a synagogue in the German city of Halle.

“‘I wish I could say that we Germans have learnt from history once and for all. But I cannot say that when hatred is spreading,’ he said. ‘I cannot say that when Jewish children are spat on in the schoolyard. I cannot say that when crude anti-Semitism is cloaked in supposed criticism of Israeli policy. I cannot say that when only a thick wooden door prevents a right-wing terrorist from causing a bloodbath in a synagogue in the city of Halle on Yom Kippur.’…

“Steinmeier vowed to combat anti-Semitism, as well as ‘the poison that is nationalism.’…

“Speaking before Steinmeier, French President Emmanuel Macron praised world leaders for coming together to remember the Holocaust… The French leader said: ‘After all that has passed, anti-Semitism and the scourge of anti-Semitism has returned, and with it, xenophobia and intolerance have also raised their ugly heads.’”

The German conservative mass tabloid Bild Online published a biting editorial stating that Germans have not learned anything at all from history, and that the silent reaction to Steinmeier’s words proves that.

Further, that it is a shame and manifestation of total disinterest that after all these years, we still do not know the names of most of the preparators who were responsible for the horrible Holocaust.

Doomsday Clock Moves within 100 Seconds of Midnight

npr wrote on January 23:

“Two years after moving the metaphorical minute hand of its Doomsday Clock to within two minutes of midnight — a figurative two-minute warning for all humanity — the science and security board…  revealed Thursday that it has moved that minute hand another 20 seconds closer to the midnight hour. ‘It is 100 seconds to midnight,’ declared the [board’s] president and CEO… Never since the clock’s 1947 Cold War debut has it come so close to the putative doomsday annihilation represented by the 12 a.m. hour.

“[There are] 13 Nobel laureates on its board. [It was] founded by scientists who worked on the atomic bomb-building Manhattan Project during World War II…”

We are much closer to the end of this present evil age than most people think.

March of Life

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 26:

“On Friday, President Trump stood before a crowd of an estimated 100,000 people and became the first U.S. president to address the 47th annual March of Life in Washington D.C., invoking ‘God’ eight times in his speech. His address was emphatically faith-based as he opened his speech by declaring that he and all those attending the March were there ‘for a very simple reason: to defend the right of every child, born and unborn, to fulfill their God-given potential.’

“‘Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God… When we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God’s creation. When we hold a newborn in our arms, we know the endless love that each child brings to a family.  When we watch a child grow, we see the splendor that radiates from each human soul… Every person is worth protecting… And above all, we know that every human soul… is made in the holy image of Almighty God.’

“The address marks a personal turning point for the president as he used to support abortion in his pre-presidential days…

“The annual March of Life began in 1974 on the first anniversary of the controversial Supreme Court Case of Roe v. Wade which is cited as protecting a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. Based on questionable jurisprudence that is still debated today, the decision infringed upon the rights of the states to set their own legislation as well as the humanitarian rights of the unborn. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush addressed marchers remotely and Mike Pence became the first sitting vice-president to attend the rally in 2017.”

It is hoped that Donald Trump stated his honest opinion and that he did not adopt his revised position on abortion just to gain votes. However, even now, he is clearly not defending the right of EVERY child, as he still allows abortion in certain circumstances, and we must also point out that his immigration policy (see article below) belies his statements regarding the protection of every human soul.

Let us say very clearly that abortion is always wrong. It is always murder in the eyes of God. This means, a Christian must not support or engage in abortion of an unborn child for ANY reason.

Trump’s New Public Charge Rule Confirmed by US Supreme Court

Politico wrote on January 27:

“A narrowly divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to begin enforcing a rule making it harder for poor immigrants to gain green cards. The justices in a 5-4 vote along ideological lines said they would let the controversial immigration rules go forward even as lower courts wrestle with multiple legal challenges against them.

“The policy in question would expand the government’s ability to refuse green cards or visas for legal immigrants determined to be a ‘public charge,’ or dependent on public assistance. Those using or likely to use Medicaid, food stamps and other safety net programs would face greater scrutiny from immigration officials.

“The rules… represent one of Trump’s strongest efforts to restrict legal immigration. Multiple federal judges blocked the rules before they were slated to take effect last October, after states and immigrant rights groups filed challenges. Federal judges in California, Maryland, and New York blocked implementation, but appeals courts later lifted all but New York’s freeze. That was removed by the Supreme Court on Monday, allowing the policy to take effect almost everywhere.

“Justice Neil Gorsuch… criticized federal judges who issue nationwide blocks on administration rules… Lower courts are expected to hear lawsuits on the public charge rules in the coming months. It’s possible the Supreme Court, which did not rule on the merits of those lawsuits Monday, will review the issue again…

“An analysis from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found applications for about 42 percent of legal immigrants could see their green card applications ‘weighed negatively’ as a result, while 94 percent could face extra scrutiny after using at least one of the public programs targeted by the Trump policy. Public charge denials of poor immigrants have spiked under the Trump administration even without this sweeping policy in place. The State Department disqualified more than 12,000 visa applicants on public charge grounds last year…”

ABC wrote on January 27:

“The rule is expected to have a broad impact on those applying for permanent legal status in the U.S. An analysis from the Migration Policy Institute last year found 70% of recent green card applicants would have been impacted had the rule been implemented earlier.”

It was to be expected that the Republican judges who are in the majority would rule in favor of the public charge rule. This is an entirely political decision with serious consequences for many immigrants and legal residents.

America’s Local Economy Keeps Shrinking

Axios wrote on January 24:

“Growth slowed for local economies virtually everywhere in the U.S. last year, and is declining again at the start of this year as consumers pare back spending and business growth stalls… So says business directory service Yelp, which used data from its more than 100 million users to track the number of businesses opening or closing and consumer demand…

“‘Yelp has information not only on millions of U.S. brick-and-mortar businesses but on the consumer demand expressed by the millions of consumers who view, review, and post photos of businesses on Yelp every day,’ the company said in a release accompanying the analysis…

“If Yelp’s data is correct, it shows economic prospects are deteriorating for brick-and-mortar businesses of all kinds. Even among the strongest major metro areas in Yelp’s report, eight of the top 10 show declining growth year over year. Retail, food and automotive businesses almost across the board fared poorly, with stores selling mobile phones, shoes and appliances seeing the worst losses. Food and nightlife businesses had declining business in every state except Wyoming, Nevada, the Dakotas and Vermont. Large states and metropolitan areas like California, Texas, Florida, New York City, Chicago and Seattle saw some of the worst scores.”

The US economy is BY FAR not as good as many are told to believe.

Unstable Worldwide Economy

Project Syndicate wrote on January 27:

“With the benefit of full-year data, only now are we becoming aware of the danger the global economy narrowly avoided in 2019… world GDP grew by just 2.9% last year – the weakest performance since the outright contraction in the depths of the global financial crisis in 2009 and far short of the 3.8% pace of post-crisis recovery over the 2010-18 period.

“On the surface, 2.9% global growth doesn’t appear too shabby. But 40 years of perspective says otherwise. Since 1980, trend world GDP growth has averaged 3.5%… For global business-cycle analysts, the 2.5-3.5% growth band is considered the danger zone. When world output growth slips to the lower half of that range – as it did in 2019 – the risks of global recession need to be taken seriously…”

Additional articles have pointed out that the situation in China pertaining to the coronavirus is threatening the already fragile world economy. Make no mistake—a worldwide economic crash IS coming. The question is, are you prepared for it?

Surprising Revelations about Muslims and the Third Temple

Breaking Israel News reported on January 27:

“On Sunday night, the Sanhedrin hosted a conference to discuss the role of the Arabs and Muslims in the Third Temple. The conference featured a lecture by Dr. Mordechai Kedar, a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University. Dr. Kedar has frequently referred to the claim that Jerusalem is holy to the Muslims as ‘fake news.’ ‘Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Quran and there is not a basis to believe that Jerusalem had any significance for Muhammad,’ Dr. Kedar explained to Breaking Israel News. ‘In early Islam, we see that assigning holiness to the Temple Mount was criticized as an attempt to introduce Jewish concepts into Islam.’

“‘Jerusalem only took on any significance in Islam in the late 8th century when the Bedouin Muslims prevented the Damascus Muslims from making Haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. As an alternative destination for Haj, the Damascus Muslims decided on Jerusalem, adding a Hadith (oral commentary) shifting the scene of Muhammad’s Night Journey to Jerusalem in order to justify their decision.’

“The source of the Muslim holiday of ‘Isra’ (journey) and ‘Mi’raj’ (ascension, literally ‘ladder’) and the entire Muslim claim to Jerusalem as a holy site is based on a story in the Quran. According to the Quran, Muhammad traveled from Saudi Arabia to ‘Al-Aqsa’ (the far mosque).  From there, he ascended to Heaven, returning to Earth the next day. Some Muslims claim Al-Aqsa is the silver domed mosque on the southern end of the Temple Mount compound…

“‘The entire area of the Temple Mount is known as al-Haram al-Sharif – “the holy and noble site”- but a change came about after the Six-Day War, when some Jewish leaders began calling for the establishment of a synagogue on the Mount. It was felt that the Muslims would not object, since al Aqsa was on the southern edge of the compound and the synagogue would not be nearby. The Muslims decided to announce that the al Aqsa mentioned in the Koran refers not only to the mosque on the southern end of the compound, but is the name for the entire Temple Mount area, abandoning the original name, al-Haram al-Sharif.’…

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the Sanhedrin [said:] ‘There are those from the Sons of Ishmael who recognize that the gold Dome of the Rock was built upon the once and future site of the Jewish Temple. It is part of the Muslim tradition…’”

And so, the Third Temple will be built on the Temple Mount at the exact place where the First and the Second Temples once stood.

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.

We have warned time and again of worldwide plagues and disease epidemics which will come upon mankind in these last days.

We said the following in our Q&A on the events foretold by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:

“The third horse of the Apocalypse (mainly famine) is followed, according to Revelation 6:7-8, by a pale horse, and the rider’s name is ‘Death,’ and ‘Hades’ or ‘the Grave’ follows him. Christ says in Matthew 24:7 that famines will be followed by pestilences [see also Luke 21:11]… Historically, the Black Death alone killed upwards of one-third of the people living in Europe in the 14th century. The Spanish flu pandemic lasted from March, 1918, to June, 1920, spreading even to the Arctic and remote Pacific islands… estimates put the number of those who were killed at 40 to 50 million people…

“Revelation 6:8 adds that one-fourth of mankind will be killed by the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, and that these killings will be carried out with the sword (political and also religiously-motivated wars), with hunger (a result of famine), with death (resulting from pestilences), and also with the beasts of the earth. Many times, contagious diseases are communicated by sick animals carrying deadly viruses (remember the Ebola virus, the bird flu or the mad cow disease)…”

Contagious diseases may also be communicated by animals that are not even sick, but which are called unclean in the Bible. These animals were not created for human consumption, but it is interesting that many diseases and epidemics originated with the human consumption of such unclean animals, including monkeys, pigs, camels, civet cats, bats and snakes.

A deadly coronavirus has now spread from China to many countries around the world. This new virus originated apparently at Wuhan’s seafood market which sold live koalas, snakes, rats, bats and wolf pups to locals to eat. It has also been suggested that the virus had been manufactured in Chinese laboratories and then “escaped” by infecting animals, such as bats or snakes.

We also said this in one of our Q&As on Matthew 24:35:

“At this moment in time, we have not yet seen the beginning of the Great Tribulation, but we have been witnessing ever-increasing religious deception, wars, earthquakes, famines and disease epidemics–events which are described by Christ as the ‘beginning of sorrows’ (Matthew 24:8). These will become more and more visible and frightening in the years to come.

“We do not know the exact time of Christ’s return, but based on the parable of the fig tree, we CAN say that we ARE living today in the very last generation, and that Christ WILL return BEFORE this present generation has ‘passed away.’ It is therefore important for us to watch and pray, and to be ‘ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an HOUR [we] do NOT expect’ (Matthew 24:44).”

In the book of Revelation, God describes in detail how end-time plagues causing sickness and disease will be poured out on mankind. It is very possible that some of those plagues or disease epidemics speak of chemical-biological weapons and viruses which have been created in scientists’ laboratories.

Revelation 9:5-6 speaks about a European power causing great physical torment on others:

“And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them…”

Revelation 16:2, 11 speaks about God’s punishment through seven angels on those who follow the beast—an evil future military European leader—and the entire Babylonian system:

“So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image… They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.”

In Revelation 18:4, God warns His people not to be a part of the Babylonian system so that they would not become a victim of the plagues (including terrible diseases and pandemics) which God will pour out on it:

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’”

Another very sobering warning of God can be found in Revelation 22:18-19:

“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

In addition, God warned especially the ancient Israelites and their modern descendants that He would inflict them with serious and incurable plagues, diseases, epidemics and pandemics if they were to forsake Him. And we should note that modern Israelites can be found in large numbers today in countries such as the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe, as well as in many parts of Europe, and of course in the state of Israel.

God says in Leviticus 26:16, 25:

“I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart… when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you…”

A vivid description can also be found in Deuteronomy 28:21-22, 27-28, 35, 58-61:

“The LORD will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess. The LORD will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish…

“The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart… The LORD will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head…

“If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, then the LORD will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues–great and prolonged plagues–and serious and prolonged sicknesses. Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the LORD bring upon you until you are destroyed.”

You can find additional sober warnings of epidemics and pandemics for the disobedient and rebellious end-time Houses of Israel and Judah in passages such as Jeremiah 14:12; 24:10; 29:17-19; 34:17; as well as in Ezekiel 5:12, 17; 6:11-12; 7:14-15; 12:16; 33:26-29.

As we have seen, terrible diseases and pandemics will afflict all of mankind—not just the modern descendants of the ancient House of Israel. This entire world lives in total rebellion to God and His Laws. It is described as an evil world which is ruled by Satan the Devil. And since God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), His end-time warnings of epidemics and pandemics include all nations and peoples.

In fact, many of those diseases might start in “Gentile” nations and spread from there to the countries which are occupied by modern Israelites. This had already occurred in the past, when diseases originated in Africa (AIDS) or China (SARS), from which they spread to other continents and nations, including Israelite nations.

And so, God warns the modern descendants of the ancient Houses of Israel and Judah of terrible pandemics which will afflict them. True Christians are spiritual Jews and Israelites. But these terrible pandemics do not have to affect them, because God is promising protection to His people who stay faithful and loyal to Him.

For instance, we read about such a promise to His people in Psalm 91:3-11:

“Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence… You shall not be afraid of… the pestilence that walks in darkness… Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.”

He gave that same (timeless) promise already to ancient Israel, as we read in Exodus 15:26:

“If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

Note, too, His promise to His people in Deuteronomy 7:15, if they were to obey Him:

“And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.” (But also note the sober warning in Ezekiel 14:19-20).

This does not mean, of course, that true Christians could never become sick. This important and oftentimes misunderstood subject is discussed, at length and in great detail, in our free booklet, “Sickness and Healing—What the Bible Tells Us.”

But it has been a remarkable experience within the Church of God that God’s ministers who fulfill God’s commands to anoint those who are sick (compare James 5:14) have not contracted a contagious disease for which and when they anoint the sick person, as God has been protecting His ministers who faithfully follow His directions in this regard.

The wonderful news is that in a few years from now, we will not hear anything anymore about the spread of diseases, sicknesses, epidemics and pandemics.

In a Q&A, discussing the conditions on earth AFTER Christ’s return, we stated:

“In the Millennium, sick, injured and impaired people will be healed, and there will be no more sickness and disease (Isaiah 33:24; Isaiah 35:3-6; Jeremiah 30:17).”

Man will learn God’s Way of Life, and when they do and live by it, they will reap the blessings for obedience. Man will never again play God by creating deadly viruses in laboratories, and they will never again defy God by eating the meat of unclean animals which were never created for human consumption, but which are harmful to human health, causing all kinds of diseases.

What a wonderful time that will be when horrible news of sicknesses and diseases will have become a thing of the past.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“BREXIT DONE! The UK GONE! Was It Inevitable?”  is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The UK formally leaves the European Union on Friday night, January 31, 2020. HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE. But the UK will enter a hotly contested transition period of 11 months during which the UK will have to continue to obey EU rules and pay money to the EU. Other obligations and restrictions apply as well.

One British paper wrote: “Could it have worked?… Or was it always doomed to failure?… Was it sheer bad luck and timing?” The Truth is, Brexit was inevitable. It was preordained to happen. The EU-UK cooperation was “doomed to failure.” The Bible says so, but  why?

Our newest booklet—which is about the Ten Commandments—has been sent to Phyllis Bourque for initial review. Our newest German booklet on “Lawlessness Will Abound…” is also being prepared. 

The 2020 Church Conference will be conducted in Escondido, California. Arrival will be Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and departure is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2020.

“Angst vor der Zukunft und Vertrauen in Gottes Hilfe,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Fear of the Future and Trust in God’s Help.”

“China’s Killer Coronavirus – Comments on News and Prophecy (January 25, 2020),” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Chinese virus has spread from unclean animals to humans, and has reached by now Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Saudi Arabia, USA, and France. Experts say that Britain is on the brink of an epidemic. Over 56 million Chinese are on lockdown. No vaccine exists at the moment. An ominous warning 3 months ago predicts the death of 60 million people.

