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COGwriter

Mexico is not happy with the Trump Administration’s trade ideas and is looking elsewhere:

May 12, 2017

The Mexican secretary of economy has said that Mexico could focus on trade with China amid the strain in relations with the United States.

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) — Mexico may focus on trade with China instead of the United States due to emerging tensions in trade relations with the neighboring country, Mexican Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal said Thursday.

“We are going to visit China in September to continue our agenda, and we will use this [visit] geopolitically as a strategic leverage [in trade]. We are sending a signal that we have a lot of alternatives [to the United States],” Guajardo said.

In December, Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi agreed on boosting trade and investment ties with then Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu. The talks took place after the election of Donald Trump as the president of the United States.

Trump’s victory at the US presidential election was considered by the Mexican authorities as a threat to the US-Mexican trade relations as during his presidential campaign, Trump had pledged to renegotiate or withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which Mexico is part of. https://sputniknews.com/business/201705121053529766-mexico-us-china-trade/

MEXICO CITY — Mexico sent a stark message to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, saying an upcoming visit to China in September made it clear Latin America’s No. 2 economy “has lots of other alternatives” amid tense trade negotiations.

Mexico is grappling with Trump’s desire to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that underpins its economy, prompting the government to try and diversify away from the United States, which takes 80 percent of its exports.

“We will use [the China visit] geopolitically as strategic leverage,” said Guajardo, answering questions from reporters. “It sends the signal that we have many alternatives.” …

Mexico was also looking to send senior officials to a World Economic Forum gathering in Dalian in late June.

Guajardo did not give details of what trip to China in September he was referring to, but the diplomat said it was to the CIFIT summit in Xiamen.

“High-level contact is very frequent,” said the diplomat, who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Guajardo was speaking after Trump indicated he wanted to get the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico down to zero. The minister said expanding bilateral commerce, not restricting it, was key to rebalancing the U.S.-Mexico trade deficit. http://www.voanews.com/a/mexico-warns-us-alternatives-trade-china/3848313.html

In the past, Donald Trump indicated that since the USA is Mexico’s largest export market, he can do as he wants (presuming US court approvals), yet the leaders in Mexico have a different view.

Donald Trump does not seem to appreciate or understand the biblical prophecies related to the USA. Therefore, it is likely that he will continue to take steps that will upset various global leaders not realizing how this will turn out.

It is not just China that Mexico is talking with. Notice also the following:

OTTAWA — The uncertainty caused by the Trump administration means Mexico and Canada need to look towards new non-American markets, including China, to grow their economies, says a visiting Mexican cabinet minister.

Enrique de la Madrid Cordero, Mexico’s minister of tourism, echoed the view of Canada’s central bank governor Stephen Poloz, which he delivered in a speech in Mexico City. …

De la Madrid Cordero said Mexico is trying to diversify by looking to Canada, Latin America, Europe and China. 05/09/17 http://www.plant.ca/general/china-beckons-canada-mexico-face-us-uncertainty-167676/

Mexico held talks with European leaders last month and is scheduled to speak with them on trade matters again next month.

Consider also something that I warned about in 2008:

In the spirit of accommodation and personal interest, many of the “standards” of the European Union will be adopted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, as well as by nearly all of the countries of the world. The Arab nations will most likely agree with many of the standards as they seem to be destined to form a brief end-time alliance with the Europeans (The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy).

However, over time, it will become increasingly clear that the British will be in more agreement with the Canadians and Americans and that the European Union in more agreement with the Mexicans than the EU will have with the English-speaking nations.

Trade wars and/or serious trade disputes will most likely arise.

The Brits will ultimately decide that they are more supportive of the Americans and Canadians. They will be so much more supportive that they will end up in a trading agreement with them (with the Australians and New Zealanders probably also becoming part of that agreement).

The EU will decide that Mexico and the rest of Latin America are in more agreement with it and thus make some type of serious trading agreement with most (or all) of Latin America. The Vatican will also have influence here as Latin America is highly Roman Catholic.

The Europeans and Americans, however, will continue to have military agreements, though many will be tense about them.

Eventually, the Europeans (possibly under the cover of pretending that they are involved in a “NATO-like” exercise in North America) will eventually launch a surprise attack against the United States in fulfillment of both biblical and Catholic prophecies. The Mexicans will most likely be allied with the Europeans for this to happen. (Thiel B. A Combined EU & North American Trade Block Coming? COGwriter.com, March 3, 2008)

Notice the following news report that came out after Donald Trump took office:

European leaders have said Brussels should take advantage of a more protectionist U.S. leader, who has already withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, to step up negotiations with would-be partners.Mexico faces the prospect of a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and possibly higher U.S. import duties. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/01/european-union-and-mexico-expedite-trade-talks-to-update-existing-pact.html

China and Europe are trying to move to fill in areas where Donald Trump has indicated he wants to change trade terms. This is giving Europe opportunities that it would not otherwise have. (We have a BNP video related to Europe and trade: Trade Wars: Are COG warnings coming to pass?)

Mexico feels that it can trade more with Europe and China, and at least use that threat as leverage against the USA in trade talks.

Expect more issues to arise.

Various ones in Mexico have long considered that the USA is an enemy nation. Many in Mexico believe that the USA improperly took lands ranging from Texas to California and points in-between. They believe that they are entitled to receive that land back. The Bible teaches that the European King of the North power will takeover the USA and divide its land for gain (Daniel 11:39; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses)–Mexico will likely end up with at least some of its claimed lands back this century.

While in the short-run, the USA can take steps to seriously harm Mexico, it should be clear to all that the USA is seriously risking turning Mexico from an ally into an enemy.

Decades ago, I concluded that Mexico would one-day help the Europeans against the USA. Reactions from Mexican officials suggest that day is getting closer.

COGwriter

The latest issue (says #194, print date April 30, 2017) of The Journal: News of the Churches of God was sent out electronically and just received. It was another relatively short issue.

There was information regarding AC Reunion, a women’s conference, and Feast of Tabernacles’ sites.

Here is some of what The Journal reported from a story elsewhere about CGI’s Ian Boyne:

LAS VEGAS, Nev.—An enthusiastic cadre of Ambassador Review/Ambassador Report ( AR ) supporters met March 16, 2017, in Las Vegas for an all- day reunion to reflect on the 23 years during which the publication was published. The reunion came one day after the big re- union of former students of all three Ambassador College campuses in the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. Bill Hughes orchestrated the AR event and had created the framework to keep the event moving throughout the day. 40 attendees It was an honor to be with Bill Hughes, Bob and Connie Gerringer, Leonard and Margaret Zola, Jim and Jeanette Lea and others who were instrumental in launching and sustaining Ambassador Report, along with publisher John Trechak, who died in 1999.

The Journal had the following related to a reunion of former Ambassador College students in its previous issue:

LAS VEGAS, Nev.—They came from 46 U.S. states and 11 countries. A few were octogenerians who hadn’t seen each other since they were teenagers. Finally the dreams of the dozen or so organizers and 273 attendees were realized when registration began in the hospitality room of the Orleans Hotel here on March 12, 2017, for the kickoff of the first all-campus Ambassador College reunion. Quite a few reunions had occurred over the years, in California, England and Texas. But only one boasted organizers who were ambitious enough to officially include former students from Pasadena, Bricket Wood and Big Sandy: all three campuses of Ambassador College/University.

The Journal also reported about a women’s conference in Texas:

LINDALE, Texas—Timberline Camp near Lindale proved to be the perfect backdrop for the New Church Lady Conference: The Owner’s Manual March 3-5, 2017. Organized and sponsored by the Church of God International (CGI), Christian Educational Ministries (CEM) and Dynamic Christian Ministries, this year’s diverse group of women from Texas, Oklahoma and as far away as Michigan demonstrated that not every gathering of women is a protest of something. Registration began the evening of March 3, followed by a warm welcome message from Nancy White of Big Sandy, founder and creator of the New Church Lady Conference. Vision pressure When asked, “What was your vision in creating the New Church Lady Conference,” Mrs. White replied, “My Bible-study group pressured me into it.” A little later she elaborated: “This year’s theme [‘The Owner’s Manual’] was meant to help us focus on the fact that God gives us instruction on every aspect of our lives, right there in His Word, the Bible.”

Here are links related to CGI, CEM, and women’s roles:

Teachings of the Church of God, International This article focuses on where CGI differs from the old WCG.

Teachings of Christian Educational Ministries The Ronald Dart formed this confederation (which he insisted was not a church).

Women and the New Testament Church What roles did women play in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles? Did Jesus and the Apostle Paul violate Jewish traditions regarding their dealings with women? Do women have any biblical limitations on their role in the Church? Were there female prophets? Do women have any special responsibilities in terms of how they dress? What does the New Testament really teach about women? Here is a related sermon titled: New Testament Women.

The Journal once again reported numerous Feast of Tabernacles’ sites. I previously submitted the following to The Journal related to the Continuing Church of God sites:

Dear Dixon:

Saw you would like a list of Feast of Tabernacles sites to be sent in.

So, here is our current expected list (and yes, Oscar’s email and last name are intentionally spelled differently) in no particular order:

San Diego, California, USA. Continuing Church of God, contact Dr. Bob Thiel, email cogwriter@aol.com

Wichita, Kansas, USA, Continuing Church of God, contact Richard Close email closesr@comcast.net

Ontario or Quebec Canada. Continuing Church of God, contact Herb Haddon email hwhaddon@gmail.com

Uzice, Serbia. Continuing Church of God, contact Aleksandar Veljic, email radsonmulozowa@gmail.com

Rotorua, New Zealand. Continuing Church of God, contact John Hickey, email john.h@vodafone.net.nz

Silay City, Philippines. Continuing Church of God, contact Oscar Mediavilla, email hansmeidavilla@rocketmail.com

Gambella, Ethiopia. Continuing Church of God, contact Koang Deng, email koangdeng5@gmail.com

Ashanti, Suame-Kumasi, Ghana contact Samuel Ofosu Gyeabour fosusamuel81@gmail.com

Ndhiwa, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Bomet, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Kitui, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Mau, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Joseah Kipngetich, email joseahts@gmail.com

Nairobi, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Transmara, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Migawi, Malawi. Continuing Church of God contact Radson Mulozowa email radsonmulozowa@gmail.com

Mozambique, Continuing Church of God contact Radson Mulozowa email radsonmulozowa@gmail.com

Utegi, Tanzania. Continuing Church of God, contact Martin Wanga, email matinwanga@gmail.com

Best regards,

Bob Thiel

Since the above letter, the CCOG site in Canada was finalized to be in  Kingston, Ontario. I suspect that we also may end up with a site this year in Uganda. More on sites can be found in the link: Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2017.

As far as The Journal goes, it also had the usual letters to the editor and other advertisements, various comments, and opinion articles. The advertisements mainly seem to be from possibly Laodicean groups and/or individuals (not all seem to be COG) who seem to think that the ads are somehow doing the work of God. More of the real work that the COGs should be doing are in the article The Final Phase of the Work.

The Journal itself is available by paid subscription (though Dixon Cartwright says some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it). It tends to have a non-Philadelphian approach to many, but not all, matters.

