Church of God News

Herbert W. Armstrong and Martin Luther

COGwriter

Most people are familiar with the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther. And most people who come to this News page regularly are familiar with the late COG leader Herbert W. Armstrong.

While both men had issues in their personal lives, I would like to highlight a couple of their doctrinal similarities and a couple of doctrinal differences.

Ten Commandments

Regarding the Ten Commandments, Martin Luther claimed that:

God threatens to punish all who break these commandments…Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands” (Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1986, p.12).

The fruits of this sin are afterwards the evil deeds which are forbidden in the Ten Commandments…we hold that the Law was given by God, first, to restrain sin by threats and the dread of punishment, and by the promise and offer of grace and benefit (Luther Martin. The Smallclad Papers. 1537. Translated by F. Bente and W. H. T. Dau Published in: _Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church_. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921), pp. 453-529).

…teach them first of all these articles, namely the ten commandments…But as for those that will not learn, let them be told that they deny Christ and are no Christians…(Luther M. The Short Catechism, 1529. Cited in Bettenson H, ed., Documents of the Christian Church. London: Oxford University Press, 1943, p. 225).

Furthermore the Christian Questions and Their Answers section of that book states (it is unclear he Martin Luther actually wrote that section, though it is ascribed to him),

“1. Do you believe that you are a sinner? Yes, I believe it, I am a sinner. 2. How do you know this? From the Ten Commandments, which I have not kept…The Ten Commandments are the law of God” (Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1986. pp.39-40,53).

Martin Luther wrote,

…whoever wishes to know and to do good works needs nothing else than to know God’s commandments. Thus Christ says, Matthew xix, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” And when the young man asks Him, Matthew xix, what he shall do that he may inherit eternal life, Christ sets before him naught else but the Ten Commandments (Luther M. Treatise on Good Works, March 29, 1520).

For even if a Moses had never appeared and Abraham had never been born, the Ten Commandments would have had to rule in all men from the very beginning, as they indeed did and still do (Luther, M. Against the Sabbatarians:Letter to a Good Friend, Part II, 1538).

Similarly, Herbert Armstrong taught,

“The ten commandments were first made known to ADAM in the Garden of Eden…We read the answer in Romans 5:12, ‘Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and DEATH BY SIN; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.’ And in verse fourteen, ‘Death reigned FROM ADAM TO MOSES’. ‘Sin is NOT imputed when there is NO law,’ you read in the 13th verse. Yet sin was imputed because death did reign from Adam to Moses. There must then have been a law from Adam’s time…What is sin? Is there a BIBLE definition? Is there any place in the Bible where it says, “Sin is . . . and then follows the definition? The answer is in 1 John 3:4, ‘Sin is the transgression of the law.’ ” (Armstrong, H. Were the TEN COMMANDMENTS in force before Moses? Circa 1956).

An article of related interest may be The Ten Commandments and the Early Church.

State of the Dead

They even had similarities on the state of the dead.

The immediate cause of Luther’s stand on the sleep of the soul was the issue of purgatory, with its postulate of the conscious torment of anguished souls. While Luther is not always consistent, the predominant note running all through his writings is that souls sleep in peace, without consciousness or pain. The Christian dead are not aware of anything—see not, feel not, understand not, and are not conscious of passing events. Luther held and periodically stated that in the sleep of death, as in normal physical sleep, there is complete unconsciousness and unawareness of the condition of death or the passage of time.† Death is a deep, sound, sweet sleep.‡ And the dead will remain asleep until the day of resurrection (Martin Luther and William Tyndale on the State of the Dead pp. 571-572).

Martin Luther specifically taught:

It is probable, in my opinion, that, with very few exceptions indeed, the dead sleep in utter insensibility till the day of judgment… On what authority can it be said that the souls of the dead may not sleep out the interval between earth and heaven… (Luther M. Translated by W. Hazlitt. The life of Luther written by himself. M. Michelet, ed. Bohn’s Standard Library. G. Bell, 1904, p. 133).

Herbert Armstrong taught,

“The Bible teaching contrary to much religious and church teaching – that is the WORD OF GOD teaching – is that the dead ARE DEAD – utterly unconscious. Notice the inspired wisdom of Solomon: “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything…” – the RSV translates it “the dead KNOW NOTHING” (Eccl.9:5)… I Corinthians 15:49: “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall [future – resurrection] also bear the image of the heavenly” (verse 49). As we are now flesh, we shall be SPIRIT – at the resurrection, that is, when we shall be “BORN AGAIN” – when we shall see, enter into, the Kingdom of God – when we are Spirit – at the resurrection! ‘Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot Inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [be dead], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we [the then living] shall be changed (verses 50-52)’” (Armstrong HW. Incredible Human Potential. Chapter 12).

While some criticize this teaching and call it “soul sleep”, it was held by the earliest Christians. Please check out the article Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality?

Both men had a lot of dissimilarities, personal and professional. But, this article will not focus on personal dissimilarities, but rather on a few of the doctrinal dissimilarities. Because, from the perspective of biblical truth, those are the primary dissimilarities which should count.

Is the Bible Fallible? Does the Bible Contradict Itself?

Martin Luther seems to think so as he wrote about the Book of James,

In the first place it is flatly against St. Paul and all the rest of Scripture in ascribing justification to works. It says that Abraham was justified by his works when he offered his son Isaac; though in Romans 4 St. Paul teaches to the contrary that Abraham was justified apart from works, by his faith alone, before he had offered his son, and proves it by Moses in Genesis 15…But this James does nothing more than drive to the law and to its works. Besides, he throws things together so chaotically that it seems to me he must have been some good, pious man, who took a few sayings from the disciples of the apostles and thus tossed them off on paper. Or it may perhaps have been written by someone on the basis of his preaching. He calls the law a ‘law of liberty’, though Paul calls it a law of slavery, of wrath, of death, and of sin (Luther, M. Preface to the Epistles of St. James and St. Jude, 1546; originally 1522).

As the following quotes show, Martin Luther did not care for several books in the Old Testament either:

Job spoke not as it stands written in his book, but only had such thoughts. It is merely the argument of a fable. It is probable that Solomon wrote and made this book…Ecclesiastes ought to have been more complete. There is too much incoherent matter in it…Solomon did not, therefore, write this book…I am such an enemy to the book of Esther that I wish it did not exist, for it Judaizes too much…The history of Jonah is so monstrous that it is absolutely incredible. (as quoted in O’Hare, p. 202).

For additional information, please read the article, Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther: What Did Martin Luther Actually Teach about the Bible?

Yet WCG under Herbert Armstrong taught,

The Bible is true not only scientifically, but historically. Again, though the Bible is not a history book, what ever is mentioned as history in the Bible is always true…Is the Word of God infallible? It certainly is (Is the Bible Infallible? Good News Article – Dec. 1980).

Are All the Books of the New Testament Proper?

Martin Luther had a fairly low view of the Books of Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation as he wrote,

Up to this point we have had the true and certain chief books of the New Testament. The four which follow have from ancient times had a different reputation. In the first place, the fact that Hebrews is not an epistle of St. Paul, or of any other apostle, is proved by what it says in chapter 2 (Luther, M. Prefaces to the Epistle of the Hebrews, 1546; originally1522).

Martin Luther wrote,

Concerning the epistle of St. Jude, no one can deny that it is an extract or copy of St. Peter’s second epistle, so very like it are all the words. He also speaks of the apostles like a disciple who comes long after them and cites sayings and incidents that are found nowhere else in the Scriptures. This moved the ancient fathers to exclude this epistle from the main body of the Scriptures. Moreover the Apostle Jude did not go to Greek-speaking lands, but to Persia, as it is said, so that he did not write Greek. Therefore, although I value this book, it is an epistle that need not be counted among the chief books which are supposed to lay the foundations of faith (Luther, M. Preface to the Epistles of St. James and St. Jude, 1546; originally 1522).

Martin Luther taught,

Which are the true and noblest books of the New Testament? From all this you can now judge all the books and decide among them which are the best. John’s Gospel and St. Paul’s epistles, especially that to the Romans, and St. Peter’s first epistle are the true kernel and marrow of all the books…Therefore John’s Gospel is the one, fine, true, and chief gospel, and is far, far to be preferred over the other three and placed high above them. So, too, the epistles of St. Paul and St. Peter far surpass the other three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In a word St. John’s Gospel and his first epistle, St. Paul’s epistles, especially Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians, and St. Peter’s first epistle are the books that show you Christ and teach you all that is necessary and salvatory for you to know, even if you were never to see or hear any other book or doctrine. Therefore St. James’ epistle is really an epistle of straw, compared to these others, for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it (Luther, M. Prefaces to the New Testament. LW 35:357-362, 394-399 Preface to the New Testament, 1546; originally 1522).

