Church of God News

Transit of Mercury (EricandHolli)

COGwriter

Is the transit of Mercury today a sign of Armageddon? Some seem to think so:

May 9, 2016

Transit of Mercury linked to Biblical Armageddon prophecy

SENSATIONAL claims have emerged linking today’s transit of Mercury to a Biblical prophecy of destruction.

And Armageddon apparently starts at 11.12am when Mercury appears in front of the sun – where it will remain until 6.42pm.

YouTube channel The Prophetico said the way in which the planets will align in conjunction with star constellations could mean the end is near.The planet Mercury is set to pass in front of the Sun in line with Earth on May 9 in a natural phenomenon which occurs 13 times a century.

However, this time around could hold more significance as there is seemingly some spooky celestial behaviour.

The narrator begins by describing how May 6 marks the start of a new moon cycle, with it also being a super-moon – where the moon reaches its closest point in its orbit to Earth.

It goes on to say that three days later, on May 9 when the Mercury transit is in full swing, the moon is in a crescent, or sickle, state to viewers from Earth.

The number three is significant here as according to BibleStudy.org it is related to sex sins in the Bible. …

The Prophetico goes on to say: “The moon itself has been turned into a sickle, so literally turning Orion’s club into a mace as he strikes the lion’s whelp along the cheek, during the transit [of Mercury]”.

The Prophetico warns that this could be a sign that this could be interpreted as the end times for humanity.

He says: “When we take a look at this, take note that Orion is the sign of the smite per Micah chapter five.”

In Micah, chapters three through five, Micah asks God to take down the leaders who have “corrupted the people and lied to them”,according to schmoop.com.

The site goes on to say that Micah calls for destruction and “God’s reign to be established”. http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/667866/END-OF-THE-WORLD-FEARS-Mercury-transit-linked-to-Biblical-destruction-prophecy

May 9, 2016

In a rare cosmic occurrence, Mercury has begun to move across the sun.

It’s called the transit of Mercury, and it started at around 7 a.m. local time in Washington.

During the event, the smallest planet will move across the sun for about 7.5 hours.

The last transit was in 2006, and the next one will be in 2019 and then again in 2032. Transits happen around 13 times each century, according to astronomers. http://www.voanews.com/content/mht-mercury-begins-transit-across-the-sun/3321540.html

May 9, 2016, heralds a relatively rare astronomical phenomenon: Mercury will transit across the face of the sun. … on May 9, when the Mercury transit occurs, the moon will be in a crescent state to viewers on Earth.

The Express notes, “The number three is significant here as according to BibleStudy.org it is related to sex sins in the Bible.”

Additionally, from a vantage point in Jerusalem, the crescent moon will line up with the Orion star constellation, turning Orion’s club in to a “mace.” The Prophetico goes on to say: “The moon itself has been turned into a sickle, so literally turning Orion’s club into a mace as he strikes the lion’s whelp along the cheek, during the transit [of Mercury]”.

The positions of the sun and the planets – Venus, Mercury, Earth, Mars, and Saturn – create another crescent. http://www.wnd.com/2016/05/mercury-move-tied-to-bible-destruction-prophecy/#igdmzA50m11Uv4dK.99

Is the ‘transit of Mercury today possibly a sign that ‘Armageddon‘ has began?

No.

Why?

First of all, there are too many biblically-required events that have not happened yet.  Because of that,  Armageddon as mentioned in Revelation 16:6 is over 7 years away.  It is not an event for this year (watch also Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?).

Second of all, there is no biblical mention that the transit of Mercury, per se, has significance prophetically.  The last transit of Mercury (shown at the beginning of this post) was NOT prophetically significant.

Back in 2012, some pointed to the transit of Venus as being a sign of the end of the world, but I denounced that back then (see 2012′s rare ‘Transit of Venus’ is coming).

There are many false prophets.

Third, lets look at the prophecy in Micah 5:

1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. (Micah 5:1, KJV)

While Micah 5 does discuss troops gathering together, and there is a gathering of troops at Armageddon in Revelation 16:16, there is no discussion of an astronomical event in Micah 5:1 nor Revelation 16:16.

So why mention any of this?

There are three reasons.

The first is that it was interesting to me as Church of God News since a couple of news sources cited BibleStudy.org.  That is a website by a former WCG member named Alan Ruth. But it should be noted that Alan Ruth’s website does not tie Mercury in with Micah 5, yet some have referred to his site related to this.

The second is to warn people that many false prophets have arisen and more will.  Be careful to look at what the Bible actually teaches in places like Matthew 24 and Daniel 11 and do not be deceived by seemingly ‘sophisticated’ arguments.

The third reason is to warn people that just because there are false prophets and false prophecies, that does not mean that God cannot have any true prophets and that God’s prophecies will fail.

The Apostle Peter warned that people would scoff at prophecies in the end:

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

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

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

Also notice Jesus’ warning:

11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:11-14)

While it could be argued that Peter is perhaps mainly warning those outside the Church of God, Jesus’ comments seem to be more directed towards those within the COG.

Many do not have the love of the truth towards the Bible, biblical prophecy, and getting the good news of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness. This may be why Jesus provided such a dire warning for most Christians in the end times in Revelation 3:14-22, and also why the other COG groups have so many incorrect prophetic teachings (a listing of three dozen are in the article The Laodicean Church Era).

Getting back to the ‘transit of Mercury,’ the idea that today marks the beginning of ‘Armageddon‘ is false speculation.

What is NOT speculation is for me to declare that according to what Jesus taught in Matthew 24, Armageddon is at least seven years away.

As far as prophetic teachings go, we in the Continuing Church of God “have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).”

Why?

Because we really do rely on what the Bible teaches.

Today’s transit of Mercury does NOT mark the end of the world.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Armageddon Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel, discusses Armageddon, some of its history, and what the Bible says about it. Is this the place where forces in the world will gather to fight? Will they fight here or is the related battle somewhere else. Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more.
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?
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?
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected? What does the Bible really teach? Does the Church flee or is it taken up just prior to the great tribulation? Who really is left behind? There is also a YouTube video with information Did Jesus Teach a Pre-tribulation Rapture?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermons Why Teach the Kingdom of God? and The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy What will happen to Iraq? Is it the prophesied Mystery Babylon? What is Armageddon and how does that have to do with Iraq? Here is a related video Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy.
Jordan in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible show will happen to the inhabitants of Jordan? Will they escape and then be punished? A related video is titled Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.
Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God How has God used dreams in the past? Does God still use dreams? Did He use any involving those in the Continuing Church of God? A related sermon is also available: Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.

1904 Artist’s Depiction of Isaiah

COGwriter

Some observe a memorial of the Prophet Isaiah May 9th of each year.

