Church of God News

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— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2018

COGwriter

Donald Trump sent out a tweet today related to sanctions as is shown above. But there appear to be exceptions:

2 November 2018

The Trump administration is to reinstate all US sanctions on Iran removed under the 2015 nuclear deal.

The White House said it was “the toughest sanctions regime ever imposed on Iran” and targeted Iran’s energy, shipping and banking sectors.

However, eight countries will not be penalised by the US for continuing to import Iranian oil.

President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in May, describing it as “defective at its core”.

“Sanctions are coming,” he tweeted after Friday’s announcement, referencing the TV series Game of Thrones and its motto “Winter is coming”.

The US has been gradually re-imposing sanctions since it unilaterally withdrew from the agreement, but analysts say this move is the most important because it targets the core sectors of Iran’s economy.

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said Iran was unconcerned at the return of sanctions, Reuters reports. …

The UK, France, Germany, Russia and China were also parties to the 2015 accord and have stuck to it, saying they will set up a new payment system to maintain business with Iran and bypass US sanctions. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46071747

As mentioned before (see Iran charges USA with ‘economic warfare, but perhaps sanctions are not so ‘swift’), it appears that the Trump Administration may not be as tough as some thought and may be backing off of one or more of the provisions related to sanctions (Turkey may also be one of the nations that got a waiver, see https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-02/u-s-is-said-to-plan-iran-sanctions-waiver-for-turkey-s-tupras).

Currently, the USA benefits from most international trade as most of the time nations use US dollars for trade. Every time a nation stops doing that, or reduces doing that, it has a negative effect on the economy of the USA.

There is a price to pay for US sanctions and they do affect the dollar.

Here is a bit more related to the sanctions:

November 2, 2018

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced the sanctions on Iran’s shipping, financial and energy sectors. The sanctions will target Iran’s crude oil exports and will penalize countries that don’t stop importing oil and foreign companies that do business with certain Iranian entities.

Pompeo said that the sanctions are intended to fundamentally change the Iranian regime’s behavior. But the administration also announced that there would be eight significant reduction exemptions (SREs) for countries that haven’t completely eliminated oil imports from Iran. The waivers will last for a six-month period and will be re-evaluated after that time is up. The Associated Press reported that those exempted include Italy, India, Japan and South Korea. …

Trump said that in addition to the November sanctions, the U.S. “will pursue additional sanctions, tougher than ever before, to counter the entire range of Iran’s malign conduct.”

“Any individual or entity who fails to comply with these sanctions will face severe consequences,” he warned. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-administration-announces-re-imposition-of-iran-sanctions

That last comment from Donald Trump seems like a threat mainly to Europeans (other than Italy which seems to have been exempted).

Notice also the following:

Since the president pulled out of the JCPOA, the EU has been working feverishly behind the scenes to protect the relationship between Europe and Iran, including publicly calling for a special purpose vehicle to help businesses avoid American sanctions, and the implementation of a blocking statute also intended to protect European businesses. The EU goal is to continue with the Iran deal alone, without the U.S., by creating a financial channel between their central banks with the Central Bank of Iran. The Trump administration has made it clear, however, that they will compel the Europeans to comply with the new sanctions— either by carrot or by stick.

This means one more rift in the transatlantic alliance. 11/01/18 https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/european-business-holds-the-trump-card-on-iranian-sanctions

Donald Trump’s comments and actions related to all of this have upset many in Europe.

Here are two videos that you may wish to watch:

Is Donald Trump pushing Europe to Russia?

A recent headline was “Is Trump Pushing Germany to Russia?” There have been comments by German and Russian leaders that they have aligned interests that Donald Trump opposes and need to take financial, military, and other steps to assist Europe. Russia and the EU (European Union) still support the Iran nuclear deal, Paris Climate accords, and the World Trade Organization, despite Donald Trump’s actions against them. Have there been comments to replace the USA’s SWIFT system by the Russians and Germans? What is Russia’s MIR payment system? What about talks for the EU to have trade and other arrangements with the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union)? Did the old Radio Church of God foretell of the development of a Russian and German plan to eliminate the USA? Has Russia indicated that it wants Alaska back? Is the giving of USA territories to Russia by a coming European leader consistent with a prophecy in the Book of Daniel? Here is a link to our video: Is Donald Trump pushing Europe to Russia?

Now, with exempting major countries such as India, South Korea, and Japan, this would not seem to be able to cripple Iran’s economy as much as Donald Trump has seemingly implied in the past.

It almost seems like the bigger message is pressure against most of Europe.

The Europeans do not like that and are working to develop ways to work around the USA as well as USA dominated financial systems.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a related YouTube video titled Iran In Prophecy.
The End of US Dollar Dominance Is the USA losing its economic status? What about the petro-gold-yuan? A related video is also available: US Dollar being challenged by Gold-Petro-Yuan.
Gentile Cryptocurrency Proposal Two Russian leaders have called for a BRICS-wide and/or EAEU-wide cryptocurrency. This is hoped to be used to replace the US dollar for international trade. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The BRICS nations represent 3.6 billion people. The EAEU includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Will Gentiles rise up? Are there any prophetic ramifications of what these nations are looking to do? This is a video.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
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?
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 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2018, 2019, or 2020? 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 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
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.
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.
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?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now? Another could be Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code).
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?  Is a Donald Trump presidency proving to be apocalyptic?  Two related videos are available: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic? and Donald Trump’s Prophetic Presidency.
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.

COGwriter

Director Michael Moore met with Pope Francis and made some comments about that meeting:

November 2, 2018

Michael Moore, the liberal film-maker, told “Late Night” with Seth Meyers that he met the pope two weeks ago and asked him about income inequality:

I went to the weekly audience, and then he asked to speak to me privately. It was an amazing moment, and I asked him if I could ask him a question.  …  And I said, “So you believe capitalism, the kinda — the capitalism we have now is a sin?” He goes, “Yes, it is.” He said, “The poor must always come first.”