COGwriter

Tomorrow is known as ‘Fatima Day.’ On this date in 1917, three young children claimed to see a female wearing a short skirt near Fatima, Portugal that many later declared was Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Partially because it is the 100th anniversary, Pope Francis has been scheduled to fly to Fatima, Portugal today for it.

Per Pope Francis’ request, Cardinal Policarpo consecrated the pontificate of Francis to the Lady of Fatima on this a couple of years ago (the following item was machine-translated from Portuguese):

May 13, 2013

D. José Policarpo maintained that the Church has to assert itself as a “place of conversion and forgiveness, because it expresses the truth always in charity.”

“So you consecrate Lady, you who are the Mother of the Church, the ministry of the new Pope: fill your heart the tenderness of God, that you have experienced as anyone, so that it can embrace all men and women of this time with the love of your Son Jesus Christ, “he said…

After the moment of consecration of the pontificate, at the end of Mass, the bishop of Leiria-Fatima, D. António Marto, read a message sent by the Apostolic Nunciature in Portugal.

“The Holy Father expressed his satisfaction for the initiative and deep appreciation for the satisfaction of his desire in union of prayer with all the pilgrims of Fatima, which, at heart, gives apostolic blessing as a pledge of all goods,” referring text. http://www.agencia.ecclesia.pt/cgi-bin/noticia.pl?id=95487

Pope Francis has taken this even further as he consecrated the world before a statue that was flown to the Vatican from Fatima in October of 2013 (see Francis consecrated world to the ‘immaculate heart’ of an alleged ‘Fatima’ statue). Pope Francis takes this Fatima matter serious and it is part of his ecumenical agenda. Since Pope Francis values this day so highly, his actions will affect many, not just now, but later. He has mentioned Fatima throughout his papacy.

It should be noted that although many Catholics believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared in Fatima, the “Lady” that appeared did not call herself Mary, and according to the only physical descriptions of the three witnesses, could not have possibly been Mary of the Bible.

I wrote a book titled Fatima Shock! to warn people that in the future apparitions that most people will think are Mary will likely be part of the signs and lying wonders that the Bible warns will deceive the world (it also gives more information of what the Fatimists really think of their previous pope as well as their view of what the so-called undisclosed portion of the “third secret”) contains.

Although most non-Catholics do not think that Fatima can affect them, if they live long enough this century, they will find that this is not the case. Fatima is a much bigger deal than people realize and seems to tie into a variety of prophecies throughout the Bible (e.g. Isaiah 47, Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 17). How apparitions are likely to affect the world at the end seems to be a missing dimension in understanding prophecy by most who profess Christ (see also the video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy).

A reader sent me this:

Bishop of Fátima: The Pope has personally told me he will visit

2015-05-13

The shrine of Fátima is one of the most popular sites for pilgrims in the world. Each year it has more than five million visitors. May 13, 2017 will mark 100 years since the apparitions of Our Lady in Cova da Iria. Pope Francis has expressed his intention to attend the centenary.

MSGR. ANTÓNIO AUGUSTO DOS SANTOS MARTO

Bishop of Leiria-Fátima

“Pope Francis has personally told me that he is going to go.”

In 2000, Pope John Paul II authorized the beatification of Francisco and Jacinta, the first children to become beatified without being martyrs. The bishop of Leiria-Fátima said that their canonization process is moving along.

MSGR. ANTÓNIO AUGUSTO DOS SANTOS MARTO

Bishop of Leiria-Fátima

“We ask God and Our Lady that they be canonized in 2017. It would be a great joy for all because the little shepherds, Francisco and Jacinta, are the most beautiful fruits from the message of Fátima.”

Pope Francis has personally taken several steps since becoming pope in March 2013 to direct people to Mary (see, for example, Pope Francis continues to direct his followers towards “Mary”). A lot of Catholic prophecy indicates that “Mary” will be a major factor in bringing people to the Catholic faith–which will be a changed faith. This changed faith is warned against in the Bible, yet steps are being taken to implement it.

The late Herbert Armstrong wrote the following related to Isaiah 47:

But WHO is the Power that will lay this YOKE of slavery upon, Britain and America? We begin to find this answer in the 47th chapter of Isaiah. Notice!

“Come down, and sit in the dust, 0 virgin daughter of Babylon,” is the salutation of this chapter, verse 1. It is addressed, not to the ancient Babylon of King Nebuchadnezzar. It is addressed to a descendant, or successor, of the ancient Chaldean Empire. It is addressed to a WOMAN. And in prophetic symbol the term “woman” represents a CHURCH (Eph. 5:23, 27, 32; II Cor. ll: 1-2; Rev. 19:6-9; Rev. 12:13-17, etc.). This “lady of Kingdoms” of Isaiah 47 is the same CHURCH pictured in Revelation 17 and 18. But let’s understand as we go along “… there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.” (Verse 1).

This “lady” is no longer a virgin! She is a prostitute. She is to LOSE her throne over political kingdoms. Notice her moral and spiritual fall: “Thy nakedness shall be uncovered , yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance … ” (verse 3 ).

God Almighty Himself is going to take vengeance on her. This can result only from spirirual harlotry, which is sin.

Continue: “Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for thou shall no more be called The Lady of Kingdoms.” (Verse 5 ) . The Moffatt translation is more plain: “Sit thou silent in the dark.” Light represents TRUTH. Darkness represents error and SIN. She is a fallen woman. She has reigned over KINGDOMS of NATIONS. But, from the time of the conclusion of this prophecy, she shall no longer be called “The Lady of Kingdoms”- that is, the CHURCH that had a kingdom over the political civil kingdoms…

God will give the House of Israel of today-Britain and America-into the hand of this “Lady of Kingdoms.” She, through the armies and secret police of the nations she shall sit upon and rule, will very heavily lay HER YOKE of slavery, torture, and martyrdom on our peoples! (Armstrong HW. BRITAIN’S DOOM Prophesied for Common Market Seeking Membership! Plain Truth, July 1962; he also said something similar in his Sermon dated November 27, 1982)

Here are some items from the late Radio/Worldwide Church of God evangelist Raymond McNair:

Fatima Portugal

THE Pope’s pilgrimage to Portugal is the biggest event ever to occur in this country!” an elated Portuguese exclaimed to me. This momentous occasion is the 50th anniversary of the first Fatima vision. It was on May 13, 1917 that three poor, uneducated Portuguese peasant children believed the Virgin Mary appeared to them, It is also the 25th anniversary of Pope Pius XII’s consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary! …

The Pope had come to Fatima to lead all Catholics worldwide in prayer for peace – peace within the Church, and peace in the whole world. …

“The first intention is for the Church …. We want to pray, as we have said, for its intemal peace.” Then the Pope gave a solemn warning to the ecclesiastical princes of the Catholic Church who do not agree with the official teachings of the Church.” What terrible damage could be provoked by arbitrary interpretations, not authorized by the teaching of the Church, disrupting its traditional and constitutional structure … ” …

The Pontiff then pointed to that great part of humanity which lives in hunger and in dire need.” Therefore, we say, the world i s in DANGER. For this reason WE HAVE COME TO THE FEET OF THE QUEEN OF PEACE to ask her for the gift, which only God can give, of peace.” …

In the German Suddeutsche Zeitung there was an article in which it was revealed that Pope Paul VI had received a message in Fatima through the only remaining shepherd girl (who is now a nun). They were seen quite some time together and it appeared as if she had something to say to him. When asked in Rome, after his return, if his visit to Fatima was a success, Pope Paul said: ” I went to Fatima to pray for peace to the Virgin Mary and I received the answer how to, achieve this peace.”

There are many rumors that he did receive a message, but he has not wanted to divulge it.

Since the pilgrimage to Fatima, the Pope has spoken out on Jerusalem- demanding it become an international city. What most do not know is that there is evidence the Vatican has plans to move from Rome to Jerusalem … This event will stir the world! It will be the Pope ‘s final effort as the world’s peacemaker! (McNair R. The Real Meaning Behind POPE PAUL’S PILGRIMAGE TO PORTUGAL. Plain Truth, June 1967, pp. 3, 47)

Jerusalem will become increasingly important to Catholics in the near future. The Papacy will, as previously reported in The PLAIN TRUTH, be moved from Rome to Jerusalem … Bible prophecy is very explicit on this point. Furthermore, according to a recent report in a leading German newspaper, the Third Fatima Message is reported (by inside, informed Vatican sources) to reveal that there will be a terrible World War III, during which (according to this Fatima Vision) both Rome and the Vatican will be destroyed! Could this possibly explain why the Vatican will be moved to Jerusalem? (McNair R. POPE MEETS PATRIARCH. Plain Truth, October 1967)

For even more information on Isaiah 47 as well as Fatima and other apparitions, please check out the book Fatima Shock!

The “Lady of Fatima” is NOT the answer to humanity’s ills, despite many Catholics believing otherwise. We need the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom to eliminate war, implement peace, and bring in true prosperity. Pope Francis’ emphasis on his version of Mary is a deviation from scripture.

On a related matter, notice something from the German press:

100 years of Fátima, an economic miracle

Pope Francis will be in Fátima at the weekend, Portugal’s only pilgrimage site. The Virgin Mary was apparently sighted here 100 years ago, and this visit marks the anniversary. Fátima’s tourism industry is booming, with 7 million visitors in the past year. It’s the economic driving force behind the entire region. 05/11/17 http://www.dw.com/en/100-years-of-f%C3%A1tima-an-economic-miracle/av-38793752

Having visited Fatima, it is and has been a major reason for tourism in Portugal and especially the region it is in. This is one reason why it is hard to find books in Fatima that tell the full truth about it (and my wife and I searched all the book stores we could find there about it–and they all sold pro-apparition books, and none we found sold books warning against believing it). While I agree that something appeared there, what appeared was NOT Jesus’ mother Mary nor was it sent by God.

 
Emmanuel Macron and Wolfgang Schäuble

COGwriter

A reader tipped me off to the following:

May 11, 2017

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble wants to increase in integration of euro zone countries by creating a parliament for the currency bloc.

Schaeuble said in an interview published on Thursday in Italy’s La Repubblica that he discussed the idea, which would go hand in hand with his favored plan to create a continental bailout fund, with French President-elect Emanuel Macron.

“We could strengthen the mechanisms,” he told the newspaper. “We could create a euro zone parliament made up of members of the European Parliament, which could have consultative powers over the European Stability Mechanism.”

German parties are squabbling over how to respond to Macron’s proposals for closer European integration, which include a shared budget and finance minister for the bloc. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eurozone-future-schaeuble-idUSKBN1871FG

May 11, 2017

ROME: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Thursday that, like France’s president-elect Emmanuel Macron, he is in favor of creating a parliament for the 19-country eurozone.

“I discussed it with President Macron,” Schaeuble told the Italian daily La Repubblica in an interview.

“A eurozone parliament could be set up, made up of European parliamentarians, which would have consultative powers” for moving forward the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Schaeuble said.

The Luxembourg-based ESM, operational since October 2012, is a bailout fund for eurozone countries.

“Macron and I are in complete agreement on this matter—there are two ways of reinforcing the eurozone: changing the treaties or taking the more pragmatic approach by doing it on an intergovernmental level,” the German minister said.

“Treaty modifications must be unanimous and be ratified by national parliaments or by referendums in some countries,” Schaeuble continued.