Here is some information about him:

The first verse of the Book of Isaiah states that Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1). Uzziah’s reign was 52 years in the middle of the 8th century BCE, and Isaiah must have begun his ministry a few years before Uzziah’s death, probably in the 740s BCE. Isaiah lived until the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign (who died 698 BCE), and may have been contemporary for some years with Manasseh. Thus Isaiah may have prophesied for as long as 64 years.

Isaiah’s wife was called “the prophetess” (Isaiah 8:3), either because she was endowed with the prophetic gift, like Deborah (Judges 4:4) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14–20), or simply because she was the “wife of the prophet” (as he is named, for instance in Isaiah 38:1). (Isaiah. Wikipedia, accessed 07/17/15)

The greatest of the Hebrew prophets of whom literary monuments remain. He resided at Jerusalem, and so contrasts with Micah, the prophet of the country districts. He was married (Isa. viii. 3), and had children (vii. 3, viii. 3). His bearing indicates that he could maintain his dignity in the highest society, as is shown by his freedom toward Ahaz (vii.) and his acquaintance with Uriah, the chief priest (viii. 2). The heading in Isa. i. 1 refers to Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah as the kings under whom he prophesied. This and similar headings, however, have no historical authority, being the work of later writers whose statements had no documentary basis and were purely inferential. It is true, moreover, that no prophecy can be shown to be as early as Uzziah’s time, except indeed the kernel of ch. vi. “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord,” etc. (vi. 1, R. V.), seems to come from a cycle of prophetic narratives, some of which (comp. viii. 1-3, 5; ii. 16), rightly or wrongly, claimed the authorship of Isaiah. Certainly the whole man is reflected in the grand vision of ch. vi. No personal consideration holds him back (contrast Jeremiah) from offering himself as the Lord’s spokesman, and though assured that no exhortation will affect the callous consciences of his hearers, he still goes in and out among his people as if hope existed; and perhaps (human nature is inconsistent) hope still persisted even when reason altogether denied its right. (Isaiah. Jewish Encyclopedia 1906)

Since Isaiah lived 2700 plus years ago, could his writings be applicable today?

Yes.

One thing he wrote was:

12 As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths. (Isaiah 3:12)

Of course, women are influential in the English-speaking nations. Yet, ever since Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of the United Kingdom, I have felt that it is likely that the USA would end up with a female president or at least a highly influential woman in a top level federal government job. As it turns out, the four remaining predominantly British-descended nations (the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) all have had not only queens (they shared the same ones), but all have already had a woman in the office of prime minister.  The prime minister is the chief executive official in a parliamentary system of governance.

Since the physically territorial and other blessings affected the descendents of Ephraim first (cf. Genesis 48:17-19), it would seem that certain passages of scripture, such as Isaiah 3:12 discussing female rule, would also affect them first.

While the U.S. does not have a parliamentary form of governance with a prime minister, it does have a chief executive official who fills of office of president.  And the U.S. has never had a female as its president.  Now, because the U.S. has already had women rule in high positions, it may not be prophetically required to have a woman as its president to fulfill part of the prophecy in Isaiah 3:12, yet it very well may need to.

Hillary Clinton has been fulfilling part of that verse for many years herself as a US senator then Secretary of State. And there have been various female Supreme Court justices, senators, etc. who also have, including Janet Yellen, chair of the Federal Reserve. While it is not absolutely required that the USA itself have a woman president, I do feel that if we do get one, that this would be a partial, but significant, fulfillment of that prophecy from Isaiah.

God told Isaiah that people who generally do not understand or sufficiently pay attention to what he wrote:

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,
The houses are without a man,
The land is utterly desolate,
12 The Lord has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. (Isaiah 6:9-12)

Few understand what Isaiah has written related to the 21st century–most will not understand until after massive destruction as God told Isaiah to write.

Consider also the following that Isaiah wrote, which is not the time the land is utterly desolate, but may have had fulfillment in the 21st century:

9 All the people will know —
Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria —
Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:
10 ‘The bricks have fallen down,
But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores are cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”  (Isaiah 9:9-10)

Essentially, in Isaiah’s day the leaders of ancient Ephraim and Manasseh declared that they would rebuild.  Some have stated that Isaiah 9:9-10 seemed to be related to what happened in the USA because of the 9/11/2001 attack.

Isaiah had warnings for leaders which apply in the last days:

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil (Isaiah 5:20)

16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed (Isaiah 9:16).

We are seeing political leaders in many lands, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand erring by promoting sins that the Bible condemns.

There is a specific prophecy from Isaiah that should concern Germans and end time descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh. It appears to be the longest prophecy involving Assyria in the Bible (see also Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History). And this seems to be directed towards the modern Germanic and perhaps other peoples in Europe (note: since it is the “king of Assyria” who is specifically mentioned in certain portions of Isaiah 10, it may be that many of the specifics are directed towards this end time king himself–while other parts of it are related to the peoples that support him–which are expected to include also non-Germanic ones).

Here is the first portion of it:

5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?'” (Isaiah 10:5-11)

In the above passages, we learn that God will use Assyria to punish Jerusalem and Samaria and other lands. Other than the German tendency to cut off various nations in WWI and WWII, there are certain specifics that tie this in with the end time European power that God is going to use (see Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy).  But also notice that Isaiah says that this will not seem to be the Assyrian/Germanic original intent to destroy, but it will happen anyway.

It should probably be mentioned that portions of Bible prophecy seem to tie the descendants of Manasseh as being prophetic Samaria.  Isaiah wrote:

8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob,
And it has fallen on Israel.
9 All the people will know —
Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria —
Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:
10 ‘The bricks have fallen down,
But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores are cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”
11 Therefore the Lord shall set up
The adversaries of Rezin against him,
And spur his enemies on,
12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind;
And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth.

For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still…

21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh;
Together they shall be against Judah.

For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still. (Isaiah 9:8-12,21)

(For more scriptures that help tie Samaria/Manasseh with the USA, see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel.)

Isaiah wrote that Assyria/Germany will be punished after it has invaded the modern descendants of Israel/Jacob and Judah:

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

13 For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. 14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left,I have gathered all the earth;And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! 16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts,Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. 17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day. 18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body;And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them.

20 And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God. 22 For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return;The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land.
24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” 26 And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.

27 It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. (Isaiah 10:12-27)

The famous third century Catholic theologian and Bishop Hippolytus of Rome tied Assyria in with the Antichrist/King of the North power:

But Isaiah also speaks thus: “And it shall come to pass, that when the Lord has performed His whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will punish (visit) the stout mind, the king of Assyria, and the greatness (height) of the glory of his eyes“…For when he has the power, he will begin to exalt himself against God, neither in truth fearing God, nor regarding the Son of God…And Isaiah also to the like effect: “Forasmuch as the people refuses…therefore, lo, the Lord brings up upon you the water of the river, strong and full, even the king of Assyria.” By the king he means metaphorically Antichrist…(Hippolytus. On the Antichrist, chapters 16, 57).

