Church of God News

Tokyo, Japan

COGwriter

As reported here earlier (see Japan to Change Goverment), the Japanese have voted to change their government:

Japan Democrats take power, tough challenges loom

Reuters – Aug 30, 2009  by Linda Sieg

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s next leader Yukio Hatoyama, fresh from a historic election win, faced the task on Monday of forming a government to tackle challenges such as reviving the economy and steering a new course with close ally Washington.

Sunday’s victory by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) ends a half-century of almost unbroken rule by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and breaks a deadlock in parliament, ushering in a government that has promised to focus spending on consumers, cut wasteful budget outlays and reduce the power of bureaucrats.

But the untested Democrats, which will face an upper house election in less than a year, will have to move quickly to keep support among voters worried about a record jobless rate and a rapidly aging society that is inflating social security costs.

“Everything begins now. Everything depends on how we can modestly create politics which considers the people,” Hatoyama, the wealthy grandson of a former prime minister, told a news conference early on Monday.

Official figures have not yet been released, but media forecasts show the Democrats with about 307 seats in the 480-seat lower house, compared with only 119 for the LDP.

Hatoyama was expected to quickly set up a transition team to prepare to take power but said he would not name his cabinet until the new parliament voted him in as prime minister…

“(Hatoyama) is basically articulating the idea that the U.S.-led Pax Americana era has come to an end,” said Sheila Smith at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

“My sense of the DPJ is that they have wanted a little distance between Tokyo and Washington.”

Budgetary matters will claim much of the government’s attention in its early days. Party leaders have said they might freeze or redirect some of the 14 trillion yen ($149.5 billion) in stimulus spending planned for the year to March 31, 2010.

They may have to craft an extra budget for the current fiscal year to cover an expected tax revenue shortfall, and Japanese media said the party wants to have an outline of the budget for 2010/2011 by sometime in October.

(Additional reporting by Yoko Kubota and Yoko Nishikawa in Tokyo and Paul Eckert in Washington, Editing by Dean Yates and Chris Gallagher)

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE57R01R20090830

Overall, based upon various prophecies, a lot of change is expected in Japan and the rest of Asia.  But not all of it will be the type of change that the Japanese voters really will want.  Nor, will apparently the Americans as changes between Tokyo and Washington are likely.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? This is a brief article about Japan. Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, Japanese, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?

COGwriter

Some in Asia are apparently coming out of the great recession.  India now seems to have started to have some significant economic growth:

India’s Growth Accelerates for First Time Since 2007 (Update3)

By Cherian Thomas

Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — India’s economic growth accelerated for the first time since 2007, indicating the global recession’s impact on Asia’s third-largest economy is waning.

Gross domestic product expanded 6.1 percent last quarter from a year earlier after a 5.8 percent rise in the previous quarter, the Central Statistical Organisation said in New Delhi today. Economists forecast a 6.2 percent gain.

India joins China, Japan and Indonesia in rebounding as Asian economies benefits from more than $950 billion of stimulus spending and lower borrowing costs. India’s recovery may stall as drought threatens to reduce harvests and spur food inflation, making it harder for the central bank to judge when to raise interest rates…

As the global recession hit India, the central bank injected about 5.6 trillion rupees ($115 billion) into the economy, which together with government fiscal stimulus amounts to more than 12 percent of GDP.

China’s economic growth accelerated to 7.9 percent last quarter from 6.1 percent in the previous three months, aided by a 4 trillion yuan ($585 billion) stimulus package and lower borrowing costs. China and India are the world’s two fastest growing major economies…

India’s industrial production in June gained 7.8 percent from a year earlier, the fastest pace in 16 months, the government said Aug. 12.

