Church of God News

Russian Leaders Signing Annexation of Crimea Legislation

COGwriter

Crimeans took over Ukraine’s Crimean naval base on the Black Sea today, while some others in Ukraine and Moldova are looking to Vladimir Putin:

March 19, 2014

Pro-Russian forces have taken control of Ukraine’s navy headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, a day after Russia signed a treaty with local authorities to make Crimea part of Russia.

Witnesses said at least 200 unarmed members of the co-called Crimean self-defense forces entered the base Wednesday and put up the Russian flag. There was no violence reported; Ukrainian service members are said not to have resisted the takeover…
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met with leaders of Lithuania and Latvia on Wednesday, part of a quick trip to reassure Baltic allies worried about what an emboldened, aggressive Russia might mean for their nations.  http://www.voanews.com/content/prorussian-forces-seize-ukraine-navy-headquarters/1874319.html

Donetsk Russians Say Only Putin Can Save Them

March 19, 2014

DONETSK, UKRAINE — It is a frigid evening in Donetsk’s Lenin Square, but the cold has not deterred a small crowd from maintaining a weeks-long protest against the new Ukraine government in Kyiv. They say they want to follow Crimea and break with Ukraine and join the Russian Federation.

Denis, 70, says the new government in Kyiv is making everyone poorer and the people of eastern Ukraine can’t live with the politicians of the capital anymore.

Vera, 62, says she’d like Donetsk to stay in Ukraine but that ethnic Russians are being forced to ask Putin to help because the politicians in Kyiv don’t care about the east of Ukraine and they just think of themselves.

Donetsk is in the heart of the Donbass coalfield and is one of Ukraine’s major industrial cities. The activists in Lenin Square are demanding the release of an activist who briefly proclaimed himself “people’s governor” of the region this month.

And they praise the actions of Russian separatists in Crimea, who stormed Wednesday a Ukrainian naval base in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. This is a day after Crimean leaders signed a treaty with Russia absorbing the peninsula into the Russian Federation after a disputed referendum.

Ukraine’s new leaders are becoming increasingly anxious about the protests in the eastern Ukraine cities that are home to large numbers of ethnic Russians. Protests have mounted, and over the weekend violence flared when more than 5,000 pro-Russian protesters roamed central Donetsk smashing doors and windows and forcing entry to government buildings.

Three have died in the recent protests in eastern Ukraine.  http://www.voanews.com/content/donetsk-russians-say-putin-only-one-to-save-them/1874365.htmlWhile the world watches Crimea, Putin is still planning for the Republic of Moldova to join Russia’s customs union. Pressure from Moscow is high – and might be enough to scuttle Moldova’s EU Association Agreement…

As of February, the Gagauz, an ethnic minority, have been preparing a popular protest against the EU deal – and seem to be winning Moscow’s favor for their efforts.

Previously, Moldova had been considered a safe candidate for an EU Association Agreement. Located between Romania and Ukraine, it is supposed to sign the contract with the EU this summer – despite its “frozen conflict” in the separatist region of Transnistria.

That region is increasingly demanding to join the Russian Federation outright – or, at the very least, to join its Customs Union. One hundred kilometers (62 miles) south of Molodva’s capital, Chisinau, economic relations to Russia, it seems, are more important than EU trade…

“Our economy in Gaugazia needs another 10 years to become competitively viable in the EU. Only the Russian market can save us over the next ten years,” he told DW. That sentiment can also heard on the streets of Comrat…

Moldovans will vote on a new parliament in autumn. According to polls, the country’s communist party will win.

“Moldovans aren’t stupid,” said Inna Shapuk, a representative for the communist fraction in Moldova’s parliament. “They see on TV how anti-democratic politics are under the flag of the EU. We want to show the advantages Russia’s Customs Union would have.”

Her first planned official act: simply scrapping the EU Association Agreement, if it were to be signed.  http://www.dw.de/moldovas-gagauz-region-leans-toward-moscow/a-17504239

Vladimir Putin wants to restore as much of the territory of the old Soviet Union as he possibly can.  Various groups in eastern Europe seem to feel that they have been betrayed and/or disappointed enough by the West, that they seem to prefer Russia and Vladimir Putin.

The Russian Customs Union is intended to become the Eurasian Union, and this has long been a plan of Vladimir Putin’s. The USA has imposed sanctions against some people in response to the situation in Crimea.  The Russians have been considering their own response to the USA as they are one of the creditors of the USA:

As RIA reports, his advice is that “authorities should dump US government bonds in the event of Russian companies and individuals being targeted by sanctions over events in Ukraine.” Glazyev said the United States would be the first to suffer in the event of any sanctions regime. “The Americans are threatening Russia with sanctions and pulling the EU into a trade and economic war with Russia,” Glazyev said. “Most of the sanctions against Russia will bring harm to the United States itself, because as far as trade relations with the United States go, we don’t depend on them in any way.”

From RIA:

“We hold a decent amount of treasury bonds – more than $200 billion – and if the United States dares to freeze accounts of Russian businesses and citizens, we can no longer view America as a reliable partner,” he said. “We will encourage everybody to dump US Treasury bonds, get rid of dollars as an unreliable currency and leave the US market.” http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-04/putin-advisor-threatens-dumping-us-treasurys-abandoning-dollar-if-us-proceeds-sancti

Russia has long wanted to destroy the dominance of the USA dollar in world trade and could take steps to help do so.  Yet, at this time it simply does not have the economic clout to do that–though it could take steps at times that could hurt the economy of the USA.  But the Bible teaches that a time will come when foreigner creditors will take enough steps to eliminate the dollar and the USA (cf. Habakkuk 2:6-8).

While most do not consider that Russia’s economy or government is enviable, others in eastern Europe seem to believe that Russia’s economic opportunities are better than they can obtain from the West.

As reported yesterday, one region in Moldova appealed to Russia yesterday (see Putin declares Crimea is an inalienable part of Russia, while Moldova’s Trans-Dniester region pleads to join Russia).  More in Moldova are now looking to Russia.

Of course, not everyone in Moldova supports this:

Reuters) – The president of ex-Soviet Moldova warned Russia on Tuesday against considering any move to annex his country’s separatist Transdniestria region in the same way that it has taken control of Crimea in Ukraine.

The president’s comments came one day after the speaker of Transdniestria’s separatist parliament, during a trip to Moscow, urged Russia to incorporate his mainly Russian-speaking region, which split away from Moldova in 1990.

Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti said Russia would be making a “mistake” if it agreed to the request for annexation from Transdniestria’s parliamentary speaker, Mikhail Burla.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/18/us-ukraine-crisis-moldova-idUSBREA2H16F20140318

As reported earlier, if the Communist Party wins in Moldova, it may go a different direction than that promoted by the current president of Moldova.  Moldova’s geographic position is such that it could end up with the Europeans as the current leadership in Moldova wants.  But if its ethnicity is mainly that of Median descent, then it will end up (eventually) supporting Russia as one of the kings of the Medes against the end time European Babylonian power (Jeremiah 51:11-32).

The Bible teaches that a Eurasian confederation with Russian leadership will arise.  Preliminary steps for this are being laid.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Russia and Ukraine: Their 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?
Ukraine in Prophecy? What is happening in Ukraine? What is known and what is unsure about its future? What is the origin of those who live in Ukraine? What does the Bible teach about the role of the Medes in the end times? Will Ukraine split? Why might part of Ukraine end up in the European Union? Why might part of Ukraine end up in the Eurasian Union? Is war in the prophesied future for Ukraine? What is the ultimate destiny for nearly all Ukrainians?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? 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? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language video The Great Tribulation Will Not Begin Before 2017.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term 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? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-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-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

COGWriter

Zenit.org, a pro-Vatican news agency reported the following related to a public address from Pope Francis:

And now let us turn to our Mother Mary, and entrust ourselves to her guidance to make this Lenten journey with faith and generosity, learning a little more to “ascend” with prayer and listen to Jesus and to “descend” with fraternal charity, announcing Jesus.

[Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father spoke again to those gathered in St. Peter’s Square.] http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/on-the-transfiguration–5

The ‘Angelus’ is called “the traditional prayer of Marian devotion” (http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/03/16/pope_francis:_sunday_angelus_focuses_on_prayer_and_action/en1-781959). The Catholic Encyclopedia teaches:

The Angelus is a short practice of devotion in honour of the Incarnation repeated three times each day, morning, noon, and evening, at the sound of the bell. It consists essentially in the triple repetition of the Hail Mary…

The history of the Angelus is by no means easy to trace with confidence, and it is well to distinguish in this matter between what is certain and what is in some measure conjectural…

Although according to Father Esser’s view we have no certain example of three Hail Marys being recited at the sound of the bell in the evening earlier than a decree of the Provincial Synod of Gran in the year 1307, still there are a good many facts which suggest that some such practice was current in the thirteenth century. Thus there is a vague and not very well confirmed tradition which ascribes to Pope Gregory IX, in 1239, an ordinance enjoining that a bell should be rung for the salutation and praises of Our Lady. Again, there is a.grant of Bishop Henry of Brixen to the church of Freins in the Tyrol, also of 1239, which concedes an indulgence for saying three Hail Marys “at the evening tolling”. (Thurston, Herbert. “Angelus.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 16 Mar. 2014 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01486b.htm>)

Devotion to Our Blessed Lady… Seeing that this doctrine is not contained, at least explicitly in the earlier forms of the Apostles’ Creed, there is perhaps no ground for surprise if we do not meet with any clear traces of the cultus of the Blessed Virgin in the first Christian centuries. The earliest unmistakable examples of the “worship” — we use the word of course in the relative sense — of the saints is connected with the veneration paid to the martyrs who gave their lives for the Faith…Further, it is quite likely that the mention of the Blessed Virgin in the intercessions of the diptychs of the liturgy goes back to the days before the Council of Nicaea, but we have no definite evidence upon the point, and the same must be said of any form of direct invocation, even for purposes of private devotion (Herbert Thurston. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV. Published 1912. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

In 2014, ‘Lent’ began on Wednesday, March 5 and ends on Thursday, April 17th.

Neither the Angelus (that apparently began around the 13th century), nor Lent (which seems to have not been adopted as is until about the sixth century) nor Marian devotion (which did not seem to become prevalent until about the fourth century or later) were practices of early Christians.

Of course, telling people to turn to Mary is not part of the true gospel, but a false one (cf. Galatians 1:6-9).

The following was written over a decade ago by a member of the Orthodox Church and is warning people that turning people to the claimed Catholic ‘Mary’ will lead to people to Antichrist:

To which Mary are Muslims and Protestants being drawn? The Protestant Reformation rejected the distorted view of Mary which had developed in the West since the Schism of 1054, and which would ultimately result in the Roman Church’s proclamation of their dogma of the Immaculate Conception. But Protestantism did not just reject the Western view of Mary; it ignored Her altogether, in effect denying Her role in the Incarnation and, consequently, the part She plays in our salvation. As Rome began to see her more and more as a “goddess,” a fourth Hypostasis of the Trinity, as it were, the Protestants reacted by down playing Her position and refusing to honor Her at all, this in spite of the Gospel words:“All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed.”Today, as heterodox Christians become more and more ecumenist and work toward creating a “One World Church,” the search has begun for a Mary of universal recognition, one who will appeal not only to those who bear the name Christian, but apparently to Muslims and others as well, just as attempts are likewise being made to identify the “new Christ” with the Muslim concept of their coming Mahdi and with the Messiah still awaited by the Jews. This, of course, will be no Christ at all but the antichrist.

(Jackson P. ORTHODOX LIFE., No. I, 1997., Brotherhood of Saint Job of Pochaev at Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, N.Y. pp. 18-22.  http://fr-d-serfes.org/orthodox/theotokos.htm viewed 05/11/09)

While various Catholics and even Protestants, believe that observing Lent shows devotion to God, it actually shows devotion to practices not endorsed by the Bible.  An ecumenical unity between Catholics and Protestants is in the works.  ‘Mary’ is expected to be part of that.

Yet the Bible warns:

6 “Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.” (Zechariah 2:6-7)

Notice that even true believers are warned to get away from this.

It is after Babylon falls that true Christian unity will occur (Zechariah 2:10-11). Do not be deceived by the Babylonian ecumenical movement. Nearly all will (2 Thessalonian 2:9-12).

People should not be turning to Mary as Pope Francis is advocating.

For more information, please check out the following:

Is Lent a Christian Holiday? When did it originate? What about Ash Wednesday? If you observe them, do you know why? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language by Dr. Hoeh: ¿Por Qué Se Observa la Cuaresma?
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
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?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! [Português: Esperança do salvação: Como a igreja do deus difere da maioria de protestantes]
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed?
Women and the New Testament Church Were women important in the New Testament Church? Which women and how were they involved?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing 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?
Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! provides concerned Christians with enough Catholic-documented facts to effectively counter every false Marian argument. In addition to the print version, there is a Kindle version of Fatima Shock! which you can acquire in seconds.

COGwriter

Israel’s Defense Minister is warning that Iran is a threat and that it should see that it cannot really rely on the USA because of Ukraine/Crimea:

Israel’s defense chief says U.S. projecting weakness

Reuters – March 18, 2014

Israel’s defense minister has accused the United States of projecting weakness internationally and said Israel could not rely on its main ally to take the lead in confronting Iranover its nuclear program.Moshe Yaalon, whose…His latest comments, confirmed by an Israeli official who was present at lecture Yaalon delivered at Tel Aviv University on Monday, displayed deep disappointment with U.S. President Barack Obama’s handling of burning world issues.”We had thought it would be the United States that would lead the campaign against Iran,” said Yaalon, who pointed to the Ukraine crisis as an example of Washington “showing weakness”…

Yaalon said that although “people know Iran cheats”, the United States and other nations chose to negotiate with Tehran on restricting activities they fear are aimed at developing atomic arms.

“Therefore, on this matter, we have to behave as though we have nobody to look out for us but ourselves,” Yaalon said, echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s veiled threats of unilateral military action against Iran if diplomacy fails.

“Unfortunately, when it comes to negotiating at a Persian bazaar, the Iranians are better,” said Yaalon, a former armed forces chief and a hawkish member of Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party…

“Comfortable Westerners prefer to put off confrontation, if possible to next year or the next leadership term. But in the end, it will blow up,” Yaalon said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/18/us-israel-usa-idUSBREA2H0SV20140318

Others brought this up earlier this week. Notice also:

‘Israel, Prepare For Armageddon And Forget US Help’

EMPact America founder warns of Iran nuclear threat, says under Obama US has turned into an ‘enemy of Israel.’…

Henry Schwartz, a prominent entrepreneur and EMPact America  founder, spoke with Arutz Sheva following his organization’s National Security Action Summit last week. The purpose of the conference was to save America from a “dire” situation, revealed Schwartz…Israel must find new alliances and not rely on the US, warned Schwartz, saying “America is not going to be here to take care of Israel; it can’t take care of itself.”

A new Cold War

On other fronts, Schwartz warned “the Cold War is not over, it’s restarted,” pointing to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.

Schwartz criticized US President Barack Obama’s hesitancy, warning that as a result Russia was likely to move on other Baltic states and eastern European countries.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/18/us-israel-usa-idUSBREA2H0SV20140318

Many, and not just in Israel, are seeing the USA’s response to Russia regarding Crimea and Ukraine as evidence that they cannot rely on the USA.

That being said, Israel’s Prime Minister believes that Iran is a threat. He believes Iran absolutely is developing nuclear weapons and that it wants to use them against Israel. Iran, itself, has repeatedly stated that it wants to eliminate the nation of Israel. Iran has also made it clear that it wants to rule the Arab peoples and all Islam. Iran has also been one of many nations knowingly persecuting people that profess Christ. It has military ambitions and wants to rule all of the Middle East and Islamic world.