Although he believes that the final Antichrist springs from the tribe of Dan (Ibid, chapter 15), Hippolytus seems to be connecting attributes of the King of the North who exalts himself above God (Daniel 11:36-37) with the king of Assyria (Isaiah 8:3-8; 10:5-11) who is punished in Isaiah 10:12. The Bible is clear that Assyria will be an end time northern power that God will punish per Zephaniah 2:13-15, which seems to go along with Revelation 18:1-10. Jerome, in his passage involving Assur and Germany (for details see Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History), also mentioned Antichrist, hence he may have continued with Hippolytus’ view.

After some abandon idols of gold and silver, the punishment will come to Assyria/Germany:

7 For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold — sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.

8 “Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man,
And a sword not of mankind shall devour him.
But he shall flee from the sword,
And his young men shall become forced labor. (Isaiah 31:7-8)

Isaiah had messages for peoples in the 21st century.

Of course, Isaiah wrote about the millennium (see also Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?) and many other subjects that are for the future.  But those concerning the USA, its Anglo-Saxon allies, and the Germanic peoples are even more overlooked by most.

Hopefully, you will pay attention to what God inspired Isaiah to write.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here are links to two sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 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? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
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.
What is the Unpardonable Sin? What is it? Can you repent of it? Do you know what it is and how to avoid it? Here is a link to a related sermon video The Unpardonable Sin and the Prodigal Son.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. There is also a video on the subject: Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
Elijah: Past and Prophesied Information about the original Elijah and some information about the Elijah-related prophecies.
The Elijah Heresies Does the Bible teach that there will be a future Elijah? Must it be Herbert W. Armstrong?
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets, yet many overlook what the Bible teaches about how to recognize a true one. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? This article contains a scripture-based checklist to assist with this determination.
How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God This is a sermon on YouTube addressing a subject that most in the Church of God do not seem to have looked into very much. It discusses scriptures and dispels some improper assertions that some associated with the COG have made about prophets in this time.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? A related sermon is titled The Millennium.

Old USSR flag

COGwriter

Cal Thomas wrote the following:

May 7, 2016

Given its track record, one wonders why socialism is gaining in popularity in the U.S. and what appeal it has to a generation that, apparently, knows little about it.A recent survey from Harvard University has found that 51 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 do not support capitalism. Just 42 percent support the economic system that has allowed even the poorest American to live better and to have more opportunity for advancement than most of the rest of the world. Thirty-three percent of those surveyed support socialism.

Why does socialism receive such strong support among the young? I think it’s partly due to what is being taught in too many public schools and universities and it is partly due to ignorance and human nature, which would rather get a check than earn one.

Three quotes about socialism sum up both its false promise and its danger.

— “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” –Winston Churchill

— “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” — Margaret Thatcher

— “The goal of socialism is communism.” — Vladimir Lenin

There are many modern and older examples of socialism’s failures. A modern one is found in Venezuela, a country rich in oil, but politically and economically poor. It’s funny how spreading the wealth around, which is socialism’s major appeal, didn’t trickle from the corrupt and incompetent Caracas government to the Venezuelan poor.

Under the presidency of the late Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s gross domestic product has dropped to an all-time low and the country’s misery is continuing under his successor, Nicolas Maduro. It’s gotten so bad the government has taken drastic steps. Unfortunately, none include repudiating socialism.

The latest is a reduction in the workweek to two days, Monday and Tuesday, at least until the end of May. It’s supposed to save energy and electricity, which are in short supply.

Surgical sutures are either unavailable, or of poor quality when they can be found. Food shortages are common and the food that is available often requires one to wait in line for many hours to buy even small amounts. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-socialism-s-false-promise-20160505-story.html

In the Democratic primary, both of the remaining candidates (Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton) have espoused elements of socialism, with one calling himself a socialist.

Venezuela has been falling apart, and this has become more and more noticeable to many this year.  Yet, socialism continues to gain in popularity among some segments of US society.

Interestingly in the Fall of 2012, the Russian newspaper Pravda claimed:

Barack Obama…is a Communist without question promoting the Communist Manifesto without calling it so.

How shrewd he is in America. His cult of personality mesmerizes those who cannot go beyond their ignorance. …

Alas, the schools in the U.S. were conquered by the Communists long ago and history was revised thus paving the way for their Communist presidents.

(Lerma X.  Obama’s Soviet Mistake. Pravda, November 19, 2012. http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/columnists/19-11-2012/122849-obama_soviet_mistake-0/#sthash.Iabc844H.dpuf)

It is true that most in the USA do not seem to realize that its lurch towards socialism/communism has been happening and that the US education system has many with socialist/communist leanings.

Notice more information about how socialism has impacted Venezuela:

May 6, 2016

Life isn’t much fun these days in the world’s socialist paradise. If you had to choose a country you didn’t want to live in, Venezuela would be near the top of the list. Corrupt, dysfunctional, bankrupt, crime-ridden, drug-infested, short of practically every basic commodity, it can’t keep the lights on, keep the government running or brew its own beer. Last weekend six army officers were arrested for stealing goats from a farm because they were hungry.

Venezuela has become the basket case of the western hemisphere, a case study on how not to run a country and a living example of what happens when a left-wing government is let loose with utopian economics. The cruel irony is that Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves — 298 billion barrels —the raw material on which to build a pleasant and prosperous nation. Yet it recently began importing oil from the U.S., a country it has spent a decade deriding as a mortal enemy. …

It’s a bitter fate for those who must endure it, but a telling one for anybody tempted to embrace the illusory idealism of left-wing economic theory. Seventeen years ago Hugo Chavez came to power armed with vast oil resources and a populist program based on redistribution of wealth from the richest to the poorest. …

Now the country is among the most violent and crime-ridden in the world. Shopping malls, grocery stores and food trucks are targets of mass looting attacks. Four-hour blackouts are a daily occurrence, and the government recently put public employees on a two-day work week to save energy. (Electrical, not theirs). Schools operate on a four-day week. Many people use the empty days to stand in line for food. A fingerprint system is employed to enforce rationing. …

Venezuelans are understandably tired of the socialist miracle. http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/kelly-mcparland-how-socialism-turned-oil-rich-venezuela-into-a-basket-case

May 3, 2016

The economic disaster caused by Venezuela’s 21^st Century Socialism continues to reap havoc on the nation’s socioeconomic fabric. We have rolling blackouts due to energy shortages. There’s a lack of access to television, long distance phone service, and toilet paper. And with the government failing to provide, the people have resorted to looting. http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2016/05/03/venezuelan-socialism-twoday-workweeks-no-supplies-and-a-government-so-broke-it-cant-pay-for-its-own-currency-n2157139

In the past year, both the United Nations and Pope Francis have repeatedly promoted aspects of socialism for their view of a utopian society. Pope Francis called for a European utopia on Friday (watch our newest video: Pope Francis dreams of a Babylonian utopia).

