Church of God News

COGWriter

December 8th is observed by Roman Catholics as the ‘Feast of the Immaculate Conception.’  Here is some of what The Catholic Encyclopedia says about it:

The feast of the Immaculate Conception

The older feast of the Conception of Mary (Conception of St. Anne), which originated in the monasteries of Palestine at least as early as the seventh century, and the modern feast of the Immaculate Conception are not identical in their object.

Originally the Church celebrated only the Feast of the Conception of Mary, as she kept the Feast of St. John’s conception, not discussing the sinlessness. This feast in the course of centuries became the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, as dogmatical argumentation brought about precise and correct ideas, and as the thesis of the theological schools regarding the preservation of Mary from all stain of original sin gained strength. Even after the dogma had been universally accepted in the Latin Church, and had gained authoritative support through diocesan decrees and papal decisions, the old term remained, and before 1854 the term “Immaculata Conceptio” is nowhere found in the liturgical books, except in the invitatorium of the Votive Office of the Conception…

Today the Conception of St. Anne is in the Greek Church one of the minor feasts of the year.  The lesson in Matins contains allusions to the apocryphal “Proto-evangelium” of St. James, which dates from the second half of the second century (see SAINT ANNE). To the Greek Orthodox of our days, however, the feast means very little; they continue to call it “Conception of St. Anne”, indicating unintentionally, perhaps, the active conception which was certainly not immaculate. In the Menaea of 9 December this feast holds only the second place, the first canon being sung in commemoration of the dedication of the Church of the Resurrection at Constantinople. The Russian hagiographer Muraview and several other Orthodox authors even loudly declaimed against the dogma after its promulgation, although their own preachers formerly taught the Immaculate Conception in their writings long before the definition of 1854…

In the Western Church the feast appeared (8 December), when in the Orient its development had come to a standstill. The timid beginnings of the new feast in some Anglo-Saxon monasteries in the eleventh century, partly smothered by the Norman conquest, were followed by its reception in some chapters and dioceses by the Anglo-Norman clergy…

The “Martyrology of Tallaght” compiled about 790 and the “Feilire” of St. Aengus (800) register the Conception of Mary on 3 May.  (Holweck, F. (1910). Immaculate Conception. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved December 8, 2012 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07674d.htm)

From the above we see that:

• The ‘Feast of the Immaculate Conception’ NOT an original Christian observance.
• The first version of it developed around the seventh century in the Greek/Orient (Eastern Orthodox) church.
• Greek/Orient (Eastern Orthodox) church does not consider it to be of much importance.
• A falsely named and false book (the so-called Proto-evangelium of James) was claimed centuries later to support this (having read the so-called Proto-evangelium of James, let me state that any ‘support’ even from it is weaker than weak).
• The Russian Orthodox denounced the idea of the ‘immaculate conception of Mary.’
• The Western Church of Rome did not start to observe a version of it until the 11th century.
• Until 1854 the term Immaculate Conception was not used.
• The date itself seems to have been changed.

Thus, the ‘Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary’ was not an original Christian observance.

Basically, Catholic dogma, defined in 1854 teaches that Mary was conceived without ‘original sin’ and that she allegedly lived a completely sinless life.  Since Catholic scholars realize that this was not the original position of their early theologians (which they normally call “early Church fathers,” but are called “older Fathers” below), The Catholic Encyclopedia declares:

Proof from Tradition

In regard to the sinlessness of Mary the older Fathers are very cautious: some of them even seem to have been in error on this matter… these stray private opinions merely serve to show that theology is a progressive science.  (Holweck, F. (1910). Immaculate Conception. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved December 8, 2012 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07674d.htm)

So, the so-called “Proof from Tradition” disproves the belief in Mary’s claimed sinlessness.  And instead of this being a biblical or early tradition, it developed over time.

Here is some of what I wrote about this subject in the past (note: DRB is an abbreviation for Douay-Rheims Bible, which is a Catholic-approved version):

In  the  19th    century,  there  was  a  female  apparition in France, known as the Lady of Lourdes.  One of the statements she reportedly stated in 1858 was, “I am the Immaculate Conception!”

Now this is an unusual and biblically contradictory idea as the Bible teaches that all have sinned (Roman 3:23) except Jesus (Hebrews 4:15), as He is the only one who had a biblically immaculate conception, but not the Marian kind.

For non-Catholics, let me explain that what became an extra-biblical Catholic doctrine was that Mary was conceived unlike all other humans and free of what many refer to as “original sin.”   Specifically this “dogma” has been explained in Dr. Ludwig Ott’s 20th  century book Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma as:

“Mary’s freedom of original sin was an unmerited gift of God, and an exception from the law that was vouchsafed to her only.”

His book also teaches:

 The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary is not explicitly revealed in scripture… Neither the Greek nor the Latin Fathers explicitly (explicite) teach the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

So where did it come from?

Let’s have a look at some comparative religion. Before the  birth  of  Christ,  the  Iranian  goddess  Aredvi  Sura Anāhitā, known as the Persian Diana, was called “the virgin, ““the immaculate. “   Kore-Persephoneia was also the “immaculate Maiden“ and “Virgin of the World“ who gave birth to a son for Zeus, and she is believed to be same goddess Diana.     Hence, it appears that at least some of the idea was part of paganism associated with “Diana“ goddess worship.

