Church of God News

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad (Source: Agência Brasil, Wikipedia)

COGwriter

President Assad’s troops are attacking Damascus and elsewhere:

22 July 2012

(Reuters) – Syrian forces bombarded parts of Damascus with helicopter gunships on Sunday, witnesses said, rounding people up as troops clawed back territory a week after opposition fighters launched a major assault on the capital.

In a further escalation of a conflict that opponents of President Bashar al-Assad have turned into all-out civil war, fighting raged around the intelligence headquarters in the biggest city Aleppo and in Deir al-Zor in the east.

Syrian forces regained control of one of two border crossings seized by rebels on the frontier with Iraq, Iraqi officials said, but rebels said they had captured a third border crossing with Turkey, Bab al-Salam north of Aleppo.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/22/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8610SH20120722

As far as Damascus goes, it will be destroyed relatively soon (for some details, please see yesterday’s post ‘Damascus Volcano’ and CP: ‘Damascus a Ruinous Heap?’).

There are various Islamic views on the leader, the Imam Mahdi rising up (who could be the King of the South of Daniel 11:40-43).  Here is one that suggests he does after Syria has problems:

Traditions have been reported mentioning the signs for the time of the appearance of the Imam who will arise (qa’im), peace be on him, and the events which will take place before his appearance, together with the indications and features of it. Among them are: The Sufyani will come out in revolt; the Hasanid will be killed; the Abbasids will dispute over worldly kingdom; there will be an eclipse of the sun in the middle of the month of Ramadan; there will be an eclipse of the moon at the end of that month in contrast to ordinary happenings; the land will be swallowed up at al-Bayda’; it will be swallowed in the east-it will be swallowed up in the west; the sun will stay still from the time of its decline to the middle of the time for the afternoon prayer; it will rise from the west; a pure soul (nafs zakiyya) will be killed in the outskirts of Kufa with seventy righteous men; a Hashimite will be slaughtered between the corner (of the Ka’ba) and the station of Abraham); the wall of the mosque of Kufa will be destroyed; black standards will advance from Khurasan; al-Yamani will come out in revolt; al-Maghribi will appear in Egypt and take possession of it from Syria; the Turk will occupy the region of al-Jazira; the Byzantines will occupy Ramla; the star will appear in the east giving light just like the moon gives light; then (the new moon) will bend until its two tips almost meet; a colour will appear in the sky and spread to its horizons; a fire will appear for a long time in the east remaining in the air for three or seven days; the Arabs will throw off the reins and take possession of their land, throwing out the foreign authority; the people of Egypt will kill their ruler and destroy Syria; and three standards will dispute over it (Syria)…

The Abbasids will dispute; a voice will call from the sky; one of the villages of Syria called al-Jabiyya will be swallowed up; the Turks will occupy the region of al-Jazira; the Byzantines will attack al-Ramla; at that time there will be much conflict throughout the land until Syria is destroyed.

(Kitab al Irshad Chapter: The Twelfth Imam (Peace be on him) Page (s): 541 – 548 Published by Tehrike Tersile Qura’n.  Contributed by Br. Ali Abbas, abbas@seas.gwu.edu  http://www.al-islam.org/masoom/bios/12thimam.html viewed 7/22/12)

But, it should be noted that another Islamic view somewhat differs with this as it states that Damascus will be the Mahdi’s capital (other Islamists have stated that Jerusalem will be the capital, e.g. TW: Muslim Brotherhood Leader in Egypt Wants ‘United States of the Arabs’ and Then Jerusalem):

Hazrat Imam Mahdi (A.S.) ( Courtesy: http:// www.kr-hcy.com/ articles/ imam-mehdi )…

The term “MEHDI” is a title meaning “Guided one”. The Mehdi is a normal man who is going to follow the true Islam. His name will be Muhammad and his father name will be Abdullah. He is a descendant from Ali and Fatima (daughter of the prophet Muhammad) so he will be descendant from al-Hasan or al-Hussain or both. The Mehdi will be very just and his capital will be Damascus. The Mehdi is NOT a prophet but he is the final Rightly Guided Khalifah. The Mehdi will lead Muslims to a great victory against the Sufyaani and the Romans.

Today’s edition of TW News & Prophecy from the Living Church of God has the following about Syria:

Could Syria Attack?

The news on Syria changes daily. “Western military sources warned Saturday, July 14, that not only Israel, but additional strategic targets in Middle East lands deemed enemies by Bashar Assad should prepare for him to launch surface-to-surface missile attacks.

The assaults would start out with conventional warheads, but… the next round of missiles [could come] from his huge stockpile of mustard gas–not to mention sarin nerve poison and cyanide” (DEBKA, July 14, 2012). Syria’s weapons of mass destruction have recently been moved from storage. Potential Syrian missile targets so far include Israel, Jordan and Turkey. “Air and missile reprisals against Syrian military or regime centers would carry the danger of Hizballah retaliation from Lebanon leading to direct attacks from Iran” (ibid.).

The Syrian government is now fighting to hold onto Damascus. “The Syrian general staff has prepared for the last battle for Damascus by relocating its command headquarters to a well-fortified complex” (DEBKA, July 17, 2012). What might happen if Syria launches an attack against Turkey, Jordan and the nuclear-armed Israel? God’s word holds powerful prophecies regarding the future of Damascus–prophecies yet to be fulfilled. They indicate Damascus will be left in ruins and at least partially destroyed by fire–its mighty dead in the streets (Isaiah 17:1; Jeremiah 49:23-27).