Taking from one group to give to another does not work.  Socialism cannot lead to a real utopia.

I will also add that neither does unbridled capitalism, democracy, nationalism, communism, nor the other systems that humans have attempted to implement apart from the God of the Bible.

Venezuela, the USA, and the rest of the world needs the Kingdom of God for the coming utopia (watch also Millennial Utopia).

From FOEEUROPE

COGwriter

Greenpeace released secret documents showing that the trade deal called TTIP has a lot of USA pressure to push genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on Europe and other lands. Here is a report from the New York Times followed by a report from the Russian Times:

LONDON — The Dutch chapter of the environmental activist group Greenpeace … disclosed a trove of documents from the talks over a proposed trade deal between the European Union and the United States. …

The deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, would cover a huge range of goods and services between the world’s largest national economy and the world’s largest single market …

The United States proposal “clearly indicates their pressure to get rid of trade barriers for genetically modified organisms,” Jorgo Riss, the director of Greenpeace’s European unit, said in a telephone interview. The proposal also refers to a “Global Low Level Presence Initiative,” which Mr. Riss said was an American-backed initiative to gain global acceptance of agricultural exports containing traces of unauthorized genetically modified organisms.

In general, opposition to genetically modified organisms, or G.M.O.s, tends to be stronger in Europe than in the United States. Mr. Riss acknowledged there was no direct reference to G.M.O.s in the documents but said the language clearly was aimed at promoting their acceptance. …

Greenpeace accused the American negotiators of trying to weaken environmental protection standards; of taking a laxer approach to product regulation than the Europeans; and of trying to give corporate lobbyists greater say in decision-making.

“These leaked documents confirm what we have been saying for a long time: T.T.I.P. would put corporations at the center of policy making, to the detriment of environment and public health,” Mr. Riss said. “We have known that the E.U. position was bad; now we see the U.S. position is even worse.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/03/world/europe/ttip-greenpeace-leak-trade-deal.html

The President of the United States (POTUS) is desperate. Exhibit A: His Op-Ed defending the Asian face – the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – of a wide-ranging, twin-headed NATO-on-trade “pivoting”.

The European face is of course the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

POTUS frames TPP – as well as TTIP – in terms of a benign expansion of US exports, and private (US) firms having “a fair shot at competing against state-owned enterprises.” “Fair”? Not really. Let’s see how the mechanism works, focusing on TPP’s European twin.

With impeccable timing, almost simultaneously to Obama’s Op-Ed, Greenpeace Netherlands leaked 248 pages of classified TTIP documents that were to be re-discussed last week by negotiators in New York. There have been no less than 13 rounds of TTIP negotiations so far, over nearly three years.

The documents – negotiated in total secrecy since 2013 – represent roughly two-thirds of the latest negotiating text. An array of detailed studies, like this one, had been warning about the state of play. The veil of secrecy ended up being the ultimate giveaway to TTIP’s toxicity. Before the Greenpeace Netherlands leak, EU elected representatives could only examine these documents under a police watch, in a secure room, without access to experts, and on top of it they could not discuss the content with anyone else.

I will crush you with my GMOs

Everything civil society across Europe – for at least three years – has been debating, and fearing, is confirmed; this is a sophisticated, toxic US-led corporate racket, a concerted assault across the spectrum, from the environment and animal welfare to labor rights and internet privacy. In a nutshell; it’s all about the US corporate galaxy pushing the EU to lower – or abase – a range of consumer protections. … a US-led GMO invasion of Europe.  https://www.rt.com/op-edge/341801-ttip-eu-obama-us-elections/

The European Union is concerned that it cannot compete well with US agriculture, and having a partial GMO barrier has helped it keep many of its farmers working. However, apparently some in Europe will willing to accept GMOs–but with this TTIP-related release from Greenpeace, this may get European leaders less willing to back a deal to get Europe to take more GMOs.

One of the aspects of TTIP that I have warned about for years has been genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  Notice one post:

One particularly disturbing aspect for Europeans, in my view, is that they will be expected to import more of the USA’s genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).  If there is a major problem with genetically-engineered “foods” in the future (see also GMOs are Dangerous to Human Health), Europeans will remember that the USA somewhat forced them to accept more of them (presuming a deal like is being proposed comes to pass). (Thiel B. New global order negotiations will not have USA or UK on top. February 27, 2013)

It should also be noted that while the EU now accepts some GMOs, its resistance is a plus for it in several ways. Also, the EU’s more restrictive use of antibiotics in livestock is also a plus for Europe. Notice something I posted last year:

Furthermore, because of overuse of antibiotics, the USA and many other parts of the world are setting themselves up for the possibility of getting infections from bacteria that are resistant to various antibiotics.  Yet, the Europeans and their animals are not quite in the same situation.

This poses a major risk for the USA, Asia, and other places.  The USA, Canada, UK, and some other places could get affected and Europe missed.  This would weaken the USA and make it more vulnerable to attack from Europe–an attack that will happen according to the Bible (Daniel 11:39).  The USA will be weakened before it is attacked and taken over.

Notice that famines and pestilences will happen PRIOR to the start of the Great Tribulation:

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

Notice that the Great Tribulation itself does not begin until later (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?):

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…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. (Matthew 24:15-16, 21)

The sorrows that Jesus spoke of include ‘troubles’ and famines:

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

Diseases and pests can truly cause troubles.  The sorrows will worsen and the Great Tribulation will begin.

By using so many antibiotics in animals, the USA and other places are setting themselves up for ‘super bugs’ which are resistant to most medical interventions.  This could cause a dramatic loss of livestock (cf. Deuteronomy 28:18) as well as cause many humans to become sick and even die.

Combine this with the risk that the USA has with more and more of its genetically-modified crops and it becomes apparent that the USA specifically (along with the UK and Canada, which tend to have similar practices) setting itself up for agricultural failure which could lead to famine.  The following prophecies will affect the USA and its Anglo-Saxon descended allies:

12 They say to their mothers,”Where is grain and wine?” (Lamentations 2:12)

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

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

The fact that the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries try to deny the risks of using antibiotics in livestock, is not proof that there is no risk.  Those industries have been wrong about many things in the past. (Thiel B. Antibiotic use in livestock is a threat to humans (and livestock). March 23, 2015)

Many Europeans remain opposed to GMOs and I remain convinced that the USA and some others, are subject to major crop failure someday for reliance on GMOs. As far as antibiotic risk in livestock goes, check out our video BibleNewsProphecy: Are Americans & Asians setting themselves up for destruction from antibiotic use?