And then he grabbed my hand and he said, “Please, pray for me.” And I said, “I will, and please pray for me. And he said, “No, you have to make more movies.” And I’m like, “I just wanted a prayer.” He’s like, “No, you go back to — you go back work.” He has a sense of humor. https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/susan-jones/pope-told-michael-moore-capitalism-sin

Michael Moore partnered with producers Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein in May 2017 to produce and distribute Fahrenheit 11/9. but after Harvey Weinstein had additional charges against him for sexual impropriety he did not provide the funding as originally expected–but funding to make the film did happen from other sources per Wikipedia.

Anyway, that movie came out in September and had political intent:

Michael Moore Is Releasing ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’ Before the Midterm Elections to ‘Bring Trump Down’

Michael Moore wasn’t taken seriously when he predicted that Donald Trump would win the 2016 election, but his insights have become highly sought-after since that fateful day in November 2016. Not coincidentally, that date is also the source of his upcoming documentary “Fahrenheit 11/9,” which Moore discussed last night on “Real Time with Bill Maher”: “You have to listen this time because he is going to win the 2020 election,” he said. “This man believes in being president for life.”

“I’m finishing my movie and getting it out before the midterms because I want millions of people to get to the polls. We’re going to bring Trump down,” Moore added … https://www.indiewire.com/2018/06/michael-moore-fahrenheit-11-9-release-date-trump-1201980123/

Michael Moore’s movie did not do well financially as it reportedly only grossed about $6 million.

Now, presuming Michael Moore’s account of his meeting with Pope Francis was correct, I am still waiting for Pope Francis to “put his money where his mouth is.”

Francis has repeatedly made many statements that others give more to the poor, but I have yet to see any massive change in the Vatican’s spending to conclude that he has decided to do that with Church of Rome funds (see also Caring for the poor is our ‘passport to paradise’, says Pope Francis; What about EU banking and deposit insurance?).

While the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10) and people should care for the poor (cf. Galatians 2:10, 6:7-10; James 2:15-17), capitalism, per se, is not a sin.

People like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were capitalists. Jesus (Matthew 25:14-28) and Peter (Acts 5:3-4) made capitalist supporting statements, as well as statements in support of the poor.

Here is a ‘capitalist’ supporting parable spoken by Jesus:

12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

15 And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’

17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’

18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’

19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

20 Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.

21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’

22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.

23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’

24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’

25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’)

26 For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. (Luke 19:12-26)

This does not mean that capitalists do not sin, but it is in conflict with Pope Francis’ assertion that capitalism is a sin.

Well, what about socialism?

Notice a report that the BBC had today about the oil-rich socialist nation of Venezuela:

Venezuela crisis: Mothers giving away babies, children living on streets

2 November 2018

Extreme poverty has jumped 40%, deaths related to child malnutrition are on the rise, and millions have fled the country in the past two years.

Many inside and outside Venezuela blame the policies of socialist President Nicolas Maduro. …

Mothers and children have been among those hit hardest … https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-latin-america-45879534/venezuela-crisis-mothers-giving-away-babies-children-living-on-streets

BBC has a video at the above link.

Notice something from this summer:

Venezuela’s Maduro Admits Socialist Model Has Failed

August 2, 2018

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro admitted that his socialist economic model has “failed” amid food and medicine shortages as well as a failing infrastructure highlighted by Tuesday’s power failure to 80% of Caracas. …

“The production models we’ve tried so far have failed and the responsibility is ours, mine and yours,” Maduro told his ruling PSUV party congress. …

No word on whether he took a bite of an empanada during his speech while his country starves on the “Maduro diet” – a phrase coined after Venezuela’s notorious food shortages gave rise to mass starvation across the country. Not even the donkeys are safe. …

Venezuela’s industrial sector is operating at just 30% capacity, as illustrated by the farming sector, which now provides just a quarter of national consumption, after providing 75% just a few years ago according to the National Farmers Federation.

This should all make for some interesting debate questions during the next US elections, as Democratic Socialists have become the “new face” of the left. Just don’t ask any questions about economics or logistics … https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-08-01/venezuelas-maduro-admits-socialism-has-failed

Yes, Venezuela, despite possibly having more oil than any other nation on earth, is having economic problems after it tried socialistic means to restrict capitalism.

Of course, the solution to problems facing the world is not eliminating capitalism nor embracing more socialism.

The solution to the problems facing the world is not to encourage Michael Moore to make more films, but national repentance, the acceptance of Jesus, and the coming Kingdom of God.

Pope Francis, Michael Moore, and all others are encouraged to learn more about it from our free online booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand. A video of related interest is available titled: Should Christians Vote? Another video is 10 Reasons Not to Vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. [Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja do deus?]
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?
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? 2027 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? 2018, 2019, or 2020? 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 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, and the Caribbean in Prophecy [Español: México, América central, Suramérica, Brasil y el Caribe en la profecía] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What role might the various Caribbean nations/territories play? A video of related interest is titled: Donald Trump and Mexico’s future.

Balfour Declaration Letter

COGwriter

Today marks the 101st anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.

Here is some information about it:

The British peer Arthur Balfour barely makes an appearance in UK schoolbooks, but many Israeli and Palestinian students could tell you about him.

His Balfour Declaration, made on 2 November 1917, is taught in their respective history classes and forms a key chapter in their two very different, national narratives.

It can be seen as a starting point for the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The declaration by the then foreign secretary was included in a letter to Lord Walter Rothschild, a leading proponent of Zionism, a movement advocating self-determination for the Jewish people in their historical homeland – from the Mediterranean to the eastern flank of the River Jordan, an area which came to be known as Palestine.

It stated that the British government supported “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”.

At the same time, it said that nothing should “prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities”.