Events are happening quickly in Syria and prophecy highlights what might be just around the corner. These events are sad and sobering, but highlight the powerful insights of the Scripture. For more information on the future of the Middle East, be sure to review our free booklet, The Middle East in Prophecy.

Syria is technically still at war with Israel and has stated that it may attack it.  Israeli leaders have also made statements in the past year that Israel may decide it needs to attack Syria first.  Syria long has had chemical weapons that it may use (see Syria’s Chemical Weapons, Israel’s Threat, & Iran).

Although Syria’s President does not want to leave, and may think he made major “progress” today, the situation in Syria must change.

Partially because of the internal civil war, Syria’s President may decide that attacking Israel, probably in conjunction with support from Iran, is his best option.  It will not be, though he may do that.  The Bible suggests that Syria will support the coming final King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:1-8) and a change in or from the Assad regime will be necessary for this to happen–and it will come to pass.

“And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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? Might this King be called the Mahdi? What does the Bible say?
The Arab and Islamic 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? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims?

COGwriter

Rob Bast, who has the Survive 2012 website, has asked various authors of 2012 books to participate in a  two-question interview.  The answers were limited to a short paragraph.  Today he posted the following related to me:

First is Bob Thiel, Ph.D., a highly regarded researcher, biblical scholar, and one of the world’s foremost authorities on end time prophecies. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of LaVerne, a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. from the Union Institute and University.

…

1. In a paragraph, what do you think will happen in the 2012 era, in connection with the Mayan Long Count calendar?

In 2012, as my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect teaches, people will claim that the Mayan 2012 date had to do with the dawn to an age of peace as opposed to catastrophe. As far as specific natural and geopolitical events, since my book has come out, at least 23 predictions in it, including weather extremes, have been confirmed. And more will in 2012 as well. While the world cannot and will not end in a flood in 2012, catastrophe is coming and more events will confirm the other predictions in 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect as well. Regular news updates about this and other prophetic matters is also shown on my blog www.cogwriter.com. This most accurate book about 2012 and what will happen in the next decade or so is available at www.thesecretsect.com (those ordering it from this website will receive a report on the confirmation of the 23 events) and Amazon

2. Where will you be, what will you be doing, on Dec 21, 2012?

As I have stated in one or more radio interviews, I expect to be involved with some form of media telling people that although the world will not end in a flood then, that disasters are later going to fall upon the USA and that 2012 is not the dawn of a new age of peace as some will suggest.

As regular readers of the COGwriter news page are aware, as are those who have actually read my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, the world will not and cannot end in 2012.

However, world events are aligning with properly understood biblical prophecy, and at least 23 predictions in my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect have already been confirmed.

More will as well.

When I wrote the book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, my primary focus was on what would likely happen AFTER 2012.  But of course, for many of the events to occur, other world events need to align themselves for them to come to pass.

If you believe the Bible (or wonder about how many of its prophecies are expected to be fulfilled) and/or wonder how non-biblical prophecy has been planted to mislead many, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect lays out a well-referenced roadmap with specific events to expect and to watch out for.

If you have not already done so, you should consider acquiring the book, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. It is available in several languages, as well as through Kindle and Barnes&Noble.com.

2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This link also has YouTube videos. This book documents and explains hundreds of prophecies. And since it was published, world events have aligned with at least 23 predictions in the book and many more will to come to pass.  Those who purchase the book at the www.thesecretsect.com website receive a lengthy bonus report documenting world events that aligned with the book.
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect (English Kindle edition).  This is the 2nd edition of the book, released in January 2012, and includes a summary of many of the predictions that world events have aligned with since the book originally came out in September 2009.
2012 y el surgimiento de la secta secreta 2012 libro del Dr. Thiel en Español.
2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Edition) 2012 Buch von Dr. Thiel in deutscher Sprache. 2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Kindle Edition)
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel em português. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 23 já começaram a acontecer.
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (Brazilian Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel.  Edição em português do Brasil. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 23 já começaram a acontecer.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

COGwriter

LCG had the following as part of its announcements:

FDA Approves Promiscuity Pill? Hailed as a breakthrough in HIV/AIDS prevention, the drug Truvada was approved by the FDA this week (CBS News, July 16, 2012). Truvada has been used for HIV/AIDS treatment, but will now be used to try to prevent infection in those at “very high risk” for contracting HIV—primarily injection drug users and homosexual men. Due to the high cost (nearly $14,00 0 USD per year) and the extreme health risks for users of the drug (bone loss and serious kidney problems), only those at very high risk will be targeted (Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2012). Public health officials view Truvada as a key to reducing the HIV infection rate, along with condom use and needle exchange programs. Although there is no proof that Truvada will “increase” promiscuous and risky sexual behaviors, it will certainly do nothing to reduce them. Most public health officials ignore research demonstrating strategies proven to reduce HIV risk, including: cessation of extramarital affairs and casual sexual re lations and commercial sex (PLoS Medicine, February 8, 2011). Man’s ways can often help a little, but without changing sinful behaviors causing disease, elimination of HIV/AIDS will not happen! For more information on the way to a truly happy life, review our free booklet, The Ten Commandments.