“Precious Knowledge,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

How are we supposed to use the precious knowledge that God has given to us? And how are we not supposed to use it?

“Richtiges Bibelstudium” (in English: “Right Bible Study”) was the split sermon presented by Thilo Hanstein last Sabbath.

On January 25, 2020, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Going Blind,” and Michael Link will present the sermon, titled, “Precious Knowledge.”

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

The Bible says in various Scriptures that we should be happy with what we have; not to worry about what tomorrow will bring; and that we should rejoice when we go through trials (compare 1 Timothy 6:6-12; Matthew 6:34; James 1:2-4).  This is indeed very easy to read but living by it has its challenges at times, especially when things happen unexpectedly to the point of frustration when we don’t get the answers we are looking for, while at the same time, believing that God will take care of us in every situation.  This is where faith comes in, and I’m referring to real, genuine, undeniable faith!

Do we TRUST that God is in control of our lives? We need to come to that understanding, and we may just reach that point when we go through difficult demanding trials, where we then see how God intervenes.  If He does it for us once, and we continue to be faithful and grateful, then we can be assured, He will be there for us again.  Sometimes we easily forget how much God really has been there for us time and time again.

The things we take for granted are also occasionally put to the test.  Just recently I fractured my right hand, which is my dominant hand, and I had to adjust by using my left hand, and even though it had its challenges, I was still able to manage.  The simple everyday necessities were put to the test, resorting to doing everything with my opposite hand.  At first, I may have thought that this hindrance would have had an emotional effect on me, because I went from being quite active to all of the sudden quite limited, from one day to the next. And also, since I have never experienced a broken bone in my life, until now.

Yet, I found ways to counter this hurdle by also not letting this affect me negatively.  For example, as I wrote this Editorial, I had to cope by typing with just one finger on my right hand, as minimal as that may seem. But, I was still able to accomplish this task, even though it took a little longer than normal.

Even though this is just a temporary setback and can’t even compare to the many problems of our brethren and friends who struggle with far more serious complications, it really made me think about those who do suffer continuously. There have been several prayer requests lately, on a daily basis it seems, where our members need help not just from God, but also from all of us, through our prayers, for God listens to the abundance of prayers from all those who are faithful (Proverbs 15:29; James 5:15-16; 1 Peter 3:12).  Nobody in God’s Church is alone, which is why we all need to work together because we “know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  And it is according to HIS purpose that we are here. So why then would we worry?

We shouldn’t let the trials that we go through bring us down, for all that we encounter and what we have in this lifetime is only temporary, as we eagerly wait for the promise that God is expecting to give US—to all those who remain faithful until the end.  In the meantime, when we struggle, we must learn to adapt and overcome, no matter what we go through, if we want to be considered worthy to reach our ultimate goal of eternal life.

by Norbert Link

We begin with reporting on the deteriorating relationship between Europe, on the one hand, and the UK and the USA on the other hand, with no realistic prospects that the situation might improve. We also show Europe’s desire to become more active in military matters, especially in the Middle East.

We continue with addressing interesting developments regarding Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa mosque [please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “China’s Deadly Virus and other Prophetic Events”; growing world-wide anti-Semitism in the light of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp; and Turkey’s plans for Libya and Israel.

We conclude with the spread of a deadly virus originating in China [please view our StandingWatch program, mentioned above]; the dire situation in Australia; and interesting developments within the Catholic Church, pertaining to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx.

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

No UK Alignment with EU

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 18:

“British Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid dismissed calls from British businesses to align with European Union rules once the UK has left the bloc… ‘we will not be in the single market and we will not be in the customs union — and we will do this by the end of the year,’ Javid told the Financial Times…

“Javid fired back that businesses should ‘adjust’ to the reality of Brexit and that they’ve had three years to prepare for new trade arrangements… The sectors that are most likely to be impacted are the pharmaceutical, automobile, aerospace and food and drink industries….”

 The relationship between the UK and the EU is bound to deteriorate.

Growing Rift between US and Europe

Business Insider wrote on January 18:

“President Donald Trump’s decision to assassinate Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani has exposed a growing rift between the US and its historically closest allies in Europe. The attack was met with a remarkable level of criticism by European leaders.

“The UK threatened to cut back on its long-standing defense alliance with Trump, and Germany suggested openly that the importance of its relationship with the US was declining. Trump responded by threatening European leaders with a new trade war if they remained committed to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

“Yet rather than bring US allies into line, Trump’s threats merely highlighted the declining importance that many European leaders now place in the transatlantic alliance…

“The attack, which damaged Germany’s policy of engagement with Tehran, has triggered open debate about the value of Europe’s alliance with the US. In recent days German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke openly about the declining importance of Europe’s alliance with the US… In response, she said, ‘We in Europe, and especially in Germany, need to take on more responsibility.’… the French government quickly called on the Trump administration to step back from any further conflict.”

The relationship between the USA and the EU is bound to deteriorate even more. Note the next article.

“EU Doesn’t Take Orders from US on Iran”

Politico wrote on January 17:

“European Union Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan on Thursday defended the EU’s handling of relations with Iran, following a report that the Trump administration threatened to hit EU autos with a 25 percent tariff…

“‘We’re not an extension of the United States of America in the European Union,’ Hogan said… ‘We actually are the European Union and we will make our own decisions in member states about what our policies are going to be, whether that’s in trade or security or what other areas.’”

The leader of German Green Party, Robert Habeck, condemned Trump on January 21 for Trump’s speech in Davos, saying that Trump is the enemy.

European Naval Mission in Strait of Hormuz

Euractiv wrote on January 20:

“The creation of a future European Maritime Surveillance Mission in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH) has now gained the ‘political support’ of Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and France…The Strait of Hormuz is one of the key routes for global oil transit.

“… the eight European countries aim to contribute to the protection of oil tankers and cargo ships…[In 2018:] Tehran… threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping… [In 2019:] Two oil tankers were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz while they transited the Gulf of Oman, followed by Iran shooting down an American surveillance drone in the Gulf of Oman.”

Europe is determined to play a much more active role in military matters.

Many Kings Appear in Jerusalem

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 20:

“On Thursday, Jerusalem’s role as a gathering place for kings will appear… The event marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and International Holocaust Remembrance Day…. At least 47 world leaders, including 26 presidents, four kings (from Spain, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg), and four prime ministers will represent their countries that include the U.S., Russia, England, Romania, Italy, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, Bosnia, Iceland, Armenia, Australia, Canada, and several others…

“The U.S. will be represented by Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The gathering will be addressed by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince of Wales HRH Prince Charles, Russian President Vladimir Putin, a senior leader from the US, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier… Spain’s King Felipe VI will deliver an address on behalf of the world leaders. The Foreign Ministry called the event the third-largest gathering of international leaders in Israel’s history, after the funerals of Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres…

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, noted:… ‘Many of the nations that will be here in Jerusalem are the very nations that took part in the Holocaust. They are also the nations that want to take Jerusalem out of the world, take it away from the Jewish people. Many of these nations support the enemies of Israel who openly proclaim their intention to continue what the Nazis began.’”

Everyone wants to play a role in or pertaining to Jerusalem. The Bible says that ultimately, all nations will fight against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2).

The Coming Fight for the Al Aqsa Mosque

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 20:

“Jerusalem will soon become the capital of a global caliphate, a Palestinian preacher has told a crowd of Muslim worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, before calling on them to seek martyrdom. Speaking at an event held by Hizb ut-Tahrir to mark the anniversary of the 1453 AD capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire, Nidhal ‘Abu Ibrahim’ Siam said the date brought tidings that Rome will soon be conquered in the name of Islam.

“In a video recording of the event uploaded to the Internet on January 17… Siam can be seen telling the enthusiastic crowd that three prophecies would soon be fulfilled: that a rightly-guided caliphate will be established, that Jerusalem will be liberated and established as its capital, and that Islam ‘will throw its neighbors to the ground’ and achieve world domination.

“The real task of the Muslim faithful is to wage Jihad for the sake of Allah and make the word of the infidels inferior to the word of Allah, he said, before calling upon them to become martyrs for Allah. ‘Do not obey the followers of Satan [and] those who collaborate with America, Russia, and the West,’ he urged. In response, the crowd chanted: ‘This Al-Aqsa [Mosque] will be liberated… The caliphate was promised by Allah…”

The Al-Aqsa Mosque will become more and more the object of attention and controversy. The Bible shows that Arab nations will collaborate with Germany against Israel.

Italy’s Salvini to Recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

The Times of Israel wrote on January 19:

“Italian prime ministerial frontrunner Matteo Salvini has told an Israeli newspaper [the right-wing Israeli daily Israel Hayom] he would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital if he were elected… [The next general election in Italy is scheduled for May 28, 2023.]

“Salvini’s interview was published Saturday, a day after Honduras’s President Juan Orlando Hernandez said his government would transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem once Israel opens an embassy in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa. So far, only the United States and Guatemala have moved their embassies to the capital…”

Breaking Israel News reported on January 21:

“On Monday, an Italian senate committee voted to remove Salvini’s immunity in a case in which he stands accused of allegedly illegally detaining migrants at sea last year. The committee decision follows a Sicilian court recommendation to try Salvini for blocking migrants on a coast guard boat last July. Salvini refused to allow 131 rescued migrants off the Gregoretti coast guard boat until a deal was reached with other European states to host them. The immigrants remained on board for almost a week. This was the second time Salvini detained illegal immigrants in this manner. If convicted, Salvini could be sentenced to up to 15 years in jail.”

It is very unlikely that he will be convicted. His party, Lega Nord, is currently polling in the lead with over 30% of the electorate. On the other hand, Hitler was sentenced to jail too, only to emerge much more powerful after his release.

World War II Caused by Anti-Semitism

Times of Israel wrote on January 20:

“World War II and the enormous catastrophe it brought upon mankind occurred ‘probably mainly’ because of anti-Semitism, according to Israel’s preeminent Holocaust scholar. Indeed, Adolf Hitler launched the war to a large extent to prevent ‘world Jewry’ from physically annihilating the German nation, Yehuda Bauer said. ‘Anti-Semitism is a cancer that eats the world, and World War II is proof of that,’ he told The Times of Israel during an hour-long interview in Jerusalem last week.

“Bauer, 93…. [mentioned] a secret memorandum Hitler wrote to Hermann Goering in August 1936, in which he spoke about the need for Germany to be ready for war within four years. Otherwise, Hitler argued, Jewish Bolshevism will ‘replace’ the German nation…”

One must not forget that both Hitler and Stalin were anti-Semitic. They both were preparing for war against each other.

Deutsche Welle added on January 21:

“Naftali Fürst (88) survived Auschwitz and Buchenwald… ‘I think it can happen again,’ he said… He says the situation is currently deteriorating again, and that’s why he speaks as a witness. ‘I have a duty to tell […my story].’ Because people shouldn’t believe ‘that it didn’t happen.’”

The Holocaust DID happen, and as horrible as it was, something similar, but much more devastating, will happen again… and this time, it will be directed against physical and spiritual Jews, as well as the modern descendants of the ancient House of Israel in the USA, the UK, and other English-speaking nations.

Turkey’s Plans for Libya and Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 21:

“A new military incursion into Libya is part of a long-awaited dream by Turkish President Erdogan to return the Ottoman Caliphate, a global Islamic rule that subjugated Jews and Christians for six centuries… Turkish-backed Syrian mercenaries have begun arriving in Libya. Approximately 2,400 troops are already in Tripoli while another 1,700 are currently undergoing training in Turkey… Turkey intends to send a total of 6,000 troops to Libya… The Turkish government will pay each soldier a monthly stipend of $2,000, far more than the $50 they earned to fight back home in Syria. The Syrian troops are also fighting against the Kurds in Libya.

“Turkish intervention is a manifestation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s aspiration to establish himself as the leader of a global Islamic nation… Erdogan’s Caliphate aspirations extend beyond the borders of Turkey and target Israel and, most specifically, Jerusalem. At a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul last year, Erdogan called on all of the 57 Muslim member nations to join together against Israel to avenge the deaths of Palestinians killed while charging the southern border with Gaza.

“In 2015, Erdogan gave a speech commemorating 562 years since the Turks captured Constantinople (now known as Istanbul) from European Christians in which he called for the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem… Erdogan has also been suspected of aiding Hamas, allowing the terrorist organization to operate out of Turkey. The terrorist group is also reportedly in contact with the Turkish intelligence agency.

“The key to the Turkish incursion into Libya and the hidden motivation is actually quite straightforward. Two months ago, Turkey signed a maritime borders deal that gave Turkey a claim to parts of the eastern Mediterranean. In addition to its strategic military importance, the eastern Mediterranean has huge natural gas deposits. Turkey’s entrance into the eastern Mediterranean puts it into close proximity with Israel and its offshore natural gas facilities.”

A gathering of world leaders and their representatives in Germany to determine the fate of Libya was only of limited success, as nobody knows how to implement their peace “proposals.” While uncertainty remains, Turkey is stepping in. Ultimately, Turkey will be collaborating with Europe against Israel.

Human-to-Human Transmission of New Deadly Virus

The Associated Press wrote on January 20:

“The head of a Chinese government expert team said Monday that human-to-human transmission has been confirmed in an outbreak of a new coronavirus, a development that raises the possibility that it could spread more quickly and widely… The spread of the viral pneumonia comes as the country enters its busiest travel period, when millions board trains and planes for the Lunar New Year holidays. The outbreak is believed to have started late last month among people connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, a city in central China… The outbreak has put other countries on alert as millions of Chinese travel for Lunar New Year. Authorities in Thailand and in Japan have identified three cases, all involving recent travel from China [One case has now been identified in the USA as well.]

“Coronaviruses cause diseases ranging from the common cold to SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. SARS first infected people in southern China in late 2002 and spread to more than two dozen countries, killing nearly 800. The Chinese government initially tried to conceal the severity of the SARS epidemic, but its cover-up was exposed by a high-ranking physician… Initial symptoms of the novel coronavirus include fever, cough, tightness of the chest and shortness of breath, and those seriously ill developed pneumonia.”

The Telegraph added on January 22:

“As many as 4,000 people in the city at the epicentre of an outbreak of a mystery new coronavirus could be infected with the disease, experts have warned. So far, Chinese authorities and state media say close to 500 people have fallen ill and 17 people have died from the disease, which was first identified in China at the end of last year and has now spread to five other countries…

“Experts say it is also ‘possible’ that a case could reach the UK. But disease modelling experts from Imperial College, London say the true figure in the city of Wuhan alone – the source of the outbreak – could be… as high as 9,700…”

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 23:

 “The deadly coronavirus disease… appears to have been caused by the consumption of a Chinese delicacy – bat soup… The Bible forbids the consumption of birds of prey and specifically mentions bats as one of those species as stated in Leviticus 11.”

Another source claims that the disease has been spread by the consumption of snakes purchased at a wholesale market. Snakes are of course unclean animals too.

The problem is that the symptoms are at first very similar to an ordinary flu, and don’t even show up until five or six days after infection. So, many can pass on the virus to others without even knowing that they are sick.

Hundreds of Thousands of Fish Dead in Australia

The Guardian wrote on January 17:

“Hundreds of thousands of fish are dead in northern New South Wales as bushfire ash washed into in the Macleay River…

“Rains have washed ‘tonnes and tonnes’ of debris into the Macleay River…  Species seen dead and reported… were Australian bass, eels, bullhead mullet, yellow-eye mullet, herring, gudgeons and catfish.”

Also, rain and dust have made a bad situation even worse.

The Guardian added on January 22:

“Temperatures have soared in New South Wales bringing renewed emergency bushfire warnings, while Melbourne has brown rain from dust in the air, causing pools to close and the Yarra River to turn brown. Despite heavy rain in parts of NSW over the past week, residents were warned the ‘bad old days’ of bushfires could return… The fire danger was classified as extreme in the southern ranges on Thursday, and severe in much of the rest of the state, including the fire-ravaged far south coast…

“Temperatures in parts of the south coast, Hunter, mid-north coast and Sydney were expected to pass 40C on Thursday, with 65 fires burning and 19 uncontained… There were still 12 fires burning in Victoria on Thursday morning…  The rain brought little relief to bushfire-affected regions; there was barely any east of Bairnsdale. The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has said that the rains could bring new dangers for firefighters, including landslides.”

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 22:

“In the midst of raging wildfires, hailstones the size of baseballs pounded Australia in a mix of elemental opposites echoing the Egyptian plague. As if that reminder of the Exodus were not enough, a massive dust storm turned day into night… This year, a stark drought brought on devastating wildfires that have, so far, burned an estimated 46 million acres of land. The fires destroyed over 5,900 buildings including approximately 2,683 homes, and killed at least 30 people. An estimated one billion animals were also killed and some endangered species may be driven to extinction.”