Since the Bible shows that Europe will dominate trade in the future (Revelation 18) and that the USA will be eliminated (Daniel 11:39), it is my view that Europe will be less dependent upon GMOs than the USA.  This will help Europe in the future.

Notice that the Bible tells of a time when a Babylonian European Beast power will control buying and selling and dominate world trade:

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 13:16-18)

19 Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! (Revelation 18:19)

The Bible shows that this will make merchants of the world wealthy (cf. Revelation 18; Ezekiel 27:12-16).

Could TTIP be a prelude to Revelation 13:16-18? It seems like something like it well may be (although the name of it, and several of its details, could be changed to assuage public protest). Many European leaders have wanted Europe to take the lead on trade and other matters, and they ultimately will do so according to biblical prophecy.

Economically, the USA is no longer going to be the head, but the tail (cf. Deuteronomy 28:13,44). This new world order will result in the Europeans being on top (but only for a while), and the USA and UK no longer dominant.

Europe continues to want to resist GMOs, and the release of this information from Greenpeace may well get European leaders to take a tougher stance against them. Protesters have long referred to TTIP as the “Trojan Treaty,” meaning that what people are told about it and what it really does are not the same. Greenpeace has confirmed the fears of many on that.

As far as trade goes, for at least two decades, I have believed that a split would happen between the USA and the Europeans partially because of how the Europeans will view how the USA handles/mishandles bilateral trade issues (there are also other factors like USA debt, GMOs, etc.). This still appears to be likely.

And with the current election cycle in the USA, this too will affect trade.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous.
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?
WTO/TTIP and the Babylonian Beast Will international trade agreements like WTO/TTIP/CETA lead to the fulfillment of end time prophecies concerning the Babylonian Beast power that the Book of Revelation warns against? What does the Bible teach? A related video would be WTO Trade Deal and the Rise of the European Beast Power.
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?
The Snowden Leaks are Leading to the Destruction of the USA Can what happened with the leaks of what the NSA has done help the USA to be taken over? What does the Bible teach that seems to be related to this? Here is a related YouTube video titled Are the Snowden NSA leaks leading to the destruction of the USA?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here are links to two sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy.
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.
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill?  Could a Donald Trump presidency be apocalyptic?  A related video is titled Could Donald Trump be Apocalyptic?
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy  Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill?  Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic?  Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist? A video of related interest is titled Hillary Clinton and Bible Prophecy.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States This is a 188 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Hillary Clinton and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also discusses Republicans. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Hillary Clinton Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Hopi, and other America-Related Prophecies? $11.99.
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to recommend this sermonette from its ContinuingCOG channel:

10:25

Overcome

John Hickey, from New Zealand, admonishes Christians to overcome.

Here is a link to the video sermonette: Overcome.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? If you would like to watch videos covering subjects of this article, you can click on the following links: Why YOU? Why Do YOU Suffer? and What is the meaning of your life?
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.
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?
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.

Donald Trump presidential campaign logo

COGwriter

Various Republicans have concerns about Donald Trump, who is their party’s ‘presumptive nominee’:

May 7, 2016

Donald Trump’s looming nomination has spurred some leaders of the conservative movement — for generations, the backbone of the GOP — to break free from a Republican Party now being rapidly reshaped by the New York billionaire’s incendiary tone and unorthodox populism.

The extraordinary resistance of many figures on the right this past week to Trump has not been prompted merely by objections to his temperament and fears about his electability in November. …

The conservative resistance was expressed most prominently last week by House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, the country’s top-ranking elected Republican, who announced that he could not support Trump until the business mogul demonstrated his conservative bona fides …

Ryan supports a muscular foreign policy; Trump is proudly non-interventionist. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-spurs-some-conservative-leaders-to-step-back-from-the-gop/2016/05/07/9aedf0bc-13d3-11e6-81b4-581a5c4c42df_story.html

Consider also the following:

May 6, 2016

Donald Trump’s unorthodox foreign policy views could dramatically affect the United States’ standing around the world if he’s elected president in the fall. …

Some elements of the Republican foreign policy establishment pushed back against Trump’s views earlier in the campaign season and after his April foreign policy speech in Washington.

Those concerns intensified after the unexpectedly quick resolution of the Republican nomination process, when Trump’s resounding win in the Indiana primary knocked Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich out of the race.

Establishment support

Now the establishment must decide whether it will support a nominee whose foreign policy lacks definition and direction.

“What is his foreign policy? Where will this guy go?” retired Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson pictured Republican policymakers asking. …

“I do not believe there’s an analogy here between a business deal and a negotiation on behalf of a country where national security is at stake,” says Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and deputy national security adviser in the George W. Bush administration.

“He has no appreciation whatsoever of the importance of allies and alliances — all he does is insult them all the time and say they’re not doing enough, and it worries many of the allies in Asia and the Middle East and Europe,” he added.

Over a hundred leading national security and foreign policy officials, many of whom held posts in previous Republican administrations, signed an open letter earlier in the campaign season saying they would be unable to support Trump as the nominee, calling “his vision of American influence and power in the world wildly inconsistent and unmoored in principle.” http://www.voanews.com/content/republican-advisers-weigh-trump-foreign-policy-risks/3319143.html

As far as alliances go, Donald Trump is a concern to the Europeans, both those in and out of NATO.

Many see him as a media-clown who does not like Europe. They have hoped him getting the Republican nomination was ‘unthinkable.’

Former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg called Donald Trump “that blonde lunatic named Donald” (Wish List or Reality? Digital Trends in 2016 | Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg | hub conference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgdZUA96UBU. Posted December 11, 2015).

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, former German Defense Minister, warns of an erosion in transatlantic trust, exacerbated by the U.S. presidential-election season. The campaign anthem will be “forget Europe,” he says—and it won’t come only from Donald Trump. …

There is growing division between U.S. and European leaders. Transatlantic ties depend on common values. http://time.com/4154044/geopolitics-2016/

BBC reported:

Europe hates Trump. Does it matter?

March 4, 2016

Back in 2004 Europeans assumed that their own well publicised opposition to President Bush’s Iraq war would make it harder for him to get re-elected. In fact, anti Americanism had the opposite effect. It drove people to the president. “If those squishy Europeans hate him so much,” the thinking seemed to go, “then he must be doing something right.”

That same year, Britain’s left-leaning Guardian newspaper ran a public campaign targeting a critical county in Ohio with a letter-writing blitz, urging people there to vote for John Kerry.