Truvada has been marketed as a treatment since 2004, and now can be as a preventative.

The mainstream seems to believe that this type of thing is what they have been looking for as the following seems to support:

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the first drug shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection, a milestone in the 30-year battle against the virus that causes AIDS.  The agency approved Gilead Sciences’ pill Truvada as a preventive measure for people who are at high risk of acquiring HIV through sexual activity, such as those who have HIV-infected partners.

Public health advocates say the approval could help slow the spread of HIV, which has held steady at about 50,000 new infections per year for the last 15 years. An estimated 1.2 million Americans have HIV, which develops into AIDS unless treated with antiviral drugs. With an estimated 240,000 HIV carriers unaware of their status, doctors and patients say new methods are needed to fight the spread of the virus.  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/48198452/ns/today-today_health/t/fda-approves-first-pill-help-prevent-hiv/#.UAtYvvXSqgY

DR. FAUCI: “Well, in 2012 we’ve reached a point where the science has given us a number of interventions, particularly in the form of treatment and prevention of HIV, that if in fact we scale up the implementation of these by making treatment available by aggressively testing people, linking them to care, getting them on treatment, by implementing some of the prevention modalities particularly in the developing world, like circumcision or treatment as prevention, pre-exposure prophylaxis, prevention of mother to child transmission, that we have an opportunity now that we never had before because of the number of interventions that have proven to be efficacious, to actually tip the tide of the epidemic in the sense of the trajectory of the epidemic.  For a long time it had been going up and then it started to flatten.

What we really need to do to end the AIDS pandemic is to turn the deflection of that curve so that it goes in the direction of fewer and fewer people getting infected, fewer and fewer people dying, and fewer and fewer children being born with HIV.  That’s what we mean by ‘turning the tide,’ and this is an important meeting in Washington, D.C., because it’s at this gathering that a lot of people are going to get together and talk about the feasibility of actually implementing this turning of the tide.”  http://www.voanews.com/content/leading-researcher-says-aids-is-stoppable/1442529.html

The Bible says to flee sexual immorality and that it is unhealthy:

18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.   (1 Corinthians 6:18-19)

If biblical admonitions were kept, HIV/AIDS would probably be non-existent.

Notice what happened there between three thousand and four thousand years ago:

24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (Genesis 19:24-25)

And why did it happen?

7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 7)

Why mention this in the 21st century? Because God turned:

6…the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly (2 Peter 2:6,
NKJV)

Thus, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah were to serve as an example to those who would live as they did.

Of course, not everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah were homosexuals as those that strictly practice that could not reproduce. Yet, notice that the destruction that hit their cities destroyed all that were there and notice that something like this is to happen again according to Jesus:

26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. (Luke 17:26-29)

Homosexuality is damaging to the individuals who practice it and is dangerous for society. Without national repentance soon, the USA and its Anglo-allies are doomed. And while it is remotely possible, realistically Christians should realize that this is not likely to happen. Especially as we get nearer to the end of the 6,000 years God gave humankind to rule itself (see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

The time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), the Great Tribulation, will begin not too many years from now (When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2012, 2013, or 2014?).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

LCG: Homosexuals Gaining Ground “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? Can homosexuals change?
God’s Plan for Happy Marriage This is an LCG booklet by Dr. R. Meredith.
God Created Marriage Some falsely claim that God did not create marriage and that fornication is fine. What does the Bible really teach?
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) 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 Jerusalem and 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 and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? 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?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
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? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2019 or 202x?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2012, 2013, or 2014? 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? Who are the 144,000?
Church of God, Seventh Day: History and Teachings Nearly all COG’s I am aware of trace their history through this group. Whaid Rose is the president of the largest CG7 group (Denver). Do you know much about them?

Damascus, Capital of Syria

COGwriter

The conflict in Syria continues:

By Dominic Evans and Khaled Yacoub Oweis

BEIRUT/AMMAN July 21 (Reuters) – Syrian soldiers and armoured troops pushed into a rebel-held district of Aleppo on Saturday after striking back in Damascus against fighters emboldened by a bomb attack against President Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle.

Activists in Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city and a northern commercial hub, said hundreds of families were fleeing residential districts after the military swept into the Saladin district, which had been in rebel hands for two days.

Fighting was also reported in the densely-populated, poor neighbourhood of al-Sakhour.

“The sound of bombardment has been non-stop since last night. For the first time we feel Aleppo has turned into a battle zone,” a housewife said by phone from the city.

An escalation in the fighting in Aleppo would prove another challenge to Assad, still reeling from the assassination of four of his top security officials and a six-day attack on the capital which rebels have named “Damascus Volcano”.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/21/aleppo-clashes-syria_n_1691669.html

Damascus will face elimination.

Not only some of us in the Church of God, but certain Protestants have concerns about will happen to Damascus:

Syria will change, now or later. The King of the South will rise up (Daniel 11:40), it will not be Iran, and thus Syria (directly or indirectly) is likely to play a role in that occurrence.  Syria will end up being a supporter of that king–thus the situation in Syria must change.

Various former COG writers have tied Syria in with an end time confederation and/or the King of the South.

