Church of God News

Pope Pius V

COGwriter

Today, April 30th, is the Catholic “Feast day” for one who has been designated as “St. Pope Pius V.”

Here is some of what Catholic.org says about him:

Pope from 1566-1572 and one of the foremost leaders of the Catholic Reformation…As pope, Pius saw his main objective as the continuation of the massive program of reform for the Church, in particular the full implementation of the decrees of the Council of Trent. He published the Roman Catechism, the revised Roman Breviary, and the Roman Missal…

In 1571, Pius created the Congregation of the Index to give strength to the Church’s resistance to Protestant and heretical writings, and he used the Inquisition to prevent any Protestant ideas from gaining a foot hold in Italy…His reign was blemished only by the continuing oppression of the Inquisition; the often brutal treatment of the Jews of Rome; and the ill advised decision to excommunicate Queen Elizabeth I http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5515

The Inquisition and brutal treatment of Jews are more than blemishes, they help demonstrate that Pius V was not a successor of Peter or the other apostles.

Here is something about him and Protestantism:

Priest P. Kramer (21^st century): Pope St. Pius V teaches in his Catechism, the Roman Catechism — also known as the Catechism of the Council of Trent — that all of the Protestant religions are false religions, they’re inspired by the devil; and therefore their fruits are evil…The Protestant religions, as such, are inspired by the devil, as Pope St. Pius V teaches in his catechism. (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004. THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/15/08)

While the Continuing Church of God is not Protestant, likely Pius V included our spiritual ancestors in the above as the general Catholic position is that those who profess Christ that are not Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic are some type of Protestant. The Church of God preceded the confederation that became the Church of Rome.

Nowadays, Pope Francis wants unity with the Protestants, and many of them are interested (see, for example, Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction!).

Notice that Pope Pius V’s late 16^th century Catechism says only the Catholic church is faithful and has salvation, with others (like Protestants) part of the “false Church”:

The third mark of the Church is that she is Catholic…To this Church, “built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets”, belong all the faithful who have existed from Adam to the present day, or who shall exist…She is, also, called universal, because all who desire eternal salvation must cling to and embrace her, like those who entered the ark, to escape perishing in the flood…This, therefore, is to be taught as a most reliable criterion, by which to distinguish the true from a false Church…

The true Church is also to be recognised from her origin, which can be traced back under the law of grace to the Apostles; for her doctrines are neither novel nor of recent origin, but were delivered, of old, by the Apostles, and disseminated throughout the world. Hence, no one can, for a moment, doubt that the impious opinions which heresy invents, opposed, as they are, to the doctrines taught by the Church from the days of the Apostles to the present time, are very different from the faith of the true Church…But as this one Church, because governed by the Holy Ghost, cannot err in faith or morals, it necessarily follows, that all other societies arrogating to themselves the name of Church, because guided by the spirit of darkness, are sunk in the most pernicious errors both doctrinal and moral. (The Catechism of the Council of Trent: published by command of Pope Pius the fifth , pp. 77-78)

Related to that last paragraph above, it needs to be understood that by making those claims, Pope Pius V seems to be saying that the true Church should not have changed the doctrines of the Apostles. And while that is true of the Continuing Church of God, it cannot be said of the Church of Rome.

In the 16^th century, the Pope Pius V’s Catechism claimed:

…the Church of God has in her wisdom ordained that the celebration of the Sabbath should be transferred to “the Lord’s day:” as on that day light first shone on the world…(The Catechism of the Council of Trent: published by command of Pope Pius the fifth. Translated by Jeremiah Donovan. F. Lucas, Publisher. Original from Harvard University, Digitized, Apr 26, 2006, p. 267)

Of course, the true and faithful “Church of God” did no such thing, it was the Church of Rome that made this change (nor did any of the original Apostles authorize it in scripture or elsewhere).

Catholics, and others, may find the following three translations of some passages in the New Testament book of Hebrews of interest (note this using one Protestant and two Catholic translations):

4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.”…9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience (NIV).

4 as one text says, referring to the seventh day: And God rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing…9 There must still be, therefore, a seventh-day rest reserved for God’s people, 10 since to enter the place of rest is to rest after your work, as God did after his. 11 Let us, then, press forward to enter this place of rest, or some of you might copy this example of refusal to believe and be lost. (NJB)

4 For he said in a certain place of the seventh day thus: And God rested the seventh day from all his works…9 Therefore there is left a sabbatisme for the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, the same also hath rested from his works, as God did from his. 11 Let us hasten therefore to enter into that rest; lest any man fall into the same example of incredulity. (Original Douay-Rheims of 1582)

When Pius V wrote of changing the Sabbath, he and those that followed him apparently wanted to reinterpret the above to not mean what they literally state (note: the more “modern” Douay-Rheims that many use no longer uses the term “sabbatisme” so many modern Catholics are unaware of what that verse really says–also most Protestants are unaware as most Protestant translators have chosen to mistranslate the verse).

Protestants, who claim not to follow Rome, may wish to ask themselves why they tend to observe Sunday as this is a day that Rome claims it adopted and changed the Sabbath to.

Those interested in learning more about early Christianity, who is faithful and who is not, and changes that many have adopted may wish to carefully study the following articles:

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? This documented article answers those questions.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view? Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches? Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter!
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
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?
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? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the Continuing Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example?
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.
How to Observe the Sabbath? How should you keep the Sabbath? This is an old article by Raymond Cole, with updated information for the 21st century.
Sunday and Christianity Was Sunday observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians? Who clearly endorsed Sunday? What relevance is the first or the “eighth” day? A related sermon is also available: Sunday: First and Eighth Day?
Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries? Did you know that many in the second and third centuries felt that there were two major, and separate, professing Christian groups in the second century, but that those in the majority churches tend to now blend the groups together and claim “saints” from both? “Saints” that condemn some of their current beliefs. Who are the two groups?
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

Islamic State supporters are sending a message of destruction.

COGwriter

Some associated with the group calling itself the Islamic State (also known as ISIL or ISIS) has posted information on thousands it wants to target in New York:

April 29, 2016

Some 3,000 New York City-area residents, most of them private citizens with no government ties, were targeted in an Islamic State“hit list,” law enforcement said.The list, intended as a threat, contains as many as 3,600 names. It includes some employees with the State Department and Homeland Security, but mostly contains personal information from private citizens. It was posted on site accessible to only IS supporters and is being considered a scare campaign from the IS-related group Caliphate Cyber United.

Law enforcement authorities said there is no specific threat to any one person or group. The FBI and New York Police Department plan to visit the homes of those targeted. The FBI said it would not comment on the incident specifically, but “the FBI routinely notifies individuals and organizations of information collected during the course of an investigation that may be perceived as potentially threatening in nature.”