Under Herbert Armstrong, WCG taught,

The Bible is true not only scientifically, but historically. Again, though the Bible is not a history book, what ever is mentioned as history in the Bible is always true…Is the Word of God infallible? It certainly is” (Is the Bible Infallible? Good News Article – Dec. 1980).

” ‘To bind up’ comes from the Hebrew word meaning ‘to complete.’ The apostles were used ‘to complete’ the testimony of Jesus Christ. The New Testament Church has “the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17). It was also through Jesus’ disciples that God’s seal of approval was placed on those laws which are eternally binding on Christians. Yes, we can know! The Bible is COMPLETE! Not one book of the Bible has been lost. Not one is missing. The books of the Bible as you find them in your King James Version constitute the complete Bible! (Do We Have The COMPLETE BIBLE? Copyright 1959, 1974 Ambassador College).

Two articles of possibly related interest may be The Old Testament Canon and The New Testament Canon – From the Bible Itself.

It may be of interest to also realize that while Martin Luther wrote, “John’s Gospel is the one, fine, true, and chief gospel, and is far, far to be preferred over the other three and placed high above them”, he (unlike HWA) ignored much of what it taught. The plain truth is that much of the Gospel According to John had to do with two holy day seasons: the final Passover season (Chapters 13-21) and one particular Feast of Tabernacles‘ season (Chapters 7-9)–times that Martin Luther did not observe like the original Christians did, but that Herbert Armstrong did.

Baptism of Infants/Children

“Why are babies to be baptized? A. Babies are to baptized because they are included in the words ‘all nations’ (Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1986, p.202).

Furthermore, Martin Luther got these statements confirmed,

Article IX: Of Baptism. Of Baptism they teach that it is necessary to salvation, and that through Baptism is offered the grace of God, and that children are to be baptized who, being offered to God through Baptism are received into God’s grace. They condemn the Anabaptists, who reject the baptism of children…Article XII:…They condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that those once justified can lose the Holy Ghost. (The Confession of Faith: Which Was Submitted to His Imperial Majesty Charles V. At the Diet of Augsburg in the Year 1530. by Philip Melanchthon, 1497-1560. Translated by F. Bente and W. H. T. Dau. Published in: Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, pp. 37-95.)

Thus Martin Luther not only encouraged infant baptism, he condemned those who opposed infant baptism.

The Apostle Peter taught, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38) “Then those that gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:42).

Herbert Armstrong taught,

Should Children Be Baptized? One cannot be baptized until after he has fully REPENTED. Only those who BELIEVE, both the true GOSPEL (the Message Jesus preached, which is the Kingdom, or Government of God) and on JESUS CHRIST as personal Saviour, can be baptized (see Acts 2:38; 8:37; 16:31). Children have not reached that maturity where they have the self-discipline to truly repent, and believe (Armstrong H. All About Water Baptism. 1948, 1954, 1972 edition).

There is no recorded instance of any babies being baptized in the Old or New Testaments. An article of related interest may be Baptism and the Early Church.

Herbert W. Armstrong had many doctrines closer with the teachings of the Bible and early Christianity than Martin Luther did. See also Continuing History of the Church of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the genuine Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example? Here is a related sermon video: Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong: Reformers with Differences.
Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, did Martin Luther’s writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority? Statements from him changing and/or discounting 18 books of the Bible are included. Do you really want to know the truth?
COGwriter Position on Other Churches and Religions What is the fate of those who do not know Christ? What about those who profess Christ outside the Church of God?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! 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.
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 and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
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?

The Terraformas series includes genetically-modified humans

COGwriter

The Times of India reported the following:

BEIJING: Chinese scientists are set to perform the world’s first genetic editing trial on human beings this month. The idea behind using this controversial technique on cancer patients at a hospital in Chengdu city, is to find a cure for lung cancer, scientists said. …

Gene editing is disallowed in most countries because of fears that it can lead to dangerous consequences as scientists try to produce “designer babies” with extremely dangerous mental and behavioural traits.

“This is the first step on a path that scientists have carefully mapped out towards the legalization of (genetically modified) babies,” David King of advocacy group Human Genetics Alert said recently. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/China-to-conduct-worlds-first-gene-editing-trial-on-humans/articleshow/53531017.cms

What triggered me to post about this is that I saw an August 8, 2016 post at BBC’s site a few hours ago.  But when I went back to it for this post, it was gone. So, I did a search there and elsewhere and only found the Times of India report–which has a lot of the same information that the later BBC post had.

That being said, do not think that China is necessarily acting “less moral” than the USA.

The USA itself is starting to allow experimentation that could some day provide data used by those who want to make genetically-modified babies (see Time: ‘Human-Animal Chimera Studies Are Now Allowed In the U.S.’).

Scientists often are motivated by greed, money, and ego, and thus will do what they think is in their best interest–irrespective of morality.

Science fiction entertainment, like the Japanese manga/comic strip Terraformas, has featured GMOs that were supposed to be part human. Sadly, now, the development of such creatures is getting closer.

The world, including the Chinese and the Americans (and the Brits, see Pig-Human GMOs proposed), are losing normal sensibilities, and moving into areas that are wrong.

When God created everything in Genesis 1, He said everything He made was good:

31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

Notice how God made the creation:

20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” (Genesis 1:20-22)

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:24-25)

Ultimately, GMO humans are about humans producing the creation in their own distorted image and stopping life from reproducing after its own kind. This clearly violates Genesis 1:22. But that is what is the likely result of some of this GMO-human research.

Genetic manipulation of human beings is not what humanity needs.

The world needs repentance and the Kingdom of God. Genetically-modifying humans will not save humanity. Only Jesus can do that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God 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 sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage.  This article quotes the Bible and also discusses some of the witness to India throughout history and what is happening in the 21st century (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
India and the Beast of Revelation 13 Do biblical, Catholic, and even Hindu prophecies suggest that many in India will follow, for a while, the Beast and False Prophet/Antichrist? Here is link to a related YouTube video Will People in India Worship the Beast of Revelation 13?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel. Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
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? 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 videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?

Iranian Emad missile (Mohammad Agah)

COGwriteri

The Huffington Post reported the following:

Counterterrorism officials and the public are on high alert from terrorism threats, but a new threat assessment from the conservative Heritage Foundation warned that Iran “represents by far the most significant security challenge to the United States, its allies, and its interests in the greater Middle East.”

Iran might not be as much of a short-term threat to US domestic security as terror groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda. But its potential for developing a nuclear weapon once its deal with the US expires makes it a significant long-term threat. …

“They’re very patient and they’re very strategic,” Michael Pregent, an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute and former US Army intelligence officer in Iraq who opposes the Iran deal, told Business Insider. “For us, 15 years seems like a long time, for them it doesn’t. … They’ll be able to weaponize in 15 years. And then they’ll be the dominant force in the Middle East.”

A fellow for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy expressed similar concerns earlier this year.

“While Iran’s nuclear weapons capability will grow, the tools available to the United States to counter and contain it will be diminished,” Michael Singh, a former senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council, wrote in January.

“Iran’s growing nuclear activities and its remaining nuclear infrastructure will have been granted legitimacy by the international community, its defensive and offensive military capabilities will be greater, and the United States will have agreed not only to refrain from imposing additional sanctions on Iran for nuclear advances but will also have suspended its most significant sanctions.” http://www.aol.com/article/2016/08/07/the-biggest-security-threat-to-the-us-might-not-be-isis-or-al-qa/21446758/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D-460250115_htmlws-main-bb

The USA could also be affected by Iran. Iran is currently believed to be capable of using ‘dirty’ bombs (explosives with radioactive components), biological weapons, chemical weapons, and electro-magnetic pulse weapons, while it is widely believed to be working on actual nuclear weapons.

However, biblically, Iran is NOT the biggest security threat to the USA, Europe is (cf. Daniel 11:39; see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel). Because most analysts do not rely on biblical prophecy, they misunderstand a lot about what is really happening.

It is not that Iran is peaceful. When earlier this year, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has claimed that Iran was not a threat to any nation (see Rouhani claims ‘Iran is not a threat to any country’), I did not believe him on this. Nor did the nation of Israel, a place which Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they would ‘wipe off the map.’

Notice also something Iranian leaders said:

08/07/16

The tension between Israel and Iran appears to be heightening. Hossein Salami, deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), recently said: “Hezbollah has 100,000 missiles that are ready to hit Israel to liberate the occupied Palestinian territories if the Zionist regime repeats its past mistakes.”

He added: “Today, the grounds for the annihilation and collapse of the Zionist regime are [present] more than ever.” Salami warned that if Israel made the “wrong move,” it would come under attack.