“Given that that is not currently realistic, we should try to move forward with existing instruments,” such as developing the ESM treaty, he suggested.

Schaeuble said that the only available solution at the moment would be to set up a “European Monetary Fund” based on the ESM’s statutes. http://www.manilatimes.net/schaeuble-macron-favor-eurozone-parliament/326656/

So, the French and the Germans want to work together to get closer integration of Europe’s finances.

This is consistent with the view that we in the Continuing Church of God have that France will, for a time, be supportive of the final Beast power (my former association had began to distant itself from that belief–see, for example: Emmanuel Macron wins: What’s ahead for France?).

European ‘integration’ is difficult. The Bible noted that there would be problems:

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

So, a fragile coalition will exist in Europe.

But the Bible also shows that Europe will reorganize:

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

What causes this reorganization?

It is possible that the following may apply as this seemingly explains partially how this reorganization happens:

23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. (Daniel 11:23-24)

Daniel 11:23 could happen before Revelation 17:12-13 or be directly related to it.

What might trigger all of this?

Several things, like personal ambition of the Beast, trade matters, technology, loathing of the USA (e.g. the Snowden leaks, Donald Trump, GMOs, etc.), Brexit concerns, immigrant issues, security concerns, influence from the Vatican, demons (Revelation 16:13-14), ability for financial controls (cf. Revelation 13:16-18), Satanic “signs and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9), etc. I suspect that there will be multiple factors in causing the Europeans to rise up.

In 1965, the late Pastor General of the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

…European countries urgently want political union, the very UNITED STATES OF EUROPE I have been assuring PLAIN TRUTH readers for 31 years is definitely coming. It will unite them into a giant third World Power…

There is a definite German “Kultur! There is a French culture that is in many respects quite different. Then there is a still different Italian culture, a Spanish culture, a Scandinavian culture, a Swiss culture–and all are different! European nations speak different languages, have different aspirations, different customs, different traditions. Europe is often called a “crazy-quilt” of nations.

HOW, THEN, CAN THEY AGREE TOGETHER AND UNITE? For years The PLAIN TRUTH has said these nations are going to have to realize their inability to unite themselves politically-to choose a common political-military Leader that all can trust. They are going to finally face the fact they must look to a Supreme Authority they can all trust! That Supreme Authority cannot be a politician, or a general (De Gaulle is both). The only possible answer is a Religious Leader! (Armstrong HW. Personal. Plain Truth, November 1965, pp.1-2)

So, he felt that while they needed a political-military leader, some type of religious leader was needed to unify Europeans.

But there was more. In a sermon on July 7, 1984, he added:

And I can see now, the event that is going to trigger the formation of the reunification in Europe; the resurrection of the medieval Holy Roman Empire that we’ve been looking forward to that is prophesied to come…

But I believe that some event is going to happen suddenly just like out a blue sky that is going to shock the whole world and is going to cause the nations in Europe to realize they must unite! … Well now I think I can see what may be the very event that is going to trigger…that is the economic situation in the world…

The whole banking structure in the United States is a network all jointed together. But not only that, one nation has to deal with other nations and imports and exports. And so they have to have a means of transforming money from one nation to another. And so the banking structure is international and interwoven…

Now when the financial structure breaks down, all civilization is going to break down…

Despite grumblings from some modern observers, Europe is actually more and more uniting because of economic and other reasons.

The Bible tells of a time when a European power will also dominate the world economically (Revelation 18)–and Germany will be a major factor in this.

A ‘new world order’ is in the process of being made, but it is not here yet. As the Bible predicted, there will be problems in Europe (Daniel 2:41-43), but after some reorganizations it will arise (Revelation 17:12-13).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
WTO/TTIP and the Babylonian Beast Will international trade agreements like WTO/TTIP/CETA lead to the fulfillment of end time prophecies concerning the Babylonian Beast power that the Book of Revelation warns against? What does the Bible teach? A related video would be WTO Trade Deal and the Rise of the European Beast Power.
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
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.
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.
The Snowden Leaks are Leading to the Destruction of the USA Can what happened with the leaks of what the NSA has done help the USA to be taken over? What does the Bible teach that seems to be related to this? Here is a related YouTube video titled Are the Snowden NSA leaks leading to the destruction of the USA?
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here is a link to a video Is the USA Pushing Germany to Start WWIII?
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.
Brexit and the fate of Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, the UK, and the USA On April 29, 2017, 27 of the nations of the European Union agreed to certain guidelines for the negotiations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which gave its notice to leave on March 29, 2017. These guidelines are contrary to what the UK wants. Does the EU intend the UK to pay a price for leaving the EU? What does Spain want? What does the Republic of Ireland want? Will Northern Ireland and Gibraltar eventually fall under European control? Will the UK and USA be conquered? What does the Bible teach? Dr. Thiel answer these questions and more in this video.
Trade Wars: Are COG warnings coming to pass? Trade issues, tariffs, and talk of trade wars are in the news. Can trade wars lead to World War III like they did to World War II? Are the events going on with the USA, UK, Asia, and Europe consistent with warnings published by the true Church of God (COG) over the past several years and decades? Do Germany and China hope to take advantage of trade frictions involving the Trump Administration and the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement? What about Mexico and South America? Does the Bible teach that Europe will become a major trading power? Will the final European Babylonian trading power be destroyed? In this video, Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.
Post Brexit Prophecy On June 23, 2016, the voters of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) chose to leave the European Union. Now with this BRitish EXIT (Brexit) vote, what is prophesied to happen to the UK? Will the UK do well or be taken over and made slaves? Dr. Thiel explains from biblical prophecies what is ahead for the UK, Europe, and even the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This is a video.
Forbes’ Brexit Monster is the Beast of Revelation Various ones have been properly convinced that there is a plan for a European superstate. Forbes’ writer Tom Worstall wrote that the Brexit vote was about the United Kingdom “not joining the monster of the European Union to come.” The Bible tells of a Beast monster that will arise in the end times in Europe. Dr. Thiel cites news reports, as well as the Old and New Testaments, to show that the monster many fear will arise in Europe, despite the vote by the British to exit the European Union. This is a video.
Collapse of the Euro and Dollar? War in 2020? Larry Edelson of Money and Markets described aspects of current economic difficulties and explained why he felt matters would get a lot worse. He said war, like World War III, could break out as early as 2020. What did he call the ‘granddaddy of all cycles”? Will matters go as he said? What does the Bible teach? Dr. Thiel provides biblical insights that secular sources often miss. This is a video.
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill?  Could a Donald Trump presidency be apocalyptic?  A related video is titled: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic?
Trump Presidency Magic 8 Ball or Bible Prophecy? BBC reported that one might as well use a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’ to try to predict what will happen in the remaining time of Donald Trump’s presidency. What is a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’? Dr. Thiel not only explains that, but also briefly goes over 10 biblically-based warnings he wrote would happen if Donald Trump were elected that have already began to come to pass. He also goes over something he wrote back in 2008 that the Trump presidency is also helping lead to fulfillment. Should you trust Bible prophecy or not? Dr. Thiel says that Bible prophecy can be trusted, despite the view of skeptics and others that either overlook or despise the Bible. This is a video.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.

Old ‘silk road’ routes

COGwriter

A reader sent me a link to the following:

May 11, 2017

When leaders of 28 nations gather in Beijing next week for a summit to map out China’s ambitious new Silk Road project, one question is likely to be on attendees’ minds – what exactly is the Belt and Road Initiative? …

Despite aggressive promotion of the May 14-15 summit in China, including media carrying positive comments from Western leaders, some diplomats are suspicious about China’s aims.

“There’s a lot of scepticism about China’s plans. Yes it is the kind of infrastructure that sounds attractive for parts of Europe, but we all know this is about China gaining influence,” said a senior European Union diplomat.

One diplomatic source familiar with discussions on the forum’s communique said: “The forum is downright glorification of Xi Jinping and One Belt, One Road”, using the straight Chinese translation of the project’s title.

However, with Donald Trump in the White House pursuing an “America First” agenda, more countries may be pushing for inclusion in China’s grand scheme.

“Countries have actually been pressuring China to get an invite rather than the other way around,” said a senior Asian diplomat, referring to the summit. …

“This is the China solution for global economic revival,” Xinhua said last month of the new Silk Road, in a commentary blazed across the front page of the official People’s Daily.

There are risks involved, however.

In Sri Lanka, there have been public protests against projects linked to the Belt and Road, and in Pakistan, where Islamist militants pose a security threat, the government has set up a new army division to protect the $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a key part of the new Silk Road.

The corridor also runs through disputed Kashmir, meaning India has rebuffed China’s attempts to get it onto the Belt and Road.

“We have some serious reservations about it because of sovereignty issues,” Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in Japan last week. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-silkroad-summit-idUSKBN18631D

Over 60 countries seem to be involved in it. India is apparently considering making a major decision about it:

May 11, 2017

Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprise everyone and participate in China’s ‘Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation’ which begins on May 14?

That would be the kind of bold initiative he took in inviting leaders of our neighbouring countries to his swearing-in in 2014, but with far greater significance.

It would also be an appropriate response to China’s recent four-point initiative and test its intent. China has suggested starting negotiations on a ‘China India Treaty of Good Neighbours and Friendly Cooperation’, restarting negotiations on the China-India Free Trade Agreement, striving for an early harvest on the border issue and actively exploring the feasibility of aligning China’s ‘One Belt One Road Initiative’ (OBOR) and India’s ‘Act East Policy’. To repeat Nehru’s outright rejection in 1960 of Zhou Enlai’s proposal to settle the border dispute would be a historic mistake.

China wants all roads, digital and physical, to lead to it:

The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was proposed by China in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes. May 17, 2016 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-05/17/c_135366188.htm/52303832.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

BEIJING: China has proposed an international scientific cooperation programme for Earth observation to provide digital backing to Beijing’s mega Silk Road Project. The ”digital Silk Road” proposal was put forward here yesterday at an international symposium on Earth observation for the Belt and Road, the official designation for Silk Road said. May 17, 2016 http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/52303832.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Notice more about it:

One Belt One Road will be 12 times America’s Marshall Plan after adjusting for inflation

According to a business report, China’s One belt One Road initiative will create six transnational China-centric economic corridors:

1. a new Eurasian land bridge of freight trains connecting the port of Lianyungang in Jiangsu province to Rotterdam
2. a Mongolia-Russia corridor
3. a Central Asia-West Asia corridor
4. an Indochina peninsula corridor
5. a Pakistan corridor
6. a Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar corridor

“One Belt, One Road” is also invoked for China’s infrastructural investments in other parts of Southeast Asia, North Africa, as well as various countries in Central and Western Europe. While “One Belt, One Road” investments follow predetermined routes, other associated investments are being tagged on as a code word for China’s outbound global strategy.

The rationale is global connectivity, which defines the 21st century. It is part and parcel of what the World Economic Forum calls the Fourth Industrial Revolution. China is a central hub for the world’s production, supply, logistics and value chain. “One Belt, One Road” will deepen China’s infrastructural, economic, institutional and cultural connectivity with key parts of the globe. Not only will this enhance China’s global rapport and influence, it will also help counter exposure to geopolitical risks inherent in America’s “Asia rebalancing”, and China’s own energy security challenge and other imponderables in the South China Sea.