Despite its ambitions, Iran will not succeed in eliminating Israel or ruling over all the Arabs. Yet, Iran is a threat that should be taken seriously.  But many are wondering how much they can count on the military of the USA.

I believe that the USA will eventually do something that is intended to show the world it can rely on the USA’s military.  But, that will not change the fact that the USA has been proven to be a fickle, and often undependable, ally (Hosni Mubarak and others come to mind).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran in Prophecy. Here is a related video Iran In Prophecy.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world, discusses Turkey and Iran, and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated Many want Jerusalem. Who does the Bible teach will control Jerusalem? Will the Jews be forced out of Jerusalem and many made captive? What did Jesus teach about this? Are nations even now considering providing the prophesied armies to surround Jerusalem? What is Jerusalem Day? What is Nakba Day? What events should Christians watch in Jerusalem as signs that the Great Tribulation will begin? What is the solution to Jerusalem? This is a video.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
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?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? 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? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language video The Great Tribulation Will Not Begin Before 2017.
Russia and Ukraine: Their 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? There is also a video available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term 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? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-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-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

COGwriter

Scientists have concluded more about the fact that the universe had a beginning:

March 18, 2014

Scientist have discovered evidence that a split-second after the Big Bang, the newly formed universe underwent a fast and incomprehensibly massive growth spurt in its earliest infancy.

Experts are of the view that if confirmed, the discovery would be a major advance in the understanding of the early universe.

The study emerged after researchers peered into the faint light that remains from the Big Bang of nearly 14 billion years ago.  http://www.utahpeoplespost.com/2014/03/scientists-discover-evidence-for-universes-early-growth-spurt/

WASHINGTON — Scientists say they have discovered evidence of the “dynamite” that blew up the Big Bang.

If confirmed, experts say it will be one of the most important fundamental discoveries in the history of science.

The new research provides the first solid evidence that the universe went through an extraordinary growth spurt in its first brief moments of being, a period called inflation.

This unfathomably rapid rate of growth left ripples in the fabric of space — gravitational waves that Albert Einstein predicted, but that have never been detected until now.

The force driving that exponential expansion is unknown, but experts say this new evidence that it exists offers a long-sought link between gravity, which acts on everything we can see, and quantum mechanics, which governs the subatomic realm.

‘Greatest discoveries’

“I think this is going to go down, if it stands the test of time, as one of the greatest discoveries in the entire history of science,” said Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist Max Tegmark, who was not involved in the research, “and I really don’t say that lightly.”

The researchers studied the universe’s background radiation, the last traces of energy that remain from the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago.

Working at a radio telescope at the South Pole, where the air is dry and there is little human interference, they found extremely subtle irregularities in that radiation. The variations followed a curling, twisting pattern that they say marks the passage of gravitational waves.

“Detecting this signal is one of the most important goals in cosmology today,” team leader John Kovac at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said in a statement.

Although much of current astrophysics rests on the assumption that inflation happened, the evidence has been lacking.

And it wasn’t clear that the signal would be detectable nearly 14 billion years after the fact, added University of Chicago cosmologist Michael Turner. “Looking for the gravity waves from inflation was called, by many, folly or chasing a wild goose,” he said.

Turner was not a member of the research team. He said the discovery of gravity waves means scientists can study the force behind inflation, which, he said, “might well have been the dynamite behind the Big Bang.”

‘New physics’

“One of the reasons why this discovery is exciting is because inflation does require that there’s some new fundamental physics beyond the four forces we know about,” said Johns Hopkins University astronomer Marc Kamionkowski, who was also not involved with the research.

He said the new findings fit nicely with theories that unify all of the forces.

The new evidence has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Experts who have seen the research said it was compelling, but that other scientists will need to confirm it.

Kamionkowski said that if it does stand up to scrutiny, it opens up an exciting new area of research.

“It’s as if someone was around at the time of inflation and sent us a telegram encoded in gravitational waves, which then got transcribed on the sky,” he said. “In the forthcoming years, what I’m hoping will happen is, we’ll actually be able to read what this telegram is telling us.”  http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-hear-earliest-echoes-of-big-bang/1873400.html

What that ‘telegram’ is telling us is that:

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

After I wrote the above, a reader sent me a related article that came to the same basic conclusion:

And the Lord said ‘let there be a Big Bang’

Should religious Jews feel threatened by new evidence supporting the Big Bang Theory? Some religious scientists, rabbis believe the very opposite.

Jerusalem Post – March 18, 2014

As scientists around the world rejoice over recent findings of smoking gun evidence of the Big Bang theory, so too can religious Jews who believe in Creationism.

In the debate over whether science and religion conflict or complement one another, Jewish scientists and rabbis alike put forward convincing arguments to support the latter. Bar Ilan University’s Professor Nathan Aviezer, author of the book In the Beginning which deals with the subject, strongly advocates the argument that scientific and religious beliefs can live together in harmony.

Explaining the weight of the findings released on Monday, he says that scientists have for decades been looking for waves produced by gravity, but it was a difficult feat since gravity is a billion billion billion times weaker than electrical forces, which also produce waves.

However, he continues, “if there was enormous gravitational change, then maybe with some very sensitive apparatus you could detect them.” The Big Bang was that change, “so there was hope that maybe you could see ripples from the Big Bang – and that’s what these guys did.” “What’s all this got to do with Genesis?” he asks rhetorically.

The first verse of Genesis says that God created the Heaven and Earth; that the universe came from an act of creation. All scientists also use the term creation for the beginning of the universe, only that they don’t necessarily attribute it to God – they say it happened spontaneously.

Scientists maintain that the universe began with the appearance of an enormous ball of light – the explosion of which is known as the Big Bang – which slots together perfectly with the Genesis version of events in which God said “let there be light.” “The creation of the light was the creation of the universe,” Aviezer says. “Every word written in the Torah fits recent scientific discoveries. They are in exact harmony with the words of the Torah.”

Rabbi Benny Lau, activist and nephew of former Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, is less excited by the Big Bang news, shrugging it off as of no particular interest to him. He agrees, however, that the theory is compatible with the Jewish story…

“It is written in Beresheet (Genesis) that God created the Heavens and the Earth, and that was the moment that the world started,” he tells The Jerusalem Post. He notes that the concepts of time in the Bible are not the same as those we use now, and that one day could be the same as a million years. But for Lau, the world only starts to be interesting when there are people on it.

Weizmann’s Professor Aviezri S. Fraenkel expresses a similar sentiment, referencing the belief of leading Greek philosopher Aristotle that the universe existed forever.

“The modern Big Bang theory is much closer to the biblical description of creation, where there is a definite beginning,” Fraenkel tells the Post. “In fact, the modern theories, which don’t yet explain all the observed cosmological facts, bestow new meaning to the biblical verse in Psalms 92, 6: How great are Your deeds, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep”.

From these standpoints then, the modern theory of cosmology and the Jewish religion actually help explain, rather than negate, one another.

http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-Features/And-the-Lord-said-let-there-be-a-Big-Bang-345752

Although some accept the Creation, many of the wise of the world still do not seem to want to believe this.  But they should:

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:20-23).

A recent sermon for the Continuing Church of God was Is it logical to believe in God?  More and more scientific evidence demonstrates that it is.Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true? Here is a link to a YouTube sermon titled Is it logical to believe in God?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Where the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long?
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?
How is God Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient? Here is a biblical article which answers what many really wonder about it.
Has time been lost? It Saturday the seventh day of the week?
Why Were You Born? Why did God make you? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. You may also wish to read the article What is Your Destiny? or watch the video, also titled What is Your Destiny?
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? There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?
Bible: Superstition or Authority? Should you rely on the Bible? Is it reliable? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.