A few weeks ago, a senior adviser to the IRGC’s elite Quds Force, Ahmad Karimpour, said Iran could destroy Israel “in less than eight minutes” if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gave the order. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/majid-rafizadeh/iran-is-ready-to-attack-i_b_11382198.html

The Bible shows that it possible that God will allow Iran to strike the small nation of Israel:

1 The burden against the Valley of Vision.

What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops, 2 You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle. 3 All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar. 4 Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”

5 For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord God of hosts In the Valley of Vision — Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain. 6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots,And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall. 11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.

12 And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning,For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. 13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts,”Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts.  (Isaiah 22:1-14 NKJV)

Elam seems to be a reference to at least some in Iran.  Kir is of interest as it has several possibilities.  One is that the Bible tells that after Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took over Damascus, he moved Syrians to Kir.  While this does not mean that Kir must (or must only) be a reference to Syria, the fact that Syria is an ally of Iran is interesting.  Some believe Kir is an area in the south of Iran, while others suggest closer to the Black Sea. The Bible tells of a time when Kir will be destroyed (Isaiah 15:1b) and also says that Syria’s capital Damascus will be destroyed (Isaiah 17:1).

Yet Iran will ultimately be basically neutralized as a power (cf. Jeremiah 49:34-38). Notice also something I posted on May 26, 2010:

If Iran keeps trying to be difficult on the international scene, it will likely be neutralized (Iran Slams Russia).

Iran is not in as strong of a position as certain of its leaders and various others seem to think. But Iran does have striking capabilities and  the USA could well be damaged from emp, chemical, biological, nuclear, and/or other weapons from Iran.

Because of the nuclear deal with Iran, many international sanctions were lifted and Iran got access to around 100 billion dollars worth of assets.  Assets that it wants to use to destroy Israel, so it can be the undisputed leader of the Muslim world. And while it will not become the leader of the final King of the South, a coalition of Islamic nations in the Middle East and North Africa (cf. Daniel 11:40-43), this will not stop it from possibly striking out at the USA.

Because of how Iran’s leaders think, we may very well see a regional war involving Iran, Syria, and Israel, with perhaps some USA involvement. A war that could see all of them damaged according to Bible prophecy. But also a war that might lead to another ‘deal’–perhaps one day the deal of Daniel 9:27 that will signal the final countdown to the end.

That being said, despite the view of certain Protestant prophecy watchers last year, it needs to be pointed out that Iran is not about to be totally aligned with Russia to invade Israel or somehow fulfill Ezekiel 38 (see also Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? and/or watch Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code)). Ezekiel 38 is NOT fulfilled until well AFTER Jesus returns.

Iran is committed to its military agenda. One that may not end up well for Israel, nor itself (Jeremiah 49:34-38). And the USA could be affected.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran In Prophecy.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria.
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?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now? Another could be Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code).
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
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.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
Why Terrorism? Is Terrorism Prophesied? What does the Bible teach? Which nations may be affected? Here is a link to a related sermon: Terrorism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? A related video is Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?
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.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States This is a 200 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, 2nd edition: Is Hillary Clinton Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Hopi, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Donald Trump? $11.99.
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon 2nd Kindle edition This electronic version of the 200 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 2nd 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.

Reuben Was in Palestine Until Deportation

COGwriter

Former WCG member Bert Otten of the Netherlands sent me a paper which included the following:

1^st Clue: Reuben: See, a son!

And when the LORD SAW (va-yar – וירא ), that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bare A SON (ben – בן ), and she called his name REUBEN (r’eu-ven – see, (a) son – ראובן ): for she said, Surely the LORD hath LOOKED (ra’a – ראה ) upon my affliction; now therefore MY HUSBAND (my man, ishi – אישי ) will love me (Gen 29:31-32, KJV throughout, unless mentioned otherwise).

Leah was unloved. Jacob loved Rachel and not Leah. However, Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Now my man will love me, for I gave him a man, she thought.

Having a son was very important in antiquity. A son is a ‘man’. It makes a father of Jacob and turns him into even more of a man than he already was. He now had a son, a man, an heir. The name ‘see (the) man’, Reuven, emphasizes the maleness of the child, therefore ‘my man’ ( ishi – אישי ) will love me, said Leah.

Reuben’s Coat of Arms: a man

There are two traditional emblems for the tribe of Reuben. Water, because he would be unstable as water (Gen 49:3-4) and ‘a handsome man’ because of his name: See a son! Reuven! (see http://www.docstoc.com/docs/77837968/Tribes-of-Israel).

This can be noticed among the French. It is certainly true for the French: See the man! See the son! See the heir! See the grandson! The French are a people with many handsome men. …

2^nd Clue: Reuben: l’amour, sex & love triangle

Now at the time of the grain-cutting, REUBEN saw some LOVE-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your SON’S LOVE-fruits. But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my SON’S LOVE-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your SON’S LOVE-fruits. In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my SON’S LOVE-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night (Gen 30:14-16, BBE, Bible in Basic English).

And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and LAY WITH Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it … (Genesis 35:22)

REUBEN, thou art my firstborn … thou shalt not excel; because THOU WENTEST UP TO THY FATHER’S BED; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch (Gen 49:3-4).

Reuben is a precocious nine year old when he finds dudayim, love-fruit, in the field. Apparently he knows about the use of the fruit and gives the love-fruit (mandrakes) to his mother Leah. In the Near East power was ascribed to Mandrakes, to arouse sex appeal and increase fertility. The Hebrew name duday – from dûd, to love – reflects the use of the mandrake.

Leah swapped the love-fruit for sex with her own husband, who was with Rachel most of the time apparently. From this encounter Issachar was born.

Thinking of Reuben, sex, love, fertility and love triangle come to mind. Through deceit by Laban Jacob ends up with two women. Leah and Rachel battle for Jacob’s favours. This is the first love triangle, from this love triangle Reuben is born. Rachel has Jacob’s love, but Leah has fertility, reproduction. The story about the love-fruits – I like the vocabulary of the Bible in Basic English here – is a continuation of the love triangle between Jacob, Leah and Rachel.

Reuben who is a first result of that love triangle, causes himself a new love triangle with his sexual adventure. After Rachel’s death he has sex with Bilhah, his father’s concubine.

In this Reuben is the opposite of Joseph, who refuses to have sex with Potiphar’s wife. The right of the firstborn will go to Joseph and not to Reuben (1 Chron 5:1).

Reuben’s tribe does not distinguish itself positively. The Reubenites joined the sex and dance around the Golden Calf. The tribe of Levi abstained and thus got the priesthood. Reuben also joined in

the orgy for Baal-Peor in the fields of Moab. Phinehas, of Levi, showed positive behaviour … Reuben just joined in. The Reubenites missed their chances to make a difference.

Love – l’amour – la maitresse – love triangle

Over the past 500 years, there has been more acceptance of the love triangle, of having a mistress, a lover, in France, than anywhere else.

The French kings gave the example: Wikipedia: The maîtresse-en-titre was the chief mistress of the king of France. It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartments. The title came into use during the reign of Henry IV and continued until the reign of Louis XV. From the reign of Louis XIV, the term has been applied, both in translation (“official mistress”) and in the original French, to refer to the main mistress of any monarch or prominent man when his relationship with her is not clandestine. …

3^rd Clue: Reuben & rebellion

Now the sons of REUBEN the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as HE DEFILED HIS FATHER’S BED, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright (1Chron 5:1).

Now Korah … the son of Levi, and DATHAN and ABIRAM, … SONS OF REUBEN, took men: And they ROSE UP BEFORE Moses … And they GATHERED THEMSELVES AGAINST Moses and against Aaron … And Moses sent to call DATHAN and ABIRAM … which said, WE WILL NOT COME UP (Num 16:1-3, 12). These are the families of the REUBENITES … And the sons of Eliab … DATHAN, and ABIRAM. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, WHO STROVE AGAINST Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD (Num 26:7-9).

And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the CHILDREN OF REUBEN, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? … And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel (Num 32:6-7; 14).

And when they came unto the … Jordan … the CHILDREN OF REUBEN and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to (Josh 22:10) … Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What TRESPASS is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to TURN AWAY this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might REBEL this day against the LORD? (Josh 22:16).

Reuben and rebellion

The word rebellion sticks to Reuben and Reubenites. According to some it was not just lust why Reuben took Bilhah, his father’s concubine. It was also a deliberate attempt to take over the tribe, to ascertain his authority.

Reubenites never distinguished themselves in a positive way. The tribe of Reuben murmered in the desert, just like the rest of Israel; the Reubenite spy also brought back a bad report; Reuben belonged to the 10 rebelling tribes of Jeroboam and also belonged to the 10 unfaithful lost tribes, which went into the Assyrian exile.

On top of that there are the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram (Num 16), the request to stay in Transjordan (Num 32) and the building of the Great Altar (Josh 22).

