Church of God News

Greek Riots, 2008

COGwriter

PCG’s The Trumpet Weekly had the following yesterday:

Once again Europe has been hit by a series of workers’ strikes. And once again, France has been hit hard, with strikes beginning on October 12. Refinery workers and even students have joined the protests against the French government’s plan to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62, and the age at which the French can receive their full pension from 65 to 67. Eleven out of France’s 12 refineries are not sending gas to service stations. France could face shortages by the middle of next week, according to the French oil industry association. On October 13, protesters blocked off the entrance to the Acropolis in Greece. They claim they are owed two years of back pay, and that they will lose their jobs at the end of the month. Romanian tax employees also went on strike from October 13 to14.

I warned about this type of thing about a month and a half ago (see the 5 September 2010 post titled Civil War in Greece?) as I wrote, “Austerity measures in Europe will likely cause civil unrest”.  It is also of interest to note that France is also still having issues–French actions, such as its new ban on burqas and proposed pension changes, may trigger even stronger protests (see also the 12 September post titled Civil Unrest in France?).  Strikes can turn violent, and sometimes can trigger riots and other forms of civil unrest.

Here is some of what has been reported about the situation in France today:

PARIS – The French government sought Sunday to calm fears of nationwide petrol and aviation fuel shortages as strikes against pension reform began to bite two days ahead of another wave of mass protests.

Officials tried to head off panic buying of petrol amid the ongoing strikes and protests that saw hundreds of thousands take to the streets for the latest day of action against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s key reform on Saturday.

Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau told Europe 1 radio that with 10 out of France’s 12 oil refineries shut by strike action, panic buying had led to a 50 per cent jump in petrol sales last week and hundreds of stations running dry.  (http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/France+seeks+calm+fuel+fears+strike+momentum+builds/3684438/story.html#ixzz12cjy9bc0)

Fuel shortages, which could happen in France, may upset many and cause problems there to worsen.  There are also protests by university students now in France.

Interestingly, in my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, I discussed the possibility of civil unrest and/or civil war breaking out in Europe.  Here are a couple of captions from the book about that:

Some believe that God will punish the nominal Catholics with civil unrest and war in Europe.  As there already has been civil unrest in Europe (and according to secular sources, more is expected), it is possible that the following (to some degree) also may come to pass:..

Monk Hilarion (15^th century): “The people of the peninsula of Europe will suffer by needless wars…”

Brother Louis Rocco (19th century): “All over Europe there will rage terrible civil wars…A Great Monarch will arise after a period of terrible wars and persecutions in Europe.”

Some believe this civil unrest will result in the rise of a militaristic leader who will quell that particular violence, establish a new religious order, and reign with a pope who will perform miracles…

One interesting 15^th century Catholic prophecy foretells a time when a “great prince” will rise up. “All Germany” will apparently convert to the ecumenical religion, and then massive conversions in “all countries” “will happen quickly…

The descriptions of the Great Monarch/Prince in many ways parallel the description of one the Bible refers to as the “prince” in Daniel 9:26–27, final “King of the North” in Daniel 11:27–45…

World events are aligning with prophecy.  There will be ups and downs in Europe until the final European beast power rises up.  The strikes may turn violent and this may be a major trigger for the rise of the prophesied final King of the North.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This also has YouTube videos. This book documents and explains hundreds of prophecies. And since it was published, many have already started to come to pass.
2012 y el surgimiento de la secta secreta Nuevo libro del Dr. Thiel en Español.
2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Edition) 2012 Buch von Dr. Thiel in deutscher Sprache.

World Currencies

COGwriter

This past week saw further dropping in the value of the USA dollar compared to many other world currencies. Concerns about rising USA debt, “quantitative easing” by its Federal Reserve, and other USA actions which will ultimately highly devalue the USA dollar has many nations trying to change away from dependence on the USA dollar for various aspects of foreign trade.

Notice a news item from late Thursday:

The dollar tumbled against most major currencies on Thursday, prompting warnings that the weakness of the world’s reserve currency could destabilise the global economy and push other countries into retaliatory devaluations to underwrite their exports.

