Church of God News

Roderick C. Meredith

COGwriter

LCG’s R.C. Meredith wrote the following:

Dear Brethren in God’s Church,

I am writing this letter at a time of great stress and confusion in the Church of God. Satan is attacking right now! We all know that Satan’s very name means “adversary,” or “enemy.” We know that Jesus directly described Satan as a “liar,” and as a “father of lies” (John 8:44).

Right now, Satan has thrown thousands of brethren in the United Church of God into division and confusion. Charges and counter-charges are being hurled back and forth between the different factions of their ministry. As a result, many brethren are trying to understand and to figure out “what to do.” Actually, since the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, whom God used powerfully to teach nearly all of us the Truth in the first place, Satan has done a masterful job of confusing and dividing God’s people. One news source estimated that there were over 300 different church groups, home churches and little “works” flowing from the major split up of God’s people since Mr. Armstrong’s death.

That is horrible!

For God’s Word tells us clearly that God’s true people—those who are actually guided by His Holy Spirit—should strive for unity. Paul was inspired to write, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:1-6). Paul pleaded with the brethren in Corinth that there be no divisions among them and that they would be of one mind (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Dear brethren, if we have that “one” Holy Spirit, we obviously should be fully in the “one” body and fully cooperating and carrying out Christ’s command, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The continuing dis-unity and even enmity among many of God’s people is a disgrace to God and a disgrace to everything we claim to stand for! Before the entire world out there, it makes a mockery of what the true Church of God should stand for. And it will deeply hurt all our sincere efforts to preach the Gospel on television, on the radio, via the Internet and in our printed literature and public campaigns. We certainly need to show more genuine Christianity to the world at large as this age comes to an end and we carry out Christ’s command to “preach the Gospel [unto] all the world.”

After counseling with our leading ministers here in Charlotte, and after much prayer, we are now calling for a Church-wide FAST on the Sabbath of January 29. Our purpose for this day of fasting and prayer is to “cry out” to God to bring many more of His scattered and faithful people together so we can really use our combined resources to finish the Work and genuinely prepare for the soon-coming Kingdom of God.

Thousands of us in the Living Church of God have dear friends and relatives in the United Church of God and other groups that are just “out there”—still divided and now becoming more divided by these present upheavals. May God help all of us to be willing to sincerely think through why we are divided and how we can get together to zealously and humbly do the Work which Christ has called us to accomplish.

Brethren, we all have our human vanities and weaknesses, and we have all made mistakes. About ten years ago, we also experienced a traumatic division in our Church that affected many people and families. Thinking back on this should help us pray more fervently that God would help those caught in similar circumstances. Please pray that God will help His people to understand that if we hope to serve with Jesus Christ in the soon-coming Government of God, we must learn and practice the very form of government that we will administer when Christ returns. From the description of Moses’ being inspired to appoint capable men, “men of truth” who fear God as “rulers” of thousands, hundreds and fifties, to the New Testament instruction of the Apostle Paul to the evangelist Titus to “appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5), we find not one exception to this God-inspired pattern of Government in the Bible.

Even though some in the past have terribly mis-used the God-inspired hierarchical Government described in Scripture, hundreds of us still living remember the many decades of unity and of “doing the Work together” which we enjoyed under the leadership of one man, Herbert W. Armstrong. So, as the old proverb says, “Do not throw the baby out with the bath water!” Let us pray fervently that our “separated brethren” in the United Church of God and other groups can come to understand this vital biblical Truth! Remember, for more than 50 years, God used Mr. Armstrong—the man God used to preach the full Truth of God to more people than any other man in modern times—to reveal the “fruits” of God’s form of government, with His true servant appointing servants under him, and they in turn appointing others down the line.

So let us really devote ourselves to this FAST and to show our love and concern for thousands who may be adversely affected by the continuing upheaval among God’s people. Ask God earnestly to protect them, to guide them and to keep them from being bitter or completely falling away from the true way of life revealed in the Bible. Ask God to help them each decide correctly where they should go in order to serve God and to genuinely be an active part of His Work on earth today.

May God have mercy on all of us and bring us ever more closely into the center of His will. And may He protect all of us from the attacks and the machinations of Satan the Devil—our common enemy. As we learn to more genuinely love one another and to sincerely cry out to God for the unity which He desires, we can be sure that God will hear and answer! For our God really is “the Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3).

With Christian love,

Roderick C. Meredith

P.S. Please remember to plan and to make every effort to join us in this Church-wide FAST on the Sabbath of January 29! Thank you, dear brethren, for your love and your loyalty.

As the above shows, Dr. Meredith called a fast for LCG members, which begins tonight at sunset.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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?
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?