“One Belt, One Road” doesn’t translate into offloading surplus capacity in commodities such as steel and coal; it involves exporting excess capital to invest in productive infrastructure across the globe.

Projected investments are estimated to benefit 4.4 billion people in 65 countries. The total size, according to some estimates, could be more than 12 times America’s Marshall Plan to aid post-second-world-war Western Europe, in comparable money-of-the-day terms. May 16, 2015 http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/05/one-belt-one-road-will-be-12-times.html

China wants to build roads to the Middle East and elsewhere. China basically wants to pave the roads that will help lead to Armageddon.

The ‘Silk Road’ project of China looks to increase China’s influence in Asia (see China, the Dalai Lama, and the Silk Road project). China plans on having roads to Europe and Africa. Notice something about Europe:

May 11, 2017

Beijing´s grand vision includes the “Silk Road Economic Belt,” which extends from China to central Asia through Europe, linking northern Xi´an city with Dushanbe in Tajikistan, Moscow, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and Venice in Italy. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/203829-The-trains-and-sea-ports-of-Chinas-new-Silk-Road

The ‘road’ is to go to Europe from Russia and China. As far as Europe goes, the Bible shows that the final European King of the North will be disturbed by news from the north (Russia) and the east (including China):

40 … the king of the North …43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, … 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 11:40,43-45)

The Bible shows that a confederation will affect the end-time European ‘daughter of Babylon’:

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)

The Bible also tells of a time when the ‘kings of the sunrise/east’ will travel on land. They will end up in Armageddon:

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16)

The ‘kings of the east’ are to come across the Euphrates river, which will at least partially dry up according to prophecy. The new “Silk Road” is expected to head near the river Euphrates. And while I have not seen anything that shows that the Silk Road is specifically planned to go all the way to Tel Megiddo (Armageddon), there are a couple of highways in the area of Armageddon already that I have personally seen. So, it would seem that the proposed Silk Road project will help build a major road from the far east through central Asia and into the Middle East that can be used to at least get close to Armageddon, and then there are other roads that connect to it.

The Bible is clear that troops will one day gather in Armageddon. China wants to pave roads to get near there.

It may well be that the Silk Road project will help clear the way for Chinese and other troops to attack Europe as well as gather in Armageddon.

World events continue to align with biblical prophecy.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon.
Jordan in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible show will happen to the inhabitants of Jordan? Will they escape and then be punished? A related video is titled Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.
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?
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?
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 and a video sermonette available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
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.
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?
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? 2026 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2017, 2018, or 2019? 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: Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?

Name of the Imam as Found in the “Mosque of the Prophet” (Karim)

COGwriter

The ‘birthday’ of the Imam Mahdi 2017 in Iran will begin in the evening of Thursday, May 11 and ends in the evening of Friday, May 12.

Notice the following:

What is Imam Mahdi birthday Holiday?

In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi (Arabic: مهدي‎ / ISO 233: mahdī / English: Guided One) is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for seven, nine or nineteen years (according to various interpretations) before the Day of Judgment (yawm al-qiyamah / literally, the Day of Resurrection) and will rid the world of evil. Isa (Jesus Christ) will return to aid Mahdi, or the guided one, against Masih ad-Dajjal, the false messiah, and his followers.He will descend at the point of a white arcade, east of Damascus, dressed in yellow robes with his head anointed[citation needed]. He will then join the Mahdi in his war against the Dajjal. Isa will slay Dajjal, and unite humanity. Sahih Muslim, 41:7023 Sahih al-Bukhari, 3:43:656: Narrated Abu Hurairah: Allah’s Apostle said, “The Hour will not be established until the son of Maryam descends amongst you as a just ruler; he will break the cross, kill the swine, and abolish the Jizya tax. Wealth will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it.” Jesus Christ has been foretold to return at near the end of the world. The Qur’an says: “And [Isa] shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way.

Celebrations also tend to take place in parts of Europe (e.g . http://www.abna.ir/english/service/europe/archive/2014/06/08/614489/story.html).

Here is some of what Wikipedia reported about him:

Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Mahdī (Arabic:محمد بن الحسن المهدي) (born c. July 29, 869 (15 Sha‘bān 255 AH), in Occultation since 941) is believed by Twelver Shī‘a Muslims to be the Mahdī, an ultimate savior of humankind and the final Imām of the Twelve Imams. Twelver Shī‘a believe that al-Mahdī was born in 869 and did not die but rather was hidden by God in 941 (this is referred to as the Occultation) and will later emerge with Isa (Jesus Christ) in order to fulfill their mission of bringing peace and justice to the world.

The top leaders of Iran have stated that the Imam Mahdi is currently around and has been a factor in such events as the Arab Spring and will protect Iran should it become in armed conflict with Israel or the USA.

Notice also the following:

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that victory of the Islamic Revolution is an example for reappearance of Lord of the Time Imam Mahdi…

Imam Khamenei made the remarks while touring Darolhadis book exhibition at Imam Khomeini Hosseinieh.

The Supreme Leader made clear that the Islamic Republic of Iran enjoys divine support vis-a-vis the systematic conspiracies of the United States to topple the revolutionary government in Iran since 1979. http://www.abna.ir/english/service/important/archive/2014/06/11/615223/story.html

Iran’s top leader is claiming that the Imam Mahdi has given Iran protection from the Imam Mahdi for decades. In the past he has also indicated that the Imam Mahdi would give his country victory over the USA as well as Israel.

The current president of Iran has credited the Imam Mahdi for his election.

The Iranians are predominantly Shi’ite Muslims and their views differ from the Sunnis, which are the biggest group of Muslims. Here is some of what Wikipedia reported about the Sunni view:

Sunnis believe that the Mahdi has not yet been born, and therefore his exact identity is only known to Allah. Aside from the Mahdi’s precise, genealogy, Sunnis accept many of the same hadiths Shias accept about the predictions regarding the Mahdi’s emergence, his acts, and his universal Khilafat. Sunnis also have a few more Mahdi hadiths which are not present in Shia collections.

Basically, while I do not believe that any in the COGs believe that the Imam Mahdi is in some type of suspended animation that the Shi’ites tend to believe, groups like the Continuing Church of God believe that the leader that the Bible refers to as the final King of the South may very well hold the title of Mahdi (but more like the Sunni version).

Notice also the following:

But who is the “king of the south”?…in verse 40 we skip to “the time of the end”…The verse undoubtedly found partial fulfillment in the offensive of 1896…But Mussolini did not finish the prophecy…Just as there is yet to be a final “king of the north”…there may very well emerge in the same manner a final “king of the south”–an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation, possibly bearing the very title Mahdi…a prophetic psalm (Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations…But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived…And the king of the north shall come against him [the king of the south]…Daniel 11:40-41…The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion. (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979, pp. 11-12).

Interestingly, within Islam, there is a belief that someone who sounds like the biblical “King of the South” of Daniel 11…, who they tend to call the Mahdi or 12^th Imam will participate in a deal like the one in Daniel 9:27… Some in Islam seem to believe that the reign of the Beast and Antichrist will happen after the Mahdi’s death. Now this is true, to a degree, for the Arab lands. However, the Beast (King of the North) and the final Antichrist (False Prophet) will rule in Europe and in some of the American land, prior to the European reign over Arab lands (hence the final Antichrist will have power prior to the death of the biblical King of the South, who seems to be the Islamic Mahdi). (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009, pp. 83, 135)

An Islamic leader of a coming Islamic confederation, whether called a Caliph, Imam Mahdi, Sheik, Prime Minister, President, and/or King will rise up.

Though the birthday of the Imam Mahdi is not something that anyone needs to celebrate, the fact that various ones do shows that some expect his intervention.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Differences Between Islam and the Continuing Church of God What are some of the main differences? Are there any similarities? A video of related interest is titled: Islam: Any Christian Concerns or Similarities?
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?
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.
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.
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. This is a YouTube video.
Egypt in Prophecy Does Egypt have a special role in end time prophecy? Will Egypt rise up and then be defeated. What does God teach will happen to those in Egypt? Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Egypt and End Time Prophecy.
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran in Prophecy. Here is a related video Iran In Prophecy.
Is There an Islamic Antichrist? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.
Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Did biblical era Jews celebrate birthdays? Who originally celebrated birthdays? When did many that profess Christ begin birthday celebrations?

Circumcision being performed

COGwriter

A political party in Norway proposed banning male circumcision for boys under age 16. But a Jewish leader there is hopeful that he can change that:

May 10, 2017

It is not in the Jewish community’s interest for the Israeli government to get involved after Norway’s Progress Party voted last week in favor of a ban on circumcision of boys under the age of 16, Chief Rabbi of Oslo Joav Melchior said on Wednesday.

“Having had extensive conversations with the Progress Party and the government here in Norway, we are working with all involved to resolve this potentially worrying situation,” he said in a statement to The Jerusalem Post.

“As it stands, the idea of a ban was mooted at the Progress Party’s Conference and we hope it will never progress into a fully fledged policy,” said Melchior, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Conference of European Rabbis, with which he said the community is working closely on the issue.

“While we must not be complacent, we do not feel that there is a risk of legislation at this time,” he added. “It was only two years ago that all political parties vowed to protect brit mila, and we urge the Progress Party not to court popularity with discriminatory policy.”

The Progress Party is a junior partner in Norway’s governing coalition.

Melchior’s statement comes after Rabbi Menachem Margolin, general director of the European Jewish Association, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett calling on them to urgently establish a joint working team for representatives of both government offices and Jewish organizations in Europe, in order to prevent the spread of anti-Jewish legislation.

This call also followed a unanimous vote by the Parliament of Wallonia in Belgium’s French-speaking region last Friday to ban religious slaughter. … “The anti-Jewish legislation pushed forward by certain parties in Belgium and Norway does not comply with their attempt to be democratic and progressive societies,” Neguise remarked. http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Oslo-chief-rabbi-Israel-shouldnt-intervene-in-Norway-circumcision-debate-490315

May 9, 2017

European Jews are on alert after a political party in Norway voted to propose a bill in parliament to ban ritual circumcision of children under the age of 16.

The Progress Party vote came one day after the environment committee of Belgium’s Parliament of Wallonia voted in favor of banning ritual slaughter, which would pose a threat to both Jewish kosher slaughter and circumcision, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The supporters of the Norwegian bill contend circumcision constitutes mental and physical harm to children and a serious violation of children’s rights. http://www.wnd.com/2017/05/move-to-ban-male-circumcision-alarms-jewish-leaders/

There is a rise in antisemitic matters across Europe.

But before going further, perhaps it should be noted that even the US Center(s) for Disease Control now endorses male circumcision:

December 2, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday released a draft of long-awaited federal guidelines on circumcision, saying medical evidence supports having the procedure done and health insurers should pay for it.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines stop short of telling parent to get their newborn sons circumcised. That is a personal decision that may involve religious or cultural preferences, said the CDC’s Dr. Jonathan Mermin.

But “the scientific evidence is clear that the benefits outweigh the risks,” added Mermin, who oversees the agency’s programs on HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

These are the first federal guidelines on circumcision, a brief medical procedure that involves cutting away the foreskin around the tip of the penis. Germs can grow underneath the foreskin, and CDC officials say the procedure can lower a male’s risk of sexually-transmitted diseases, penile cancer and even urinary tract infections.

