Church of God News

Hurricane Milton (NOAA)

COGwriter

Hurricane Milton came with tornadoes and caused damage as well as some deaths:

October 10, 2024

St. Lucie County officials confirmed to WPBF 25 News that four people died following tornadoes in the area. …

Officials told us that multiple tornadoes touched down in the Spanish Lakes community, and that search and rescue crews are on their way. Deputies and firefighters are going through the rubble in the community.

Before Hurricane Milton made landfall, more than 160 tornado warnings were issued for south Florida on Wednesday, and more than a dozen tornadoes touched down throughout the day. https://www.wpbf.com/article/officials-multiple-fatalities-in-st-lucie-county-from-tornadoes/62561027

October 10, 2024

Hurricane Milton moved off Florida’s east coast early this AM, downgraded to a Cat. 1 storm. Milton made landfall around 2030 ET on Wednseday near Siesta Key, Florida, a barrier island next to Sarasota. The storm’s destructive winds and torrential rains sparked widespread power outages to over 3 million customers in the state.  …

“We have an unprecedented number of our customers who are without power,” Tampa Electric President and CEO Archie Collins told CNN’s Kasie Hunt earlier this AM. https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/hurricane-milton-swamps-florida-leaves-3-million-without-power

While this is ‘hurricane season,’ the one-two punch of Helene and then Milton has been difficult for many in the eastern US.

As regular readers of this Church of God news page are aware, hurricanes are consistent with the following scriptures about rain and wind:

26 “Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. 27 For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, 28 Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man. 29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy? 30 Look, He scatters His light upon it, And covers the depths of the sea. 31 For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance. 32 He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike. 33 His thunder declares it, The cattle also, concerning the rising storm. (Job 36:26-33)

25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders. 33 He turns rivers into a wilderness, And the watersprings into dry ground; 34 A fruitful land into barrenness, For the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings. 36 There He makes the hungry dwell, That they may establish a city for a dwelling place, 37 And sow fields and plant vineyards, That they may yield a fruitful harvest. 38 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; And He does not let their cattle decrease. (Psalms 107:25-38)

17 He casts out His hail like morsels;
Who can stand before His cold?
18 He sends out His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. (Psalms 147:17-18)

3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. 4 After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. 5 God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. 6 For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. 7 He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. 8 The beasts go into dens, And remain in their lairs. 9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. 10 By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. 11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. 12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth. 13 He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy. (Job 37:3-13)

God controls the weather. Jesus’ disciples got to see this first hand:

23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:23-27)

Presumably, the disciples learned something from that experience.

Wet weather is sometimes used by God for judgment and correction. Hurricanes are consistent with prophecy.

Some may wish to watch our video related to hurricanes and Bible prophecy:

Hurricanes and Prophecy Hurricane Harvey dropped the greatest amount of rainfall in any USA storm. Hurricane Irma was the strongest hurricane ever in the Atlantic. Hurricane Irma wiped out most of the island of Barbuda, caused a million to lose power in Puerto Rico, devastated St. Martin’s, hit Cuba, and hit Florida. A news headline stated ” ‘Nature’s gone crazy’: Winds, fire, floods and quakes plague North America.” Is there any tie to prophecy? Are heavy winds and rains discussed in the Bible? Any ties to homosexuality and other forms of immorality? What about Donald Trump and Jennifer Lawrence? Does God control the weather? What does God want people to do? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more. This is a video.

Solar storms can disrupt power, and a large enough one can be devastating that way.

As longtime readers of this page are aware, I have repeatedly warned of weather problems, including solar storms, coming. Back in 2009, in my book, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, I warned about something that would soon happen:

Odd weather patterns result in … natural disasters. Matthew 24:7 …

The world is actually in a berserk transition … It is the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:8 (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009, p. 240)

Since that was published, we have had record smashing heat, stronger hurricanes, and odd weather problems. These weather issues should serve as a wake-up call.

A reader sent me a link to the following:

Coincidence or Not, the Storms Mark the Beginning of the Most Impactful Days for America

October 9, 2024

Throughout our relatively short history as a nation, events have marked turning points that not only impact Americans but the world as a whole. The signing of the Declaration of Independence, Civil War, Pearl Harbor, 9/11, and Covid are five of the world-changing events that mark our history.

We’re in the middle of another one.

The world will change on (or around) Election Day, 2024. It is on this day that it will be declared whether the United States will continue to exist as an exceptional nation or if our time as the world’s beacon of hope has come to an end.

That is not hyperbole. …

That’s why the timing of TWO “storms of the century” is conspicuous. I’m willing to accept a small percentage chance that it’s just a coincidence. …

Probably coincidence.

The other theory is the one that should both thrill and terrify us the most. What if God is sending these massive storms to punch us in the nose ahead of our demise? I’d love to hope they’re a pair of warning shots and that brighter days are ahead, but considering how much we deserve judgment, I wouldn’t bet on it.

Solar activity that some theorize can amplify storms has been in play since right around the storms started, particularly Milton. It’s not a theory you’ll hear much about on either corporate media or alternative media because it denies the man-made narrative from both sides. Conspiracy theorists want to blame DARPA. Leftists want to blame climate change. Neither side wants to attribute any of this to the Sun, especially as a method through which God could be acting against America.

As usual, the cause doesn’t change our own actions very much. Regardless of what’s causing the storms, we need to do what we can to help those who are impacted. We must also be mindful of attempts to use the chaos from the storms to steal the 2024 election, advance the climate change agenda, or both. https://jdrucker.substack.com/p/coincidence-or-not-the-storms-mark

While many in the media believe that climate change is the cause, and to a degree it is, they fail to understand that behaviors that many in the West are promoting are factors.

God uses weather for various reasons, including to show people that this world will change.

Also to remind people that they need to change.

The recent storms are consistent with the following that Jesus foretold:

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

Major hurricanes are troubling. We are in the beginning of sorrows.

Here is something from our free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:

The Bible warns that God will “hurl disasters” against some descended from Israel (Deuteronomy 32:23, NJB) who “provoke” God (Deuteronomy 32:21-22, NKJV). Disasters, especially if there is an ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) attack, a severe solar flare storm, devastating hurricane (s) something like a massive volcanic eruption and/or massive earthquake could be part of a so-called “perfect storm” of events that could set up the U.S.A. for destruction.

Consider the devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Multiply that by other disasters. The U.S.A. is at risk. Notice, also, the following related to Dr. Michio Kaku’s assessment of Yellowstone:

Scientists assure us that one day the absolutely massive Yellowstone supervolcano will once again experience a Category 8 eruption, and if it happened today it would “literally tear the guts out of the United States of America” … “Instead of having 50 states of the Union, we would have 30 states of the Union.”[Snyder M. As Yellowstone Awakens, Dr. Michio Kaku Warns That It Could “Literally Tear The Guts Out Of The United States Of America”. Economic Collapse Blog, February 2019]

Even something lessor than that at Yellowstone or the Cascades or elsewhere could have devastating consequences. A ‘perfect storm’ of disasters, internal strife, and misplaced confidences will help make the U.S.A. a nation that can be defeated. Without the U.S.A., its British-descended allies simply do not have the military ability to hold off major military powers.

Many sorrows that the U.S.A. and its British-descended allies will face, like severe weather problems, diseases and earthquakes, will worsen in the future (Amos 4:7-10; Luke 21:11). The political leadership in those lands looks to hasten the day of destruction.

The end of the Anglo-American dominated world order of the past two or so centuries is coming to an end.

Weather events should serve as a wake-up call to all for repentance.

The Day of Atonement lasts from sunset October 11th until sunset October 12th in 2024. (A version of this article is also available in Spanish: http://www.cdlidd.es/el-macho-cabrio-degollado-representa-a-jesus/).

A unique ceremony related to the Day of Atonement is discussed in the Old Testament:

5 And from the assembly of the sons of Israel he shall take two he goats of the goats for sin, and one ram for a burnt-offering. (Leviticus 16:5, Smith’s Literal Translation; Note that this verse does not state that the goats are both for sin offerings. We see in verse 15 only one of the goat’s is described as “the sin offering.”)

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, ASV)

8 ‘And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure; 9 and Aaron hath brought near the goat on which the lot for Jehovah hath gone up, and hath made it a sin-offering. 10 ‘And the goat on which the lot for a goat of departure hath gone up is caused to stand living before Jehovah to make atonement by it, to send it away for a goat of departure into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, YLT)

Christians note the parallels between the first of the two goats with Jesus being the sin offering in verse 9 and the second of the two goats tied in with Satan (the Azazel goat).

Now the goat representing Jesus does get killed, but the goat representing Satan does not (which parallels him being placed in the bottomless pit for 1000 years in Revelation 20).

While Jewish authorities and the old Worldwide Church of God published that the Azazel goat of Leviticus 16 had to do with Satan/demons (see The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance), CGG: Church of the Great God claims that goat is actually Jesus, not Satan. Several hours ago, CGG sent out the following:

The two goats of the unique Day of Atonement ceremony are first mentioned in Leviticus 16:5, which contains an often-overlooked detail: “And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering” (emphasis ours throughout unless otherwise noted).

The “two kids of the goats” together are a single sin offering .. .A reason the animals had to be of the highest quality is that they were offered to God, who deserves only the best. A second reason is that every sacrificial animal prefigured the Savior, who was entirely without blemish or defect.

In the symbolism of a substitutionary sacrifice, an innocent participant is chosen to bear the sins of the guilty. However, this utterly fails to apply to Satan, for his millennia of sin make it impossible for him to be pictured as unblemished or innocent. (The Berean. Sent: Monday, September 18, 2023 at 08:17:12 AM EDT Subject: Leviticus 16:5 (Daily Verse and Comment)

CGG misunderstands Leviticus 16. Notice the following:

5 And from the assembly of the sons of Israel he shall take two he goats of the goats for sin, and one ram for a burnt-offering. (Leviticus 16:5, Smith’s Literal Translation; Note that it does not state that the goats are both for sin offerings. We see in verse 15 only one of the goat’s is described as “the sin offering.”)

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, ASV)

8 ‘And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure; 9 and Aaron hath brought near the goat on which the lot for Jehovah hath gone up, and hath made it a sin-offering. 10 ‘And the goat on which the lot for a goat of departure hath gone up is caused to stand living before Jehovah to make atonement by it, to send it away for a goat of departure into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, YLT)

15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. (Leviticus 16:15, NKJV)

Notice that one of the goats is for “Jehovah” and the other for one was for Azazel. Jesus was often the “Yahveh/Jehovah” in the Hebrew scriptures. Note also that the second goat is NOT later called a sin offering–only the goat to be killed was later identified that way–but when initially chosen, it was unclear which goat would be the sin offering before the lots were cast.

Christians note the parallels between the first of the two goats with Jesus being the sin offering in verse 9 and the second of the two goats with Satan (the Azazel goat).

As far as CGG’s point about sacrificial animals go, consider that the goat that was released to the wilderness was not sacrificed, which invalidates the position that all sacrificial animals had to be without physical blemish.

Could Satan or his ministers outwardly appear to be without blemish?

Yes, as the Apostle Paul wrote:

14 … For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

That is part of why lots were cast to determine the goat for the sin offering and the other for Azazel.

As far as ‘Azazel,’ notice the following:

R. Menachem interprets Azazel of Samael, the angel of death, the devil, the prince that hath power over desolate places: there are several Christian writers of great note, that understand this of the devil as Origen (b), among the ancients; and of the moderns, Cocceius (c), Witsius (d), and Spencer (e), who think that by these two goats is signified the twofold respect of Christ our Mediator; one to God, as a Judge, to whom he made satisfaction by his death; the other to the devil, the enemy with whom he conflicted in life; who, according to prophecy, was to be delivered up to Satan, and have his heel bruised by him; and who was to come, and did come into the wilderness of this world…(Gill, John. Exposition of the Entire Bible. [1746-63])

So, basically a Jewish rabbi (“R.” is an abbreviation for Rabbi) and certain leaders who professed Christ believed that the Azazel goat represented Satan. And that is consistent with the passages in Leviticus 16 and other scriptures.