Vladimir Putin (www.kremlin.ru)

COGwriter

Russia’s President accepted the vote of the Crimeans and Ukraine’s Kiev President seems to wish to avoid conflict:

March 18, 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukraine’s Crimea region has always been an “inalienable” part of Russia – yet another move likely to further escalate tensions with Ukraine and the West.

Putin was outlining Crimea’s importance to Russia Tuesday in a speech before the Russian parliament. On Monday, Putin endorsed a draft treaty to make Crimea part of the Russian Federation. To come into force, the treaty must go through several more procedures including approval by Russia’s parliament.

The Black Sea peninsula voted to secede from Ukraine in a referendum Sunday that the U.S. and the European Union declared “illegal.”

But President Putin said Tuesday that the referendum complied with democratic and international norms.

His comments come a day after he signed a decree recognizing the Crimean peninsula as “a sovereign and independent country.”

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is in Poland Tuesday for talks with regional allies concerned about Russia’s military incursion into Crimea. Biden is meeting with the leaders of Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

Ukraine not seeking NATO membership

Ukraine’s new pro-Western leadership is not seeking membership of NATO, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Tuesday, in comments intended to reassure Russia and Ukraine’s large number of Russian-speakers.

“Strictly with a view to maintaining Ukraine’s unity, the question of joining NATO is not on the agenda,” Yatseniuk, who normally speaks in Ukrainian, said in a 10-minute televised appeal delivered in Russian. “The country will be defended by a strong, modern Ukrainian army.”…

Gazprom makes offer

Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom has proposed to develop Crimea’s oil and gas sector, an official of the Ukrainian region was quoted by RIA news agency as saying on Tuesday.

“Of course, Gazprom was the first to approach us [with a proposal],” said Rustam Temirgaliev, Crimea’s first deputy prime minister.give it up for nothing. Vladimir Putin has never wanted Ukraine to join the European Union, and the current crisis exists primarily because of that.  http://www.voanews.com/content/putin-backs-agreement-to-bring-crimea-into-russia/1873448.html

March 18, 2014

In Kiev, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk gave a nationally televised address on Tuesday in which — pointedly using the Russian language — he seemed to recognize the limits of the situation. He pledged Ukraine would not join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and sought to reassure ethnic Russians and the government in Moscow…

After Putin finished speaking and a treaty was signed, the crowd started dancing in the square and singing the Russian national anthem.

“We did it. We did it. We truly did it,” exclaimed Svetlana Kalinina, 53, as tears rolled down her cheeks from behind her sunglasses.

Another woman who said her first name was Natasha kept repeating “Thank you Putin.”

“I have waited so long for this,” she said, “We were given away, like a sack of potatoes. And finally we are coming back home.”  http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russias-putin-prepares-to-annex-crimea/2014/03/18/933183b2-654e-45ce-920e-4d18c0ffec73_story.html

How can Crimea be both a “a sovereign and independent country” and an “inalienable” part of Russia?

Apparently by either being part of the Russian Federation and/or eventually by becoming part of Vladimir Putin’s developing Eurasian Union.  According to the Russian Constitution, the Russian Federation consists of republics, krais, oblasts, cities of federal importance, an autonomous oblast and autonomous okrugs – allegedly equal subjects of the Russian Federation.  As a country, Crimea would likely be considered a republic member of the Russian Federation.  As far as the developing Eurasian Union goes, Vladimir Putin wants more than Crimea.  He really wants all of Ukraine, and despite current rhetoric, he may try to take some or all it if he feels that the long-term benefits sufficiently exceed the costs.

The position of Kiev’s Arsenly Yatsenyuk is an interesting one.  He knows that his government cannot militarily win against Russia.  Yet, instead of declaring that Ukraine will join NATO (the only immediate human option to get Ukraine a credible defense against Russia), he declares the opposite.  Why might he do that?

A couple of reasons come to mind.  The first is that despite all the rhetoric coming from the USA and European Union (which compose the bulk of NATO), the currently announced sanctions against Russia are so minor that he probably feels that his government simply cannot rely on the West militarily at this time.

He might also do that because he probably fears that if he took the opposite position, Russia may have decided to take more of or even all of Ukraine.   Kiev’s Arsenly Yatsenyuk knows that Ukraine does not have a strong enough army to deal with its most likely real military enemy.  This anti-NATO stance appears to be a type of appeasement.  Vladimir Putin must be pleased by that.  Apparently, enough so that Putin said later today that he was not going to try to take over Ukraine:

March 18, 2014

MOSCOW —Russia effectively absorbed Crimea Tuesday afternoon, moments after President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia has no designs on any other parts of Ukraine.

In a speech to a joint session of parliament, which he used to call for the “reunification” of Crimea with Russia, he said that the region has a special role in Russian history that makes it unique…

Even while declaring that Moscow will not seek to expand its holdings in Ukraine, Putin also promised that Russia will do what it must to protect the rights of Russians living abroad — which suggests that he intends to play a role in restive eastern Ukraine, with its large Russian population.

He said Moscow will always protect the rights of Russians using “political, diplomatic and legal means.”http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russias-putin-prepares-to-annex-crimea/2014/03/18/933183b2-654e-45ce-920e-4d18c0ffec73_story.html

So, Russia is ending up with Crimea.  Yet it may end up with more than that.  Notice that a region in Moldova is now pleading to become part of Russia as well:

March 18, 2014

Moldova’s Trans-Dniester region pleads to join Russia

Pro-Russian politicians and activists in Moldova’s breakaway Trans-Dniester region have asked the Russian parliament to draft a law that would allow their territory to join Russia.

The Trans-Dniestrian appeal comes as Moscow moves towards absorbing Crimea into the Russian Federation. Ukraine, the EU and US say that move is illegal.

Ethnic Russians dominate Trans-Dniester, with support from Moscow.

The region split from Moldova in a war in 1991-92, as the USSR was collapsing.

Moldova’s President Nicolae Timofti said in a news briefing on Tuesday that any decision by Moscow to accept Trans-Dniester “would be a step in the wrong direction”…

Irina Kubanskikh, spokeswoman for the Trans-Dniester parliament, told Itar-Tass news agency that the region’s public bodies had “appealed to the Russian Federation leadership to examine the possibility of extending to Trans-Dniester the legislation, currently under discussion in the State Duma, on granting Russian citizenship and admitting new subjects into Russia”.  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26627236

March 18, 2014

ROMANIA’S president has said Russia is creating a chain of conflicts around the Black Sea to further President Vladimir Putin’s goal of rebuilding the former Soviet Union along its former border with the West.

Romanian President Traian Basescu, who spoke to The Associated Press in an interview, said he fears that neighbouring Moldova is “in great danger.”

“If you look at the map, you will see this chain of frozen conflicts” around the Black Sea “that can be set off at any time,” he said, referring to conflicts in Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova…

Russia has 1,500 troops stationed in the separatist republic of Trans-Dniester since 1990, when it broke away from Moldova, fearing that country would reunite with Romania. Trans-Dniester is not internationally recognised but is supported by Russia.  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/romanias-president-says-moldova-next-in-soviet-expansion/story-e6frg6so-1226857651757

March 12, 2014

“The tense situation in Crimea is a threat to the security of the whole region,” Iurie Leanca, Moldova’s prime minister, said Monday, as reported by Reuters. “The evolution of the situation will create new problems and threats, both direct and indirect, for Moldova.”

Bordering Ukraine to the west and Romania to the east, Moldova sits on the northeast part of the Black Sea and views Russia’s encroachment on Crimea as dangerously close to home.