“Potential threats may relate to individuals, institutions or organizations and are shared in order to sensitize potential victims to the observed threat, and to assist them in taking proper steps to ensure their safety,” FBI spokeswoman Carol Cratty said. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/04/29/Islamic-State-linked-hackers-target-thousands-of-New-Yorkers/1061461945640/

April 29, 2016

A group of hackers linked to Islamic State has posted online a list of thousands of New York residents and urged followers of the militant group to target them, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

Federal agents and New York City police officers have been contacting the individuals on the list to inform them of the posting, but the source said law enforcement does not believe there is any credible threat. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-york-islamic-state-idUSKCN0XQ2AC

Because of actions by groups such as the Islamic State and the terror attacks in the USA and Europe, many in the West, as well as in many of the Islam-dominated countries, will decide that a coalition of nations in North Africa and the Middle East is what is needed for ‘peace.’

Yet this, according to the Bible, will not truly bring lasting peace (Daniel 11:40-43), though it may well lead to a temporary one (Daniel 9:27). Instead of real peace, an Islamic confederation would be a prelude to the time of coming destruction (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:3).

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this short sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

Some items of related interest may include:

Elementary Doctrines of the Church: Hebrews 6 Seven doctrines are mentioned and discussed. A related sermon is also available titled: Basic Doctrines of Hebrew 6.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Faith for those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Here is a link to a pdf. booklet titled Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章.
Baptism, the Early Church, and the Continuing Church Was it by immersion? Did it include infants? Does Polycarp prove infant baptism? Here is a link to some information in the Spanish language: Bautismo de infantes o bendición de los niños pequeños. A related sermon video is titled Baptism: What is it and how should it be done?
The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had? What are some of the scriptural limits on ecclesiastical authority? Do some commit organizational idolatry? Here is a Spanish language version La Biblia, Policarpo, Herbert W. Armstrong, y Roderick C. Meredith sobre el gobierno de la Iglesia. Here is a link to a sermon titled Church Governance.
What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrections? Is there more than one future resurrection? Did early Christians teach a physical resurrection? Did early Christians teach three resurrections?
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account? Related sermon videos include Universal Offer of Salvation I: God is love and Universal Offer of Salvation II: The Age to Come and the ‘Little Flock’ and Universal Offer of Salvation III: All Are to Know Jesus, But When? and Universal Offer of Salvation IV: Will the Guilty be Pardoned? and Universal Offer of Salvation V: All Israel Will be Saved? A version of the main article was also translated in the Spanish language: Oferta universal de salvación: Hay cientos de versículos en la Biblia que apoyan la verdadera doctrina de la Apocatastasis.
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 Here is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.
CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.
CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos as well as some ContinuingCOG channel sermons. It is also available as a mobile app.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced scores of YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos.

By COGWriter

You have two holy days in a row.

Are you interested in a fun way to add to your knowledge of the Bible?

A very popular link at the COGwriter website is to the Who Wants to be a Biblical Millionaire? quiz, developed by Michael Thiel.

It is an interesting game and Michael is always adding more questions to it. The game has over 1,100 different questions. Think of it as an entertaining way to assist your doctrinal memory.

While I believe that this and other quizzes at the site help people better learn the Bible, the major reason I have quizzes, animations, photos, and even news, as opposed to only doctrinal articles, is to attempt to better follow the Apostle Paul’s example which was:

22 I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you (1 Corinthians 9:22-23).

Besides, the Bible teaches that there is a “time for every purpose under heaven” (Eccl 3:1). Hence, there are new items, games, and other materials than simply doctrinal and prophetic ones at the www.cogwriter.com website.

Michael’s Free Bible Quizzes and Public Domain Animations.

Self Grading Bible Quiz 15 questions and a report card when you finish.
The Good Samaritan A public domain claymation for younger people.
Paul in Damascus Not a quiz, but a Lego-animation.
John 21 Not a quiz, but (other than a Lego suggesting a long-haired Jesus) a biblical story for young people.
David vs. Goliath A higher level animation for older young people.
Solomon’s Temple This is a a 5 minute animated film that shows one artist’s understanding of the details about Solomon’s temple.
Bible Crossword Puzzle
Who Wants to be a Biblical Millionaire? A sophisticated quiz.
Pentecost Quiz This is a Pentecost quiz based upon the Old and New Testaments in the Bible.
The Antichrist Quiz Do you really know much about the Antichrist?
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
The Ten Commandments Quiz Developed by my son Michael.
Michael’s Day of Atonement Quiz Another free on-line Bible quiz by my son Michael.
Bible Hangman Michael’s most interactive Bible game to date. Another one of his free online Bible games.

NATO in Green, Russia in Orange (Crimea should also be orange)

COGwriter

Some in Sweden and Finland are looking into possible NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) membership, but have concerns about Russia:

April 29, 2016

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland could expect “harsh” reactions from Russia if it decided to join NATO, but would be better off doing so together with neighboring Sweden, an expert panel told the Finnish government on Friday.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned of a “military-technical” response if its “neutral neighbors” became members of the alliance.

NATO supporters in the two non-aligned Nordic countries have stepped up calls for membership following the Ukraine crisis and increased assertiveness by Russian forces around the Baltic Sea. Both Finland and Sweden have deepened their partnership with the alliance in recent years but have so far not sought membership, partly because of concern over the Russian reaction.

“It’s one thing to have neutral neighbors in the north and another to have neighbors who are members of the North Atlantic alliance,” Lavrov told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter in an interview published Friday.

Asked how Russia would react if Sweden joined the alliance, Lavrov said Moscow “will of course take all necessary military-technical measures at our northern borders, since on the other side of the border there is a military-political bloc that considers Russia as a threat and is trying to contain her in every way.”

The interview coincided with the release in Finland of a government-commissioned report on the implications of joining NATO.

Referring to Russia’s reactions to NATO’s enlargement in the past, the report said the “political and economic reactions may be strong, even harsh, notably during the transition phase. Even while stopping short of the use of force, specific counter-measures would be difficult to predict.”

Both countries are concerned about Russian military activities in the region, underscored by hunts for unidentified foreign submarines in Swedish and Finnish waters, and occasional airspace violations by Russian aircraft.

In a brief conclusion, the 60-page report stresses the importance of mutual cooperation between the Nordic neighbors when decisions are made about joining NATO, saying it would be “considerably more benign for Finland” if the two countries joined at the same time than if Finland joined alone.

“Similarly, a Swedish decision to join NATO and a Finnish decision not to join would leave Finland isolated and exposed,” said the report. ….

Both countries have a history of neutrality. Sweden became a neutral nation at the end of the Napoleonic wars and stayed out of World Wars I and II. http://www.postbulletin.com/news/world/finnish-report-highlights-russian-threat-of-nato-membership/article_03613664-41bb-55e4-a1e2-13213772a968.html

April 29, 2016

If Finland joined NATO it would lead to a serious crisis with neighboring Russia, a report commissioned by the Finnish government said on Friday.

Membership of the military alliance would strengthen Finland’s security but trigger a harsh reaction from the Kremlin, affecting trade between the countries, according to the report prepared for Prime Minister Juha Sipila’s center-right government.