Notice more about part of an Old Testament ceremony that occurred on the Day of Atonement:

And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness…And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp (Leviticus 16:20-22,26).

Notice that the atonement is over after the first goat is sacrificed. The atonement is not part of the symbolism of the second goat. While some Protestant commentators understand this correctly, others either do not know what the Azazel goat represents or think it represents the physical life of Christ. Yet, that latter explanation would not seem to be consistent with the statements in Leviticus 16:26 (bolded above).

Why?

Because notice that it is a fit man that takes the goat into the wilderness and he has to wash himself after he has released the aza’zel goat. If the second goat represented Christ, the fit man would have to wash BEFORE touching the goat (cf. Leviticus 16:4) and not AFTER releasing it. Touching the one representing Satan would make one unclean, not touching the one representing Christ. Washing in Leviticus 15 clearly was shown to be required after touching/being exposed to various things considered to be unclean.

The live goat is taken to an uninhabited land by someone, whereas Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection–and heaven is not uninhabited.

Some who claim Jesus was the released goat have pointed to the following statement from John the Baptist to support that view:

29 … Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

However, Jesus did not take away the sins of the world by leaving, He took away the sins through His sacrifice (cf. Hebrews 10:11-12).

The Bible also teaches:

28 … Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28)

Not twice as being the second goat–which was the goat representing Azazel.

Notice also:

17 If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity. (Leviticus 5:17)

15 Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. (Leviticus 24:15)

Unrepentant sinners are to bear their sins. Satan is unrepentant and has had a part if causing others to sin–Satan will bear his sins, which includes his part in pushing others to sin–not to take the sins of others away, but in order to reap what he has sowed (cf. Galatians 6:7).

Moreover, the following is also applicable to him:

52 … bear your own shame also, because the sins which you committed were more abominable than theirs; (Ezekiel 16:52)

Consider the following related to Satan and his influence:

2 … prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Ephesians 2:2-3)

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

The new Testament is clearly assigning blame to Satan–and we also know that God did as well starting with Satan deceiving Eve (Genesis 3:1-14).

The old Worldwide Church of God taught:

The English word scapegoat is not a correct translation of the Hebrew word God inspired. Most Bibles with marginal renderings show that the original word was azazel. Azazel refers to none other than Satan the devil!

The modern word scapegoat carries an entirely wrong connotation. Originally it was escape goat — the goat allowed to escape in the wilderness — that the translators took to be the meaning of azazel. But today the English word scapegoat signifies “one who bears blame or guilt for others.” As we shall see, azazel — Satan — will bear his own guilt! (MINISTUDY: The Day of Atonement in God’s Great Master Plan. Good News, August 1983)

What happened to the live goat in Leviticus 16 is symbolic of Satan for three basic reasons:

1. The term scapegoat is an inappropriate translation into English, as it implies that blame is being placed where blame is not due. The Hebrew term is actually aza’zel. This is a term that some Jewish people have historically ascribed to a Satanic adversary.
2. Satan will reap what he sows (Galatians 6:7) and yes, does bear blame for sin–including sins of others as he has been involved i influencing from the time of Adam and Eve to present.
3. What happens with the Azazel goat and what happens to Satan is quite similar, if one compares Leviticus 16:20-22,26 to Revelation 20:1-3.

The New Testament Fulfillment of the Binding of Azazel/Satan

Place called ‘Devil’s home’ in New Zealand

The New Testament shows that Satan will be bound for a thousand years to be kept away from humanity during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ:

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. (Revelation 20:1-3)

Since the above is consistent with the ceremony in the Old Testament about bringing (essentially casting) the Azazel goat into the wilderness, it appears that the binding and casting of Satan into the bottomless pit will occur on the Atonement.

Notice that the Old Testament shows that it is a fit man that places the Azazel goat, which bares blame for sins into the wilderness and in the New Testament it is an angel that places Satan, who brought sin into the world, into the wilderness of the bottomless pit.

Some Roman Catholic leaders, oddly, believe that this already happened physically or spiritually:

Revelation 20:1-3 . . . God has always respected our freedom of choice between covenant fidelity to him and to apostasy. That seems to be the theological point of this thousand-year period that is relatively free from Satanic temptations. (Kurz, W. What Does the Bible Say About the End Times? A Catholic View. Servant Books, Cincinnati. Nihil Obstat: Kistner H., Schehr T.P. Imprimi Potest: Link F., Paul J.M. Imprimatur: Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 19, 2004, p. 168, 173-174)

Millenium {sic}: Since the Holy Office decreed (July 21, 1944) that it cannot safely be taught that Christ at His Second Coming will reign visibly with only some of His saints (risen from the dead) for a period of time before the final and universal judgment, a spiritual millennium is seen in Apoc. 20:4-6. St. John gives a spiritual recapitulation of the activity of Satan, and the spiritual reign of the saints with Christ in heaven and in His Church on earth. When Christianity triumphed over the Beast (in its sixth head, the pagan Roman empire) Satan was chained. With the re-appearance of the Beast in the anti-Christian world empire (the seventh head), he will be unchained, and muster all his forces against the Church until the peak of the persecution under Antichrist. Meanwhile, the church enjoyed its milleniun {sic} with Christ enthroned among the nations. (LeFrois, Bernard J. Eschatological Interpretation of the Apocalypse. The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. XIII, pp. 17-20; Cited in Culleton RG. The Reign of Antichrist, 1951. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1974, p. 9).

Notice that the above suggests that Satan has been gone a thousand years. Does any thinking person believe that Satan was ever bound and away from the earth for 1,000 years after Revelation (which Roman Catholics often refer to as the Apocalypse) was written? This has never happened literally or spiritually–though it will in the millennium (see also
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?).

Contrary to the claims of those who do not take this portion of Revelation literally, this 1000 year binding of Satan has certainly not taken place since John was inspired to pen Revelation.

The New Testament shows that the Gentile Gospel writer Luke knew about the Day of Atonement, when he wrote:

9…sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over (Acts 27:9).

The Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God states this about the Day of Atonement (and more detail is in the article The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance):

The Day of Atonement, called “the Fast” in the New Testament (Acts 27:9), helps show our own weaknesses and need to be closer to God (Isaiah 58:5,11). This day shows that Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for our sins now (1 John 4:9-10; cf. Leviticus 16:15-16) and those that will be called in the “age to come” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; cf. Acts 3:21). It also helps picture that Satan has a role in the sins of humankind and that he will be punished by being bound for one-thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3; cf. Leviticus 16:20-26; Isaiah 14:12-16).

While some believe that what the Old Testament pictures is past, the reality is that the Holy Days help show God’s plan of salvation, and in the case of the Day of Atonement, it also shows Satan’s role in sin and his coming binding for 1000 years.

As far as Satan’s ultimate fate goes, notice the following scripture:

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2:14)

Related to Satan’s ultimate fate, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel by the late deacon Richard Close:

1:41:10

Destiny of Satan

Is Satan immortal? Does he have eternal life? Or will he perish? Will you believe what the Bible says about this? Richard Close examines many scriptures indicating that Satan’s final fate has been revealed.

Here is a link to the sermon: Destiny of Satan.

Those who have more interest may wish to study the following:

The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement.” Does it have any relevance for Christians today? Here is a link to a related article in the Spanish language: El Día de Ayuno –Su significado cristiano.
Sermon: The Bible and the Day of Atonement The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement.” Does it have any relevance for Christians today? Was it observed in the New Testament? What did some of the ancient Hebrew ceremonies surrounding it mean? Does one goat in Leviticus represent Jesus and the other Satan? How does the New Testament help answer this?
Sermon: Atonement, Fasting, and Jesus What does the Bible teach about the Day of Atonement? What was Jesus’ role? Why fast?
The Atonement Plan How does the Day of Atonement tie into God’s plan of salvation? Two sermons of related interest are available God’s Atonement and Fasting Plan and God’s Atonement Plan.
Atonement Offertory Jesus Was the Atoning Sacrifice Should an offering be taken up on the Day of Atonement? What does the Bible seem to teach about that? Was Jesus a type of atonement offering? If you send an offering, how does that support the work? Dr. Thiel goes over scriptures and facts related to this. Here is a link to the donation page of the Continuing Church of God, which includes the ability to use PayPal: http://www.ccog.org/donations/
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs.
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Michael’s Day of Atonement Quiz Another free on-line Bible quiz by my son Michael.
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject. Here is a link to it in Mandarin Chinese 禁食的重要性.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days. (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Calendario Anual de Adoración –Una crítica basada en la Biblia y en la Historia: ¿Hay un Calendario Anual de Adoración en la Biblia?
Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days? The ‘Fall’ Holy Days come every year in September and/or October on the Roman calendar. Some call them Jewish holidays, but they were kept by Jesus, the apostles, and their early faithful followers. Should you keep them? What does the Bible teach? What do records of church history teach? What does the Bible teach about the Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day? Here is a link to a related sermon: Should Christians keep the Fall Biblical Holy Days?
The Book of Life and the Feast of Trumpets? Are they related? Is so how? If not, where not? What does the Feast of Trumpets, which the Jews call Rosh Hashanah, help teach?
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? What do these days teach? A related sermon video is Feast of Tabernacles from Israel.
Should You Keep 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. Two related sermons would be Which Spring Days should Christians observe? and Fall Holy Days for Christians.
The Last Great Day: Shemini ‘Azeret What is the ‘eighth day’ of the Feast? What does it help picture? A sermon on this topic is also available: Shemini Azaret: The Last Great Day.
Christians are to Be Strangers and Pilgrims? Should Christians sojourn? What does the Bible and Feast of Tabernacles teach? A related video sermon is titled Christian Pilgrims.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2033, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？ 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.

Pro-Sanctions Sign (Pexels)

COGwriter

RT reported the following:

Sanctions have made Russian economy stronger – top academic

Western sanctions imposed on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict have made the country’s economy stronger, Nikita Anisimov, rector of the HSE University in Moscow, has said.

Speaking on behalf of HSE economists at a parliamentary hearing on the draft of the 2025-2027 federal budget on Monday, Anisimov said sanctions have effectively propelled the restructuring of the country’s economy. According to the expert, this has led to Russia “essentially ceasing” its dependence on the export of raw materials such as oil and gas for income – a task the government has been grappling with for years.

“As a result, today, largely due to the situation of external shocks and the rapid restructuring of our economy, we have been able to significantly reduce our dependence on raw materials exports. Thus, we can say that the sanctions have only made our economy stronger and more resilient,” Anisimov stated.

The subject of Russia’s successes in cutting reliance on oil and gas revenues was raised by President Vladimir Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in June. He noted that Russian GDP expanded by 3.6% last year, bouncing back from a 1.2% downturn in 2022, when the country was first targeted by the West’s wide-ranging economic restrictions. Most of that growth stemmed from non-resource-based industries such as manufacturing, construction, and agriculture, as well as trade, hospitality, and financial services, Putin said.

Last month, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov announced that the Russian economy had continued to expand in 2024, with GDP growth in the first half of the year hitting 4.7%. Siluanov said he expected GDP growth at the end of the year to be 3.9%, exceeding the figure for 2023.

Many analysts, both Russian and international, have noted that sanctions have failed to destabilize the country’s economy. Most have attributed this resilience to Russia’s swift pivot to the East for trade, as well as economic policies implemented to offset the effect of the restrictions.

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund both raised their growth forecasts for the Russian economy earlier this year. The former predicted it to grow by 2.9% in 2024, and in July upgraded Russia to a “high-income country.”

The IMF in April said it expected the country’s GDP to expand by 3.2%, faster than all advanced economies, including the US, the UK, Germany, and France. 10/08/24 https://www.rt.com/business/605405-sanctions-russian-economy-stronger/

The USA, UK, and EU have been using sanctions against Russia for a very long time. While intended to punish Russia, the sanctions have hurt the sanctioners. And in many ways, sanctions have hurt certain EU nations more than they have hurt Russia.

The US has long had a history of sanctions against Russia and the old Soviet Union. These sanctions, while having certain costs to Russia, have pushed Russia to be more self-reliant as well as less reliant on the West. The view of both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund support the view that Russia’s economy is doing very well, despite Western sanctions.