Already the country shares a tumultuous relationship with Russia. In 1992 a conflict erupted between Moldova’s government and ethnic-Russian separatists living in a breakaway territory within Moldova’s borders known as Transnistria…

While the majority of Moldovans see themselves as culturally close to Romania, 200,000 people in Transnistria are ethnic Russians and have Russian citizenship, which could serve as a pretext for Russian action.   http://www.ibtimes.com/moldova-another-former-soviet-republic-worried-over-russias-move-crimea-1560938

The fact that Vladimir Putin wanted Crimea and has got it at minimal cost is likely going to be a factor in Russia’s view of the situation in Moldova.  While much of Moldova wants to be part of the European Union, not all of it does.  As Russia wants more supporters and less in the European Union, Russia will seriously consider the pros and cons of the Trans-Dniester region, as well as other parts of Moldova.

As I have written before, Vladimir Putin will use military action, and not just the threat of it, if he feels this will further his agenda without excessive international cost. He remains willing to do so. Those in Ukraine and Moldova realize this.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Russia and Ukraine: Their 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?
Ukraine in Prophecy? What is happening in Ukraine? What is known and what is unsure about its future? What is the origin of those who live in Ukraine? What does the Bible teach about the role of the Medes in the end times? Will Ukraine split? Why might part of Ukraine end up in the European Union? Why might part of Ukraine end up in the Eurasian Union? Is war in the prophesied future for Ukraine? What is the ultimate destiny for nearly all Ukrainians?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? 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? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language video The Great Tribulation Will Not Begin Before 2017.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term 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? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-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-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

1997 Feast Location and Brussels, Belgium

COGwriter

Retired teacher Bert Otten, who was once part of the old WCG, sent me a paper with his reasons why he feels that many in Belgium and Luxembourg are the descendants of the biblical tribe of Asher. He told me that I could edit and/or use what he sent in any way.

Here is some of his article, along with the ten clues, with portions of the explanations edited out, mainly for space considerations:

Looking at the ‘prophetic clues’ one has to conclude that a core of the tribe of Asher once found its way to the people living in Belgium and Luxemburg (especially in the triangle Roermond-Lille-Nancy-Roermond)…

.
1^st Clue: Asher – happy

And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, HAPPY am I [b_ashri], for the daughters will call me BLESSED [ishruni]: and she called his name Asher [asher: blessed, happy] (Gen 30:12-13).

And Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bore Jacob a second son. And Leah said: ‘HAPPY am I! for the daughters will call me HAPPY.’ And she called his name Asher [HAPPY or BLESSED] (Gen 30: 12-13, JPS, Jewish Publication Society).

After four sons Leah has two more sons by her maid-servant Zilpah. Asher is Jacob’s 8th son. They will call me happy, and she names him ‘blessed, happy’, Asher! This predicts Asher’s nature: jovial, genial, friendly.

‘Burgundian’ lifestyle

The national character of most Belgians in general, and Walloons in particular, is that they are jovial, genial, friendly…

.

2^nd Clue: Asher – his bread shall be fat

As for Asher, his BREAD [lechem] shall be FAT [shamen] …  (Gen 49:20a, KJV).

Asher’s FOOD will be RICH … (Gen 49:20a, NIV).

Literally it says that Asher’s bread will be fat. It is noteworthy that bread in England and Holland has the form of a big brick, a loaf. In France they sell the typical French bread, long thin pieces of bread. In Belgium they sell bread in big, round, ‘fat’, loaves.

However, lechem also means food in general, and not just bread. Asher’s food would be rich in content, and it would be plenteous…

3^rd Clue: Asher – royal dainties

Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal DAINTIES (Gen 49:20b).

[Asher] will provide DELICACIES fit for a king (Gen 49:20b, NIV).

This is up to a point a repeat of the fact that Asher’s food would be fat or rich. We think of all the delicacies – fries, mussels, oysters, fish, venison, etc. – served in the Belgian cuisine, but ‘delicacies’ contains much more…

Belgian Beers

Wikipedia: For a comparatively small country, Belgium produces a very large number of beers in a range of different styles – in fact, it has more distinct types of beer per capita than anywhere else in the world. In 2011, there were 1,132 different varieties of beer being produced in the country…

Belgian Chocolate

Wikipedia about Belgian chocolate: Belgium is famed for its high quality chocolate and over 2,000 chocolatiers, both small and large…

Waffles and sweets

There are also Belgian waffles (Brussels, Liège), speculoos, vlaaien (Limburg), sweets, etc. Asher’s food would be rich and he would yield royal dainties.

Tapestries, lace, comic books

Delicacies or dainties is a translation from ma’adan:

Ma’adan – or (feminine) ma’adannah {mah-ad-an-naw’}; from ‘`adan’ (Strong, 5727); a delicacy or (abstractly) pleasure (adverbially, cheerfully):–dainty, delicately, delight.

Some writers about the tribes link this with the typical Belgian delicate tapestries (made for royalty!) and with Belgian lace…

4^th Clue: Asher – friendly & favoured

And of Asher he said: Blessed be Asher above sons; let him be the FAVOURED of his brethren … (Dt 33:24, JPS).

And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be ACCEPTABLE to his brethren, … (Dt 33:24, KJV).

About Asher he said: “Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be FAVOURED by his brothers, …”(Dt 33:24, NIV).

Belgians – kind, friendly

Although Belgians may fight between themselves about language problems – a bloodless struggle – they are perceived by others as kind, friendly people. To my knowledge there are not many people who hate Belgians. The French and the Dutch may joke about Belgians, but they do not dislike them. The fact that they are liked by their neighbours, by other tribes, has favourable to them over time…

5^th Clue: Asher – … iron … under your shoe

Thy shoes shall be IRON and brass … (Dt 33:25).

YZER en koper zal onder uw schoen zijn … (Dt 33:25, SVV, Dutch Staten Vertaling: IRON and copper will be under your shoe).

An important prophecy concerning Asher is about metal. And of Asher he said … IRON and brass (or copper) will be your shoe, or will be under your shoe. The triangle Roermond – Lille – Nancy – Roermond is closely connected with iron, coal and industrialisation. To speak of Wallonia is to speak of iron. A lot can be read about the Wallonian steel industry…

Wikipedia: Wallonia is rich in iron and coal, and these resources and related industries have played an important role in its history…

.

6^th Clue: Asher –  … brass … under your shoe

Thy shoes shall be iron and BRASS … (Dt 33:25).

Yzer en KOPER zal onder uw schoen zijn … (Dt 33:25, SVV, Dutch Staten Vertaling: iron and COPPER will be under your shoe).

As we saw: In the Middle Ages, Wallonia became a center for brass working and bronze working, with Huy, Dinant and Chimay being important regional centers (Wikipedia).

Belgium – Congo – Katanga – Copper

The Katanga Province of Belgian Congo was one of the world’s most important copper producing areas in the twentieth century until the 1960’s. Belgium became an important importer and exporter of copper. The copper was extracted by the Union Minière du Haut Katanga...

7^th Clue: Asher –  … dip his foot in oil

And of Asher he said … and let him dip his foot in OIL (Dt 33:24).

Many of the Lost Tribes prophecies are for the endtime only (acharit haYamim), for the last days…Palm oil

The modern fulfilment of this statement concerning Asher’s oil can be found in palm oil which Belgium extracted from the Belgian Congo for years. Wikipedia: Palm oil production in the Congo increased from 2,500 tons in 1914 to 9,000 tons in 1921 and 230,000 tons in 1957.

Palm oil is an important ingredient in food and non-food products like margarine, chocolate, cleaning products and cosmetics. Palm oil has become one of the most important vegetable oils.

In 1959 Belgian Congo was the sixth biggest palm oil producer of the world … Asher … let him dip his foot in oil.

8^th Clue: 8. Asher, 9. Issachar, 10. Zebulun

… and [Leah] called his name Asher [8^th son] …  and [Leah] called his name Issachar [9^th son] … and [Leah] called his name Zebulun [10^th son] (Gen 30:13-20).

… of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, … of the tribe of the children of Issachar … of the tribe of the children of Asher … (Nu 34:25-27).

And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun … And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar … And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher … (Josh 19:10, 17, 24).