Humans Responsible for US Wildfires

The Daily Mail wrote on January 22:

“The number of human-caused wildfires has increased in recent decades… The new study of wildfires in America between 1984 and 2016 has found that the leading cause is ‘shifting away from lightning and towards human activity’. In the past, the strongest fires were caused by natural ignition types, like lightning strikes or El Niño winds, which also tended to be seasonal and easier to predict. Human-caused, or anthropogenic, fires can be caused intentionally, by arson, or accidentally, for example by dropped cigarettes, fireworks or other negligence…

“Looking to the future, researchers say that regular fires caused by humans are likely to become even more frequent. Some of the most high-profile fires in recent years have been caused by humans. Last year, the Kincade Fire that swept across 78,000 acres of Sonoma County in California started when a faulty PG&E power line ignited the unusually dry landscape surrounding it and quickly spread. A report from the Wall Street Journal found that faulty PG&E equipment was responsible for starting more than 1.500 wildfires between 2014 and 2017 alone. In Oregon, a teenager started a wildfire in the forest around Eagle Creek when he set off some fireworks. The resulting fire burned over 48,000 acres and was actively smoldering for nine months, between September 2017 and May 2018.

“85% of wildfires in the US are caused by humans. Lightning is the next most common cause of wildfires… California has more than 2 million homes exposed to wildfire risk, almost three times more than any other state. Texas has the highest number of wildfires per year, with 10,541 in 2018…”

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx: Don’t Spread Fear of Hell

Life Site News wrote on January 10:

“Cardinal Reinhard Marx – the archbishop of Munich-Freising and the head of the German Bishops’ Conference – just made a statement, in which he argued against spreading fear, saying: ‘wherever someone spreads fear – of hell or whatever else – the Gospel cannot have an effect.’… His Protestant counterpart, the head of the Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD), Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm,… added that, while in former times, the church had blessed weapons, but she is now, instead, known for her work for the protection of the environment. ‘I prefer the latter,’ he added…”

It is unclear whether Marx denies the existence of hell, or whether he is just saying that no fear should be spread… The German magazine Focus reported on January 21 about allegations that Bishop Marx and Bishop Ackermann prevented a meaningful investigation of thousands of cases where the clergy sexually abused children, in order to protect Marx and Pope Benedict. The fact is that several years after the revelation of the abuse cases in Germany, still no charges have been filed against any accused priest, according to the magazine.

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.

We occasionally receive inquiries from people asking about our origins and beliefs. While there are endless claims by various groups that they, alone, are the one and only true Church of God, the question remains—can they prove it?

Jesus, when warning about false prophets, said, “‘by their fruits you will know them’” (Matthew 7:20). The “fruits” of true Christians can be understood as the way of living among those who have received God’s Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). By contrast, note what Paul writes:

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Whether or not God is really behind individuals or groups was an issue the early New Testament Church faced. Following the remarkable establishment of the Church of God on the Day of Pentecost (31 A.D.), the apostles of Jesus faced severe persecution from the religious leaders in Judah. One of them, Gamaliel, gave this recommendation as a test to apply regarding the followers of Jesus Christ:

“And he said to them: ‘Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it–lest you even be found to fight against God’” (Acts 5:35-39).

Truly, the Church of God has continued to exist from that time forward. It is even more important to understand that the living Jesus Christ is the head of the Church of God (compare Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:17). In fact, even before His death and resurrection, Jesus promised to build His Church (Matthew 16:18). The record of the New Testament shows that Jesus continues to guide His Church (compare Mark 16:20; Revelation 1:11). And so it is in our time—Jesus preserves His Church!

From our website, www.eternalgod.org, in our Statement of Beliefs, under Doctrinal Foundation, we write:

“The major doctrines of the Church are those, which were taught by Herbert W. Armstrong, derived from the Biblical teachings as followed by God’s faithful servants, and originally established by Jesus Christ through the founding of His Church in the time of His chosen early apostles. Since we are to increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are committed to review and alter any of our teachings, if and when proven to be wrong by the Bible.”

We also follow the admonition given by Peter to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

The Church of the Eternal God (USA); Church of God, a Christian Fellowship (Canada); Kirche des Ewigen Gottes (“Church of the Eternal God”) (Germany); and Global Church of God (United Kingdom) are our established locations—including an Elder in Australia. Our founding in the US was in 2001; in Canada it was 2000; and in the UK it was 1993. Facing the upheaval and destruction of the Worldwide Church of God following the death of Herbert W. Armstrong in January of 1986, many groups were formed to carry forward the doctrines and work of the Church of God.

Not all of these attempts proved to be true to the biblical doctrines once established. As the prophetic record of chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation attest, the Church of God has arisen to powerfully preach the message of Jesus Christ only to then suffer fragmentation as trials and deception set in.

We have much written about the Church at Ephesus, and to this Church Jesus said, “‘Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love’” (Revelation 2:4). In spite of such a spectacular beginning, the fervency for the Truth of God would erode, and Paul warned the brethren, especially the ministry, about this:

“‘Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears’” (Acts 20:28-31).

That first generation of the Church virtually disappeared from history!

The Church of the Eternal God was founded to stand up against compromises with the Word of God. Examining all the messages given to the seven Churches described in Revelation 2 and 3, one admonition has served to give direction to our efforts:

“‘I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name… Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown’” (Revelation 3:8, 10-11).

Our focus is to do the work of the Church of God, and the work which Jesus Christ began–note:

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

This is what He has also commissioned His Church to do:

“‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’” (Matthew 24:14).

It is notable that the Internet became mainstream for most US households in 2001. Now multiple billions of people all over the earth have access to the Internet. We in the Church of the Eternal God use this opportunity to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God and to provide Sabbath and Holy Day services as well as communicating with our brethren. Additionally, we have established and maintain various websites which publish our booklets, letters and recorded sermonettes and sermons.

Of special focus are the StandingWatch and AufPostenStehen programs which Evangelist Norbert Link presents in both English and German (available on YouTube and our own websites). The tagline for these programs is: “Proclaiming the warnings of prophecy for our times and announcing the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.” We understand that Jesus has also commissioned His Church to watch world events and to include that in our preaching (Matthew 25:13).

Each week we publish an Update containing an Editorial, Q&A, and news of the Work. Also in these Updates are many articles which reflect the News of the Week and which often includes commentary relevant to biblical prophecy. You may subscribe to this FREE Update by visiting our website.

If you would like to find out more about us, please visit our website at www.eternalgod.org. Personal contact information is also provided at this location.

Lead Writer: David Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

Our newest booklet—which is about the Ten Commandments—has been sent to Phyllis Bourque for initial review.

Our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…” has been translated into German. We posted the booklet in nine installments on our German website and will now proceed with finalizing it as a German booklet.

The 2020 Church Conference will be conducted in Escondido, California. Arrival will be Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and departure is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2020.

“China’s Deadly Virus and other Prophetic Events” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

In light of the outbreak of a deadly virus in China, affecting humans all over the globe, why does God place a curse on those who eat or distribute unclean meat for human consumption? Why is Europe so angry with America over the assassination of an Iranian mass murderer, and why the tumult involving the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem? All of this has to do with end-time biblical prophecies, and we can expect their fulfillment in 2020 and beyond, indicating the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ. Please stay tuned for an important announcement at the end of this program.

“Angst vor Menschen?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. The title in English is: “Fear of People?”  

“Das Ausrufezeichen!” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Jens Herrmann. Title in English: “The Exclamation Point!”

“Two Popes Fighting Each Other–Comments on News and Prophecy (January 18, 2020),” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

If you are tempted to give up because of your problems, don’t! Yes, the world is getting darker, with unparalleled worldwide debt; unusual volcano and earthquake activities; Europe’s stance against Trump; the Middle East in turmoil; loss of moral values, even in Israel; and two popes fighting each other. But all of this only shows how close we are to the return of Jesus Christ.

“The Test Commandment,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Pastor Rene Messier, is now posted. Here is a summary:

This sermon discusses the importance of understanding and of keeping the Sabbath which has been described as the Test Commandment. We will address the Sabbath’s origins, its endurance through times past, at this present time, and its meaning and importance in the future.

On January 18, 2020, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (January 18, 2020),” and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “The Test Commandment.”

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

In my last Editorial, dated November 15 (Update #899), I spoke about the fact that “time is running out.” I warned that while we see end-time prophecies being fulfilled before our very eyes, some members of the Church of God lose heart and walk away, thereby forgetting Christ’s admonition to hold fast what they have so that they don’t lose their crown (Revelation 3:11).

I continued with the same theme in my last Member Letter, dated December 17, 2019, quoting news headlines in 2019 and showing how close we are to the Great Tribulation. On December 19, we produced a StandingWatch program, titled, “What’s Ahead for 2020.”

Now notice what all has happened already in 2020: The British parliament decided that Brexit will take place on January 31, 2020, causing further disagreements and upheaval between Britain and Europe; Australia’s devastating and deadly wildfires seem to have no end; turmoil and fear of a worldwide war, stemming from America’s conduct pertaining to Iraq, Iran and the entire Middle East, captivated the headlines in early January; and the demands for American withdrawal in that part of the world get louder. Then, after Putin’s attempted power grab, the entire Russian government resigned.

In this issue, we report on the strange and cozy relationship between Merkel and Putin, in defiance of and in opposition to the USA; the virtually unknown German access to America’s nuclear weapons; and the open disagreement between the two popes. Understanding prophecy, we know what all these developments mean.

We can’t be like the proverbial scoffers who deny the obvious, but we must realize that time is indeed short, and we must be sure that we don’t lose our focus for what is really important. Priorities can become mixed up in our lives, but when they do, we might become like the five foolish virgins who do not have enough oil in their lamps and are not ready when the cry is heard at midnight. We are close to midnight now, and warning cries are going out; and we all must work on establishing a sure and lasting relationship with God. Nothing else could be more important. The Bible warns us of the many distractions in this day and age which can influence us to lose sight of what needs to be our main focus: Things like working on our own house, while God’s house lies in ruins; the pleasures of life; our hobbies; “having to” deal with difficulties caused by others; the search for a mate; the desire for riches and physical possessions… the list could be endless. None of that will help us to make it into the Kingdom of God. Ultimately, it is our righteous character which will last and which we will “take with us” when we die… nothing else will.

At the same time, we must be careful in a different way. We must work on being ready today SPIRITUALLY, while planning to have an entire life before us PHYSICALLY. We must not fall into the trap of becoming indifferent to our physical obligations and responsibilities. We are told that we must work… if we refuse to do so, we should not be allowed to eat either. And that means that we must be diligent, reliable and responsible in our job. We are to take care of our household, our children, our mates; otherwise we are denying the faith and become worse than unbelievers. We have to look after the interests and needs of others… not just of our own. We have to care for our physical possessions and must not neglect them… but none of that should take first priority in our lives. We are to plan for the future, including financially… while realizing that our plans might not be what God has in store for us. We must always be willing to submit to and accept the Will of God.

Also, we must not become discouraged and fearful when realizing that the time of trouble is at hand. Fear and anxiety destroy faith and trust. When looking at what is going on around us and forgetting God, then we will become extremely worried and unable to function properly and productively. Christ told us that when we have our priorities straight—when we seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, then we do not have to have anxious thoughts, because we know that God will give us what we need. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will be with us always; until the very end. Remember, fear is not in love, but perfect love casts out fear. And we are to become perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect.

I have always found words like the following very encouraging when I go through difficult times in my life. This kind of attitude is not normal to man; it can only be developed when God is on our side and when we draw near to Him… especially in times of need. We all must do this, when we face uncertainty, difficulties and trouble—when we consider the world in which we live:

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling… The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge… Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:1-3, 7, 10).

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he… will not fear when heat comes… And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

Christ tells us: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

Considering this, let us go on with boldness, confidence and faith in these troublesome days; let us fulfill our individual and collective responsibilities, while keeping our priorities in check; and let us watch and heed world events in the light of biblical prophecies, which should motivate us to draw closer to God, and this so much the more as we see that the Day is fast approaching.

by Norbert Link

We report on explosive events in and pertaining to Iraq and Iran; Germany’s dubious role in handling or mishandling the situation in the Middle East; Angela Merkel’s far-too-cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin (please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Does Germany Have Nuclear Weapons?”); and the resignation of the entire Russian government after Putin’s latest attempt of a power grab.

We speak on the concern of a break-up of the UK; and the world’s unparalleled debt load.

We address the controversy between “the two popes” and conclude with an interesting article on volcanoes and earthquakes.

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

USA and Iraq at a Crossroads, while Iran Keeps Threatening USA and Israel

Reuters wrote on January 11:

“Washington on Friday rebuffed an Iraqi request to prepare to pull out its troops, amid heightened US-Iranian tensions after the US killing of an Iranian commander in Baghdad. Seeking to tighten pressure on its arch foe, the US meanwhile imposed more sanctions on Iran, responding to an attack on American troops in Iraq launched by Tehran in retaliation for the death of General Qassem Soleimani… Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi made his request in a phone call with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late on Thursday in line with a vote by the Iraqi Parliament last week…

“Abdul Mahdi asked Pompeo to ‘send delegates to put in place the tools to carry out the Parliament’s decision’… The US State Department said any US delegation would not discuss the withdrawal of American troops as their presence in Iraq was ‘appropriate.’ ‘There does, however, need to be a conversation between the US and Iraqi governments not just regarding security, but about our financial, economic, and diplomatic partnership’…

“Iraq’s top Shi’ite Muslim cleric [Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani] said… no foreign powers should be allowed to decide Iraq’s fate… Sistani… wields huge influence over Iraqi public opinion. ‘Iraq must govern itself and there must be no role for outsiders in its decision-making,’ Sistani said…”

The Times of Israel added on January 12:

“Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terror organization, on Sunday threatened violence against the United States if it did not withdraw its troops from the Middle East, and said any future American attack on Iran would draw a retaliation against Israel.

“‘If in the coming days or weeks the US doesn’t withdraw its forces from the Middle East, the American soldiers will return to the US in coffins,’ Nasrallah declared… Nasrallah called last week for Shiite militias to attack US military assets throughout the Middle East — including with suicide bombings…”

Threats were also made against European troops in the Middle East. President Trump said in an interview with Fox News that he would be fine with withdrawing US troops from Iraq, but Iraq would have to pay them a lot of money for US services so far.

Iran “Admits” Downing the Ukrainian Airliner after Days of Continuing Lies

The Associated Press wrote on January 11:

“Iran’s acknowledgement that it shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing 176 people, raises new challenges for the Islamic Republic both externally amid tensions with the U.S. and internally as it deals with growing discontent from its people. The country did itself no favors by having its air-crash investigators, government officials and diplomats deny for days that a missile downed the flight…

“‘There has been no missile launched in that area at that time,’ said Hamid Baeidinejad, Iranian ambassador to the United Kingdom, in an interview Friday with Sky News, calling further questions on the allegation ‘absolutely unacceptable.’

“Then the story changed early Saturday morning… Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei… acknowledged the missile strike, citing the report by Iran’s conventional armed forces. Yet even the army statement itself raises questions, as it said the flight moved ‘very close to a sensitive military spot… The altitude and the direction of the flight’s movement were like an enemy target, so the aircraft was targeted unintentionally due to human error,’ the statement read.

“That’s despite flight data for every Ukrainian International Airlines flight out of Tehran since early November show Wednesday’s flight followed a similar altitude and flight path, according to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24. Planes leaving Imam Khomeini airport routinely take off going west as the Ukrainian flight did. Nine other flights flew out of the airport early Wednesday morning before the Ukrainian airliner as well without encountering trouble…

“Analysts have questioned the decision not to close Tehran’s airspace in the days after the shootdown… Iranian officials… sought to try to blame ‘U.S. adventurism’ for Iran shooting down the airplane. That may not fly with the Iranian public, already battered by economic sanctions and openly protesting in recent protests. Saturday night, hundreds gathered at universities in Tehran to… [demand] officials involved in the missile attack be removed from their positions and tried. Police broke up the demonstrations…”

If fact, it has been confirmed now what had already been reported earlier—that Iran shot down the Ukrainian airline with TWO missiles, not just one.

Just ONE German Government Politician Calls for Sanctions against Iran

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 11:

“German politician Paul Ziemiak calls Iran’s leadership a ‘terrorist regime’… The No. 2 member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union Party on Friday urged sanctions targeting Iran’s regime for launching at least one missile at an Ukrainian passenger jet, resulting in the death of all 176 people aboard… Three German citizens were aboard the downed plane…

“Ziemiak’s call to sanction Iran’s clerical regime stands in sharp contrast to Merkel and her coalition government with the Social Democratic Party. Both Merkel and the Social Democrats have worked to circumvent US sanctions targeting Iran. A German official oversees INSTEX (the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges) to promote trade among European countries with Iran.

“In 2018, the chairman of Germany’s Jewish community, Dr. Josef Schuster, called for ‘an immediate halt to any economic relations with Iran… Schuster added that ‘It seems paradoxical that Germany – as a country that is said to have learned from its horrendous past and which has a strong commitment to fight antisemitism – is one of the strongest economic partners of a regime [Tehran] that is blatantly denying the Holocaust and abusing human rights on a daily basis.

“‘Besides, Germany has included Israel’s security as a part of its raison d’être,’ he said. ‘As a matter of course, this should exclude doing business with a fanatic dictatorship that is calling for Israel’s destruction, pursuing nuclear weapons and financing terror organizations around the world.’ Merkel ignored Schuster’s appeal at the time.”

Bild Online wrote on January 10: “No, it was not a mistake, but a murderous deed. CDU-General Secretary Paul Ziemiak is the only German politician who speaks clearly in connection with Iran. He is right when he demands new EU sanctions against Iran.”