As regular readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware, I have long warned about the use of sanctions. Many of which were imposed against Russia in 2014 after its annexation of Crimea.

And back on March 18, 2019, I posted:

It remains my view that Crimea and at least parts of eastern Ukraine will ultimately align with Russia.

International sanctions will not stop biblical prophecies from being fulfilled. (Thiel B. ‘Putin in Crimea as Russia Marks Five Years Since Annexation’ the ‘Kings of the Medes’ will arise. COGwriter, March 18, 2019)

And the events of the past few years confirmed my view that sanctions and threats of sanctions would not stop Russia from having territories align with it. Additionally, Russia has ended up with at least parts of eastern Ukraine aligning with it.

I have long warned of “unintended consequences” of USA sanctions policies against Russia. Sanctions did not deter Russia.

Earlier this year, we put out the following video:

14:51

Russia, Sanctions, Transnistria, Europe & Prophecy

In 2014 the USA and European Union put sanctions on Russia because of its acquisition of Crimea. Since Russia’s ‘Special Military Operation’ into Ukraine, more sanctions were added. On February 23, 2024, the EU and USA announced more sanctions. Did the sanctions turn the “ruble into rubble” as Joe Biden hoped? Did Russia acquire more territory as Dr. Thiel warned in 2013, 2018, and 2022 prior to the current conflict? Was he right about sanctions? Will Russia and Europe acquire more territory? Will they one day trade more with each other? Will they one day turn against each other? What about Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, and Armenia? Are the Russian-led ‘kings of the Medes’ prophesied to destroy the coming Babylonian European Beast power? Does Europe, starting with Benelux to the European Economic Community to the European Union look to be fulfilling Daniel 8:9? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Russia, Sanctions, Transnistria, Europe & Prophecy.

Six years ago, we put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

15:19

Here is a link to our video: US Sanctions and Tariffs leading to New World Order?

At the beginning of this post is a pro-sanctions sign that pushed to get Russia excluded from the SWIFT banking system.

While that has, to a major degree occurred, Russia had already developed its own alternative to SWIFT (see ‘Russia Is Prepared To Disconnect From SWIFT Payment System: Foreign Ministry’) and has been encouraging other nations to bypass the SWIFT system (see ZH: Russia Urges BRICS Nations To Create Own ‘SWIFT’ System, Warns ‘Sanctions Are Destroying International Order’). Russia also has a lot of gold (see also Gold affected by European & US banking concerns; Russia announced increased gold reserves).

Also, perhaps partially related to the SWIFT restrictions, but also for investment and strategic reasons, Russia has decided to acquire some silver:

Russia may be poised to make a notable shift in its precious metals strategy, with silver potentially emerging as a key asset in the country’s expanding State Fund. According to a report released by Interfax this week and cited by Bloomberg, Russia’s Draft Federal Budget outlines plans to significantly bolster its holdings in precious metals over the coming years. Notably, the budget includes plans to acquire gold, platinum, palladium, and, for the first time, silver.

The inclusion of silver in the State Fund’s acquisition strategy marks a departure from recent trends. While central banks around the globe, particularly Russia, have set records in gold purchases following international sanctions, silver has largely remained off their radar. This latest development suggests that silver’s role in Russia’s financial strategy may be evolving.

A New Phase in Precious Metals Acquisition

Russia’s move comes as part of an ongoing response to economic sanctions that have isolated the country from the SWIFT banking system. Since then, Russia has increasingly focused on diversifying its reserves with highly liquid assets, like gold. However, the mention of silver in this latest budget is significant, as it represents the first time any central bank has explicitly included silver in its purchasing plans during the current bull market for precious metals. …

Despite its shared precious metal status, silver has traditionally been viewed differently due to its widespread use in industrial applications. A large portion of the global silver supply is consumed in manufacturing, particularly in sectors like green energy, which relies heavily on silver for products like solar panels. This has historically influenced the way governments and financial institutions approach silver as a store of value.

Yet with increasing global interest in green technology, silver’s dual role as both an industrial commodity and a potential financial asset could make it more attractive to governments seeking to hedge against economic volatility. 10/04/24 https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/precious-metals/article-823167

Since gold is dozens of times more expensive per ounce than silver, it takes less space to stock silver. As far as silver goes, the Bible shows it will have value after the US dollar tanks. We have a video related to silver:

15:10

Silver, Science, and Scripture

What is silver? What is it used for? How long has it been used? Will it have use in the future? There was an archaeological discovery that concluded that silver was used as a form of payment 3,700 years ago in the Levant (roughly the area of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria)–that was 500 years earlier than many thought it had been used there. Was silver shown to be used even a couple of centuries earlier than that by Abraham in the Bible? What is dross? Did ancient Rome have dross coins? Did the USA switch to dross coins instead of silver in 1965? Does the Bible teach against the use of dross? Does the Bible prophesy that silver will have value into the Great Tribulation? Are there Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies pointing to Great Monarch amassing precious metals and the Antichrist using wealth as bait? Will there be a time when people toss their silver into the street? Are there any radioactive risks with silver? Will gold and silver have value in the millennium? What does the word of God teach is more valuable than gold or silver? What should you invest in? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Silver, Science, and Scripture.

Russia’s decision to add silver to its strategic investments, in my opinion, is wise. And having it looks to do more than dealing with sanctions.

Now, as far as sanctions go, it is not that sanctions do not have a cost to the nation sanctioned and the nation sanctioning, but the reality is that there are usually ways to work around those sanctions.

Related to financial transactions, in addition to coming up with its own system to bypass SWIFT, Russia also took steps this year in order to use cryptocurrencies which bypass SWIFT. Related to that, we made the following video this Summer:

14:59

Russia, USA, & Bitcoin

On July 30, 2024, Russian lawmakers passed a bill that will allow businesses to use cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, to skirt Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s Special Military Operation into Ukraine. This is to come to force in September 2024. This is hoped to help with trade between Russia, China, India, the United Arab Emirates, and others. What are several advantages to Russia in doing so? Could there be “unintentional consequences” in dealing with Bitcoin? Is Bitcoin “as good as good” or silver? What does the Bible teach about gold? Does the Bible allow for the ‘666’ power to use unregulated Bitcoin? Was a bill been introduced in the US Congress for its Treasury to purchase 1 million Bitcoin? Has Donald Trump made statements about the USA stockpiling Bitcoin should he again become President of the United States? Does the Bible warn against debt accumulation, show that the USA dollar will one day be worthless, and prophesy that the strongest military on the earth will be conquered? Should you rely on any nation, gold, or cryptocurrency? What should Christians rely on? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Russia, USA, & Bitcoin.

Let me add that a major cost to US sanctions on Russia and others is that more and more countries are looking at ways to bypass the US dollar (see also yesterday’s post: MW: Can America Survive Global De-Dollarization? COGwriter: No!).

The time will come when the US dollar is worth no more than the cotton-paper it is printed on or its nostalgic value.

Sanctions against Russia have repeatedly failed in their official purpose, yet it seems like ever few months there are leaders who call for more of them.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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 as are two video sermonettes Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy and 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? Are we close to the battle with Gog and Magog? Four related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code), and Gog, Magog, Vladimir Putin, and Ezekiel 38?
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.
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What About Silver? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold and silver? Two videos of related interest may be: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar and Silver, Science, and Scripture.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

(Pixabay photo)

COGwriter

Deutsche Welle and EuroNews reported the following:

9 October 2024

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban delivered a speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday as part of Hungary’s rotating presidency of the European Council.

The right-wing nationalist was greeted in Strasbourg, France, by protest over his increasingly authoritarian rule in his home country and his friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The European Union needs to change, and I would like to convince you about that today,” Orban said, calling the current era the “most serious period” in the 27-member bloc’s history.

He said that the escalating conflict in the Middle East would prompt a “migration crisis” that might cause the Schengen open border system to “fall apart.”

“Our union needs to change, and the presidency wants to be the catalyst for this change,” he added, suggesting the bloc regularly hold migration summits.

Despite some jibes from left-wing lawmakers before he spoke, EU parliamentarians listened quietly to the speech. It was only toward the end, as a round of the antifascist anthem “Bella Ciao” broke out, that things began to get rowdy. …

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has told top EU officials toboycott meetings organized by the Hungarian presidency, slammed Orban after his remarks.

9 October 2024

Viktor Orbán and Ursula von der Leyen clashed head-on during a fiery debate at the European Parliament on Wednesday that saw both leaders outline opposing visions for Europe’s future and lay bare their strong dislike for each other. …

Orbán, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, opened his nearly 30-minute-long speech by saying the EU “needs to change” because it faces “the most serious period” in its modern history.

The premier raised the alarm about the bloc’s economic stagnation and called for strong action to boost competitiveness and close the gap with the United States and China, in line with the findings of the Mario Draghi report presented in September.

He then assailed von der Leyen’s Green Deal for failing to consider “industrial policy” in its design, a grievance that has extended beyond conservative circles, and directly blamed the EU’s sluggish growth and high energy prices on the common strategy to “move away” from Russian fossil fuels in the aftermath of the Ukraine war.  …

But while the premier played it relatively safe on the economy and climate, he drastically raised the debate’s temperature when he tackled the topic of irregular migration … “The facts speak for themselves,” …

As a solution, he proposed, the EU should focus on establishing “outside hotspots” in neighbouring countries to process asylum applications. Only those whose requests have been approved should be allowed into European territory, he argued.

“Without outside hotspots, we cannot protect Europeans from irregular migration,” he told MEPs. “Other solutions are, quite frankly, an illusion.”

The idea of offshoring migration procedures has gained traction in recent months, going from niche to mainstream. In May, 15 member states signed a letter pitching several proposals to advance the project, a clear sign of growing support. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/10/09/viktor-orban-and-ursula-von-der-leyen-clash-in-fiery-debate-at-european-parliament

While many at Europe’s Parliament objected to Viktor Orban and his speech, the fact is that many within Europe want the migration policies changed.

For example, notice the following:

October 9, 2024

European Union (EU) leaders claim they wish to reform the bloc’s migration policies and speed up deportations, as major members call on the European Commission to enact new guidelines later this month. France and Germany, the largest countries in the bloc by population, have joined others in calling on the Commission, the EU’s unelected executive, to produce new guidelines by October 17 “for determined action at all levels to increase and speed up returns from the European Union.”

EU leaders are set to meet in Brussels, Belgium, next week and are pushing for a change in migration policy as anti-mass migration parties surge in polls and win elections across the EU. The most recent—and one of the most notable—was the election victory of the populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPOe), which not only advocates for “Fortress Austria” border controls but also for a policy of “remigration.”

A number of populists have proposed remigration, which could involve deporting illegals or even legal migrants who refuse to integrate into society. For the Sweden Democrats, who now have a role in the Swedish government, remigration could involve stripping criminal migrants of Swedish citizenship.

Some countries in Europe have tried to strengthen immigration measures on their own, with Germany enacting 6-month-long land border controls after several fatal mass stabbings involving Islamist-inspired migrants, despite being members of the EU’s open borders Schengen agreement. https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/10/09/europeans-may-finally-be-trying-to-speed-up-deportations/

Yes, the Europeans want to change immigration policies.

What about changing the EU itself?

The EuroNews article stated some of Viktor Orban’s economic proposals were “in line with the findings of the Mario Draghi report presented in September.”

Well, Mario Draghi basically also called for the EU to reorganize last month (see Call for Europe to unify and reorganize by Mario Draghi).

Even though they do not agree on a lot politically, even France’s President Emmanuel Macron seemed to call for a reorganization this past Spring. Notice a report:

EU in serious danger – Macron

The bloc is living through a crisis of democracy and could end up “dying,” the French president warns

26 May 2024

The EU is facing a record number of “external and internal enemies,” who pose an existential threat to the bloc, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, doubling down on a warning he’d given earlier, that “our Europe” could end up dying.

Macron made the remarks while speaking alongside Germany’s head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on the first of his three-day state visit. The two attended the Festival of Democracy, held in Berlin’s government quarter, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the country’s constitution.