Leah Tribes

Leah had eight sons, six of herself and two by her maidservant Zilpah. She named all eight of them. So there are eight Leah tribes (and five Racheltribes)… There is a bond between Asher, Issachar and Zebulun in both antiquity and in modern times…Over the past 60 years there has been a close cooperation between these peoples within the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg). They live closely together as they once did in Galilee, in Erets Yisrael.

9^th Clue: Asher – mighty men of valour

All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house, choice and MIGHTY MEN OF VALOUR, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war and to battle was 26,000 men (1Chron 7:40).

And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, EXPERT IN WAR, 40,000 (1 Chron 12:36).

There were a few militaristic tribes, but Asher was not one of them. However, the Asherites were brave fighters. Although not an aggressive tribe, they could hold their ground when called upon…

Belgae – Julius Caesar

In his book Commentarii de bello GallicoJulius Caesar divides the Celts into three groups. The most northern group are the Belgae living in the area between the North Sea, Rhine, Seine and Marne. According to Caesar the Belgae were the bravest of the three groups. This quote from Caesar became very popular in the 1830’s in an attempt to enflame Belgian nationalism…

Belgium in WW I

The Belgians fought bravely under Soldier King Albert I against the German invasion.

10^th Clue: Asher –  peaceable, peaceful

And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of SHELOMI (Strong <08015>, shlomi, peacable) (Num 34:27).

The tribe of Asher is a peaceful tribe, not looking for war or trouble. This can first of all be concluded by the absence of things. There are no violent, negative, warlike stories or individuals known from the tribe of Asher in the Bible. Asher has a modest Biblical history with an absence of ringleaders in evil. The prince of Asher in Numbers 34 is even called Ahihud ben Shlomi, son of Shlomi (peaceful).

Asher is very modest in The Testament of Asher. There is no bragging like in some of the other testaments of the twelve patriarchs.

The olive tree is the symbol of Asher. This can also be connected to peace, as the olive branch is a symbol of peace.

Belgians – neutral & peaceful

The Belgians were more or less given their independence and their colonies. They were neutral twice and were invaded twice by the Germans. They fought bravely in WW I and WW II to defend themselves and their colonies, but they never attacked other nations.

I should add that we have been to Belgium at least twice and Luxembourg at least once.

The Bible records various promises made to the tribes of Israel in Genesis 48, Genesis 49, and Deuteronomy 33.  Many seem to have overlooked those, but those prophecies have been, and will be fulfilled.

While there are various ways to look at those and other prophecies, let me conclude by stating that I do believe that those of Belgium and Luxembourg are essentially descended from biblical Asher, though there is ethnic intermingling.

Knowing where various peoples have come from, help us better understand how the Bible teaches that various ones will be affected by end time events that are still to come to pass.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon 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? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?

Hillary Rodham Clinton (Kai Moerk 2012) Rand Paul, Official Senate Photo

COGwriter

Republican US Senator Rand Paul and Democratic former Senator Hillary Clinton have topped a new poll:

Sen. Rand Paul leads the GOP 2016 pack, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is more likely to be perceived as capable of handling crises than is President Barack Obama, according to new survey data released Sunday.

A CNN/ORC International survey found Paul the slight favorite for his party’s nomination, with 16 percent of those polled on the question tapping the Kentucky Republican as their choice for the 2016 GOP nod.  He was closely followed, within the margin of error, by 2012 vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who pulled in 15 percent; and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, with 11 percent…

On the other side of the aisle, Clinton was the prohibitive Democratic favorite according to the survey, clocking in with 63 percent support for the 2016 presidential nod. She was followed by Vice President Joe Biden at 13 percent.  http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/hillary-clinton-rand-paul-2016-poll-104713.html

Washington (CNN) – Rand Paul has done something his father never did – top the list of potential Republican presidential candidates in a national poll.

According to a new CNN/ORC International survey, 16% of Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP say they would be likely to support the senator from Kentucky for the 2016 nomination…

In the potential race for the Democratic nomination, it’s the same old story: if Hillary Clinton runs, she would start the race as her party’s overwhelming frontrunner.  http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/16/cnn-poll-rand-paul-goes-where-his-father-never-went/?hpt=hp_t3  

Both leaders, Rand Paul and Hillary Clinton, seem very far apart politically.

There are biblical reasons that either could become the USA president, though I believe various reasons point stronger towards one candidate now. I also believe that if the other candidate got elected, we would see civil unrest quicker than otherwise may happen.

This poll is not a surprise, but it is still too early to know who will win. Although she has taken steps consistent with one who would run for president in 2016, Hillary Clinton has not declared that she would. If she does run and win, I believe that she will help fulfill several prophecies (see Hillary Clinton in Prophecy).

Because of the timing of the next USA election and God’s 6000 years of allowing humanity to rule itself is almost over, whoever wins in 2016 will be apocalyptic.

Here are some reasons:

1. Since the Roe vs. Wade pro-abortion decision, the USA has became the greatest debtor nation in the history of humankind.  Since the USA owes alien nations trillions of dollars, it appears that the curse in Deuteronomy 28:44 of having to borrow from aliens is happening to it now. Hillary Clinton supports the Roe vs. Wade decision (see also Anglo – America in Prophecy) and Rand Paul has a hands off approach, which essentially means he will not try to overturn it.
2. The Bible specifically warns about women ruling over a nation (Isaiah 3:12).
3. Both of their positions on homosexual marriage are destructive (Romans 1:18-32).
4. Hillary Clinton has indicated that she will increase additional regulatory burdens (cf. Matthew 23:3-5) and legal changes that reduce the amount of freedom that U.S.A. citizens once had.
5. Hillary Clinton’s mistatements and ‘memory lapses’ in certain scandals suggest that she is not always honest. And this may cause people to groan (Proverbs 29:2).
6. Hillary Clinton’s has not taken a stand against ‘quantitative easing’ and, despite certain statements about debt, she has supported policies that have increased the debt of the USA–this is dangerous (Habakkuk 2:6-8).
7. Rand Paul’s isolationist positions and statements about cutting USA military spending will make the USA susceptible to takeover if he is able to implement them (cf. Daniel 11:39).
8. The Great Tribulation cannot begin until at least 2017, and that could be a year that Hillary Clinton or Rand Paul could become president.  Either may take military, economic, cultural, and other steps that could lead to it if in office then (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? you can also see the video The Great Tribulation Will Not Begin Before 2017). Her timing could be close to the end of the 6000 years before the start of the Great Tribulation (see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? or watch The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?).

What the USA needs is national repentance, and that is not something that the current USA President Barack Obama, or any of the currently leading candidates to replace him have seriously called for.

COGwriter

A reader sent the following:

With the world waiting for the official results of Crimea’s referendum on leaving Ukraine and joining Russia, news anchor Dmitry Kiselyov took to the Rossiya 1 news channel to put the situation into a broader geopolitical context for views.

One part of his explanation, however, has caught a lot of attention: Kiselyov explained to his viewers that Russia is the only country capable of turning the United States into “radioactive ashes.” He then went on to use animated maps to show exactly how Russia would automatically respond with nuclear missiles if command and control were attacked or disabled by a U.S. attack…

He may seem extreme, but Kiselyov apparently has the blessing of the Kremlin: He’s been selected to head the new Russian state media conglomerate, Rossiya Segodnya, that is due to replace the well-respected Ria Novosti. He also has a point. Russia is still a major nuclear power, with an estimated 8,500 nuclear warheads, more than the United States. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/03/16/russian-tv-host-russia-is-the-only-country-with-capability-to-turn-u-s-into-radioactive-ashes/

Because of state control over television in Russia, it would seem that the government of Russia wanted to send the world in general, and the USA in particular, a very strong message.  And while Russia’s military has many problems that the USA’s does not, the reality is that Russia does have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the USA.  Although this will not happen according to biblical prophecy, since USA politicians do not normally rely on the Bible, some may decide to at least partially consider the threat from Russia.