Militarily-neutral Finland shares a 1,340 km-long border and difficult history with Russia, its former ruler.

The report gave no direct recommendation on whether Finland should seek membership, but said a joint Finnish-Swedish application would be a better strategic option than either Nordic country joining the alliance alone.

“This is a question of grand strategy,” Finnish Prime Minister Sipila told reporters on Friday.

“Small nations do not often change their basic foreign policy guidelines,” he said, adding that leeway was needed in case the security situation changed.

Only 22 percent of Finns support joining NATO, while 55 percent are opposed, a recent poll by public broadcaster YLE showed.

Finnish membership of NATO would double the length of the border between the alliance and Russia and increase the NATO presence in the Baltic Sea.

But without Sweden, Finland would be an isolated outpost which NATO would have difficulty defending, the report said.

Sipila said the governments of Finland and Sweden had promised not to “surprise each other” on the issue.

Nordic countries have stepped up military cooperation since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-finland-nato-report-idUSKCN0XQ1LQ

Photo from Islamic State ‘Armageddon’ video

COGwriter

An Islamic State group that was supposed to attack Rome this year was arrested by Italian authorities:

Italy busts ISIS supporters cell mulling attacks on Vatican & Israeli embassy in Rome

April 29, 2016

Italian authorities have arrested four suspects, who have seemingly had an “accentuated willingness” to carry out terrorist attacks in Rome and the Vatican. At least two other members of the Islamic State cell are on the run.

While there was no indication of an imminent attack, the group was allegedly ordered by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) to carry out atrocities in Italy “with particular attention to the city of Rome” as well as the Vatican during the Jubilee Of Mercy year, Milan prosecutor Maurizio Romanelli told reporters. …

Those arrested, all of whom were Moroccans, according to Italian authorities, communicated with terrorists via the WhatsApp messenger service. Romanelli said that the texts received by the group were “very strong, very serious and very efficient,” and were aimed to incite lone-wolf attacks “as the best way of creating terror within western countries.”

“This is a new profile, because it was not a generic indication, but an indication given to a specific person who was invited to act within the territory of the Italian State,” Romanelli said.

One of the messages to Moutahrrik said, “Dear brother Abderrahim, I send you… the bomb poem… listen to the sheik and strike,” Italian ANSA news agency reports, adding that the “sheik” most likely refers to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Other transcripts from the intercepted conversations seen by Reuters between three of the suspects indicate that one of the targets in Rome was supposed to have been the Israeli embassy.

“I swear I will be the first to attack them in this Italy of crusaders, I swear I’ll attack it, in the Vatican God willing,” one of the arrested men is quoted as telling the man on the run in the transcript.

The other target for the jihadists were Christian pilgrims to the Holy See, after Pope Francis called for the Jubilee of Mercy to be held from December 8, 2015 – November 20, 2016.

According to Interior Minister Angelino Alfano “there was a serious intention to hit Italy,” he told Sky TG24. While they weren’t yet involved in the material preparations for an attack, “there was a decision, an accentuated willingness, to proceed,” he added. https://www.rt.com/news/341304-italy-arrests-isis-supporers/

Milan prosecutor Maurizio Romanelli said that Moutahrrick planned to attack the Vatican and the Israeli embassy in Rome and told one of the other suspects, 23-year-old Moroccan-born Abderrahmane Khachia, in a monitored conversation: “I want to hit Israel in Rome.” Authorities arrested Khachia in the northern Italian city of Varese and Moutahrrick was living in the city of Lecco, north of Milan in the province of Lombardy.

Romanelli added that Italian investigators intercepted the message before swooping on the cell and said that the threat was specific as it came from an individual who had received direct orders.

“This is a new profile, because it was not a generic indication, but an indication given to a specific person who was invited to act within the territory of the Italian state,” Romanelli said, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

The Italian authorities issued arrest warrants for an Italian-Moroccan couple who traveled to Syria last year to join ISIS, with the man in the relationship named as Mohamed Koraichi. He is allegedly the man who directed Moutahrrick to carry out the attacks on Italian soil.

According to authorities, Moutahrrick had sought to buy weapons from an Albanian fixer in Italy and stated his intention to attack the Vatican, but also had plans to take his family—a wife and two children aged 2 and 4—to ISIS-held territory in Syria.

“For these enemies I swear if I manage to bring my family to safety, I swear I will be the first to attack…in this crusading Italy…the Vatican with the will of God,” he allegedly told Koraichi in an audio message intercepted by authorities in March.  http://www.newsweek.com/italy-uncovers-islamist-plot-attack-vatican-and-israeli-embassy-453515

The so-called “Islamic State” has made threats against Rome and the Vatican in the past, but the current situation showed that it was trying to do some damage this year.

Last year, the Islamic State released an ‘Armageddon’ video showing its vision of destruction in the end times:

New ISIS Video Shows Armageddon Battle With the West

December 11, 2015

A new video purportedly released by the Islamic State titled “See You in Dabiq” or “Meeting at Dabiq” depicts ISIS militants fighting “non-believers” in Rome. “Dabiq” is also the name of the Islamic State magazine and refers to a place in Syria where Islamic eschatological prophecy claims “Armageddon,” or “Malahim” in Islam, will take place. …

In the video, tanks can be seen driving towards the Colosseum crumbled in the sand. Footage then cuts to outside buildings of the Italian capital, before zeroing in on the Vatican. …

The film’s dialogue makes claims that the “Dabiq Army” will race into Rome, destroy crucifixes, and enslave Christian women. http://heavy.com/news/2015/12/new-isis-islamic-state-news-video-see-you-in-dabiq-rome-muslim-extremists-rome-crusaders-colosseum-malahim-meeting-at-dabiq-italy-west-war-uncensored-full-youtube/

ISIS release chilling new ‘end of the world’ video showing final battle with ‘crusaders

December 11, 2015

The terror group have released footage showing an ISIS ‘armoured vehicle advancing towards Colosseum in reference to the ‘armies of Rome’

ISIS has released chilling new footage depicting its apocalyptic vision of the end of the world.

It has titled the video ‘Meeting at Dabiq’ which refers to the location of a final battle between the ‘Crusaders’ and the ‘Believers’.

The video also shows an ISIS ‘armoured unit’ advancing towards the Colosseum in reference to the ‘armies of Rome’. …

It then moves on to show the ISIS flag over Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Iraq before parading the flags of the countries it has decided, ISIS is at war with.

The British flag is one of 60 on the screen. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/isis-release-sickening-new-video-6995563

Destruction of the Church of Rome has long been a major goal of those in the so-called Islamic State. It has made other videos threatening other cities and countries. One even warns Russia “your time is coming” and “it will be the worst.” The Islamic State has made various threats against the USA.

But Rome is one place it really wants to hit big-time, as it seemingly believes that would really drive up its support.