Daniel 11 also mentions some of the Mideast peoples who will be involved in that struggle among the nations at the close of this age. The belligerents will include the “King of the North,” the leader of the European Union (or its final outgrowth, called the “Beast”). The “King of the South” (an Islamic leader—apparently from Egypt {or} some other Muslim state) is also referred to. The following lands/peoples are specifically mentioned: Egypt, the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine), the Ethiopians (modern Cushites, south of Egypt), Libya, Edom, Moab and Ammon. Many descendants of the ancient peoples known as Edomites or Idumeans now live in the West Bank, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Arabia, Yemen, the Persian Gulf states, etc. (McNair R. Solving the Arab-Israeli Impasse! Copyright Raymond F. McNair 2005, Church of God—21st Century).

King David of ancient Israel in 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–a vast confederacy bound together in an effort to crush out the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! This Arab-Moslem confederacy may very well be the previously mentioned “king of the south”–a sphere of power encompassing vast portions of the Islamic world.

“They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom [Esau or modern-day Turkey, a non-Arab but Islamic nation], and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; of Moab [part of Jordan], and the Hagarenes [anciently these peoples dwelt in the area known as Syria today]; Gebal [Lebanon], and Ammon [modern Jordan], and Amalek [part of the Turks]; the Philistines [the modern Palestinians] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Lebanon]; Assur [whose descendants, the Assyrians, migrated to Germany] also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot [Jordan and Western Iraq]” (Psalm 83:4-8)…(Stump K.  The Arab World in Prophecy.  The Plain Truth, December 1979)

Long ago, the prophet Isaiah predicted, “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1). Jeremiah also prophesied, “Damascus has grown feeble…her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day” (Jeremiah 49:23-27). Syria was punished anciently for siding against the nation of Judah, and modern Syria has done the same.

The civil war has now reached the suburbs of Damascus, and rebels may soon enter the heart of the Syrian capital. As events unfold in Syria, it will be interesting to see how these prophecies will be fulfilled. (Syria’s growing instability.  TW News & Prophecy, July 6, 2012)

The Bible shows that Syria’s capital city Damascus will be destroyed:

7 thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus (Isaiah 7:7-8)

3 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron. (Amos 1:3)

1 The burden against Damascus. “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap. (Isaiah 17:1)

23 Against Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are shamed, For they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet. 24 Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, And fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. 25 Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy? 26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, And all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the Lord of hosts. 27 “I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, And it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.”  (Jeremiah 49:23-27)

As Jesus said in Mark 13:37, we all should watch. There will be changes in Syria and Damascus will be destroyed. The continuing violence there is likely to play a role in that.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Islamic and 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? What will happen with Turkey and Iran? What does Islam teach about the Imam Mahdi?
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? Is he the Imam Mahdi? What does the Bible say?

Barack Obama on Telephone with Mayor of Aurora, Colorado

COGwriter

Wallace Smith put this commentary together today for LCG:

By now, you have probably seen the cellphone camera images of people leaving Theater 9 at the Century 16 Cinema in Aurora, Colorado—near Denver—with blood on their clothes and blank expressions on their faces. An excited crowd had been enjoying the first few minutes of The Dark Knight Rises, the concluding installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman film trilogy, when a heavily-armed individual entered the theater. Wearing a gas mask and a bulletproof vest, he threw a gas canister and began shooting into the crowd. By the rampage’s end, twelve people were dead and another 50 were injured.

The alleged shooter is a 24-year-old neuroscience student who dropped out of his Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver last month. As I write this, any motives for his horrific action remain unknown. However, by all accounts he had to have planned far in advance to be so well prepared for his onslaught. After inspecting the young man’s apartment, Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates told journalists, “We have a whole bunch of bomb techs from a whole bunch of agencies. We have pictures inside the location. We are trying to determine how to disarm flammable or explosive material that’s in there. We could be here for hours. We could be here for days trying to get in there and get whatever evidence there is. The pictures are pretty disturbing. It looks pretty sophisticated in terms of how it’s booby-trapped.”

But even if the killer’s motives were known, they could not relieve us of the terrible sense that, if our world is the sort of place where such terrible plans can be conceived at all, let alone acted upon, how can any of us be safe? What kind of society produces such people?

The suspect’s upbringing, background and political beliefs will surely be examined. Any statements he has published or placed online will be scrutinized. Analysts will do their best to determine the cause of the massacre. Ultimately, however, its cause is much deeper than they will find, and it ties together with a common thread all such atrocities—across demographics, ideologies, and political lines.

Jesus Christ said, of this present age, that “lawlessness will abound, and the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). The Apostle Paul said that “in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves… unloving… without self-control, brutal” (2 Timothy 3:2-3).

We live in a world steeped in “lawlessness” and self-worship. Our television, movies, music, and video games glorify killing and destruction, sexual immorality and perversion, crassness and cruelty and disrespect for any form of authority—a virtual societal orgy of self-satisfaction in the basest of manners.

Meanwhile, many of our leaders happily remove the Ten Commandments from the halls of government, and even strive to remove any vestige of godly, moral instruction from our institutions of learning.

Whatever attitudes and motives may come to be revealed about the Aurora shooter, we would do well to consider what environment we have created that would nurture such a cold-hearted, selfish and murderous mentality.

And each of us should pray that God will forgive us for any part we may have had in contributing, in whatever small way, to such a society. We should commit ourselves to repentance, giving up any wrong attitudes and motives we find in ourselves. We should pray that God hasten the return of Jesus Christ to this earth—the only real solution to these terrible tragedies. The returning Christ will set up a global Kingdom in which such atrocities are unheard of—a safe world where “the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets” (Zechariah 8:5) and “no one shall make them afraid” (Micah 4:4).