Increasing expectations the Federal Reserve will pump more money into the US economy next month under a policy known as quantitative easing sent the dollar to new lows against the Chinese renminbi, Swiss franc and Australian dollar. It dropped to a 15-year low against the yen and an eight-month low against the euro. (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5505a7f0-d7c2-11df-b478-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss)

In its latest weekly update announced at Sabbath services today, LCG reported:

Squeezing Out the U.S.? Last Autumn, a British newspaper reported, “In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning—along with China, Russia, Japan and France—to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar. Secret meetings have already been held by finance ministers and central bank governors in Russia, China, Japan and Brazil to work on the scheme, which will mean that oil will no longer be priced in dollars.” One Chinese banking source also predicted the Russian ruble would be brought into the “basket” of currencies in the future too. The deadline for converting completely away from the dollar is now eight years away—2018. Obviously missing from those “secret” financial meetings were the bulk of European nations—including Germany and Britain (Independent, October 6, 2010). Little has been run in the popular press since, but this past summer China detached itself from the bilateral exchange rate with the U.S. dollar, instead choosing to compare itself to a “basket” of other currencies. One reason was to deflect attention away from the U.S. dollar (Reuters, July 22, 2010). Nations of the world are increasingly concerned about the U.S. dollar and spiraling U.S. sovereign debt. The U.S. debt is also acting to polarize nations and even drive some nations together—for example the gulf nations. The Bible makes clear that debt can move one from a position of leadership to one of being a servant (Proverbs 22:7). We appear to be watching this global power-shift occur.

Now, because the “end is not yet” (cf. Matthew 24:6), though soon (see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?), there will likely be economic, civil, and other problems in Europe and elsewhere that will continue to keep the USA dollar from being totally worthless for at least a couple of more years.  It is not likely to last to 2018 (though it might)–USA actions to inflate its currency will likely accelerate the efforts to decouple from it.

Notice a news article from yesterday:

Whether we realize it or not, we compete with other nations around the world for resources. Historically, our currency – as the world’s reserve currency – has given us an enormous advantage. Coal, for example, is priced in dollars. But we stand on the verge of losing that advantage… and the consequences will be drastic. (http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article23525.html)

A power-shift is most definitely occurring.  The USA is hopelessly in debt and there are more nations calling for a de-linking from the USA dollar as the world’s reserve currency than there ever have been.  And they are trying to take steps (though they will stumble at times) to create a world that is no longer economically dominated by the USA.

Most of those who live in the USA have no idea how much this will impact them.  At minimum this will result in about a 30% reduction in individual wealth.  But ultimately this goal will lead to the end of the USA, meaning its dollar will be less than worthless (it will be hated) and its lands (and people) taking over and divided by its future enemies.

Some prophetic 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?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?
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.
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?  Where is the nation of Israel in all of this?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?  Does the Bible give any indication about 2018?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

Prohibition To Prohibit	= Tree	+ (Divine) Command

COGwriter

While the USA is trying to get China to let its renminbi yuan to appreciate in value, Chinese leaders are meeting to put together their next “five-year plan” under growing concerns that civil unrest is a potential problem there:

President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao are concerned that rising income gaps in China threaten to spark more riots, strikes and other social unrest that might threaten the 61-year rule of the Communist Party…

Politics will also be high on the agenda at the closed-door plenum as leaders jockey to have their protégés promoted within the party and government. In the run-up to the plenum, Wen has called for a relaxation of state control of social and political affairs…

China’s next five-year plan, which will be enacted at a meeting of the country’s legislature in March, will be discussed at the plenum, Xinhua said.  (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-15/china-s-communists-meet-in-beijing-as-xinhua-decries-widening-wealth-gap.html)

Amid the disagreements, holding the 78 million-member party together is likely to be the overriding concern at a time when China’s system is under stress at home and abroad.