Palestinians see this as a great betrayal, particularly given a separate promise made to enlist the political and military support of the Arabs – then ruled by the Ottoman Turks – in World War One. …

“Do you think Britain committed a crime against the Palestinian people?” asks a teacher during a lesson in a Palestinian school in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Everyone puts up a hand.

“Yes,” a 15-year-old girl answers. “This declaration was illegitimate because Palestine was still part of the Ottoman Empire and Britain did not control it.”

“Britain considered the Arabs as a minority while they formed over 90% of the population.”

‘Huge hope’

Israeli children, inevitably, tend to see British involvement more positively when they study the Balfour Declaration in a lesson towards the end of their high-school years.

In Balfouria, a village in northern Israel, nine-year-old Noga Yehezekeli is already proudly able to recite a Hebrew version of the text off by heart.

“In the moment it was given, the declaration gave huge hope and a huge push for the Zionist movement,” says her father, Neve. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41765892

November 2, 2017

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in protest across the West Bank Thursday marking a century since the Balfour Declaration, Britain’s promise to Zionists to create a Jewish home in what is now Israel.

In Ramallah, some 3,000 protesters marched from the city center to the British Consulate, with many waving black flags and banners with slogans such as “100 years of dispossession.” Smaller demonstrations took place in east Jerusalem and elsewhere in the West Bank.

Rawada Odeh, a demonstrator in Jerusalem, said she was protesting because Balfour promised a home to the Zionists while neglecting that there is a “Palestinian population here in our land.”

“The land does not belong to Balfour,” she said. “We are Palestinians, and we are living here and we are following our issue till we succeed.” 2 November 2017 http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/palestinians-protest-balfour-declaration-centenary-50880565

The situation remains tense in Israel as the Palestinians tend to consider the Balfour Declaration illegitimate, whereas the Jews have seen it as a sign of support.

About five weeks after the Balfour Declaration, the Turks surrendered Jerusalem to the British.

The old Worldwide Church of God taught the following about that:

Prophecy Concerning Judah

There is one prophecy concerning the Jewish people, that they were to be invaded and conquered, driven out of their own land and would be punished for a period of 2,520 years. (See Leviticus 26:14-39 and, for a full explanation, write for our free book “The United States and Britain in Prophecy”.) Now, put that together with other prophecies such as Haggai 2:20-22. Exactly 2,520 years from the time that they were invaded and the land of Palestine was given over to King Nebuchadnezzar in 604 B.C. the very nation to whom that land was deeded by God Almighty took possession of it.

That nation was not the Jewish people, but birthright people who descended from Abraham. The birthright means right of birth, and includes the possession of the land, that is, it includes material resources and possessions. The possession of the land that God promised to Abraham was handed on to Isaac, Abraham’s son, and then to Jacob. And then Jacob, just before he died, and when his eyes were so dim with age that he couldn’t see, reached out and conferred that same birthright, including the possession of the land of Palestine, not upon Judah, the father of the Jews, but upon Ephraim, and together with him his brother Manasseh, both sons of Joseph.

Joseph was one of the 12 sons of the ancient patriarch Jacob, who was renamed Israel. Usually you don’t hear of any tribe of Joseph because Joseph was given a double portion. And his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each became a tribe. And so, rather, you usually read of the tribe of Ephraim and the tribe of Manasseh. When the name Joseph is occasionally used, it includes the two tribes.

How Prophecy Was Fulfilled

Ephraim was made the chief birthright holder. And so, 2,520 years from 604 B.C. Ephraim was to take Palestine again counting 2,520 years from 604 B.C. brings us to A.D. 1917.

When it comes to translating time and getting down to an exact day of the year 2,520 years after Nebuchadnezzar came down to Jerusalem and Palestine was surrendered to him, the Bible gives us the date in terms of the Hebrew calendar. That calendar is set up according to the new moons, with every month being 30 or 29 days. Today we’re living under what we call the Roman calendar or, as it was slightly altered by Pope Gregory, the Gregorian calendar. Actually, it is a pagan Roman calendar. The Roman calendar is all that most of us know because we’ve been born in a world that uses that calendar and no other.

A certain date according to the Hebrew calendar, will coincide with a certain date on the Roman calendar one year, but the next year will be about 11 days earlier, or maybe about 18 days later in the year, because the Hebrew calendar — sometimes called the sacred calendar, which came from God — goes according to the moon and runs in 19-year cycles. The Roman calendar by contrast was concocted by men who tried to make it come out right every year, and they’ve never been able to make it do that!

So, when it comes to translating a certain prophesied date recorded in the Hebrew calendar (in this case the 24th day of the 9th month — see Haggai 2:20-22) to a date in 1917 according to the Roman calendar, it takes some effort to figure. I found the Hebrew date corresponded to December 9, 1917, which was 2,520 years from the time Nebuchadnezzar accepted the formal surrender of the Jews in 604 B.C.

I looked and found that the Turks, who are gentiles even though they, in part, descend from Esau, Jacob’s brother, possessed Palestine in 1917. Esau, remember, anciently possessed the birthright from Abraham through Isaac, but sold it for a bowl of red soup when he was hungry. The Turks surrendered Palestine to the British, on, what date? I had heard, and it had been published that the date was December 11, 1917. December 11, 1917, I found, on further investigation, was merely the date on which General Allenby and his army made their triumphal march into the city of Jerusalem. But it was two days before, on December 9, that the Turks made the surrender.

That prophecy was fulfilled down to the very day, December 9. And it was on the equivalent date, in 604 B.C., 2,520 years before, six centuries before the birth of Christ, that the Jews formally surrendered Jerusalem and Palestine to the gentiles from Babylon. God Almighty has been able to keep his prophecies. (Armstrong HW. The Bible SUPERSTITION OR AUTHORITY? 1985)

The Bible teaches “Ephraim is My firstborn” (Jeremiah 31:9). Ephraim is represented in this age by the British -descended peoples (see also Anglo – America in Prophecy). Many overlook that aspect of prophecy.