“I will break the pride of your power” (Leviticus 26:19)

COGwriter

Yesterday, I wrote:

…eventually S&P, Moody’s, and the other more respected rating services will downgrade the USA’s debt rating–and this will increase the cost of borrowing and spiral into something that is not sustainable.

Now notice some of what Bloomberg reported today:

Moody’s Says Time Running Out for U.S.

Bloomberg – Jan 28, 2011

Moody’s Investors Service said it may need to place a “negative” outlook on the Aaa rating of U.S. debt sooner than anticipated as the country’s budget deficit widens.

The extension of tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush, the chance that Congress won’t reduce spending and the outcome of the November elections have increased Moody’s uncertainty over the willingness and ability of the U.S. to reduce its debt, the credit-ratings company said…Steven Hess, a senior credit officer in New York and the author of the report…

U.S. debt has increased from about $4.34 trillion in mid-2007 as the government increased spending to bail out the financial system and bring the economy out of recession. The budget deficit has increased to 8.8 percent of the economy from 1 percent in 2007.

‘Trajectory Is Worse’

“Because of the financial crisis and events following the financial crisis, the trajectory is worse than it was before,” Hess said in a telephone interview.

Moody’s said it expects there will be “constructive efforts” to reduce the deficit and control entitlement spending. It predicted 10-year Treasury yields will rise toward 5 percent without surpassing that level. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-28/moody-s-says-time-shortens-for-u-s-rating-outlook-as-s-p-downgrades-japan.html

If enough others start to realize how risky the US government is and what the real inflation rate seems to be, interest rates will skyrocket–and not just go to 5%.  Moody’s apparently is hoping to nudge the USA to fix its debt situation, and although some efforts will be made along this line, the reality is that without national repentance, I really do not believe that those efforts will truly succeed.  Once real disasters hit (crop failures, food shortages, earthquakes, terrorism, civil unrest, etc.) the USA will find itself in a position that will become obvious to many.  Its creditors will “rise up suddenly” (Habakkuk 2:7).

The USA has lived on borrowed money too long, and this will end in catastrophe according to Bible prophecy (cf. Habakkuk 2).

LCG evangelist Dr. D. Winnail wrote about the suddenness of what will happen:

Handwriting on the Wall! On July 4, the United States, currently the most powerful nation in the world, celebrated 234 years of independence. The following day, on Monday, July 5, British-born Harvard professor and economic historian Niall Ferguson opened the 2010 Aspen Ideas Festival with a stark warning that the American “empire” could suddenly collapse—possibly within the next two years—due to the country’s rising debt! (Winnail W. LCG World Ahead Weekly Update, July 8, 2010)

The U.S. and the British-descended peoples have enjoyed living off the resources of the world, but the prophet Habakkuk warns: “… Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the people shall plunder you” (Habakkuk 2:7–8). (Winnail D. Sudden Calamities Ahead! Tomorrows’ World, Volume 10, Issue 5. Sept-Oct, 2008)

Hebrew prophets also warned repeatedly that the future demise of God’s chosen Israelite peoples would come “suddenly” and unexpectedly (Isaiah 9:14–15; 29:5; 30:13; Jeremiah 6:26; 15:8). Modern financial analysts realize this could happen if the nations lending to America decide to dump the dollar and call their loans. The prophet Habakkuk’s warning…, “Will not your creditors rise up suddenly?” (Habakkuk 2:7)—may also ring true for debt-plagued nations like America and its Israelite cousins. Prophetic scripture contains a sobering message: debt and disobedience lead to the demise of nations! (Winnail, D. Debt, Disobedience and Demise of Nations. Tomorrows’ World, Volume 12, Issue 2. March-April 2010, p. 27)

Prophecy moves forward–significant personal repentance is probably the only way out (as national repentance for the USA seems highly unlikely).

To learn more, please check out the following articles:

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? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? This is a lengthy article with many prophecies that Barack Obama may end up fulfilling.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled by him?
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?
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?

جامعة الدول العربية
Jāmaʻat ad-Duwwal al-ʻArabiyya Arab League Flag

COGwriter

More in the Middle East are protesting:

Violent protests escalate outside Egypt’s capital

USA Today – ‎1/27/11

CAIRO (AP) – Violence escalated in two cites outside the capital Cairo Thursday where anti-government protesters torched a fire station and looted weapons that they then turned on police.

Yemenis take to the streets calling for President Saleh to step down

The Guardian – Tom Finn, Shatha al-Harazi – ‎‎1/27/11

Thousands of people took to the streets of Sana’a today, calling for an end to the reign of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in some of the biggest anti-government rallies Yemen has seen for a decade.