Ahya expects the economy to grow between 5.2 percent and 5.8 percent in the year to March 31. That pace of expansion is attracting overseas companies including Harley-Davidson Inc., the biggest U.S. motorcycle maker. The U.S. economy shrank at a 1 percent annual rate last quarter. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aluPxOFxzkMs

Although nations in Asia will have economic ups and downs, the Bible tells of a time when the trading nations will become even more wealthy because of a power called “Babylon” in Revelation 18.  This seems to be the same power referred to as “the daughter of Babylon” in Jeremiah (50:42 ; 51:33), Zechariah (2:7), and Isaiah (47:1).  Thus, it does not seem to be a reference to the Babylon in Iran.  Other parts of the Bible suggest it is a European power (for details, see Europa, the Beast, and Revelation).

If the economies of Asia recover at a faster rate than the USA (which they now are doing) this will continue the trend to reduce the economic gap between the Americans and the Asians.  This is also something that the Bible indicated would need to happen.

For more about India and other nations in Asia, please check out the following articles:

India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage and discusses some of the witness to them (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Korea in Prophecy, Any Witness? Does God have a plan for the Koreans? Is Korea mentioned in any prophecies? Will Koreans be among the first in the Kingdom of God? 한국의 언어로 : 한국 예언, 모든 증인에?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? This is a brief article about Japan. Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?

COGwriter

In its latest update, LCG reported:

The United States Now the Caboose: Noted author and brokerage president Peter Schiff recently made some sobering observations regarding the state of the U.S. economy. Mr. Schiff stated, “the U.S. could see double-digit inflation within the next two to three years, and potential ‘Zimbabwe style’ hyperinflation within the next five to 10 years, depending on how the government reacts to high inflation.” He went on to discuss how “The theory that the world’s economies are linked like a train and that the United States is the engine is 180 degrees wrong… ‘I think the world represents the engine and the U.S. the caboose,’ he says. ‘The world has been spending a lot of energy dragging a caboose that consumes more than it produces and borrows more than it saves’” (MoneyNews.newsmax.com, August 18, 2009). Mr. Schiff’s observations are sobering indeed, when one considers that the U.S. was by far the leading economy of the developed world not long ago. God warned long ago what would happen if Israel failed to follow His sound economic principles. “The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail” (Deuteronomy 28:43-44). The U.S. is coming to resemble the tail, or “caboose,” just as God promised it would. God’s prophecies stand the test of time!

I would like to elaborate on this by quoting a few more of the related scriptures.

First notice that the descendants of Israel were promised to be the head and NOT the tail if they obeyed God’s commandments:

13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them (Deuteronomy 28:13).

Second notice that they were promised to BECOME the tail if they disobeyed God’s commandments:

43 The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. 45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you (Deuteronomy 28:43-45)

The USA is becoming increasingly against the commands of the God of the Bible.  And as a consequence, it is becoming more subservient to foreigner creditors.  When enough foreigners realize what Peter Schiff reported has merit, the Bible shows that the creditors will rise up and plunder (Habakkuk 2:6-8).

Most today do not realize the tie that the USA and the Anglo-descended peoples have with the Old Testament nor the importance of observing the Ten Commandments.  And because of this, many do not understand what is now happening.

Do you?

Some articles of  related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? This article demonstrates that the commandments were shown from the Bible to be at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul. It addresses the most common “traditions of men” regarding them as well.
Were the Pharisees Condemned for Keeping the Law or Reasoning Around it? Many believe that the Pharisees were condemned for keeping the law, but what does your Bible say? If they were not condemned for that, what were they condemned for?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings.

COGwriter

A news report today suggests that USA President Obama may have surrendered to Russian demands in a meeting last month:

Will Obama surrender to Russia over missile defence?

Nile Gardiner August 29th, 2009

Reports in the Polish media indicate that the Obama administration is about to abandon its plans for “third site” missile defence installations in Poland and the Czech Republic. If enacted, this would represent a huge turnaround in American strategic thinking on a global missile defence system, and a massive betrayal of two key US allies in eastern and central Europe. Such a move would significantly weaken America’s ability to combat the growing threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missile program, and would hand a major propaganda victory to the Russians.