The CDC started working on the guidelines about seven years ago, when a cluster of influential studies in Africa indicated circumcision might help stop spread of the AIDS virus.

“The benefits of male circumcision have become more and more clear over the last 10 years,” said Dr. Aaron Tobian, a Johns Hopkins University researcher involved in one of the African studies. …

In the new guidelines, the CDC says there is now strong evidence that male circumcision can:

-Cut a man’s risk of getting HIV from an infected female partner by 50 to 60 percent.

-Reduce their risk of genital herpes and certain strains of human papillomavirus by 30 percent or more.

-Lower the odds of urinary tract infections during infancy, and cancer of the penis in adulthood.

Studies have not shown that circumcision will reduce an HIV-infected man’s chances of spreading the AIDS virus to women. And research has not found circumcision to be a help in stopping spread of HIV during gay sex.

The guidelines say circumcision is safer for newborns and infants than for older males, noting the complication rate rises from 0.5 percent in newborns to 9 percent in children ages 1 to 9, according to the CDC. Minor bleeding and pain are the most common problems, experts say. http://www.aol.com/article/2014/12/02/cdc-says-circumcision-benefits-outweigh-the-risks/21001823/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D574260

The Bible has advocated male circumcision for thousands of years, and it suggests it specifically for newborn infants (see also Health Benefits of Circumcision). We in the Continuing Church of God, recommend, but do not require, that male infants be circumcised when they are eight days old (Leviticus 12:3).

But it is not just in Belgium and Norway that there is antisemitism. France and other parts of Europe also have big problems with this (see, for example, Antisemitism has caused Jewish immigration from Western Europe to Israel to hit an all-time high).

Furthermore, notice a disturbing trend in Germany:

Study: 40% of Germans hold modern antisemitic views

Ahead of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s visit to Israel on Saturday, a German government study revealed that nearly 33 million Germans, 40% of the population of 82 million, are infected with contemporary antisemitism – hatred of the Jewish state.

The report, which was published on April 24, details in a section titled “Agreement to Israel-related antisemitism” that 40% of Germans who were polled showed approval for the following statement: “Based on Israel’s policies, I can understand people having something against the Jews.”

The federal government’s antisemitism report found that the proportion of Germans who agreed with the antisemitic statement increased from 28% in 2014 to 40% in 2016. The poll was commissioned by the Social Democratic Party think tank the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Dr. Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, spoke to the Die Welt newspaper in late April, saying, “We already notice that in German society solidarity with Israel has declined. The fact alone that the word ‘Israel-critic’ can be established here shows this. We are also more frequently confronted with Israel-related antisemitism.” 05/06/17 http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Study-40-percent-of-Germans-hold-modern-antisemitic-views-489919

Rising antisemitism in Europe, and especially in Germany, is disturbing, though consistent with various historical positions.

For example, this year will mark what is considered to be the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther. Yet, he and certain other ‘reformers’ were antisemitic.

Martin Luther wrote in the 16th century:

My heart is fuller of these thoughts than my tongue can tell. I have come to the conclusion that the Jews will always curse and blaspheme God as all the prophets have predicted. He who neither reads nor understands this, as yet knows no theology, in my opinion. And so I presume the men of Cologne cannot understand the Scripture, because it is necessary that such things take place to fulfill prophecy. If they are trying to stop the Jews blaspheming, they are working to prove the Bible and God liars (“Martin Luther’s to George Spalatin,” from Luther’s Correspondence and Other Contemporan, Letters, trans. by P. Smith (1913), Vol. 1, pp. 28-29).

Furthermore he wrote:

I had made up my mind to write no more either about the Jews or against them. But since I learned that those miserable and accursed people do not cease to lure to themselves even us, that is, the Christians, I have published this little book, so that I might be found among those who opposed such poisonous activities of the Jews and who warned the Christians to be on their guard against them…They are so blind and stupid that they see neither the words found in Genesis 17 nor the whole of Scripture, which mightily and explicitly condemns this lie…They are real liars and bloodhounds who have not only continually perverted and falsified all of Scripture with their mendacious glosses from the beginning until the present day. Their heart’s most ardent sighing and yearning and hoping is set on the day on which they can deal with us Gentiles as they did with the Gentiles in Persia at the time of Esther…The worse a Jew is, the more arrogant he is, solely because he is a Jew — that is, a person descended from Abraham’s seed, circumcised, and under the law of Moses. David and other pious Jews were not as conceited as the present-day, incorrigible Jews…I wanted to present this to us Germans so that we might see what rascals the blind Jews are and how powerfully the truth of God in our midst stands with us and against them (Medieval Sourcebook: Martin Luther (1483-1546): On the Jews and Their Lies, 1543)

Martin Luther advised his followers:

…to burn down Jewish schools and synagogues, and to throw pitch and sulphur into the flames; to destroy their homes; to confiscate their ready money in gold and silver; to take from them their sacred books, even the whole Bible; and if that did not help matters, to hunt them of the country like mad dogs (Luther’s Works, vol. Xx, pp. 2230-2632 as quoted in Stoddard JL. Rebuilding a Lost Faith, 1922, p.99).

Accordingly, it must and dare not be considered a trifling matter but a most serious one to seek counsel against this and to save our souls from the Jews, that is, from the devil and from eternal death. My advice, as I said earlier, is: First, that their synagogues be burned down, and that all who are able toss in sulphur and pitch (Martin Luther (1483-1546): On the Jews and Their Lies, 1543 as quoted from Luther’s Works, Volume 47: The Christian in Society IV, (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971). pp 268­293).

Leaders esteemed by the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics, and Protestants have all advocated horrible antisemitism.

Antisemitism was part of the reason for the infamous Spanish Inquisition–which targeted not only Jews, but Christians with ‘Jewish practices,’ as well as others who would not profess total loyalty to the Church of Rome–and Protestants had their antisemitism then as well (see The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions).

The holocaust in World War II proved that antisemitism was still massively deadly, centuries later.

Persecutions are not over.

Another ‘inquisition’ is prophesied by the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3; see also Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2?).

28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land…32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time (Daniel 11:28, 32-35).

The persecutions above are by one called the King of the North (Daniel 11:40; 7:25a). The King of the North will NOT like the message that the Philadelphians are proclaiming at least of part of which will likely be the Continuing Church of God identifying him to the world as the prophesied King of the North. “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery” –like the inquisitors of old, he will try to get people to betray others. In this case, he is looking for those that know something about the Church of God, but fell away (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3; see, also, The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings).

While it is apparently the Philadelphia Christians that are targeted for this particular persecution, it is likely that some Laodicean and other Christians will be affected at least to some degree. The Laodiceans will mainly misunderstand what is happening and not realize that their persecution is coming! This is also consistent with the persecution, accomplishments, and problems in Matthew 24:9-20 that will mainly affect the Philadelphians, but will lead to problems then for the Laodiceans in Matthew 24:21-22.

The 19th century Methodist theologian Adam Clarke, in his commentary, identifies the people in Daniel 11:32 as follows:

But the people that do know their God
The genuine Christians.

Shall be strong
Shall be strengthened by his grace and Spirit (Clarke A. The Adam Clarke Commentary, Daniel Chapter 11.)

Notice also a Catholic rendering of Daniel 11:34:

And when they shall have fallen they shall be relieved with a small help: and many shall be joined to them deceitfully. (Douay Rheims)

Those associated with the ‘synagogue of Satan’ (Revelation 3:9), will apparently betray and assist in this persecution (see also What is the Synagogue of Satan?) which is consistent with Daniel 11:32. Daniel 8:24 shows that this same leader persecutes “the holy people,” thus that is further proof that Christians in the end time are who are being persecuted.

This will be a type of inquisition with infiltrators!

In the past, as the article Persecutions by Church and State helps document, Christians were persecuted because they:

• Kept Passover on the 14th
• Refused to eat unclean meat
• Would work on Sunday
• Had false accusations railed against them
• Were binitarian
• Kept the Sabbath
• Kept the Fall Holy Days
• Were not trinitarian
• Taught that the pope was an Antichrist and precursor of the final Antichrist
• Having and teaching from the Bible
• Rejected papal authority
• Did not accept idols
• Had different teachings than the Church of Rome
• Had writings Rome did not like
• Rejected Roman sacraments
• Objected to the dress of the Roman ministry
• Considered Rome to be the prophesied Babylon
• Taught that in the time of the final Antichrist that some would fall away
• Had practices that Rome considered Jewish
• Refused to baptize infants
• Did not participate in carnal warfare
• Teaching the millennium
• Taught the Kingdom of God
• Baptized adults

In the future, according to Catholic teachings, they ALSO will be persecuted for:

• Not accepting non-biblical teachings about Mary
• Not accepting the Great Monarch (Beast, King of the North)
• Teaching that the Kingdom of God will come soon
• Not wearing crosses
• Keeping the biblical Sabbath in accordance with the commandments
• Possessing/advocating writings that disagree with the Church of Rome
• Teaching after the Great Tribulation begins that Jesus will return within a few years

Christians have been persecuted for holding doctrines that we in the Continuing Church of God hold and are clearly expected to be persecuted in the future for holding Continuing Church of God doctrines. And many have called these “Jewish” doctrines.

The old Radio Church of God realized that Daniel 11:32-35 was talking about what happens to the faithful just before ‘the end’ (the start of the Great Tribulation). Notice the following:

A Prophecy for Today

Daniel prophesied: “The people that do KNOW their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Dan. 11:32). Such a statement could refer only to God’s people. Now notice what follows: “And they THAT UNDERSTAND among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days” (verse 33). …

This prophecy concerns GOD’S CHURCH. Continuing “Now when they [God’s people] shall fall, they shall be holpen [helped] with a little help: BUT MANY SHALL CLEAVE TO THEM WITH FLATTERIES” (verse 34). Here is the point that most people have missed. Many individuals who assemble with us on God’s Sabbath, or in God’s Feasts, are prophesied to cleave to us with flatteries!

Other translations make this even clearer. The Moffatt Translation states: “Many shall join them under FALSE PRETENSE.” Yes, some do JOIN THEMSELVES to God’s Church, with false pretenses, claiming to be true brethren, claiming to obey God, claiming to have God’s Holy Spirit, and yet they are not a part of the body of Christ. God has not JOINED them to His Church!

In “The Complete Bible”, AN AMERICAN TRANSLATION by Gordon-Goodspeed we read: “Many shall attach themselves in HYPOCRISY.” These people who attach themselves to God’s Church assemble under false pretense. They are inwardly hypocritical, and flatter or deceive others.

If you have the idea that all who come to God’s Church are truly converted Christians, this scripture ought to dispel this delusion! There are some among us who are not converted. They are not a real spiritually LIVING part of the body of Christ. They are not letting Christ do His work in them. They have not truly and completely surrendered their lives to Christ in full repentance.

Notice that this prophecy continues right up to the time of the end (verse 35), to the return of Jesus Christ. Here is a prophecy which concerns us today! (Neff L. Beware of False Brethren! Good News, January 1960)

Even the Catholic saint Jerome understood that these passages in Daniel 11 were referring to the persecution of God’s people as his commentary on them included the following:

But these events were typically prefigured under Antiochus Epiphanes, so that this abominable king who persecuted God’s people foreshadows the Antichrist, who is to persecute the people of Christ. (Jerome. Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11. Translated by Gleason L. Archer. (1958). This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse, Ipswich, UK, 2004. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/pearse/morefathers/files/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm viewed 06/05/11)

This King of the North seems to be the same one that certain Catholic “prophecies” call the Great Monarch who will rule a revised Roman Empire.