Now, let me state that I have verified that December 9, 1917 was indeed the date that the Gentile Turks surrendered to the British (e.g. see https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-12-09/1917-jerusalem-tried-surrender-british-army-cook-who-was-lost-looking-eggs and http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jerusalem-surrenders-to-british-troops accessed 07/28/17). I also verified that the 24th day of the ninth month (Kislev) was on December 9th in 1917 (e.g. http://www.hebcal.com/hebcal/?year=1917&month=x&yt=G&v=1&nh=on&nx=on&mf=on&ss=on&o=on&s=on&lg=s&vis=on&D=on&d=on&c=on&city=US-New%20York-NY&m=72#cal-1917-12 accessed 07/28/17).

Herbert W. Armstrong mentioned Haggai, so let us look at that:

20 And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:

‘I will shake heaven and earth.
22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
I will overthrow the chariots
And those who ride in them;
The horses and their riders shall come down,
Every one by the sword of his brother. (Haggai 2:20-22)

Now, there looks to be a future fulfillment of this beyond the overthrowing of the Turkish empire and the surrender of Jerusalem to the British on December 9, 1917.

Why?

Let’s look at the next verse:

23 ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Haggai 2:23)

Because Haggai 2:20-23 did not occur in Zerubbabel’s lifetime, there must be a future fulfillment. Zerubbabel lived in the sixth century B.C.

A ‘Zerubbabel’ did not become a signet ring in 1917 nor was the strength of the Gentile kingdoms–plural–destroyed then (more on ‘Zerubbabel’ can be found in the article Who Are The Two Witnesses?).

Haggai 2:23 is to be finally fulfilled once Jesus returns.

So, while the surrender of Jerusalem was a type of fulfillment (the Gentile kingdom of the Ottomans fell–though it still had battles in 1918), a future fulfillment awaits (for more details, check out the article The Times of the Gentiles).

Currently, many Palestinians are depressed, distraught, and feel that they are without hope. They are angry for many reasons, including the Balfour Declaration. Because of improper Islamic teachings and statements from their leadership, many believe that engaging in brutal, violent behavior will not only free them from problems in this life, but give them an opportunity to fulfill various lusts in the next (e.g. see Suicide bombers kill scores in Turkey–their hope for reward is flawed)–yet that is a false hope.

However, for a time, the Palestinians will have some “success” as the Bible indicates that the Palestinians will get control over more land in the current nation of Israel before Jesus returns (cf. Jeremiah 25:17-29; 47:2-7; see also Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy).

Yet, that is not the solution to the problems for the Palestinians or with Jerusalem. Looking to this world’s politics and methods will not solve the problems in the Middle East (even though the Bible shows that there will be a temporary peace deal there–cf. Daniel 9:27; see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

The real solution is the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

Until then, we will see conflict, temporary peace (Daniel 9:27), and conflict (Daniel 11:31-43) in the area of Judea/Palestine.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Israel, 1948, and Prophecy Was the formation in 1948 of the nation of Israel prophetically significant? Was this event what Jesus referred to in His “parable of the fig tree”? Are most Israelites in the modern nation of Israel? Are most Jews in that nation? If the prophecies Jeremiah 23:3-6 and Ezekiel 34:13-30 do not point to 1948, when will those prophecies be fulfilled? Are there prophecies that will be fulfilled related to the nation of Israel? What was the first sign that Jesus said would be seen by a particular ‘generation’? When might that have happened? What are the signs that Jesus’ fig tree parable point to? This is a video.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here? Here is a related link in Spanish/español:¿Quiénes son los dos testigos?
Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians? Here is a link to a related video: Gaza and Palestine in Prophecy.
Why Terrorism? Is Terrorism Prophesied? What does the Bible teach? Which nations may be affected? Here is a link to a related sermon: Terrorism, Christianity, and Islam.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Could the old Temple have been somewhere other than the “Temple Mount”? Here is a related article in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to a sermon titled The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world 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.
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?
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.
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?
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?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2019, 2020, or 2021? 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 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

John Bolton

COGwriter

Martin Armstrong posted the following:

November 1, 2018

Politicians have totally and completely misunderstood the trends within the global economy and as a result, they are actually creating one of the worst economic debacles in history. …

Now add government borrowing which competes against the private sector and it only gets even more stupid.  Then we have brain-dead investors who actually think government debt is “quality” issued by idiots who have ZERO intentions of ever paying off their debt at any point in the future. https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/armstrongeconomics101/economics/how-politicians-are-creating-the-worst-economic-crash-in-history/

Now, there are some political leaders who see problems with debt.

Bloomberg reported the following:

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton called the national debt a “threat to the society” that requires significant cuts to the government’s discretionary spending.

Bolton, speaking Wednesday at an event hosted by the Alexander Hamilton Society in Washington, said he expects U.S. defense spending “to flatten out” in the near term. He said he didn’t anticipate major cuts to entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security.

“It is a fact that when your national debt gets to the level ours is, that it constitutes an economic threat to the society,” Bolton said. “And that kind of threat ultimately has a national security consequence for it.” …

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office forecasts the budget gap will reach $973 billion in fiscal 2019 and exceed $1 trillion the next year. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. predicts the deficit will reach $1 trillion and $1.125 trillion respectively. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-31/bolton-calls-u-s-national-debt-economic-threat-to-society-correct

It is true that the US national debt is a threat to society. It is also true that it can affect military spending and hence defense capability.

Debt will be a factor that will help lead to the defeat of the USA.