It was a bid to give foreigners a say in the US presidential election. Clark County was a swing district in a swing state, in 2000 Al Gore won the area by a narrow margin. But the Guardian’s Operation Clark County backfired. It did indeed galvanise local voters, but it did so for Bush not Kerry. On election night, George Bush carried the county with 51% of the vote.

At the time, a local newspaper editor told the BBC that it was the well-publicised letter campaign which lost it for the Democrats. It will go down in history as one of the biggest fiascos in foreign meddling. …

Germany’s Der Spiegel has called Trump the most dangerous man in the world. Britain’s David Cameron says his plan to ban Muslims is divisive and unhelpful.

The French liberal newspaper Liberation has described him as a nightmare turned reality. JK Rowling tweeted that he’s worse than Voldemort. A recent Economist cover has a picture of Trump dressed as Uncle Sam with just one word, “Really?” That pretty much sums up the mood of global elites.

Will the international reaction make a shred of difference to Trump’s chances of getting nominated and then elected? 2004 would suggest not. Indeed you can easily imagine a scenario in which Trump’s American supporters rally round their candidate even more closely because the world is against him, just as they did with President Bush.

If you like Trump, you’re likely to shrug off French disdain – who cares what a bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys think? And if you don’t like Trump, you’re likely to see the criticism as a source of embarrassment – God, what does the world think of us? http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35702584

BBC’s article also showed a photograph of an anti-Donald Trump carnival float in Germany that said “MAKE FASCISM GREAT AGAIN!”

A couple of days ago, I ran a post with even more recent anti-Trump comments from Europe (see Dangerous Donald wins Indiana: Europe concerned).

Donald Trump will not ‘make America great again.’ He is dangerous for many reasons, but prophetically, one of them is whether or not he becomes the next President of the United States, his popularity has shown the Europeans that the USA does not care too much for Europe and considers that Europe should spend more on arms.

Should Donald Trump become USA president, look for him to even more offend the Europeans.  The results of certain aspects of foreign policy of a Donald Trump presidency will be disastrous (as would be a Hillary Clinton presidency, though the ways of the two would be different).

Europe will go in a direction that USA leaders, including its Republican foreign policy’ experts, do not comprehend. One day, the USA will be taken over by a power in Europe (Daniel 11:39; see also Who is the King of the North?). Those who do not understand biblical prophecy do not believe it, but it will happen even though not even many of the Europeans now seem to think they would do it (Isaiah 10:7; see also Germany in Biblical Prophecy).

The USA needs the Kingdom of God.

Depiction of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

COGwriter

Alabama’s Ray Moore has again been suspended for attempting to stand for aspects on biblical morality:

COGwriter

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

1:13:25

Are Christians really supposed to rule?

Some items of related interest may include:

Christians are to Rule Are Christians really to rule? If so, how will that turn out? Here is a link to a related sermon: Are Christians really supposed to rule?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermons Why Teach the Kingdom of God? and The Gospel of the Kingdom.
What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God? What is your ultimate destiny? What does the Bible teach? Is deification only a weird or cultic idea? Are you to rule the universe? Here is a link to the video sermon What is Your Destiny?
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.

Gibraltar

COGwriter

There was a military incident related to the British controlled territory of Gibraltar:

May 6, 2016

A Royal Navy patrol boat fired a flare to warn off a Spanish customs vessel that got too close to a US submarine as it approached British Gibraltar territorial waters last month. … the Spanish patrol boat belonged to the Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera…

The incident unfolded in international waters and had been kept secret until now.

The warning flare had the desired effect and the Spanish vessel moved away from the submarine and its Gibraltar-based escort. http://chronicle.gi/2016/05/navy-fired-flare-in-sva-sub-incident/

Spain wants Gibraltar and the UK does not want that to happen. This incident shows that the UK will take military actions to let the Spanish know this.

People who live in Gibraltar are concerned about the possibility of a British vote to exit the European Union (commonly called a Brexit):

May 5, 2016

GIBRALTAR — A referendum in June over Britain’s membership in the European Union has generated an intense debate, with recent opinion polls suggesting the outcome is too close to call.

But in Gibraltar, a British territory at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula, nobody seems to question European Union membership. Only a handful of people attended a recent rally by anti-union campaigners visiting from London. The only badge worn by residents here bears a simple and clear message: “I’m in.”

If anything, the referendum has helped unite Gibraltar’s political parties and 33,000 inhabitants around the fear that this unique place — a British low-tax jurisdiction bordering Spain and within sight of North Africa — could face more uncertainty than the rest of Britain should voters choose to leave the European Union, or “Brexit” as Britain’s possible exit has been nicknamed.

Spain has never stopped contesting British sovereignty over Gibraltar. …

José Manuel García-Margallo, Spain’s foreign minister, said in March that if Britain left the union, Spain would require “co-sovereignty” with Britain for maintaining Gibraltar’s access to the European Union market. In practice that would require flying the Spanish flag on the Rock, the dominant feature of this promontory of 2.6 square miles.

Gibraltar stands as a case where the European Union, for all its shortcomings, has acted as something of a salve for a lingering dispute over territorial sovereignty between two members. Removing it runs the risk of reviving old conflicts. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/world/europe/gibraltar-brexit-vote.html?_r=0

The people who live is Gibraltar flat-out want to remain part of the UK. They have consistently made that known, but many in Spain still feel that they are entitled to those territories.

Before going further, let us look at how Dictionary.com defines a sea gate (viewed 08/05/2013):

sea gate noun a navigable channel giving access to the sea.

That is part of the definition. But for the purposes of this article, my use of sea gate implies that that some government has the land and thus is able to exert at least some control over the channel that is near that land. Such as, for example, how the UK can control access (to a degree) in and out of the Mediterranean Sea with the peninsula of Gibraltar.

Gibraltar’s territory covers 6.843 square kilometers (2.642 sq mi) and it shares a 1.2-kilometer (0.75 mi) land border with Spain.

In 1704, an Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar from the Kingdom of Castile during the War of the Spanish Succession. The territory was subsequently ceded to Britain “in perpetuity” under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. And Britain wants to keep it (see David Cameron is concerned about Gibraltar-related tensions, but UK will still lose it).

What might any of this have to do with the Bible?

Notice a prophecy about what was told to the wife of Isaac:

60 “Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them” (Genesis 24:60).

We in the Church of God have been teaching for decades that the United Kingdom and USA would ultimately lose many of their sea gates–we believe they possessed them because of blessings from God and would lose them because of blatant disobedience.