As far as ‘Armageddon’ goes, that is a place I have actually visited and that is not near Rome (watch also Armageddon).

The Bible prophesies “terrors” (Deuteronomy 32:29, etc.) and shows that problems will come from those in nations currently dominated by Islam (Psalm 83:2-7). This will include terror hitting places far from Europe such as the USA and Canada.

It is basically because of the threat of Islamic terrorism that the Vatican implemented massive security procedures. The first couple of times my wife and I were in Vatican City (late 1980s), we just walked in and then walked into St. Peter’s Basilica. Later, we had to walk through a metal detector. More recently, there is normally a very long security line, where they also screen and/or look into your bags. The line takes a very long time, but the Vatican is concerned.

The Vatican well realizes that many in Islam want it destroyed. There are even Catholic writings that warn about Muslims attacking it in Europe, but this will lead to a type of revival (increased influence) for the Church of Rome:

The Ecstatic of Tours…”When everyone believes that peace is assured, when everyone least expects it, the great happenings will begin. Revolution will break out in Italy almost at the same time as in France. For some time, the Church will be without a Pope. England, too, will have much to suffer…” (Dupont Y. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p.37)

Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (died 1658):…”When everything has been ruined by war; when Catholics are hard pressed by traitorous co-religionists and heretics; when the Church and her servants are denied their rights, the monarchies have been abolished and their rulers murdered…There will rise a valiant monarch anointed … “He will root out false doctrines and destroy the rule of the Moslemism. (Connor E. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, pp.35-36)

Old English Prophecy: In Germany begins a dance,  Which passes through Italy, Spain, and France, But England shall pay the piper. (Dupont, Catholic Prophecy, pp. 21-22)

Birch Tree Prophecy (Old German) “When the world becomes Godless: revolutions will break out against kings; fathers will be against sons and sons against fathers; dogma will be perverted; men will try to overthrow the Catholic Church…A terrible war will find the north fighting against the south. The south will be led by a Prince wearing a white coat with a cross on the front…” (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 143).

Pseudo-Methodius (7th century): This new Muslim invasion will be a punishment without limit and mercy…In France, people of Christians will fight and kill them…At that same time the Muslims will be killed and they will know the tribulation…The Lord will give them to the powers of the Christians whose empire will be elevated above all empires…The Roman King (Great Monarch) will show a great indignation against those who will have denied Christ in Egypt or in Arabia (Araujo, Fabio R. Selected Prophecies and Prophets. BookSurge LLC, Charlestown (SC), 2007, p. 103).

Yves Dupont (20th century): Civil wars rage in Western Europe…the Pope leaves Rome and dies in exile; an anti-pope is installed in Rome…The Mohammedans invade Europe and commit innumerable atrocities. In the West, however, Christians rally around an unexpected leader… (Dupont, p. 1).

Monk Hilarion (died 1476): Before the Christian churches are renovated and united, God will send the Eagle (Great Monarch) who will travel to Rome and bring much happiness and good. The Holy Man (Angelic Pastor?) will bring peace between the clergy and the Eagle and his reign will last for four years. (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p. 137)

Y. Dupont (20th century) commenting on the above from Monk Hiliaron: Europe–and Italy in particular–will suffer greatly through wars. The Mohammedans will take advantage of the complete anarchy in Europe and invade the land…But eventually they will be thrown back into the sea by the Great King who comes from the Ardennes in Belgium (Dupont, p. 21).

The ‘Great Monarch’ that is spoken of above is quite similar to the final King of the North that the Bible warns against. Both Catholic and biblical prophecy teach that this leader will be a European, probably at least partially of German heritage and he will fight those of the Arab/Muslim lands. As the 21st century proceeds, do not be surprised that Islam will be pushed out of Europe to a major degree (Daniel 11:36-38; Revelation 13:4,8,11-17).

Notice both a Catholic and a biblical prophecy:

Rudolph Gekner (died 1675). “A great prince of the North with a most powerful army will traverse all Europe, uproot all republics, and exterminate all rebels. His sword moved by Divine power will most valiantly defend the Church of Jesus Christ. He will combat on behalf of the true orthodox faith, and shall subdue to his dominion the Mahometan Empire.” (Cited in Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p.36).

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.  (Daniel 11:40-43)

Notice that the ‘great prince of the North’ is expected to subdue an Islamic Empire.  Notice that the Bible teaches that the ‘king of the North‘ will go into the Middle East and North Africa and eliminate the leader called the ‘king of the South.’  The lands of the ‘king of the South’ are currently Islamic.  Perhaps it should be mentioned that Syria is expected to support the confederation of the king of the South (see also Ezekiel 30:2-8), though the time will come that its capital will be destroyed (Isaiah 17:1).

The destruction of a coming Islamic confederation (see The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation ) will be part of the result of what is happening in the Middle East and in the West.

Although we need to rely on the Bible, and not ‘private Catholic prophecies,’ notice the way some of them mirror the Bible.  This should give us pause to consider that some who claim Catholicism will point to them as part of their justification for actions they may take in the future.

It should also be understand that while the Bible indicates that Europeans will defeat the Muslim peoples in the Middle East and North Africa per Daniel 11:40-43 and Ezekiel 30:2-8, the Bible also shows that they will make deals with the Europeans (Daniel 11:27; Psalm 83)–these deals will NOT turn out well for the USA in the long run (cf. Daniel 11:39).

As I have been saying for a long time, it may well be that migrant issues will be one of the triggers to get Europe to ultimately reorganize as the Bible teaches it will in Revelation 17:12-13, Daniel 11:21-38, Daniel 2:41-43, and other passages.

For years I have written that Islamic migrants in Europe will become an issue that Europe will decide it has to address.

Why?

Because the Bible tells of a confederation involving nations in the Middle East and North Africa in the end times in Daniel 11:40-43 and Ezekiel 30:2-8 that is defeated by the Europeans.  Civil unrest and likely civil war will happen, but a temporal peace (Daniel 9:27) comes.

The Church of Rome is destroyed later according to biblical (Revelation 17:16-18) and Catholic prophecy (see The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman”)–and it comes from a European source (Revelation 17:12-18) as well as any remains from Jesus (Revelation 11:15, 17:14).

That does NOT mean there will be no terrorism to hit Rome and/or Vatican City (I still expect it). It just means that the true destruction of the Church of Rome will NOT be from Islam. While some of the Islamic States claims are hollow, expect Islamic-linked destruction coming to parts of Europe, including Italy and even places like Germany.

Unleavened Bread

COGwriter

Today is the last, the seventh, day of unleavened bread. Here is some of what the Hebrew scriptures teach about it:

6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. 8 But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. (Leviticus 23:6-8)

18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. (Exodus 12:18)

So, today (the 21st of Nisan or Abib on the Hebrew calendar) faithful Christians are off work/school and attending some type of church service (including perhaps watching a sermon video).