Their request to live in Transjordan caused them to live far away from the other Israelites. Their western border was the Jordan and the Dead Sea, on the south they bordered Moab and the desert in the east. It was only in the north that they bordered another Israelite tribe, Gad. Consequently they kept to themselves in the time of Deborah and Barak: … For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart (Judg 5:15-16).

Vive la révolution!

French history and French spirit have displayed a spirit of rebellion, independence and revolt, over the past 250 years. The Gauls (Celts) also had a very independant spirit at the time of Julius Caesar.

In 2003 I wrote in Dutch about Ruben-France: It seems to me that the opposition, independence and rebelliousness of the French is babwell-known. Without research come to mind: the strikes of May ’68, the Commune of Paris, the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th République, 14 juillet, 1789, the Bastille, la Marseillaise, the revolutionary years of 1830, 1848, 1870, guillotine, générale de Gaulle, Force de frappe, the leaving of NATO command.

In History of FRANCE, by Pierre Gaxotte, this spirit is even phrased in a better way: It would have been understandable if the people would have wanted to throw off the monarchy, to replace it with something else. However, ‘this something else’ was something the people were inable to stick to; it was as if the first revolution had only created the necessity to change perpetually. Absolute Monarchy, Constitutional Monarchy, First Republic, Consulate, French Empire, Restoration, July-Monarchy, Second Republic, Second Empire, Third Republic, the French State (Vichy), Fourth Republic, Fifth Republic: in 170 years time France tried out thirteen different forms of government [!].

4^th Clue: Reuben, much cattle

Now the CHILDREN OF REUBEN and the children of Gad had A VERY GREAT MULTITUDE OF CATTLE: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was A PLACE FOR CATTLE; The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, IS A LAND FOR CATTLE, and thy servants have CATTLE: Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan (Num 32:1-5).

And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our CATTLE, and cities for our little ones (Num 32:16) … Our little ones, our wives, our FLOCKS, and all our CATTLE, shall be there in the cities of Gilead (Num 32:26).

… For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Why abodest thou among the SHEEPFOLDS, to hear the BLEATINGS of the FLOCKS? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart (Judg 15b-16).

The Jordanian Highlands were the tribal areas of Gad and Reuben in Biblical times. In Jordan the desert ascends from the east to the west, to high plains with an average height of 900m above sea-level, east of the River Jordan.

This steppe land has an average height of 900m above (Mediterranean) sea-level, with peaks of 1200m in the north (Gad) and 1700m in the south (Reuben). These highlands have been inhabited for 5000 years. The climate is Mediterranean with 300mm of rain in the south and 500mm of rain in the north (Cf. Jerusalem 550mm and Paris 650mm). This is where the Reubenites (descendants: the French) and the Gadites (descendants: the Swiss) settled, because they had much cattle.

The French: much cattle

France is an agricultural nation and the French have much cattle. According to Eurostat there were 87 million heads of cattle in the 27 EU countries in 2010. In France there were 20 million cattle.

Boeuf – beef – steak of beef – le bifteck

Linguistically French is also connected with the ‘flesh’ of ‘cattle’. The bull in French is le boeuf; boeuf became beef in English; when you eat a ‘bit’, a ‘stick’ or a ‘steak’ of it, it gives a steak of beef. This became biefstuk in Dutch and the word moved back to French as le bifteck.

Cheese Country

All these cattle (and sheep) produce about 25 million tonnes of milk and dairy products. Much of this milk is turned into cheese. France is the most important cheese country in the World.

France produces about 2 million tonnes of cheese each year (Holland 700,000 tonnes). There are about 300 to 400 different kinds of cheeses. According to some, one kind for each day of the year (365). In France they say ‘le pays des 300 fromages’, country of the 300 cheeses. The French see cheese as part of their national identity.

President De Gaulle once remarked about his unruly fellow countrymen: How would you rule a country where they have 246 different kinds of cheese?

French Cheese

There is a Wikipedia page with all kinds of French cheeses: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_de_fromages_fran%C3%A7ais. A number of well-known brands are: Camembert, Roquefort, Brie, la Vache qui rit, Paturain, Boursin, Beaufort, Bleu (de Bresse), Chèvre (du Poitou), etc.

5^th Clue: Reuben: unstable like water

Reuben, thou art my firstborn … UNSTABLE AS WATER, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch (Gen 49:3-4).

And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again (Gen 37:21-22) … And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? (Gen 37:29-30).

And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again (Gen 42:36-37).

And Moses said unto … the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? (Num 32:6-7).

And when they came unto the borders of Jordan … the children of Reuben and the children of Gad … built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to (Josh 22:10).

… For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart (Judg 15b-16).

And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an 100,000 lambs, and an 100,000 rams, with the wool. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel (2Ki 3:4-5).

Plans …

Some of these verses were already used in the rebellion chapter, but here they are again with a different emphasis. Reuben is full of passion, impetuous, uncontrolable … unstable like water. Reuben often comes with doubtful or less successful plans.

Reuben’s plan to save Joseph by having him thrown into a dry well backfired. His offer to have his two sons killed (Jacob’s grandsons!) if he did not return with Benjamin was quite absurd.

The plans of the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram to become leaders in Israel utterly failed. The plans to stay in Gilead and the building of the Great Altar barely came to a good conclusion. Deborah’s call to the arms was met with indeciveness.

Settling in Transjordan, in Gilead, had great disadvantages. Reuben was tucked away, across the River Jordan, behind the Dead Sea, far away from the other tribes.

When king Mesha rebelled against the House of Israel he conquered the tribal area of Reuben (around 835 BC). This can be read on the Mesha Stele or Moabite Stone, found in 1868 (The Mesha Stele is in the Louvres Museum in Paris!). So living far away from the other tribes was not such a good plan either. The Reubenites were under Moabite control. At the time of Isaiah all of the tribal area of Reuben had become part of the Kingdom of Moab (Isaiah 15-16).

Futile plans …

There have been a few futile French plans as well. Above we saw that France had thirteen forms of government in 170 years. This answers the phrase, unstable like water. Stability can be a great blessing for a people. Instability most often is a curse.

Many French plans backfired. Louis XIV wanted France to be vast and great and wanted the Rhine to be the national border of France. He waged war all his life. The rest of Europe turned against him and most of his plans came to nothing in the end. He set the stage for three centuries of fighting over Alsace-Lorraine.

Many of the plans of the Revolution (1789) came to nothing, the French even tried to abolish the week. They split up the months into three decades (10 days), after twelve months of 30 days there were 5 loose days to finish off the year. This Republican French Calendar was in use from 1793 to 1805. They also invented decimal time, another impractible plan. The day would have 10 hours, each hour 100 minutes and each minute a 100 seconds.

Napoleon eventually got rid of most of the fruitless plans of the revolution and fought for the glory of himself and France by conquering Europe. Also unprofitable, in the end all conquests were lost to France. What remained was the 5 million dead of all the Napoleonic wars. The French still see him as their great hero and have built him a great tomb.

France was humiliated in 1870-1871 when the Prussians (Germans) beat them in a short war and retook Alsace Lorraine.

This led to another hollow French plan: French revanchism. For 43 years French politics were dominated by revanchism, to make war with the German Empire, win and retake Alsace-Lorraine (1871-1914). They had their way. It led to World War I and consequently to 10 million dead. The War was ended by the fateful Peace of Versailles, which in turn led to World War II. The French would not listen to (moderate) president Wilson of the USA and they humiliated the Germans needlessly .

Doctor Guillotin improved the machine, so people would die a more humane death. From that moment on the guillotine executed people like a conveyor belt.

The French Non! of Charles de Gaulle towards the British was unnecessary and only slowed down history. Chirac’s nuclear testing was not needed. The Union for the Mediterranean of Sarkozy is an empty shell.

The Vichy Regime of Pétain was a disaster and led to close cooperation with Nazi Germany.

Gaxotte states in History of FRANCE, page 102, We have to admit that France sometimes developed itself, in spite of the anarchistic tendencies of the French.

Now although not all would agree with the above, I thought Bert Otten’s comments were a COG news item that some may find of interest. Since his paper was long, I only have put together the first five clues in WordPress format, but plan to have the others available at a later time.