Iran’s Leadership in Big Trouble

Reuters wrote on January 14:

“Iran said on Tuesday it had arrested people accused of a role in shooting down a Ukrainian airliner and had also detained 30 people involved in protests that have swept the nation for four days since the military belatedly admitted its error. Wednesday’s shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752, killing all 176 people aboard, has led to one of the biggest public challenges to the Islamic Republic’s clerical rulers since they took power four decades ago.

“In a step that will increase diplomatic pressure, Britain, France and Germany launched a dispute mechanism [to bring Tehran back to compliance, allegedly not to impose sanctions] for breaching limits on its nuclear programme under an agreement which Washington abandoned in 2018. Since the United States killed Iran’s most powerful military commander in a drone strike on Jan. 3, Tehran has faced escalating confrontation with the West and unrest at home, both reaching levels with little precedent in its modern history…

“Protesters, many of them students, have held daily demonstrations since then, chanting ‘Clerics get lost!’ and calling for the removal of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in power for more than 30 years. Police have responded to some protests with a violent crackdown, video posts on social media showed. Footage showed police beating protesters with batons, wounded people being carried, pools of blood on the streets and the sound of gunfire…

“The extent of the unrest is difficult to assess because of limits on independent reporting…

“Most of those on board the flight were Iranians or dual nationals… The disaster and subsequent unrest comes amid one of the biggest escalations between Tehran and Washington since 1979…

“Iran’s leaders have been facing a powerful combination of pressure both at home and abroad. Just two months ago, Iran’s authorities put down anti-government protests, killing hundreds of demonstrators in what is believed to be the most violent crackdown on unrest since the 1979 revolution. Elsewhere in the Middle East, where Iran has wielded influence through a network of allied movements and proxies, governments that include powerful Iran-sponsored armed factions have faced months of hostile demonstrations in Lebanon and Iraq.”

Regarding the future of Iran, please read our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy.”

Merkel Far Too Cozy with Putin

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 11:

“Germany and Russia have traditionally had deep economic ties and, among NATO and European leaders, Merkel has been a welcome guest in Moscow…

“The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned US actions against Soleimani as ‘reckless,’ while German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Rainer Breul said Berlin has not been privy to ‘information that would allow us to see that the US attack was based on international law.’…

“… the Kremlin has been consistently trying to coax Germany, and Europe, towards closer ties by portraying the US as an unreliable partner…”

In addition to the pitiful comments by the German Foreign Ministry, Merkel’s visit with Putin and the subsequent press conference in Moscow on January 12, the German conservative paper, Die Welt, wrote that Merkel’s positions were surprisingly similar to Putin’s and they were in opposition to America’s. The paper stated that what Merkel said about the support of the Russian-German pipeline could not have been stated better by Putin. And the paper warned that her charm offensive is very risky, especially in the energy sector, and that Germany is becoming more and more dependent on Russia and subject to Russia’s blackmail.

Conservative mass tabloid Bild Online published additional strong words of criticism for Merkel. They stated that Putin only received praise from Merkel… including for his visit with Syria’s mass murderer al-Assad. The paper said: “A corpse in Berlin’s Tiergarten would have only been disruptive: Not one word was uttered regarding the murder of a Gregorian former agent in Berlin last August, for which Moscow is being blamed by the USA, Great Britain and Merkel’s own security services.”

In another editorial, Bild Online wrote about the “weak Chancellor”: “Where is the Chancellor whom we once knew?… She… accepts every cynical provocation [from Putin]… Europe is in desperate need of an adversary equal to Putin. Angela Merkel has not been that for a long time.”

Please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Does Germany Have Nuclear Weapons?”

After Putin’s Power Grab — Russia’s PM and Entire Government Resign

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 15:

“Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced on Wednesday that he and the rest of the Russian government were resigning… The announcement came on the heels of President Vladimir Putin’s annual speech to lawmakers where he proposed a series of constitutional reforms that would grant more powers to parliament — including the ability to select the prime minister…

“Putin has asked the outgoing government to continue to carry out their duties until a new government is formed… Russian political analyst Alexey Kurtov interpreted the prime minister’s resignation as a show of ‘disagreement’ with sweeping changes suggested by Putin…

“The maneuver could prove crucial for Putin’s future. [He] took power in 2000 and since served as both president and prime minister. He is currently in his consecutive term as president and is prohibited by law to stay on as president. ‘I wouldn’t exclude that Putin sees himself taking on the speaker’s chair in the parliament in the future,’ political analyst Abbas Gallyamov told DW. ‘Since Putin’s main task now is to secure his own political future, we can assume he is paving the way for himself there.’”

The Guardian wrote on January 15:

“… observers saw an attempt by Putin to lay the groundwork for a transition of power in 2024, when he should, under the constitution, step down from the presidency after serving two terms back-to-back as Russia’s head of state. ‘The main result of Putin’s speech: what idiots (and/or crooks) are all those who said that Putin would leave in 2024,’ wrote Alexei Navalny, a vocal leader of Russia’s opposition.

“Putin, 67, has in effect ruled Russia since 2000, making him the longest-serving leader since Stalin, and the question of what he plans to do in 2024 remains the most important political question in the country… Few expect Putin will want to retire from public life…”

Putin will try everything he possibly can to stay in power—“by hook or by crook.”

CNN wrote on January 15:

 “By taking steps to tighten his grip on power, Putin is also sending a message to the wider world. More Putin in Russia means more Putin on the international stage. And if the last few years have taught us anything, that means a Russia willing to go to extraordinary lengths to act as a direct rival for influence to the US-led world order — and create more headaches for America and its allies.”

Putin, the “Humble” Dictator

 The Week wrote on January 16:

 “Nothing suggests that Putin’s already more or less unilateral authority is about to diminish. In fact, that’s exactly what the proposed constitutional changes are meant to shore up. By investing more power in the legislature, of which the prime minister is the head, and the council, which Putin controls, he is simply preparing himself for the end of what may be his last term as the president of the Russian Federation… this time he may not bother returning to the presidency. Instead he will be able to rule effectively as a head of government rather than a head of state, not directly subject to term limits and immune from impeachment, backed by a newly empowered legislature and a council of state capable of sweeping actions that are inconceivable at present…

 “It should be clear to all observers that Putin intends to remain in power for as long as possible — perhaps even for the remainder of his life — and that he is willing to do so by any means necessary… In the words of an old protest classic, ‘This is what democracy looks like,’ at least in Russia.”

 Sadly, this is true all over this evil world. Daily Mail wrote that “like Stalin, [Putin will] rule to death” and described his move as “an audaciously disguised power grab.” As a former KGB spy, Putin knows how to get ahead in this corrupt world.

Russia’s New Prime Minister

 The Guardian wrote on January 16:

“…the Russian president’s allies have rushed to support Mikhail Mishustin, the former head of Russia’s tax service… after Putin named him as the replacement for… Medvedev… Mishustin was confirmed in the post by Russia’s parliament on Thursday and is the country’s first new prime minister since 2012… Analysts said Mishustin may play a role as a ‘caretaker’ figure but was unlikely to be Putin’s long-term successor… “

Bild Online referred to Mishustin as Putin’s new puppet. 

Where Was Ursula von der Leyen?

Politico wrote on January 6:

“With the Middle East in meltdown and fears of ‘World War III’ trending on social media, the leader of the EU’s new ‘geopolitical Commission’ was nowhere to be geo-located. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who aims to make the bloc a bigger player on the world stage, made her first public comments about the escalating hostilities between Iran and the United States on Monday evening — more than three days after an airstrike ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani…

“But for some observers, it was far too late. ‘Stop your holidays and start saying something!’ one EU diplomat said earlier in the day, expressing bewilderment at the absence of any comments from the Commission president on Iran, as well as an announcement a week earlier by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that he would send military forces to Libya…

“‘We don’t really know what to do,’ said the diplomat who had wondered why von der Leyen did not speak out over the holidays… The diplomat complained that von der Leyen is talking about tackling climate change while the EU lets its neighborhood fall ‘into the hands of Turkey and Russia and we risk an escalation in the Middle East.’”

Von der Leyen is, and always has been, weak and highly controversial.

“Europe Hates Trump More Than Iran”

Politico wrote on January 8:

“When it comes to finding adjectives to describe U.S. President Donald Trump’s assassination of Iranian military guru Qassem Soleimani… European officials have displayed rare unity. At least in private… While Trump has been reviled by Europe’s establishment from the day he took office… Europe’s shock over the Iranian general’s killing morphed into anger at Trump…

“Just how bad is it? Even as Iran’s supreme leader promised ‘severe’ retaliation for the killing over the weekend, EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for a sitdown in Brussels. The U.S., which recently placed sanctions on Zarif, won’t even grant him a visa to visit the United Nations. Angela Merkel… responded to the crisis by arranging a ‘working meeting’ later this week — in Moscow. Berlin appears to have concluded that sitting down with Vladimir Putin (who met with Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad this week to celebrate their success in crushing Syria’s civil war) would be more productive than a trip to Washington, on paper still Germany’s most important ally.

“Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel described the Soleimani attack as a ‘1914 moment.’ The new leadership of Germany’s Social Democrats, Merkel’s coalition partner, called on the U.S. to remove its nuclear arsenal from the country. Though other senior SPD officials, including former European Parliament President Martin Schulz, have endorsed such a move in the past, the timing of the latest demand underscored the degree of German unease over Trump’s course…

“This is how Borrell, who was Spain’s foreign minister before taking on the EU’s foreign policy portfolio, described Europe’s relationship with the U.S. in an interview with POLITICO last year: ‘Wherever you look there’s complete disagreement between the States and Europe,’ he said… the European response has focused on trying to placate Iran instead of displaying solidarity with the U.S…. Europe’s refusal to stand by America’s side on Iran hasn’t gone unnoticed in Washington.”

 Europe will turn totally against Trump… with catastrophic consequences.

What Could Europe Do?

Politico wrote on January 8:

“Since the assassination by the United States of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Europeans have been busy talking… But Europeans have a bad habit of talking too much and acting too little — only to cry over spilled milk when events tip beyond the point of no return. As the Middle East descends into chaos, the consequences of which would be devastating not just for the region but for Europeans too, what, if anything, can Europe do?

“… [one] opportunity for action concerns Iraq… Europeans are currently present in Iraq through a civilian mission advising Iraqi security sector reform. Given Baghdad’s dire need for support to prevent the rebirth of the Islamic State, this could open a space for a European military mission as well… given its commitment… to the fight against the Islamic State, it would be in a privileged position to fill what otherwise risks becoming a dangerous void.”

That is exactly what Europe, in due time, will do.

Germany to Deliver US Nuclear Bombs

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 10:

“In the case of a nuclear strike, German Tornado fighter jets and their crews would deliver the American bombs… Their location is a state secret. The German government has never officially confirmed the existence of the nuclear bombs in Büchel. The precise number of bombs stored in the underground vaults in the air base is thus unclear; estimates range between 10 to 20.

“On the record, the German government only admits to being part of the sharing agreement, which dates back to the Cold War and NATO’s nuclear deterrence strategy aimed at keeping Soviet influence at bay. In essence, it provides for member states of the military alliance without nuclear weapons to partake in planning and training for the use of nuclear weapons… Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy are all part of the sharing agreement…

“But as Germany’s Tornado fleet is swiftly nearing the end of its shelf life, the cost of maintaining a fleet for the nuclear mission is skyrocketing… Many within the German Air Force prefer the American F-35 fighter jet produced by Lockheed Martin [to replace the Tornados], the most modern airplane available on the market. American planes would come with established logistics chains and programs to quickly train pilots, compared to training in Germany which can drag on for years. The other European nuclear-sharing countries — Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy — have all opted for the F-35…

“But here this option seems to have been quietly dropped, in part due to French pressure: For Germany and France are in the early stages of developing a joint fighter plane — the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which combines manned fighter jets with swarms of cloud-connected drones… The French threatened to go FCAS alone, should Germany buy the modern American F-35 jets… And, there is another reason some politicians are wary of the F-35: It is, they concede, basically a black box. ‘You don’t know which information or data may be transmitted to America,’ one parliamentarian told DW.

“In theory, Germany could add to its 138-strong fleet of Eurofighter jets, built by a European consortium owned by Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. In Germany, the plane’s final assembly is also done in Manching, where the Tornados undergo their maintenance, and it is an important regional employer… It is a tricky issue, as the US reportedly told the German government that it would take much longer to certify the Eurofighter for its nuclear role than any American aircraft — possibly up to ten years. That would push it close to the Tornados’ end date. Airbus maintains that Germany shouldn’t have given the Americans an option, but simply told them to certify the Eurofighter, rather than let them favor the American-produced plane…

“SPD politician Fritz Felgentreu… prefers to uphold the nuclear sharing agreement. In theory, Germany could pull out, as Greece and the United Kingdom have done, in the latter case following popular protests against the nukes. But ‘it wouldn’t be prudent for Germany (to do so),’ Felgentreu told DW… In early 2020, the two left-leaning leaders of the Social Democrats — Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken — called for a withdrawal of all nuclear weapons in Europe and Russia, adding that the presence of American nukes in Germany was ‘problematic.’ For now, it is unclear who might gain the upper hand within the party… Should the SPD pivot away from the nuclear sharing agreement, it could potentially upend Merkel’s increasingly fractious coalition.

“Meanwhile, frustration is mounting among the German Air Force. ‘We just want a plane that does its job,’ one Tornado pilot told DW wryly. ‘Time is running out.’”

Please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Does Germany Have Nuclear Weapons?”

Germany in the Middle

Stars and Stripes wrote on January 6:

“The burgeoning crisis in the Middle East may complicate the Army’s plans to hold the largest military exercise in a generation in Europe this year. Defender-Europe 20, which is set for this spring, is expected to send 20,000 U.S. soldiers to Europe in the largest Army deployment to the Continent in 25 years. The units include an immediate response force from the 82nd Airborne Division that would conduct air and parachute assaults in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

“However, about 4,000 crisis response soldiers from the 82nd Airborne were dispatched to the Middle East… The Pentagon last year sent 14,000 additional troops to the Middle East amid concerns about Iranian aggression in the region.”

t-online wrote on January 11 that the central place for the planned operation will be Germany, with thousands of tanks and soldiers being transported eastward, using German streets and the autobahn, German airports and German waterways. The transport via Germany’s streets is supposed to happen mainly at night, in April and May. The transport of all the equipment and manpower back from the east will begin by the end of May and is supposed to be accomplished by July. 18 countries are participating in the exercise. In some parts of Germany, proposed military fights will be conducted. All in all, 35,000 soldiers will participate. According to the article, the reason for the exercise is the fear of further aggressive conduct by Russia, to be able to move quickly in case of an emergency.  

What Lies Ahead for Austria

The Local wrote on January 7:

“The 33-year-old chancellor Sebastian Kurz says the unlikely coalition offers ‘the best of both worlds.’ Here are some of the main points of the government’s 300-page programme.

“The government is aiming to be carbon neutral — meaning greenhouse gas emissions are balanced with measures that absorb or eliminate carbon — by 2040, a decade ahead of the European Union’s 2050 ambition… While the Greens campaigned — along with environmentalists — for higher eco taxes to be introduced… the government programme makes no direct promise of that… The plan does, however, stipulate a tax of 12 euros ($13.40) on every plane ticket for both short and medium-distance flights, up from 3.50 euros and 7.50 euros respectively. On the other hand, the government wants to introduce a yearly pass, costing three euros a day, to be used on public transport throughout the country…”

Kurz Old/New Immigration Policy—Nothing Has Changed

Politico wrote on January 13:

“Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said it is the government’s duty to ‘protect young girls’ from the harmful side-effects of immigration, defending his pledge to ban headscarves in schools for girls under the age of 14… Kurz also said controlling illegal immigration is… pivotal… ‘… it is… important to decide who will live in our country,’ he said, adding that better control of immigration is an integral part of protecting cultural identity. He also announced more drastic measures to guarantee national security, such as preventive detention of immigrants suspected of religious extremism…

“Kurz has long championed tougher immigration rules on the national and European level, earning him both support and criticism. One German NGO earlier this month caused considerable outrage across German and Austrian media when it denounced Kurz, 33, as ‘Baby Hitler,’ after the leader said sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean only encourage more refugees to make the dangerous crossing to Europe and lead to more deaths.”

It has been observed that all important government posts are in Kurz’s hands. Some of his radical measures regarding immigration are clearly cause for concern. However, some of the Green-inspired programs are ludicrous.

The Senate’s Impeachment Trial – another chapter in the Ongoing Hoax

npr wrote on January 10:

“When the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump opens, the man in the center chair will be Chief Justice John Roberts… the Constitution… says that the chief justice ‘shall preside’ over the Senate trial of a president… Yet under Senate rules, it is the senators themselves who have the first and last word. They establish the procedures for the trial and can, by majority vote, overturn any of the chief justice’s rulings.