Chinese are dissatisfied with rising inflation, high housing prices, employment woes among college graduates, the yawning wealth gap and corruption, while Tibetan and Muslim regions of western China are held in check by a smothering security presence. Abroad, China is facing criticism from the U.S. for its currency and trade practices and its support for North Korea and ties with Iran.  (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jdrr_oSyg63AJmyClLVv04Av8NwwD9IRGID80?docId=D9IRGID80)

China will do anything to grow its economy, as the alternatives will lead to political unrest. A lot of peasants moved to the cities in search of higher-paying jobs during the go-go times. Because China lacks the social safety net of the developed world, unemployed people aren’t just inconvenienced by the loss of their jobs, they starve (this explains the high savings rate in China) and hungry people don’t complain, they riot. Once you look at what’s taking place in the Chinese economy through that lens, the decisions of its leaders start making sense, or at least become understandable. (Vitaliy N. Katsenelson. China: No Shortcut to Greatness. The Daily Reckoning, March 1, 2010)

We in the Living Church of God have long believed that China’s rise would be checked, to a degree, by internal problems that will prohibit it from truly being the leader of the world that some within China envision.

Here are some comments from LCG’s Presiding Evangelist, R.C. Meredith that he made years ago:

The next morning, we headed for China! While planning the trip to the Philippines, I had noted on the map that China appeared to be only a two-and-a-half or three-hour flight from Manila. Since I have for years wanted the Work to somehow get into China, I thought it would be worth the time and the effort on my part—even at the end of this strenuous trip—to visit that part of the world and get a “feel” for the people of China. Remember brethren, more than one-third of the world’s entire population lives in either China or India! These fellow human beings must be reached with the message of the soon-coming Kingdom of God (see Mark 16:15). So it is vital that we start making plans as to how we can best reach this one-third of all humanity.

…The Chinese people are very industrious and, on the surface, reasonably happy. But the poor air quality and the polluted water were obvious in the Chinese cities we visited. Especially in Beijing, the government is trying to put its “best face forward” in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. We found Beijing to be more pleasant than Shanghai, however, because there was a little less air pollution and somewhat less crowded conditions…

the tremendous pollution of the water, air and foodstuffs may bring about massive disease epidemics and other problems for the Chinese…

After seeing these various nations and seeing “God’s hand” in world affairs, I am impressed more than ever to pray fervently, “Thy Kingdom come!” (Meredith R.C. An Inspiring and Successful Trip. Living Church News. May-June 2007, p. 21).

In 2009, he later wrote:

…China will soon be the second-largest economy in the world—trailing only the United States of America…

Although China is becoming—and will increasingly continue to become—one of the most powerful and influential nations in the world, your Bible clearly reveals that it will not become the major threat to America. And our 21st century will not be “China’s century.”

Rather, God’s inspired word tells us that a powerful empire will arise in Europe—one that will, in fact, dominate the entire earth in economic and trading matters. And—if we let the Bible interpret the Bible—we do not need to “guess” who this power is, or where it might arise. (Meredith R.C.  China’s Century?  Tomorrow’s World, Nov-Dec 2009)

In 2010, China did pass Japan to become the second largest national economy in the world.  As alluded to above, Dr. Meredith has stated that the 21st century will not belong to China, because of its problems and the fact that the power the Bible indicates will be the leading one for a while will come from Europe (until Christ comes and puts an end to that end time empire).  China will be prohibited from leading the world.  Those in the USA would do well do heed Dr. Meredith’s warnings about Europe, but because of the growing influence of China, USA military leaders seem to have decided, erroneously, that it is better to allow Europe to get stronger with the idea that China is the greater threat.

And although it has made tremendous economic strides, China is starting to notice that it has more and more internal problems and dissent.

With a jailed Chinese dissident winning China’s first Nobel Prize last week (the peace prize), this may embolden some in China to rise up and more unrest may be seen there.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? 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?
The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers This reformatted Good News article from 1955 discusses Sabbath-keeping in China in the 1800s.