“I think that we are experiencing a moment in our Europe which is existential because I really believe that our Europe can die,” Macron stated, referring to a keynote speech he’d delivered in April.

The French president urged a vote for pro-EU forces in the upcoming European elections, warning the bloc has “never had so many enemies inside and outside” as it has now. The purported internal enemies are apparently European nationalists, with their rise raising questions about democracy itself, Macron asserted. https://www.rt.com/news/598263-macron-eu-democracy-crisis/

Well, the time will come when 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)

So, the final Beast will arise with support of ten who will have been given power in a reorganization.

But it will not be a democracy after those reorganizations happen.

Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Related to that, we put out the following sermon:

Here is a link to the sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.

Now, even though EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen clashed with Viktor Orban today, she, too, has pushed for Europe to change, to reorganize.

Related to change and prophecy in Europe, we put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:47

Europe to Expand and Reorganize?

In September 2023, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave her annual State of the European Union speech. It was a motivational speech to push Europeans to support bold moves for expansion, trade, and international influence. She also mentioned Europe’s Global Gateway project as well as her involvement in getting the G20 to go for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Several days after her speech, a report titled Sailing on High Seas: Reforming and Enlarging the EU for the 21st Century put out by Europeans from Germany and France, called for an overhaul of the European Union so that it could manage expanding to over 30 nations. Will Europe reorganize? What does the Bible teach in Revelation 17:12-13? Will this involve more than 10 or 11 currently existing nations? Will this end up being a dictatorship? Could any of this have to do with the coming ‘King of the North’ of Daniel 11? Could a Bavarian ‘strongman’ possibly be involved in the future? Could the year 2030 be relevant? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie discuss these matters and more.

Here is a link to our video: Europe to Expand and Reorganize?

Europe will reorganize per Revelation 17:12-13. However, it will not end up as Viktor Orban, Emmanuel Macron, Mario Draghi, or Ursula von der Leyen hope.

Several 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 are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
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.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
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? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
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 are links to three related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For. The Future King of the North, and Rise of the Prophesied King of the North.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

People Fasting in New Zealand

COGwriter

From sunset the 11th of October through sunset the 12th of October is the Day of Atonement for 2024.

On the Day of Atonement, the Bible says to “afflict your souls” (Leviticus 23:32).

In Isaiah 58:5 the Bible teaches that a fasting day is a day to afflict one’s soul. Furthermore, notice something else from Isaiah:

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

14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts,
“Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you,
Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts. (Isaiah 22:12-14)

Notice that not avoiding food when told to is equated to having no atonement. And while the word translated as atonement in Isaiah 22:14 is not the identical Hebrew word in Leviticus 23, it is similar and apparently has similar connotations.

The Day of Atonement was called “the Fast” in Acts 27:9.

Thus, those in the Church of God who are faithful and able fast on the Day of Atonement. That is, they avoid all food and drink for the entire 24 hours of that day.

Are there any benefits associated with that?

First notice what the Bible teaches:

5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

“If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. (Isaiah 58:5-12)

So, the Bible teaches both physical and spiritual benefits and responsibilities from fasting.

Here are some comments from Herbert W. Armstrong about fasting:

FASTING AND PRAYER: There is . . . NOTHING like fasting and prayer for drawing close to God, re-establishing contact, being filled with His Spirit. For this purpose it is better to fast completely — no fruit-juice of any kind. In Bible times they sometimes fasted without even water, but sometimes water was used. Personally I think results will be obtained if one drinks water, but nothing else.

For purely spiritual purposes a fast of from one to three days is usually sufficient. You may expect headaches, and a very thick-headed feeling the first few days. It is not pleasant. It is, in Bible language, AFFLICTING THE SOUL. It takes courage and will-power, and self-denial. I recommend, for this purpose, dividing your time three ways: about one third in studying the subject of fasting in the Bible, and other Bible study. Use a good concordance, and your marginal references if your Bible has them. If not you should get one which has. Look up all you can find under fasting. Then about a third of your time in meditation — turning over in your own mind by yourself WHY you have not been closer to God, thinking out just HOW you have been letting the worldly things creep in, meditating on what you have read in the Bible, applying it to yourself and your spiritual condition. Then, spend one full third of your time in earnest PRAYER.

Did you ever spend one solid HOUR in prayer, alone with God in some private room, on your knees? Very few ever have. If you haven’t, the first time you do it you’ll find it will take as much will-power and self-denial as forcing yourself to stay on a fast and resisting that gnawing hunger feeling. In five or ten minutes, or less, every excuse in the world will come into your mind. You aren’t in the mood now — why not do it later? You just think of something that ought to be done, and you think you must go do it right now. Yes, I know what will come to your mind, for I have done it and I know by experience. But if you will resist every temptation, and STAY on your knees, even though you think your prayer isn’t going as high as the ceiling, in at least 30 or 40 minutes the devil will probably give up and let you alone and you’ll find you are establishing contact with God, and you’ll find you are beginning to really ENJOY talking to Him — just pouring out your soul to Him — telling him all about it. Pause, once awhile, and meditate, and let God talk to you. (Armstrong HW. Importance of Fasting. July 7, 1948)

In addition to humbling ourselves and helping us to realize how much we need to rely on God and drawing closer to him, fasting is considered to have certain physical benefits. Some, though sadly not yet most, in the medical world are realizing that there seem to be health benefits from fasting:

The power of intermittent fasting

Scientists are uncovering evidence that short periods of fasting, if properly controlled, could achieve a number of health benefits, as well as potentially helping the overweight, as Michael Mosley discovered…

Calorie restriction, eating well but not much, is one of the few things that has been shown to extend life expectancy, at least in animals. We’ve known since the 1930s that mice put on a low-calorie, nutrient-rich diet live far longer. There is mounting evidence that the same is true in monkeys…

IGF-1 levels can be lowered by fasting. The reason seems to be that when our bodies no longer have access to food they switch from “growth mode” to “repair mode”.

As levels of the IGF-1 hormone drop, a number of repair genes appear to get switched on according to ongoing research by Professor Valter Longo of the University of Southern California…

Current medical opinion is that the benefits of fasting are unproven and until there are more human studies it’s better to eat at least 2000 calories a day. If you really want to fast then you should do it in a proper clinic or under medical supervision, because there are many people, such as pregnant women or diabetics on medication, for whom it could be dangerous. August 4, 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19112549

Fasting Reduces Risk of Heart Disease.

In a study of more than 4,500 Mormons in Utah, researchers examined behaviors that were associated with lower risk of coronary artery disease—heart disease. After accounting for other factors (smoking, alcohol use, coffee and tea ingestion), researchers discovered that those who fasted routinely (without food or drink) were at lower risk for heart disease than those who did not fast. Fasting was also associated with lower diabetes risk (The American Journal of Cardiology, October 1, 2008)-WA Update.

Fasting twice a year rebuilds Immune System

A New Study Has Suggested That Fasting Could Help The Body To Fight Off Disease By Regenerating The Immune System. The Study Added That Fasting For Two Days Can Regenerate The Immune System.

June 8, 2014

For the study, the effects of fasting for two to four day periods for six months on both mice and humans were tested by the researchers. In both cases, it was found that long periods of not eating significantly lowered white blood cell counts.

And in mice, each cycle of fasting then ‘flipped a regenerative switch’ that led to the regeneration of new white blood cells, which in turn renews the defence system of the body.

Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and the Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California, said: “It gives the OK for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system. And the good news is that the body got rid of the parts of the system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting.”

He added that a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or aging, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system.

The study also revealed that levels of the enzyme PKA, reduces as a result of fasting. This increases longevity in simple organisms, as well as levels of the hormone IGF-1, which has been linked to ageing, tumour progression and cancer risk. http://www.delhidailynews.com/news/Fasting-regenerates-immune-system-1402181003/

Fasting is a health booster for many and also seems to increase longevity.

Of course, those who risk death or major health problems should not fast. But for others, it can be a healthy thing to do from a physical, as well as spiritual, perspective.

Some people, especially those who consume caffeine regularly, find fasting difficult. Those who wean down off of caffeine sometimes find fasting easier than they would have otherwise.

Here are some Jewish tips to prepare for fasting:

Tips for Easier Fasting

Tips to prepare for the fast include: drinking at least two liters of water a day (10 cups) on the days before the fast, and eating whole grains and vegetables on the day before, while avoiding sugar, spicy, fried and salty foods that cause thirst.

Those who drink significant amounts of beverages containing caffeine daily (coffee, non-herb teas, colas) are advised to reduce the amount gradually, starting several days before the fast to prevent caffeine addiction symptoms which can include headaches and nausea.

The last meal before the fast, known as the seudah hamafseket, should not include unfamiliar, spicy, or fried foods, and should omit vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli.

After the fast, those who have abstained from drinking and eating are advised to rehydrate slowly, with a sweet drink, and begin eating with a snack, followed approximately one hour later by a light meal. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/148579

In my own case, I tend to drink a little more water the day before fasting and avoid saltier foods (if I drink a lot more water, I do not feel as good). Also, those who fast more regularly throughout the year tend to have less difficulties fasting than those that do not (people with hypoglycemia, etc. excepted).

The Christian Day of Atonement, comes after the Feast of Trumpets (also known as Rosh Hoshana or Rosh Hashanah) and is considered to be part of God’s plan of salvation as shown in the biblical (though often called ‘Jewish’) holy days.

In its Statement of Beliefs , the Continuing Church of God states:

The Day of Atonement, called “the Fast” in the New Testament (Acts 27:9), helps show our own weaknesses and need to be closer to God (Isaiah 58:5,11). It also helps picture that Satan has a role in the sins of humankind and that he will be bound for one-thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3; cf. Leviticus 16:20-26; Isaiah 14:12-16).

Thus, because of its New Testament references, the Day of Atonement is something that should be highly relevant for Christians.

Those who can in the Continuing Church of God fast annually on the Day of Atonement as well as periodically throughout the year.

God’s Atonement and Fasting Plan

The Day of Atonement is part of God’s plan. It pictures that Jesus paid the penalty for sins and that Satan will bear guilt for his actions. What does it mean to ‘afflict your soul’? Why do many connect this with fasting? If Christians should fast, is drinking water okay as part of a biblical fast? What are some of the lessons of the Day of Atonement and fasting? Are there benefits from fasting? Did Jesus expect His followers to fast? Did the Apostle Paul fast? Is there any particular day Christians should fast? What does the Azazel goat of Leviticus represent? Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more.

Here is a link to the video: God’s Atonement and Fasting Plan.

Here is a link to a related offertory: Atonement Offerings?

Here is the sermon made and recommended for 2021:

1:11:14

Jesus THE Atonement

The Jews call it Yom Kippur and Christians call it the Day of Atonement. In transliterated Hebrew, the Bible calls the day Yom Hakippurim, which is Hebrew for “Day of the Atonements.” What do Old Testament scriptures say about it? Why is fasting associated with it? Did Jesus shed His blood only for Christians in this age? What about the age to come? If Jesus is only to be sacrificed once, why is He symbolically sacrificed as the Passover lamb as well as one of the goats associated with the Atonement ceremony in the Book of Leviticus? Is the Day of Atonement referred to in the Book of Acts? Is there evidence that Christians kept the Day of Atonement throughout the church age? Why should Christians observe it? Dr. Thiel addresses these topics and more in this video sermon.

Here is a link to the sermon: Jesus THE Atonement.