I have also written an article titled: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? along with a video sermon: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben that some might find helpful.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? What is the origin of this in France? What is prophesied to happen to them? A two-part sermon related to history and prophecy is available online: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben and France and Prophecy.
Terror: Will Paris be Destroyed? The Paris office of Charlie Hebdo were attacked in January 2015 and the City of Paris was hit with multiple terrorist attacks in November 2015. Will Paris be destroyed? Is more terrorism prophesied? Will a successful militaristic leader arise in Europe? What do biblical and Catholic prophecies teach? Could any non-biblical prophecies be devices of Satan that will deceive people about what will happen? Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more through scriptures and other writings. This is a video.
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? Here is a link to a related video video: Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
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.
Ten clues tying Belgium and Luxembourg with the tribe of Asher Who did some in Belgium and Luxembourg descend from?
Ten clues tying Zebulun with the Dutch Who did some in the Netherlands descend from? Here is a link to information about doctrine in the Dutch language Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God.
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.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the former German Defense Minister (who is also the former German Minister for Economics and Technology) one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
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?
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? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? The Book of Revelation tells of a beast power that will rise up. Some think that this must be Russia or could be Islamic, while others say that this power is European. The Book of Daniel tells of the rise of an end time King of the North that some think must be referring to a Russian leader, while others say that this power is European. How can you be sure? This YouTube video has all the scriptural proofs that you should need to prove that this power must be a European one.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
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?
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
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?

Donald Trump

COGwriter

Various ones have claimed that Hillary Clinton is so bad that Christians need to vote for Donald Trump. A reader sent me a link to one such view written by Wayne Grudem in an article titled Why Voting for Donald Trump Is a Morally Good Choice:

Some of my Christian friends tell me they can’t in good conscience vote for Donald Trump because, when faced with a choice between “the lesser of two evils,” the morally right thing is to choose neither one. They recommend voting for a third-party or write-in candidate.

As a professor who has taught Christian ethics for 39 years, I think their analysis is incorrect. Now that Trump has won the GOP nomination, I think voting for Trump is a morally good choice.

American citizens need patience with each other in this difficult political season. …

I did not support Trump in the primary season. I even spoke against him at a pastors’ conference in February. But now I plan to vote for him. I do not think it is right to call him an “evil candidate.” I think rather he is a good candidate with flaws. …

He is egotistical, bombastic, and brash. He often lacks nuance in his statements. Sometimes he blurts out mistaken ideas (such as bombing the families of terrorists) that he later must abandon. He insults people. He can be vindictive when people attack him. He has been slow to disown and rebuke the wrongful words and actions of some angry fringe supporters. He has been married three times and claims to have been unfaithful in his marriages. …

Seek the good of the nation

Should Christians even try to influence elections at all? Yes, definitely. The apostle Peter says Christians are “exiles” on this earth (1 Peter 1:1). Therefore I take seriously the prophet Jeremiah’s exhortation to the Jewish people living in exile in Babylon:

“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7).

By way of modern application, I think Christians today have a similar obligation to vote in such a way that will “seek the welfare” of the United States. …

Some may feel it is easier just to stay away from this messy Trump-Clinton election, and perhaps not even vote. But the teachings of Scripture do not allow us to escape moral responsibility by saying that we decided to do nothing. The prophet Obadiah rebuked the people of the Edom for standing by and doing nothing to help when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem: “On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that . . . foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.” (Obadiah 1:11). http://townhall.com/columnists/waynegrudem/2016/07/28/why-voting-for-donald-trump-is-a-morally-good-choice-n2199564

First, let’s actually examine the two scriptures Wayne Grudem quoted.

Jeremiah 29:7 is not a command to vote. Jeremiah 29:7 it says to seek the welfare of the nation and pray.  It does not say to get involved in worldly politics, but the command is to pray to the LORD on its behalf. That verse most definitely does not say to seek the welfare by doing something like voting.

And what about Obadiah?

That was also not a discussion about voting. Praying, such as is mentioned in Jeremiah 29:7 is certainly not “standing aloof.”

Praying, not voting, is the morally good choice for Christians.

In addition to the command to pray in Jeremiah 29:7, there is a command in the New Testament to pray for leaders.

Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote:

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

Notice that we are to pray for worldly leaders and those that have authority over us so that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life. Nothing like this is said for voting that many falsely claim is their “Christian” duty–prayer for leaders is.

We are also to pray for our spiritual leaders. Notice what Jesus taught:

2 The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest (Luke 10:2).

Notice what Paul taught:

25 Brethren, pray for us (1 Thessalonians 5:25).

1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2).

We also are to pray:

14 The will of the Lord be done (Acts 21:14).

Similarly,  Jesus taught:

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:7-10).

And that, I believe, should be the type of prayer that Christians have about elections.  Followers of the true God are also told to:

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:5-7).

People often do not have the faith in God and prayer, so instead feel that they must do something else, like vote.

Yet, voting for one promoting evil (abortion in the case Hillary Clinton and “country first,” in violation of the first commandment, in the case of Donald Trump) is not a Christian thing to do.

Many people, however, apparently are not satisfied with the biblical admonitions to trust God to choose political leaders.  This is not new (1 Samuel 8:6-7).

And while I can certainly understand that people often feel that they should do more, people often forget that God inspired Jeremiah to write:

23 O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps (Jeremiah 10:23).

Also notice what Hosea was inspired to write:

6 Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually (Hosea 12:6).

Some of those that vote seem to forget what God said:

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts…”(Isaiah 55:8-9).

‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.’ (Daniel 4:17).

It may be of interest to point out that Jesus suggested that people would take matters in their own hands thinking that they are doing God a service (John 16:2). And while this referred to killing, the principle is still that one should not violate what God instructs and justify it by thinking that is what God wants one to do.

As far as Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton goes, it can be argued which one is more evil, but the reality is that they both are. They BOTH promote the LGBT agenda that will end in death (Romans 1:18-32).

Though Donald Trump professes Christianity, he has publicly stated that he has not repented nor asked God for forgiveness. Yet, I heard Jerry Falwell, Jr. try to explain over the radio why he felt Donald Trump was a Christian. Whatever religion Donald Trump holds, it most certainly is not the Christianity of the Bible. Nor is Hillary Clinton a true Bible believing Christian.

As far as Wayne Grudem goes, he admitted some of Donald Trumps flaws. And both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton at least partially fulfill the following end time warning:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Note that God’s word does not encourage voting as the solution.

Notice a secular view related to the 2012 USA presidential election as it has some ideas to ponder related to the 2016 campaign as well:

When confronted with the false dilemma of the democratic political process, many individuals settle for the “less of two evils” as a kind of compromise. But one suspects (or hopes) they do so with a certain degree of moral discomfort. Ask a disciple of the Elephant Party, for example, if he agrees with the murderous drone attacks this moment underway in Pakistan and you will likely offend a delicate delusion of “Democrats for Peace.” Similarly, press any Donkey Party advocate on the issue of economic freedom and watch them squirm under close scrutiny of their own candidate’s position vis-à-vis the IRS, the Federal Reserve, the indigestible, 75,000- page tax code, etc., etc., etc….

Contrary to the popular snipe that “only those who vote have the right to complain,” common sense leads us to quite the opposite conclusion. It is only those who have not aggressed against others who have the right to complain when they are aggressed against. Those who, to invert a phrase, “feed the mouth that bites them,” may stand firmly, but do so on shaky ground.

A vote for either evil is nonetheless a vote for evil. (Daily Reckoning, October 19, 2012)

It is interesting to see a secular source coming to similar conclusions regarding the ‘democratic system’ and the US presidential election. I documented some other evils that both major USA presidential candidates espoused in the 2012 campaign (see Romney and Obama on ‘Social Issues’). As well as some in the 2016 campaign (see, for example, Hillary Clinton in Prophecy and Donald Trump in Prophecy).

A vote for evil is still evil.

Of course, many professing Christians believe that they need to vote even though that concept is not endorsed in the Bible.  But notice two concepts that are:

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

2 You shall not follow a crowd to do evil (Exodus 23:2)

The “lesser of two evils” is still not good.

Neither the current US President nor leading candidates (Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton) have called for real national repentance and, even if any did, it is not likely that they would call for repentance for Americans to go to the faith of the original Church of God of the New Testament.

Notice that the Bible does have standards for leaders:

19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. (Exodus 18:19-21)

2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘He who rules over men must be just,
Ruling in the fear of God. (2 Samuel 23:2-3)

Neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump endorse His laws and statutes. Both are covetousness. Hence they are not people that Christians should endorse.

Since Wayne Grudem endorsed Donald Trump, notice something that Donald Trump said in his Nevada victory speech the night of February 23, 2016 that proves he is covetous:

It’s hard for me to turn down money because that’s what I’ve done in my whole life, I grab and grab and grab. You know I get greedy I want money, money.

I’ll tell you what we’re going to do, right? We get greedy right? Now we’re going to get greedy for the United States we’re going to grab and grab and grab. We’re going to bring in so much money and so much everything. We’re going to make America great again, folks, I’m telling you folks we’re going to make America great again. …

You’re going to be proud of your president, and you’re going to be even prouder of your country, OK? http://qz.com/623640/i-love-the-poorly-educated-read-donald-trumps-full-nevada-victory-speech/

Consider that Donald Trump clearly stated he is a greedy lover of money and that he is clearly also trying to appeal to the pride, greed, and love of money of American voters. Pride goes before destruction, and destruction is coming to the USA (Daniel 11:39; Habakkuk 2:2-8; see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

We are to pray that God’s will is to be done. We should also pray for leaders.