The fact that there is rising acceptance of antisemitic feelings in many parts of Europe is setting the stage for his rise as well as end-time persecutions.

Several items of possibly related interest may include:

Health Benefits of Circumcision Various studies show health benefits for male circumcision. Have Christians observed circumcision throughout history?
Which Laws were Superceded? Which Remain? What about the Ten Commandments? What about the 613 regulations (called 613 Mitzvot) in the Old Testament? Which were ‘done away’? Here is a link to a sermon: Messianic Jewish Beliefs.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2017, 2018, or 2019? 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: Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?
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.
God’s Grace is For All Is being Jewish a hindrance to salvation? What about not being a descendant of Israel? What does the Bible really teach? Here is a link to a related sermon titled Race and Grace; Do you view race as God does?
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.
When was the Exodus? Some deny it happened. Was Ramses II the pharaoh then? When did the Exodus occur?
John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople and Anti-Semite This late fourth/early fifth century Bishop of Constantinople is considered to be a ‘saint’ and ‘doctor’ by the Church of Rome, Church of England, and the Eastern Orthodox, but he did not teach Christ’s love.
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.
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy.
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.
The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions Was the Church of Rome really responsible for this? What happened?

‘Anonymous’

COGwriter

The loosely confederate group Anonymous, know for cyber matters and wearing Guy Fawkes’ masks, has issued a warning to prepare for World War III:

Anonymous tells followers to prepare for ‘World War Three’

May 10, 2017 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/05/10/anonymous-tells-followers-prepare-world-war-three/

A six-minute video has been posted to YouTube by the hacker collective Anonymous urging people to prepare for a global war.

From behind the customary Guy Fawkes mask, a figure warns of a forthcoming battle between the United States and reclusive North Korea.

“All the signs of a looming war on the Korean peninsula are surfacing,” the man says in the video, which was uploaded to YouTube last weekend. 05/09/17 http://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/anonymous-publishes-chilling-video-warning-10387196

Using their signature Guy Fawkes character, the infamous hacktivist group Anonymous has issued an ominous new video – warning people around the world to “prepare” for World War 3 as the US and North Korea continue to move “strategic pieces into place” for battle.

 All the signs of a looming war on the Korean Peninsula are surfacing… we’re watching as each country moves strategic pieces into place… but unlike past world wars… although there will be ground troops the battle is likely to be fierce, brutal and quick.

It will also be globally devastating on the environmental and economic levels.

… This is a real war with real global consequences… With three super powers drawn into the mix… Other nations will be coerced into choosing sides.

… The citizens will be the last to know…

As The New York Post reports, Anonymous – described online as a global network of hackers, intent on spreading “facts the government doesn’t want you to know” – claims the US and South Korea have been working together to keep the peace in the region, along with China and the Philippines, but their pleas have fallen “on deaf ears.” http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-09/anonymous-issues-ominous-world-war-3-warning-citizen-will-be-last-know

And, it is not just Anonymous talking about WWIII. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin alluded to it yesterday:

9 May, 2017

Putin Warns of World War 3

Putin drew parallels between the current tensions and The Nazis who were able to start World War II because of the disunity of the world’s leading countries, adding that the lessons of the past should not be ignored.

“This horrific tragedy could not be prevented, first and foremost, because of the connivance of the criminal ideology of racial superiority, because of the disunity of the world’s leading countries. This allowed the Nazis to appropriate themselves the right to decide the fate of other peoples, to unleash the most brutal, bloody war, to enslave almost all European countries, putting them at the service of their deadly targets,” the Putin said. http://www.livetradingnews.com/putin-warns-world-war-3-41217.html#.WRMfmca1suU

It is also claimed that China is making preparations related to WWIII tensions:

10 May 2017

China builds ship destroying missiles to ‘wipe out US war fleet’

SATELLITE images from a Chinese military base have shown the Red Army has built a new arsenal of anti-ship missiles as World War 3 tensions rise. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/612849/South-China-Sea-conflict-USS-Carl-Vinson-China-United-States-world-war-3-aircraft-carrier

Jesus warned of “wars and rumors of war” during the time just prior to the Great Tribulation (cf. Matthew 24:4-8,21).

Perhaps I should remind everyone that there is a man predicting that WWIII is to start this Saturday:

Amid heightened tensions between the US, Russia and Syria, people have been dreading the penultimate consequence, that of a nuclear war. To make things worse, a mystic who had accurately predicted President Trump’s victory has now foretold the exact start date of WW3.

Something that none of us wants to believe, but according to Clairvoyant Horacio Villegas, we are alarmingly close to a disastrous war. According to a report published in the Daily Star, Mystic Horacio Villegas the self-styled “messenger of God”, prophesied Trump’s victory way back in the year 2015.

He said that Trump would be the main reason behind the start of World War 3. He says that WW3 would begin 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima’s visitation which falls on May 13th and that Donald Trump will be crowned the “Illuminati King”.

He also prophesied the world leaders would attack Syria – which in reality took place in the form of chemical attack – and that this would bring Russia, North Korea and China into the conflict states the report.

According to his statement, “The main message that people need to know in order be prepared is that between May 13th and October 13, 2017, this war will occur and be over with much devastation, shock, and death.”

Villegas backs his predictions with those made by by Nostradamus. 04/20/17 http://www.indiatimes.com/news/world/world-war-iii-will-begin-on-may-13-and-that-s-according-to-mystic-who-predicted-trump-s-win-276073.html

Pope Francis is expected to be in Fatima, Portugal on May 13, 2017 to celebrate the 100th anniversary (watch Fatima and Pope Francis). October 13, 2017 is the 100th anniversary of the so-called ‘miracle of the sin’ associated with Fatima.

Of course, May 13, 2017, while perhaps being part of Francis’ interfaith and ecumenical agenda, will NOT be the start of WWIII. Nor is WWIII about to break out because of North Korea this year.

Why?

Because certain biblically required events (see Matthew 24) have not happened yet (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?).

The Great Tribulation begins with the attack by the European King of the North:

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)

Daniel 11:39 is describing an attack against the strongest military power by the European King of the North (who is called “he” in the above scripture). In the 21st century, it is the USA that has the “strongest fortresses” (see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

Let me also add that what Donald Trump has been doing related to Korea is NOT about to spark WWIII with the East (see also our video, related to this, which is titled: Syria, North Korea, and Prophecy)–though another Korean war could be possible.

WWIII will happen, but it WILL NOT happen this year nor will it be essentially a battle between the USA and North Korea (see also our video, related to this, which is titled: Syria, North Korea, and Prophecy).

WWIII will be a conquering of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon descended allies by the final European Beast power. And while I do believe that Russia will have some involvement and China may well takeover Australia (watch Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?), it is not really a war between the East and the West.

Hebrew Scroll of the Book of Job (Pete Unseth)

COGwriter

Job is recognized by various faiths in the month of May, and on differing days.

Job is commemorated by the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in their Calendar of Saints on May 9, by the Roman Catholic Church on May 10, and by the Eastern Orthodox Church on May 6. He is also commemorated by the “Armenian Apostolic Church” on May 6 and December 26, and by the Coptic Orthodox Church on April 27 and August 29.

While the Church of God does not commemorate a specific date, we in the Continuing Church of God recognized Job as one God worked with (e.g. Job 38-42) and blessed (Job 42:12) in the Old Testament. Job is also mentioned in the New Testament:

11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. (James 5:11, NKJV throughout unless as otherwise noted).

Many scholars teach that Job was likely to have been alive around the time of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), thus the subjects in the Book of Job were all known prior to Mount Sinai. Biblical evidence includes the facts that both Job and Abraham’s wealth are listed in livestock (Job 1:3;42:12; Gen 12:16;13:2;30:43;32:5), the Chaldeans are portrayed as raiders (Job 1:17; as a people, they were not raiders later), the particular Hebrew word for ‘piece of silver’ in Job 42:11 is only used otherwise in conjunction with Jacob (Gen 33:19; Josh 24:32), and Job’s age (Job 42:16) appears to be consistent with the patriarchs.

Job knew about God before the Book of Genesis was written, as he said, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5).

Here are some Jewish views on when Job may have lived:

According to Bar Ḳappara, Job lived in the time of Abraham; according to Abba b. Kahana, in the time of Jacob, he having married Dinah, Jacob’s daughter (ib.; B. B. 15b; comp. additions in Targ. Yer. to Job ii. 9). R. Levi said that Job lived in the time of Jacob’s sons; and he also said, in the name of Jose b. Ḥalafta, that Job was born when Jacob and his children entered Egypt and that he died when the Israelites left that country. Job consequently lived 210 years (comp. Rashi on Ex. xii. 40). When Satan came to accuse the Israelites of being idolaters, God set him against Job, whence Job’s misfortunes (Gen. R. l.c.). This opinion is supported by the statement that Job with Jethro and Balaam was consulted by Pharaoh as to the means of reducing the number of the children of Israel and that Job was stricken with calamity because he had remained silent (Sanh. 106a; Soá¹­ah 11a). It may be mentioned that this legend is narrated differently in the “Sefer ha-Yashar” (section “Shemot,” p. 110a, ed. Leghorn, 1870) as follows: At first Job, who was one of Pharaoh’s eunuchs and counselors, advised Pharaoh to have every male child murdered (Ex. i. 16). Afterward Pharaoh, having had a dream which prognosticated the birth of a helper, again consulted Job. The latter answered evasively: “Let the king do as he pleases” (“Sefer ha-Yashar,” l.c. p. 111a). Levi b. Laḥma also held that Job lived in the time of Moses, by whom the Book of Job was written. Some of the rabbis even declare that the one servant of Pharaoh who feared the word of God (Ex. ix. 20) was Job (Ex. R. xii. 3). Raba, specifying the time more accurately, said Job lived in the time of the spies who were sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan (B. B. 15a). According to these rabbis, Job was a Gentile—an opinion which is elsewhere expressed more fully, in that Job is said to have been a pious Gentile or one of the prophets of the Gentiles (ib. 15b; Seder ‘Olam R. xxi.). Other tannaim place Job variously in the reign of Saba, in that of the Chaldees, and in that of Ahasuerus. R. Johanan and R. Eleazar both declared that Job was one of those who returned from the Captivity and that his bet ha-midrash was at Tiberias (Yer. Soá¹­ah v. 8; B. B. l.c.; Gen. R. l.c.). It is said in B. B. (ib.) that these tannaim necessarily considered Job an Israelite; but R. Hananeel (ad loc.) has in his text, “All the Tannaim and Amoraim, with the exception of the one who placed Job in the time of Jacob, were of opinion that Job was an Israelite” (comp. also Gen. R. l.c.). (Job. Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8692-job accessed 05/06/15)

A few have indicated that Job could have been the first written book of the Bible, though many point to a later time of writing. Even if it were not written down prior to Mount Sinai, the narrative appears to be before the children of Israel entered the land of Egypt during the time of Joseph.