“The extent of the chief’s powerlessness was driven home to Chief Justice William Rehnquist at the beginning of President Bill Clinton’s Senate impeachment trial in 1999. When Rehnquist asked Senate Sergeant at Arms James Ziglar how to turn on his microphone, Ziglar replied, ‘You don’t. We control that.’… Rehnquist… really had absolutely no control of his courtroom…

“Trump’s relationship with Roberts has been rocky at best. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump called Roberts a ‘disgrace,’ a ‘disaster’ and a ‘nightmare’ and castigated him repeatedly for casting the deciding vote to uphold the Affordable Care Act… Roberts… tried mightily to convey an image of the court as apolitical.

“Even as Roberts will be presiding over the Senate trial, he and fellow justices are hearing a series of blockbuster cases this term on issues as diverse as abortion, LGBTQ employment rights, a major immigration case involving the potential deportation of 700,000 ‘DREAMers,’ and even a series of cases in which Trump is seeking to block subpoenas of his financial records. With that menu dominating his day job, it is unlikely that Roberts will want to insert himself as a major player in the impeachment trial…

“Borrowing a line from Gilbert and Sullivan’s play Iolanthe, Rehnquist opined, ‘I did nothing in particular and did it very well.’”

House impeachment prosecutors presented the articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate chamber on Thursday, reading the charges aloud. Then, John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was sworn in to preside over the trial that will determine whether Trump should be removed from office. After Roberts was sworn in, he administered an oath to deliver “impartial justice” to all 100 senators.

The historic trial marks only the third such proceeding in US history. The trial is anticipated to begin next Tuesday. The outcome is predetermined. Trump will remain President of the USA.

The End of the UK?

The New York Times wrote on January 10:

“The United Kingdom may be finally coming to an end… The United Kingdom will leave the European Union on Jan. 31. For decades, membership in the European Union helped glue together a fragmenting United Kingdom; now Brexit is tearing it apart…

“Mr. Johnson’s plan is likely to lead to a border between Northern Ireland and Britain for the first time in modern history… A once-more united Ireland is firmly in view…

“A large majority of Scots voted to remain in the European Union during the 2016 referendum; to allow Northern Ireland but not Scotland to remain aligned with the European Union’s market will only add to the sting. Nicola Sturgeon, the S.N.P.’s leader, has already formally requested that the Scottish parliament be given powers to hold an independence referendum. Mr. Johnson, for his part, has made clear that he intends to stand in the way of such a vote, but he may not be able to block it forever.

“So maybe this is the end… First Scotland, then Northern Ireland, leaving just England and Wales, a mini-union, which itself could break up under pressure from Welsh nationalists…

“England… would probably have to give up its nuclear weapons — the United Kingdom’s nuclear submarine base is in Scotland…”

In due time, a break-up of the UK appears likely, if not inevitable.

Israeli Education Minister Condemned for his Biblical Views

The Times of Israel wrote on January 10:

“Education Minister Rafi Peretz came under fire Friday for an interview where he appeared to call same-sex marriage unnatural… ‘In the religious public that lives according to the Torah, a normal family is a man and a woman,’ he said in an interview with the Yedioth Ahronoth daily. ‘[We] don’t need to ashamed that we live in this natural way.’ Peretz was also asked how he would respond if one of his children was gay. ‘Thank God my kids grew up naturally and healthy. They’re building their families from Jewish values,’ he said.

“The comments were met with heavy criticism, including from a number of gay Knesset members. ‘Look, Rabbi Rafi [Peretz], this is what a “natural and healthy” family looks like,’ Labor MK Itzik Shmuli wrote in tweet that included a photo of him with his partner and their son. Meretz party leader Nitzan Horowitz called Peretz a ‘contemptible person’… The LGBT umbrella organization Aguda called Peretz’s comments ‘irresponsible’ and said they were providing an opening for homophobia and anti-gay violence…”

Woe unto you when you say what GOD thinks. But woe unto you if you don’t!

No Trust in Israel’s Political System

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 12:

“With Israel’s third parliamentary elections in less than a year due to be held on March 2, 2020–at a cost to the economy of many billions of shekels – it’s not surprising that the public’s confidence in the Knesset and the political parties is at the lowest ebb… The current political impasse, which, unbelievably, threatens to trigger a fourth bout of elections, caused 63% of the Israeli public to distrust the political system in 2019. Compare this to 56% of the public who expressed very little confidence in politics, politicians and political institutions in 2018…

“An even sharper decline was recorded in the confidence level of the parties. Fully 67% of the public expressed little or no confidence in them, compared with four percent who expressed great or very much confidence. Last year, 57% expressed little or no confidence and six percent expressed great or very much confidence…”

There is not much trust and confidence in any of the governments of this world, nor should there be. And those who worship their political leaders—for instance in North Korea—are hopelessly delusional and brainwashed.

“The World Is Drowning in Debt”

CNN wrote on January 13:

“The world’s already huge debt load smashed the record for the highest debt-to-GDP ratio before 2019 was even over. In fact, it broke that record in the first nine months of last year. Global debt, which comprises borrowings from households, governments and companies, grew by $9 trillion, to nearly $253 trillion, in the first nine months of last year… That puts the global debt-to-GDP ratio at 322%, narrowly surpassing 2016 as the highest level on record.

“More than half of this enormous number was accumulated in developed markets, such as the United States and Europe, bringing their debt-to-GDP ratio to 383% overall. There are plenty of culprits. Countries like New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway all have rising household debt levels, while the government debt-to-GDP ratios in the United States and Australia are at all-time highs.

“In emerging markets, debt levels are lower, for a total of $72 trillion, but they have risen faster in recent years… China’s ratio of debt to GDP, for example, is approaching 310%, the highest level in the developing world. Investors have long kept a skeptical eye on the highly-leveraged country. Following a push for Chinese companies to deliver in 2017 and 2018, debt levels rose again last year…

“Such massive worldwide debt is a real risk for the global economy, especially because the IIF expects levels to rise even further in 2020. ‘Spurred by low interest rates and loose financial conditions, we estimate that total global debt will exceed $257 trillion’ in the first quarter of 2020, the IIF said…

“Despite favorable borrowing conditions, the refinancing risk is massive. A total of more than $19 trillion of syndicated loans and bonds will mature in 2020. It’s unlikely that all of these will be refinanced or repaid.”

How long can the world carry these horrendous debts before breaking down under the load?

Pope Benedict Warns Pope Francis Against Relaxing Celibacy Rules

BBC News reported on January 13:

“Retired Pope Benedict XVI has issued a defence of priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church as his successor considers easing a ban on married men serving as priests. Pope Benedict made the appeal in a book co-authored with Cardinal Robert Sarah. It comes in response to a proposal to allow married men to be ordained as priests in the Amazon region.

“Pope Benedict, who retired in 2013, said he could not remain silent on the issue. In the book, Pope Benedict says celibacy, a centuries-old tradition within the Church, has ‘great significance’ because it allows priests to focus on their duties. The 92-year-old says ‘it doesn’t seem possible to realise both vocations [priesthood and marriage] simultaneously’.

“It is rare for Pope Benedict, who was the first pontiff to resign in almost 600 years, to intervene in clerical matters… Vatican commentators have reacted with surprise to Francis’s intervention, suggesting it breaks with convention…

“A theological conservative with traditional views on Catholic values, Pope Benedict pledged to remain ‘hidden from the world’ when he retired, citing poor health. But since then, he has made his views known in articles, books and interviews, advocating a different approach to Pope Francis, who is seen as more progressive. Pope Benedict still lives within the walls of the Vatican in a former monastery…”

The Los Angeles Times wrote on January 13:

“Benedict’s intervention was extraordinary, given he had promised to remain ‘hidden from the world’ when he retired in 2013 and pledged his obedience to the new pope…

“The implications for such an intervention are grave, given that conservative and traditionalist Catholics nostalgic for Benedict’s orthodoxy are already deeply opposed to Francis, with some even considering Benedict’s resignation illegitimate…

“The book is being published at a moment of renewed interest in — and confusion about — the nature of the relationship between Francis and Benedict, thanks to the Netflix drama ‘The Two Popes.’ The film stars Anthony Hopkins as Benedict and Jonathan Pryce as Francis… It imagines a days-long conversation between the two men before Benedict announces his historic resignation Feb. 11, 2013 — conversations in which their different views of the state of the church become apparent.

“Those meetings never happened, and the two men didn’t know one another well before Francis was elected pope. But although the film takes artistic liberties for the sake of narrative, it gets the point across that Francis and Benedict indeed have some very different ideas…”

The Guardian wrote on January 13:

“‘It’s a first for Benedict but also for the church,’ said Joshua McElwee, the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. ‘There’s a real worry that the figure of the former pope, who has a big following among those from more conservative circles, could prevent Francis from making a decision that he felt was right for the church.’…

“In a controversial essay published last year, Benedict blamed the Catholic church’s paedophile priest scandals on the sexual revolution of the 1960s and ‘homosexual cliques’ among priests. His comments were in sharp conflict with Francis’s efforts to steer the church out of a crisis that has blighted it for decades.”

Vatican’s “Damage Control”

AFP wrote on January 14:

“On Tuesday, the ex-pontiff’s private secretary, Georg Gaenswein, clarified that although Benedict had given Sarah passages he had written to use as the cardinal saw fit, ‘he hadn’t approved any plans for a double signature book nor had he seen and authorised the cover.’ ‘It was a misunderstanding, without questioning the good faith of Cardinal Sarah,’ Gaenswein told Italian newswire ANSA… ‘Benedict XVI… never saw, nor authorised the cover, nor did he authorise the publication of a co-authored book,’ a Vatican source ‘very close’ to the former pope told Elisabetta Pique, Vatican correspondent for Argentina’s La Nacion.

“Cardinal Sarah took to Twitter on Tuesday to defend himself, saying Benedict knew their collaboration would be a book, and that they had sent proofs back and forth for corrections. He later issued a statement affirming his ‘affection’ for Benedict and ‘obedience’ to Pope Francis, and appeared to have been forced to row back on the issue. ‘Considering the polemics caused… it has been decided that the author of the book will be for future publications: Card Sarah, with the contribution of Benedict XVI,’ he said in a tweet. ‘However, the complete text remains absolutely unchanged,’ he insisted…

“Vatican expert Christopher Lamb said the controversy was not about the book’s content, but rather over ‘the use of a retired pope’s authority to make the point.’ ‘No-one is doubting that Benedict agrees with the premise of the book,’ Lamb said on Twitter.

“Nicolas Seneze of the French Catholic daily La Croix reported a flurry of exchanges Monday between Benedict’s abode and Francis’s, ‘where the danger of a book that erects the pope emeritus as a parallel magisterium (Catholic authority) was clearly understood’.”

The Associated Press added on January 14:

“… the book’s English-language publisher, Ignatius Press, refused to back down, saying the book would carry Benedict’s name as co-author. In a statement, the San Francisco-based Ignatius said it had worked from the text provided by French publisher Fayard, which listed two authors contributing a chapter apiece and a jointly written introduction and conclusion. ‘Ignatius Press considers this a coauthored publication,’ it said. Ignatius, Fayard and all other publishers clearly have more to gain selling a book authored by a former pope than one written by a Vatican cardinal…

“But the controversy made clear once again that the unprecedented reality of a retired and reigning pope still has some wrinkles to be ironed out… [Some] noted that the lines in Benedict’s case were particularly blurred… because of Gaenswein’s dual role: He is both Benedict’s private secretary and the prefect of Francis’ papal household.”

The Vatican’s and Gaenswein’s attempts of damage control make matters worse, as very few are willing to believe their “explanations.”

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

EndoftheAmericanDream wrote on January 12:

“Last Tuesday, one of the most important volcanoes in Alaska [Shishaldin Volcano] shot hot ash 25,000 feet into the air… Then on Thursday, Mt. Popocatepetl in Mexico shot hot ash nearly 4 miles into the sky… Mt. Popocatepetl… has the potential to create the worst natural disaster in the modern history of North America, because it is quite close to Mexico City… Approximately 26 million people live within 60 miles of Popocatepetl’s crater, and so we are talking about the potential for death and destruction on a scale that is difficult to imagine. In ancient times, Mt. Popocatepetl buried entire Aztec cities [in] super-heated mud, but then it went to sleep for about 1,000 years. Unfortunately for us, it started waking up again in the 1990s…

“… down in South America the Sabancaya volcano in Peru just shot a plume of volcanic ash approximately 24,000 feet into the air…  On Sunday, Taal volcano [in the Philippines] roared to life, and it is being reported that the eruption sent ‘steam, ash and pebbles up to 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) into the sky…  ash has already reached Manila, and… Manila’s international airport, offices and schools [were shut down].

“Meanwhile, we continue to see unusual earthquake activity all over the globe. After already experiencing more than 1,000 earthquakes since the beginning of 2020, Puerto Rico was hit by a magnitude 5.9 quake on Saturday… causing further damage along the island’s southern coast, where previous recent quakes have toppled homes and schools.”

The Bible warns of the increase of natural disasters in the last days.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first two parts of this series, we showed from the Bible that God can and does indeed listen to many prayers at the same time, and we showed how this is possible. However, we also showed that God does not listen to billions of prayers at the same time; in fact, He may only listen to a few thousand who pray to Him. But even this concept may be too difficult to grasp for the limited human mind, and so, in this final installment, we will point out additional important aspects in respect to God’s hearing and answering our prayers.

It may be easier for man’s mind to grasp the fact that God can and does listen to multiple prayers at the same time, and that He acts on them at the same time, when we realize that God is not just one Being, but a Family, consisting of two God beings—the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son. We are told that when we pray to the Father, we may and should do this “in the name of Christ” (compare John 14:13; 16:23-24, 26). This concept needs to be understood in its full magnitude and application.

We state the following in our free booklet, Teach Us to Pray:

“When we do something in the name of Christ, we recognize His great power through which He works. Acts 3:6 says that Peter healed a lame person by telling him to rise up and walk ‘in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.’ Acts 3:16 says that Christ’s Name, ‘through faith in His Name,’ has healed a person—the faith which comes through Him did it. Acts 4:7 quotes the high priest asking Peter, ‘By what power [dunamis in Greek; a reference to the power of God’s Spirit] or by what name have you’ healed this man? Acts 4:10 quotes Peter’s answer:  I did it ‘…by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth…, by Him this man stands here before you whole.’…

“John 14:13-14 says that whatever we ask in Christ’s name, Christ will do it… The Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, explains: ‘…whatever you ask in My name—as Mediator—that I will do.’…

“When the Father gives us the Holy Spirit in Christ’s name, He is actually giving us the Spirit through Christ… the Father gives it to Christ, and Christ passes it on to us…

“When we pray to the Father in Christ’s name… we… [expect] Christ to do something while we pray… The Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, explains that Christ is the living Conductor of the prayer upward, and the answer downward… when we pray to the Father in the name of Christ, we are, in a sense, asking Christ to plead our case to the Father…

“Christ lives in us, and when we pray in the name of Christ, it is actually Christ who gives us the mind to say the right things, and it is He who even communicates to the Father what we might have wanted to say—but we could not find the right way to express them. We read that the Spirit makes intercession for us, when we pray (Compare Romans 8:26-27). Verse 34 clarifies that it is actually Christ, through His Spirit, who makes intercession for us or pleads our cause. He is a life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45)…”

So, there is communication going on between the Father and Christ. Both are involved when it comes to listening to and answering the prayers of God’s people. This concept might help us to also understand better what will occur when billions of people will be resurrected in the Great White Throne Judgment who will all be praying to God at the same time. Then, the God Family will consist of millions of Beings who will all be God—all being able and willing to hear and respond to those who pray.

But there is still another aspect pertaining to the concept of hearing and answering prayers; that is, we must not overlook the function of angels.

We say this in our free booklet, Angels, Demons and the Spirit World:

“Man has no comprehension of how many angels exist. The revealed number is indeed mind-boggling. In Revelation 5:11, the number of angels that had assembled before the throne of God is given as ‘…ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’ Hebrews 12:22 goes even further: ‘But you have come to… an innumerable company of angels.’ The Greek word for ‘innumerable’ is ‘anarithmethos,’ literally meaning, ‘unnumbered’ or ‘without number.’ Certainly God knows how many angels He created but for man, angels are ‘without number.’…”

What, if anything, do angels have to do with human prayers?

Two interesting Scriptures show a connection. They are found in Revelation 5:8 and in Revelation 8:3-5:

“Now when He [the Lamb, Jesus Christ] had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [all angelic beings] fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints…

“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.”

It is clear that these passages do not permit us to pray to angels. The worship of angels is specifically prohibited in Scripture. It is also debated as to what exactly the passages mean. Many commentaries say that Revelation 8:3 should be rendered, “… that he should offer it to the prayers of all the saints…” One author writes: “The incense was to be mingled with the prayers of the saints. The incense was added to give a fragrance to the prayers of the saints, and render them acceptable before God.” Another commentary states, “The prayers are to be incensed, so as to (typically) render them pure and acceptable to God.”

On the other hand, Revelation 5:8 identifies the prayers with incense. But whatever the exact meaning, it is obvious that some connection exists between the prayers of God’s people and angelic activity, including the answer to those prayers, which was effectuated by the angel by throwing the censer to the earth, causing “natural” catastrophes.