And the USA keeps getting a lot of debt:

The federal government will issue more than $1.3 trillion in debt in 2018, according to a new estimate released by the Treasury Department on Monday, the highest total debt issuance since the depths of the Great Recession:

• Total net marketable securities issued in the fourth quarter will be a projected $425 billion, according to the Treasury report.
• That will bring total debt issued in 2018 to $1.34 trillion, the highest since $1.59 trillion was issued in 2010.
• 2018 debt issuance also jumped 146% from 2017, when just $546 billion was issued. 10/29/18 https://www.businessinsider.com/new-us-debt-in-2018-how-much-highest-recession-2018-10

The Bible shows the total destruction of a nation is coming because of debt:

2 And the Lord answered me:

“Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.

4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.

5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor,
an arrogant man who is never at rest.
His greed is as wide as Sheol;
like death he has never enough.
He gathers for himself all nations
and collects as his own all peoples.”

6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,

“Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—
for how long?—
and loads himself with pledges!”
7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise,
and those awake who will make you tremble?
Then you will be spoil for them.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who dwell in them. (Habakkuk 2:2-8; English Standard Version)

The USA is the most indebted nation in the history of humanity.

Notice that God tells Habakkuk that those who read this should run–that means they should take proper spiritual action now (cf. Luke 21:36), and then, eventually physically flee (cf. Revelation 12:14-16; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra). The rise of US debt was listed by me as number 10 of 18 items to prophetically watch in 2018 (here is a link to a related sermon: 18 items to prophetically watch in 2018).

The Anglo-American world order will come to an end.

Some believe that we are due to have a type of debt reset. Forbes contributing writer John Mauldin posted this at his own website:

Earlier this year, I wrote a series of articles (synopsis and links here) predicting a debt “train wreck” and eventual liquidation—an event I dubbed The Great Reset. I estimated we have another year or two before the crisis becomes evident.

That’s still my expectation… but I’m beginning to wonder again. Several recent events tell me the reckoning could be closer than I thought just a few months ago. …

Now, if you are accustomed to using debt to stimulate growth, and debt loses its capacity to do so, what happens next? You guessed it: The brilliant powers-that-be add even more debt. This is classic addiction behavior. You have to keep raising the dose to get the same high.

At this point, Paul Krugman and others usually call me a debt curmudgeon and argue the debt doesn’t matter. I point them to Ken Rogoff and Carmen Reinhart’s book from 10 years ago, This Time Is Different, which demonstrates that in every prior debt run-up, over centuries of history, accumulated debt clearly eventually made a difference. There is always an eventual Day of Reckoning.

The US economy is so huge and powerful that our current $24.5 trillion government debt (including state and local) could quite easily grow to $40 trillion before we meet that day. We are one recession away from having a $30 trillion US government debt total. It will happen seemingly overnight. And deficits will stay well above $1 trillion per year every year after that, not unlike now. …

The federal government spent approximately $4.1 trillion in FY 2018, of which it had to borrow $779 billion on budget and a few hundred billion more off-budget (amount TBD). And over 40% of the on-budget deficit went simply to pay $325 billion in interest on previously-issued debt. …

Deficits mean the Treasury has to borrow cash, which it does by selling Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. This wasn’t a problem for most of the last decade but is rapidly becoming one as the amounts grow larger.

Thanks to the “exorbitant privilege” I discussed earlier this month, the US has long had many foreigners willing to buy our debt. Now they are losing interest (forgive the pun) because hedging their currency exposure costs more. 10/26/18 http://www.mauldineconomics.com/frontlinethoughts/debt-alarm-ringing

John Mauldin mentioned his view about a type of financial reset.

What is a financial reset?

Basically, some type of revaluation of currency and/or different type of currency according to various ones.

It is sort of a way to default on debt.

The Bible warns:

21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. (Psalms 37:21)

Here is one view of a financial reset from Willem Middelkoop, author of The Big Reset:

A system reset seems imminent. The world’s financial system will need to find a new anchor around 2020. Since the beginning of the credit crisis, the US realized the dollar will lose its role as the world’s reserve currency, and has been planning for a monetary reset. This reset will be designed to keep the US in the driver’s seat, allowing the new monetary system to include significant roles for other currencies such as the euro and China’s renminbi. Gold could well be re-introduced as one of the pillars of the new global financial system. By looking past the American ‘smokescreen’ surrounding gold and the dollar long ago, China and Russia have been accumulating massive amounts of gold reserves, positioning themselves for this more prominent monetary role for gold in the future. The reset will come as a shock to many. The Big Reset will help everyone who wants to be fully prepared. accessed 10/24/18 http://www.thebigresetblog.com/index.php/the-book/

Banks presumably would be closed for a time and there would be panic among many.

If this happens within the next year or two as John Mauldin indicated, nearly all in the USA would suffer.

But, even though that would upset foreign investors, that would not be the fulfillment of Habakkuk 2, as that will happen near the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21)–and the Great Tribulation cannot start before 2022 (for details, check out the article: When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2019, 2020, or 2021?).

On the other hand, those who think the current world order with the USA’s dollar on top will last several decades are in error.

The idea that the debt does not matter is a false and arrogant belief.

The Bible teaches:

18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

It is prideful arrogance that gets humans to think that they can essentially completely control the economy and just borrow and print up money. They cannot. Weather, political events, diseases, wars, morality, technology, international matters, and other factors play a role.

Plus, there is also the matter of debt accumulation by the USA and biblical prophecy.

Those who will believe the Bible will take the words that God spoke to the prophet Habakkuk seriously.

Notice that God says that the situation is so serious that one should run–take steps now, and flee when it is time (cf. There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra).

The days of the US dollar’s dominance are numbered.

As I have written many times before, the time will come when the USA dollar will be worth no more than the scrap value of the cotton-paper it is printed on.

Debt will be a factor.

Mohammed Bin Salman al-Saud

COGwriter

The following suggests that everything is basically under control and fine in Saudi Arabia:

November 1, 2018

JEDDAH: “Based on its confidence in the wise leadership of Saudi Arabia,” the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) expressed solidarity with the Kingdom in all its efforts to achieve justice in the case of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

During a conference organized by the IIFA, it said it is “confident that the judicial authorities involved in the investigation of this case will do justice and punish the aggressors.”