Ancient Laodicea

COGwriter

Today, the  “United” Church of God (UCG) posted the following from its president:

Let me come to the point of this letter: A highly vocal few, particularly in online forums, have raised imaginary issues about the current administration and Council of Elders. These false issues center on recent letters published from Melvin Rhodes and me about the Sabbath day and about fasting. One of our letters, published shortly before the Festival season, confirmed the inviolate sacredness of the Sabbath day, but also discussed how one family in Chile was seeking counsel and resolution for a specific and nonroutine issue regarding Sabbath observance.

That church family had endured a shocking level of slander, particularly in online forums. The specific issues (which should have remained confidential according to the traditional process followed by the Church), were wrongly and tragically elevated by some from a personal to a public level. Some were trying to force these personal issues into an organizational context and hurl accusations against the Church itself. Since that tragic breach of confidence occurred and began to take on a larger element of a direct attack on the Church, we published our Sabbath letter to try to help set the record straight…

Let me speak plainly: Some of the online comments that have been forwarded to me are devoid of any civility, much less representative of anything the Church teaches about Christian conduct!…

May God help us all through this present trial and lead us all to a deeper repentance, so that He may finish, through us, the wonderful work He has given us to do.

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Dennis Luker—President

FWIW, I have not gone to any of the UCG forums so have not seen the lack of civility that Dennis Luker is referring to.  I have mainly reported excerpts from a few letters from current and former UCG’rs on this matter (for the two previous reports, see UCG’s President Withdraws Sabbath Letter and Leon Walker on UCG’s Sabbath Controversy)–and much of my reporting has been quoting Dennis Luker.

But apparently this matter, which Dennis Luker was somewhat part of,  is causing him and UCG more problems.

In UCG’s 15 and 1/2 years of existence, it has had a variety of governance and doctrinal problems.  And since the Spring of 2010, including the resignation of its then president, Clyde Killough to the current loss of most of its Latin American members, it seems to have had more problems than usual.

Now in his letter, UCG’s Dennis Luker also included the following:

Even now we are beginning to see deepening and encouraging fruits of the Church’s proclamation of the precious gospel on national TV using WGN America. New contacts, reflecting real spiritual curiosity and an inspiring hunger for God’s truth, are coming with more frequency. As we move into the fall television season when viewership increases, we pray for and expect to see more of these types of responses.

And two days ago, UCG’s Peter Eddington once again urged UCG members to drop their broadcast on local access stations:

As a consequence of the solid results on WGN, we are now in a position to ask our dedicated member-sponsors if they would like to end their participation in airing Beyond Today programs on cable-access television in their areas. By bringing cable-access to a close, the Church can save production and postage costs and our video editors at the home office can be shifted into helping advance the visual and graphic elements of our programs. The reallocated funds may also be a means of placing Beyond Today in the Chicago metropolitan area in the future—the 3rd largest media market in the United States.

However, if our sponsors would like to continue airing Beyond Today on cable-access TV in their areas, they are certainly welcome to do so. We mentioned this in a personal message to them last week. Our plan is to discontinue cable-access television for all others during the week of December 26, 2010 – January 1, 2011.

The media matter in UCG also does not appear to be highly “united”.  There is some discord in UCG about the value of being on station WGN.  LCG has been on that station for over a decade and went on it within a few weeks of its formation.  UCG did not gone on WGN until several weeks ago.  I suspect some in UCG are not convinced that UCG will remain on WGN.

UCG simply has not had a stellar track record when it comes to using television as a major part of its public proclamation program.  This combined with its governance issues, and now the Sabbath controversy, is problematic for many of its members and current leadership.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church?
The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers This reformatted Good News article from 1955 discusses Sabbath-keeping in China in the 1800s.
Is God Unreasonable? Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true?
Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Roderick C. Meredith on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had?
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it?
Differences between the Living Church of God and United Church of God This article provides quotes information from the two largest groups which had their origins in WCG as well as commentary.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG/GCI members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from evangelists?
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present.