Here is some of what the Greek scriptures teach about it:

7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

In Exodus it states that the Days of Unleavened Bread, “shall be a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth” (13:9). Keeping seven days of unleavened bread pictures that we are to live in sincerity and truth by keeping God’s law–that we are not to continue in false religion, not to continue in sin.

Why seven days?

In the Bible God seems to use the number seven to show completeness. There are seven days in a week (Exodus 20:6), seven days of creation (Genesis1), seven Churches in Rev 2&3, seven candlesticks (Revelation 1:20), seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34), etc. The seven Days of Unleavened Bread seem to picture that after our sins have been forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus (Romans 3:25, I Corinthians 5:7)), that we are to no longer continue in the old ways but to walk in the true ways of the Bible (I Corinthians 5:8). The Days of Unleavened Bread help us to understand that sin is to be put out of our lives; throughout the year it reminds us that false religion is all around and needs to be avoided.

People who do not keep the Days of Unleavened Bread are not reminded about false religion and sin through this symbol during the year; maybe they do not want to be.

This last Day of Unleavened Bread lasts until sunset tonight. Are you keeping it? If not, why not start now?

For those of you who are scattered or otherwise and have interest, here is our suggested format for the last day of unleavened bread service this year:

• 2-3 hymns (our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, contains the materials from the 1974 Bible Hymnal from the old WCG with new covers, plus ten additional hymns; there is also some Choral Accompaniment online).
• Opening prayer.
• Sermonette, which for many who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one titled: For how go to the Donations page of the Continuing Church of God. There is a mailing address there, as well as the ability to give offerings online.
• Announcements (if any; though for many it will be this letter) and one hymn.
• Sermon, which for many who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one. The one suggested for this week is:  Does God have faith in humans? Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel.
• Final hymn.
• Closing prayer.

Because of this being an annual Holy Day, some may wish to have double-services.  If so, here is a suggestion for the second service (note: the sermon listed below is from 2015):

• 2-3 hymns (our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, contains the materials from the 1974 Bible Hymnal from the old WCG with new covers, plus ten additional hymns; there is also some Choral Accompaniment online).
• Opening prayer.
• Sermonette, which for most who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one: Top Ten Fears. Other sermonettes are available at the Bible News Prophecy channel.
• Announcements (if any; though for many it will be this letter) and one hymn.
• Sermon, which for most who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one. The one suggested for this week is: Exodus Plagues and Prophecy. A related written item would be: Reasons, Proofs, and Ramifications of the Ten Plagues of Exodus. Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel.
• Final hymn.
• Closing prayer.

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:16:20

Does God have faith in humans?

Jesus said He wanted His followers to be perfect as His Father in heaven was perfect. But perfection is not something that humans attain in this life. Do converted Christians sin? Does God have faith in humans? Does God’s Holy Day plan reflect any of this? This is a message intended to be for the Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread. (Note: In one place Dr. Thiel cited Revelation 13:8, but mistakenly referred to it as from Romans 13:8.)

This is a sermon for the Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread, which runs until sunset April 29, 2016.

Here is a link to the sermon: Does God have faith in humans?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Perfection? Does God have faith in humans? A message for the seventh-day of unleavened bread. A related sermon is titled: Does God have faith in humans?
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? What is leaven? This article supplies some biblical answers. Here is a YouTube video intended to be viewed for the first day of unleavened bread: Christians and the Days of Unleavened Bread.
Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? Where did Easter come from? What do scholars and the Bible reveal?
Why Easter? Did early Christians observe Easter? What are the origins of Easter? What does Easter have to do with the goddess Ishtar. Where did the word Easter come from? Where do Easter eggs come from? What do rabbits have to do with Easter? Was Jesus resurrected on a Sunday? This is a video.
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? How do the Holy Days picture God’s plan of salvation? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 Here is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.
CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos as well as some ContinuingCOG channel sermons. It is also available as a mobile app.
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them at that channel.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced scores of YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos.

Asteroid

COGwriter

A reader sent me a link to an article about a report from Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute and the Global Challenges Foundation:

Apocalypse on the way? Scientists fear asteroids, killer robots and deadly diseases could wipe out humanity

April 28, 2016

The rise of robots and deadly viruses are among the threats that could wipe out swathes of humanity – but governments are failing to prepare properly for them, a new report warns

Catastrophic climate change, nuclear war and natural disasters such as super volcanoes and asteroids could also pose a deadly risk to mankind, researchers said.

It may sound like the stuff of sci-fi films, but experts said these apocalyptic threats are more likely than many realise.

The report Global Catastrophic Risks, compiled by a team from Oxford University, the Global Challenges Foundation and the Global Priorities Project, ranks dangers that could wipe out 10% or more of the human population.

It warns that while most generations never experience a catastrophe, they are far from fanciful, as the bouts of plague and the 1918 Spanish flu that wiped out millions illustrated.

Sebastian Farquhar, director at the Global Priorities Project, told the Press Association: “There are some things that are on the horizon, things that probably won’t happen in any one year but could happen, which could completely reshape our world and do so in a really devastating and disastrous way.

“History teaches us that many of these things are more likely than we intuitively think.”Many of these risks are changing and growing as technologies change and grow and reshape our world. But there are also things we can do about the risks.”

“The biggest long term threat to civilization is natural and engineered pandemics and nuclear war, according to the report. Strides have been taken to cut the number of nuclear weapons in the world, but the rise of synthetic biology could open the door to the creation of “off the shelf” deadly viruses.

“While the danger of a potent form of avian flu mutating and rapidly infecting humans could also kill many millions, researchers said. http://www.mirror.co.uk/science/apocalypse-way-scientists-fear-asteroids-7850630

Last year, Oxford put out an article that was titled, 12 likely causes of the Apocalypse, as seen by scientists, whereas the 212 page report from Oxford was titled 12 Risks that threaten human civilisation.

Anyway, here was one (listed in the same order as in the 12 likely causes of the Apocalypse, as seen by scientists article):

Asteroid impact

…Large asteroid collisions happen about once every 20 million years, the report says. Probability: 0.00013% http://rt.com/news/232591-12-causes-apocalypses-scientists/

The actual probability of a major impact, if comets are considered, is 100%. Not that this will end human civilization, but the Book of the Apocalypse tells of something coming from the sky called Wormwood which will be devastating (Revelation 8:10-11; see also Wormwood and Planet Nibiru).

Here is the second listed one of the 12:

Super-volcano eruption

A volcano capable of causing an eruption with an ejecta volume greater than 1,000 km3 could cause a global catastrophe… Probability: 0.00003%

The USA is at risk should the supervolcano at Yellowstone erupt (http://www.autoworldnews.com/articles/8822/20140901/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption-would-be-devastating-for-u-s.htm)

The chance is probably much, much higher than the Oxford report indicates. Jesus warned about a time of earthquakes and troubles:

8 … And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be…troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

A supervolcanic eruption such as one at Yellowstone could cause major “troubles.”