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Jordan king urges speedy reforms ahead of planned Friday protests 1/27/2011

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Protests in Tunisia, foreign minister resigns 1/27/2011

Sunnis riot to protest Lebanon’s new leader 01/25/2011

Things seem to be heating up in the Middle East.

I reported last week that the chief of the Arab League indicated that he believes that some type of stronger military alliance within the Arab League needs to happen. And historically, this would involve some type of “strong man” leader rising up.

I have mentioned before that certain Muslims are looking for the arrival of the Imam Mahdi, who seems to be the same person as the final King of the South. Notice what the old WCG  wrote about this:

But who is the “king of the south”?…in verse 40 we skip to “the time of the end”…The verse undoubtedly found partial fulfillment in the offensive of 1896…But Mussolini did not finish the prophecy…Just as there is yet to be a final “king of the north”…there may very well emerge in the same manner a final “king of the south”–an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation, possibly bearing the very title Mahdi…a prophetic psalm (Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations…But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived…And the king of the north shall come against him [the king of the south]…The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion. (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979, pp. 11-12).

(Note: There is actually a Shiite prophecy that some believe points to Barack Obama as one who will help the final “Mahdi” (Arabic for “the guided one”), please see Obama in Islamic Prophecy?,Prophecies of Barack Obama?, and The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy.)  This leader is sometimes also called the Imam Mahdi or the thirteenth Imam by Muslims.

In the Plain Truth of December 1980–the year that HWA often claimed he now had the Church back on track–another article states:

Bible prophecy reveals the coming emergence of an Arab-Moslem confederation in the Middle East. It is referred to in prophecy as the ‘king of the south’ (Daniel 11:40). This confederation will play a crucial role in end-time events (Stump, K. Plain Truth. December 1980, p.26).

A related Plain Truth article states:

Bible prophecy reveals the coming emergence of an Arab-Moslem confederation in the Middle East. It is referred to in prophecy as “the king of the south” (Dan. 11:40). This confederation will play a crucial role in end-time events. (Stump K. Seeing the World Through Islamic Eyes. Plain Truth, June 1983, p.44).

These quotes make it clear that WCG’s written position was that there would be a future King of the South–an Arabic-Islamic confederation.  And that the “Mahdi” may be the King of the South.

Jesus warned that there would be “troubles” prior the start of the Great Tribulation (Mark 13:8).

While it may take a war in the Middle East for the final King of the South to rise up, civil unrest, riots, demonstrations, and protests may also be involved. Things are changing in the Arab world. And events are lining up for the King of the South/Imam Mahdi to arise.

Three articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?

COGwriter

The US Congressional Budget Office is coming to some dangerous conclusions:

The Congressional Budget Office forecast Wednesday in its mid-year report that the U.S. budget deficit will hit $1.5 trillion in 2011. It would be the largest budget gap in the country’s history, equivalent to 9.8 percent of the economic output…

The CBO upped the budget gap from previous estimates of $1.07 trillion after President Barack Obama agreed with Congress for a new stimulus package…

Along with the widening budget gap, public debt will go up to almost 70 percent of the GDP at the end of fiscal year 2011 from 40 percent at the end of fiscal year 2008.

The CBO estimated that unless current laws are changed, the budget gap would average 3.6 percent yearly of the U.S. GDP from 2012 until 2021 and result in almost $7 trillion in deficit over 10 years. The watchdog warned that if the Bush tax cuts are extended beyond 2012, the 10-year budget gap will likely balloon to $12 trillion and push total debt to almost 100 percent of the American economy.

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/briefs/articles/90032310?CBO%20forecasts%20U.S.%20budget%20deficit%20to%20hit%20%241.5%20trillion#ixzz1CFEMujF2

In order for the debt to continue to rise, people (and especially non-USA ones) will have to continue to be willing to lend to the USA. The news today also reported that Standard & Poor’s “downgraded Japan’s sovereign debt rating to AA- from AA, saying that it expects the country’s fiscal deficits to remain high” (http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110127-711003.html).  And the situation in the USA is worse–eventually S&P, Moody’s, and the other more respected rating services will downgrade the USA’s debt rating–and this will increase the cost of borrowing and spiral into something that is not sustainable.

Increasing debt is not a good thing.

Notice these warnings from the Bible:

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…47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. 52 They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you (Deuteronomy 28:42-45,47-52).

12 One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. (Ezekiel 5:12)

Although US President Barack Obama claims Christianity, he (and many other USA politicians) does not seem to understand that increasing debt is a biblical curse.