The IIFA added: “The history of Saudi Arabia serves as a witness of the credibility of actions taken by the Kingdom in order to achieve justice.”

Participants in the conference also expressed support for the Kingdom, describing recent media attacks against it as an offensive against Islam itself.  … sullying its reputation is a red line for Muslims. http://www.arabnews.com/node/1397346/saudi-arabia

But not all share that confidence in Saudi Arabia:

November 1, 2018

As readers of Today’s WorldView know, the Khashoggi scandal has badly damaged the reputation of Saudi Arabia and its ambitious crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, a repeated target of criticism in Khashoggi’s columns for The Washington Post. President Trump has been a conspicuous cheerleader of MBS — as the 33-year-old royal is often referred to — but even he eventually spoke out against Riyadh’s handling of the matter.

“Obviously there’s been deception and there’s been lies,” Trump told The Washington Post last month when pressed on Saudi Arabia’s shifting explanations. “Their stories are all over the place.” He nevertheless chose to defend MBS, who has reportedly struck up a close personal rapport with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and has been a vociferous supporter of Trump’s efforts to confront Iran. …

“There’s going to be Americans, presumably even in the Trump administration, who are going to be telling the Saudis you’ve got to put some guardrails around this guy, and the most public way you can do that is by having a senior member of the family [become] foreign minister,” Gregory Gause, an expert on the kingdom at Texas A&M University, said to HuffPost. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/11/01/trumps-saudis-keep-fumbling-after-khashoggis-killing/?utm_term=.7ac7079daad0

Prince Ahmad bin Abdulaziz, the younger brother of King Salman, has returned to Saudi Arabia after a prolonged absence in London, to mount a challenge to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman or find someone who can.

The septuagenarian prince, an open critic of bin Salman (MBS), has travelled with security guarantees given by US and UK officials.

“He and others in the family have realised that MBS has become toxic,” a Saudi source close to Prince Ahmad told Middle East Eye.

“The prince wants to play a role to make these changes, which means either he himself will play a major role in any new arrangement or to help to choose an alternative to MBS.” …

The key question is whether he will be able to perform the same role as King Faisal, who ousted his brother Saoud in the only previous family coup in 1964. 10/31/18 https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-saudi-dissident-prince-flies-home-tackle-mbs-succession-58983364

Saudi dissident Prince Khalid Bin Farhan Al Saud says he expects a coup to be orchestrated against King Salman and his heir, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

“The coming period will witness a coup against the king and the crown prince,” he said while commenting on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Khashoggi’s killer is known and all that is happening now are attempts to postpone a direct accusation of those who had issued the orders to have him killed, which Khalid said could be none other than Mohammed Bin Salman. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181031-saudi-prince-coup-against-king-salman-imminent/

Basically,  many seem to believe that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman authorized the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Arabian embassy in Turkey.

US President Donald Trump has stated that the USA would take strong measures if this is true (http://time.com/5424150/trump-saudi-arabia-arms-deal/). Such measures could have ‘unintended consequences’ on the USA (cf. Psalm 83; see also Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?).

Whether there will be a coup or internal changes in Saudi Arabia now is what many are wondering about.

Here is a bit more about the Jamal Khashoggi matter (first item added 1310 PST):

November 1, 2018

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi as a dangerous Islamist days after his disappearance in a phone call with President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton, according to people familiar with the discussion.

In the call, which occurred before the kingdom publicly acknowledged killing Khashoggi, the crown prince urged Kushner and Bolton to preserve the U.S.-Saudi alliance and said the journalist was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group long opposed by Bolton and other senior Trump officials. …

In a statement released to The Washington Post, Khashoggi’s family called the characterization of the columnist as dangerous Islamist inaccurate.

“Jamal Khashoggi was not a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. He denied such claims repeatedly over the past several years,” the family said. “Jamal Khashoggi was not a dangerous person in any way possible. To claim otherwise would be ridiculous.” …

Although the Saudis maintained a cordial relationship with the Brotherhood for decades after its founding in Egypt as an Islamist political and social movement, Riyadh declared it a terrorist organization after the upheavals of the Arab Spring. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/saudi-crown-prince-described-slain-journalist-as-a-dangerous-islamist-in-call-with-white-house/2018/11/01/b4513e05-2d8e-4533-9cc8-2cabf8bb2d0a_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.12d1cbbd2f16

November 1, 2018

Friday will mark one month since Jamal Khashoggi waltzed into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, planning to pick up paperwork that would allow him to legally marry his Turkish girlfriend, and was never heard from or seen again. And despite repeated demands from Turkish authorities that the Saudi government reveal the location of Khashoggi’s remains, or at least identify the “local collaborator” who is said to have disposed of the body, the kingdom has repeatedly refused.

The Saudi prosecutor’s inexplicable refusal to help with the recovery of Khashoggi’s remains has apparently led the Turks to conclude that one of the particularly gruesome rumors about the circumstances of Khashoggi’s demise just might have been true. That is, after he was strangled and dismembered inside the consulate, Khashoggi’s remains were dissolved in a vat of acid, then dumped either in a well on the property of the consul general, or somewhere on the consulate grounds, according to Washington Post.  …

As US lawmakers’ calls to suspend a US-Saudi civil nuclear agreement grow louder, any confirmation that Khashoggi’s body was, in fact ,dissolved in acid could reignite the international outcry over the brutal extradition kingdom, and renew calls that members of the Saudi leadership, particularly Crown Prince Mohammad, be made to face consequences for what appears to have been an act of unmitigated brutality. https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-01/did-saudi-hit-squad-dissolve-jamal-khashoggis-body-acid

Many are outraged by the killing, etc. of Jamal Khashoggi.