Here is the third of the 12:

Global pandemic

A high impact epidemic is more probable than is widely believed, as all the features of an extremely devastating disease already exist in nature…Probability: 0.0001%

The above seems to be the major factor in the report I saw today.  And the probability of a major pandemic is actually 100% according to the Bible. Notice what Jesus said:

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

Notice also what the Book of the Apocalypse teaches:

7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:7-8)

An article of related interest would be Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse.

Here is the fourth of the 12:

Nuclear war

The possibility of a deliberate or accidental nuclear conflict in the next century or so is estimated at 10%. The larger impact would depend on whether the conflict would trigger a “nuclear winter” – a climatic effect that would plunge temperatures below freezing, destroy most of the ozone layer, and start firestorms, which would likely lead to mass starvation and state collapse. Probability: 0.005%

Nuclear war or something similar has a probability of 100% in the next century. Jesus said:

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (Matthew 24:7)

The Book of Apocalypse teaches:

3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. (Revelation 6:3-4)

Something that resembles nuclear devastation is one of the prophesied curses mentioned in the Bible:

23 ‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’ 24 All nations would say, ‘Why has the Lord done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?’ 25 Then people would say: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; 26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. 27 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. (Deuteronomy 29:23-29).

6…He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 6-7)

19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts
The land is burned up,
And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother.
20 And he shall snatch on the right hand
And be hungry;
He shall devour on the left hand
And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. 21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah (Isaiah 9:19-21).

The above descriptions are consistent with a nuclear or similar attack. Manasseh represents the USA and Ephraim its British-descended allies. THIS HAS NOT YET HAPPENED IN HISTORY AND IS A PROPHECY FOR OUR TIME. While Israel was uprooted historically, the land did not burn up or become brimstone. Deuteronomy 29:29 provides one reason why most Protestants and most others that profess Christ do not understand these prophecies–they do not do the words of the law that God expects His people to do today.

Here is the fifth of the 12:

Extreme climate change

…Climate change could lead to mass deaths, famines, social collapse, and mass migration. Probability: 0.01%

The probability of severe climate change is 100%, though of itself, it will not eliminate humanity. The Book of the Apocalypse teaches:

9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Revelation 16:9)

More on the Bible and weather can be found in the article Weather Blessings and Sorrows.

Here is the sixth of the 12:

Synthetic biology

The most damaging impact from synthetic biology to human civilization would come from an engineered pathogen targeting humans or a crucial component of the ecosystem, the report states. Such would emerge from military or commercial bio-warfare, bio-terrorism, or leaked pathogens. Probability: 0.01%

Synthetic biology is going on now. They may lead to famines and pestilences, which Jesus and the Book of the Apocalypse warn of. Articles of related interest would include GMOs and Bible Prophecy and Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line?; see also Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Here is the seventh of the 12:

Nanotechnology

Atomically precise manufacturing would create smart or extremely resilient materials, and allow many different groups to manufacture a wide range of things – including large arsenals of novel weapons, such as nuclear ones. Probability: 0.01%

The Bible tells of war, and I suspect that technology will be part of it (see European Technology and the Beast of Revelation). Perhaps it will involve nanotechnology.

The eighth of the 12 was:

Unknown consequences

These are all the unknowns that could lead to the end of the world, scientists say…”Probability: 0.1%

Sin leads to death and will be a factor in causing the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. Most scientists do not consider sin a factor, so I will call it an “unknown consequence,” like the Apostle Paul referred to the “unknown God” (Acts 17:23).

The ninth of the 12 was:

Ecological collapse

In this scenario, the ecosystem would suffer a drastic change that would lead to mass extinction … Probability: N/A

The above is consistent with Wormwood (Revelation 8:10-11), high heat (Revelation 16:9), and other items that the Book of the Apocalypse foretells. Notice also:

7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8:7-9)

There will be an ecological crisis, the Bible tells of it. Humans are not properly tending the Earth. They are destroying it. And they will be judged for it:

18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18)

An article of related interest would be The Bible, Christians, and the Environment.

The tenth of the 12 was:

Global system collapse

The world economic and political systems are interconnected, and are prone to system-wide failures caused by the structure of the network. Economic collapse is usually accompanied by social chaos, civil unrest, and a breakdown of law and order. Probability: N/A

The economic world order led by the USA will collapse. The USA is the largest debtor in the history of the world, and notice what will happen:

6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,
‘Woe to him who increases
What is not his — how long?
And to him who loads himself with many pledges’?
7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it. (Habakkuk 2:6-8)

There will be an economic collapse of the USA. See also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel.

The eleventh of the 12 was:

Future bad governance

A disaster… – like constructing a global totalitarian state. Probability: N/A

Biblically, there is a 100% probability of a totalitarian state. Notice the following:

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:11-18)

The whole world will fall for at least part of it:

8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)

For more information check out Europa, the Beast, and Revelation and Who is the King of the North?

The twelfth of the 12 was:

Artificial Intelligence

The creation of human-level intelligence can result in the possibility that this intelligence will be driven to construct a world without humans…

On the other hand, the report also says it is probable that such intelligence could counter other apocalyptic causes presented in the study. Probability: 0-10%

The chances of computer problems causing other problems is high. The Bible, however, is clear that human-related intelligence (and that would include computers) will not solve the problems–only God will be able to. Notice:

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22)

More information on the Great Tribulation can be found in the article When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? A YouTube video of related interest may be Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?

The Great Tribulation will begin in this century and the events of the Book of the Apocalypse will come to pass. Oxford sees some of the issues, but because it is not relying on the Bible, it has understated the risk.

Hopefully, you will not.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

12 Apocalyptic Risks from Oxford University Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute and the Global Challenges Foundation issued a 212 page report titled “12 Risks that threaten human civilisation.” The Russian Times reported about it with an article titled The article was titled, “12 likely causes of the Apocalypse, as seen by scientists.” Risks included asteroid impact, supervolacanic explosion, global pandemic, nuclear war,climate change, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, unknown consequences, ecological collapse, economic global system collapse, bad governance, and artificial intelligence flaws. Are the risks greater than what Oxford scientists believe? What does the Bible say about these risks? This is a video.
Wormwood and Planet Nibiru Will the Earth be devastated by Planet X or Comet Encke? Here is a link to a related YouTube video Could Comet ISON be Wormwood of Bible Prophecy?
Earthquakes Today and Bible Prophecy Contains a cool up-to-the-hour update of earthquakes around the world from USGS. It also explains what did Jesus teach about earthquakes and how the Bible describes “the big one” (as well as when it is expected).
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?
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
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? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? 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 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2023 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, 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?

Frank Walter Steinmeier and Donald Trump

COGwriter

Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was not pleased with Donald Trump’s foreign policy speech:

April 28, 2016

Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday criticized U.S. Republican front-runner Donald Trump for a speech in which he said it would be “America first” if he were elected president.

Trump said on Wednesday that if elected, his foreign policy would leave European and Asian allies of the U.S. fending for themselves if they did not pay more for U.S. defense measures.