Let’s briefly look at another warning in Isaiah 30:12-13:

12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:

“Because you despise this word, And trust in oppression and perversity, And rely on them,  13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you Like a breach ready to fall, A bulge in a high wall, Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.

Of course, more and more, the Anglo-American nations are trusting in policies that encourage perversity. Prostitution is legal in New Zealand, Australia, and parts of the USA. New Zealand, interestingly, has the highest promiscuity rate for women in the entire world according to one study (New Zealand women most promiscuous Sydney Morning Herald AAP – Oct 13, 2007. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/13/1191696214489.html). The Anglo-nations have seen rises in homosexuality and are often changing laws to accomodate this biblically prohibited practice.

While there is oppression in these nations (especially racial), the Hebrew word for it can also be translated “unjust gain”.  This can include not just the historical exploitation of of various peoples, but can probably also include the fact that the economies of the Anglo-American nations for the past few decades has been benefiting from the gains of foreigners loaning money to it.

Since the Roe vs. Wade pro-abortion decision, the USA has became the greatest debtor nation in the history of humankind.  Since the USA owes alien nations trillions of dollars, it appears that the curse in Deuteronomy 28:44 of having to borrow from aliens is happening to it now. President Barack Obama has regularly put forth economic policies that have increased that debt. Sadly, one of the first actual changes that Barack Obama implemented was reversing one or more executive orders that will likely lead to more abortions (see Obama’s Abortion Changes).  Yet, abortion is wrong (see Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose) and a terrible national sin. And on March 9, 2009 President Obama lifted a ban on embryonic stem cell research (see LCG on Stem Cells) another morally wrong sin.  He also has engaged in policies that encourage public expression on homosexuality.

Sudden destruction will come to the USA and its Anglo-allies.

Habakkuk 2:3,6,7, which is consistent with Isaiah 30:12-13, also teaches that the destruction will be sudden. And it 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…5 Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man… 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 2:3,5,6-8).

The above prophecy will be fulfilled at the time of the end (cf. “The message was true, but the appointed time was long…in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come”, Daniel 10:1,14). Daniel 8:19, 11:27,29,35 use same the Hebrew term for “appointed time” as Habakkuk 2:3, while Daniel 10, using a different term, ties the latter days to the time in Daniel 8:19. Habakkuk 2 was not fulfilled in its entirety anciently. Also, it makes little sense that Habakkuk 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 at the appointed time of the end.  As the USA has more debt than any in the history of humanity, it should consider that this prophecy could apply to it.

This situation will cause sudden destruction among those who are spiritually drunk:

3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. (1 Thessalonians 5:3-7)

Notice that both Paul and Habakkuk seem to have tied drunkenness in with this sudden calamity (so did Jesus in Luke 21:34-35).  Truly the Anglo-nations are not spiritually sober.

Notice how Ezekiel’s writings confirm that those who made profits improper will be punished:

13 “Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. 14 Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. (Ezekiel 22:13-15)

And what kind of dishonest profit do Americans make?

Well, the leading export for the USA right now seems to be debt.  Debt that the USA seems to be intending to increase, despite the State of the Union speech this week.  But this is also debt that the USA really does not intend to pay back.  The USA seems to think that if it prints up enough money (or does the equivalent electronically) that it will be able to use currency that will have less value to pay back some of what it borrowed.  That is a dishonest profit.  And foreigners will not put up with it for too many years longer.

The USA needs national repentance.  The USA needs it right now.  The USA does not seem to realize that otherwise its days are numbered.  US government policies are sealing its doom.  The CBO has hinted this, but most will not understand its real ramifications.  But you can.  Will you?

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled since he is to be the USA president?
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?
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the German Defense Minister one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach?
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?
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?
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? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2018 or 2019?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? 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? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

COGwriter

The latest issue (print date November 2010-January 2011) of The Journal just came out.

The biggest items related to UCG crisis matters, some of which have been covered here.  The Journal, however, devotes more time to opinions of various players in the crisis (or who were part of UCG a decade or so ago) than the COGwriter page tends to.  It also has some information on J. Tkach, prophetic speculation, Passover & FOT statements, and mentions the death of long-time LCG evangelist Dibar Apartian (which of course, was covered here  earlier).

There were also various letters to the editor and other opinions.

One item of interest was that COGWA would not allow a reporter from The Journal to cover its conference of a couple of weeks ago:

Organizers of the founding conference of the new Church of God a Worldwide Association (CGWA) told a reporter for THE JOURNAL he was not welcome to attend the conference. Editor and publisher Dixon Cartwright of Big Sandy attempted twice to register for the conference and was told twice by E-mail he would not be allowed entrance to the meetings, which took place in the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky., Jan. 9-11, 2011.