May God comfort those suffering in Colorado, and may His Kingdom come quickly.

I quoted the following yesterday when I initially posted about this:

23 ‘Make a chain,
For the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be defiled.
25 Destruction comes;
They will seek peace, but there shall be none. (Ezekiel 7:23-25)

America will be consumed by violence, though the final amount will come from external, primarily Gentile, sources, as the above teaches.  Abortion, frequent support of war, violent sports, etc. all identify the USA now.

Life is supposed to be about love and giving, not killing and taking.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally?
Christian Soldiers How are Christians to be like soldiers? How are they to be different?
What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
True vs. False Conversion Are you really converted or willing to be? What is true conversion? What is false conversion? What are the dangers of false conversion? Evangelist Roderick Meredith provides information on those important questions.
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God?
Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare? Here are current and historical perspectives on a matter which show the beliefs of the true church on military participation. Is war proper for Christians?
Is American Football Evil? Is the most popular spectator sport in the USA something that Christians should watch? What do the Bible and early writings show?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2012 or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the “beginning of sorrows”? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? 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?
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 West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch 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?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about?
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?

Mohamed Morsi (Photo by Mohammed Bin Abdullah)

COGwriter

The latest update from ICG’s Mark Armstrong has the following:

Western nations have shown considerable, possibly foolish restraint in dealing with the obvious dangers Iran is creating. Presumably there is intelligence behind the lack of action to set them back a hundred years, we can only hope. Obviously the heathens who rule Iran harbor evil intentions and could hardly be more vocal about it.

We’ll be watching closely to see how the burgeoning friendship with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood progresses. They’ve already planned to meet.

But then Mursi (Egypt’s triumphant Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate) has been invited to the White House sometime in the next couple of months as well.

Dr. Morsi (sometimes spelled Mursi in English) used to run the website of the Muslim Brotherhood.  Although Dr. Morsi is to meet the US President, he has made it clear in the past that he is not particularly supportive of the USA as this was at the website when he ran it (and still is):

What is its stance toward Israel and the U.S.?
Unremittingly negative. In past decades, the group had a blatantly anti-Semitic agenda, translating Hitler’s Mein Kampf and the forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion into Arabic and disseminating them to foment hatred of the Jews. More recently, it has contented itself with railing against “U.S. and Zionist domination.” The Brotherhood does not recognize Israel, and it crossed sectarian lines to openly support the Shiite militant group Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanese war with Israel. Recently, Brotherhood leaders have given mixed signals about whether they would actually seek to abandon Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel.  http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=28019  viewed 07/20/12

Back in 2009, I wrote that US President Obama would support the rise of an Islamic power that would become the King of the South:

It seems clear that during his presidency, Barack Obama will be an enabler in the sense that his policies will help lead to the rise of the prophesied final Kings of the North and South that Daniel 11 discusses.

Throughout 2011 and 2012 the Obama Administration has taken steps to support the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood wants a massive Islamic confederation:

What is the Muslim Brotherhood?
The world’s largest and most influential Islamist movement. Founded in Egypt in 1928, the group was originally focused on ridding the country of corrupting secular influences brought by British colonial rule. Over the years, it established branches and affiliates in many countries to promote traditional Sunni Islamic morals, social justice, and the eradication of poverty and corruption. “The Islamic nation,” its charter states, “must be fully prepared to fight the tyrants and the enemies of Allah as a prelude to establishing an Islamic state”—ideally a re-established caliphate, stretching from Spain across the Middle East and Central Asia to Indonesia, to be governed according to Islamic sharia law.   http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=28019  viewed 07/20/12

While it will not end up with Spain if I understand certain aspects of Bible prophecy correctly, the confederation of the final King of the South may go from around Western Sahara and/or Mauritania to Oman (with possible involvement and/or coordination with Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and/or Indonesia).

The Bible tells the rise of a leader of a confederation that seems to be based south of Jerusalem. Likely one composed of nations in North Africa, the Middle East, and perhaps the Near East. The main leader of the King of the South could be Egyptian:

40 At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. (Daniel 11:40-42).

1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:”Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’ 3 For the day is near, Even the day of the Lord is near;It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. 4 The sword shall come upon Egypt,And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia,When the slain fall in Egypt,And they take away her wealth,And her foundations are broken down. 5 “Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.” (Ezekiel 30:1-5)

Ezekiel 30:1-5 is discussing an Arabic confederation that supports Egypt before the Day of the Lord that will not do well. This is further support that the Egyptians will most likely have significant involvement with the king of the South (as does the fact their land does not escape the wrath of the King of the North). And while Dr. Morsi may not be the one who will the final King of the South, the group he is associated with would certainly be expected to support that type of Islamic confederation.

The Muslim Brotherhood was originally established in Egypt and seems to have the most adherents currently there (though it has branches in most of the Arab nations, if not all of them). And while it may not necessarily win the presidency of Egypt this time, it is making major political inroads in Egypt (as well as Gaza, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, and elsewhere).

It now is also making strides in Syria:

Syrian Muslim Brotherhood to launch political party

Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, a key opponent of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, announces plans to launch an Islamist political party, saying it is ready for the post-Assad era.