This shift in US policy is intricately linked to a naïve deal struck between Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in July in Moscow, where the two leaders established a framework to reduce their nukes by a third over the next seven years. The deal, expected to be concluded in December, also significantly cuts both sides’ nuclear delivery systems, such as long range bombers, to create a more level playing field (the US currently has superiority in this area). The whole agreement works to the advantage of the Russians, with their declining strategic conventional weapons capability and aging and deteriorating nuclear weapons stockpile.

Obama has made progress towards a “nuclear free world” a centerpiece of his presidency, and is clearly willing to sacrifice US interests, including its allies in Europe, on the altar of political vanity. Moscow has made it abundantly clear that any steps towards nuclear disarmament have to involve the abandonment of missile defence installations in what Russia considers its own backyard – and that includes former Soviet satellites that are now members of the European Union.

If the Obama administration drops the planned third site installations (due to be deployed by 2013), it would represent an appalling surrender to Russian demands, and the shameful of appeasement of an increasingly aggressive regime that is openly flexing its muscle in an effort to intimidate ex-members of the Warsaw Pact. It would send a clear message to America’s allies in Europe that Moscow’s bullying will be tolerated and even tacitly encouraged. It also sends a dangerous signal that the United States is unlikely to stand up to Russian demands that Georgia and Ukraine be barred from becoming full members of the NATO alliance.  http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100007890/will-obama-surrender-to-russia-over-missile-defence/

It is my limited understanding that the missiles for Poland and the Czech Republic were to protect against nuclear attack, hence not having them would not seem to decrease the risk of nuclear attack.

I have long suggested that shortly after 2012, many events will take place.  And it now appears that the USA not having another defensive capability may be one more of them.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might Barack Obama be involved in 2012?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing.

Wheat

COGwriter

There seems to be the potential for a mouse plague in part of Australia:

Mouse plague on the way in WA wheatbelt

ABC – Aug 28, 2009

Mouse numbers in Western Australia’s wheatbelt are escalating towards plague proportions.

Canola, wheat and lupins have all been attacked by the hungry rodents, with some farmers reporting up to 30 per cent crop losses.

Professor Linton Staples, from Animal Control Technologies, say if farmers don’t take some action to control the mice now, the situation could develop into the worst mouse plague in 15 years.

He’s urging farmers to carefully check their crops for signs of mouse damage.

“If you’ve got crop damage, there’s almost no debate about it, you should be baiting that crop because of the economics,” he says.

“The break-even point for baiting is at about 2 per cent crop loss, including the aircraft cost of spreading.” http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200908/s2669609.htm

How much total damage there will be to Australian wheat is not clear at this point.

Jesus, of course, warned of pestilences and food shortages as a sign:

7…And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:7-8).

We are near the time of what Jesus referred to as “the beginning of sorrows”.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines.  Should we do something?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?

Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

COGwriter

Tony Blair was in the news explaining why he became Catholic:

Blair explains conversion to Catholicism

Former PM tells Italian audience that church can make globalisation ‘our servant, not our master, lit by God’s love and paved by God’s grace’

Press Association – Aug 28, 2009

Tony Blair said his conversion to Catholicism had been driven by his wife, Cherie, adding that it “felt right” and “is now where my heart is”.

The former prime minister, who now runs the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, switched from the Anglican church to Catholicism soon after leaving Downing Street two years ago. His wife and children were already Catholic.

He told the Communion and Liberation meeting in the Italian resort of Rimini yesterday: “Ever since I began preparations to become a Catholic, I felt I was coming home … this is now where my heart is, where I know I belong.”

Blair said he was “humbled” to make a speech to such eminent delegates because he was a “very new entrant” to the Catholic church.

In off-the-cuff remarks reported by the London Evening Standard, he added: “Frankly, this all began with my wife. I began to go to mass and we went together. We could have gone to the Anglican or Catholic church – guess who won?

“As time went on, I had been going to mass for a long time … it’s difficult to find the right words. I felt this was right for me. There was something, not just about the doctrine of the church, but of the universal nature of the Catholic church.”