But UCG itself will let The Journal cover UCG’s coming conference as the following front page article shows:

According to church president Dennis Luker speaking in a Q&A he conducted in Dallas, Texas, on Jan. 15, most employed and unemployed ministers remain with the UCG after the recent split. He reportedly said that, of 492 elders worldwide, 62 percent, or about 307, stayed with the UCG. In the United States, 60, or about half the employed elders, left. In the United States overall, 68 percent of the 381 ministers, or 259 men, remain with the UCG. Melvin Rhodes, chairman of the UCG’s council of elders, on Jan. 19 invited JOURNAL publisher Dixon Cartwright to attend the Cincinnati conference.

UCG lost a few more elders since the above announcement, but still seems to have most of those it started with.

Dixon Cartwright, editor of The Journal, wrote the following about the UCG crisis:

Yes, United Church of God leaders for years jockeyed for position on the 12-man council of elders. And each of the two factions believed it should run the church.
But what, in a nutshell, are the two philosophical positions that the two sides have wished to impose on the brethren to promote and enforce the greater good?
The two trees?
That’s easy. From day one in the UCG, beginning well before its putative startup in the spring of 1995 in Indianapolis, Ind., the two sides have moved in two relatively distinct directions.
Two philosophies, in constant danger of colliding with each other, animate the two paths. One direction leads away from the role and influence and memory of Herbert Armstrong. The other leads back toward Mr. Armstrong.
This is a simplification to be sure.
But I think it’s a helpful one.

I have a different take on the cause of the crisis (mistakes, human nature, and personal vanity), but it is true that UCG was never really unified and always had at least “two camps”.

While most of the subjects in the current issue have been covered at COGwriter, there are some details that some may find of interest in The Journal.

While The Journal is available only by paid subscription (though some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it), you can view the PDF version of four sample pages (No. 1, 3, 5 and 32) of The Journal for issue No. 143. at:  www.thejournal.org/issues/issue143/jf013111.pdf This will give some of the flavor and details of The Journal’s coverage of the current UCG crisis.

“I will break the pride of your power” (Leviticus 26:19)

COGwriter

As I have been warning for years, the US has too much debt and will experience high inflation.  All of this will have terrible consequences. Notice some of what the Wall Street Journal reported today:

Why You Can’t Trust the Inflation Numbers

By BRETT ARENDS

January 26, 2011…

As you battle to manage your family’s finances, be aware that there are three reasons why inflation needs to be on your radar screen.• First, the official inflation numbers should be taken with a fistful of salt.

Over the past 30 years, the federal government has made a lot of changes to the way it calculates inflation…

According to one rogue economist, John Williams at Shadow Government Statistics, if we still calculated inflation the way we did when Jimmy Carter was president, the official inflation figures would look about as bad as they did when … Jimmy Carter was president. According to Mr. Williams’s calculations, if we counted inflation under the old system the official rate wouldn’t be 1.5%. It would be closer to 10%.

Mr. Williams is just one voice. But it makes sense to treat the government numbers with skepticism.

Under the official calculations, if steak prices boom, the government just assumes you buy cheaper hamburger instead. Presto—no inflation!

Or consider the case of Apple computers. We all know Macs are expensive. And we know Apple doesn’t discount. The cheapest Mac laptop today costs $999. A few years ago, it also cost $999. So the price is the same, right?

Ha. Not according Uncle Sam. Using a piece of chicanery called “hedonics,” Uncle Sam calls this a price cut. His reasoning? You’re getting more for the money. Today’s $999 Mac is lighter, fancier and faster than last year’s $999 Mac. So the government calculates that the “real” price has actually fallen…

• The second reason to treat the official inflation figures with some mistrust is that they look backward. They register what just happened, not what’s about to happen next.

OK, so the prices of many things haven’t risen. Yet. But if the laws of economics mean anything, they will have to. Why? Because costs are rising…

• The third reason to be mistrustful of the inflation picture? Simple. Economics.

We are flooding the world with extra dollars.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576104351050317610.html

If enough others start to realize how risky the US government is and what the real inflation rate seems to be, interest rates will skyrocket, and the national debt will be greatly increased–beyond what has been happening in the past several years. This could be so bad that we could get to the point that if the US government took practically ALL THE INCOME OF ALL ITS PEOPLE it still would run a budget deficit. We are getting closer and closer to a scenario that could get there.

And while some believe that the USA can simply print up more money to repay its creditors, creditors will not wish to be paid with increasingly worthless currency.  Paper money has almost no intrinsic value (you can burn it, but otherwise it is of almost no practical use).

