September 28 – October 4, 2014 “If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the.

September 28 – October 4, 2014

“If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because

of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.”

(Ezekiel 33:6, New International Version)

Weekly World Watch

Andy Walton’s

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What is a Weekly World Watch?

• Israel: The continuing conflict in the Middle East and focus on Jerusalem.

• Europe: Its developing union, both political and religious.

• Russia: Its return to anti-Western ways as Bible prophecy’s “king of the north.”

• The UK and the US: Bible prophecy’s “king of the south.”

• Moral standards in decline and violence on the increase.

WWW presentations in PowerPoint can be ordered as audio/visual CDs by clicking here. Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.

The idea is simple. It is to look at current events and compare them to events spoken of in the Bible. .

I hope to build up a picture of God’s hand working in the affairs of this world. God is bringing about a day when all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem to battle. At that time God will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, back to this earth. Jesus will then establish God’s kingdom on earth.

This kingdom will last for ever. This is our hope and the reason we watch.

• Increasing natural disasters: including earthquake, famine etc

The following six themes will appear repeatedly in WWW:

HEADLINE

EVENT

COMMENT

News Photo

The source of the headline and the date are included.

Each WWW looks at a few key developments that have happened during the past week. It is in no way meant to be exhaustive – just a look at those events I saw as significant from a Biblical point of view.

What is in a Weekly World Watch?

BIBLEQUOTE

This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context. Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version. (Book, chapter, and verse)

This is straight from a news report that caught my eye because it looked significant from a Biblical perspective, usually that of prophecy.

Every WWW event slide has the following format. To reveal each block of text just left click your mouse or press the space bar. You control when it appears.

This is the reporter’s description of the event. It is always a direct quotation from the news report and reflects the understanding of the reporter and editors.

This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student. The intention of the WWW is to offer brief Biblical perspectives without going into detail. If more detail is desired, please e-mail me: ([email protected]). Please note that these are personal thoughts and the aim is purely to stimulate Bible study.

This Week’s Developments

To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper rightPRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

• Russia has more deployed nuclear warheads than U.S.

• Ceasefire in Ukraine is being ignored by Moscow

• US sharply criticizes new Israeli construction

• Israeli Defence Minister: two-state solution impossible

• Turkey backs military action against Isil

September 28 – October 4, 2014

• UN: 'nightmare scenario' as Ebola spreads to the US

For the first time, Russia, which is in the midst of a major strategic nuclear modernization, has more deployed nuclear warheads than the United States, according to the latest numbers released by the State Department. Russia now has 1,643 warheads deployed on intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers. The United States has 1,642, said the fact sheet released Wednesday. The warhead count for the Russians, based the Sept. 1 report required under the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), shows an increase of 131 warheads since the last declaration on March 1. The U.S. reported a warhead increase of 57 during the same period. It is not clear why the warhead numbers increased. On New START delivery systems, the latest fact sheet reveals that the current Russian arsenal of deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, silo-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers is 528, up from 498.

Washington Times, October 1, 2014

EVENT

COMMENT

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

BIBLEQUOTE

In 2010 Russia and America signed a treaty to reduce the number of deployed nuclear warheads. But in fact they are increasing them. The treaty limits each side to 1,550 deployed warheads. Russia now has 1643. Both sides have increased but the report that came out with these details does not know why! It is clear what is happening. Both sides are preparing for war. Both sides are “beating their ploughshares into swords and their pruninghooks into spears” as the Bible says would happen in Joel chapter 3 v 10. The verse before that says “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war!” The Gentiles nations are getting ready for conflict. These terrifying weapons may well be used in the future. A number of passages seem to indicate they will. It surely will be a time of trouble such as never was. We need to be on the right side …now.

Russia has more deployed nuclear warheads than U.S.