Jumping forward to the 12th   century, a British monk Eadmer  began  to  promote  the  idea  of  an  Immaculate Conception of Mary.    When he did so, “St. Bernard of Clairvaux… (about 1140), warned the faithful that this was an unfounded innovation…”    So was the Catholic saint Bernard  wrong  in  condemning  Monk  Eadmer’s  heresy here?   Of course not!   Others, at least as late as the 17th century supported Bernard’s position on this.

Yet, after claiming to see an apparition in Rue du Bac, Paris in 1830, the Catholic saint Catherine Labouré claimed Mary “was conceived without sin.”   The extra-biblical teaching of the so-called “Immaculate Conception” did not become a type of Catholic dogma until December 8, 1854. It, thus, was not part of early apostolic tradition…

In a letter to her confessor dated June 12, 1930, Lúcia {of Fatima fame} claimed that she was told the following on the night of May 29th-30th, 1930:

There are five kinds of offenses and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary: (1) blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception; (2) against her perpetual virginity; (3) against her divine maternity, refusing to accept her at the same time as the Mother of humankind; (4) by those who try to publicly implant in the hearts of children an indifference, contempt, or even hate for this Immaculate Mother; and (5) for those who insult her sacred images.

Priest Andrew Apostoli, in his Fatima for Today book, wrote:

Those who commit such blasphemies against our Lady are in grave danger of losing their souls, for these sins seriously offend God himself.

I was shocked to read the above.

Now if all five of those statements are blasphemies, then many early Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saints are guilty of blasphemy by that definition. History    records    that    recognized   Catholic    and/or  Eastern  Orthodox  saints  such  as  Melito,  Irenaeus, Theophilus of Antioch, Origen, Basil, Cyprian of Carthage, John  Chrysostom,  Ambrose,  Hilary,  Gregory  of  Tours, Bernard of Clairvoux, Bonaventure, “Albert the Great,” and Thomas Aquinas all took one or more positions that the “messenger” apparently considered to be blasphemous.

Since Priest Apostoli says that salvation may be lost for taking positions against those messages, does not this mean that he is challenging the validity of the sainthood of all Catholic-approved saints who took such supposedly “blasphemous” positions?

He surely does not intend to, but that is what some of the “blasphemy messages” really mean…

Teaching Against the Immaculate Conception

It needs to be understood that the idea of an Immaculate Conception for Mary was not an early tradition of the church nor is it taught in scripture.

The  Catholic  Encyclopedia  article  of  the  Immaculate Conception clearly recognizes this:

No direct or categorical and stringent proof of the dogma can be brought forward from Scripture.

So, the doctrine is simply not provable from the Holy Bible.

One aspects of the belief in Mary’s “Immaculate Conception” is that “she was immune from all sin, personal, or inherited.”   Yet, scripture states:

23 For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God. 24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus, (Romans 3:23-24, DRB)

All, including Mary, sinned, and need redemption through Christ Jesus (and not Mary) according to the Bible.

Notice  that  the  Catholic  Encyclopedia  article  of  the Immaculate Conception also teaches:

* Origen…thought that…for her sins also Christ died (Origen, “In Luc. Hom. Xvii”).
*…St. Basil writes in the fourth century: he sees in the sword, of which Simeon speaks, the doubt which pierced Mary’s soul (Epistle 259).
* St. Chrysostom accuses her of ambition, and of putting herself forward unduly when she sought to speak to Jesus at Capharnaum (Matthew 12:46; Chrysostom, Homily 44 on Matthew).

The book Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma also admits that “individual Greek Fathers (Origen, St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Alexandria) taught that Mary suffered from venial personal faults, such as ambition and vanity, doubt about the message of the Angel, and lack of faith under the Cross…”

Either those Catholic saints (or Orthodox saints in the case of Origen) were not committing blasphemy, they were not really saints, and/or the messages that Lúcia was told did not come from God.

Additionally, as late as the early 5th  century, even the Catholic saint Augustine would not teach as dogma that Mary was without sin.

About 1140, the Catholic saint Bernard of Clairvaux warned the faithful not to believe the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary as it was an unfounded innovation.

The Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma also teaches that “the leading theologians of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries (Petrus Lombardus, St. Alexander of Hales, St. Bonaventure, St. Albert the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas…) rejected the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.”

Thus, to teach that it is blasphemy or a serious sin against God to not accept the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (as being different than how other humans were conceived) does not seem to be a biblical or early historical truth—even Catholic saints opposed the view.

Notice also what Jesus taught:

32 And the multitude sat about him; and they say to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33 And answering them, he said: Who is my mother and my brethren?
34 And looking round about on them who sat about him, he saith: Behold my mother and my brethren.
35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother. (Mark 3:32-35, DRB)

Jesus is showing that all who do God’s will are His mother, brother, or sisters. If Mary was sinless or conceived differently, He would have not included His mother in those statements.

The Eastern Orthodox in their Patriarchal Encyclical of 1895 declared:

XIII. The one holy, catholic and apostolic Church of the seven Ecumenical Councils teaches that the supernatural incarnation of the only-begotten Son and Word of God, of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, is alone pure and immaculate; but the Papal Church scarcely forty years ago again made an innovation by laying down a novel dogma concerning the immaculate conception of the Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, which was unknown to the ancient Church (and strongly opposed at different times even by the more distinguished among the Papal theologians).