And despite British hopes, this will also ultimately include the loss of Gibraltar. Notice a couple of prophetic warnings that are consistent with that:

24 ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25 For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. 26 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27 (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. (Leviticus 18:24-29)

23 ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (Leviticus 26:23-25)

58 “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, 59 then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues — great and prolonged plagues — and serious and prolonged sicknesses. 60 Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed. 62 You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. 63 And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. (Deuteronomy 28:58-63)

For many years, the major sea gates of the world were possessed/controlled by the United States (Panama Canal and certain locations in the Pacific ocean) and the British Empire (Straits of Malacca, Singapore, Suez Canal, Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Simon’s Town/Cape of Good Hope, etc.). And while that is no longer the case for many of them, they seem to have been prophesied to be taken away for disobedience as well (cf. Deuteronomy 28)—and certainly these nations have disobeyed the God of Abraham, as well as actually  lost many of those gates. Thus, it seems logical to conclude that the remaining “sea gates” that the UK has such as Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands will be separated from UK control. Spain directly, or perhaps, through the EU (or some other European confederation) indirectly, will force out British control over Gibraltar.

The gaining and losses of many of the sea gates of the world by the Anglo-Saxon descended nations show that Bible prophecies have been and are being fulfilled.

The fact of the losses so far of many of the Anglo-Saxon sea gates should show us that various prophesied curses have come to pass and will continue to affect the Anglo-Saxon nations. More will as well until the Anglo-dominated nations (including the USA) will be no more.

The Europeans have a plan for unity that the Brexit vote may affect:

April 26, 2016

A new report has revealed that several members of the European Union (EU) have drawn up plans to create a federal United States of Europe behind Britain’s back.

Germany, France, Italy and Luxembourg signed a document last September in the Italian capital, Rome, calling for the creation of “general union of states” in a bid to give Brussels bureaucrats an iron grip over the continent, the Britain’s Sunday Times reported on Monday.

The joint declaration says the further integrated union would include a broad spectrum of policies and “should not be limited to the field of economic and fiscal matters, or to the internal market and to agricultural policy.”

“It should include all matters pertaining to the European ideal — social and cultural affairs as well as foreign, security and defense policy,” it adds.

“We are convinced that new impetus must be given to European integration. We believe that more, not less, Europe is needed to respond to the challenges we face,” it says.

“The current moment offers an opportunity to move forward with European political integration, which could lead to a federal union of States.”

The British daily said that “concrete proposals” to deepen EU integration will be discussed at a meeting in Luxembourg next month, just a month before the UK holds its In/Out referendum on June 23. http://presstv.ir/Detail/2016/04/25/462410/EU-United-States-of-Europe-deceleration-Britain-EU-Army-German-Dutch/

No matter how the Brexit vote goes, one day Gibraltar will end up under the coming European Beast power. A power that wants to be a United States of Europe.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? For many years, the major sea gates of the world were possessed/controlled by the United States (Panama Canal and certain locations in the Pacific ocean) and the British Empire (Straits of Malacca, Singapore, Suez Canal, Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Simon’s Town/Cape of Good Hope, Malta, etc.), and many are no longer under their control. Spain wants Gibraltar and Argentina wants the Falklands (also known as the Malvinas). UK Prime Minister David Cameron says the UK will defend the Falklands Gibraltar. Does the Bible give clues as to what will happen with those ‘sea gates’? Do promises made the Jacob’s mother Rebekah play a role? What about Deuteronomy 28? This is a video.
Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? Spain wants Gibraltar and Argentina wants the Falklands (also known as the Malvinas). Does the Bible give clues as to what will happen with these ‘sea gates’? A version of the article in the Spanish language would be ¿Perderá el Reino Unido a Gibraltar y las Islas Falkland (Malvinas)?
Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, and the Caribbean in Prophecy [Español: México, América central, Suramérica, Brasil y el Caribe en la profecía] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What role might the various Caribbean nations/territories play?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?

The mediaeval city seal of Aachen on which the design of the Charlemagne prize medal is based

COGwriter

Pope Francis was given the ‘International Charlemagne Prize’ today. It is awarded annually by the German city of Aachen for “contributions to European unity.” Charlemagne, himself, was the first one crowned emperor of the old ‘Holy Roman Empire’ (800 A.D.). Here is some of Pope Francis’ acceptance speech:

May 6, 2016

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I offer you a cordial welcome and I thank you for your presence. I am particularly grateful to Messrs Marcel Philipp, Jürgen Linden, Martin Schulz, Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk for their kind words. I would like to reiterate my intention to offer this prestigious award for Europe. For ours is not so much a celebration as a moment to express our shared hope for a new and courageous step forward for this beloved continent.

Creativity, genius and a capacity for rebirth and renewal are part of the soul of Europe. In the last century, Europe bore witness to humanity that a new beginning was indeed possible. After years of tragic conflicts, culminating in the most horrific war ever known, there emerged, by God’s grace, something completely new in human history. The ashes of the ruins could not extinguish the ardent hope and the quest of solidarity that inspired the founders of the European project. They laid the foundations for a bastion of peace, an edifice made up of states united not by force but by free commitment to the common good and a definitive end to confrontation. Europe, so long divided, finally found its true self and began to build its house. …

The roots of our peoples, the roots of Europe, were consolidated down the centuries by the constant need to integrate in new syntheses the most varied and discrete cultures. The identity of Europe is, and always has been, a dynamic and multicultural identity. …

In addressing the European Parliament, I used the image of Europe as a grandmother. I noted that there is a growing impression that Europe is weary, aging, no longer fertile and vital, that the great ideals that inspired Europe seem to have lost their appeal. There is an impression that Europe is declining, that it has lost its ability to be innovative and creative, and that it is more concerned with preserving and dominating spaces than with generating processes of inclusion and change. There is an impression that Europe is tending to become increasingly “entrenched”, rather than open to initiating new social processes capable of engaging all individuals and groups in the search for new and productive solutions to current problems. Europe, rather than protecting spaces, is called to be a mother who generates processes (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 223). …

To the rebirth of a Europe weary, yet still rich in energies and possibilities, the Church can and must play her part. …

Only a Church rich in witnesses will be able to bring back the pure water of the Gospel to the roots of Europe. In this enterprise, the path of Christians towards full unity is a great sign of the times and a response to the Lord’s prayer “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21).

With mind and heart, with hope and without vain nostalgia, like a son who rediscovers in Mother Europe his roots of life and faith, I dream of a new European humanism, one that involves “a constant work of humanization” and calls for “memory, courage, [and] a sound and humane utopian vision”. https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-for-being-awarded-charlemagne-prize/

The Vatican has long pushed European unity. Notice that Pope Francis is pushing for Europe to bring about a human form of utopia–that will NOT happen. Europe needs the Kingdom of God (consider also watching the video Millennial Utopia). The pope’s dream of a European utopia will be a nightmare when a version is realized

The Bible tells of a Babylonian unity between Europe and the church on the seven-hills in Revelation 17:1-9.