This angelic activity becomes more obvious when considering the following facts:

We read in Genesis 18:20-21 that God said: “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” It appears that God was told by some of His angels how sinful the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were. But we also read that righteous Lot was plagued from day to day by the wickedness of the people (2 Peter 2:7-8). So he, too, would have prayed to God about them. As a consequence, God wanted to test those people to see how evil they were, and He sent two angels to them for that purpose. Angels had some responsibility and function pertaining to man’s prayer.

In Daniel 10:12–13, 20–21; 11:1, a mind-boggling and awesome fight in the spirit world is revealed. A mighty angel—perhaps Gabriel who had appeared to Daniel twice before—was sent to the prophet with a message. The angel told Daniel: “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia [a powerful demon ruling over Persia] withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings [demons] of Persia… And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece [another powerful demon ruling over Greece] will come… No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince. Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.”

The demon of Persia fought with the angel of God—most likely Gabriel—for twenty-one days, trying to prevent him from reaching Daniel with his message which God had given him to deliver to Daniel. In other words, God sent the angel to Daniel to bring him the answer to his prayer. The archangel Michael had to help Gabriel by fighting in his stead with the demon of Persia, so that Gabriel could appear to Daniel in a vision.

The Bible also speaks of guardian angels whom God has specifically assigned for His people’s protection. In Genesis 48:15–16, Jacob acknowledged the presence of his guardian angel throughout his life. We read in the Revised English Bible, “The god in whose presence my forefathers lived, my forefathers Abraham and Isaac, the god who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who rescued me from all misfortune, may he bless these boys.” Jacob was convinced that God had been with him all of his life, and He was specifically present through a particular angel whom He had assigned to watch over Jacob.

Acts 12:15 shows that the disciples thought that Peter’s angel had appeared, as they believed Peter to be in prison. They specifically said, “It is his angel.” In other words, they thought it was the particular angel whom God had assigned to watch over Peter.

Jesus Christ confirmed the existence of guardian angels in Matthew 18:10, when He talked about little children who believe in Him, as well as true Christians who must become “as” little children: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” The obvious implication is that in all these cases, they are somehow involved with the prayers of the people whom they are assigned to protect.

Just prior to His arrest, Christ prayed to God the Father, saying, “‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’ Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:42–44). In answer to Christ’s prayer, God sent one of His angels to give Jesus Christ encouragement. We don’t know what exactly the angel did, but we are told that he “strengthened” Christ. In addition, the Bible does not limit God’s protection for His people to just one angel. Christ told Peter that He could ask the Father to send Him more than twelve legions or more than 6,000 angels for His protection (Matthew 26:53).

In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel about a dream. The king had seen “a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven” (verse 13). This “watcher” had proclaimed “a decision” that had been made “by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men’” (verse 17). Daniel interpreted the dream to the king, explaining to him that because of his pride, he would have to live for seven years with the animals. He stated in verse 23, “… the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. This is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king.”

These watchers were holy angels of God. One of them spoke to the king in his dream, as Daniel recognized and confirmed. The interesting revelation is that these watchers or angels were involved in God’s decision-making process in heaven regarding Nebuchadnezzar. We are told about another similar episode in 1 Kings 22:19-23, where God was talking to His angels as to how to bring about a certain outcome: “Then Micaiah said, ‘Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, “Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?” So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit [perhaps a demon] came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, “I will persuade him.” The LORD said to him, “In what way?” So he said, “I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And the LORD said, “You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.” Therefore look! The LORD has put [allowed] a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.’”

God’s angels watch on the good and the bad, and they report their findings to God. In Revelation 5:6, we read about the Lamb Jesus Christ, “having seven eyes, which are the seven [s]pirits of God sent out into all the earth.” These “seven spirits” are seven angelic beings. They are also mentioned in Zechariah 3:9; 4:10: “Upon the stone are seven eyes. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” Some of God’s angels are referred to as “eyes of the LORD” or as “watchers”—keeping watch on man. Proverbs 15:3 reads, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping WATCH on the evil and the good.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 adds, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

Some of these seven angelic beings are described in Zechariah 6:1-7: “Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses-strong steeds. Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ And the angel answered and said to me, ‘These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the LORD of all the earth. The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.’ Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, ‘Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.’ So they walked to and fro throughout the earth.”

An additional account can be found in Zechariah 1:8-11: “I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. Then I said, ‘My lord, what are these?’ So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, ‘These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.’ So they answered the [a]ngel of the LORD, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quiet.’”

God’s angels are watching and observing us. They are giving reports and expressing their feelings to God—participating thereby in God’s decisions and decrees. Angels rejoice when a sinner repents (Luke 15:10).

As we say in our above-mentioned booklet, Angels, Demons and the Spirit World:

“There exists a very special relationship between angels and man. The Bible shows us that they are assigned by God to help those whom God is calling to salvation. Hebrews 1:14 says about angels: ‘Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?’ Psalm 34:7 adds: ‘The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him [that is, ‘who will inherit salvation’], And delivers them.’ … God sends forth His angels to ‘minister,’ that is, to serve and help man achieve his potential to inherit salvation—eternal life in the Family of God. Angels are, in fact, intimately involved with our salvation. They are not robots, mechanically obeying God’s Word. They joyfully and eagerly fulfill their task to minister to those who will inherit salvation.”

This includes watching and observing us, listening to our words and prayers, reporting to God what they have noticed, and somehow participating in delivering our prayers as incense to God. This does not diminish the role of Jesus Christ, who is our only Mediator, but somehow angels are involved in “presenting” the incense of our prayers. And they are most certainly involved in the practical aspect of carrying out God’s answers to our prayers—while we emphasize again that it is Christ who receives the answers from the Father. This amazing “interactive-relationship” is explained in Revelation 1:1, where we read: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show His servants—things which must shortly come to pass. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” Compare also Revelation 22:6.

So, it is not a problem for the God Family to listen to and answer many prayers at the same time. We should never think that God is too busy to hear us. Rather, we might sometimes think that we are too busy to pray to Him. But without Him and His help, where would we be? And more importantly, what would we be? Most certainly not, what we are today or what we can become: A Spirit-begotten child of His, in whom the Father’s and the Son’s Holy Spirit dwells.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (January 2020) has been written and posted and will soon be mailed to our subscribers. Elder Kalon Mitchell presents strong encouragement to not let despair and frustration overcome us but rather to turn to God’s Word and to God in faith to find the strength we need!

A new video advertisement for our booklet on Zechariah was produced by Pastor Michael Link, titled “The Book of Zechariah–Prophecies for Today.” 

“Does Germany Have Nuclear Weapons?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Many are inclined to deny this question off-hand, but are they correct? And if Germany has or has access to nuclear weapons, what would be the big deal? Would weak Angela Merkel’s far-too-cozy relationship with strong Vladimir Putin and their united rejection of American influence have any significance in this regard? What does God think?

“Prophetic Relevance of the US-Iran Conflict,” is the title of last week’s new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The murder of an American contractor by an Iranian proxy; the subsequent American assassination of Iran’s General Soleimani; the following Iranian missile attack on two Iraqi bases housing US troops; and the almost simultaneous crash of an Ukrainian airline shortly after taking off from Tehran Airport have shown the world again how an outright war in the Middle East can break out. Threats and counter threats, as well as some news analysis, paint a picture which is very close to prophesied events as revealed in the Bible.

“Prophetische Bedeutung des US-Iran Konfliktes,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This covers the same topic as the StandingWatch program described above.

“War der Apostel Petrus der erste Papst?–Teil 4,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Was the Apostle Peter the First Pope?–Part 4.”

“Titel: Neues Jahr oder Neuer Mensch?” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Robert Kintzi. Title in English: “A new Year or a new Man?”

“The Keystone of the Kingdom,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Over the centuries societies have taken great pride in the structures that their ancestors built and that they themselves build today. In some places construction includes buildings and large developments that cannot sustain themselves without elaborate and costly water, sewer and other necessary infrastructure that will soon be obsolete. There are also groups that seemingly dedicate their construction—the stones, bricks and mortar with rituals and rites that can strike anyone as odd. This is true of even large public projects right here in my home state of Colorado. Rather than focusing on finding ways to serve and honor God the Father, mankind has discovered more ways to establish and honor their own legacies. The community that we as believers await and work towards  is of course the coming Kingdom of God—The New Jerusalem, and the Keystone for the Kingdom is of course Jesus Christ. In this Sermonette we will explore scriptures that offer the clarity and the bedrock that our future will be built upon.

“The Work We Do,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Pastor Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We work for God. Our job title is servant, and the work we are to accomplish is our part in the work God is doing.

On January 11, 2020, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “The Keystone of the Kingdom,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “The Work We Do.”

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.

Having been anxiously waiting to go with my wife on a boat cruise out of California’s San Pedro Bay, I was somewhat shocked and dismayed to receive an email from Air Canada on Saturday, after the Sabbath, stating that our flight on Sunday morning, December 1, to the Los Angeles Airport had been delayed to 11:00AM. We were originally supposed to leave at 5:40 AM and arrive at LAX at 12:25 PM. The new arrival time of 4:28 PM via Salt Lake City was almost two hours after the ship would leave for our Mexico Cruise.

The worst part was that I had taken out any cancellation insurance for the flight or cruise and I was told now that the cruise line would not refund a “no show.” Trying to sort this out on a Saturday evening when the Travel Agency was closed and the offices of the cruise lines were also closed was frustrating. So, there was nothing I could do that evening. Taking the flight at 11:00 AM on December 1 would accomplish nothing, so we did not even leave the house.

I was distraught as to why God would allow this to happen. He knew we were looking forward to getting away from the cold for a week. He knew about our plans and our anticipation in regard to this trip. On Sunday, I called the credit card company with whom I had booked my flight, using points and cash to buy the tickets, and explained the situation to them. It took some time on the phone, but eventually, they said I would get a refund and my points would be put back on my card, but it would take four to six weeks.

That made me feel a bit better, but what about the price for the cruise?

I went to Penticton, about twenty minutes south of where I live, and talked to the travel agent through whom I booked the cruise. She reiterated the cruise line policy, which I already knew by now, and said she would phone them and get back to me, so I went home.  About half an hour later, I got a call from her telling me she tried but the cruise line said, no refund.

Not wanting to give up on this, I called the cruise line myself. After explaining my situation, the agent told me the policy of no refund for no shows. Then I started to tell her that they were a million dollar company, and I was a senior citizen with limited income, and that they had my money and I had nothing in return and that their public customer relations were not very high on the scale. She put me through to the supervisor, and I told him my story, and after some thought, he relented and said I could apply my fare to the next cruise which was on January 5, as the cruises prior to that date were sold out.  I had to pay a bit more since that cruise was more costly, due to seasonal prices.I was very happy about that, but why did all of this have to happen?

A few days later, I got an email from Mrs. Johanna Link, asking me if the ship we were supposed to go on was the one in the news she had listened to. She wrote: “I am just watching the news and they said that the cruise ship Norwegian Joy had to come back today because people got sick on board. This is the ship you were supposed to go on, isn’t it?” She also sent a link of an article in regard to the ship, and this is what the CNN article said:

“Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics treated 10 people aboard the Norwegian Joy cruise ship for minor medical complaints after the ship docked early Sunday, the LAFD said. It’s the second time in a week passengers were treated for illness after returning from a trip aboard the vessel. The patients, on a Mexican Riviera cruise, had minor medical complaints and none were transported to hospitals, the LAFD said about Sunday’s incident. It was not immediately clear what caused their illness.

“Initially, the LAFD was expecting to treat 20 patients ‘reporting unspecified illness’ as the cruise ship began to dock, it said. The ship is capable of carrying more than 3,600 guests, according to Norwegian Cruise Line. ‘During Norwegian Joy’s Mexican Riviera sailing, a few guests on board experienced a stomach-related illness,’ the cruise line said in a statement. ‘To mitigate any impact of this rare occurrence, we implemented stringent sanitation procedures. As always, we will continue to monitor this situation.’

“Norwegian Joy experienced a similar incident last week when, the LAFD said, six passengers arriving to Los Angeles from a Panama Canal voyage were treated for flu-like symptoms. Those passengers, who arrived in the Port of Los Angeles on November 24, were diagnosed with norovirus, Los Angeles Port Police Lt. Rosario Ferrara told CNN. They were among 127 passengers and six crew members who reported being ill while aboard the ship, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ill passengers were mostly suffering from diarrhea, the CDC said.”

So then it dawned on me that God was protecting us. As painful as the experience was, He was looking out after two of His begotten children. I had to apologize to God for questioning why this had been happening to us. I should have put my faith and trust in God a bit more. This was a good lesson as Christ tells us that He would never leave or abandon us. He kept His word; I just did not see or understand it at the time. But now I know that the cruise line is aware of the potential problems with sickness, and I know that nothing similar will happen on our cruise on January 5. The lessons have been learned.

by Norbert Link

In the last Update, dated January 3, prior to America’s assassination of Iran’s mass murderer Gen. Qassem Soleimani, we spoke on “the turmoil in Iraq which might become one of President Trump’s biggest foreign policy crises.” We quoted from an article which had stated: “If Trump strikes back hard against Iran, he may get a new Middle East war he never wanted. If he does nothing, he may show… weakness he has long derided… But there’s another possibility that cannot be entirely dismissed… what if Trump made a flip decision and totally withdrew American forces from Iraq?… Trump has long wanted out of Iraq and believes the American presence in Iraq is an unmitigated disaster that was the worst mistake in U.S. history…” We added our comments, as follows: “The further development of this dangerous crisis will be interesting to watch. Ultimately, the USA will withdraw completely, and the ensuing power vacuum will be filled. Players who are not suspected by many, will finally step in to do just that.”

Now, the situation in the Middle East has become more volatile. Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks at U.S. military targets in Iraq and America’s response did not really defuse the situation either.

The demands for withdrawal of American troops in the Middle East become louder, while the position of Europeans is, for the most part, pathetic; this is especially true for France and Germany. Without knowing this, their prophetic role and that of some Muslim countries come more and more into focus. It appears, again, that the only true alliance is being formed between the USA, the UK and Israel.

Russia’s connection with Iran and the hysterical opposition of American Democrats to Soleimani’s assassination are not without suspicion; and concerns of the re-institution of the draft by thousands of young Americans caused the website of Selective Services to crash.

We also report on a split within the Methodist Church over homosexuality and same-sex marriages; governmental orders in Canada to conduct euthanasia; and Australia’s ongoing horrible deadly wildfires. We conclude with yet another reminder of just how persistent the focus for a third Temple is in the State of Israel.

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

A More Dangerous World: US Killing Triggers Global Alarm

The Associated Press wrote on January 3:

“Global powers warned Friday that the American airstrike responsible for killing Iran’s top general [“the single most powerful operative in the Middle East” who was regarded as a “national hero” in Iran] made the world more dangerous and that escalation could set the entire Mideast aflame… The deaths of Gen. Qassem Soleimani and several associates drew immediate cries for revenge from Tehran…

“Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that a ‘harsh retaliation is waiting’ for the U.S. He moved quickly to appoint Soleimani’s deputy, Maj. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, as the new commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, which undertakes the country’s foreign campaigns, including in Syria and Yemen…

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas [said], ‘A further escalation that sets the whole region on fire needs to be prevented.’ Maas also noted that the assault ‘followed a series of dangerous Iranian provocations.’…

“The White House sought to justify the killings with a tweet alleging that Soleimani ‘was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.’…

“Italy… warned that increased tensions ‘risk being fertile terrain for terrorism and violent extremism.’ But right-wing Italian opposition leader Matteo Salvini praised Trump for eliminating ‘one of the most dangerous and pitiless men in the world, an Islamic terrorist, an enemy of the West, of Israel, of rights and of freedoms.’

“Trump also won the support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘for acting swiftly, forcefully and decisively.’…”

Especially Germany’s rather weak and indecisive position of so-called “de-escalation” has been described as satisfying nobody, while France has been reported as being apparently willing to team up with Russia and China against the USA.

“Trump Has Freed the World of a Monster!”

Bild Online published the following commentary on January 3:

“The Iranian terror sponsor Qassem Soleimani stood for a world that no peaceful human being could want – a world in which one could be blown up by a bomb at any time if one is at the wrong place at the wrong time. A world in which entire cities are wiped out – like Aleppo. In which bloodthirsty militia go from door to door and execute civilians. In which the kindergartens in Germany could burn up in fireballs at any time because its children are Jewish. In which Israel is under threat of extinction every day.

“Soleimani, the world’s most repelling and bloodthirsty terrorist, who brought suffering and harm over humanity on the mullahs’ behalf, was an enemy of our civilization. He represented the unbearable thought that murderers will live more safely and be more untouchable the more people they kill (with the support of the state).

“His violent and overdue end will not stop global terrorism, but the image of his burnt-out car still sends out a powerful message. US President Donald Trump has made it clear that the worst figures in the world, however big-mouthed and ruthless they may be, cannot hide from America’s strength.

“They may torment, torture, harass, and terrorize those who are weaker and in despair, but they cannot do anything against the most powerful democracy in the world. At most, they can hide in holes and hope that they won’t be found.

“And when they claim that they are not afraid of death, these butchers are lying – they are cowards who love the sweet, corrupt life.

“President Trump has freed the world of a monster whose aim in life was an atomic cloud over Tel Aviv. Trump has acted in self-defense – the self-defense of the US and all peace-loving people.”