Notice something from the late Hebert Armstrong decades ago, during the time of the old Soviet Union, titled Why Russia Will Not Attack the United States:

For decades now, the prospect of war between Russia and the United States has continually heightened and lessened.

Many who claim to be authorities on prophecy assure people a war involving Russia and the United States, Canada and England is prophesied in Ezekiel 38.

The United States, Britain and other democracies of north-western Europe, they recognize, are nations descended from the lost Ten Tribes. Therefore, they conclude, the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 foretells a military invasion of the North American continent from the Soviet Union. But this is not what prophecy says…

But this very fact – that this invasion will not come until after the Second Coming of Christ – will seem preposterous to many, at first thought.

That is because we have been accustomed merely to assume things that are not true. We have blindly assumed that when Christ comes, there will be no opposition. Every person and power on earth, we have thought, will simply submit meekly and instantly to him and his power. But that is not true!

Some gentile nations understandably shall not submit until forced to. The final restoration of the Roman Empire shall be subdued and conquered at a battle commonly called “Armageddon.” But the populous nations of Eurasia that the Almighty God up to this point has not dealt with shall still have to be brought to submission.

“Gog” Identified“Gog in the land of “Magog” is the vast regions of the U.S.S.R. in northern Eurasia extending from the Baltic to the Pacific. “Meshech” is Moscow, “Tubal” is Tobol’sk.

Notice the allies who come with them in this future battle. You will find “Gomer” “Togarmah,” “Magog,” “Meshech” “Tubal” identified in Genesis 10 as the sons of Japheth, father of the Eurasians. Ethiopia and Phut (mistranslated Libya) are descended from Ham.

Therefore, this prophecy of Ezekiel 38 shows who shall finally succeed in marshaling peoples of each major race into a gigantic invasion upon our people.

When God begins to rule the world, through Christ – with His chosen people restored to prosperity in the land of Israel, the very center of the land surface of the earth (verse 12, Moffatt translation) – this, great Eurasian union of nations shall finally be tempted to use their mighty air force. (Armstrong HW. Why Russia Will Not Attack the United States, article).

Getting back to Crimea, the voters there have overwhelming voted to become part of Russia and Crimea’s parliament has now formally applied to Russia:

March 17, 2014

KYIV, UKRAINE — With local officials in Crimea saying that 97 percent of voters in the Black Sea Peninsula backed breaking with Ukraine in Sunday’s referendum the reaction in Kyiv is a mixture of anger and resignation…

With challenges mounting, from staving off economic collapse to preventing other ethnic Russian regions from breaking with Ukraine, longtime Ukraine resident Michael Willard, who owns a leading public relations agency in Kyiv, said Ukrainians have no alternative but to accept what has happened.

“Ukraine doesn’t have a military like Russia does. It would be suicidal for them to go up against Russia,” Willard explained. “It would be even shorter probably than the Georgian war and that would be tragic. So given the odds, no other options, I think they would probably have to.”…

While the Ukrainians absorb the loss of Crimea, worries are mounting here that other majority ethnic Russian regions in eastern and southern Ukraine will consider joining Russia.  http://www.voanews.com/content/kyiv-somber-angry-over-crimea-result/1872708.html

Crimea’s parliament has formally declared independence from Ukraine and asked to join the Russian Federation.

It follows Sunday’s controversial referendum which officials say overwhelmingly backed leaving Ukraine.

The government in Kiev has said it will not recognise the results. The US and EU say the vote was illegal and have vowed to impose sanctions on Moscow…

Crimea’s chief electoral official, Mikhail Malyshev, said the vote was nearly 97% in favour of joining the Russian Federation, with a turnout of 83%.  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26609667

Some believe that this situation could lead to World War III:

German politicians might be working hard to dissolve tension between Ukraine and Russia, but a recent poll revealed over half of Germans do not care whether the conflict sparks a third world war.

In the poll at the start of March, which was widely shared on Twitter on Thursday and Friday, 55 percent of those asked said they “did not care” in response to the question: “The world is holding its breath: will the Ukraine conflict lead to a third World War?” The results for the poll, carried out by broadcasters Kabel Eins, showed that 21 percent thought the crisis in Crimea would lead to the outbreak of another world war and 16 percent were hopeful that it would not.  http://www.thelocal.de/20140314/poll-most-germans-do-not-care-about-wwiii

KIEV — It could be seen as saber rattling, fear-mongering or an astute prediction by a man with intimate knowledge of Ukrainian-Russian history, but Leonid Kravchuk is adamant that Russian President Vladimir Putin has strayed into potentially cataclysmic territory, and that the current showdown in Crimea could escalate into a world war…

In an interview with International Business Times, Kravchuk, who led Ukraine to independence in 1991 and became its first president, claimed there are already 18,000 Russian soldiers in his country and that a full-scale Russian invasion would cause Western powers – including NATO – to engage them militarily…

“In case of a full Russian invasion, there is the risk of a third world war,” Kravchuk told IBTimes. “Ukraine is in the center of Europe; it has a population of 45 million; it has borders with several Western countries; and, of course, if Russia invaded Ukraine and war started, the conflict could spread to neighboring European countries.”  http://www.ibtimes.com/ukraine-crisis-could-spark-third-world-war-former-communist-party-leader-president-kravchuk-warns

The chances that the U.S. and Russia will clash militarily over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine are very, very slim. Ukraine isn’t a member of NATO, and President Obama isn’t likely to volunteer for another war. But many of Ukraine’s neighbors are NATO members, including Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary. And so are the the Baltic states — Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia — further north and right on Russia’s border.

If any of those countries come to Ukraine’s aid and find themselves in a war with Russia, NATO is obliged to intervene. That’s also true if Russia comes up with some pretext to invade any of those countries, unlikely as that seems. If we learned anything from World War I, it’s that huge, bloody conflicts can start with tiny skirmishes, especially in Eastern Europe.

Nuclear Armageddon…

In all, the U.S. has about 7,700 nuclear warheads, including 1,950 warheads ready to deploy via ICBM, submarine, and airplane, plus thousands more in mothballs or waiting to be dismantled, according to the latest tally by the Federation of American Scientists. Russia has slightly more warheads overall — about 8,500 — but a slightly fewer 1,800 of them operational. China, in comparison, has about 250 nuclear warheads, a bit less that France (300) and a bit more than Britain (225). http://theweek.com/article/index/257406/what-would-a-us-russia-war-look-like

Notice what the EU and Russia apparently plan to do now:

March 17, 2014

The EU has agreed to impose travel bans and asset freezes against 21 officials from Russia and Ukraine, following Sunday’s referendum in Crimea.

The individuals affected are seen as having playing a central role in Crimea’s move to break away from Ukraine and join with Russia…

Russia is now expected to fast-track the legislation enabling it to absorb Crimea.

President Vladimir Putin is to address both houses of parliament on Tuesday.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26613567

So, the EU has agreed to take financial and travel steps against 21 people for Russia getting involved with Crimea.  That is not enough to dissuade Russia from more actions, and certainly not enough to persuade Russia to not accept Crimea.  That certainly does not sound like the start of WWIII, but there are other concerns going on behind the scenes.

How might the situation with Russia help trigger WWIII?  Basically by showing the Europeans that they need to more quickly increased their military position.  And this is something under consideration:

Europe needs a reset on defence

Nations must rethink military cuts after Russian action – The nations of the EU must stop their collective decline as a military power. For years, this plea has been sounded by Nato chiefs…http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7133acce-a924-11e3-9b71-00144feab7de,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F7133acce-a924-11e3-9b71-00144feab7de.html%3Fsiteedition%3Duk&siteedition=uk&_i_referer=

What many do not realize is that the Europeans have been working on a reset on defense. For some reasons why, notice the following:

NATO Is In No Position to Protect Eastern Europe From Russia

NATO’s collective defense guarantee is “effective only if the United States is prepared to use force.”