Many who teach that Christians do not need to obey the ten commandments also teach that the ten commandments were not in effect prior to Mount Sinai (Ex 20). The truth is that all of the ten commandments are listed in the Bible prior to Mount Sinai (please see the article Were the Ten Commandments in Effect Before Mount Sinai?).

Although the Book of Job does not specifically quote any of the ten commandments, it does appear to allude to each one of them. This suggests that the ten commandments were not only known before Mount Sinai, but that they were possibly known outside of the descendants of Israel.

Commandment 1:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:2-3)

The Book of Job states:

21 Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21).

28 And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding’ (Job 28:28).

28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgement, For I would have denied God who is above (Job 31:28).

1 Then Job answered the LORD and said: 2 ‘I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You’ (Job 42:1-2).

What is interesting about Job 28:28 is that Job said that this is what God said to man and there is no record of this being said in Genesis (which is the primary biblical book with information prior to the story of Job), thus this verse proves that God spoke to humankind prior to Moses in at least one way that was not recorded in Genesis. Thus this refutes the argument that none prior to Mount Sinai could have known what the commandments were! If there were no commandments in effect, how could denying God be an iniquity deserving of judgement?

Commandment 2:

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image of any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6)

The Book of Job states:

27 If I have observed the sun when it shines, or the moon moving in its brightness, so that my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand; 28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgement, For I would have denied God who is above (Job 31:27-28).

The observing of the sun and moon, whereby one is enticed, as well kissing one’s own hand, are believed by most commentators to have been practices associated with idolatry.

Commandment 3:

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

The Book of Job states:

5 It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts (Job 1:5).

21 Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21).

9 Curse God and die! (Job 2:9).

10 In all this, Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:10).

The third commandment is clearly shown in Job to have been understood. It is clear that before Mount Sinai one could ‘sin with his lips,’ and that ‘sin’ was known to exist then (after Mount Sinai, God did tell the Israelites that the people who used to live in the land sinned by violating this command, Leviticus 18:21,27).

Commandment 4:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:8-11)

The Book of Job states:

13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great (Job 2:13).

1 Is there not a time of hard service for man on the earth (Job 7:1).

5 That the triumping of the wicked is short…20 Because he knows no quietness in his heart (Job 20:5,20).

21 Now aquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace (Job 22:21).

4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? (Job 38:4).

Job 2:13 supports the concept that the week was being observed prior to Mount Sinai. It is consistent with the two accounts in Genesis that a week was used as a period of rejoicing (Gen 29:22,27-28) and grieving (Genesis 50:10).

Job 7:1 supports the concept of “six days shall you labor” (Exodus 20:8) which is part of the fourth commandment. Job 20:20 supports the concept found in Hebrews 4:3-6 that those who disobey “shall not enter My rest.” Whereas Job 22:21 supports the related concept that “we who believed do enter that rest…There remains therefore a rest (Greek sabbitismos, ‘a sabbath observance’) for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:3,9).

In Job 38:4, God says He ‘laid the foundations of the earth’ which is similar to the concept in Exodus 20:11 ‘For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them’. Thus in Job we see the nearly all the concepts of the fourth commandment.

Commandment 5:

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)

The Book of Job states:

21 His sons come to honor (Job 14:21).

5 He who speaks flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children will fail (Job 17:5).

8 But the mighty man possessed the land, and the honorable man dwelt in it (Job 22:8).

These verses support the concept that one is to be honorable, children are to honor their father, and that the children are to become honorable, whereas the fifth commandment says to give honor (Exodus 20:12) which implies that parents are to be honorable.

Commandment 6:

13 “You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13)

The Book of Job states:

14 The murderer rises with the light; He kills the poor and needy; And in the night he’s like a thief (Job 24:14).

39 If I have eaten its fruit without money, or caused its owners to lose their lives; 40 Then let thistles grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley (Job 31:39-40).

These scriptures clearly support the concept that Job and his companions considered murder to be wrong. Job 24:14 is similar to a teaching by Jesus tieing in murder and thievery together:

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. (John 10:10).

Notice that Job knew of this connection thousands of years before Jesus stated it as recorded by John.

Commandment 7:

14 “You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

The Book of Job states:

15 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me’; and he disguises his face (Job 24:15).

1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman? (Job 31:1).

9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, 10 Then let my wife grind for another, And let others bow down over her. 11 For that would be wickedness; Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment. 12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction, And would root out all my increase. (Job 31:9-12).

These scriptures clearly support the concept that Job and his companions knew adultery was prohibited and an ‘iniquity deserving of judgement.’

Commandment 8:

15 “You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

The Book of Job states:

5 Is not your wickedness great, and your iniquity without end? 6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason, and stripped the naked of their clothing (Job 22:5-6).

14 And in the night he’s like a thief (Job 24:14).

39 If I have eaten its fruit without money, or caused its owners to lose their lives; 40 Then let thistles grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley (Job 31:39-40).

These scriptures clearly support the concept that Job and his companions considered stealing to be wrong.

Commandment 9:

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)

The Book of Job states:

28 I would never lie to your face (Job 6:28).

35 They conceive trouble and bring forth futility; Their womb prepares deceit (Job 15:35).

25 Now if it is not so, who will prove me a liar and make my speech worth nothing? (Job 24:25).

4 My lips will not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit (Job 27:4).

6 Should I lie concerning my right? (Job 34:6).

4 For truly my words are not false (Job 36:4).

These scriptures clearly support the concept that Job and his companions considered ‘bearing false witness’ to be wrong.

Commandment 10:

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:17)

The Book of Job states:

2 And envy slays a simple one (Job 5:2).

12 Why does your heart carry you away, and what do your eyes wink at, that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth? (Job 15:12-13).

1 They conceive trouble and bring forth futility (Job 15:35).

1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman? (Job 31:1).

9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, 10 Then let my wife grind for another, And let others bow down over her. 11 For that would be wickedness; Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment. 12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction, And would root out all my increase. (Job 31:9-12).

These scriptures clearly support the concept that Job and his companions considered covetousness (or evil desire) to be wrong. Since Paul wrote, “I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’ ” (Rom 7:7), it is clear that the law against covetousness must have been in effect prior to Mount Sinai.

“Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4) or as it says in the AV “sin is the trangression of the law.” The terms sin (9), sinned (6), and sins (1) are used 16 times in the the Book of Job (NKJV).

How could there be sin if there was no law, since according to an interesting scripture by the Apostle Paul, “sin is not imputed when there is no law?” (Romans 5:13).

In the Book of Job, Elihu said:

5 Behold God is mighty…10 He also opens their ear to instruction, and commands that they turn from iniquity. 11 If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. 12 But of they do not obey, they shall perish by the sword and they shall die [as one] without knowledge (Job 36:5,10-12).

If people in Job’s day were not supposed to know about God’s law, how could they obey Him? If those who disobey will perish like those that have no knowledge of God and His ways, then they must have had knowledge of God and His laws.

There is another interesting passage from the Apostle Paul to consider:

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” (Romans 7:7)

What is so interesting about that?

Well, Paul said it was only because there was an existing law against coveting that he understood that he was not to covet.

But, Job knew, prior to Mount Sinai that he was not to covet. Job specifically knew it was wrong to covet his neighbor’s wife.

The Book of Job demonstrates that God has revealed information that is not specifically listed in the Book of Genesis (Job 28:28;36:12;42:5). This is also consistent with the following concerning what God said to Isaac related to his father Abraham:

4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws. (Genesis 26:4-5)

The Book of Job demonstrates that sin and God’s Ten Commandment law were known prior to Mount Sinai.

While some may try to reason around what the Book of Job teaches, it is a fact that early Christians did believe that they needed to keep the Ten Commandments (for detailed proof, see The Ten Commandments and the Early Church). And real Christians believe that today.

Some items of possible interest may include:

Were the Ten Commandments in Effect Before Mount Sinai? Some have said not. This article provides biblical quotes to answer this important question. A sermon of related interest is titled Were the Ten Commandments in Place prior to Mt. Sinai?
Job and the Ten Commandments Was Job written prior to Mount Sinai? Did Job know about the ten commandments? This article provides biblical answers to those questions.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free draft/unedited pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them.
What Did Jesus Teach About the Ten Commandments? This article quotes what Jesus actually said about them (His words are in red).
Were the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross? Some have said so. This article provides some biblical quotes to answer this important question.
What Did Paul Actually Teach About the Ten Commandments? Many say Paul taught against the ten commandments. Is this true? This article quotes Paul with his words in green.
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? This article quotes the ten commandments and combines some of the previous articles into one article about the ten commandments. The commandments are shown at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul. It addresses the most common “traditions of men” regarding them as well. Here is a version in the Spanish language:.¿Están vigentes todavía los diez mandamientos?
Were the Pharisees Condemned for Keeping the Law or Reasoning Around it? Many believe that the Pharisees were condemned for keeping the law, but what does your Bible say? If they were not condemned for that, what were they condemned for?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught? For a more detailed discussion of the first four commandments, please see the video The Ten Commandments: Loving God. For a more detailed discussion of the last six commandments, please see: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 十条诫命显示爱，违反诫命的就是邪恶的
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings. A related sermon is titled: Christians and the Ten Commandments.
When was the Exodus? Did it Happen? Some deny the biblical account of the Exodus. Was Ramses II the pharaoh then? When did the Exodus occur? Is there proof outside of the Bible that there was an Exodus? Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Cuándo fue el Éxodo? ¿Ocurrió realmente?
Reasons, Proofs, and Ramifications of the Ten Plagues of Exodus What do you know about these plagues? Is there any confirmation outside the Bible? Might something worse be coming? A related two-part sermon is available: Egypt and the Plagues (Part 1) and Exodus Plagues and Prophecy (Part 2).
Exodus and the Days of Unleavened Bread This article discusses parts of the Book of Exodus with some connections to the Days of Unleavened Bread. A related sermon is available and is titled: Unleavened Bread: Lessons in Exodus.
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?

Large Hadron Collider CMS Particle Detector (Tighef)

COGwriter

CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is once again in the news:

May 9, 2017

GENEVA –  Scientists at the world’s biggest atom smasher have inaugurated their newest particle accelerator, a key step toward churning out greater amounts of data that could help explain many lingering mysteries of the universe.

The European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, announced Tuesday the completion of Linac 4, a 90-meter-long (295-foot-long) underground machine that took nearly a decade to build and will deliver proton beams for many experiments.

Linac 4 is CERN’s largest accelerator developed since the 2008 startup of the Large Hadron Collider that helped confirm the Higgs boson particle five years ago. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/05/09/cern-launches-new-accelerator-to-help-boost-data-output.html

The LHC is the largest machine in the world, which means keeping it operational is a herculean task. Millions of components have to work seamlessly with one another, and if something breaks it could accidentally send a beam of particles crashing into a wall at nearly the speed of light. …

The most recent round of upgrades is designed to increase the LHC’s luminosity, which is essentially a measure of the accelerator’s collision density. The higher the luminosity, the more collisions per second per cubic centimeter. Increasing the luminosity means more collisions and more data for the scientists to study. https://www.yahoo.com/news/large-hadron-collider-back-business-175800713.html

This is the world’s largest physics’ project. And this project has made a lot of physics-related discoveries, and the ramifications of those it has already made have not been fully implemented yet. But this is a project that is giving Europe technologies that it expects to exploit in the future.