Several items of possibly related interest include:

The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement.” Does it have any relevance for Christians today? What is the Jubilee? Is fasting healthy? Here is a link to a sermon: Christians, the Day of Atonement, and Fasting; here is another sermon: Day of Atonement: How Jesus fulfilled His part for the Atonement. Here is a link to a related article in the Spanish language: El Día de Expiación –Su significado cristiano.
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject. Here is a link to it in Mandarin Chinese 禁食的重要性.
The Atonement Plan How does the Day of Atonement tie into God’s plan of salvation? Two sermons of related interest are available God’s Atonement and Fasting Plan and God’s Atonement Plan.
Does God Heal Today? This historical article is by Herbert Armstrong and provides his views on healing circa 1952, which he seemed to later modify, at least to some degree.
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.
How to Keep God’s Festivals Many have heard of God’s Holy Days and wonder how they are kept in the 21st century. This is an overview article. A related sermon is also available titled: How to Keep God’s Feasts.
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days. (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Calendario Anual de Adoración –Una crítica basada en la Biblia y en la Historia: ¿Hay un Calendario Anual de Adoración en la Biblia?
Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days? The ‘Fall’ Holy Days come every year in September and/or October on the Roman calendar. Some call them Jewish holidays, but they were kept by Jesus, the apostles, and their early faithful followers. Should you keep them? What does the Bible teach? What do records of church history teach? What does the Bible teach about the Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day? Here is a link to a related sermon: Should Christians keep the Fall Biblical Holy Days?
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2033, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: OUeåf/y^v„W#eåÿ Ù‘Ìf/NNýy^v„W#eåeåS†NÎ2013^tó2024^t0.
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful to the word of God and original Christianity.

COGwriter

The international move to push aside the US dollar continues. India, which is involved in that, says it really is not intentional:

India Denies Targeting US Dollar as Dedollarization Reshapes Global Trade

October 8, 2024

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clarified that the country is not targeting the U.S. dollar in its economic policy, despite shifts in global trade and currency usage. Speaking in Washington, he emphasized that India’s trade adjustments are driven by practical concerns related to partners with dollar shortages, not a strategic effort to undermine the dollar’s dominance. https://news.bitcoin.com/india-denies-targeting-us-dollar-as-dedollarization-reshapes-global-trade/

India is saying it is doing what is best for itself. De-dollarization may or may not be intentional on India’s part, but the result is that it is occurring. Plus, India is a key member of the BRICS+ alliance, and de-dollarization is one of the intentional goals of BRICS. The BRICS+ alliance includes Russia, China, and various African and Asian nations.

Notice the following report:

October 6, 2024

Rumors have swirled around the potential unveiling of a BRICS economic alliance currency, thought to be called “the unit,” that will put further pressure on the U.S. dollar amid rising de-dollarization efforts from countries looking to increase economic sovereignty.  …

BRICS, the acronym for the five original members of the economic summit – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – is believed to have received interest in the rumored currency from more than 30 countries. …

Russia and its allies have been forced to move away from the U.S. dollar thanks to sanctions enacted by the West and, in turn, rumors about a BRICS-based currency have began to swirl. …

A new currency

Reports have since suggested the potential new BRICS currency will be 40% backed by gold and 60% backed by reserves in member currencies.

Meanwhile, reserve banks across the globe have added large amounts of gold to their coffers in recent years, further fueling speculation of a new gold-backed currency. Gold prices have risen exponentially in 2024 and is currently trading at about $2,650 an ounce.

While most experts don’t expect the new currency to be fully unveiled during this month’s BRICS alliance summit, they expect major headway in planning and discussions.

India, an original alliance member, has been speculated to be caught in the middle of the rumored currency creation – not wanting to abandon its U.S ties but still supporting some form of new world reserve currency. …

However, it’s clear the world’s efforts to dethrone the dollar are ramping up, and precious metals markets are unquestionably on the front lines of that war. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/precious-metals/article-823389

Related to the US dollar and BRICS, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:31

BRICS Push Aside USA Dollar

The BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) have as one of their founding goals, to eliminate the need to use USA dollars in cross-border trade. Six additional nations have been invited to join BRICS in 2024, and India reports that six more are also being looked at. The BRICS nations have already begun to drop the USA dollar for some cross-border trading with Russia and China indicating that they had almost done so completely in late 2023. What will happen to the economy and value of the USA dollar if more and more nations stop using it as a primary reserve and trading currency? What about hyperinflation? Does the Bible prophesy destruction for a highly indented nation in the end time? Is the USA the most indebted nation of all time? What about the intent and use of the Euro? Will Europe and Asia cooperate to eliminate the USA and its British-descended allies?

Here is a link to our video: BRICS Push Aside USA Dollar.

Now, notice something from Mises Wire:

Can America Survive Global De-Dollarization?

“Money does not grow on trees” is an old expression of wisdom that seems to have been disregarded by 21st century American policymakers. People all over the world and throughout time base their decisions primarily through lived experience. The US dollar became the world’s reserve currency in the aftermath of World War II, which is now almost eighty years ago. There is virtually no one in power at the American government or in leading institutions who has a living memory from before that period.

In fact, the elite status of US currency has been taken for granted and is being eroded by policies that create inflation as well as sanctions that exclude other nations from participating in the global economy that America dominates through its money. There is the danger that the constant erosion could precipitate an avalanche that could cause the dollar to lose its status.

This would shock the United States economy with massive price increases on consumer goods while crippling the local, state, and federal governments because deficit spending will no longer be possible if no one buys the debt. In this scenario, states like California and New York might find themselves turning to the federal government for some type of bailout while smaller states with more balanced budgets might find themselves wondering why they should be paying the bill for someone else’s reckless spending that they had no part of, which in turn could create a crisis of unity among the United States of America. …

And, if the dollar stops being accepted by producers in other nations for payment, then the trade deficit will become a shortage of goods manufactured abroad. The decrease in supply will lead to rising prices.

The ability to create money out of thin air will lose its magic as that money becomes near worthless as a form of payment. Everyone in America will feel the pain and, when people are struggling, they are less able and willing to help others, especially when they blame the out-of-control spending of some for the predicament that everyone is in. The danger to the United States of America is very real but it is also fixable, although it won’t be easy and it will require leaders that are not afraid to make difficult decisions instead of kicking them down the road. 10/04/24 https://mises.org/mises-wire/can-america-survive-global-de-dollarization

No, the US cannot survive this without massive change which it does not appear to be able to do. Yes, the danger to the US is real. And while in theory it is still fixable, that will not happen. Neither a possible Trump-Vance or Harris-Walz Administration has proposed anything that would truly stop de-dollarization. Actually threats against nations involved, by Donald Trump, as well as policies suggested by Kamala Harris, will tend to increase the speed of de-dollarization.

After I wrote the above, someone sent me the following in an email by Nick Giambruno:

The Unstoppable Path to Ever-Increasing Currency Debasement

October 8, 2024

How will the Fed EVER escape the trap of ever-increasing currency debasement?

I don’t think it will be possible.

It’s like being on a runaway train with no brakes.

When you put together the pieces to see the Big Picture, it’s clear that ever-increasing currency debasement is the inescapable outcome of the US government’s debt spiral.

Step #1: It’s politically impossible to even slow the federal spending growth rate, let alone cut it.

Step #2: Issuing ever-increasing amounts of debt is the only way to finance continuously expanding budget deficits.

Step #3: An ever-growing interest expense on the ever-growing federal debt compounds the problem because it adds to the deficit, which needs to be financed with even more debt, which causes more interest expense. In other words, the debt spiral is here.

Step #4: The skyrocketing interest expense threatens the solvency of the US government and forces the Fed to cut interest rates, buy Treasuries, and implement other monetary easing measures to try to control it.

Step #5: The money supply expands due to the Fed’s interest cost control measures.

Step #6: As the money supply expands prices rise, which compounds the problem as it increases government spending (go back to step #1).

The US dollar is going away as the world’s premier currency and the damage to the US economy is beyond what most of its politicians realize.

That said, it is not just Russia, China, and parts of Africa and Asia that are pushing towards de-dollarization. They are also in the process of increasing their gold reserves, partially at the expense of decreasing their US dollar reserves.

Notice something several years back related to Europe:

De-Dollarization: Europe Joins the Party

The ongoing “World War of Currencies”, as the German journalist Daniel D. Eckert called it, the battle for the future of the world monetary system is not a shallow action film but more like Game of Thrones – a complex series with hundreds of actors and locations, stretching over decades and demanding full concentration from the viewer.

The bottom line is that what has been true for decades still applies. The US dollar continues to enjoy the confidence of markets, governments, and central banks. But faith in the US dollar weakens a little every year. Europe, China, Russia and many small countries set new initiatives every year to make themselves independent. And gold, too, plays a major role in this slow departure from the US dollar. But for the world financial system, none of their currencies offer a viable, fully-fledged alternative to the US dollar yet, which is why any news of the death of the US dollar is definitely exaggerated.

Europe’s Small Uprising

Since the Greek crisis of 2012, the American media have often given the impression that the EU and the euro have already broken up or are about to break up. This is not the case. Twenty years after its creation in 1999, the euro area is larger than ever. Of course, nothing is perfect in the EU. The debt problems of the southern states have hardly improved. The structure of the euro zone itself is also often criticized and described as being in need of renovation. …

The euro currently accounts for around 20% of global currency reserves. This amount exceeds the euro zone’s share of global economic output. Around 36% of global payments are already made in the euro. The US dollar is at 40%. The EU imports oil and gas worth around EUR 300bn annually. But 80% of these are still invoiced in US dollars today. In view of the fact that only 2% of energy imports come from the USA, Juncker commented: “It is also absurd that European companies buy European planes in dollars instead of euros.”2 Despite all the economic, political and structural problems within the euro area, this is a statement full of self-confidence. …

You also have to ask yourself why the central banks are such hard-working gold buyers.

The answer is de-dollarization. Gold, which many central banks now include in their balance sheets at market value, offers an alternative. …

Only the next major crisis will show whether the euro, the yuan, or gold will really be able to do any harm to the leading currency status of the US dollar – or whether the US dollar still has enough life left in it to prevail. 09/13/19 https://mises.org/wire/de-dollarization-europe-joins-party

Yes, it will take time for the US dollar to be dethroned. Yes, gold and the Europeans will be involved. Many seems to forget that one of the purposes of the euro was to reduce the need to trade in US dollars in Europe. That has resulted in relatively little cross-border trade in US dollars across Europe.

Do not think that Europe will not one day support the complete toppling of the US dollar as well as the US itself (cf. Daniel 11:39).

The Hebrew prophet Habakkuk was told by God to write the following:

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry…5 Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man … 6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his–how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you. Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. (Habakkuk 2:3,5,6-8).

The time will come when world will wake up to the fact that the USA cannot possibly pay back its debts and will take successful military actions against the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39).

I have long believed that Europe will one-day have some type of gold-backing for its currency (and published about that back in 2009).

After the US dollar is gone, the Bible shows that Europe will dominate international trade and finance, and this will involve gold (cf. Daniel 11:37-43; Revelation 18). It will also make deals with the BRICS+ nations.

The Bible shows that the European King of the North will end up with gold. Daniel 11:43:

43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.

The “he” is the King of the North. This is the same King of the North that valued gold and silver in Daniel 11:38. Although other scriptures also show that gold and silver will have value around this time (like Revelation 18; 9:20), the Bible is clear that gold and silver will be worthless for a short time before Jesus returns, e.g. Ezekiel 7:19.

The fact that the King of the North himself will accumulate gold (and some silver) is consistent with several Byzantine (“Greek” Orthodox) prophecies of their expected Great Monarch:

Emperor Leo the Philosopher (died 912): You will amass gold…And you will be the leader of the surrounding nations…

Addressed to Emperor Manuel II Palaeogous (died 1425): The Emperor…will discover gold and silver…

Saint Andrew Fool-for-Christ (c. 4th century): God will reveal to this king all the gold wherever it happen to lay concealed from view…

One side note is that, in Egypt, major gold deposits were found in 2006. This is relevant as it does prove that Egypt now has enough gold that a foreign power could be interested in taking/using it as Bible prophecy teaches.

Since many are now questioning the role of the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency, more are looking into other currencies as well as gold.

Gold will set records in US dollar terms.

Now, I have made the previous statement many times, and gold has set records in US dollar terms many times since I started writing that statement.

It has been reported by others that many nations around the world are already in the process of accumulating gold to one day overthrow the U.S. dollar—and that the “U.S. is unprepared for this strategic alternative to dollar dominance.”

When the U.S. dollar totally collapses people all around the world will consider that even if the euro (or something similar) is strong, having a more gold-backed currency would be safer.

The collapse of the USA dollar will shake a lot of the world’s confidence in non-gold backed currencies.

The Europeans do not have to have a perfect currency, only one that is perceived to be in better shape than the US dollar.