It is possible that steps taken by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well as the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi have weakened some of the ruling family’s control of Saudi Arabia.

Now, as far as Saudi Arabia goes, Bible prophecy shows that it will change in the not too distant future.

Saudi Arabia will, for a time, be part of a coming confederation that will be led by the King of the South of biblical prophecy. Notice the following:

40 At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. (Daniel 11:40-42, NKJV).

43 and he hath ruled over treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the desirable things of Egypt, and Lubim and Cushim are at his steps. (Daniel 11:43, Young’s literal translation)

Before going further, it should perhaps be mentioned that the Muslim Brotherhood wants an Islamic confederation with a leader over territories like the ones that will be rued by the King of the South (watch also The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South).

Some of the peoples mentioned in Daniel 11:40-43 are Arabic as the late WCG evangelist Raymond McNair once wrote:

Daniel 11 also mentions some of the Mideast peoples who will be involved in that struggle among the nations at the close of this age. The belligerents will include the “King of the North,” the leader of the European Union (or its final outgrowth, called the “Beast”). The “King of the South” (an Islamic leader—apparently from Egypt {or} some other Muslim state) is also referred to. The following lands/peoples are specifically mentioned: Egypt, the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine), the Ethiopians (modern Cushites, south of Egypt), Libya, Edom, Moab and Ammon. Many descendants of the ancient peoples known as Edomites or Idumeans now live in the West Bank, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Arabia, Yemen, the Persian Gulf states, etc. (McNair R. Solving the Arab-Israeli Impasse! Copyright Raymond F. McNair 2005, Church of God—21st Century).

The old Worldwide/Radio Church of God further taught that Saudi Arabia would be part of a coalition warned about in the 83rd Psalm:

They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom [Esau or modern-day Turkey, a non-Arab but Islamic nation] and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; of Moab [part of Jordan] and the Hagarenes [anciently these people dwelt in the land known as Syria today]; Gebal [Lebanon], and Ammon [modern Jordan], and Amalek [part of the Turks]; the Philistines [the modern Palestinian Arabs] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Lebanon]; Assur [whose descendants, the Assyrians, migrated to Germany] also is joined with them: (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979).

Turn to the astounding prophecy found in Psalm 83:1-8. David, inspired of God, predicted the coming time when ALL of Israel’s enemies would join together in an effort to crush out even the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! (Verse 4) “For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee…” (verse 5). Notice the nations making up this confederation. “Edom [Turkey], and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; Moab [Jordan], and the Hagarenes [they anciently dwelt in the land known as Syria today]; Gebal {Lebanon}, and Ammon [Jordan] and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur [whose descendants migrated to Germany] is joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot” {Moab and Ammon in modern Jordan). Here we see that the Arab nations mentioned are allied with Germany (Assur) which we know from other prophecies will be the military leader — naturally so — of a United States of Europe…Egypt…will provoke the prophesied United Europe (Dan. 11:40). This European power — called the “king of the north” in Daniel 11 … “And the land of Egypt shall not escape”(Boraker R. SYRIA RAIDS ISRAEL – Where Is It Leading? Plain Truth. November 1966)

Now notice the following scriptures, which are also related to a coming King of the South:

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

“‘Wail and say, “Alas for that day!” 3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. 4 A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.

5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

6 “‘This is what the LORD says:

“‘The allies of Egypt will fall and her proud strength will fail. From Migdol to Aswan they will fall by the sword within her, declares the Sovereign LORD. 7 “‘They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. 8 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.

9 “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come (Ezekiel 30:1-9, NIV).

The expression “all Arabia” would seemingly have to include Saudi Arabia. Now, since it seems more likely that the coming King of the South will be an Egyptian of Arabic heritage as opposed to being someone from Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia looks to be a supporter of the coming King of the South.

As I have written for years, the situation in the Middle East and North Africa must change for various biblical prophecies to be fulfilled.

Last year, I posted the following related to some of this:

For more scriptures pointing to why the King of the South is likely to be Egyptian are found in the article Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? …

The appointment of the new crown prince will somehow align with various biblical prophecies as in a sense, he and Donald Trump may ‘stir the pot’ in that region of the world. (Thiel B. Saudi Crown Prince, Iran, and the King of the South. COGwriter, June 22, 2017)

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince has, intentionally and unintentionally, been stirring the pot.

Changes will occur in Saudi Arabia and its leaders will, for a time at least, support the coming King of the South.

Properly understood biblical prophecies are coming to pass.

COGwriter

Today is observed by many as All Saints Day, and tomorrow as All Souls’ Day.

All Souls’ Day is basically a Catholic, and not a biblical, holiday and is endorsed by the Church of Rome:

ALL SOULS Day. A solemn commemoration of, and prayer for, all the souls in Purgatory, which the Church makes on the second of November. (Addis W, Arnold T. Catholic Dictionary, 6th ed. The Catholic Publication Society Co, 1887. Nihil Obstat. EDUARDUS S. KEOGH, CONG. ORAT., Censor Deputatu Imprimatur. HENRICUS EDUARDUS, CARD. ARCHIEP. WESTMONAST. Die 18 Dec., 1883. Imprimatur. John Card. McCloskey, Archbishop of New York. Feb. 14, 1884. Copyright, Lawrence Kehoe, 1884/1887. p20)

Here is what The Catholic Encyclopedia reports about it and a related practice:

All Soul’s Day

The commemoration of all the faithful departed is celebrated by the Church on 2 November, or, if this be a Sunday or a solemnity, on 3 November. The Office of the Dead must be recited by the clergy and all the Masses are to be of Requiem, except one of the current feast, where this is of obligation.

The theological basis for the feast is the doctrine that the souls which, on departing from the body, are not perfectly cleansed from venial sins, or have not fully atoned for past transgressions, are debarred from the Beatific Vision, and that the faithful on earth can help them by prayers, almsdeeds and especially by the sacrifice of the Mass. (See PURGATORY.)