The USA lost its lead on particle accelerators and the Obama Administration helped let that happen. Notice something from my book Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse:

How can Europe rise up?

Technology appears to be the key to a powerful European military. One aspect could include particle collider research. The number of colliders in the U.S.A. has dwindled down to one under the Obama and Bush Administrations, and the remaining one has faced budget cuts and possible closure [Matson J. Nuclear Decelerator: Last U.S. Particle Collider is on Chopping Block.  Scientific American, August 24, 2012].

Yet, in Europe, it now has the leading one in the world, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and Germany announced that it is planning a possibly even more advanced one called FAIR (F.A.I.R. stands for the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) [JCW.  Go-ahead for €1.6 billion particle accelerator.  The Local, June 13, 2012]. 3000 scientists are reportedly involved [FAIR – An International Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research.  http://www.fair-center.eu/ accessed 12/02/16]. The FAIR project is in process of construction and is expected to provide beams to the experiments from 2018 onwards.

I believe that Germany’s FAIR, along with the LHC and other technology like the stellarator, will help the Europeans produce military weaponry to fulfill certain end time prophecies. Since Revelation 13:4 is discussing what seems to be a unique type of warfare, this warfare likely includes certain high-tech weapons (such as electromagnetic pulse, neutron bombs, unique delivery systems, etc.) that will be effective for a while. The FAIR and the LHC projects are also likely to spin-off economic benefits that may help propel Europe to be (for a short while) the economic leader of the world (cf. Revelation 18). Ultimately, the Europeans will be overcome by what appears to be a Russian-led, mainly Asian, confederation, cf. Jeremiah 50:41-43 & Daniel 11:44, possibly by exploiting some technological flaw, like creating a software virus, etc., while also amassing troops, etc.

The European Space Agency and other European programs related to technology like Horizon 2020 are expected to bear fruit to the economic and military power of Europe several years from now [Horizon 2020: The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/]. Many projects are ongoing that will assist Europe.

Germany’s stellarator nuclear fusion project and Europe’s Galileo satellite system are two such projects that are starting to show a lot of potential to aid the rise of Europe in the next several years.

While the U.S.A., Australia, and others are currently worried mostly about China, the European developments will end up not being good for the Anglo-Saxon descended lands, including England. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017)

Now, scientists are concerned that Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget will further cut funding for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s sprawling complex called the Spallation Neutron Source (Atom-smashing scientists are unnerved by harsh Trump budget).

Europe is rising up technologically and particle accelerators are one sign of that.

Consider the following:

Will The Hadron Collider Produce New Military Weaponry?

By James Donahue …

Physicists plan other experiments that they hope will give them an understanding of other theorized concepts that include dark matter, anti-matter and supersymmetry.

Many scientists from around the world worry that experiments with a machine this powerful might release forces capable of literally destroying our world. …

Authorities arrested a researcher on the site that had ties to Al Qaeda. The man had been working on an experiment in particle physics as a contractor since 2003. The newspaper Le Figaro reported the incident, saying that the man had been in contact with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and had suggested several French targets for militant attacks.

Of course CERN issued a statement in which it assured everybody that its research lacks any potential for military applications and that the arrested suspect “had no contact with anything that could have been used for terrorism.”

So what was the link? Was it merely a scientist with political ties to this extremist terrorist organization? It seems more plausible that this person was interested in something going on within the CERN research. …

So is CERN a secret black budget military research program in disguise? Based upon its international links, this is highly unlikely. But as the physicists zero in on such highly elusive and potentially dangerous targets as the Higgs Boson, anti-matter and strangelets, we can be sure military eyes are watching closely.

Looking back in history, we are sure the German physicists Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann never foresaw their impact on world history when they split a uranium atom almost in half with a bombardment of neutrons, producing barium and krypton. They were shocked by the spectacular charge of some 200 million electron voltz in released energy that occurred. http://perdurabo10.tripod.com/galleryi/id63.html

Some were worried when the Large Hadron Collider was originally started up that the start-up could destroy the world–but on September 9, 2008 I wrote that was not possible (see September 10th is Not the End of the World).

But I also wrote on that date:

On the other hand, while it is touted as simply a scientific (and not a military) device, the LHC will likely give the Europeans some techological advantages that they will eventually be able to use as they seek to strength their military. And that is likely to help them when they decide it is time to launch a surprise attack on the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Since the Bible is clear that the Beast power will have unique military advantage and the Europeans have the largest “super collider” in existence, it just may be that it will somehow lead the Europeans to get the type of military power that they are prophesied to have (cf. Revelation 13:4)

But again, the destruction of the Anglo-American powers cannot happen until at least 3 1/2 years from now, which would be no earlier than 2012. It will not be September 10, 2008. (Thiel B. September 10th is Not the End of the World, September 9, 2008).

In addition to the Large Hadron Collider, the Germans are planning a possibly even more advanced collider called FAIR (FAIR stands for the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research). The FAIR project is in process of construction. Here is some information about it:

The Federal Republic of Germany together with the State of Hesse is the major contributor to the construction, the current nine international partners – Finland, France, India, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom – bear ca. 30% of the construction cost.

FAIR will be a host laboratory for basic research for about 3000 scientists from about 50 countries. http://www.fair-center.eu/public/what-is-fair.html

Basic research? Nuclear research could well be termed ‘basic research’ and we know what that has resulted in.

As far as military applications go, this European LHC project has been heavily focused on various small particles and subatomic items, including antimatter.  When the Large Hadron Collider was in its infancy, many scientists doubted that antimatter could be produced and captured. But the LHC disproved that as it was able to produce and store antimatter.

In May of 2009, Dan Brown’s movie, Angels & Demons, had antimatter captured from part of CERN ‘s Large Hadron Collider. Now it has happened because of the LHC:

Antimatter captured by CERN scientists in dramatic physics breakthrough

Antimatter has been captured by scientists for the first time in a physics breakthrough that echoes the hit Hollywood movie Angels & Demons.

Physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva have created the stuff of “Star Trek” for the first time ever: genuine antimatter.

A 17-member team announced the production and preservation of 38 antihydrogen atoms. Physicists Emilio Segre and Owen Chamberlain of the University California, Berkeley, earned the 1959 Nobel Prize for producing part of an antihydrogen atom, antiprotons. (Martin M. Antimatter captured by CERN scientists in dramatic physics breakthrough. TechNews World, November 18, 2010. http://www.technewsworld.com/story/CERN-Physicists-Create-Antimatter-and-Could-Build-a-Bomb-in-a-Billion-Years-71269.html?wlc=1290143968)

June 5, 2011

CERN scientists have now been able to isolate unstable antimatter for a grand total of nearly 17 minutes. That’s a far cry from experiments performed last fall, when scientists were only able to record the presence of antimatter for fractions of seconds. The increased longevity should now give researchers the time they need to perform studies on antiatoms related to change-parity-time reversal (CPT) symmetry.  http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2386429,00.asp

In the movie, which I saw in Arroyo Grande (California), antimatter played an important role. In Angels & Demons. someone stole captured antimatter from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider on the behalf of one trying to be an antipope. Many considered antimatter only existing in science fiction and that the portrayal in the movie was impossible. Yet, the collection of anti-matter can now be considered to be a science fact–and can exist for significant amounts of time (it is my understanding that CERN stopped holding it after 17 minutes, not that 17 minutes is the limit to its existence).

As far as antimatter goes, here are some comments from NASA:

Antimatter is real stuff, not just science fiction. Antimatter is firmly in the realm of science with some aspects even entering the technology realm. There is also a lot of speculation about what one might do with antimatter.

What is Antimatter?

Antimatter is matter with its electrical charge reversed. Anti-electrons, called “positrons,” are like an electron but with a positive charge. Antiprotons are like protons with a negative charge. Positron, antiprotons and other antiparticles can be routinely created at particle accelerator labs, such as CERN in Europe, and can even be trapped and stored for days or weeks at a time. And… they made antihydrogen for the first time. It didn’t last long, but they did it.

It costs far more energy to create antimatter than the energy one could get back from an antimatter reaction. … Something to keep in mind, too, is that antimatter reactions – where antimatter and normal matter collide and release energy, require the same safety precautions as needed with nuclear reactions. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/warp/antistat.html

Notice that NASA acknowledges that CERN with its LHC has produced and stored antimatter, that antimatter collection is expensive, and that antimatter is dangerous. And it is something that Europe has decided to continue to research and produce.

Here is something from a CERN-related website:

In 1928, British physicist Paul Dirac wrote down an equation that combined quantum theory and special relativity to describe the behaviour of an electron moving at a relativistic speed. The equation – which won Dirac the Nobel prize in 1933 …

Dirac interpreted the equation to mean that for every particle there exists a corresponding antiparticle, exactly matching the particle but with opposite charge. For the electron there should be an “antielectron”, for example, identical in every way but with a positive electric charge. The insight opened the possibility of entire galaxies and universes made of antimatter.

But when matter and antimatter come into contact, they annihilate – disappearing in a flash of energy. …

At CERN, physicists make antimatter to study in experiments. The starting point is the Antiproton Decelerator, which slows down antiprotons so that physicists can investigate their properties. http://home.web.cern.ch/topics/antimatter

Now if the Large Hadron Collider does have military potential, which I have long indicated that it does, all should understand that it is likely that the Europeans and not the Americans will benefit from it.  That will probably also include items related to its claimed find of pentaquarks.

Historically, humans have seen that large physics projects tend to produce military weaponry.

The Large Hadron Collider is helping Europe get to the point it will have the technology it will need to temporarily ‘rule’ the world. There have been interesting developments from it so far and more are expected.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Could the Large Hadron Collider lead to destruction? In 2008, the European Large Hadron Collider, which is the world’s largest physics project, went on line.  Some thought, erroneously, that it would be the ‘end of the world,’ Some have said that the project may develop military technology, while others have claimed this is not possible. One Nobel prize has already been awarded for its finds (Higgs boson).  It has also found other particles (like strangelets) and set a record in producing and retaining antimatter. Will these and all other finds remain peaceful? Is anything about this project possibly connected to 666? Does Bible prophecy give us reason to consider that technology from the Large Hadron Collider may result in destruction, including the coming destruction of the United States? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and questions and more in this video.
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.
The Large Hadron Collider has Military Potential Some say this European project is only peaceful. So why is it working on capturing antimatter? Here is a link to a related video: Could the Large Hadron Collider lead to destruction?
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?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
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? 2017, 2018, or 2019? 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: Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill?  Could a Donald Trump presidency be apocalyptic?  A related video is titled: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic?
Trump Presidency Magic 8 Ball or Bible Prophecy? BBC reported that one might as well use a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’ to try to predict what will happen in the remaining time of Donald Trump’s presidency. What is a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’? Dr. Thiel not only explains that, but also briefly goes over 10 biblically-based warnings he wrote would happen if Donald Trump were elected that have already began to come to pass. He also goes over something he wrote back in 2008 that the Trump presidency is also helping lead to fulfillment. Should you trust Bible prophecy or not? Dr. Thiel says that Bible prophecy can be trusted, despite the view of skeptics and others that either overlook or despise the Bible. This is a video.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.