Having the European power acquiring more gold to back the Euro or possibly another future European currency (that might potentially replace the Euro or even a basket of currencies) may greatly increase European credibility, prosperity, and influence around the globe, even if the backing is only implied.

The debt accumulation policies of the US government are going to be a factor in the dollar’s and the US’s decline.

The increases in America’s debt are heading the world into the time when something other than the US dollar will be valued as its reserve currency.

The US would need to make massive changes to possibly prevent this.

The end of US dollar dominance is coming.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
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.
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.
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold and silver? Two videos of related interest may be: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar and Silver, Science, and Scripture.
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 are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?

COGwriter

Deutsche Welle reported the following:

Could Germany repeat its Nazi past?

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party did well in the country’s recent state elections, and has been on the rise for years. Some fear Germany could be at risk of reverting back to its dark Nazi past.

7 October 2024

In the eastern state of Thuringia, the extreme right has become the strongest force in the state parliament for the first time in post-war history. The development has triggered comparisons to the rise of Hitler – it was in Thuringia that the Nazis first entered a regional government, just three years before Hitler took power nationwide. …

But is the Germany of 2024 really comparable to that of 1933? … Back then, neo-Nazis wanted to make the small town of Langen in Hesse the first “foreigner-free” town in Germany. After German reunification in 1990, right-wing extremist groups also became increasingly influential in East Germany. Is the AfD’s election success a further step in the growth of the far-right in Germany and a threat to democracy? https://www.dw.com/en/could-rise-of-german-right-lead-country-back-to-nazi-era/video-70427257

Germany has allowed in many foreigners and many in Germany want them gone. This is a bit different than in 1933, but in many ways because of the recent throngs of Muslim immigrants, some see this as worse.

As far as repeating its Nazi past goes, that was long the view of the old Radio Church of God:

At a rally of 500 in 1958, in the city of Munich, former SS Colonel Julius Zuchbold addressed his old Nazi cronies with this summation of the present German situation: “We do not intend to go to sleep. We will stay alert and exploit all rights and privileges which the democratic system offers to us. Yet we will be a power WHENEVER WE DECIDE TO BECOME A POWER!” (The New Germany and the Old Nazi, by T. H. Tetens, page 80.)

Just as Gehlen’s intelligence agents were asked to go underground and later brought out to apparently serve the West, every other phase of German activity has followed the same pattern.’ The Krupps and the Flicks are back in German industry, the Hermann Abs and Robert Pferdmenges are back in German banking, Dr. Hans Globke, one of Hitler’s chief assistants, is the right-hand man of Dr. Adenauer in the present German government!

The situation is summed up by Mr. William L. Shirer — author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich — stated in an address in Seattle on April 12, 1961, “The vast majority (in a poll taken in Germany) said that Nazism was a GOOD IDEA, only badly carried out. Their comment was that, ‘It lost the war for us! The memory of Hiller is far from bad and far from dead.” …

As long ago as January 1960 Dr. Adenauer on a state visit to Italy told the Pope, “I believe that God has given the German people in these calamitous times a special task. We are the GUARDIANS OF THE WEST against any mighty force which would descend upon our lines from the East.” …

“Fascism in Europe is about to be reborn in respectable business attire, and the Treaty of Rome will finally be implemented to its fullest extent.. the dream of a Holy Roman, Empire returning to power to dominate and direct the so-called forces of Christian mankind of the Western world is not dead, but still stalks through the antechambers of every national capital of continental Western Europe… IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE LEADERS IN THE COMMON MARKET NATIONS TO RESTORE THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE WITH ALL THAT THAT MEANS!” (Northwest Technocrat, Vol. XXV, No. 205.)

United within the ancient boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire; united by the common spiritual bond of universal Catholicism; united in a burgeoning and booming industrial economy that dominates today’s world; united geographically in the most productive and industrial complex of all the earth — at least TEN NATIONS OF MODERN EUROPE WILL MARCH ONTO THE SCENE OF WORLD HISTORY AS THE GREATEST SINGLE HUMAN FORCE EVER SEEN BY MAN!

This United Europe will form a nonaggression pact or political alignment of some sort with the Soviet East. (Hill DJ. What is GERMANY’S DESTINY? Plain Truth, March 1962)

Well, since that article came out, we have the European Union which has come out of the old ‘Treaty of Rome’ and it basically comprises most of the area of the old ‘Holy Roman Empire’–and it includes a political alignment with what was then considered to be the Soviet East. More on the development of Europe from the Treaty of Rome to present to future prophecies can be found in the article: The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17.

Notice also something about Germany’s history published back in 1985 by the old Worldwide Church of God:

In 1933 Adolf Hitler, using Germany’s growing economic crisis as a stepping-stone to power, gained control of Germany, inaugurating the Third Reich of German history.

It quickly became clear that Hitler’s geopolitical aims far transcended his own country’s borders. Hitler held an unshakable conviction that his German Reich would one day rule all of Europe — and from there seize the leadership of the world! He dreamed of a “new world order” that would remake the political face of the earth, with himself at its helm.

In 1939 Hitler began in earnest his struggle for the mastery of the world. (Stump K. Coming Soon – A New World Order. Good News, 1985)

Could there be some type of a ‘fourth reich’ this century to follow the ‘third reich’ of last century?

The old Radio Church of God thought so:

The “German Problem” is not dead. Germans are thinking more than ever of an undivided Reich – and of an undivided Europe! … On the 17th of June, Germans celebrated a national holiday a day dedicated to AN UNDIVIDED GERMANY. Stores closed. No one worked. The striking thing is that this day signifies something that has not happened yet! Most holidays commemorate an event – something that has already taken place. Not this one – it looks forward to an event which all Germans hope for and even pray for – AN UNDIVIDED GERMANY! (Kelly R. The March for an Undivided Germany. Plain Truth, September 1964)

Well, since that came out, East and West Germany united, the European Union formed, and a European currency has been implemented.

So, is a ‘fourth reich’ in the process of forming? Some in Germany and elsewhere seem to think so.

A while back, a reader sent a link to the following from the German publication Der Spiegel:

‘The Fourth Reich’: What Some Europeans See When They Look at Germany

23 March 2015

People have even begun talking about the “Fourth Reich,” a reference to the Third Reich of Adolf Hitler. That may sound absurd given that today’s Germany is a successful democracy without a trace of national-socialism — and that no one would actually associate Merkel with Nazism. But further reflection on the word “Reich,” or empire, may not be entirely out of place. The term refers to a dominion, with a central power exerting control over many different peoples. According to this definition, would it be wrong to speak of a German Reich in the economic realm? …

A heavy accusation has been levelled at Germany — by some in Greece, in Spain and in France but also by some in Great Britain and in the United States. The euro crisis, a certain breed of politicians, journalists and economists argue, has allowed Germany to dominate Southern Europe and to suffocate it in order to impose its principles even as its export policy has meant that the country has profited from that same currency crisis more than any other country. Germany’s image in some countries has become one of an egotistical economic occupier flanked by smaller Northern European countries from the same mold. …

‘The Blood of Our People’

The fear of German hegemony in Europe is likely nowhere so great as it is in France, which was at least partially occupied by its neighbor three times during an 80-year period. In recent years, “Germanophobia” has increased dramatically across the political spectrum, from Front National to the leftist wing of the governing Socialists. That has partially served to distract attention from political leaders’ own failures to implement reform, but they are nonetheless sentiments that deserve to be taken seriously.

The leftist French intellectual Emmanuel Todd warns that Germany is “increasingly pursuing politics of power and of hidden expansion.” Europe, he says, is being ruled by a Germany which, in its past, has constantly fluctuated between reason and megalomania. Since reunification, Todd says, Germany has brought a huge area of Eastern Europe under its control, a region once under the influence of the Soviets, to use it for its own economic aims.

In Athens, in a building belonging to the Ministry of Culture, Nikos Xydakis, deputy culture minister for the Syriza government, echoes the sentiment.

“It is as though my country were experiencing the consequences of war,” he says. European savings policies have ruined Greece, he says: “We have lost a quarter of our gross domestic product and a quarter of our population is unemployed.” Furthermore, he said, Greece didn’t ask for emergency loans, they were forced upon the country together with the cost-cutting program. “Now we are paying with the blood of our people.”

Germany, he says, has become too powerful in Europe. The country, he concedes, is a leader both politically and economically. “But those wanting to be a leader have to behave like one too.” Germany, he says, should be more generous and stop viewing weaker countries in Europe as its inferiors. …

Since the turn of the millennium, Germany’s trade surplus has almost quadrupled and now stands at €217 billion ($236.4 billion). With France alone, the surplus was €30 billion in 2014. Even if exports to euro-zone member states dropped as a result of the crisis, no other country in the world has a trade surplus as large as Germany’s. Why is that? Is it because of aggressive trade policy? …

Germany seeks to be an economic power, but not a military one. Its nationalism is based on economic output and export statistics, not on a desire to become a geo-political power. The same dilemma can be seen in the role Germany has played in the Ukraine crisis. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-power-in-the-age-of-the-euro-crisis-a-1024714.html

Many in Europe are concerned that Germany is simply too big of an economic power. However, without the economic might of Germany, the European Union would have even more difficulties sticking together.

Now, the idea that Germany does not want to be a military power is simply not the case (see Germany Defence Minister makes the case for rebuilding a stronger German military). Furthermore, Germany has publicly committed to spend more money on its military than any nation in Europe–including Russia (watch Is the European Beast Growing Horns?).

This does not mean that everyone in Germany wants it to militarily dominate the world, but Bible prophecy shows that deep down, those there do want to dominate.

Notice the following prophecy:

5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
6 I will send him against an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations.
8 For he says,
‘Are not my princes altogether kings? (Isaiah 10:5-8)

Notice that the leader of the final empire will not think that he wants to destroy nations, but he really does, and really will.

Notice that Isaiah tells of a time when the end time Assyrian power will be sent against an ungodly (NKJV), “hypocritical” (KJV) nation. The Hebrew word used signifies being “soiled” or impious, and certainly that is now the case for the nation known as the United States. The Snowden leaks of USA espionage have enraged the Germans.

Not only do they feel that the USA has been hypocritical here, they were outraged to learn that according to leaked documents from the National Security Agency (NSA), Germany was one of the most spied upon nations by the USA. Another NSA document said that the only nations that the USA considered to be “close friends” that did not warrant extensive USA espionage was the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic dominated lands. Germany and others have noticed this and will take steps against them later (cf. Daniel 11:39; Psalm 83:-3-8). And then there is German distaste of US President Donald Trump.

Here is some other information related to a possible fourth reich:

3 May 2019

In “The Fourth Reich: The Specter of Nazism from World War II to the Present,” historian Gavriel D. Rosenfeld brings his counterfactual “what if” approach to the idea of a new empire based on Nazi ideals. … “The case of postwar Germany makes it clear that western fears about a Nazi return to power were far from unfounded and that the concerns about a Fourth Reich served a useful function in making people vigilant about defending against such a possibility,” said Rosenfeld in an exchange with The Times of Israel.  …

In Rosenfeld’s assessment, today the idea of a Fourth Reich has entered an unprecedented heyday.

“The Fourth Reich is currently experiencing a new phase of normalization,” wrote Rosenfeld, whose latest book was published in March. “Thanks to the tumultuous political upheaval throughout the western world, the concept is becoming increasingly universalized. The election of Donald Trump, the many unending conflicts in the Middle East, and the continuing crisis of the European Union have made the prospect of a future Reich highly relevant.”