But we should not kid ourselves that it is moral to vote for immoral candidates.

Nor should we kid ourselves that Christians have some type of a biblical obligation to vote.

Whether Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, or someone else becomes the next President of the United States, without national repentance the USA is doomed.

Since that is not likely, the only real solution for the USA is the Kingdom of God.

Islamic State supporters are sending a message of destruction.

COGwriter

There have been several items this weekend related to the group calling itself the Islamic State (also known as ISIL or ISIS):

August 7, 2016

KABUL: Militants linked to ISIS have released photos that purport to show weapons and equipment that belonged to American soldiers and were captured by the group in eastern Afghanistan.

The photos, which came to light Saturday, show an American portable rocket launcher, radio, grenades and other gear not commonly used by Afghan troops … http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2016/Aug-07/365993-isis-militants-claim-capture-of-us-weapons-in-afghanistan.ashx

So, the Islamic State has once again captured USA weapons. It was the capturing of USA weapon in Iraq a couple of years ago that seemed to greatly propel the rise of the Islamic State.

The Islamic State has claimed to be behind a machete attack in Belgium:

August 7, 2016

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for Saturday’s machete attack in Belgium.

A statement by the IS-affiliated Aamaq News Agency, posted Sunday on an IS-linked Twitter account, says the attack was carried out by one of the Islamic State group’s “soldiers.”

The statement says the attack on two policewomen in the city of Charleroi was in response to the “Crusader coalition’s” campaign against IS and its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BELGIUM_MACHETE_ATTACK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-08-07-10-33-20

Let me add  here that the Islamic State has also claimed that it needs NO REASON to terrorize as long as its targets have not accepted its version of Islam (see Islamic State claims it is soon to launch a major attack and explains why it hates the West).

Attacking policewomen with machetes is horrible, but sadly the Islamic State seems happy to be of their father, Satan the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning according to Jesus (John 8:44).

Voice of America reports that many Islamic terrorists are in the USA:

American Authorities Fear Terror Networks Already in US

August 6, 2016

fter years of undercover work, the U.S. is starting to pull back the veil on what appear to be loose-knit, perhaps deeply rooted networks of would-be terrorists who support each other even as many prepare to act alone.

Heightening the concern, these complex webs of connections and support seem to span several years and often cut across the ideological lines that delineate one terror group from another.

“Increasingly, the FBI’s had a lot of these,” according to a law enforcement official familiar with one of the more recent cases. “I think it is going on nationally.”

The official, speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity, also said it was clear that “a lot of this predated ISIL,” using an acronym for the Islamic State terror group.

‘Disrupting networks’

Concern has reached all the way to the White House. After a meeting with national security officials late Thursday at the Pentagon, President Barack Obama said, “It’s conceivable that there are some networks here [in the U.S.] that could be activated.”

“We have to do a better job of disrupting networks,” he added.

Yet former counterterror officials warn that doing so promises to be difficult, because what holds these networks together cannot be undone simply by trying to dismantle a single terror group.

“The differences between al-Nusra and ISIS [Islamic State] and al-Qaida and al-Shabab, for the regular people, it’s a distinction without a difference,” said Seamus Hughes, deputy director of George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. “What’s really underlying it is the ideological underpinnings that drive these people.”

In many cases, researchers say, for the members of these groups, it comes down to a willingness to embrace violence to fill holes or gaps in their lives.

“If ISIS is eliminated tomorrow and moves on, there are going to be other groups that pop up, and these individuals are already primed,” said Hughes, who previously worked at the National Counterterrorism Center. “They’ll latch onto the next foreign terrorist organization.” …

“The networks are definitely broader, they’re definitely thicker and they’re definitely more interconnected than we’ve ever seen before,” Gartenstein-Ross said.

Another concern stemming from the arrests of Nicholas Young and Erick Jamal Henderson is that despite arrests, disruptions and the watchful eye of law enforcement, the loose-knit terror networks seem to be able to sustain themselves — and, in some cases, even outlive the terror groups that helped spark their creation.

“The adaptability of the threat moves faster than the state can keep up with it,” cautioned Mubin Shaikh, an expert who has worked with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. http://www.voanews.com/content/american-authorities-fear-terror-networks-already-in-united-states/3453890.html

Some are part of the Islamic State, some will claim to be part of the Islamic State, and some will be independent or related to some other terrorist group. Yet, the reality is that there are operatives in the USA committed to causing terrorism. And, since Canada and the USA have both been taking in Muslim refugees, Canada is not immune.

The Islamic State has already made various threats to the USA. Here is something from a few months ago:

April 29, 2016

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

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

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

April 29, 2016

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

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

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

However this, according to the Bible, will not truly bring lasting peace (Daniel 11:40-43), though it may well lead to a temporary one (Daniel 9:27). Instead of real peace, an Islamic confederation would be a prelude to the time of coming destruction–to the USA (Daniel 11:39) and itself (Daniel 11:40-43)–and it will come suddenly (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:3).

Hillary Clinton and Theresa May

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermonette from its Bible News Prophecy channel:

14:46

Hillary Clinton, Theresa May, and Isaiah 3

On July 27, 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to ever receive a major political party’s nomination for the presidency of the United States. On May 13, 2016, Theresa May became only the second woman to ever become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. What does Isaiah 3 state about female rulers? Do Mrs. May or Mrs. Clinton display the type of leadership that the Bible endorses? Since they both profess Christianity, have they taken position that disagree with the New Testament? What do Isaiah and the New Testament indicate will happen to those who follow aspects of their leadership? What should you do about these leaders?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

John Martin’s 1834 version of the Deluge

COGwriter

Researchers are claiming that there is evidence to support a great flood that affected the Chinese, prior to the start of later Chinese civilization:

August 5, 2016

A Chinese myth that speaks of a flood so high “it threatens the very heavens” may be rooted in fact after all.

Some 4,000 years ago, legend says, the flood tore through a large are of central China washing away cities and inundating farmland.

Enter a hero named Yu the Great, who earned his sobriquet by spending decades organizing a campaign to dig canals to channel the floodwater, supposedly passing his home three times as he traveled the region, but never setting foot inside until the job was done.

Yu was so revered for these public works that he passed into legend as emperor of China’s supposed first dynasty, the mythical Xia Dynasty.

Now, researchers in China say they may have found evidence that the great flood that sparked the myths was, in fact, a real event on the region’s Yellow River.  https://weather.com/science/news/scientists-find-evidence-china-legendary-great-flood-was-real

Analysis of the crushed skeletons of children have revealed that an earthquake 4,000 years ago could be the source of a legendary “great flood” at the dawn of Chinese civilisation.

A Chinese-led team found remnants of a vast landslide, caused by an earthquake, big enough to block the Yellow river in what is now Qinghai province, near Tibet. …

The authors put the Yellow river flood at about 1920 BC by carbon dating the skeletons of children in a group of 14 victims found crushed downstream, apparently when their home collapsed in the earthquake. …

The evidence of a massive flood in line with the legend “provides us with a tantalising hint that the Xia dynasty might really have existed”, said one of the authors, David Cohen of National Taiwan University.

Deluges feature in many traditions, from Hindu texts to the biblical story of Noah. In pre-history, floods were probably frequent as ice sheets melted after the last ice age ended … https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/05/chinas-great-flood-tests-on-childrens-bones-support-4000-year-old-legend

“The flood is pouring forth destruction. Boundless and overwhelming, it overtops hills and mountains,” goes a quote attributed to the legendary Emperor Yao. “Rising and ever rising, it threatens the very heavens.”

If civilization was to survive, the people needed a hero who could tame the floodwaters and restore the land. That man was Yu, founder of China’s first dynasty, the Xia. Over the course of decades, Yu organized a dredging campaign, dug channels that would carry the water back to its source, and pioneered a tradition of great Chinese public works.

“He brings order out of the chaos and defines the land, separating what would become the center of Chinese civilization,” said David Cohen, an anthropologist and early Chinese history expert at National Taiwan University. “He is essentially establishing the political order and the ideologies of rulership.”

It is a powerful foundation myth, but many believed that was all it was. Some 4,000 years after the flood was supposed to have happened, historians had found no archaeological evidence of its effect or firsthand accounts of its destruction. There are no historical artifacts from Yu, or the Xia dynasty he founded. All researchers had to go on were stories written long after the fact, dramatized and politicized to justify the ends of those who wrote them.

Until Wu Qinglong, a geologist at Nanjing Normal University, found signs of the flood in the sediments beneath his feet.