COGwriter

Many will be observing “Halloween” later this month.  Some of the members of the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) are concerned that it falls on a Sunday:

Halloween on Sunday

Deseret News, Salt Lake City – Oct 14, 2010

COGwriter

The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) had major success today according to a press release post by CERN’s Rolf Heuer:

News: 14 October 2010

LHC protons 2010: mission accomplished

When we started running the LHC at the end of March, we set ourselves the objective of reaching a luminosity of 10³² by the end of 2010 proton running. Last night, we achieved that goal. The beams that went in at around 2:00am, were colliding with a luminosity of 1.01 × 10³² by 3:38am in both ATLAS and CMS, and had delivered an integrated luminosity of over 2 inverse picobarns to ATLAS, CMS and LHCb by midday today. It’s a great achievement by all concerned to reach this important milestone with over two weeks to spare. The remainder of this year’s proton running will be devoted to maximising the LHC 2010 data set and preparing for 2011 proton running before we switch to lead ions in November.

The significance of this milestone can’t be underestimated, since it is a necessary step on the way to the larger goal of delivering an integrated luminosity of one inverse femtobarn to the experiments by the end of 2011. That’s the amount of data we need to ensure that if nature has put new physics in our path at the LHC’s current collision energy, we’ll have a good chance of seeing it.

At the moment, we’re running the LHC with 248 bunches per beam in a configuration that allows us to go much higher. As 2011 proton running gets underway early next year we’ll continue increasing the number of bunches, since a factor of two or so more luminosity is still needed if we’re to reach our one inverse femtobarn goal. That, however, is for next year. In the meantime, the objective we set ourselves for this year was realistic, but tough, and it’s very gratifying to see it achieved in such fine style.  http://user.web.cern.ch/user/news/2010/101014.html

CERN is the “European Organization for Nuclear Research”.  And notice that CERN is specifically looking at collision energy.  And it remains my position that this project has military potential.

My book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect points out that the Large Hadron Collider may be used to give the future European military power that the entire world will marvel at:

2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect

Bob Thiel
…the Large Hadron Collider…is apt to provide the Europeans with unique military capabilities in several years…The Bible is clear that the final “Beast power” (which will be primarily European) will have such unique military capabilities that the entire world will marvel (Revelation 13:3-4). 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect.  Nazarene Books, 2009, p. 85

My book also discusses the destruction of the USA and certain others by the Europeans sometime after 2012. The Large Hadron Collider is discussed as one of the items that may provide the Europeans with the ability to overcome the USA’s military might.

And in case the current version has limits, there currently is a conference going on in Malta to upgrade the project:

Malta workshop paves way for upgrade of CERN’s Hadron Collider

by Elaine AttardA start towards a crucial development in the history of science, the upgrade of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is being made in Malta during what is being referred to as the Malta Workshop… For the first time in the 26-year history of the largest and most powerful scientific instrument ever constructed by man, scientists will officially discuss its technical upgrade… Speaking to The Malta Independent, MCST CEO Nicolas Sammut said that this event is important for Malta because it marks the very beginning of an important milestone in science. “This workshop, which is being referred to as the Malta Workshop, will be mentioned often in the years to come. It is a very important event because for the first time we are discovering ways of upgrading the Hadron Collider,” emphasised Dr Sammut.  http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=113730

The LCH is the world’s largest physics project, and it is mainly going to provide technology to Europe.  The Bible tells of the time when a European power will be considered essentially unbeatable in the relatively near future:

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?…” (Revelation 13:3-4)

The Large Hadron Collider, and its many successes (despite some occasional setbacks), may play a role in fulfilling that prophecy.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
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?
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?
Large Hadron Collider may result in military applications The Europeans have the largest physics project on the planet. Some scoff, but might it result in military applications? May the Large Hadron Collider help fulfill Revelation 13:4?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This page contains some concepts and prophecies related to 2012 and a book.  This also has YouTube videos related to 2012 and beyond.

Karl-Theodor von und zu Guttenberg

COGwriter

Many in Germany are looking more and more towards Karl Guttenberg to lead their country:

Guttenberg ‘the future’ say young conservatives

The head of the Christian Democrats’ youth wing has delivered a stinging blow to the leadership of Angela Merkel, slamming the party’s centrist direction and describing Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg as the best hope for conservatism.