(Joel 3:9-10)

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Ceasefire in Ukraine is being ignored by Moscow

Fighting intensified in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday despite a fragile cease-fire, as pro-Russian rebels appeared to be close to capturing the strategically important Donetsk airport. The fighting was some of the worst since a Sept. 5 truce that calmed the conflict but did not end the hostilities, and city authorities said that at least nine civilians died in the day’s battles. Ukraine’s military and separatist forces said the fighting intensified Wednesday, as rebels vowed to seize the airport, which has remained in government hands for almost all of the six-month-long conflict.If rebels succeed in taking the airport, they will gain an important means to allow supplies to be brought to their war-torn territory as they seek to build a new state in Ukraine’s southeast. The cease-fire hands over effective control of the territory to the rebels without granting them independence.

Washington Post, October 1, 2014

EVENT

COMMENT

Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates. To take a spoil,

BIBLEQUOTE

(Ezekiel 38:10-12)

It is hard to call this a “fragile cease-fire”. This ceasefire appears to be fragile in the sense that a piece of china you have just shattered is fragile. Russia still has forces and military equipment in Ukraine. The battles for key strategic sites are still being fought.

Speaking this week at the UN General Assembly, Sergei Lavrov said the crisis in Ukraine was the result of a coup d'etat in that country backed by the United States and the European Union for the purpose of pulling Kiev out of its "organic role as a binding link between" East and West and denying it the opportunity for "neutral and non-bloc status.” In other words Russia sees the conflict as on-going and continues to blame America especially for it. The division in Europe is there for all to see. It has brought the king of the north (Russia) and the king of the south (America) against each other.

These events culminate in Russia being pushed to invade Israel and beyond…

US sharply criticizes new Israeli construction

The White House says that if Israel were to move forward with a controversial housing development in east Jerusalem, it would distance Israel from, quote, "even its closest allies.” The sharp criticism came just hours after President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House. The two leaders did not mention the new construction project during their remarks to reporters.White House spokesman Josh Earnest says that the 2,500-unit project would only draw "condemnation" from the international community. He says it would also call into question Israel's commitment to peaceful negotiations with Palestinians.The new project is contentious because it would complete a band of Jewish areas that separate Jerusalem from nearby Bethlehem.

Associated Press, October 1, 2014

EVENT

COMMENT

Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. All those who Israel relied on in the past (lovers) will reject her and leave her…Israel will have nowhere to turn – but to Christ when he returns

On Wednesday, Jerusalem city officials said that they had granted final approval for the construction of a new Israeli housing development in east Jerusalem. The White House spokesperson quoted in the article above said “This development will only draw condemnation from the international community, distance Israel from even its closest allies, poison the atmosphere not only with the Palestinians but also with the very Arab governments with which Prime Minister Netanyahu said he wanted to build relations. It would call into question Israel's ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement.’ We know that Jerusalem will become the centre of world attention and eventually bring all nations to battle against it. We can see how this will happen. Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel and yet the world wants to give half of it to the Palestinians. The division of God’s city will bring Armageddon not peace….

BIBLEQUOTE

(Ezekiel 16:37)

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Israeli Defence Minister: two-state solution impossible

The recent Gaza War has proven the impossibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon declared this week.Ya’alon, the most powerful minister in the Cabinet after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was departing from the two-state formula Netanyahu endorsed five years ago and which has become a touchstone in the international dialogue on the Middle East, particularly in Washington. Following the 51-day war in Gaza, the notion of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel has become absurd, the minister told a security conference this week at a Tel Aviv think tank, the Institute for National Security Studies. Israeli security forces must remain a permanent presence on the West Bank, he said, if the area is not to be turned into a platform for rockets and mortars fired into Israel, like the Gaza Strip.

Washington Free Beacon, October 2, 2014

EVENT

COMMENT

I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land…. “What do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon and you cities of Philistia? Are you trying to take revenge on me?