Blair, now also a Middle East quartet envoy, used his speech to tell delegates that it was always a “pleasure” to be in Italy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/aug/28/blair-conversion-catholicism

The political reality is that Tony Blair could not have become Catholic as Prime Minister, but being Catholic also makes him a more likely candidate to be the President of the EU.

Whether that will happen or not remains unclear.

But I have suspected that there is a possibility that Tony Blair MIGHT have a scripturally-related role during the Great Tribulation.  We will see.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is Tony Blair Apocalyptic? The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom converted to Catholicism shortly after leaving his office and has been active in European affairs. What role might he play?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Gerat Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

On other matters related to Catholic news, I found the following to be of interest:

After Kennedy’s Death: Silence from the Pope

TIME – Aug 27, 2009

There was a poignant footnote to President Obama‘s historic July 10 meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. Behind closed doors in the papal library, Obama handed Benedict a letter that Senator Edward Kennedy had asked him to personally deliver to the pontiff.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs later told reporters that nobody – not even the President – knew the contents of the sealed missive. Obama himself asked Benedict to pray for Kennedy, and called the ailing Senator afterward to fill him in on his encounter with the 82-year-old Pope…

As of yet, unlike some other world leaders, Pope Benedict has not commented or issued an official communique in response to Kennedy’s death. One veteran official at the Vatican, of U.S. nationality, expressed the view of many conservatives about the Kennedy clan’s rapport with the Catholic Church: “Why would he even write a letter to the Pope? The Kennedys have always been defiantly in opposition to the Roman Catholic magisterium.” Magisterium is the formal expression for the authority of Church teaching. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1919064,00.html

It does seem a bit unusual that the late Senator Kennedy wrote Pope Benedict.  However, I will not attempt to speculate publicly what the letter might have said as I not seen comments from any who actually know the contents.

COGwriter

Ronald Weinland is a self-appointed “prophet” who claims that he and his wife are the two witnesses.  At his CGPFK website under FAQ Topics, the Abomination of Desolation, it refers to his book “The Prophesied END-TIME” for details.

Specifically Ronald Weinland wrongly teaches that the abomination occurred in 1994 and was spiritual:

The Abomination of Desolation
Look closely at what Jesus Christ said would follow after Mr. Armstrong finished his work. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso reads, let him understand:) then let them who are in Judea flee into the mountains:” (Matthew 24:14-16).

Many prophecies have a “physical type” of fulfillment and a “spiritual type.”…

Only one man in this modern age was appointed—“set” in the Church of God. That man was Joseph W. Tkach, Sr. He had been given great trust and authority, but he betrayed Jesus Christ in the sermon he gave in Atlanta, Georgia on December 17, 1994. “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing [“Showing” in the Greek means “to show forth, to expose to view, to reveal.”] himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). His actions exposed his rebellion…

After Mr. Tkach betrayed the trust placed in him by giving that defiant sermon in Atlanta, the Spiritual Temple of God became defiled. An abomination of unprecedented proportions had taken place within the Church…

Exactly 40 Sabbaths (to the day and very hour) after Mr. Tkach gave that sermon, he died. This was God’s own declaration. By taking his life, God revealed that Mr. Tkach was indeed the “son of perdition”—“the man of sin.” By this, God also revealed that the Church and the world had entered the end-time. This was finally the time, after 6,000 years, for end-time prophecies to be fulfilled. The process had begun. It all began on the same day Mr. Tkach gave his defiled sermon, but it was God who had to reveal it…

This also fulfilled other prophecies.“When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand:) then let them who are in Judea flee into the mountains:” (Matthew 24:15-16). The fleeing that took place when the physical temple was destroyed was the “physical type”—fleeing into the mountains. Now came the “spiritual type.” It was time for spiritual Judea, the Church, to flee into the mountains…

The “abomination of desolation” that was about the destruction of the spiritual temple began when this seal was opened by Jesus Christ. The opening of this seal marks, reveals and actually announces the very beginning of the end-time. It reveals that a countdown has begun and Jesus Christ will soon return. It marks the beginning of great tribulation in this world. The end-time is already here. (Weinland R. The Prophesied End-Times, pp. 142, 146, 148, 150, 152).