The USA has lived on borrowed money too long, and this will end in catastrophe according to Bible prophecy (cf. Habakkuk 2).

Food inflation is starting to become an issue.  Notice the following:

The USDA reported these increases from December 2009 to December 2010:

• Beef: up 6.1%.
• Pork: up 11.2%.
• Poultry: up 1.3%.
• Eggs: up 6.1%.
• Cheese: up 4.3%.
• Butter: up 21.9%.
• Fresh fruit: up 3.1%, with citrus up 9.1%.
• Fresh vegetables: up 1.2%, with potatoes up 5.4%. On the bright side, lettuce was down 7.4% and tomatoes were down 10.5%. Prices of other fresh vegetables were up 6.9%.
• Bread: up 1.1%.

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=9c4bb9c1-06d4-4c9d-83f9-1b5e29186485

Eventually, food prices will skyrocket as people around the world realize that paper US dollars are not backed up really by anything.  And the more of them  that are printed, the faster people will realize that they have no real backing.

Prophecy moves forward–significant personal repentance is probably the only way out (as national repentance for the USA seems highly unlikely).

To learn more, please check out the following articles:

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? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? This is a lengthy article with many prophecies that Barack Obama may end up fulfilling.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled by him?
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?

COGwriter

The Abigail Cartwright (AC) site listed some more losses to UCG’s eldership:

Mr. Kambani Banda (Pastor, Zambia), January 3, 2011, resigned from UCG ministry

Mr. Jerry Shachoongo (Local Elder, Zambia), January 3, 2011, resigned from UCG ministry

Mr. Richard Rand (Retired Pastor,  Miami, West Palm Beach, FL),  January 25, 2011, resigned from UCG ministry

According to the list at the AC site, UCG has lost 161 elders/pastors/ministers since June 0f 2010.

Last night, UCG reported:

We have an exciting update regarding the blog filed on November 19, 2010, about Beyond Today being produced in Spanish. As you may recall, in a small family production studio in Santa Rosa del Sur, Colombia, our brethren are producing Spanish voiceovers for our Beyond Today TV program. The family production studio is called “Sierra Productions.”

It has been a blessing for members in Latin America to have access to the program in Spanish. Initial translations are done from English into Spanish by a member in the United States. And now, four months later, thanks to this group of members in Colombia, a number of Beyond Today TV programs can be seen and heard by anyone that speaks Spanish.

While I generally applaud making messages available in multiple languages, the fact that UCG has apparently waited to do this until months after it lost most of its Latin American ministry seems a bit unusual (unless there is a hint that its prior ministry stood in the way of this–though that seems unlikely).  But again, this entire crisis has been unusual.

This crisis has been a real struggle for those in or once part of UCG as parties on both sides seem to be offended by the actions of those on the other side.

If you are or were part of UCG and are confused about what to do, please pray, fast, and study the Bible about this.

Ask yourself what are the true priorities that the Bible indicates that the church most faithful to the words of Jesus would do and act appropriately.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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.
Concerns about Church of God, a Worldwide Association This seems to be the largest group that came out of the United Church of God. Here is some history and concerns about it.
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. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation

جامعة الدول العربية
Jāmaʻat ad-Duwwal al-ʻArabiyya Arab League Flag

COGwriter

Thousands in the Middle East are protesting:

The Day of Rage: Thousands clash with police as protests boil over on streets of Egypt and Lebanon

By David Williams

Last updated at 10:12 AM on 26th January 2011

• Appointment of new prime minister in Lebanon sparks riots

Thousands of anti-government protesters inspired by the Tunisian revolution clashed with riot police in the centre of Cairo today demanding the overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak.

Police responded with water cannon and attacked crowds with batons and  tear gas to clear crowds demanding an end to the country’s grinding poverty.

The prostest, the largest Egypt has seen for years, began peacefully, with police showing unusual restraint in what appeared to be a concerted government effort not to provoke a Tunisia-like mass revolt.

As the crowds in central Cairo’s main Tahrir square continued to build, however, security personnel changed tactics and the protest turned violent…

The first ramifications of the Tunisia uprising surfaced last week in Egypt when several people set themselves on fire outside parliament and the prime minister’s office...

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, a prime minster backed by pro-Iranian Hezbollah was appointed sparking angry street protests and fears the move would plunge the country into a new crisis.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1350459/Egypt-Lebanon-protests-Thousands-clash-police-streets.html#ixzz1C9T67v3r

As I have reported earlier, there have also been protests in Jordan, Tunisia (Demonstrations in the Arab World Suggest Change), and Libya (Protests in Tunisia, Concerns in Libya).