BIBLEQUOTE

(Joel 3:2-4 NLT)

The prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech at the UN this week. For the first time since he publicly adopted the two-state formula, he did not raise it at the United Nations General Assembly as a hoped-for eventuality as he has in previous years. Instead, he called for a fresh approach to peace. He spoke of new directions involving moderate Arab states. At a meeting with Obama afterwards he did mention two states but he added that with all the turmoil in the Middle East the Palestinian question is now secondary. The Bible does talk about Israel being “parted” or “divided”.It is possible that at some point - following a war with Israel and its immediate neighbours eg Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria - that following this, Israel IS forced to divide the land in a peace agreement. Netanyahu is right – the Palestinian question is secondary right now – but in the future it will be the No1 question…

Turkey backs military action against Isil

Turkey's parliament has authorised military action against the Islamic State jihadist group, whose fighters have battled their way to the doorstep of a key town across the border in Syria. The move allows the deployment of armed forces in Syria and Iraq, as well as the transit of foreign forces in Turkish territory for operations against IS militants.The broad mandate does not commit Turkey to sending soldiers into the two neighbouring countries, where IS has captured large areas, declaring an Islamic "caliphate" and committing widespread atrocities.Washington has been striving to build an international alliance against the jihadists. Five Arab nations have participated in the strikes on Syrian soil while the same number of European countries have committed aircraft to Iraq.

Daily Telegraph, October 2, 2014

EVENT

COMMENT

The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts. And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean. Ephraim = northern Israel.. See Psalm 83:8 - Assur = Assyria

BIBLEQUOTE

(Isaiah 17:3-4)

This new Islamic State appeared from nowhere just months ago and now many nations are fighting a war against it. Australia (one of the young lions of Ezekiel 38) joined the fray this week as well as Turkey. Conducting military airstrikes now includes America, UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia. The very same nations that make up the opposing force (the king of the south) mentioned in Ezekiel 38:13. ISIS covers almost identical territory to ancient Assyria and in many ways behaves like they did as well. Barbaric in the extreme- showing no mercy. It cannot be a coincidence in these last days an ancient Assyria suddenly appears. Assyria of course came against the northern kingdom of Israel. In Psalm 83 we read of Assur (Assyria) joining forces with peoples like the Philistines (Palestinians) in attacking Israel. When Damascus falls (quite possibly in this conflict) we read that NORTHERN Israel is greatly weakened. Assur helps do this.

UN: 'nightmare scenario' as Ebola spreads to the US

The number of people infected with Ebola is doubling every 20 to 30 days, and the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has forecast that there could be as many as 1.4m cases of Ebola by January, in the worst case scenario. More than 3,300 people have been killed by the disease this year. Mr Banbury, who has served in the UN since 1988, said that the epidemic was the worst disaster he had ever witnessed.“We have never seen anything like it. In a career working in these kinds of situations, wars, natural disasters – I have never seen anything as serious or dangerous or high risk as this one. I’ve heard other people saying this as well, senior figures who are not being alarmist. Behind closed doors, they are saying they have never seen anything as bad,” he said.

Daily Telegraph, October 2, 2014

EVENT

COMMENT

Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. Though distressing we know these things must happen – they are the prelude to the Lord’s return

BIBLEQUOTE

(Luke 21:10-11)

The Ebola epidemic is getting out of control. A Liberian man became the first person to be diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus on US soil. This case in the US is thought to be the first outside West Africa involving this strain of Ebola. Ebola has a very high mortality rate of between 50% and 90%. Ebola is a gruesome disease that causes cells in the body to self-destruct, resulting in massive internal and external bleeding. In its late stages, Ebola can cause the victim to experience convulsions, vomiting and bleeding from the eyes and ears while convulsing, flinging blood all over the room and anyone standing nearby, thereby infecting those people as well. Jesus said before he returned we would see pestilences (epidemics) and fearful sights. We are seeing fearful sights that cause terror as we see this particular plague spread…

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and also misinterpret them as well. However I will endeavour to be faithful to the scriptures and hope that it will be of benefit to both of us.

Weekly World Watch

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