The views in this hard-hitting editorial are not shared by many German politicians and the overwhelmingly left-liberal mass media.

The Unpredictable President

Bloomberg wrote on January 4:

“Three years into Donald Trump’s presidency, U.S. allies and adversaries thought they had him figured out as a leader prone to bellicose talk who rarely delivered on his boldest military threats. That all changed Thursday with Trump’s decision to kill a key Iranian commander in the biggest foreign policy gamble of his time in office… Trump caught Tehran — and the rest of the world — by surprise, restoring a sense of unpredictability that could play to his advantage as world leaders are left wondering what his endgame is in the Middle East and beyond…

“The drone strike shatters an assumption… that Trump would do his utmost to avoid war during an election year… That’s gone now, probably permanently…

“Trump’s willingness to risk an escalation in an already volatile region gives him some leverage against U.S. foes even as it raises the risk of miscalculation… Leaders like North Korea’s Kim and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad will have to proceed cautiously before crossing a U.S. ‘red line,’ and Iran will struggle to come up with a suitable response that won’t further destabilize its already embattled regime…”

Trump has proven that he is willing to go to war. This will be important to remember when the relationship between the USA and Europe will continue to deteriorate.

Situation Is Escalating

NBC wrote on January 5:

“President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Iran that if it retaliates… it will face U.S. attacks on 52 targets, a number he said was symbolic. The president tweeted that the number of targets matched the number of hostages held by Iran in 1979, when 52 American diplomats and citizens were held for 444 days…

“Trump’s tweet was vaguely worded, but… appears to suggest the targeting of cultural heritage sites [which the UN states is prohibited by international law and which some declare as being a war crime. Trump had tweeted: “We have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD”]…

“Trump added in further tweets that… ‘The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment. We are the biggest and by far the BEST in the World! If Iran attacks an American Base, or any American, we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way…and without hesitation!…’

“Huge crowds had gathered in Baghdad Saturday [to mourn the death of Soleimani] as well as the Iraqi militants killed in the strike on the Baghdad airport…

“Iran’s state television announced that the country was ending its commitment to limit enrichment of uranium…”

Trump responded to a threat by one of Iran’s high-ranking officials who had stated: “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there… vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran… Some 35 US targets in the region, as well as Tel Aviv [another source adds Haifa], are within our reach.”

The Associated Press reported on January 5: “President Donald Trump insisted Sunday that Iranian cultural sites were fair game for the U.S. military… ‘They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way,’ Trump said.”

Trump later said that he would abide by the law, implying that he would not want to attack Iran’s cultural sites, but he made these comments “regrettably.” Trump’s original comments on that issue of “cultural” or, by extension, “religious” sites can also have prophetic ramifications when considering that the demolition or transfer of the al Aqsa mosque and/or the Dome of the Rock seem to be a necessity for the building of the prophesied Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, prior to Christ’s return.

The Daily Mail reported on January 5 that “Iran has since placed an $80million bounty on Trump’s head and threatened to attack the White House in response to the president’s warning that any strike on American interests in the region will bring massive retaliation.”

Meanwhile, the US announced that they will deploy 3,500 additional troops to the Middle East.

Not surprisingly, most US Democrats with their eyes on the elections in 2020, and maybe because of other reasons (see article below), were unified in their disagreement with Trump’s actions, thereby arguably playing right into the hands of Iran and Iraq and other nations hostile towards the USA. The argument by Democrats that Congress would have had to authorize the strike sounds good to the anti-Trump mass media, but would be false if, as the Trump administration claims, the strike was launched in self-defense.

NPR added on January 9:

“The House of Representatives approved a resolution that would force President Trump to seek consent from Congress [ruled by Democrats] before taking new military action against Iran…

“The nonbinding war powers resolution was approved in a mostly party-line vote… The Senate could consider a similar measure — but one that has the force of law — as early as next week, but it is unclear if it has enough votes to clear the chamber. 

“Trump administration officials maintain the president already has the authority to take action against Iran under a 2002 war authorization passed by Congress in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.”

Iran’s Connection with America’s Democrats

Breaking Israel News reported on January 7:

“Donald Trump’s elimination of [Soleimani], the most powerful military leader in Iran, generated a surprising level of opposition among the Democrats who feared an escalation of the confrontation with Iran. But it could be that another reason lies behind the Democrats’ support of Iran.

“The partisan support for Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, is so incongruous that former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley commented on it in a recent Fox News interview. ‘You don’t see anyone standing up for Iran,’ Haley said. ‘You’re not hearing any of the Gulf members, you’re not hearing China, you’re not hearing Russia. The only ones mourning the loss of Soleimani are our Democrat leadership and Democrat Presidential candidates.’…

“… the Obama administration was connected to Iran through a network of personal relationships. John Kerry, former President Barack Obama’s Secretary of State and the chief U.S. negotiator for the [Iran deal], seemed especially dedicated to the deal. Soon after Trump withdrew from the agreement, Kerry conducted secret meetings with Iranian officials, advising them on how to save the agreement. The meetings were unprecedented for a former White House official and some questioned whether Kerry was in violation of the Logan Act.

“Kerry’s Iranian connection took on a personal angle when his daughter, Dr. Vanessa Bradford Kerry, married Dr. Brian Vala Nahed in 2009. Nahed, a physician, is of Iranian descent but was born and raised in the U.S… Valerie Jarrett, [Obama’s] senior adviser, was born in Iran to U.S parents and was fluent in Persian… Lisa Page… has an Iranian mother… Hassan Ghashghavi, the deputy foreign minister of Iran, had threatened to expose Western diplomats who had accepted bribes to push through… the Iran nuclear deal. Ghasghavi was the senior adviser to Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Ansari Zarif during the [deal] negotiations.”

Mere coincidence… such as Hunter Biden receiving huge amounts of money for a high position in an Ukrainian company for which he was clearly not qualified?

Could the Strike on an Iranian General Trigger a Draft?

Stamford Advocate and the Washington Post wrote on January 4:

“The impact of President Donald Trump’s decision to order a strike against Soleimani has yet to be seen… Google searches for terms such as ‘conscription’, ‘Selective Service’ and ‘Iran’ spiked… as youthful social media users… dealt with this collective political anxiety the best way they knew how: by spinning out endless memes about getting drafted in a hypothetical, but seemingly imminent, World War III.

“On Friday, the website for the Selective Service, a federal agency tasked with maintaining a database of adult men who could be called upon should a crisis require a draft, experienced technical difficulties as people flooded the site.

“The draft was suspended in 1973 because of intense public and political opposition to the Vietnam War, and Congress and the president would have to pass legislation to bring it back, should an emergency call for it. [The United States instituted the draft during the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War].

“But America still keeps a database of all young men who could be called upon should the draft ever return. Every year, millions of young, adult men [residing in the USA, between ages 18 and 25] are required by law to register with the Selective Service… The mandate applies whether you’re a U.S. citizen, immigrant, or undocumented immigrant. Women are not currently required to register, and signing up for the Selective Service does not enlist a person in the military. Failure to register for the Selective Service could lead to criminal penalties, and an inability to qualify for federal student loans and federal jobs.”

It is absolutely certain that the draft will be instituted in the future.

Britain Must Support the USA

The Daily Star wrote on January 5:

“Admiral Lord West – formerly the most senior officer in the Royal Navy – said it would be ‘very difficult’ for Britain to stay out of a fresh conflict in the Middle East. The Royal Navy hero said Britain and the US are ‘joined at the hip’ militarily [in] the region – and are also perceived as being absolutely interlinked by Iran. He explained Iran views the US as the ‘Great Satan’ and the UK as the ‘Little Satan’… He added: ‘It is highly dangerous…’”

The Sun wrote on January 5:

“A CRISIS bigger than Brexit. It seems hard to imagine. But that is exactly how one Cabinet minister characterised the rapidly-escalating emergency in the Middle East. Iran’s violent reaction to the assassination of its murderous military chief ­General Qasem Soleimani could easily present the West with its most dangerous threat since the last Gulf War.

“So as the first rockets are fired in revenge after President Trump’s drone strike, it is vital that Britain gets its response right. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has already criticised European countries for not being helpful — that includes the UK. [In a Fox interview, he stated that European allies were not as helpful as he wished them to be, and then he singled out the Brits, the French and the Germans.]

“We must not lose sight of the fact that, as well as having 900 troops in Iraq and Syria, we have regularly been the target of Iranian aggression.

“In July, British oil tanker the Stena Impero was seized by the Revolutionary Guards. There was the 2017 cyber attack when Iran hacked MPs’ emails, and human rights abuses such as the jailing of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on trumped-up spy charges…

“It was bad enough that Trump told his oldest ally nothing of the US strike in advance. But since then the Government has shown signs of struggling to catch up. This is a major early test for Boris Johnson. He must step in quickly and make a strong stand against an Iranian regime which has regularly threatened Britain.”

As it was expected, Johnson pledged his full support to Trump, against the opposition of Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, who had allegedly received 10.000 pounds from an Iranian TV channel.

Washington vs. Europe

Politico wrote on January 4:

“The assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani is a turning point for relations between the United States and Iran. It also pulls U.S. allies in Europe deeper into uncharted waters, and threatens to leave European forces on the ground caught in the crossfire of escalation between Tehran and Washington… For European capitals, this means their worst predictions… are becoming reality…

“Ironically, despite the rivalry with Iran, Arab Gulf countries can be useful partners for Europe in finding an off-ramp through diplomacy. Iran’s Arab neighbours have become increasingly worried that they are exposed to heavy costs for any military escalation between the U.S. and Iran. Europe should step up cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait and Iraq to jointly prevent escalation.”

Some of that “collaboration” will take place… but not for peaceful purposes.

Iraqi Parliament wants US and other foreign Troops Out of the Country

Deutsche Welle reported on January 5:

“The Iraqi parliament voted on Sunday to remove US troops from Iraq. In an extraordinary session, lawmakers voted for a resolution to ask the government to end an agreement with Washington to station 5,200 troops in Iraq…

“Caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi… said that if US troops remain then they will be considered an occupying force. The resolution will also apply to other countries’ armies. The German government said later on Sunday that their military presence in Iran would ‘only remain if the Iraqi government want that.’

“The resolution is nonbinding, but it is likely to be heeded by the government as Abdul-Mahdi supports the measures.”

Trump warned that he would levy punishing sanctions if it expelled American troops.

CNBC quoted President Trump on January 5 as saying the following:

“‘If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever… It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame. We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s there. It cost billions of dollars to build. Long before my time. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it,’ Trump said.”

As we pointed out in our prior Update, the USA will ultimately leave Iraq. Prophetically, Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries, such as Turkey and Jordan, as well as Saudi-Arabia, will then align with Europe against the USA and Israel.

New Chaos and Fiasco in Iraq… USA Withdrawing from Iraq… just an Honest Mistake???

Axios wrote on January 6:

“With multiple media outlets reporting on a letter appearing to reveal U.S. plans to withdraw from Iraq, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters Monday afternoon that no such decision has been made…

“AFP and Reuters set off a frenzy by publishing a letter from Marine Corps Brig. Gen. William Seely informing the Iraqi military that the coalition to fight ISIS would be ‘repositioning forces’ and preparing to move ‘out of Iraq’ in the coming days and weeks out of respect for Iraqi sovereignty. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Mark Milley told reporters that the letter was simply a draft and was not meant to be released… ‘[It was] poorly worded, implies withdrawal, that is not what’s happening,’ Milley said.”

Drafting such a letter does not simply occur without any underlying discussion. It’s not being concocted out of the blue by one over-zealous soldier. Israel fears that if the USA withdraws from Iraq, then there WILL BE war between Israel and Iran.

US Must Remove Forces from Entire Middle East

The Times of Israel wrote on January 6:

“A top commander of Iran’s missile array said Monday that even killing US President Donald Trump would not be satisfactory retribution…

“Rather, only the complete removal of US forces from the entire Middle East would suffice, said… [the] commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, who is in charge of missiles that can hit US bases across the region…

“[He] said that revenge required more than ‘just four missiles, targeting a US base, or even killing Trump.’”

These statements can be viewed as typical Iranian hyperbole, but they reflect nevertheless the desire of most countries in the Middle East to see America leaving. See the next articles.

Iran’s Retaliation and further Threats

Newsmax wrote on January 8:

“Iran said it launched more than [a] dozen missiles against U.S. targets on Wednesday in retaliation for the killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike last week. ‘Military action like this is not sufficient. What is important is ending the corrupting presence of America in the region,’ Khamenei said in a televised speech, describing the missile strikes as a ‘slap on the face’ for Washington.

“‘This region will not accept the presence of America,’ he said, renewing Tehran’s long-standing demand for Washington to withdraw its forces.”

 JTA wrote on January 7:

“Iran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. military targets in Iraq in retaliation for the killing last week of a top general and warned that if the United States escalates, Iran’s next targets would be U.S. allies, including Israel.

“‘Iran is warning that if there is retaliation for the two waves of attacks they launched, their third wave will destroy Dubai and Haifa,’ Ali Arouzi, NBC’s Tehran correspondent, reported on Twitter, where he was relaying official comments from Iran’s state media. The U.S. Sixth Fleet often docks in Haifa.

“The warning came after Iranian missiles hit two U.S. bases in Iraq on Tuesday… Tensions have escalated over the last year between the United States and Iran… Late last year, an Iranian proxy killed an American contractor, leading President Donald Trump to approve the assassination last week of Qassem Soleimani…

“Arouzi and others on Twitter quoted Iranian media as saying that Iran would not continue its attacks if there were no further U.S. retaliation.”

Trump’s Response to Iran

Newsmax reported on January 8:

“President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran appears to be ‘standing down’ and said no Americans or Iraqis were harmed in Iran’s Tuesday ballistic missile strike on two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops…

“Trump announced that the U.S. will immediately place new sanctions on Iran ‘until Iran changes its behavior.’ Trump reiterated his position that ‘Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon’…”

Iran’s assertion that many American troops died in the missile strikes seems to be without foundation. The implication that the USA would not retaliate militarily at this point was the reaction European allies and many Democrats hoped for, but the announcement of further economic sanctions, instead of lifting existing ones, caused more concerns for a further escalation.

Deadly Crash of Airplane in Iran—Shot Down?

The Sun wrote on January 8:

“IRAN has refused to hand over the black box of a plane that crashed killing 176 people to international investigators. The Kiev-bound Ukraine International Airlines jet came down shortly after taking off from Tehran Airport this morning, killing everyone on board. The tragedy came just hours after Tehran fired at least 15 ballistic missiles at two US bases in Iraq, sparking fears it could have been shot down by mistake by jittery Iranian air defences. And chilling images show pieces of the aircraft’s fuselage peppered with shrapnel holes – which some experts say points to a ‘shootdown’ event…

“Iranian media said the Boeing 737 came down after ‘technical problems’ and quoted an aviation chief who said no emergency had been declared. Qassem Biniaz, a spokesman for Iran’s Road and Transportation authority, claimed one of its engines caught fire, causing the pilot to lose control. But the aircraft was new in 2016 and was last checked just two days ago, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said.

“… Ukraine’s Tehran embassy… abruptly removed a line from its statement excluding a terrorist attack or missile strike… Aviation expert Julian Bray told Sun Online: ‘This is catastrophic and not the type of crash that comes from an engine failing…’

“The plane crash comes just days after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appeared to hint he was threatening another Lockerbie bombing. And it bears chilling similarities to the 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines plane by Russian-backed separatists over Ukraine, after it was mistaken for an incoming missile. The US Navy also killed 290 people in a similar incident after mistakenly shooting down an Iranian passenger jet in 1988.

“A number of airlines have now suspended flights over Iranian and Iraqi airspace.”

This would indeed be a strange coincidence if the two events were unrelated. Iran’s refusal to turn over the black box is further cause for concern.

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 9:

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference later Thursday that his government had intelligence from ‘multiple’ sources that showed an Iranian missile shot down the jet… Trudeau’s comments were echoed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said that there is ‘a body of information’ that the plane was brought down by an Iranian missile.”

 Both added that they believed it was unintentional. Donald Trump also stated that he believed that Iran was responsible for the crash, which Iran, of course, denied.

The Russian-Iranian Connection

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 6:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin’s festive season is spoiled beyond repair. First, US Congress imposed sanctions on companies building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the Kremlin’s key European energy project. Then Israel, Cyprus and Greece — all of which enjoy cordial relations with Moscow — dealt it another blow by announcing the construction of a gas pipeline to Europe that could undermine Nord Stream’s profitability. And only three days before Russian Orthodox Christmas, the Americans hit Moscow’s Iranian ally hard by killing General… Soleimani…

“Putin knew Soleimani very well: He played a key role in creating the Russian-Iranian alliance that saved Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria from what seemed in 2015 an imminent demise… despite the harsh statements by the Russian foreign ministry and the anti-American and pro-Iranian hysteria in state-controlled media, behind the scenes the Kremlin must hope that Tehran will limit its response to the Baghdad killing.

“If the Iranians choose confrontation, President Putin will have two choices — either to stand by his Iranian allies through thick and thin or quietly exit the stage leaving Tehran to fend for itself.