But notice what Jesus specifically taught:

15 “…Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15-16).

The above event did not occur in 1994.  Nor did it on February 2, 2008,  March 18, 2008, April 17, 2008, or on December 14, 2008 (nor any date in-between 1994 to present) despite various inaccurate statements from Ronald Weinland.  (Ronald Weinland has claimed that the Great Tribulation began on April 17, 2008 and then he changed his date to December 14, 2008–and currently he is still insisting that his December 14, 2008 date was correct.)

How can we be sure that the abomination Jesus referred to has not been fulfilled by J. Tkach?

Because Jesus referred to the one that Daniel spoke about.  And that leader is also known as the King of the North:

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind…” (Daniel 11:31-40).

This could not have been Joseph Tkach. He simply did not fulfill the other prophecies related to the King of the North, nor was he the King of the North. Furthermore, the Tkach preaching incident occurred nearly 15 years ago. The 1335, 1290, and 1260 days would have long been over. And despite Ronald Weinland’s two different dates (April 17 and December 14, 2008) for it to start, the Great Tribulation simply has not began yet.

Ronald Weinland improperly overlooked the Book of Daniel–the one place that Jesus said to look–when he (Ronald Weinland) came up with his inaccurate interpretation.

Those following Ronald Weinland are being misled and need to open their eyes right now! They need to ignore his smooth talking and check out what the Bible really teaches happens on those days (check out the article Who is the King of the North? for more details of that and other events that need to occur prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation).

Some articles of related interest could include the following:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008 (first April 17th, then June 2008, now December 14, 2008). Why is he a false prophet? He also has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the Church of God.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?

Tokyo, Japan

COGwriter

The Obama theme change is not only occurring in Western nations as Japan is apparently planning on having major changes to its government in its election this Sunday:

Disgruntled Japanese prepare to vote

August 27, 2009

By Kyung Lah CNN

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) — The recession’s latest victim in Japan may not be corporate earnings but the political careers of the ruling party in the country’s parliament.

This Sunday in Japan, voters go to the ballot box in what poll after poll shows will be a historic shift in political power, booting out the ruling party. The Liberal Democratic Party, or the LDP, has been in nearly continuous control of Japan’s parliament for more than five decades. But the country’s worst recession since World War II has led a normally sedate electorate to head to the polls, disgruntled with how slowly the country is emerging from the downturn.

Yoshio Hidaka is one of those disgruntled voters. Dressed in his cleanly pressed white shirt and navy tie, Hidaka is the sort of buttoned-up conservative that the LDP could count on for party loyalty. And for decades, it could. But Hidaka’s food importing company, the Robson Corporation, has seen business hit the skids this last year. It’s changed how Hidaka plans to vote.

“Whoever the LDP produced as the prime minister, he wasn’t able to change the world. Especially the last three prime ministers. All of them resigned,” said Hidaka, referring to the revolving door of prime ministers in Japan, all in office about a year. “Unfortunately, the constant change of prime ministers then was met with this economic crisis. Therefore, I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks something has to change.”

And he’s not.

Polls show the opposition, the Democratic Party of Japan, will snag more than 300 of the 480 seats up for grabs in the lower house of Japan’s parliament. If the DPJ does win a majority, it will be the first time it will govern the world’s second-largest economy.

Leading the DPJ is Yukio Hatoyama, who has been mobbed at street rallies by supporters, the kind of support the opposition has never seen. Hatoyama is touting an Obama-style message of change, pledging to raise the minimum wage and discourage hiring through agencies or on temporary contracts. That message is gathering traction in a country that’s witnessing historic highs in unemployment and experiencing ramifications like homelessness for the first time. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/08/27/japan.election.advancer/

The Japanese are apparently becoming frustrated with the lack of substantial economic growth and other issues that it has had for a decade or so.