In a new paper published Thursday in the journal Science, Wu and his colleagues describe geological evidence for a catastrophic flood on the Yellow River in about 1900 B.C. — right around the time the “Great Flood” was said to have taken place.

“This expands our understanding,” said Andrew Sudgen, deputy editor of Science, “not only of civilization’s origins, but also the environment in which ancestral societies emerged.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/08/04/legends-say-china-began-in-a-great-flood-scientists-just-found-evidence-that-the-flood-was-real/?tid=hybrid_experimentrandom_1_na

The Bible tells of a massive worldwide flood that occurred (Genesis chapters 6 -8). This seems to have been around 2325 B.C. (see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

Since carbon dating has its flaws, it could be that the remains found were related to the flood in Noah’s time, or perhaps a different, more local flood, that occurred a few centuries later.

However, there is other evidence in China that the Chinese were aware of the biblical flood.

Notice a couple of statements in the Bible concerning the flood:

1 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. (Genesis 7:1).

20…in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water (1 Peter 3:20).

A Chinese word chuán for a type of boat is made up of symbols as described:

It may be of interest to note that one of the Chinese symbols for flood (chong) is a combination of an inverted symbol meaning “first Earthly branch” and eight (the term for eight may instead mean “person remaining””–that of itself is interesting as that the symbol for eight and “person remaining” look about the same–recall that on the ark there were only eight persons remaining alive).

After the flood, humans stayed together and built a tower:

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:1-4).

But God did not care for this:

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11:5-7).

It is highly likely that when people saw others speaking foreign languages, that they thought that somehow something at this tower affected their mouths. The Chinese symbol of a tower is made up of symbols as described:

The tower of Babel was built with bricks (grass and clay) and humans originally had one language (or mouth). It is possible that this symbol is showing that the ancient Chinese recognized a connection to the biblical tower of Babel.  The Bible shows that after God confused the languages in Babel that He scattered humans all over:

8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth (Genesis 11:8-9).

The Bible also mentions:

25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan (Genesis 10:25).

Now whether it was just the scattering of humans that occurred in Peleg’s time, or that the earth had continental divisions at that time is not completely clear. What is clear, however, is that humans did separate essentially by language and ethnicity thousands of years ago.

When I tried to copy each of the Chinese characters into this post, they did not copy properly.

To see them, however, simply go to my article China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters.

That article also has evidence, via Chinese characters, that the ancient Chinese knew about Adam & Eve and more in Genesis.

The biblical accounts can be trusted, even if certain ‘experts’ wish to pretend that they are only myths.

Some items of potentially related interest may include:

China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel. Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia?
Have the Turks and Chinese Just Found Noah’s Ark? Some have so claimed. If true, this could change how much of the world views events from the Bible.
Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true? Here is a link to a YouTube sermon titled Is it logical to believe in God?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Is There Another View of Evolution? and another titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Were the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long? Here is a link to a sermon: Genesis, ‘Prehistoric man,’ and the Gap theory. Here is a link to a related article in Spanish: ¿Cuán vieja es la Tierra? ¿Cuán largos fueron los Días de la Creación? ¿Teoría de la brecha?
Did Angels Marry Human Women? Many insist this is so and also that this mating caused giants to be born. Did this come from the ‘Book of Enoch’? What does Genesis 6:4 really mean? A related video is also available: Did Angels Marry Women and Produce Giants?
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?
How is God Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient? Here is a biblical article which answers what many really wonder about it.
Has time been lost? It Saturday the seventh day of the week?
Study the Bible Course Want to learn more about the Bible? This new course is for you! It is also available in French (Leçon 1 En francés), Kiswahili (Somo 1 Katika Kiswahili), Mandarin Chinese (首页 › 中国), Tagalog (KURSO SA PAG-ARAL NG BIBLYA), and Spanish (Lección 1 En castellano).
Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading. Here is a link in Mandarin Chinese: 读圣经 Here is a link in the Spanish language: Lea la Biblia.
Bible: Superstition or Authority? Should you rely on the Bible? Is it reliable? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
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? 2024 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?

European Aircraft Carrier

COGwriter

Notice the following:

Europeans Are Quietly Preparing for War with Russia

August 6, 2016

This article first appeared on the Daily Signal.

Whether referring to Russian aggression in the east or to the threat of Islamist terrorism in the West, Europe’s political, media and religious elite are increasingly using the word war to describe the continent’s security challenges. …

“The current security architecture in Europe, which relied on both the Helsinki Final Act and the Paris Charter, has now collapsed, following Russia’s aggression in Ukraine,” Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said in September 2014 as Russian tanks were blitzing across eastern Ukraine. …

War is a fact of life along the front lines in Ukraine’s southeastern Donbas territory, where government troops and paramilitary units have battled combined Russian-separatist forces since spring 2014.

“There is still a war on,” U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt told The Daily Signal in an interview. “There are 1.7 million [internally displaced persons]. The troops are mobilized. And most importantly, people are still dying.” …

Ready for War

Moscow’s seizure of Crimea and military intervention in Ukraine have countries throughout Eastern Europe preparing for war with Russia.

In NATO’s Baltic member countries, the ranks of civilian volunteer militias have swelled since Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in 2014, reflecting the deadly seriousness with which politicians and populations in Eastern Europe consider the possibility of war with Russia—a sometimes difficult concept for Western Europeans and Americans to understand. …

Military experts almost universally agree that NATO’s pledged military presence in the Baltics and Poland will not be enough to thwart a Russian invasion. Rather, the deployments are considered “tripwire forces,” presumably meant to deter Russia from an attack due to the risk of spurring a massive NATO response to defend forward units.

The Kremlin has countered NATO’s eastward pivot by sending weapons and troops to Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave and annexed Crimea. Also, Russia has been building up new forward operating bases along its western borders with Ukraine, according to news reports, highlighting a tit-for-tat repositioning of military forces across the region reminiscent of the Cold War. http://www.newsweek.com/europeans-are-quietly-preparing-war-russia-487307

Many of those in nations that border Russia and/or were once behind the ‘iron curtain’ are concerned about Russian military aggression. That being said, the Europeans are working on building up their military and it is more complex than just adding more troops in Eastern Europe to counteract Russia.

As far as one reason for being more complex, consider the following:

June 4, 2016

Polls in Europe and elsewhere taken by Pew and other such organizations show that majorities in many places identify America as the primary cause of global disorder. http://www.salon.com/2016/06/04/we_cant_have_more_of_the_same_the_very_real_dangers_of_hillary_clintons_foreign_policy/

Notice that the above did not say that the Europeans mainly view Russia or Islam as the cause of global disorder, but the USA.

So, what does Europe plan to do about this?

Well, Germany wants a military that is independent of the USA (see my posts Germany military looking to be ‘Independent of the USA’ and Germans wants an independent European arms industry). And last month, its Defense Minister stated that Germany wants to lead Europe militarily (see German Defense Minister states that Germany is now ready to lead Europe militarily).

Furthermore, Europe has been working on many ways to become independent militarily.

One such step is that it has been developing its own alternative to the USA’s GPS system called Galileo. Europe developed its Galileo system to break its dependence on the USA (see EU, UK, US, Asia, & Galileo) and it was specifically funded because of its military potential (see EU Approves Galileo For Military Use).

It needs to be understood that military planners in the USA initially did not want the Europeans to develop their Galileo GPS as that was considered to be a potential military threat as BBC reported years ago:

BBC Jan 7, 2010… Galileo should have been operational by now but the project has run into myriad technical, commercial and political obstacles, including early objections from the Americans who thought a rival system to GPS might be used to attack its armed forces. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8442090.stm

Despite this concern, the USA has decided to rely on the European-controlled upcoming Galileo system for part of its own military defense.  This is dangerous, overlooks the lessons of history (WWI, WWII), and ignores warnings in the Bible. The Bible warns about being betrayed militarily by “friends” (Lamentations 1:1-2) and this will happen to the USA, as well as its Anglo-Saxon descended allies (see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

The Europeans also have the world’s largest physics project in the world with its Large Hadron Collider, Physics’ projects have the potential to spinoff military technology (watch also Could the Large Hadron Collider lead to destruction?).

In addition to this, the Europeans are also in the process of developing laser and other space weapons (see European Technology and the Beast of Revelation). Plus the Europeans already do have a lot of nuclear weapons (see Does Europe really have the ability to nuke the USA and Canada?).

Will Europe use its military?

Yes.

The Bible predicts the following:

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

The “he” is a European leader called the “King of the North” in Daniel 11:40 and the Beast of the Sea in Revelation 13:1-10 (watch also Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?).

The “strongest fortresses,” the most powerful military, in the 21st century do not belong to Russia, but the USA. And as Daniel 11:39 show, the European power will be successful, and the USA will be eliminated.  Since last decade, I have been warning that Europe would use technology and deceit to do so. And Europe has been developing its technology (see also European Technology and the Beast of Revelation).