In Europe, according to Rosenfeld, the prospect of a Fourth Reich is raised by European Union critics on both the Left and Right: Some claim Germany has turned the EU into a kind of economic Reich. https://www.timesofisrael.com/siren-call-of-a-fourth-reich-is-spreading-warns-nazi-germany-expert/

30 March 2019

Fourth Reich  …

Some of us — and I plead guilty to this — have used the term simply to describe the present German state in its reunified, Europe-dominating form. While of course such usage is a bit of a tease, it also seems to be a matter of fact. As Professor Rosenfeld reminds us, ‘Reich’ in German means ‘realm’ or, as we would probably say today, ‘polity’. And so since the two fractured pieces of Germandom were put back together in 1990, what we have the other side of Holland is the Fourth Reich. To have a Reich you don’t have to have genocide, concentration camps or monocled, Iron Cross-wearing Obersts uttering ‘for you, Tommy, ze var iss over’. https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/03/where-is-the-rise-of-neo-nazism-around-europe-leading/

5 May 2019

Although Hitler’s Third Reich collapsed almost 75 years ago, its successor – the Fourth Reich – is alive and well. That, at least, is the claim of some European and US journalists, politicians and other activists, who, in recent years, have used the phrase to attack opponents. …

Today, the idea of the Fourth Reich is synonymous with resurgent Nazism, but it is more ominous than ‘neo-Nazi’, as it designates something actual rather than merely aspirational. The Fourth Reich suggests that right-wing extremists are on the brink of power, or have already attained it. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/fears-fourth-reich

What exactly is the ‘fourth reich’? Notice one interpretation:

The Fourth Reich (German: Viertes Reich) is a theoretical future German empire, following the First Reich (the Holy Roman Empire, 962–1806), the Second Reich (Imperial Germany, 1871–1918) and the Third Reich (Nazi Germany, 1933–1945). (Wikipedia, accessed 04/03/15)

Some believe that Germany already has had a type of fourth reich as it has been able to dominate European matters at least for the past decade or so.

Biblically, the final European King of the North will lead a revived ‘Holy Roman Empire.’ This will be the empire of the Beast power of Revelation 13. This new world order, which will have German dominance, will in a sense be its fourth militaristic reich (reich means reign).

As far as the AfD goes, last year we put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:22

AfD: Prelude to a Hitler Beast?

Germany’s Alternative für Deutshland (Alternative for Germany in English) party celebrated its 10th anniversary on February 6, 2023.

It objects to:
❌More illegal migration
❌More asylum abuse
❌More crime
❌More housing shortage
❌More Cancel Culture

The AfD also asserts, “Now it’s time to change that. And that’s only possible with us.” Many are concerned that the AfD’s growing political influence will impact Germany. Can a strong man worse than Adolf Hitler, that the Bible calls the Beast rise up from Germany? Could Europe reorganize with a small backing to put this leader into place? Does the AfD want to make a deal with Russia? Will Germany make a future deal with Russia that would be opposed to the USA? Does the AfD want religion involved to meet its objectives in such a way that it could support the coming King of the North Beast power that the Bible warns will arise in Europe? Could Europe unite under such a leader according to scripture? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel go over these matters.

Here is a link to our video: AfD: Prelude to a Hitler Beast?

The rise of AfD reminds some of pre-WWII. We are getting closer and closer to WWIII.

The Bible tells of a time when a European power will defeat many (Daniel 11:39-43) and also dominate the world economically (Revelation 18). Germany will be a major factor in this although there will be problems in Europe (Daniel 2:41-43), after some reorganizations it will arise (Revelation 17:12-13).

A ‘fourth reich’ is in the process of being made, but it is not here yet. But something that can be called that will arrive.

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 are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
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. Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: ¿Deben los Diez Reyes gobernar sobre diez naciones? A related sermon in the English language is titled: Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
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?
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the former German Defense Minister (who is also the former German Minister for Economics and Technology) one to watch? What do Greco-Roman Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest? A video of related interest would be: Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Europe’s Future. Two shorter video are also available: Blockchain, Karl Guttenberg, and 666 and The Middle East, Prophecy, and Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg.
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 Roman 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 version of the article in the Spanish language: Alemania en la profecía bíblic. Here are links to two English language sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy. Here is one in the Spanish language: Alemania en profecía Biblica.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

COGwriter

(Picture By Eric Gaba)

COGwriter

Sky News reported the following:

British sovereignty of Gibraltar and Falklands ‘not up for negotiation’, Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman says

7 October 2024

British sovereignty of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands is not up for negotiation, the prime minister’s spokesman has said.Questions over the government’s commitment to maintaining the British overseas territories as part of the UK have been raised after the government announced on Thursday it was handing the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius.Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said the government was ruling out negotiations over Gibraltar, claimed by Spain, and the Falkland Islands, claimed by Argentina.

“There is no question about British sovereignty of those two, it is not up for negotiation,” he said.

Following Thursday’s announcement on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, Argentina’s foreign minister promised “concrete action” to ensure the Falklands were handed to Buenos Aires.

However, Sir Keir’s spokesman said: “The Falklands is not up for discussion – that remains our position.

“Chagos is a unique situation with a unique history, it has no bearing on other territories.”

Gibraltar’s chief minister Fabian Picardo said the UK’s decision on the Chagos Islands has “no possible read across” to Gibraltar as the situations “are completely different”.

Falkland Islands governor Alison Blake said the UK government’s commitment to the islanders’ UK sovereignty was “unwavering” and “remains undiminished”. https://news.sky.com/story/british-sovereignty-of-gibraltar-and-falklands-not-up-for-negotiation-sir-keir-starmers-spokesman-says-13229795

Well, according to biblical prophecies, the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar will change irrespective of what UK spokespeople say.

As the above report shows, Argentina still is pressing to have control over what it calls the Islas Malvinas (Malvinas Isles), which those in the UK as well as most living on them call the Falkland Islands.

Last Summer, Argentina even got the European Union to use its preferred name according to the following report:

EU Signs Deal With Argentina Calling Falklands “Malvinas Islands”

July 21, 2023

The Foreign Office has dealt a blow following the apparent recognition by the European Union of the Argentine name for the Falkland Islands.

EU leaders met with officials of 33 Latin American countries, known as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), in Brussels earlier this week and signed the EU-CELAC summit declaration (pdf). The document referred to the contested Falkland Islands as “Islas Malvinas,” which is the Argentine name for the territory.

Argentina has been continuously claiming the British-run islands in the South Atlantic, over which the two countries fought a war in 1982.

“Regarding the question of sovereignty over the Islas Malvinas/Falkland Islands, the European Union took note of CELAC’s historical position based on the importance of dialogue and respect for international law in the peaceful solution of disputes,” the declaration said.

Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Santiago Cafiero hailed the move as a “triumph of diplomacy” on Twitter.

The Argentine government hopes to further dialogue with the EU regarding the Malvinas Islands, Mr. Cafiero said, adding it was a further call for the UK to resume sovereignty negotiations with Argentina. …

The conflict over sovereignty rights to the archipelago is ongoing, following a 2013 referendum, where the islanders voted to retain their political status as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union in 2020, the EU declined to allow the Falklands to be part of the UK-EU trade agreement. As a result, the territory faces tariffs on its exports to the EU.

CELAC countries support Argentina’s ambition to continue international negotiations over the futures of the contested islands. During the Brussels summit, CELAC negotiators argued that Brexit was another reason to continue the discussion since the Falkland Islands were no longer an overseas territory of an EU member state.

In response to the EU using the Malvinas name for the islands, Lord Davies of Gower called the bloc’s decision “appalling.”

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who met with his Argentine counterpart in the margins of the G20 summit, said that Falklanders “have chosen to remain a self-governing UK Overseas Territory.” https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/eu-signs-deal-argentina-calling-falklands-malvinas-islands

Over the years, Argentina has made it clear that it wanted the Falkland Islands back.

The people who live on the Falkland Islands flat-out want to remain part of the UK. They have consistently made that known, but many in Argentina feel that they are entitled to those territories.

Many in Latin America see the presence of the UK in the region as an inappropriate relic of colonialism.

The Falkland Islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean on a projection of the Patagonian Shelf about 310 miles (500 kilometers) east of the Patagonian/Argentinian coastline. They consist of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, along with about 700 smaller islands. Stanley, which is on East Falkland, is the capital and largest city. Less than 3,000 people live on them.

Although the voting people who live on the Falklands have made their preferences known, I believe that the Bible shows that the UK will end up losing the Falklands.

The UK has has controlled the Falkland Islands since the 1830′s and it is obvious that most who live there want to remain under British rule. What might any of this have to do with the Bible?

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

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

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

In the Jun-July 1982 edition of the old Plain Truth magazine, the WCG had the following from Gene Hogberg:

… the Falklands are lost in the long run.

Yes, despite British hopes, this will also ultimately include the loss of the Falkland Islands (which the Argentinians, and apparently now the EU, refer to as the Malvinas) and also Gibraltar–which Spain wants. Notice a couple of prophetic warnings that are consistent with that:

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

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

Here is the following from our free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:

Moses wrote of the following blessings to the descendants of Joseph:

¹³ And of Joseph he said:

“Blessed of the Lord is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, ¹⁴ With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, ¹⁵ With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, ¹⁶ With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’ ¹⁷ His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.” (Deuteronomy 33:13-17)

So, Ephraim and Manasseh were promised many blessings. Those of us who believe the Bible understand that some peoples had to receive those blessings.

Consistent with Deuteronomy 33:17, Britain had colonies (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Falkland Islands) and other large outposts (Rhodesia, India, Hong Kong, and South Africa) to “the ends of the earth,” while the USA has had military bases all over the world. And, together, the Anglo-American nations have militarily pushed people around the world. …

We do not see in history that the Jews possessed the gates of those who hate them. Yet, in the 19^th and/or 20^th centuries, many of the major sea gates of the world were possessed/controlled by the United States (Panama Canal and several locations in the Pacific ocean) and the British Empire (Straits of Malacca, Singapore, Suez Canal, Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Hong Kong, Simon’s Town/Cape of Good Hope, etc.). And while that is no longer the case for many of them, they seem to have been prophesied to be taken away for disobedience as well:

⁵⁸ “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, ⁵⁹ then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues — great and prolonged plagues — and serious and prolonged sicknesses. … ⁶³ And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. (Deuteronomy 28:58-59,63).

Certainly, these nations have disobeyed the God of Abraham. It appears that the remaining “sea gates” that the UK has such as Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands will be separated from UK control.

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

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

Last year, I posted:

As far as South America itself goes, it is my belief that based upon biblical prophecy that most of South America will ultimately align itself with the rising European power (which will ultimately not be nice to the British). And it would strongly appear that Argentina will be one of the nations that will support the final European power.

(Thiel B. BBC: Falklands War remains ‘an open wound’ in Argentina, says ambassador. COGwriter, May 2, 2022)

The name recognition by the EU looks to be a step in that direction.

We also have the following related video:

15:15

Falkland Islands and Prophecy?

In mid-July 2023, the European Union (EU) signed a declaration from officials from 33 Latin American nations who are part of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) that also referred to the Falkland Islands as the “Islas Malvinas,” which is the term that the Argentinians call it. Argentina wants those islands, which the UK acquired back in the 1830’s. Will that happen? Are there prophetic ramifications to that as well as the loss of other “sea gates” once held by the United Kingdom (UK) and/or the United States of America? What are some of the relevant passages from the Bible? Does Dr. Thiel expect the UK to also lose control over Gibraltar and the Chagos Islands? If so, based on what scriptures? What about the role of Europe in some of this? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie discuss these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Falkland Islands and Prophecy?

Related to last week’s announcement about the Chagos Islands as well as what will happen to the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, and Northern Ireland, we put out the following video:

Biblical prophecies are being fulfilled.

14:36

Prophecy: UK’s Loss of Chagos Islands

On May 28, 2019, Dr. Bob Thiel posted and predicted that the United Kingdom would lose the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia. He repeated that prediction on October 1, 2024. On October 3, 2024, the BBC reported that the United Kingdom was going to lose the Chagos Islands and give its sovereignty to the nation of Mauritius, thus confirming his predictions. US President Joe Biden praised the UK decision. Why did Dr. Thiel make that prediction? Was it based on several biblical prophecies? Have other predictions related to loss of ‘sea gates’ possessed by the UK and United State of America come to pass? Will the UK one day lose the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, and even Northern Ireland for their disobedience? What are some of the Bible prophecies that pointed to the attaining of sea gates and losses of territories to the end time descendants of Joseph, Ephraim (the company of nations, once the British Commonwealth) and Manasseh (a once great nation, the US). Does the Bible have the “more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV)? Were prophets and prophecies expected in the ‘last days’ according to Acts 2:17-18? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel discuss these matters. They also referred listeners to a free online book which helps identify various peoples that the Bible prophecies about titled ‘Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?’ URL: https://www.cogwriter.com/LostTribes.pdf

Here is a link to our video: Prophecy: UK’s Loss of Chagos Islands.