“I can only hope that the election campaign in the USA does not lack the perception of reality,” Steinmeier said.

“The world’s security architecture has changed and it is no longer based on two pillars alone. It cannot be conducted unilaterally,” he said, referring to Trump’s “America first” message. …

“No American president can get round this change in the international security architecture,” Steinmeier said, adding that this was why “‘America first’ is actually no answer to that”.

Steinmeier also said that Trump’s speech was contradictory, with the Republican calling on the one hand for ‘America first’ but on the other hand urging the United States to withdraw from the world: “Those two things don’t seem to fit together very well to me,” he said. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-germany-idUSKCN0XP1C2

Here is information related to Donald Trump’s ‘America first’ foreign policy speech:

Donald Trump has detailed his foreign policy in a speech, a day after sweeping to a win in five US primaries.

Mr Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican candidacy in the 2016 presidential race, said he would pursue an “America First” policy.

He called the foreign policy of President Barack Obama’s administration “a complete and total disaster”. …

On Nato and other powers

New talks would be sought with the United States’ allies in trans-Atlantic alliance Nato, Mr Trump said. He said he would try and reshape the organisation’s structure and discuss a “rebalancing” of US financing towards it.

Mr Trump said he would also aim to hold talks with Russia to seek common ground, possibly over Islamist extremism. …

On US allies

“The countries we defend must pay for the cost of this defence,” he said. “If not, the US must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves. We have no choice.” http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-36152947

Here is information from a transcript of what Donald Trump actually said yesterday:

We’re rebuilding other countries while weakening our own. Ending the theft of American jobs will give us resources we need to rebuild our military, which has to happen and regain our financial independence and strength. I am the only person running for the presidency who understands this and this is a serious problem.

I’m the only one — believe me, I know them all, I’m the only one who knows how to fix it.

Secondly, our allies are not paying their fair share, and I’ve been talking about this recently a lot. Our allies must contribute toward their financial, political, and human costs, have to do it, of our tremendous security burden. But many of them are simply not doing so.

They look at the United States as weak and forgiving and feel no obligation to honor their agreements with us. In NATO, for instance, only 4 of 28 other member countries besides America, are spending the minimum required 2 percent of GDP on defense. We have spent trillions of dollars over time on planes, missiles, ships, equipment, building up our military to provide a strong defense for Europe and Asia.

The countries we are defending must pay for the cost of this defense, and if not, the U.S. must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves. We have no choice.

The whole world will be safer if our allies do their part to support our common defense and security. http://time.com/4309786/read-donald-trumps-america-first-foreign-policy-speech/

Here is something I wrote  yesterday morning before he gave that speech:

Donald Trump will drive Europe further away from the USA.

Donald Trump is doing that.

Now, while Donald Trump is correct to imply that the USA cannot afford to defend foreign nations as it has (in that way it has “no choice”), and Donald Trump is correct that NATO nations have generally not paid their agreed upon share for defense, there are certain things he seems to have overlooked.

One is that if they have to pay, nations prefer to spend their money on their own military and not so much to a foreign nation.  Which means that Donald Trump is encouraging USA allies to arm themselves and become less dependent upon the USA for their military defense.

Though this will sound good to many Americans, the reality is that this will not end well for the USA. The fact that the USA currently has the strongest military will NOT save it.

The Bible shows that a European power called the King of the North will destroy those who are perceived to have the strongest military might and apparently divide up their land:

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain (Daniel 11:39).

In the 21st century so far, the strongest fortresses in the world belong to the USA and to a much lessor extent, its English-speaking allies (for a more detailed explanation of why the USA and its Anglo-allies are involved, as well as the dividing of their lands, please see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel). Some would call this attack World War III (WWIII).

Daniel 11:24 seems to parallel this as it teaches that the King of the North has plans against the strongholds and succeeds against the prosperous. Catholic translations of Daniel seem to miss this, but other translations of Daniel 11:39 support this idea:

39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. (ESV)

39 He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.. (NASB)

39 Claiming this foreign god’s help, he will attack the strongest fortresses. He will honor those who submit to him, appointing them to positions of authority and dividing the land among them as their reward. (NLT)

39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. (NIV)

39 He’ll take action against the strongest fortresses. With the help of a foreign god, he’ll recognize those who honor him, making them rule over many, and he’ll parcel out the land for a profit. (ISB of 2012)

39 And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god; whom he shall acknowledge, shall increase glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price. (Jewish Publication Society of 1917)

This passage about the “strongest fortresses” in Daniel 11:39 cannot be referring to the continental Europeans as they support the King of the North, nor can it be referring to the Russians, Chinese, or other Asians as they do not get involved until verse 44 (see also The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy). The strongest fortresses of Daniel 11:39 belong to the USA–and it will be defeated, despite most Americans not thinking it can happen:

10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’ (Amos 9:10)

People who have faith that the USA will continue and get through all of this should ask themselves,  “Why?”

They also may wish to ask themselves since the Bible talks about end time kings of the north (Daniel 11:44-45), south (Daniel 11:40), and east (Revelation 16:12), why does it not mention an end time king of the west? The USA is west of Jerusalem, in a major sense is currently the “King of the West,” and apparently is the Western naval power of Daniel 11:30–yet no King of the West seems to exist after the King of the North eliminates those with the strongest fortresses (Daniel 11:39) (for more information, please also see the article Who is the King of the West?).

How will the Europeans be able to do this? For years, I have believed it would be because of technological advances as well as the USA trusting Europe too much. And Europe has made great strides in areas of military technology that relatively few seem to realize. For details, please check out the article European Technology and the Beast of Revelation as well as a related YouTube video titled Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.

Unless the English-speaking peoples repent of their sins the Bible teaches that their nations will be destroyed (see also Hosea 8:1-13). These English-speaking peoples are becoming the most indebted nations of all time and the Bible shows that those who load themselves with pledges will have their creditors rise up against them suddenly and destroyed them (see Habakkuk 2:6-7). For those who disbelieve that the Europeans can do this, I will simply add that the Bible states that the Assyrians (whose descendants are in Europe) will not intend to destroy, but will do it anyway (read about the Assyrians in Isaiah 10:5-7) (see also Europa, the Beast, and Revelation).

Donald Trump (and Hillary Clinton for that matter) does not understand that sin is the cause of humanity’s problems and that nationalistic policies are not the answer. The answer is national repentance, which is something Donald Trump does not seem to understand at all.

Donald Trump wants Europe to rearm. And if he becomes President of the USA, expect him to badly insult the Europeans. Even if he does not gain the presidency, even the possibility of a Trump presidency has offended many in Europe and this is contributing to a realization in Europe that it will need to better arm itself and become more independent of the USA (watch, for one example, the video Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Europe’s Future). As I wrote yesterday, Donald Trump will drive Europe further away from the USA.

The USA needs the Kingdom of God.

Unleavened Bread

COGwriter

The days of unleavened bread are mainly over for this year. Did you learn anything from them?