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/07/20/Syrian-Muslim-Brotherhood-to-launch-political-party

To bring enough Arab nations together, I have felt that some type of “strongman” needed to rise up. One who Arabs would tend to respect–who might use or not use the title Imam Mahdi or Grand Mufti or Caliph ( he could perhaps use a version one or more of those titles, with perhaps other ones with more of a modern political sound)–he is likely to have title more than simply “president” (though that could be used along perhaps with a religious title). The time may be now for him to start to rise up and the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups may play an important role.

Events supporting the rise of the final King of the South are happening. Watch (Mark 13:37).

Some 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?
Arabic Nazarenes May Have Kept Original Christian Practices Were their faithful Arabs who held to original Christianity?
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
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.
Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy? There is actually a 17th century Shiite prophecy that some believe that Barack Obama will fulfill that will lead to a rising up of Islam.

COGwriter

Notice the following:

Gunman turns Batman screening into real-life “horror film”

CNN – ‎2o July 2012 (CNN) — The man suspected of shooting up an Aurora, Colorado movie theater screening the new Batman film early Friday, killing 12 and wounding 59, also left his apartment rigged with traps, police said…Police say Holmes, 24, dressed head-to-toe in protective tactical gear, set off two devices of some kind before spraying the theater with bullets from an AR-15 rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and at least one of two .40-caliber handguns police recovered at the scene.

Thousands Fleeing Damascus as Fighting Surges in Syria

New York Times – ‎20 July 2012

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Thousands of people were fleeing Damascus and heading into Lebanon on Friday, according to the United Nations refugee agency, as rebels described the country’s bloodiest fighting in the 17-month uprising…the number of dead in fighting across Syria on Thursday was reported to have risen above 300. Of the dead, 98 were soldiers, 139 civilians and 65 rebels, rebels said.

And yes, in other places various others are trying to kill each other.

Here is a section of prophetic scripture I would like to quote:

23 ‘Make a chain,
For the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be defiled.
25 Destruction comes;
They will seek peace, but there shall be none. (Ezekiel 7:23-25)

Violence leads to violence.

America will be consumed by violence (though the final amount will come from external sources) if it does not have national repentance; and prophetically, the situation in Syria must change (national repentance would help the Syrians, but their tendency to be against the Bible would seem to make that national repentance almost impossible).

But for all peoples, everywhere, personal repentance can be possible.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Christian Soldiers How are Christians to be like soldiers? How are they to be different?
Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare? Here are current and historical perspectives on a matter which show the beliefs of the true church on military participation. Is war proper for Christians?
What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
True vs. False Conversion Are you really converted or willing to be? What is true conversion? What is false conversion? What are the dangers of false conversion? Evangelist Roderick Meredith provides information on those important questions.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2012 or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the “beginning of sorrows”? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? 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?
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? Might this King be called the Mahdi? What does the Bible say?
The Arab and Islamic 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? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims?

“Elijah in the wilderness“

COGwriter

According to an article about him in The Catholic Encyclopedia, Elijah “is honoured by both the Greek and Latin Churches on 20 July.”   Although many Catholics (and others) believe that Elijah (or a type of Elijah) will be one of the two witnesses, The Catholic Encyclopedia article about him never mentions that role related to him.

The Bible itself tells about the original Elijah in the books of 1 Kings, 2 Kings, and 2 Chronicles.  In his first mention, God has him call for a drought:

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”  (1 Kings 17:1)

God then had him flee to essentially to the wilderness (1 Kings 17:3; 1 Kings 17:8-10; cf.1 Kings 18:7-14; 1 Kings 19:2-4,15) and he was sometimes a voice in the wilderness.

Elijah sometimes seemed to stand alone for God:

21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord…”  (1 Kings 18:21-22)

While he was the top ecclesiastical authority, Elijah did a variety of miracles, such as stopping rain (1 Kings 17:1),  multiplying flour and oil (1 Kings 17:13-16), getting a dry passage over a river, (2 Kings 2:7-8), and calling fire down from heaven (2 Kings 1:10-12).

Elijah, however, over time could have lost the mental/emotional ability to properly lead (cf. 1 Kings 19:13-18).  God later took him and replaced him with Elisha as the top ecclesiastical authority.  Elisha then received a “double-portion” (two-portion literally) of the gift that God had given Elijah:

9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”

Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.  (2 Kings 2:9-13)

The recipient of the double-portion, Elisha, was a type of Elijah.  Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah (2 Kings 2:13) which God wanted him to have (1 Kings 19:16-19), did a similar miraculous dry river crossing (2 Kings 2:13-14), also did other miracles (2 Kings 4:30-35; 2 Kings 10:5-14; 2 Kings 6:16-18), as he replaced Elijah as God’s top ecclesiastical authority on earth (cf. 1 Kings 19:16).

Yet, for several years after picked Elisha up the mantle that Elijah dropped, Elijah was still alive.  While many outside of the genuine Church of God seem to doubt this, the following passage confirms that Elijah was still alive later, even though the main work/mantle had shifted to Elisha:

5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem…

12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,

Thus says the Lord God of your father David:

Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction — your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day. (2 Chronicles 21:5, 12-15)

The Bible, however, teaches that a voice from the wilderness would come again:

3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert  A highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)

John the Baptist said that he was fulfilling this (though he did not indicate he would be the only one to do so):

19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”…

23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,”‘  as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:19,23)

Note: In the Greek the word “The” above is not present.