But what about Russia and the EU?

Before Daniel 11:39 is fulfilled, despite military concerns in Europe about Russia, I believe that there will ultimately be a deal between Europe and Russia–a deal that will give both sides something they want–but it is a deal that will not be peaceful for too long (probably around 4 years).

Russia has long wanted Alaska back, despite selling it to the USA in the 1800s.  Even Stalin may have wanted to regain it according to the following story:

Atlanta Journal Constitution – Aug 7, 2010 excerpt…

Nearly 60 years ago, Alexander Vitebsky was a young Soviet officer stationed in Siberia, part of a massive force assembled to try to fulfill Joseph Stalin’s dream of invading Alaska.

“It was very secretive,” said Vitebsky, who, for decades afterward, also carried a secret — he dreamed of coming to America. “We didn’t buy what we were told about America.” (http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atlantas-public-housing-is-587310.html)

Notice a different news story about a Russian prediction:

MOSCOW — For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart…Prof. Panarin, 50 years old, is not a fringe figure. A former KGB analyst, he is dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s academy for future diplomats…

When the going gets tough, he says, wealthier states will withhold funds from the federal government and effectively secede from the union. Social unrest up to and including a civil war will follow. The U.S. will then split along ethnic lines, and foreign powers will move in.

California will form the nucleus of what he calls “The Californian Republic,” and will be part of China or under Chinese influence. Texas will be the heart of “The Texas Republic,” a cluster of states that will go to Mexico or fall under Mexican influence. Washington, D.C., and New York will be part of an “Atlantic America” that may join the European Union… Hawaii, he suggests, will be a protectorate of Japan or China, and Alaska will be subsumed into Russia.

“It would be reasonable for Russia to lay claim to Alaska; it was part of the Russian Empire for a long time.” A framed satellite image of the Bering Strait that separates Alaska from Russia like a thread hangs from his office wall. “It’s not there for no reason,” he says with a sly grin. (Osborn A. As if Things Weren’t Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S. Wall Street Journal, Dec 29, 2008 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123051100709638419.html).

Now, although the Russian is not specifically predicting an attack on the USA, notice that Igor Panarin believes that USA economic issues will likely cause it to be divided up. How he believes that the USA will be divided up is, though somewhat inaccurate, interesting none-the-less. The idea of the USA being divided up is biblically supported (e.g. Daniel 11:39, for more for details, see Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?), and this idea apparently is starting to have a little support among certain internationalists.

Because of military and political considerations, the European King of the North might be inclined to give Russia all or parts of Alaska as well as possibly parts of Canada, as well as some people from those lands.

Europe will likely believe acceding to this will cause peace and improve trade with Russia. And that is likely (cf. Revelation 18). Russia may also be interested in the British Antarctic Territory, and perhaps may be granted at least part of that someday.

While some have improperly claimed that Russia is the King of the North (see Is Russia the King of the North?), Daniel 11 shows that it is not.  For example, notice something that happens three or so years after the USA is eliminated:

44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. (Daniel 11:44-45)

Again, the “he” is a reference to the European King of the North.

Why can’t the “he” be Russia?

Well, notice that “news from the north and the east shall trouble him.” There is no nation north or east of Russia. Russia extends to the “far north” (Ezekiel 38:3,6) and its land mass is as “east” as possible.

Therefore this “he” cannot be Russian.

Russia, on the other hand, IS north and east of Europe.

As I mentioned, despite some deal, the time will come when Russia will prophetically lead a force to attack Europe. Notice the following:

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

43 “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them,
And his hands grow feeble;
Anguish has taken hold of him,
Pangs as of a woman in childbirth…”(Jeremiah 50:41-43).

11 Make the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the Lord,
The vengeance for His temple. (Jeremiah 51:11)

1 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw…
17 “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not regard silver;
And as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces,
And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb;
Their eye will not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride,
Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:1, 17-19)

A power from the north (Russia) will lead an essentially Asian (eastern) confederation that will come against the end time daughter of Babylon (Europe). The Medes are basically in current and past Russian dominated territories (see also Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future). Russia is a power on two “ends of the earth”–far north and far east.

Bible prophecy shows that the Europeans will increase their military might.

Actually, so much so that the world will marvel at the accomplishments of this European Beast power:

2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:2-4)

The world will marvel as biblical prophecy shows that Europe will eliminate the USA (Daniel 11:39) and then a coming power in the Islamic lands of Africa and the Middle East (Daniel 11:40-43).

The world will marvel because it did not see Europe as capable of accomplishing this.  However, it will come to pass.

Yet, in time, Russia will not marvel. It will look for weaknesses and then lead a confederation of Eurasian nations to eliminate Europe.

Therefore, while Europe will rise up militarily, it is prophesied to later come to its end (Daniel 11:44-45).

Until then, Europe will take steps, both publicly and privately, to strengthen its military. Though some news sources realize that, they do not realize where it will end as they do not know, respect, and/or properly understand biblical prophecy.  And biblical prophecy will come to pass.

Some items of 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? and another titled: European Unity to be like Hitler?.
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!
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy.
Ukraine in Prophecy? What is happening in Ukraine? What is known and what is unsure about its future? What is the origin of those who live in Ukraine? What does the Bible teach about the role of the Medes in the end times? Will Ukraine split? Why might part of Ukraine end up in the European Union? Why might part of Ukraine end up in the Eurasian Union? Is war in the prophesied future for Ukraine? What is the ultimate destiny for nearly all Ukrainians?
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?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now? Another could be Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code).
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
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. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?.
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?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies. Watch also the YouTube Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse
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?

ευαγγελιον κ̣ατ̣α μαθ᾽θαιον (euangelion kata Maththaion). Dated to late 2nd or early 3rd century, it is the earliest manuscript title for Matthew

COGwriter

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

1:13:52

Matthew 8-10: Married Clergy, Faith, Coming Persecution, and the Ecumenical Agenda

This is the fourth part of a multi-part sermon series on the Gospel According to Matthew. In it, Dr. Thiel discusses whether church leaders can be married, death being like sleep, persecution, the ecumenical/interfaith agendas, and several of Jesus’ statements related to faith. He goes into detail about what type of reasons that Philadelphian Christians will be subject to persecution. Dr. Thiel also reads each and every verse in the eighth, ninth, and tenth chapters of Matthew’s Gospel.

Here is a link to the first part of the sermon series: Matthew 1-2: Greek or Aramaic, Jesus, and the Star?

Here is a link to the second part of the sermon series: Matthew 3-5: John the Baptist, Temptations, and the Beatitudes.

Here is a link to the third part of the sermon series: Matthew 6-7: Charitable Deeds, the Rosary, Prayer, the Golden Rule, and Faith.

Again, here is a link to the fourth part of the sermon series: Matthew 8-10: Married Clergy, Faith, Coming Persecution, and the Ecumenical Agenda

Some items of related interest may include:

Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Was Celibacy Required for Early Bishops or Presbyters? Some religions suggest this, but what does the Bible teach? What was the practice of the early church?
What Happens After Death? Is death like sleep, or is that a cultic idea? Can you speak to the dead? Here is a link to a related sermon: What really happens after death?
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
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.
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? (And the Protestants) 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? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
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 sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
MARK Here is a link to a sermon covering all of Jesus’ words in the ‘Gospel of Mark’: What did Jesus teach in the Book of Mark?
LUKE Here are links to eight sermons covering the entire ‘Gospel of Luke’: Luke 1-2: John the Baptist, Mary, and the Census, Luke 3-6: John the Baptist, Jesus’ genealogy, Satan’s Influence, and the Sermon on the Mount, Luke 7-9: Miracles, Purpose of Parables, Kingdom of God, and Women Supporting the Ministry, Luke 10-11: The 70, Doing the Work, the Good Samaritan, Prayer, and Signs, Luke 12-13: Priorities, Delayed Fruit Bearing, Little Flock, Prophecy, and the Narrow Way, Luke 14-16: The Lost Sheep, the Prodigal Son, the Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke 17-20: Faith, the Kingdom, Gathering, Prayer, & Rewards, and Luke 21-22: Giving, Sorrows, Persecution, Tribulation, Fig Tree, and Violence. The last sermon also covers Jesus’ words in the Book of Acts.
JOHN Here are links to a seven-part sermon series covering the entire ‘Gospel of John’: John 1-3: Anti-unitarian, Wine, Being Born Again, & Heaven, John 4-6: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, Miracles and the Bread of Life, John 10-12: Sheep, Hirelings, Lazarus/Soul Sleep and ‘Palm Day’, John 13-15: Footwashing and the Words of Jesus, John 16-18: Truth, Trinity, and Pontius Pilate, and John 19-21: Do not only try, do what God wants.
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 and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th 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?
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
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.