Thus,  the  Eastern  Orthodox  have  long  taught  that the idea of an “Immaculate Conception” of Mary was “unknown by the ancient Church.”386    And they correctly teach  that  Jesus  alone  is  pure  and  immaculate,  and refer to the Immaculate Conception teaching as a novel “innovation.”   An innovation adopted since the 1800s is not an original teaching—true traditionalists cannot accept such late traditions as essential.

Since Pope Benedict XVI considers that those of the Eastern Orthodox are churches in “the proper sense,”387 obviously the Pope does not believe that they are committing sin or blasphemy in denying the modern teaching of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

Nor should anyone else based upon what the Bible teaches.

The pro-Vatican news source Zenit.com reported this related to today:

ROME, DEC. 7, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Padre Pio said that “The Madonna is the shortcut to get to God.”

There is no doubt that in order to see the face of Jesus, we must turn to His Mother, and it is to Her who we look to heal our diseases, to turn our tears into prayer.  http://www.zenit.org/article-36131?l=english

This also is in conflict with scripture.  It is by Jesus’ stripes we are to be healed (Isaiah 53:5), not Mary.  Jesus, not His mother Mary, is the one mediator.  Here is something I previously wrote related to this mediator matter:

Mark Miravalle, a professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, wrote:

Let us pray daily for the solemn definition of Our Lady’s spiritual motherhood as co-redemptrix, mediatrix of all graces, and advocate, which truly reveal the saving actions of motherly intercession which come forth from her Immaculate Heart, and thus to bring the Church and the world a giant step closer to the Fatima-prophesied “Era of Peace.”

Yet, there is nothing in scripture about Mary bringing in an era of peace or being our intercessor—the only intercessor listed in the Bible is Christ (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)—the Bible says He is the “one mediator” (1 Timothy 2:5, DRB).  The Bible shows that we are only to call upon the name of the Lord/God/Jesus (2 Timothy 2:22; Romans 10:12-13; Acts 26:20)—never Mary.

Although it is proper for Christians to state that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was blessed (Luke 1:48), it is blasphemous to insist that she was sinless (cf. Romans 3:23) and that one must turn to Mary in order to see Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

There is nothing in the Bible, or even in early church writings, that supports the view that December 8th is to be a festival for some type of ‘immaculate conception’ of Mary.  Those who are willing to believe what the Bible teaches, as well as truly connect-the-dots related to early church history, will realize that.  Sadly, however, multiple millions are not willing to do so.

For more information, please check out the following:

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
Assumption of Mary Did Mary die? Was she taken to heaven on August 15th? What is known? What does the Bible show?
Women and the New Testament Church Were women important in the New Testament Church? Which women and how were they involved?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Genuine 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 verdadeira igreja do deus? Tambien Español: ¿Que es fiel: La Iglesia Católica Romana o la Iglesia verdadera de Dios? Auch: Deutsch: Welches ist treu: Die römisch-katholische Kirche oder die Kirche Gottes Original?

Jerusalem

COGwriter

The latest TW News & Prophecy from LCG has the following:

Continuing Conflict over Jerusalem

When the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, announced that the United Nations had upgraded the Palestinians to non-member observer status he asserted, “One day, a young Palestinian will raise the Palestinian flag over Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the state of Palestine” (israelnationalnews.com, December 2, 2012). However, within 24 hours of the U.N. decision, Israel announced it would begin construction of 3,000 new housing units in disputed areas around Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. From the Palestinian point of view, this announcement is seen as an “act of Israeli aggression” on the part of Israel. However, the Israelis counter that the announcement is just part of a “comprehensive settlement plan” and “according to Israel’s strategic interests” (israelnationalnews.com, November 30, 2012). Bible prophecies have long warned that conflict over the Holy Land will erupt in its final form just before Jesus Christ returns to this earth. In fact, Jesus Himself warned, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near… And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:7-24). We appear to be moving closer to that prophesied time.

As I reported a few days ago, related to part of this, a divided Jerusalem seems to be consistent with biblical prophecy (Palestinian Leader Says, ‘Jerusalem is Eternal Capital’).  And as Jesus said, “Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

As far as the time of the Gentiles goes, notice the following scriptures:

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. (Ezekiel 30:2-3)

23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:23-24)

2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. (Revelation 11:2)

The goings on in Israel and the Middle East are certainly setting the stage for the final time of the Gentiles, which is the time of the Great Tribulation and the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).  This could happen as early as 2017.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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?
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?
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?
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?
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? What will happen to the nation of Israel and Jerusalem?

Julia Gillard

COGwriter

The Prime Minister of Australia has jokingly told people that the world will end this month:

7 December 2012

Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned that predictions of the end of the world by ancient Mayans were correct and that the final days are coming — in a deadpan ad for a lighthearted breakfast radio show…She concluded her message by saying “Good luck to you all.”  http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/06/15719214-australia-pm-julia-gillard-jokes-mayans-were-right-end-of-the-world-is-coming

While the world will not end this month, others are not so sure.  Noticed the following regarding certain Russians that the UK’s Telegraph reported about:

Russian residents buy up tinned goods and matches ahead of apocalypse

Russian residents have been buying up cereals, tinned meat and boxes of matches in anticipation of the pending apocalypse.

7 December 2012  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9729820/Russian-residents-buy-up-tinned-goods-and-matches-ahead-of-apocalypse.html

There are also others who also believe that the world will end on December 21/22, 2012.  But it will not.

That, however, does not mean that people should not have any candles or canned goods.  I currently live in ‘earthquake country’ and our area is susceptible to being without food, etc. possibly for a week or more if there was a big enough earthquake.  Thus, I have no problem with some physical preparations.

Of course, the idea of surviving the ‘end of the world’ because one has lots of candles and canned foods is a bit far-fetched.  If people really want to survive what will happen in the future, they need to take greater stock in their spiritual lives.

Although the Prime Minister of Australia is joking about the Mayans, the reality is that the end of the world as we know it is coming.   While it will not be this month, Australia (as well as the USA, UK, Canada, and New Zealand) will come to its end.  But this will not be for at least four years.  Russia will come to its end as well, but not for about three and one-half years after Australia.

Some articles of related interest may include:

Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
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? Might military alliances be part of the reason that non-US Anglo-nations get divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach?
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?
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?

COGwriter

The death toll has risen from Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines:

Death toll from Philippine typhoon climbs past 500

Bullit Marquez, Associated Press, New Bataan, Philippines | World | Fri, December 07 2012…

The death toll from the storm has surpassed 500, with more than 400 people missing.More than 310,000 people have lost their homes since Typhoon Bopha struck Tuesday and are crowded inside evacuation centers or staying with their relatives, relying on food and emergency supplies being rushed in by government agencies and aid groups.  http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/07/death-toll-philippine-typhoon-climbs-past-500.html

LCG seems to have the most members of any COG in the Philippines and as of a report I got last night, though members in the affected area had housing damage, there were no reported causalities.

A French language publication reporting on the flood in the Philippines mentioned it along with the Mayan ‘end of the world’ calendar date (the following is machine-translated as I do not read French):

5 December 2012

Tuesday 4 December, a typhoon ravages the southern Philippines. Typhoon Bopha…

Nature rebels increasingly, natural disasters called “normal” if you allow me this expression have consequences with increasing disasters…{is this a type of preview of} the end of the world under the Mayan calendar on December 21 this year? It is something to ask!..our world completely adrift, nature force rebels to be abused more, this is really disturbing …http://www.come4news.com/un-typhon-aux-philippines-776191

Notice also the following from a couple of weeks ago:

Lu Zhenghai of China began preparations for the Mayan Apocalypse in 2010, when he decided to spend his life savings to build an ark designed to sustain the flood waters he fears will accompany the prophesized end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012…The problem is, Lu Zhenghai has exhausted his life savings of $160,500 building the ark and it still isn’t finished. Zhenghai says the ark needs another $160,500 for equipment.  http://www.examiner.com/article/chinese-man-spends-life-savings-building-ark-to-survive-mayan-apocalypse

Lu Zhenghai should not have started a project he could not complete (Luke 14:28-30), but also there is no need for an ark as the world will not be destroyed with a flood two weeks from today (Genesis 9:11-15).

Three years ago, Sony put out a movie showing the world being mainly destroyed by a flood at the end of the current long-count Mayan calendar, which is December 21, 2012.   Many people are saved in the movie by going on arks that the Chinese supposedly were secretly building.

But the world will not end in a flood this month.

Why?

Because the Bible makes that clear:

8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-11, NKJV)

Now, in Sony’s defense, its movie’s premise does seem to have been based on one particular interpretation of a centuries old Mayan prophecy (and likely other Mayan information, like a particular interpretation of the last page of the Dresden Codex).

In the 16th century Mayan writing known as the Chilam Balam there is the following:

But when the law of the katun has run its course, the God will bring about a great deluge again which will be the end of the world. When this is over, then our Lord Jesus Christ will descend over the valley of Jehoshaphat beside the town of Jerusalem where he redeemed us with his holy blood (José Hoíl J, Roys R. The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel. Roys Publisher, 1933. Reprint Forgotten Books, 1967, p. 62).

Since the Mayan calendar ends when one of the katuns is finished (December 21, 2012), some interpret that the world will end in a flood that begins that date.  Yet, while December 21, 2012 is the end of the current Mayan cycle of 13 ‘baktuns’ (roughly 5,125 years), the reference to the particular ‘katun’ (a shorter time period, less than 20 years) above may be for another time.  There will be no massive worldwide flood on December 21/22, 2012.  For more details, please check out End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?

But notice that the particular Mayan prophecy, which by the way is the most explicit one about the world ending in a flood (prior to the 16th century the Mayans did not write, but essentially used a picture written communication system which 21st century scholars interpret in various ways), says that Jesus will return.  As it turns out, the book that mentions Jesus the most, the Holy Bible, has this to say about a disastrous flood (Genesis 9:8-11).

So, no, the world as we know it will not be destroyed by December 22, 2012. People do not need to live in fear that their county will be destroyed like the Sony 2012 movie portrays. The Bible is clear that the world will not be destroyed by a flood.

As far as a flood this month and some wondering about the Mayan calendar, here is something from my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect (published in August 2012):

December 21, 2012 (I Ching calculation may be a month earlier); some scoff and claim nothing “prophetic” can ever happen, some look for a flood.  These are the times, however, of the last days…

December 22, 2012. World does not end in destruction.  There is no world-destroying flood.

So, though some wonder if a world-destroying flood is coming this month, it will not.

It is likely that when the world does not end in a flood, that on December 22, 2012 scoffers will rise up and discount all prophecy.  Because of misinterpretations of 2012 and certain media, hype, many will doubt Bible prophecy. Notice that the Apostle Peter warned about this:

1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (2 Peter 3:1-13)

So, no, we do not need to take steps today to prepare for the end of the world and return of Jesus Christ on December 21/22, 2012, but yes Jesus will return and the world as we know it will end. But that will not be for years from now.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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 24 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 24 já começaram a acontecer.
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (2 ª Edição em português do Brasil): Um Guia Revolucionário de Sobrevivência Espiritual e Física para 2012-2020 (Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel. 2 ª edição em português do Brasil. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 24 já começaram a acontecer.2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (KINDLE Edição em português do Brasil) 2 ª edição.-Kindle.

Corn Zea mays (Andrew Butko)

COGwriter

Bloomberg reported on the four investments Morgan Stanley is picking for 2013:

Morgan Stanley Backs Gold, Corn, Beans as Best Picks in 2013

Bloomberg – Dec 6, 2012 excerpts…

Gold, silver and corn will outperform other raw materials next year as a weaker dollar and rising investor demand bolster precious metals while supply curbs aid grains, Morgan Stanley said, listing top picks for 2013…

Morgan Stanley expects higher corn and soybean prices on the potential for lower supplies from South America. Rains and flooding have impeded planting in Argentina, while dry weather in Brazil is threatening beans. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-06/morgan-stanley-backs-gold-corn-soybeans-as-best-picks-in-2013.html

And of course, in 2012, weather problems, including flooding, drought, and heat have affected food production in many areas (see, for example, Earthquakes, South African Snow, Heat Record, Drought, and Food Prices, Flooding in North Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, and China, TW: Drought USA and Flooding UK; Russia Having Both, Quarter Million Affected by Flooding in Japan, Severely Cold Weather in South Africa and Australia, Drought in Mid-USA Affecting Grain, 2012 Drought Declared USA’s Largest Ever Natural Disaster, Drought Affecting India and Its Food Supply; Europe too, Drought Reducing Wheat Yields in US, Australia, Russia, and Ukraine, and Weather Extremes in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK).

The disciples asked Jesus about the end:

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3)

Notice some of what Jesus taught in response:

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:4-8).

The “beginning of sorrows” (Mathew 24:7-8) begins before the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). We seem to be in the beginning stages of these sorrows.

Mark recorded the same account of this time from his perspective:

³ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” ⁵ And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁶ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. ⁷ But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 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. ⁹ But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. ¹¹ But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit…” (Mark 13:3–11).

Thus, in both Matthew and Mark it is clear that a time called “the beginning of sorrows” precedes the Great Tribulation.

Droughts, earthquakes, and odd weather problems and the resulting reduction in grain yields should serve as a wake-up call.

As far as silver and gold go, some information about them is discussed on page 333 of my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. as well as pages 132-133 my book Barack Obama, Islam, and the Destruction of the United States.  Here are some excerpts:

One more verse should be perhaps touched on here, and that is Daniel 11:43:

43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.

The “he” is the King of the North.  This is the same King of the North that valued gold and silver in Daniel 11:38 (although other scriptures, also show that gold and silver will have value around this time, like Revelation 18; 9:20, the Bible is clear that gold and silver will be worthless for a short time before Jesus returns, e.g. Ezekiel 7: 19)…It seems since many are now questioning the role of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency, more are looking into other currencies as well as gold. Gold will set records in U.S. dollar terms. When the U.S. dollar totally collapses people all around the world will consider that even if the Euro (or something similar) is strong, having a more gold-backed currency would be safer. The collapse of the U.S.A. dollar will shake a lot of the world’s confidence in non-gold backed currencies…

The financial policies of the Obama Administration (which are a massive acceleration of the previous policies of the Bush Administration) are heading the world into the direction that something other than the U.S. dollar will be valued as its reserve currency. (Thiel B. Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States.  2012 Edition 1.1, pp. 132-133)

One side note is that, in Egypt, major gold deposits were found in 2006. This is relevant for a couple of reasons, including that it does prove that Egypt now does have enough gold that some foreign power would be interested in taking/using it (and in that respect is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy).  It also suggests that gold will still be a valuable item into the Great Tribulation (though near/during the Day of the Lord it will become less than worthless, see Ezekiel 7:19).

It would seem that once the U.S. dollar totally collapses people all around the world will consider that even if the Euro is strong, having a more gold-backed currency would be safer.  (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect.  2009, p. 333)

The Bible is clear that the final King of the North and his revived Babylonian empire will accumulate and use gold (Daniel 11:38,43; Revelation 18:12,16; cf. 17:4).  And I have long believed that part of the reason for this would be because of devaluation of the USA dollar.  The devaluation of the USA dollar has begun.

Does this mean that gold will go up higher next year?  No, it does not, though as Morgan Stanley suggests, it certainly may.  How USA taxes and debt are dealt with, food stocks, international matters, energy production, etc. all play a role.  And the role may raise or lower the value of gold in USA dollar terms in the short run.

The financial world is somewhat starting to understand some of this–but few really know how bad it will get. While Europe will have problems and ultimately must restructure (Revelation 17:11-13), the biblical reality is that US dollar will ultimately be worthless and the USA ultimately taken over because of its sins and debt. Increased interest gold (and silver) suggest decreased interest in the US dollar. Of course, with the rapid rise in the price of gold in the past few years, it may go down–though I believe that after the US dollar is worthless, gold still will have value (Daniel 11:38,43; Revelation 18)–though even it will be considered less than worthless for a while after that per scripture (cf. Ezekiel 7:19)..

As Jesus said:

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

The time is coming when the USA will have severe food shortages–more than the current food inflation.   The Bible teaches that riches will not save in the day of wrath (Proverbs 11:4), and that includes riches based up the US dollar.

Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
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?
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?
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?
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?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link:  Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States–Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon’s Free Reader Apps.  After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States–Amazon Kindle edition.)

Russian Iconic Portrayal of Nicholas of Myra

COGwriter

The following is from a Catholic monsignor priest:

The Real St. Nicholas – Not Fat and Not Very Jolly Either.

Today (Dec 6) is the Feast of St. Nicholas. The real St. Nicholas was nothing close to the St. Nick (Santa Claus) of the modern age. He was a thin curmudgeonly man with a zeal for the Lord that caused flairs of anger. Compromise was unknown to him. The slow transformation of him into “Jolly ole’ Saint Nicholas is a remarkable recasting of him centuries in the making…

Enjoy this excerpt on the real St. Nicholas of Myra (aka Santa):

He approaches Arius, fist raised menacingly. There are gasps. Would he dare? He would. Fist strikes face. Arius goes down. He will have a shiner. Nick, meanwhile, is set upon by holy men. His robes are torn off. He is thrown into a dungeon…

Saint Nicholas. Paintings show a thin man. He was spare of frame, flinty of eye, pugnacious of spirit. In the Middle Ages, he was known as a brawling saint. He had no particular sense of humor that we know of. He could be vengeful, wrathful, an embittered ex- con….No doubt, Saint Nick was a good man. A noble man. But a hard man.

Nicholas was born in Patara, a small town on the Mediterranean coast, 280 years after the birth of Christ. He became bishop of a small town in Asia Minor called Myra. Beyond that, details of his life are more legend than fact….He became a priest at 19, and bishop in his twenties…Nicholas of Myra might not seem like the kind of person who relates to kids, and few acts attributed to him involve children.

St. Nicholas of Myra morphed into Santa Claus.  (Pope C, Msgr.  The Real St. Nicholas – Not Fat and Not Very Jolly Either.  http://blog.adw.org/2012/12/the-real-st-nicholas-not-fat-and-not-very-jolly-either/ viewed 12/6/12)

Here is more information about Nicholas:

December 6, 2012

Who is Nikolaus, then?

Each year on December 6, Germans remember the death of Nicholas of Myra (now the Anatolia region of modern Turkey), who died on that day in 346. He was a Greek Christian bishop known for miracles… is now the patron saint of little children, sailors, merchants and students. Known as Nicholas the Wonderworker for his miracles, he is also identified with Santa Claus. Beliefs and traditions about Nikolaus were probably combined with German mythology, particularly regarding stories about the bearded pagan god Odin, who also had a beard and a bag to capture naughty children.  http://www.thelocal.de/society/20121206-15915.html

Here is some of what the Eastern Orthodox have strangely claimed about him:

As a faithful bishop/shepherd, St. Nicholas was revered as a saint even before his death because of his great holiness and tender care of his flock. After the Blessed Mother and St. John the Forerunner (Baptist), Nicholas was the most revered saint in the early church. He is most honored in the East, especially in Russia. Throughout the world many churches are named for him—more than for any other saint. His ministry continues to this day as a powerful intercessor for the protection and advancement of the Church. (Orthodox America and St. Therese Byzantine Catholic Church, St. Petersburg, Florida. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/wonderworker/)

Of course, according to the Holy Bible, the only intercessor listed in the Bible is Christ (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)–and Jesus is specifically called the “one mediator” (1 Timothy 2:5, Douay-Rheims).   Nicholas is not one who should be revered.

Christmas itself is not a biblical holiday, but a compromise with pagan festive and religious practices. It was not observed by early Christians, and even the Church of Rome did not observe it on December 25th until some time in the fourth century.  And the English word for “Christmas” did not even enter the literature before 1038 A.D.  It was not an original day observed by early Christians.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them?
Is January 1st a Date for Christians Celebrate? Historical and biblical answers to this question about the world’s New Year’s day.
Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Did biblical era Jews celebrate birthdays? Who originally celebrated birthdays? When did many that profess Christ begin birthday celebrations?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.

Chemical Weapons Canisters

COGwriter

It has now been reported that Syria has taken another step suggesting that it is planning on using chemical weapons:

Syria loads chemical weapons into bombs; military awaits Assad’s order

6 December 2012

The Syrian military is prepared to use chemical weapons against its own people and is awaiting final orders from President Bashar Assad, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday.

The military has loaded the precursor chemicals for sarin, a deadly nerve gas, into aerial bombs that could be dropped onto the Syrian people from dozens of fighter-bombers, the officials said…Sarin is an extraordinarily lethal agent.  http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/05/15706380-syria-loads-chemical-weapons-into-bombs-military-awaits-assads-order?lite

US, Russian FM to Meet on Syrian Conflict

6 December 2012

NATO decided to send the Patriot missile-defense system to Turkey earlier this week…NATO officials stress the Patriot system is purely defensive and does not signal any intention to intervene in the Syria conflict.

Secretary of State Clinton said Wednesday the decision sends a “clear message” to Syrian leaders that Turkey has the alliance’s full support.  She called for President Bashar al-Assad to reach a political settlement with Syria’s newly reorganized opposition and warned that the use of chemical weapons by Syria is unacceptable.

“Our concerns are that an increasingly desperate Assad regime might turn to chemical weapons, or might lose control of them to one of the many groups that are now operating within Syria,” she said. “And so, as part of the absolute unity that we all have on this issue, we have sent an unmistakable message that this would cross a red line and those responsible would be held to account.”  http://www.voanews.com/content/german-cabinet-agrees-to-deploy-missiles-to-turkey/1559461.html

Syria has, in the past, admitted to having both chemical and biological weapons.  And directly or indirectly, President Assad’s regime has told the world that to attack Syria would have a very high cost.

Although at least twice Syria’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi  has stated that Syria would not use chemical weapons against its own people e.g. (Syrian Official Acknowledges Having Chemical Weapons and Declares Syria Will Use Them If Attacked), there are at least two concerns that way.  The first is that it is rumored that the Jihad Makdissi has possibly defected, so maybe he feels that President Assad has changed his own mind.  And the second is that Syria has indicated that there are foreign forces mainly behind the opposition, which presumably may ‘justify’ in the regime’s mind releasing chemical agents against people in Syria.

Yet, if President Assad uses chemical weapons against his own people, he realizes that he risks direct military intervention from the West. He is certainly aware that the indirect military and political support his opposition has already received from the West is currently weakening his regime. Plus he knows what happened to Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein when the West/USA decided those leaders went too far. Thus, while he may feel cornered, he is likely considering many options.  He may also decide that the threat of using biological weapons against the USA and/or others may deter direct attacks against him.  However, that would seem to be a mistake.

Both biblical and Islamic prophecy tell of the destruction of  Syria’s capital Damascus. Here is some of what Bible prophecies teaches:

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)

The Bible also suggests that Syria will be involved in a confederation of North African and Middle Eastern nations (Ezekiel 30:1-8; Psalm 83:4-8) who will support a leader that the Bible refers to as the final King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43).  Since the Muslim Brotherhood wants a similar confederation, I have long believed that Syria will align with it or a group like it–and since Syria’s President is opposed to that, he will have to go or change his views.

Syria’s President Assad may decide to release chemical and/or biological weapons against his opposition and/or Israel.  The reactions to this may well result in the destruction of Damascus.  The Bible teaches Damascus has to be destroyed, and probably relatively soon.

“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?
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”? Is there a needed peace deal first in the Middle East? 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?
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?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States–Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon’s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States–Amazon Kindle edition.)

COGwriter

Notice the following:

Euro blueprint gives Brussels economic sovereignty over members

Eurozone countries would lose the right to set their own budgets and end up surrendering economic sovereignty to Brussels under a blueprint to “complete” the European Union’s single currency.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/9724690/Euro-blueprint-gives-Brussels-economic-sovereignty-over-members.html

Analysis: For the EU, way ahead may be a three-lane highway

And when EU leaders next meet at a summit in Brussels on December 13-14, it is the road ahead that will be the focus of discussions.

In the slow lane, closest to the exit ramp should it choose to swerve off, is Britain, the reluctant partner of Europe for the past 40 years…The push to set up a unified banking structure across the euro zone and wider EU has prompted non-euro states to define their positions sharply. They are concerned about losing sovereignty over their banks if the European Central Bank, a euro-focused institution, is given sole charge of oversight.  http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-rt-us-eu-eurozone-highwaybre8b40ks-20121205,0,2739836.story

What is being discussed is consistent with the long-held COG view that Europe will reorganize, the UK will find itself on the outs.  Additional fiscal union (cf. Revelation 13:16-17) is prophesied for the end time Babylonian beast power. And having problems is consistent with other aspects of Bible prophecy related to end time Europe (Daniel 2:41-43; Revelation 17:12-13).

Europe has tended to have similarities to the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 (see EU’s Fragile Tower of Babel) and sometimes has used it as a reference as the poster at the beginning of this article shows. The term Babylon seems to derive from Babel and the Bible indicates that the end time Babylon will be European (cf. Revelation 17).

Notice also the following scriptures, which have European (cf. Daniel 7:2-7, Joshua 9:1, 23:4; Ezekiel 47:15) end time prophetic connections:

41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.  (Daniel 2:41-43)

12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.   (Revelation 17:12-13)

They show a fragile coalition that will have to likely reorganize at least two more times according to the Bible–and the UK will not be a major leader in it.   Europe ultimately will have ten major leaders who will then turn their power over to a single leader.   And there seem to be a lot of reorganization steps on the way before those two reorganizations take place.

Eventually, Europe will end up with a dictatorial leader (Revelation 13). And while now is not quite yet the dictator’s time, despite problems (Daniel 2:40-43), a major dictator in Europe (who I still do not anticipate at this time will be the first EU “permanent president” Herman van Rompuy) will rise up (Revelation 13:1-8), Europe will reorganize (Revelation 17:12-13), and become the final King of the North, European Beast power of Bible prophecy (Daniel 11:21-44).