Jesus, Himself, confirmed that John the Baptist, who in not recorded to have done any of the miracles of Elijah, fulfilled an Elijah role:

12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.”  13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.  (Matthew 17:12-13)

But Jesus told of another Elijah to come:

11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  (Matthew 17:11)

That particular Elijah was also prophesied in the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament).  Here are Protestant, “literal,” and Catholic (note: Catholics often use the Latinized form of Elijah, called Elias below) translations:

4  “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.  5  “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:4-6, ESV)

4 Remember ye the law of Moses My servant, That I did command him in Horeb, For all Israel — statutes and judgments.  5 Lo, I am sending to you Elijah the prophet, Before the coming of the day of Jehovah, The great and the fearful.  6 And he hath turned back the heart of fathers to sons, And the heart of sons to their fathers, Before I come and have utterly smitten the land!  (Malachi 4:4-6, YLT)

4 Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, the precepts, and judgments. 5 Behold I will send you Elias the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers: lest I come, and strike the earth with anathema. (Malachi 4:4-6, Douay-Rheims).

Notice that the various translations teach that Elijah is to be on the scene just before the Day of the Lord.  An event that is at least over six years from now.

Various early professors of Christ believed that an Elijah (though Hippolytus in the third century felt it was literally him) would be coming again:

The climax of Elijah’s activity is his appearance shortly before the Messianic time. “He is appointed to lead aright the coming ages, to restore the tribes of Jacob,” says Ben Sira of him (Ecclus. [Sirach] xlviii. 10, 11). In the second half of the first Christian century it was expected that Elijah would appear shortly before the coming of the Messiah, to restore to families the purity…(‘Eduy. viii. 7…) (Elijah.  Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906)

43…For he says, And one week will make a covenant with many, and it shall be that in the midst (half) of the week my sacrifice and oblation shall cease. By one week, therefore, he meant the last week which is to be at the end of the whole world of which week the two prophets Enoch and Elias will take up the half. For they will preach 1, 260 days clothed in sackcloth, proclaiming repentance to the people and to all the nations.46…He says by Malachi and the angel, I will send to you Elias the Tishbite before the day of the Lord, the great and notable day, comes; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, lest I come and smite the earth utterly. These, then, shall come and proclaim the manifestation of Christ that is to be from heaven; and they shall also perform signs and wonders, in order that men may be put to shame and turned to repentance for their surpassing wickedness and impiety. 47. For John says, And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. That is the half of the week whereof Daniel spoke. (Hipploytus.  On Christ and Antichrist).

The Church of God position has been that someone would come in the spirit and power of Elijah to “restore all things” and possibly be one of the two witnesses.  While the late Herbert W. Armstrong (died in January 1986) sometimes indicated that he fulfilled that role, he told people that I have personally spoken with that there could be another other than he.  Those with a WCG background might find the following quote from Herbert W. Armstrong of some assistance here as he wrote:

Those called into the Church were called not merely for salvation and eternal life, but to learn the way of God’s government and develop the divine character during this mortal life in the Church age…

Also Malachi 4:5-6 pictures the Elijah to come at the very end of the Church age (Mystery of the Ages. 1985,  pp. 201, 349).

And when was the “Church age” supposed to end according to Herbert Armstrong’s old church:

God has set before us an open door and no MAN can shut it. God can shut it, and He will when the work is finished and the Philadelphia Church goes to a place of safety. …The Laodicean Church is not going to he worthy to escape to a place of safety. When it is too late, they will find that the Church of Philadelphia has gone to safety (What Is the “LAODICEAN CHURCH”? Good News August 1959 Vol. VIII, Number 8).

Now since the Church age has not ended, and the Day of the Lord has not yet come, then it follows that Elijah was to come on the scene publicly after this was written.  His restoring of “all things” means that he is to be restoring information that the true Church of God once understood, but later must have lost or misunderstood.

Those of the true and genuine Philadelphian remnant will pay much attention to his voice.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Elijah Heresies Does the Bible teach that there will be a future Elijah? Must it be Herbert W. Armstrong?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God represented this, but now it is essentially the most faithful in the Church of God.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2012, 2013, or 2014? 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? Who are the 144,000?

Boy with Whooping Cough

COGwriter

The current outbreak of Whooping cough in the USA is getting attention:

Pertussis Outbreak May Be Worst in 50 Years, CDC Says

ABC News – ‎19 July 2012

Reported cases of pertussis are at their highest level in 50 years, a top official with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday…Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said doctors across the nation have reported more than 18,000 cases of pertussis so far this year. That is more than twice as many cases as there were at this time in 2011 and the first time since 1959 that so many cases have been reported by this time in the year…Nine infants have died from pertussis so far this year in the United States.

Wikipedia states:

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. In some countries, this disease is called the 100 days’ cough or cough of 100 days.  Symptoms are initially mild, and then develop into severe coughing fits, which produce the namesake high-pitched “whoop” sound in infected babies and children when they inhale air after coughing.  The coughing stage lasts approximately six weeks before subsiding.

Infections, like pertussis, may be part of the pestilences that the Bible warned about for the end times. Jesus taught:

7…And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:6-8)

We seem to be in the time Jesus called “the beginning of sorrows.”  There have been “earthquakes in various places” this year. There are some famines and they may increase soon. Candida, other fungi, bacteria, and viruses are not the only pestilences starting to rise up either.