“The first option means risking direct military confrontation with the United States, almost certainly more (and more severe) sanctions from US Congress, devastating painfully built relations with the Saudis and the Israelis. Moreover, all this will be in vain — Iran stands no chance of winning in such a conflagration.

“The second option for Putin is looking from the sidelines as his Iranian allies get smashed militarily and economically. But what’s worse is that it may also mean regime change in Tehran — governments that lose wars usually do not win any popularity. The late General Soleimani’s security service and police colleagues already killed dozens if not hundreds of anti-regime demonstrators in recent months…

“In such a case Russia will not only lose a key ally in propping up Assad in Syria, but also become much less important to Israel… and the Saudis… It will also embolden Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who already seems to be falling out with Russia over Libya…”

These are interesting potential developments. Especially Turkey and Saudi Arabia will ultimately be on Europe’s side.

Brexit on January 31

Axios wrote on January 9:

“The U.K.’s House of Commons voted 330-231 in favor of the European Union withdrawal agreement negotiated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson… The bill must still be passed by the House of Lords, but the Commons’ approval essentially ensures that Brexit will happen on Jan. 31. The passage of the bill after three years of deadlock is a result of the landslide victory Johnson’s Conservative Party won in last month’s snap election…

“Following its official Jan. 31 exit, the U.K. will remain aligned with EU rules and regulations for an 11-month transition period, during which the two sides will seek to negotiate a full free trade agreement. Those types of international treaties typically take years to negotiate, but Johnson has ruled out extending the transition period past the end of 2020 — prompting fears of a ‘clean break’ that could cause significant damage to the British economy…”

Stock Market Slides

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 3:

“European shares slipped from near record highs on Friday… with a surge in oil prices hammering airline stocks…

“‘We are only into the third day of the new year, and a big fat dollop of geopolitical uncertainty has landed on investors’ desks already this morning,’ said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA…”

The Times of Israel wrote on January 6:

“World shares fell Monday as financial markets were rattled by escalating tensions in the Middle East… After a brief respite thanks to a preliminary agreement between Washington and Beijing that staved off a further escalation of trade tensions, world markets have been hit by a fresh onslaught of worries.”

This is just the beginning in the first week of 2020. The world economy is at the brink of a major global crash.

Terror Attack against USA in Kenya

ABC News wrote on January 5:

“One U.S. service member and two American Department of Defense contractors were killed in a terror attack on a military base in Kenya that houses some U.S. military personnel. The Somali terror group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack…

“Last week, al-Shabab carried out a car bomb attack in the heart of Mogadishu that killed at least 80 civilians. ‘Al-Shabab is a brutal terrorist organization,’ U.S Army Maj. Gen. William Gayler [said] in a statement. ‘It is an Al-Qaeda affiliate seeking to establish a self-governed Islamic territory in East Africa, to remove Western influence and ideals from the region, and to further its jihadist agenda. U.S. presence in Africa is critically important to counter-terrorism efforts.’

“About 500 U.S. troops are stationed inside Somalia assisting and advising that country’s military in its fight against the terror group.”

No connection has been pointed out between the terror attack in Somalia and the most recent events pertaining to Iran, but it shows that the USA is being surrounded by enemies.

Split in Methodist Church over Same-Sex Marriage

MSN wrote on January 3:

“Leaders of the church announced Friday they had agreed to spin off a ‘traditionalist Methodist’ denomination, which would continue to oppose same-sex marriage and to refuse ordination to LGBT clergy, while allowing the remaining portion of the United Methodist Church to permit same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy for the first time in its history…

“Many mainline denominations, including the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Church of Christ and others, already perform same-sex marriages and appoint gay clergy. But the United Methodist Church, the nation’s largest mainline denomination and the third-largest denomination of any faith in America, has fought bitterly over the issue, to the point that leaders have feared a schism over the issue for years.”

God and His values don’t change, but humans seem to always do. This is especially tragic when these humans claim to speak on behalf of God.

Government-Ordered Euthanasia in Canada

Life Site News wrote on January 6:

“The British Columbia government is ordering a palliative care hospice to allow its patients to be killed onsite through ‘medically-assisted death,’ or euthanasia, by February 3…

“It’s the latest development in the society’s long-running battle to prevent the lethal injection of patients onsite at the 10-bed Irene Thomas Hospice it runs in a suburb of Delta, a city south of Vancouver… New Democratic Party (NDP) Health Minister Adrian Dix has already broadly hinted that the government will pull the non-profit society’s public funding…

“The FHA [Frazer Health Authority]  issued its euthanasia policy in September 2016, three months after Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government legalized the practice in Canada at the bidding of the Supreme Court, which in February 2015 struck down the law prohibiting euthanasia as unconstitutional.”

Euthanasia was one of the practices for which Nazi Germany was strongly condemned.

Deadly Earthquakes in Puerto Rico

CNN wrote on January 8:

“A 6.4 magnitude earthquake that killed one person in Puerto Rico on Tuesday is one of hundreds of tremors that have rattled the island for more than a week. And experts say the shaking is not over yet. The latest earthquake struck during the predawn hours, flattening homes, knocking out power in some areas and jolting awake terrified residents. Just a day earlier, a magnitude 5.8 quake hit off the island’s southwestern coast…

“Puerto Rico sits on an unusual spot, which makes it vulnerable to earthquakes…”

Australia’s Wildfires Might Have Killed a Billion Animals… so far…

The Sun wrote on January 5:

“HEARTBREAKING footage shows the charred remains of dead koalas and kangaroos – as experts fear the devastating Australian wildfires have killed a BILLION animals [some estimate the number as 500 Million] [including mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and insects]… It comes as 24 people were killed and 200,000 homes were destroyed in the horrifying bushfires.

“Sydney was declared the hottest place on earth yesterday with temperatures rocketing to nearly 50C as fires continued to rip through the area…

“The destructive wildfires are thought to have killed off a third of Australia’s Koala population whose numbers are already dangerously low. Around 8,000 of the furry creatures are believed to have perished [The Guardian estimates the number with 25,000 Koalas] whilst there are also huge fears over the western ground parrot, the eastern bristlebird and the Kangaroo Island dunnart.

“The blazes are creating their own storms because of the heat they are generating – with fire tornadoes causing some of the biggest fires to merge…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 9:

“Snipers in helicopters took to the skies as part of a bid to curb [kill] ‘extremely large’ herds of camels [up to 10,000] in South Australia. An ongoing drought has driven the animals closer to towns, threatening the water supplies of locals… Camels are not native to Australia and have no natural predators. They were first brought to the continent in the mid-1800s to aid in exploration. Australia is now believed to have the largest wild camel population in the world, with officials estimating that up to 1 million camels are currently roaming the country’s inland deserts.”

It is feared that the fires will continue to burn for months. God has prophesied that the modern descendants of the ancient house of Israel, which include Australia, will have to experience much suffering, including from natural disasters. At the same time, God has promised protection for His people. But it has also been reported that many of the blazes in Australia were ignited by arsonists. In fact, authorities in Australia have arrested close to 200 people for deliberately starting the bushfires. In that light, blaming the fires on global warming or climate change sounds rather silly.

Don’t Forget the Third Temple

Breaking Israel News reported on January 8:

“During a speech at the Kohelet Policy Forum on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among other things, discussed the importance of Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria. Warning about the dangers of Israel’s withdrawal from the region it liberated in the Six-Day-War, Netanyahu stated: ‘If Israel is not present on the hills of Judea and Samaria, Islamists will take over instead.’

“Without skipping a beat, Rabbi Yehuda Glick interrupted him yelling: ‘same with the Temple Mount!’ At that point, the Prime Minister gave Glick an uncomfortable glare and continued with his speech.

“However, Glick’s intention was not to embarrass the Prime Minister but rather to keep the idea of the third Temple alive and in the psyche of the Jewish people as he told Breaking Israel News: ‘You have to keep saying it. If you don’t say it, you’ll forget it.’

“The following speaker was Defense Minister Naftali Bennett who during his speech, began to list important locations throughout Israel which didn’t include the Temple Mount. At a certain point, Glick interrupted him too adding ‘and the Temple Mount!’ This time, Bennett responded to Glick’s comment saying: ‘You’re absolutely right Yehuda, also the Temple Mount.’”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first part of this series, we showed from the Bible that God can and does indeed listen to many prayers at the same time, and we showed how this is possible. We explained that God consists of two Persons, the Father and the Son, who are both Spirit Beings, having [spiritual] form and shape; and therefore, God cannot be, as a Person, at different places at the same time. Still, the Bible teaches that God is omnipresent, and we showed that this is true because of the Holy Spirit, emanating from both the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is NOT a Person with form and shape. It can be compared with water or electricity or wind, emanating from a source—God Himself. It is through the Holy Spirit dwelling in each converted Christian that  God is omnipresent and that He can listen to multiple prayers at the same time.

If this concept is still too difficult for the human mind to grasp, please consider that God does not listen to billions of prayers at the same time.

We wrote the following in our Q&A, titled, “Does God hear everyone’s prayers?”:

“The astounding truth of the Bible is that generally, He does not hear, nor does He answer the prayers of just anyone. In fact, at this time and throughout human history, only a small proportion of people have had the kind of relationship with God in which their prayers would be heard by Him!… God hears the prayers of those who have access to Him through Jesus Christ!… Jesus taught that not everyone praying was being heard by God! However, for those who have been called and who have established a relationship with God, prayer is the vital communication with God to obtain His guidance—His oversight in our lives!…

“The New Testament emphatically teaches that Satan is the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). The whole world has been deceived by him (Revelation 12:9), and those who are deceived may be even praying to Satan, without knowing it—not to God the Father! Jesus Christ is not serving as their High Priest, nor does God generally hear their prayers…

“God is not now trying to save this world! Rather, He has called some to be a kind of ‘firstfruits’ of His salvation (compare James 1:18)—identified as His ‘elect’ (compare Matthew 24:22, 24, 31). God hears the prayers of His ‘saints’ (compare Revelation 8:3) because of what Jesus Christ accomplished in becoming our Savior.

“The elect have been chosen for salvation at this time, and they have the opportunity for God to hear their prayers. They are those who seek God with a true humility to be obedient to Him. They have gained access to God…

“Consider, also, that God is willing to respond to those who truly turn to Him: ‘But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word’ (Isaiah 66:2).

“Sadly, this does not describe the people of our age—not even the countless millions who profess to be followers of Christ!”

This reduces the number of people who pray to God at the same time and are heard by Him quite drastically to perhaps a few thousand … in any event much less than a million, not to speak of 7.8 billion.

In an additional Q&A, we explained what the Bible means with the statement that God does not hear the prayers of sinners. We wrote:

“In John 9, Christ healed a man on the Sabbath who had been born blind. The Pharisees and the Jews accused Christ of breaking the Sabbath and concluded that He was not from God (verse 16) and a ‘sinner’ (verse 24, in Greek, ‘hamartolos’). In response, the healed man said: ‘Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing’ (verses 31, 33)…

“The Pharisees had made terrible accusations against Jesus. They had accused Him of casting out demons with the help of Beelzebub, the ‘ruler of the demons’—another designation for Satan (Matthew 12:24). Some even claimed that He was possessed by Satan (Mark 3:22). Christ warned them in that context that they were in danger of committing the unpardonable sin, which cannot be forgiven, for they were blaspheming God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in Christ (Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-30)… The implication is that Jesus, when He was called a ‘sinner,’ was accused of being a ‘pervert’ and a ‘bastard,’ born of fornication (John 8:41), influenced and possessed by Satan the devil and his demons (John 7:20; 8:48, 52; 10:20). The man who was healed of his blindness responded that Jesus could not have been guilty of such accusations, because if He was such a ‘sinner,’ God would not have heard Him and used Him to heal his eyes.

“The Bible does not teach that God does not hear us when we slip and fall occasionally, committing a sin because of weakness or neglect. All of us sin occasionally (1 John 1:8). We are told that if we sin, we can repent of and confess our sin to God, and ask God for forgiveness, and ‘He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9). This shows that God WILL HEAR us when we pray to Him, even though we have sinned.

“However, Isaiah 59:2-3 tells us that God does not hear us when we live in iniquity and when we are unwilling to repent of it… God says in Isaiah 1:15: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.’

“God clearly states in Micah 3:4: ‘Then they will cry to the LORD, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds.’… David understood that if he ‘had cherished iniquity in [his] heart, the Lord would not have listened’ to his prayers (Psalm 66:18, Revised Standard Version).

“God told Jeremiah that He would not hear those who rebelled against God and who continued to live in rebellion… (Jeremiah 14:11-12)… God will NOT LISTEN to prayers of people who REFUSE to hear His law (Zechariah 7:11-13).

“… if we continue to openly rebel against God; refuse to listen to Him and His Word; refuse to repent of our sins; refuse to keep His law and to be obedient to Him; then God will not listen to our prayers. If we want to remain ‘sinners,’ even though we have been taught the truth—if we choose to continue to follow the dictates and devices of our own evil heart—then we cannot expect to be heard on high.”

This reduces the number of people even more whom God is hearing and listening to at the same time. Even when a person is called to salvation and responds to the call, he or she will not be heard if they depart from the Truth. On the other hand, God may hear the prayers of people who show genuine remorse for their deeds, even though they might not be called to salvation in this day and age. We state in the above-mentioned Q&A on the prayers of sinners:

“God… listened to the prayer of the Ninevites and spared their city (Jonah 3:5-10). Jesus confirmed later that their ‘repentance’ was sufficient for God to relent from the disaster that He had intended to bring upon them (Matthew 12:41)…

“Christ listened to the prayer of a Gentile woman and healed her young daughter, by casting out a demon, when He saw her faith (Mark 7:25-30). In that case, we don’t even know whether she was conscious of, and whether she had repented of her sins, but God honored her faith in Him. God says that until He calls someone to repentance, He overlooks the time of ignorance (Acts 17:30), but even then, He desires that people ‘seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us’ (Acts 17:27).

“Someone who is looking to God and who is trying to do what is right, as much as he or she understands it, might very well be heard by God. Christ healed many people who had faith in Him, even though they did not understand many things about God and His Way of Life. But once God calls us to salvation, He expects of us to respond to His call, repent, get to know Him and His Way better, and to obey Him. We have to forsake the ways of this world and choose to live God’s Way of Life…”

This would especially include those children who are growing up in the Truth with at least one converted parent. We state the following in a Q&A, titled, “Does God hear the prayers of sinners?”:

“Little children are basically unaware of what sin is. But they may have a humble and teachable heart. When they pray to God, He might answer their prayers.  Let us realize what Christ said about little children, in Matthew 18:3-4:  ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’

“Little children don’t have an agenda. They are quick to forgive. They are open to teaching. Many times, God may respond to their prayers,  if they ‘believe’ in God in their limited way, since Christians must become ‘like’ them to be able to enter God’s Kingdom.”

Still, as we can see from the foregoing, the number of prayers which God would hear and listen to at the same time is considerably less than millions or even billions of prayers. We continue in the above-mentioned Q&A on sinners:

“… if we want God to answer our prayers and grant us the petitions of our hearts, we need to obey Him. After all, there is a strong connection between obedience and answered prayers, as we read in 1 John 3:22: ‘And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.’”

It is true, of course, that God watches all of mankind to see whether someone seeks Him (Psalm 11:4; 14:2-3). But He knows that in general, the overwhelming majority do not seek Him in this day and age, and so He does not listen to their prayers either, which for the most part are not even directed towards Him anyway.

There are many Scriptures which, according to some, seem to suggest otherwise; that is, that God hears the prayers of everybody at the same time, as He allegedly searches the hearts of everybody every second. But this is not what the Bible teaches. In our previous Q&A in this series, we quoted several passages to show that God searched David’s heart and that He knows and tests the hearts of man. But this does not necessarily mean that God does so every second of each person’s consciousness. It is most certainly true for those whom God has called for salvation and to whom He has given His Holy Spirit, or with whom His Spirit works, leading them to conversion (Acts 15:8; Romans 8:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 2:23).

But as mentioned, this only applies to a very few today. The Bible does not mean to tell us that God needs to listen to the prayers of billions of people at the same time to determine their thoughts and hearts. After all, they are not judged today; their judgment will still come. Nobody can come to Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:65; 6:44). God knows that all others are under the rule of Satan and that they, generally speaking, are fulfilling the will of their father, the Devil (John 8:44).

Even though God is most certainly capable of listening to billions of people at the very same time, the Bible does not teach us that He does; nor, that He has to do this. In addition, another astonishing aspect is revealed in the context of this question, which we will discuss in the next installment.

(To be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A Tech Team meeting was conducted last Sunday morning (January 4, 2020) via SKYPE. Eric Rank led the discussion with a focus on management of several aspects of our website (https://www.eternalgod.org/).

“War der Apostel Petrus der erste Papst?–Teil 3,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Was the Apostle Peter the First Pope?–Part 3”

“Das Märchen von Weihnachten,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Mario Danisch is now posted. Title in English: “The Tale about Christmas.”

“Prepared for Evil,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted.

“The Bad News and the Good News,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Our mortal nature is inherently flawed, making it impossible to live a life in perfect obedience to God. That’s the bad news. The good news is that God believes in us anyway. He is there to help us successfully overcome our imperfections so we can enjoy life eternally with Him as members of His Family.