Overall, based upon various prophecies, a lot of change is expected in Japan and the rest of Asia.  But not all of it will be the type of change that the Japanese voters really will want.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? This is a brief article about Japan. Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, Japanese, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Prophecy Obama: Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing.

COGwriter

The Wall Street Journal reported the following today:

As Budget Deficit Grows, So Do Doubts on Dollar

Wall Street Journal – Aug 26, 2009

LONDON — The U.S. economy may be showing signs of recovering from the financial crisis, but the jury is still out on the future of the U.S. dollar.

While many analysts expect the dollar to strengthen in coming months as the crisis fades and the U.S. economy turns toward growth, a growing chorus of investors is expressing concern about the longer-term outlook for the greenback.

In a new twist to an old refrain among economists, who have long worried about the effects of growing U.S. debt, they say that the huge liabilities the U.S. is taking on to dig its way out of crisis could ultimately undermine faith in the dollar.

“There has been a lot of disappointment with the way the U.S. credit crisis was handled,” says Claire Dissaux, managing director of global economics and strategy for Millennium Global Investments Ltd., a London investment firm specializing in currencies. “The dollar’s loss of influence is a steady and long-term trend.”

On Tuesday, the Obama administration added fuel to concerns about the dollar, saying the U.S. will run a cumulative budget deficit of $9 trillion over the next 10 years, $2 trillion more than it had previously projected.

“That’s going to be negative for the dollar,” says Adam Boyton, a currency analyst at Deutsche Bank AG in New York. President Barack Obama also reappointed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, whose efforts to rescue the economy have won praise, but have also entailed pumping large amounts of freshly created dollars into the financial system.

Investors and economists have long harbored concerns about the dollar’s decline, especially in the beginning of this decade as the federal government and consumers ran up their debtloads to finance everything from foreign wars to flat-screen TVs. Last fall’s financial crash suggested that such fears may be overblown: As markets plunged in the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., investors scrambled to stash their cash in U.S. Treasury bills, perceiving them to be the safest investments. That boosted the value of the U.S. dollar against many of its major counterparts.

Now, though, major investors like Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Chairman Warren Buffett and bond investment firm Pimco fear the government’s fiscal and monetary stimulus programs could end up fueling inflation in coming years and hammering the dollar. Higher inflation eats up the returns of bond investments that provide a fixed interest income, making them less attractive to investors. Less demand for U.S. bonds could mean a weaker dollar.

Mr. Buffett, for example, worries that U.S. policy makers will fail to move decisively to curtail the nation’s ballooning net debt, expected by some to rise to more than 75% of annual economic output by 2013. Instead, policy makers might tolerate higher inflation, which makes existing debts more manageable but would hurt the U.S.’s creditors, including China and Japan. In this scenario, investors would demand much higher interest when lending to the U.S. government, raising its borrowing costs and making further budget deficits harder to finance at a time when an aging population will sharply boost the costs of social security and government-sponsored health care.

Investors are also growing more comfortable with the idea of emerging economies like China, Russia and Brazil playing a bigger role in shaping international finance. Some analysts, including Pimco portfolio manager Curtis Mewbourne, say emerging economies have a unique opportunity to use the crisis to reduce their reliance on the U.S. dollar., which tends to account for the lion’s share of their foreign-exchange reserves.

“Investors should consider whether it makes sense to take advantage of any periods of U.S. dollar strength to diversify their currency exposure,” Mr. Mewbourne wrote in a recent note.

Earlier this year, China’s central-bank governor called for moving toward a “super-sovereign” reserve currency, one not belonging to any particular country. Analysts generally see such an option as unrealistic, since the U.S. wouldn’t want to give up its status as the main currency in which the world’s central banks hold their reserves, and any new reserve currency would require a deep and developed market where it could be traded.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125122938682957967.html

The economic policies of the current and former administrations in Washington, D.C. essentially have guaranteed that, short of some massive development (like a new energy source or manufacturing technology, etc.), the long-term outlook for the dollar is simply not good.