Prophecies are being fulfilled.

See also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? For many years, the major sea gates of the world were possessed/controlled by the United States (Panama Canal and certain locations in the Pacific ocean) and the British Empire (Straits of Malacca, Singapore, Suez Canal, Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Simon’s Town/Cape of Good Hope, Malta, etc.), and many are no longer under their control. Spain wants Gibraltar and Argentina wants the Falklands (also known as the Malvinas). UK Prime Minister David Cameron says the UK will defend the Falklands Gibraltar. Does the Bible give clues as to what will happen with those ‘sea gates’? Do promises made the Jacob’s mother Rebekah play a role? What about Deuteronomy 28? This is a video.
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-Celtic 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?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18? A related sermon in the English language is also available: 17 Last Days’ Signs of the Holy Spirit.
21st Century Church of God Prophets Are there any true prophets in the 21st century? What about false prophets? What are scriptures and fruits to identify the true from the false? You you prove all things and test the spirits?
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?

#NDTVExclusive | On October 7, 2023, Hamas – a militant group which controlled Gaza – crossed over into Israel and launched ‘Operation Al Aqsa Flood’, a deadly terror attack, that killed over 1,200 people across the country.

🖇️ https://t.co/3HGvw5qR6Y#NDTVWorld | #Hamas #Gaza… pic.twitter.com/TdXXT7MJrd

— NDTV (@ndtv) October 7, 2024

COGwriter

Hamas launched an attack from Gaza into Israel on the biblical and Jewish holy day, called the Last Great Day in Church of God circles. That date was October 7 in 2023 (the Last Great Day will be from sunset October 23rd through sunset October 24th in 2024).

Here are some reports a year after the Hamas attack:

Israel Marks One Year Since Hamas Oct. 7 Attack

October 7, 2024

RE’IM, Israel—Israelis were holding vigils and somber ceremonies on Monday to mark a year since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, the deadliest in the country’s history, which sparked the war in Gaza.

Its aftershocks still ripple one year later. The war in Gaza rages on and Israel is fighting a new war against the Hezbollah terrorist group, which began attacking Israel on Oct. 8. There is also an escalating conflict with Iran—which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah—that threatens to drag the region into a far more dangerous conflagration. https://www.ntd.com/israel-marks-one-year-since-hamas-oct-7-attack_1021397.html

October 7, 2024

Hamas terrorists fired rockets at southern Israel and Tel Aviv on Monday, apparently timed to mark a year since Gazan terrorists carried out an unprecedented killing spree, as the country solemnly observed the first anniversary of the massacre.

Israel said early Monday it had largely thwarted a major Gazan rocket bombardment with a series of airstrikes, but Hamas still managed to fire rockets at communities near the border and later strike the Tel Aviv area, lightly injuring two. …

Starting at 6:29 a.m., ceremonies, rallies and ad hoc memorials held across Israel marked the moment a year ago that Gazan terror groups began lobbing massive volleys of rockets, providing air cover for thousands of terrorists speeding across the suddenly pregnable border by land, air and sea and kicking off the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. …

Some 1,200 people were killed last year when approximately 3,000 heavily armed Hamas-led fighters invaded communities near the border in an unparalleled outbreak of violence that has come to be known simply as October 7. Aside from the murders, terrorists carried out brutal atrocities such as torture and rape and abducted 251 people. Israel says 97 of them remain captive, along with four others held in Gaza for around a decade. The tally includes the bodies of dozens killed on October 7 or while in captivity. https://www.timesofisrael.com/nation-marks-moment-oct-7-onslaught-began-as-major-hamas-rocket-barrage-said-foiled/

Here is something I posted here the day of the attack, back on October 7, 2023:

The … Gaza leadership seems happy about this attack.

Yet, notice that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is basically saying that Israel expects to take strong military action–war–not just a minor retaliation–against this.

If so, this may upset the Syrians and Iranians and get them to also publicly attack. (Thiel B. Hamas attacks and Netanyahu says, ‘We are at war’. COGwriter, October 7, 2023)

And yes, Iran has directly attacked with major missile launches twice since I posted that. Syria has also had involvement, but not to anything resembling Iran’s responses.

Here is more of what I posted here on October 7, 2023:

A strong Israeli response may upset the world if its response is considered to be some type of “war crime.” (Thiel B. Hamas attacks and Netanyahu says, ‘We are at war’. COGwriter, October 7, 2023)

Interestingly, various ones have accused Israel of several different war crimes related to its responses. Notice some:

Israel/OPT: Israeli military must be investigated for war crime of wanton destruction in Gaza – new investigation

August 14 2024

The practice that Haaretz exposed Tuesday (Yaniv Kubovich and Michael Hauser Tov) of military units forcing civilian residents of Gaza to serve as human shields – searching tunnels and buildings before the forces enter, while wearing army uniforms and sometimes also protective vests to give them the appearance of IDF soldiers – is a war crime. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/editorial/2024-08-14/ty-article-opinion/israels-use-of-human-shields-on-the-battle-field-is-a-war-crime/00000191-5255-d5d7-adbb-7275f0760000

Israel/OPT: Israeli military must be investigated for war crime of wanton destruction in Gaza – new investigation

September 5, 2024

The Israeli military’s campaign to significantly expand a “buffer zone” along the eastern perimeter of the occupied Gaza Strip should be investigated as the war crimes of wanton destruction and of collective punishment, Amnesty International said in a new investigation.

Using bulldozers and manually laid explosives, the Israeli military has unlawfully destroyed agricultural land and civilian buildings, razing entire neighbourhoods, including homes, schools and mosques. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/09/israel-opt-israeli-military-must-be-investigated-for-war-crime-of-wanton-destruction-in-gaza-new-investigation/

October 1, 2024

Israel faces two legal proceedings related to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas and the ensuing war in the Gaza Strip at international courts in The Hague.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is considering a prosecution request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and two Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-war-crimes-are-israel-hamas-accused-one-year-2024-10-01/

And even though they did not use the term “war crime,” today, both US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris basically criticized Israel for its response:

October 7, 2024

US President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris mourned the bloody Hamas attack on Israel a year ago Monday while deploring heavy civilian losses of Palestinians in the subsequent Israeli operation. …

Biden added in his statement “that history will also remember October 7 as a dark day for the Palestinian people because of the conflict that Hamas unleashed that day.”

“Far too many civilians have suffered far too much during this year of conflict,” he said.

In her statement, Harris also described herself as “heartbroken over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza over the past year.” https://www.bssnews.net/international/214789

That said, on September 17, 2024, I also pointed to the pager explosion by Israel being a “terrible crime” (see Thiel B. Reuters: Hezbollah vows to punish Israel after pager explosions across Lebanon; MS: Middle East Apocalypse: Israel Is Preparing For An “All-Out Confrontation With Hezbollah” In The Near Future. COGwriter, September 17, 2024). A day or two later, many at the United Nations then declared it to be so:

Lebanon Death Toll Rises as UN Experts Condemn Israel’s Attacks as War Crimes

September 19, 2024

Reuters reported on Thursday that Israel has carried out dozens of strikes in southern Lebanon following the device attacks. Though Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged thousands of strikes amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza — with the vast majority coming from Israeli forces — Lebanese officials cited by Reuters said Thursday’s strikes from Israel were the most intense since October. …

In a statement on Thursday, a group of 21 UN experts said that not only are the attacks war crimes, but so is their intended effect of spreading fear among the country. “Terror” and a “climate of fear” now “pervades everyday life” among civilians in Lebanon, they noted.

“These attacks violate the human right to life, absent any indication that the victims posed an imminent lethal threat to anyone else at the time,” the UN experts said. “Such attacks require prompt, independent investigation to establish the truth and enable accountability for the crime of murder.” https://truthout.org/articles/lebanon-death-toll-rises-as-un-experts-condemn-israels-attacks-as-war-crimes/

Related to pagers, war crime, and Israel’s responses, the Continuing Church of God recently put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:30

Israel Intensifies the War

European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrel, has been brokering the nuclear negotiations involving Iran and said that he thinks the deal is “in danger.” Iran blames the United States, whereas the USA says they are not delaying it. Israeli sources stated that Israel will stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. Joe Biden says the USA would use its own military power to prevent Iran from getting such a bomb if need be. In 2021, Iranian lawmakers submitted a bill seeking the government, by law, to commit to Israel’s destruction by the year 2040. Does the 22nd chapter of Isaiah point to damage coming to Israel from Iran and possibly Syria? Might Iran be concerned enough about limited progress with the USA to launch some type of attack? Is Iran the prophesied ‘King of the South’? Is it reasonable to think that the prophesied peace deal of Daniel 9:27 will not happen until after a military conflict. like a regional war? Should Christians watch the Middle East? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie discuss these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Israel Intensifies the War.

Despite how the world views things, one day the Gazans will end up with territory that Israel now dominates.

Here is more of what I posted here on October 7, 2023:

Yet, one day, the nation of Israel will lose territory (for details, see the prophecies in the article Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy).

The entire 47th chapter of Jeremiah is a prophecy involving the Philistines, including Gaza–notice also that Ashekelon is mentioned:

1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.

2 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, waters rise out of the north, And shall be an overflowing flood; They shall overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell within; Then the men shall cry, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail. 3 At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, At the rushing of his chariots, At the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage, 4 Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; For the Lord shall plunder the Philistines, The remnant of the country of Caphtor. 5 Baldness has come upon Gaza, Ashkelon is cut off With the remnant of their valley. How long will you cut yourself? 6 “O you sword of the Lord, How long until you are quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, Rest and be still! 7 How can it be quiet, Seeing the Lord has given it a charge Against Ashkelon and against the seashore? There He has appointed it.” (Jeremiah 47:1-7)

Problems were thus prophesied for the Palestianians including those of Gaza–since there is a duality to some prophecies (e.g. Malachi 4:5 & Matthew 17:10-13), this looks to have future application. It should be noted that Ashkelon is currently part of Israel, Hamas recently targeted it, and the Palestinians will either control it again or be so numerous in it that they are affected.

Ultimately in this age, Jerusalem will not be the ‘undivided’ capital of Israel (cf. Daniel 11:31) like former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted. Furthermore, the nation of Israel will lose territory to the Palestinians. (Thiel B. Hamas attacks and Netanyahu says, ‘We are at war’. COGwriter, October 7, 2023)

While that has not happened yet, it will.

Here is more of what I posted here on October 7, 2023:

Contrary to past statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jerusalem will NOT remain the “undivided capital of Israel.”

The situation will change.

The Palestinians will, for a time, accept a temporary peace deal according to the Bible.

Peace deals normally happen after major conflict.

Thus, it is probably safe to conclude that the acceptance by the Palestinians and the Israelis of the Daniel 9:27 deal is likely to come after an escalation of violent conflict in the Middle East–probably involving Iran (cf. Isaiah 22:6-9).

Expect violence to get worse in the future, before a temporal peace deal is somewhat accepted. (Thiel B. Hamas attacks and Netanyahu says, ‘We are at war’. COGwriter, October 7, 2023)

If Jesus was killed in 31 A.D., presuming there is a 6,000 year plan, and the 6,000 years ends at the start of the “Day of the Lord,” we may see the confirmation of the deal of Daniel 9:27 within the next year. Perhaps by the end of Spring of 2025.

The Bible, which we in the Continuing Church of God rely on, has “a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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. A short video is also available titled Trump’s Deal of the Century and Daniel 9 27? Here is a link to something related in the Spanish language: Estados Árabes emiratos unidos y el tratado de paz en el medio este.
Could 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? 2031, 2032, or 2035 or? There is also a video titled: When Does the 6000 Years End? 2031? 2035? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
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 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.
Does the Church of God need to be headquartered in Jerusalem? Some say so. But what does the Bible teach? A related short video is also available: Does the Bible endorse Jerusalem as the Church of God headquarters now?