As Jesus said:

37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! (Mark 13:36-37)

Three articles of related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2012, 2013, or 2014? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What happens in the “beginning of sorrows”? What is the Day of the Lord?
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilence? What will it bring and when?

South African Hut……………………………..Durban, South Africa

COGwriter

Weather extremes are making the news in different parts of the world:

2 freeze to death as extreme winter weather hits South Africa

AP – July 16, 2012

Emergency services in South Africa say two people froze to death amid unusually harsh winter weather.  http://www.timescolonist.com/travel/freeze+death+extreme+winter+weather+hits+South+Africa/6941096/story.html

Central Australia’s frostiest winter in a decade

July 19, 2012

Much of central Australia is experiencing an unusually frosty winter, the frostiest in more than a decade in some parts and there’s much more to come.  http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/central-australias-frostiest-winter-in-a-decade-20120719-22c5a.html

Rainy days and stormy weather of the last month set to cost insurers £500 million

‎

Daily Mail – 18 July 2012

Insurers will pay £500million to those affected by floods and storms last month. The news comes ahead of more rain today.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175656/UK-weather-Rainy-days-stormy-weather-month-set-cost-insurers-500-million.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

And of course, in 2012, weather problems, including drought, floods, and heat have affected other parts of the world as well (see, for example, Drought Reducing Wheat Yields in US, Australia, Russia, and Ukraine, Quarter Million Affected by Flooding in Japan, Food Inflation in Indonesia and USA, and Weather Extremes in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK).

Droughts and weather problems contribute to food shortages, higher food prices, and sometimes famines. Food inflation seems to be occurring (see Corn Prices Rise 33%, More Food Problems Ahead).

Notice two additional reports related to grain production and prices:

Drought spreads, boosts corn to record price

Reuters – July 19, 2012

The worst drought in a half century will continue to plague most of the U.S. Midwest crop region for at least the next 10 days, with only occasional showers providing some relief mainly in the east, an agricultural meteorologist said on Thursday.

America’s top two corn and soybean producing states, Iowa and Illinois, are now in the center of the drought as the dryness spreads to the northwest to leech what little moisture remains in already parched soils…”It got up to 102 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit in Iowa yesterday with no rain, and will be in the 90s today with no rain,” Nicholls said.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/19/us-usa-drought-crops-idUSBRE86H0MP20120719

Australian wheat yields threatened by cold weather

Reuters – July 13, 2012

Cold weather across Australia’s two largest wheat growing states has slowed crop growth, officials said, threatening yields in the world’s fourth-largest exporter and adding to concerns about the risk of dry weather later in the year if El Nino returns.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/13/australia-wheat-weather-idUSL3E8ID1NL20120713

The Bible is tells of a time that there will be food shortages and much more serious food inflation:

5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” (Revelation 6:5-6)

Back in 2009, my book, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect mentioned the following was about to happen:

Odd weather patterns result in food shortages and natural disasters.

Matthew 24:7

The world is actually in a berserk transition, as the real age of peace is not yet here. It may be a period of chaos. It is the beginning of sorrows

Matthew 24:8…

Notice that John Ogwyn also wrote:…

The English-speaking nations…in..fact, they will ultimately be overpowered and destroyed…militarily. Prior to military attack and occupation, devastating weather problems, combined with internal civil strife (“tumults in the midst” cf. Amos 3:9) will bring our nations to the point of internal collapse.

Droughts and severe weather problems should serve as a wake-up call. Weather-related troubles with their related food issues, of course, have been biblically expected:

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

8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

The Anglo-descended nations (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) insistence on pursuing legalizing various forms of immorality is going to catch up with it. The drought is only a part of that.  It is not only them that will be affected, but they who have been getting many of the blessings given to Jacob will experience the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).  The severe weather should serve as a wake-up call to those nations who once claimed to base their beliefs and morality upon the Bible.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2012, 2013, or 2014? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
CG7 on Pornography This is an article excerpt from the Church of God, 7th Day-Denver about pornography.
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the Living Church of God?
LCG: Homosexuals Gaining Ground “Same-sex marriage” is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?
Is American Football Evil? Is the most popular spectator sport in the USA something that Christians should watch? What do the Bible and early writings show?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) 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 Jerusalem and 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 and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? 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?
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?
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 and Julia Gillard be involved in 2012? Have predictions written by Bob Thiel related to Barack Obama and Julia Gillard began to come to pass?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This link also has YouTube videos. This book documents and explains hundreds of prophecies. And since it was published, world events have aligned with at least 23 predictions in the book and many more will to come to pass. Those who purchase the book at the www.thesecretsect.com website receive a lengthy bonus report documenting world events that aligned with the book.
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect (English Kindle edition). This is the 2nd edition of the book, released in January 2012, and includes a summary of many of the predictions that world events have aligned with since the book originally came out in September 2009.
2012 y el surgimiento de la secta secreta 2012 libro del Dr. Thiel en Español.
2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Edition) 2012 Buch von Dr. Thiel in deutscher Sprache. 2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Kindle Edition)
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel em português. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 23 já começaram a acontecer.
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (Brazilian Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel. Edição em português do Brasil. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 23 já começaram a acontecer.