The Local – Oct 14, 2010

Philipp Mißfelder, head of the Junge Union, told the Leipziger Volkszeitung that the middle road that the Christian Democrats (CDU) had been following was turning off conservative voters.

Amid dwindling support in the polls, Merkel is under intense pressure, with some conservative commentators recently speculating about whether she may be forced out…

Mißfelder also made it clear that he saw Guttenberg, who belongs to the Bavarian sister party of the CDU, the Christian Social Union, as the best hope for the future.

With his modern but clearly conservative orientation, Guttenberg was the “best political guarantee of survival for the union and defence against the Green zeitgeist.”

“Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, with his great credibility, appeals to many non-voters and former voters, so that in a very short time he has become an indispensable bearer of hope,” he said. http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20101014-30485.html

As regular readers of this page are aware, I have had my eye on Karl Guttenberg since late 2009.  And he may be one to watch to rise up as the final “King of the North”.

If Karl Guttenberg is part of a major Middle East peace deal, if he establishes armies (or a great army), and if he establishes something like a new religious order within his version of the “Catholic” faith, he likely will get more people’s attention.

And if Karl Guttenberg ultimately does gain the top job in a restructured Europe (especially if there are various signs and wonders at and after that time, cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 ), all would be wise to realize that he pretty much is the one who will be the final King of the North (despite the type of denials that would be expected).

On the other hand, he could simply be a rising politician, like many others.  We will see.  But Karl Guttenberg does seem, for now at least, to be rising (and he could fall and still rise to the top job).

Some items for further related study may include:

Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Could He Become “the Beast”? What makes the German Defense Minister a candidate?
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?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?

Comet Lulin

COGWriter

Scientists are becoming concerned about the ramifications of a medium-size asteroid striking the earth:

New Scientist – Oct 13, 2010

If a medium-sized asteroid lands in the ocean, tsunamis won’t be the only worry. A new computer simulation suggests that the water vapour and sea salt thrown up by the impact could damage the Earth’s protective ozone layer, leading to record levels of ultraviolet radiation that could threaten human civilisation. “This suggests new issues you could have with ocean impacts that people hadn’t thought of before,” says Brian Toon of the University of Colorado at Boulder, who was not involved in the work…The resulting ultraviolet-radiation levels would be higher than anywhere on Earth today, the team writes, presenting a new hazard for human civilisation. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19579-ocean-asteroid-hits-will-create-huge-ozone-holes.html

A large comet hitting the earth would also seem to have similar effects to that of a medium-sized asteroid.  And it also could cause tsunamis.

Over 1900 years ago, notice what the Apostle John was inspired to write in the Book of Revelation 8:10-11:

Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.  The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

And while Wormwood does not have to be a comet, it sounds more like one than an asteroid.

Why?

In addition to looking like a star falling from the heavens looking like a torch (and an asteroid could possibly do that), comets normally appear with cyanogen.  Astronomers state hydrogen cyanide on comets may be their source of cyanogen gas.

Interestingly, the cyanogen gas mixes with water to form hydrogen cyanide, which has an almond odor and bitter taste, and reportedly causes death at concentrations over 5 parts per million.

And thus for Bible skeptics, the fact that before humans had any idea that comets could produce a poisonous bitter water, it is recorded in the Bible. This should be additional proof to those willing to see that the Bible has been inspired by God.

Sometime after the earth is hit by “Wormwood”, notice what else the Bible predicts:

8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Revelation 16:8-9)

So, if the report in New Scientist is somewhat accurate (and especially if it is also has applicability to larger comets), it may be that the crash will contribute to the depletion of ozone which will cause higher radiation, and possibly higher heat, to be on the earth.  What the angel may pour out of his bowl (which is unspecified), may reduce the protection from high heat even further.