Later today, Voice of America reported:

An active discussion continues in the Arab press about the possibility of popular protests spreading from one Arab country to the next.

I reported last week that the chief of the Arab League indicated that he believes that some type of stronger military alliance within the Arab League needs to happen.  And historically, this would involve some type of “strong man” leader rising up.

Certain Muslims are looking for the arrival of the Imam Mahdi (called Mehdi below), who seems to be the same person as the final King of the South.  Notice what one Muslim wrote about this:

SIGNS BEFORE HIS APPEARANCE AS THE MEHDI

The world will be filled with a great amount of injustice and oppression. There will be widespread evil in which all people will be heavily involved.

Muslim countries and their people will have become so weak that even animals would defeat them in battle.

Muslims would be totally disunited, hence their state of weakness. On the other hand, the Kuffar of the whole world would be united under one leader…

Throughout the world earthquakes would occur frequently. Innocent people will be put to death…

While it may take a war in the Middle East for this leader to rise up, civil unrest, riots, demonstrations, and protests may also be involved.  Things are changing in the Arab world.  And events are lining up for the King of the South/Imam Mahdi to arise.

Some suspect this Mahdi may appear in 2012:

As the Koran states the Mahdi will not return in an odd-numbered year, as world chaos is to precipitate his reappearance, as Ahmadinejad claims the Mahdi’s return will occur before his presidency ends in 2013, as a dying Khamenei claims the return will happen before his death, and as Iran stands on the brink of arming itself with nuclear weapons, Khamenei and Ahmadinejad view the planets as all falling into alignment for them.

From the vantage point of these two fanatics, 2012 may be shaping up as the year of the Mahdi’s return.

(Zumwalt J.  Iran’s Dynamic Duo Dedicated to Global Destruction.  August 13, 2010. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=38528)

R.C. Meredith of the Living Church of God (LCG) wrote:

The final fulfillment of the prophecies about the coming King of the South are certainly yet to come. But, even now, it is obvious that many events now indicate that the stage is being set for the powerful Muslim leader indicated in Daniel 11:40–43. Our…constant backing of the state of Israel, and many other acts by the U.S. and Europe, have infuriated the Muslim world. The current situations in Israel and Iraq are causing the Arab world to unite in a manner unprecedented in recent times. This will certainly carry over into their backing for a truly powerful pan-Arab leader when God’s time comes.

And the current riots also seem to be pointing in that direction.  There will also be more riots in Europe and even some in the USA, but the ones in the Middle East are the ones that will apparently set the stage for the rising up of the final King of the South.

Three articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?

Pope Benedict XVI

COGwriter

Pope Bendict XVI spoke on ecumenical unity today:

Search for Christian unity is ‘moral imperative,’ pope says

CNS – Jan 25, 2011

ROME (CNS) — …The pope presided over the service at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls with a German Lutheran delegation, an international group of Oriental Orthodox bishops and theologians and Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant leaders from Rome.

Special prayers were read by Orthodox Metropolitan Gennadios of Italy and Malta and by the Rev. David Richardson, the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Vatican and director of the Anglican Center in Rome.

In his homily, the pope said the search for Christian unity is “a moral imperative, a response to a precise call of the Lord.”…

Because unity must be based on faith believed and lived in common, he said at the prayer service, Christian unity cannot be reduced to a recognition and acceptance of differences and an agreement to coexist peacefully.

“That for which we yearn is the unity for which Christ himself prayed and which, by its nature, is manifested in a communion of faith, sacraments and ministry,” Pope Benedict said. http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1100308.htm

While I do not doubt the pontiff’s sincerity nor am I trying to question his motives here, the biblical reality is that ecumenical unity will be a disaster.

Interestingly a few years ago, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, wrote of Europe (the Mediterranean continent) and the image in Daniel 2:

In the process of replacing boundaries, the conceptual continuity with the preceding Mediterranean continent…was assured by a theological interpretation of history: in connection with the Book of Daniel, the Roman Empire—renewed and transformed by the Christian faith—was considered to be the final and permanent kingdom in the history of the world in general, and therefore the association of peoples and states that was taking shape was defined as the permanent Sacrum Imperium Romanum [Holy Roman Empire]. (Ratzinger J. Europe today and tomorrow: addressing the fundamental issues. Translated by Michael Miller. Ignatius Press, 2007, p. 13)

We can consider the rise of the Carolingian Empire, on the one hand, and the continuation of the Roman empire in Byzantium and its mission to the Slavic people, on the other, as the true and proper birth of the continent of Europe…(ibid, p. 17)

Greco-Christian, European culture of Byzantium…one of the two wings of Europe (ibid, p. 18).