Concerned Poles and Balts seeking hard evidence behind America’s rhetorical support for NATO are bound to be disappointed. Obama’s “pivot to Asia” is only the latest stage in a multi-decade drawdown of U.S. forces in Europe. Only 64,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed there, compared to 450,000 at the height of the Cold War. And U.S. military forces have never been deployed east of the Oder River, which forms the boundary between Germany and Poland. Even planned U.S. missile defense shields for Poland and the Czech Republic were cancelled as part of Obama’s attempted reset with Russia in 2009.

Russia’s intervention in Crimea also came just days after the Department of Defense proposed a 2015 budget that would reduce the U.S. army to its smallest size since before World War II. The budget is a recognition that the U.S. has been spending too much on its military for decades and will no longer be at war for the first time since 2001. It is also a much larger recognition that a debt-ridden, sequestered America cannot be expected to militarily enforce the interests of every ally in every corner of the globe.

As the USA is in debt, cannot afford to fight all the wars, has been reducing its presence in Europe, has become more focused on Asia, and has also told the Europeans that they must step-up and handle more of their defense,  Europe is deciding to focus more on its military technology.

And the situation in Ukraine and Crimea will serve as an additional wake-up call for that.  And that will lead to WWIII.  According to the Bible, for a time, the final European Beast power will be successful (Revelation 13:4) against the USA (Daniel 11:39) and a coming Arabic-Turkish confederation (Daniel 11:40-43), but not Russia and its allies (Daniel 11:44-45; Jeremiah 50:41-43; 51:11-32).

The seeds for WWIII are now being sown.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Russia and Ukraine: 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? You can also watch the new video Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach?
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? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term 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? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-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-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Non-GMO and GMO-Breeding for Plants

COGwriter

A panel in the United Kingdom (UK) wants to increase the amount of genetically modified organism (GMO) crops there:

A new report on genetically modified (GM) crops, commissioned by the prime minister, calls for more UK field trials and fewer EU restrictions.

The Council for Science and Technology (CST) wants “public good” GM varieties to be grown and tested in the UK.

It says GM crops should be assessed individually – like pharmaceuticals – taking potential benefits into account.

A new UK regulator similar to NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) should be set up, it says…

The scientists say they are being held back by strict EU regulations – based on the principle that GM crops are inherently more dangerous than conventionally-bred varieties.

Only two GM varieties have been licensed for commercial harvest in Europe – despite the fact that 12% of the world’s arable land is cultivating GM crops.

The CST report argues GM crops have now been shown to be safe – and may be necessary in future for Britain to grow its own food supply, rather than depending on imports.

It says the UK should regulate commercial GM varieties of wheat and potatoes based on their individual benefits and risks – rather than follow the EU’s blanket approach…

The report was welcomed by Dr Julian Little, chair of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council (ABC), which represents companies including BASF, Monsanto and Syngenta.

“Current EU regulation has moved in the direction of increasing political influence and undermining science.

“Europe risks being left behind and it therefore remains essential that action is taken to address the dysfunctional EU approvals process so that UK farmers may, in the future, be able to realise the potential of great British biotechnology research right here in the UK.”

But the environmental group Friends of the Earth say GM will not make food more affordable or sustainable.

“GM crops have been hugely over-hyped. Despite decades of research they have failed to deliver the benefits they have promised – and have been an expensive distraction from real solutions to the challenges we face,” said senior food campaigner Vicki Hird.  http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26554969

GMOs are not safe, GMOs are dangerous. This is going the wrong direction.  GMOs are likely to cause food shortages, including famines in the USA, UK, and Canada.

The GMO matter is one of many where the UK differs from the European Union (EU).  But in this case, this is a situation where the EU is right.

According to the Bible, many in the USA, Canada, and the UK will die from lack of food in the future and be taken captive.  Notice:

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

9 Her uncleanness is in her skirts; She did not consider her destiny; Therefore her collapse was awesome; She had no comforter. “O Lord, behold my affliction, For the enemy is exalted!”  (Lamentations 1:9)

19 “Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches; Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children, Who faint from hunger at the head of every street.”  (Lamentations 2:19)

9 Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger; For these pine away, Stricken for lack of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of the compassionate women have cooked their own children; They became food for them in the destruction of the daughter of my people.  (Lamentations 4:9-10)

4 We pay for the water we drink, And our wood comes at a price. 5 They pursue at our heels; We labor and have no rest. 6 We have given our hand to the Egyptians And the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. 7 Our fathers sinned and are no more, But we bear their iniquities.  8 Servants rule over us; There is none to deliver us from their hand”. (Lamentations 5:4-8)

10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  (Luke 21:10-11)

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)

It will probably take a “perfect storm” of events for this to occur including droughts, floods, earthquakes, civil unrest, hurricanes, tornadoes, gmo and other crop failure, combined with foreign events and/or the increasingly increased debt of the USA to trigger some of this (and not all will be related to, or limited to, the USA), but it will happen.  But I have long believed that GMO crop failure would likely be a major factor–yet the USA, UK, and Canada seemed determined to increase this risk.

In the last century, prior to the introduction of GMO “foods”, the late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

And so man IS just what he eats. Some of the most famous physicians and surgeons have said that 90% to 95% of all sickness and disease comes from faulty diet!

Most people are in utter ignorance of the fact that it does make a difference what we eat! Most people, and the customs of society, have followed a regimen of eating whatever tastes good to the palate.

Adults are babies grown up. Observe a nine-month-old baby. Everything that comes into his hands goes to his mouth!

My youngest brother may not like to read this in print, but I remember when he was about nine months old, and had managed to creep into the basement coal bin. We found him trying to eat little chunks of coal—his mouth and face well blackened!

You may laugh at babies trying to eat silver cups and chunks of coal. Or at people who dip small mice into a sauce, and, holding them by their tails, drop them as a delicious delicacy into their mouths.

If you do, they will laugh back at you. They will tell you that mice eat clean grain and clean foods, while you dip slimy, slithery oysters and other scavenger seafoods into cocktail sauces, and consider them a delicacy!

You think adults have actually LEARNED any better than nine-month-olds babies? Go to your fancy grocer’s and you’ll find on his shelves canned eel and canned rattlesnake.

WHY? As I said, humans know nothing at birth! We have to learn! But most of us do not know that! And, again, what we don’t know, we don’t know that we don’t know! And somehow, ever since babyhood, most humans seem to have grown up putting everything into the mouth. Most have grown up eating just whatever seemed to taste good—and whatever they saw others eating. There has been little education or even study about WHAT we ought—or ought NOT—to eat.

Most degenerative diseases are modern diseases—penalties for eating foods that have been demineralized in food factories—usually an excess of starch, sugar (the carbohydrates) and fats. Others are caused by a type of malnutrition—lack of needed minerals and vitamins in foods. Then people try to put the “vitamins” back into their systems by buying pills at the drugstore!  (More on this can be found in the article HWA: Third Law of Success: Good Health.)

Basically the Bible advocates eating real food (it does not consider unclean meats to be food) and not too much of it.  GMOs are not real food, and should be avoided when possible (which is more and more difficult to do in places like the USA).  Continental Europe is less likely be affected as much as it has relatively little GMO crops–this actually could contribute to its rise in the end.

Perhaps I should mention that both US President Barack Obama and his last Republican challenger for the presidency, Mitt Romney, both have been backers of GMOs. GMOs are not what the world or the UK needs. Jesus, repentance, and the Kingdom of God is.  The UK seems to wish to go the wrong direction on this.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Just 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.
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? You can also see a YouTube video sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon 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? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
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? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? The Book of Revelation tells of a beast power that will rise up. Some think that this must be Russia or could be Islamic, while others say that this power is European. The Book of Daniel tells of the rise of an end time King of the North that some think must be referring to a Russian leader, while others say that this power is European. How can you be sure? This YouTube video has all the scriptural proofs that you should need to prove that this power must be a European one.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term 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? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-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-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.