Thus, it may be that some scientists are getting a glimpse into what the Book of Revelation predicts, even though most of them will still ignore the warnings in that book.  Here is some of what John was inspired to write in it:

12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)

7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”  (Revelation 22:7)

12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.  13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:12-15)

Despite what many non-COGr’s teach, Jesus expects that His faithful will keep the Ten Commandments and not practice the lie that they are done away (see also Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants).  But you who accept the truth that God is love and His commandments show love (The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil), can be amongst those that Revelation calls “Blessed”.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Bible: Fact or Fiction? This is a booklet written by Douglas Winnail that answers if the Bible is just a collection of myths and legends or the inspired word of God.
Read the Bible Christians should read the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading.
What is the Appropriate Form of Biblical Interpretation? Should the Bible be literally understood? What do the writings of the Bible, Origen, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Augustine show?
Bible and Historical Resources on the Internet Electronic bibles, Two Babylons, early Christian literature, photos, and even links to old Herbert W. Armstrong materials.
Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true?
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know?
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? The commandments are shown at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul.This article 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.

The 220 kg Gold brick displayed in Taiwan

COGwriter

The price of gold rose to over USD$1370 per ounce today.  The Wall Street Journal had the following:

PRECIOUS METALS: Gold Breaches $1370, Seen As Currency Hedge

Wall Street Journal – Matt Whittaker – ‎1 hour ago‎

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)–Gold futures settled above $1370 for the first time Wednesday as heightened expectations of Federal Reserve money printing and wider-reaching concerns about global monetary easing increased the metal’s allure as not only a dollar hedge but also a broader alternative currency.

The reality is that I warned that gold would be seen as a currency hedge in my book as the dollar became worthless.  Sadly, this is happening relatively quickly as gold only hit the high of $1340 per ounce 8 days ago (see 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect).

I based this upon various biblical prophecies that related to the descendants of Israel as well those related to an end time highly indebted peoples.

Silver is also up. For the more current price of gold and silver, please simply click on the following link titled  Financial Information (which is also always at the side of this news page).  Of course, many commentators have pointed out that it is not so much that gold and silver are up, but the value of the US dollar is down.

As far as metals go, while what goes up can come down (and some believe the election in the USA may cause the dollar to gain), the reality is that even if gold and silver tank (and they may or at least drop at times), the Bible shows that they will have value into the great tribulation (cf. Daniel 11:40-43; Revelation 18) while the US dollar will not (cf. Habakkuk 2).  The financial world is starting to understand some of this–but few really know how bad it will get.

For additional information, check out the following articles:

The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation 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?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? This article has eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. It 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 at the COGwriter website on Barack Obama prophecies. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
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? What will happen to the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?

COGwriter

Dixon Cartwright of The Journal sent me the following which is from the wife of CEM’s Ronald Dart:

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 11:57 AM, CDT

I am so sorry that some of you have had difficulty getting positive information about Ron’s condition. Most encouraging improvements continue to be made.  While you were at the Feast, a team from East Texas Medical Center came to our house to assess Ron for 60 days of skilled home health which would include physical and speech therapy. After the team ran their test and talked with Ron the RN, who had known Ron when he was a boy, said, “Mr. Dart, when I came out here, I had expected you to need skilled home health care. I hadn’t expected you to be up, walking, and talking like you’re doing. You don’t need it. What we are recommending is that you start out-patient therapy.”   What this meant is that Ron was at least 60 days ahead of what they expected him to be at that time.   Ron is now going to physical and speech therapy three times a week as an out-patient.   Day before yesterday he walked up our steep 85′ driveway and to the end of the cul-de-sac and back. Even though Ron does walk some in and around the house without a walker, I don’t want anyone to think he did the cul-de-sac without it.     Ron’s speech is improving very well. Yesterday as we drove to file our 2009 income taxes, he talked for 2.5 miles and never used an aphasia word one time (stroke and brain injured patients often can’t pull the correct word out of the brain, so they substitute a word that may not even be a word). He spoke in well-thought-out complete sentences. This is certainly not the first time he’s done this, but I was so thrilled when I noticed for 2.5 miles he did such a great job with his speech.   Ron and I would certainly appreciate your continued prayers for Ron’s complete and speedy recovery.

Now it’s time to go walk the cul-de-sac again.

Allie Dart

Ron Dart has had a lot of health issues in the past year or so.