In the early days of Christianity the names of the departed brethren were entered in the diptychs. Later, in the sixth century, it was customary in Benedictine monasteries to hold a commemoration of the deceased members at Whitsuntide. In Spain there was such a day on Saturday before Sexagesima or before Pentecost, at the time of St. Isidore (d. 636). In Germany there existed (according to the testimony of Widukind, Abbot of Corvey, c. 980) a time-honoured ceremony of praying to the dead on 1 October. This was accepted and sanctified by the Church. St. Odilo of Cluny (d. 1048) ordered the commemoration of all the faithful departed to be held annually in the monasteries of his congregation. Thence it spread among the other congregations of the Benedictines and among the Carthusians.

Of the dioceses, Liège was the first to adopt it under Bishop Notger (d. 1008). It is then found in the martyrology of St. Protadius of Besançon (1053-66). Bishop Otricus (1120-25) introduced it into Milan for the 15 October. In Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, priests on this day say three Masses. A similar concession for the entire world was asked of Pope Leo XIII. He would not grant the favour but ordered a special Requiem on Sunday, 30 September, 1888.

In the Greek Rite this commemoration is held on the eve of Sexagesima Sunday, or on the eve of Pentecost. The Armenians celebrate the passover of the dead on the day after Easter. (Mershman, Francis. “All Souls’ Day.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 6 Aug. 2013 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315b.htm>)

A diptych is a sort of notebook…The liturgical use of diptychs offers considerable interest. In the early Christian ages it was customary to write on diptychs the names of those, living or dead, who were considered as members of the Church a signal evidence of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. Hence the terms “diptychs of the living” and “diptychs of the dead.” Such liturgical diptychs varied in shape and dimension. Their use (sacrae tabulae, matriculae, libri vivorum et mortuorum) is attested in the writings of St. Cyprian (third century) and by the history of St. John Chrysostom (fourth century), nor did they disappear from the churches until the twelfth century in the West and the fourteenth century in the East. (Maere, René. “Diptych.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. Nihil Obstat. May 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 6 Aug. 2013 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05022a.htm>)

So, from the above we see that All Souls’ Day is not part of original Christianity and the date has varied. The Roman Catholic practices to it are related to its purgatory doctrine, which is something that did not get developed until many centuries after Jesus–neither purgatory nor All Souls Day were endorsed by the original Church of God (see Did the Early Church Teach Purgatory?). And those in the Continuing Church of God do not endorse it to this day.

Notice another belief associated with All Souls’ Day:

On November 1, All Saints’ Day, adult spirits return, drawn by the ofrendas (altars with offerings), which serve as thresholds between this world and the next…A chair near the altar allows family members to visit with the dead before they depart on November 2nd, when the altar is taken down. The fragile paper decorations, like the transience of flowers, incense, and food, are reminders of the fleeting nature of life. Altars are reminders that the dead are welcomed by the living and continue to have a relationship with us as a natural part of life itself. (Andrade M. The Day of the Dead. http://www.burkemuseum.org/static/RR/DOFD/dofd2.htm. viewed 08/06/13)

Souls are not departing on this day as many falsely believe.

These “festivals of the dead” turn people away from God’s plan of salvation as laid forth by His Holy Days. And these death festivals encourage people to commune with, appease, serve and even worship the dead.

Speaking of the dead, notice also the following:

History of Day of the Dead ~ Día de los Muertos

Day of the Dead is an interesting holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico during the chilly days of November 1 & 2. Even though this coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul’s & All Saint’s Day, the indigenous people have combined this with their own ancient beliefs of honoring their deceased loved ones.

They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/support/dodhistory.html accessed 10/29/16

Of course none of those beliefs about deceased children reuniting for 24 hours are true. But the Church of Rome allows them.

Day of the Dead decorations

Regarding the Day of the Dead, Wikipedia reports:

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it is a national holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration takes place on November 1 and 2, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world: In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

The Day of the Dead is clearly a pagan holiday. Perhaps I should mention that in various places in California, I have seen more and more promotion of the Day of the Dead/Día de Muertos. Its observance seems to becoming more publicly popular in this State.

Christians who wish to remain faithful to the original apostolic faith will not observe All Souls’ Day, All Saints’ Day, the Day of the Dead nor endorse purgatory, but endorse God’s Holy Days (see also Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

All Saints’ Day, the Day of the Dead, and All Souls’ Day Are these original Christian observances? Does the Bible endorse them?
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays.
Did the Early Church Teach Purgatory? Is there a place called purgatory? Does God have a plan to help those who did not become saints in this life?
What is Limbo? Is There Such a Place as Limbo? What Happens to Babies When They Die? When did Limbo start being taught? What is the truth about dead babies?
Is Halloween Holy Time for Christians? This article provides some historical and biblical insight on this question.
Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality? What does John 3:16, and other writings, tell us? Did a doctrine kept adopted from paganism? Here is a YouTube video titled Are humans immortal?
What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrection? Is there more than one future resurrection? Did early Christians teach a physical resurrection? Did early Christians teach three resurrections?
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Is this pilgrimage holy day still valid? Does it teach anything relevant for today’s Christians? What is the Last Great Day–is it a dead of the dead? What do these days teach?
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? What about the use of the cross, by the early Church?
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account? Related sermon videos include Universal Offer of Salvation I: God is love and Universal Offer of Salvation II: The Age to Come and the ‘Little Flock’ and Universal Offer of Salvation III: All Are to Know Jesus, But When? and Universal Offer of Salvation IV: Will the Guilty be Pardoned? and Universal Offer of Salvation V: All Israel Will be Saved? A version of the main article was also translated in the Spanish language: Oferta universal de salvación: Hay cientos de versículos en la Biblia que apoyan la verdadera doctrina de la Apocatastasis.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.