At some point in time, the UK will leave the EU, either voluntarily or involuntarily, as the leader of the final revival of the Beast empire is prophesied to take over the UK and its Anglo-allies like the USA (Jeremiah 30:7; Isaiah 10:5-11; Daniel 11:39).

Almost daily, there are news items that suggest that Europe is on its way to fulfill various biblical prophecies.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Using the Tower of Babel and “Beast” images suggests it is not concerned about its role as being part of the future Babylon of Bible prophecy.
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? What MUST happen BEFORE the Great Tribulation?
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?
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?
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the COG has tended to views this, and compares this to an explanation from SDA founder Ellen White.

Vladimir Putin, Official Photograph

COGwriter

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has taken his on creating a ‘Eurasian Union’ to a new level:

Putin to visit Brussels as ‘Eurasian Union’ leader

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the EU-Russia summit in Brussels later this month. But he will make sure his hosts welcome him as the representative of the Eurasian Union – Putin’s pet geopolitical project, which bears similarities to the EU.

The date of the summit is still a “working” hypothesis, but diplomats told EurActiv they were quite confident that Putin will be in Brussels on 21 December.

http://www.euractiv.com/europes-east/putin-comes-eu-eurasian-union-le-news-516419

Of course, this coming Eurasian union has been reported on before here.  Russia, via Putin, has been repeatedly trying to become stronger and gain more influence and military cooperation throughout Asia (see also Russia Votes for Putin: What Might this Mean?, Russia Strengthening Ties to China and India, Russia Strengthening Ties to Pakistan, Russia Strenthening Military Ties with North Korea, The Eurasian Union is Coming and Russia Wants It and Russia’s Putin Still Working for Eurasian Union). The final time of the Gentiles is rapidly approaching (Luke 21:24).

The Bible indicates that in the end Russia (Jeremiah 50:41-42) apparently will help lead the Kings of the East (Revelation 16:12) against the end-time European Babylonian empire (Daniel 11:44; Jeremiah 50:9). These eastern kings also include China and many other oriental nations and probably will also include India.

Notice that the Bible clearly states there is a group that will form from the far north:

3 O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal…6 from the far north and all its troops–many people are with you (Ezekiel 38:3,6).

14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog…15…you will come from your place out of the far north… (Ezekiel 38:14-15).

1 O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; 2 and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north (Ezekiel 39:1-2).

A Russian confederation is that only place on the planet that is in the far north and currently has massive military power. A northern confederation (that appears to be led by Russia) will destroy the European Babylon presuming this has end-time applicability:

9 For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon
An assembly of great nations from the north country,
And they shall array themselves against her;
From there she shall be captured.
Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior;
None shall return in vain. (Jeremiah 50:9)

41 “Behold, a people shall come from the north,
And a great nation and many kings
Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
42 They shall hold the bow and the lance;
They are cruel and shall not show mercy.
Their voice shall roar like the sea;
They shall ride on horses,
Set in array, like a man for the battle,
Against you, O daughter of Babylon. (Jeremiah 50:41-42)

In the New Testament it is shown that a group of nations known as the Kings of the East will form:

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).

This concept of Asian involvement in a major battle is confirmed in the Book of Revelation. Notice the following:

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed–by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths(Revelation 9:13-18).

Only China, and possibly India and others in Asia, which would apparently align themselves with a Russia confederation against the European Empire, are capable of fielding a two hundred million man army

The Bible shows that a Eurasian military union will happen involving those from the north AND the east will form and frighten the European King of the North:

…the king of the North… 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him (Dan 11:40,43-45).

And will all of that WILL happen, it is likely that it may be proceeded by various types of economic unions and/or treaties. Such as what Vladimir Putin has been proposing and is now suggesting that he is representing.  Russia likely will be the leader of the Eurasian Union (at least to a degree) and it seems that Vladimir Putin has taken the lead by wanting himself introduced as a leader of this block.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?

Aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana in Manila, 2009

COGwriter

Typhoon Bopha has killed hundreds in the Philippines:

December 5, 2012

MANILA — Rescue teams were trying to reach isolated villages in the southern Philippines on Wednesday after a powerful out-of-season typhoon tore through the region, leaving more than 270 people dead, officials said.

Typhoon Bopha packed winds of up to 100 miles per hour when it struck Tuesday, bringing torrential rains that flattened entire villages, leaving thousands homeless, as well as washing out roads and bridges needed by rescue personnel trying to reach stricken regions.

A national disaster official, Benito Ramos, said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that 274 deaths had been confirmed, with 339 people known to be injured and 279 missing.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/asia/typhoon-said-to-have-killed-hundreds-in-philippines.html?_r=0

Weather-related problems can greatly disrupt many lives, and as the above shows, even loss of many lives.

Spiritually speaking, killer storms and odd weather problems should serve as a wake-up call. Weather-related troubles with their related social and 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).

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)

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)

As the above shows, Jesus foretold on a time of natural disasters and “troubles” as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8)–and the sorrows seem to have begun.  Yet the Book of Revelation (16:8-11) tells of a time of even greater disturbances during “the Day of the Lord.”

The affected areas are in my prayers.

Now, ultimately of course, there is good news as ultimately, God’s kingdom will come and those issues will be gone (Revelation 7:16).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, Japanese, and others of Asia? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? 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?