Latin [that is, Western] Europe…(ibid, p. 19)

…the Christian idea of empire…the sacred foundation for history…(ibid, p. 20)

The two halves of the old Europe, before the modern era, had known essentially only one opponent that it had to confront in a life-or-death battle, namely, the Islamic world. (ibid, p. 22)

Believing Christians should…contribute to Europe’s recovery of the best of its heritiage and thus to the service of all mankind. (ibid, p. 34)

Dexter Wakefield, of the Living Church of God, made the following insightful comments about Cardinal Ratzinger’s writings in that book:

His analysis, of course, does not express the full meaning of this imagery. Yet in referring to the two iron legs of the Daniel 2 statue, the current pope shows that even the Roman Catholic Church has in the past recognized that the Roman Empire and its successor, the so-called “Holy Roman Empire,” are pictured in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. (Wakefield D. Will Islam Transform Europe? Tomorrow’s World magazine, November-December 2010, p. 17)

So, even the current pope realizes that the “Holy Roman Empire” is part of the image in Daniel 2 and that one leg/wing represents the Roman/Latin Catholic west with the other the Eastern/Greco/Byzantine east. Cardinal Ratzinger also seems to be teaching that the “Holy Roman Empire” is the last part of the image of Daniel 2 and that it is a good thing. Yet, he seems not to realize that in the end, God intentionally destroys the image, by attacking the last part (striking the feet it stands upon in vs. 34) which implies that God was not pleased with this image or its “sacred foundation”. Since the Bible is clear that God will destroy the final formation of that empire (Daniel 2:40-44), the development of a unified Europe to fulfill this is not something that should be encouraged.

Ecumenical unity is a biblical disaster and if the pontiff would reconsider Daniel 2, perhaps he could see why I am saying this.

Of course, I also strongly believe the Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics and had this published in 2007 on the internet and in The Journal: News of the Churches of God. Furthermore, many ecumenical meetings and pronouncements have been coming from those groups (for documented details see Ecumenism Advancing), despite the fact that many know that “unity” will result in doctrinal compromise by Rome and others.

The Bible warns against the emergence of the final beast and tells of the destruction of the image of the beast as well as the end time compromising Babylon. Yet, this is what many are encouraging to be formed in Europe even today. And with more and more calls for ecumenical unity, we are getting closer to this time.

Some articles of 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? Will some Catholics be involved? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The talks for unification involve compromise and the apparent rising up of a changed religion that no one should accept.
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.

Jerusalem

COGwriter

Notice a report today on the Palestinian President’s position on Jerusalem:

RAMALLAH, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday said that the Palestinians prefer to die than giving up Jerusalem.

“The principles that the various Palestinian national councils and Palestinian leaders have taken will never ever change,” Abbas told thousands of people who gathered at the Palestinian leadership’s headquarters in Ramallah.

“We say it very loudly: the first of these principles, that we are ready to die for, is Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine,” Abbas told the crowds that came gathered to welcome him after he returned from Egypt.  http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-01/25/c_13706837.htm

Israel has a similar position and claims that Jerusalem is its permanent capital.

There is also an interesting end-time prophecy related in Jerusalem that seems to be fulfilled regularly:

3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. (Zechariah 12:3)

The current conflict between the Palestinian and Israeli position on Jerusalem seems to be consistent with the following biblical prophecy:

2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zechariah 14:2, NKJV)

If half the city is Jewish and the other half not, then there would be a reason for only one half the city to go into captivity.

Perhaps I should add that the idea that Jerusalem needs to be partially “Catholic” is consistent with certain biblical as well as “Catholic prophecies”–some of which are mirror images of biblical ones (see Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies?)

There are several end time prophecies involving the nation that is now called Israel that should be quoted:

20 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. (Luke 21:20)

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 24:15-17)

22 Behold, the noise of the report has come, And a great commotion out of the north country, To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals. (Jeremiah 10:22)

6 Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem
You have sold to the Greeks, That you may remove them far from their borders. (Joel 3:6)

Disaster is prophesied for the current nation known as Israel. And its surviving residents apparently will become slaves, apparently in lands controlled by northern peoples, like the Greece (note: the old Greek Empire included much of the old Roman Empire, hence lands other than Greece may end up with some of those people from modern Israel).  It is the Jewish portion of Jerusalem that will, according to various biblical prophecies, go into captivity.

The statements today from the Palestinian President support that the biblical idea of there being an enforced division of Jerusalem before the Jewish portion is desolated.

To learn more about what will happen to the descendants of Israel, please check out the following articles:

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?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?