What do the Days of Unleavened Bread picture?

The Bible makes various comments about these days as well as comments about what leaven pictures.

Perhaps before going further, I should quote and comment 1 Corinthians 5:7:

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

Notice clearly that the Corinthians must have been observing the Days of Unleavened Bread because the Apostle Paul stated “you truly are unleavened.” The problem that the Corinthians had was that they were not unleavened spiritually. That is why Paul continued and told them to also spiritually be unleavened “with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” This is what the Bible shows that the Apostle Paul was teaching.

Furthermore, in Romans 3:25 it states, “in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed”. Does this mean we are to continue is sin?

Of course not!

A few verses later Paul wrote, “On the contrary, we establish the law” (Rom 3:31). So while most understand that the Passover pictures a remembrance of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice (I Corinthians 11:24-26), many seem to not understand that we are not to continue in sin.

Why?

Maybe one of the reasons is that they do not observe the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Leaven

In the world, leaven is all around. Not only is it in baked goods, it is now in many other products. Leaven spreads and most of the items it becomes part of crumble. In the Bible, leaven normally pictures malice, wickedness, and hypocrisy (I Corinthians 5:8; Mat 16:6,12; Luke 12:1), while unleavened bread pictures sincerity and truth (I Corinthians 5:8). The Old Testament states, “no leaven shall be seen among you” (Deut 16:3), whereas the New Testament states, “His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7) and that “sin is lawlessness” (I John 3:4).

Leaven pictures the teachings of the Pharisees (Mat 16:6,12; Luke 12:1) whom Jesus called hypocrites (Mat 23:23,25,27,29). According to Strong’s, the Greek word Jesus used that was translated as hypocrite means, “an actor under an assumed role”. The Pharisees were false religious leaders who pretended to keep God’s law, but really did not (Mat 15:3-9).

Notice that leaven is a symbol of false doctrine and hypocrisy that Jesus warned against:

6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? — but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:6-12)

Jesus further described the Pharisees by saying, “you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Mat 23:28). Jesus thus tied leaven (the Pharisees teachings, Mat 16:12) to false religion (being hypocrites) and sin (since “sin is lawlessness,” 1 John 3:4).

Physically, leavening agents include yeast, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), and baking powder. Physically, leavening agents “puff up” grain containing products and make them look larger than they would be otherwise. Since the Bible teaches:

15 On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses (Exodus 12:15).

Those who attempt to obey God follow this and remove most breads, crackers, etc. from their houses, clean out their toasters, and otherwise remove physical leaven from their lives just prior to the start of the Days of Unleavened Bread each year. Since the removal involves work, and the term for day in Exodus 12:15 is Miyowm (Interlinear Transliterated Bible. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.) which is different than the Hebrew term for day, Uwbayowm, in Exodus 12:16 (despite the fact that Strong’s uses the same number, 3117, for both words)–this suggests that the removal perhaps should be done before the start of the first day, which is a holy convocation. And this is consistent with other statements in Exodus such as for all of the “seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses” (Exodus 12:19) and “Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters” (Exodus 13:7). The only way for no leavened bread to be seen in one’s quarters for those seven days is if it is gone prior to the start of those seven days.

In Exodus it states that the Days of Unleavened Bread, “shall be a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth” (13:9). Keeping seven days of unleavened bread pictures that we are to live in sincerity and truth by keeping God’s law–that we are not continue in false religion, not to continue in sin.

Why seven days?

In the Bible God seems to use the number seven to show completeness. There are seven days in a week (Exodus 20:6), seven days of creation (Genesis1), seven Churches in Rev 2&3, seven candlesticks (Rev 1:20), seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34), etc. The seven Days of Unleavened Bread seem to picture that after our sins have been forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus (Rom 3:25, I Corinthians 5:7)), that we are to no longer continue in the old ways but to walk in the true ways of the Bible (I Corinthians 5:8). The Days of Unleavened Bread help us to understand that sin is to put out of our lives; throughout the year it reminds us that false religion is all around and needs to be avoided.

People who do not keep the Days of Unleavened Bread are not reminded about false religion and sin through this symbol during the year; maybe they do not want to be.

A Warning

Now it is interesting to note that Jude warned that, “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).

This is interesting because in the next verse he ties this problem with deliverance (from Egypt) during the Days of Unleavened Bread (which should be kept as an annual reminder of sin and deliverance, Exodus 13:3-10, I Corinthians 5:8).

“But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe” (Jude 5). In like manner, just because of the sacrifice of Jesus “God had passed over the sins that were previously committed” (Rom 3:25), he may afterward destroy “those who did not believe”. How do you know if you truly have faith and believe? By doing what God says.

James warned, “You believe there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead (James 2:19-20). In a similar way Paul wrote, “for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified” (Rom 2:13). Paul also warned, “For if we sin willfully after we have received knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation” (Heb 10:26-27).

Like the Old Testament (Exodus 12:15,19), the New Testament teaches us “Therefore purge out the old leaven” I Corinthians 5:7. From a physical standpoint it is easy to not obey these teachings. Physically it is easier not to purge or remove all the leaven from our dwellings. But spiritually, by not keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread, many fail to understand that they have to live the way of life that Jesus taught–many accept a false outward religion! Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). By not keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread, many have fallen for a religion based upon traditions of men instead of God’s commands!

The Bible vs. ‘Traditions of Men’

Believe it or not Jesus ran into the same problem in His day. The religious rulers (the Pharisees) were condemned because “you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition” (Mathew 15:6). Although traditions of men say that Jesus condemned the Pharisees for keeping the law, the opposite is true. Remember that Jesus said to them that “inside you are filled with lawlessness and hypocrisy” (Matthew 23:28). Actually, they pretended that they believed the Bible, but taught that their understandings (hermeneutics in modern terms) were more important than the literal commands in the Bible (Mark 7:8-9).

Nowadays, the prevailing “tradition” is to NOT keep the days of unleavened bread.

So the problem of the Pharisees exists even to our day.

The Days of Unleavened Bread last until sunset Friday. Are you keeping them? If not, why not start now?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? What is leaven? This article supplies some biblical answers. Here is a sermon titled Christians and the Days of Unleavened Bread.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
UCG and Its Unleavened Bread Study Paper What does the Bible say about eating unleavened bread for seven days? What has UCG officially said about it?
Marcus, the Marcosians, & Mithraism: Developers of the Eucharist? Marcus was a second century heretic condemned for having a ceremony similar to one still practiced by many who profess Christ. Might he also be in the apostolic succession list of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria?
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? Where did Easter come from? What do scholars and the Bible reveal?
Why Easter? Did early Christians observe Easter? What are the origins of Easter? What does Easter have to do with the goddess Ishtar. Where did the word Easter come from? Where do Easter eggs come from? What do rabbits have to do with Easter? Was Jesus resurrected on a Sunday? This is a video.
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2024, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？ 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?