Europe, the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, China, and India), and even smaller players seem to have been affected enough by potentially-inflationary dollar policies that they seem intent to not support the idea that the US dollar should remain as THE international currency.  This will basically guarantee a reduction of the standard of living in the USA.

Those who follow Bible prophecy may wish to ponder the idea that the Bible predicts that those in massive debt (like the USA and UK) now are in will suddenly lose it all.  Notice that the Bible mentions that this destruction will happen to those that increased their debt at the end times:

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry…
6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases
What is not his–how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you (Habakkuk 2:3,6-8).

The above prophecy will be fulfilled at the time of the end (it makes little sense that it would be directed towards the modern nation of Israel as it does not have enemy creditors).  It must be a nation or group of nations with some prominence.

Yet it is the the United States and its Anglo-allies that have loaded pledges of debt in these end times that they really do not expect to pay back.   The USA has the greatest amount of debt that any nation has ever had, while the UK is close to having the highest per capita debt of any other nation.

Even secular sources are starting to recognize the problem.  The fate of the US dollar is not looking good.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.

COGwriter

In its latest World News & Prophecy UCG’s John Ross Schroeder wrote:

The Enormous Expansion of Chinese Influence: What Does It Portend?…

Kerry Brown, an official of the Asian program of the British Chatham House think tank, states: “China is marching toward regional dominance and that brings it into conflict with India on one flank and Japan on the other. It will at some point become much more active as a military power in that region” (ibid.).

But Mr. Brown does not believe that China necessarily wants conflict. His thoughts are that the Chinese “are seeking a stable international environment within which they can continue their economic development.” Nonetheless, other countries in the general region are understandably worried about China’s intentions. Australia is one.

Australian reaction to China’s growing military

According to Bonnie Malkin, reporting for The Daily Telegraph from Sydney, “Australia is conducting the biggest expansion of its navy since the Second World War and will spend an extra £35 billion on the armed forces over the next 20 years” (“Australia Expands Navy as Chinese Power Grows,” Telegraph.co.uk, May 19, 2009).

It seems highly likely that Australia’s military buildup could very well be related to Chinese expansion. “The potential instability caused by the emergence of China and India as major world powers was cited as the most pressing concern for this military build-up in particular. Australian defence planners are believed to be concerned about China’s growing naval strength and America’s possible retreat as a global power in the decades ahead” (ibid.).

This article goes on to discuss the doubling of Chinese submarine patrols in the past year, calling attention to the extension of China’s navy into Australian territorial waters. While specifically denying any plans for any future war with China, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stated categorically that his government would “‘make absolutely no apology’ for taking whatever steps were needed to guarantee the country’s security.”

It should also be noted that New Zealand seems to be increasing military cooperation with Australia:

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his New Zealand counterpart John Key said they had agreed to speed up an “ambitious” unification of the nations’ economies and would also consider establishing a joint military corps  (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jhLuFTOgADwXB0uvQTsmAdJc8zaQ).

However, Australia and New Zealand simply do not have the type of military ability to thwart a determined effort by China (especially if supported by a future European power).  Nor is it likely that they ever would in the next decade.

As mentioned here earlier this month, there is an ancient Chinese prophecy that says that China will get some southern land and divide with another (see  Might an Ancient Chinese Prophecy Involve Australia and New Zealand?).  And it is possible that it may end up with some of Australia and/or New Zealand sometime after 2012.  This also seems consistent with a biblical prophecy in Daniel 11:39 where the future King of the North divides certain lands for gain.

China’s growing influence suggests that it will likely end up with some of the lands of Australia and/or New Zealand.  And this seems consistent with various ancient predictions.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might Barack Obama be involved in 2012?