Although that relationship will end (Revelation 17:15-16), the Bible tells of a religious leader who is instrumental in promoting the final European Beast of the sea in Revelation 13.

This year, Pope Francis has been working towards not only European unity, but his version of religious unity, as well as ‘climate change’ unity around the world.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. 7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ 8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day — death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. (Revelation 18:4-8)

Despite warnings about this in the Bible in places such as the 17th and 18th chapter of the Book of Revelation, Pope Francis continues to promote something that the Bible warns against.

As far as Europe goes, there are certainly issues there.

A reader sent me a link to the following:

May 5, 2016

Depression reigns as EU presidents debate future of Europe

The presidents of Europe’s three main institutions on Thursday presented a bleak picture of the European Union, saying the 28-nation bloc lacked leadership and was descending into petty, nationalistic politics.

“We have a lot of salesmen in the European Council and only a few statesmen,” said Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, bemoaning the current crop of EU government chiefs who are struggling to overcome a string of crises.

Schulz joined European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU Council President Donald Tusk for a debate on the future of Europe in the room where the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957, which laid the foundations of today’s European Union.

“The idea of one EU state, one vision … was an illusion,” said Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, who is now tasked with finding consensus and cohesion amongst EU leaders.

Such unity has become an almost impossible mission at a time when hundreds of thousands of migrants are fleeing into Europe in search of a better life, sending a shockwave through the staid and conservative continent.

Britain, the Union’s second biggest economy, is due to hold a referendum in June on whether to withdrawal from the bloc.

Years of economic underperformance, particularly in the continent’s southern rim, have also frayed the fabric of European solidarity. …

Juncker, a former Luxembourg prime minister who has been at the heart of EU policy making for three decades, reminisced about the time when Europe moved towards economic union and created the single euro currency.

“In former times we were working together … we were in charge of a big piece of history. This has totally gone,” he said, complaining that EU citizens did not understand what the European Union was trying to do.

“This is fertile ground for the populists.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-presidents-idUSKCN0XW23L

Their words do not point to a European utopia.

Yet, consider that the day after they said all of this, they praised Pope Francis, Pope Francis thanked each of those three leaders, and Pope Francis said that his Church could help lead to a humane European utopia.

So, is Europe doomed or will it coalesce?

While being involved with a harlot religion (Revelation 17:1-11), the Bible shows that Europe will reorganize and end up with a strong leader:

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

Many do not understand about this reorganization. But you can (see Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).

The Bible also shows that Europe will have problems getting along:

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

And we see a mixture in Europe.  Europe is fulfilling biblical prophecies.  But notice from both the Old and New Testaments that Europe is NOT destined to bring in a real utopia, but the united European power will be eliminated by God:

44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:44)

14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:14)

As a religious leader, one would think that Pope Francis would realize this.  Instead, he is being honored for working to set up the type of European Beast power that God will destroy.

Jesus did NOT come to bring worldwide unity in this age:

51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. (Luke 12:51)

The Bible shows that a false ecumenical unity will come (Revelation 13:4-8).

Notice also something from the Hebrew scriptures:

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

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

The Apostle Paul also taught that true unity of faith would not happen until after Jesus returns:

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (Ephesians 4:13)

Those who believe this unity comes prior to Jesus’ return are in error. We are not ‘perfect’ until after He comes (cf. 1 John 1:8). The biblically prophesied unity of faith does not happen prior to Jesus’ return.

Also, when Jesus actually returns, He will destroy the unity of nations that are against Him (Revelation 11:15-18, 19:6,19-21).

Consider that the New Testament teaches:

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:4-5)

The Bible does not endorse multiple religions along with multiple ‘lords’ and baptisms.  The time for true religious unity is not now–all religions would have to convert to the true Christian faith (Where is the True Christian Church Today? and Continuing History of the Church of God) and that is not what the ecumenical/interfaith movements are all about.

As far as timing for unity, notice the following:

10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” (Zechariah 2:10-13)

It is only after Babylon falls (Zechariah 2:6-7) and Jesus returns that true Christian unity will occur (Zechariah 2:10-11) (note: Catholic Bibles refer to slightly different verse numbers in that chapter, Zechariah 2:10-16, but basically say the same thing).

Do not be deceived by the Babylonian ecumenical movement and the promises of a human utopia.

The Bible warns that nearly all on the earth in the final end times will be deceived (2 Thessalonian 2:9-12) and fall for it (Revelation 13:8). Have the ‘love of the truth’ so that you will not fall for this as more and more are coming to believe that the interfaith/ecumenical movement is the key to peace.

Yet, the Bible says that Jesus is the ‘Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6) and it will take the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the millennial kingdom of God to bring peace–not the false interfaith/ecumenical movement.

The type of Church unity and utopia that Pope Francis seems to be advocating will not come about until AFTER Jesus returns according to the Bible. Human efforts to do this apart from the true God are clearly destined to fail.

Getting the International Charlemagne Prize does not change that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Do You Know That Babylon is Forming? How is the final Babylon forming? Are Protestants such as Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland are endorsing something dangerous? Could Pope Francis be the ‘False Prophet’ that the Bible warns against? Is an antipope expected to endorse a one-world religion? Here is a link to a related written article In Vatican City: New Babylon more openly forming!
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Anti-Pope Francis? Some cardinals and other members of the Roman Catholic clergy are concerned that Pope Francis has deviated from its traditional positions on matters such as homosexuality, salvation, fornication, remarriage, and other doctrines. Australian Cardinal George Pell even mentioned ‘antipopes’ when discussing Pope Francis. North American Cardinal Raymond Burke has raised many concerns about Francis’ pontificate. Did Catholic saints teach that popes could become heretics? Will the final pope not be Catholic? Is an ecumenical pontiff possibly the final Antichrist? What do both biblical, and even Roman Catholic, prophecies warn about? Could Pope Francis be an antipope and final Antichrist? This is a new video.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermons Why Teach the Kingdom of God? and The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? Two related sermons are available Millennial Utopia and The Millennium.
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against?
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.
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.
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?
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 c. 31 A.D. to 2014. A related sermon link would be Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here is a link to a video Is the USA Pushing Germany to Start WWIII?
The Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
Mark of the Beast What is the mark of the Beast? Who is the Beast? What have various ones claimed the mark is? What is the ‘Mark of the Beast’?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
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?
The Last Pope Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Why might Pope Francis be the last pope? What happens if he is? Biblical and other prophecies help explain what to expect.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Amazon Book What does the Bible say about a pope near this time? Is the final pope to be an antipope and antichrist? Does Catholic prophecy point to Pope Francis as being the dreaded “Peter the Roman”? This 186 page book provides information and answers.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle This electronic version of the printed book which is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle.