Church of God News

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COGwriter

By a slight majority, the US Supreme Court made a ruling related to gender:

Supreme Court maintains block on entirety of Biden administration’s new Title IX rule

August 17, 2024

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to let the Biden administration enforce portions of a new rule that includes protections from discrimination for transgender students under Title IX while legal proceedings continue.

The high court left intact two separate orders from federal courts in Kentucky and Louisiana, which blocked the Department of Education from enforcing the entirety of the rule across 10 states. The Justice Department had asked the Supreme Court to put part of the decisions on hold, but it declined the requests.

Four of the nine justices would have let part of the rules take effect, according to the order, but all members of the court agreed that the key disputed changes, including the new definition of “sex discrimination” to include “gender identity” and the restrictions on same-sex spaces, could remain blocked.  …

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by the liberals on the court, Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, and by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, wrote in her partial dissent, “By blocking the Government from enforcing scores of regulations that respondents never challenged and that bear no apparent relationship to respondents’ alleged injuries, the lower courts went beyond their authority to remedy the discrete harms alleged here.” She predicted the “injunctions this Court leaves in place will burden the Government more than necessary.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-biden-administration-title-ix-rule/

Supreme Court rules on Biden-Harris request to allow biological men in women’s locker rooms

August 17, 2024

The Supreme Court voted 5-4 Friday to reject a Biden administration emergency request to enforce portions of a new rule that includes protections from discrimination for transgender students under Title IX.

The request would have permitted biological men in women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and dorms in 10 states where there are state-level and local-level rules in place to prevent it. The sweeping rule was issued in April and clarified that Title IX’s ban on “sex” discrimination in schools covers discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and “pregnancy or related conditions.” https://www.wnd.com/2024/08/supreme-court-rules-on-biden-harris-request-to-allow-biological-men-in-womens-locker-rooms/

It is no surprise that Ketanji Brown Jackson voted to allow the changed definition of sex. She claimed NOT to know what a woman was when she was being considered to be a justice of the US Supreme Court–yet, she was approved anyway.

The Bible also condemns males acting effeminate:

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, KJV)

Transgenderism is against scripture.

As far as biology goes, Jesus taught the truth about biological sex:

4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6)

Of course, many ‘moderns’ want to act like there is no difference, but the Bible is clear that men and women are different. God warned that there would be those “who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). But the truth is still the truth.

The Bible warns against the rise of despisers of good in the last days:

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21)

Woe to those that do such things.

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Gender dysphoria is the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gender-dysphoria/symptoms-causes/syc-20475255 accessed 04/04/24

Yet, historically, a major view was not to provide physical treatment but to give the young person time to finish puberty and grow into adulthood to see if the gender dysphoria would self-correct.

Yet, many now claim that the way to deal with this is to give hormone blockers and/or genitalia mutilating surgeries, which they call “gender affirming treatment,” is the answer.

But it is not.

ZeroHedge reported the following:

15 Year Study: Vast Majority Of Children Grow Out Of Gender Confusion

April 4, 2024

A landmark study conducted over the past 15 years has concluded that most children who experience confusion regarding their gender identity grow out of it and go on to feel content with their lives as men and women.

The study, carried out in the Netherlands by researchers from the University of Groningen, involved more than 2,700 children, tracking them from age 11 to their mid-twenties.

The Daily Mail reports that every three years, the individuals were asked how they felt about their gender.

At the beginning of the study, around 11 percent, or one in ten of the children, expressed ‘gender non-contentedness’.

However, by the age of 25, just 4 percent, or one in 25, said they ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ felt discontent with their gender.

The study comes as the controversy over allowing children to be given puberty blocking hormones, or even gender reassignment surgery, rages on.

The researchers noted, “The results of the current study might help adolescents to realise that it is normal to have some doubts about one’s identity and one’s gender identity during this age period and that this is also relatively common.”

Published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, the study found that around 19 percent became more content with their gender over 15 years, while just 2 percent became less comfortable. https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/15-year-study-vast-majority-children-grow-out-gender-confusion

As far as the study itself, here is the abstract of the study from the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior:

Adolescence is an important period for the development of gender identity. We studied the development of gender non-contentedness, i.e., unhappiness with being the gender aligned with one’s sex, from early adolescence to young adulthood, and its association with self-concept, behavioral and emotional problems, and adult sexual orientation. Participants were 2772 adolescents (53% male) from the Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey population and clinical cohort. Data from six waves were included (ages 11–26). Gender non-contentedness was assessed with the item “I wish to be of the opposite sex” from the Youth and Adult Self-Report at all six waves. Behavioral and emotional problems were measured by total scores of these scales at all six waves. Self-concept was assessed at age 11 using the Global Self-Worth and Physical Appearance subscales of the Self-Perception Profile for Children. Sexual orientation was assessed at age 22 by self-report. In early adolescence, 11% of participants reported gender non-contentedness. The prevalence decreased with age and was 4% at the last follow-up (around age 26). Three developmental trajectories of gender non-contentedness were identified: no gender non-contentedness (78%), decreasing gender non-contentedness (19%), and increasing gender non-contentedness (2%). Individuals with an increasing gender non-contentedness more often were female and both an increasing and decreasing trajectory were associated with a lower global self-worth, more behavioral and emotional problems, and a non-heterosexual sexual orientation. Gender non-contentedness, while being relatively common during early adolescence, in general decreases with age and appears to be associated with a poorer self-concept and mental health throughout development. (Rawnee P, et al. Development of Gender Non-Contentedness During Adolescence and Early Adulthood. Archives of Sexual Behavior, Published: 27 February 2024)

So most, with what is called gender dysphoria, will tend to grow out of it.

That points to gender dysphoria basically being a psychological or mental health issue.

That has long been known. A scientific study in Iran found mental issues with the transgendered:

Abstract

Background: Co-morbid psychiatric disorders affect prognosis, psychosocial adjustment and post-surgery satisfaction in patients with gender identity disorder. In this paper, we assessed the frequency of personality disorders in Iranian GID patients.

Methods: Seventy- three patients requesting sex reassignment surgery (SRS) were recruited for this crosssectional study. Of the participants, 57.5% were biologically male and 42.5% were biologically female. They were assessed through the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory II (MCMI- II).

Results: The frequency of personality disorders was 81.4%. The most frequent personality disorder was narcissistic personality disorder (57.1%) and the least was borderline personality disorder. The average number of diagnoses was 3.00 per patient.

Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that the prevalence of personality disorders was higher among the participants, and the most frequent personality disorder was narcissistic personality disorder (57.1%), and borderline personality disorder was less common among the studied patients. … Personality disorders are common in patients with Gender Identity Disorder who are candidates for sex reassignment. As a result, the assessment of Personality disorders before sex reassignment surgery and offering psychological and medical intervention care, if needed, is strongly suggested. The results of this study also indicated that Borderline personality disorder is not necessarily the most comorbid personality disorder in patients with Gender Identity Disorder. (Meybodi AM, et al. Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2014; 28: 90.Published online 2014 Sep 10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4301205/

So, there is concern that there is lack of real evidence that transgender medical treatments are helpful.

Well, they are not. Earlier this year, we put out the following video:

14:49

Gender Confusion, Science, and Scripture

The British Medical Journal reports that there is an increase in “gender dysphoria” “in young people.” According to the Mayo Clinic, what is gender dysphoria? Is gender confusion physical or is there a psychological component associated with it? Does research suggest that most young people with it will to grow out of it? Is what are called “gender-affirming treatments” the right answer? Has it been reported that Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare determined that the risks of puberty blockers and treatment with hormones “currently outweigh the possible benefits” for minors? Did researchers at the University of Florida find that 81% of those who had undergone sex change surgeries in the past five years reported experiencing pain simply from normal movement in the weeks and months that followed? What about the effects of gender altering surgeries on fertility and libido? Have researchers concluded that there are often psychological comorbidities strongly associated with gender confusion? Do studies show that “gender-reassignment” treatments reduces suicides? Do males who undergo surgerical genitalia removal have a highly increased suicide rate according to a peer-reviewed study published in The Journal of Urology? What are some of the side effect associated with “gender-reassignment” treatments? Does the Bible condone or condemn cross dressing? What did Jesus say about God making males and females? Can gender be determined by looking at XX and XY chromosomes? Are there 6500 genetic differences between males and females? Are there also differences between male and female brains that surgical and hormonal treatments do not change? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie address these points.

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

Last year, YouTube temporarily suspended our account after we put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel related to transgender surgeries:

While it is good that the US Supreme Court ruled against some aspects of perversion and abominations, the fact that the vote was so close shows that less and less leaders understand the truth about gender and biology.

The transgender movement opposes both science and scripture.

We should pray for those who have gender confusion.

Most will grow out of it if they do not allow themselves to be drugged or mutilated.

And we do not need males to expose themselves to females in locker rooms.

Some items of related interest may include the following:

The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality and the LGBTQ agenda? Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? A short video is available titled: Gay Gene? Born That Way?
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There are also three YouTube videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’ and Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children and USA pushing gender confusion.
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.

3rd century fresco some believe is Mary with baby Jesus
(BBC via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God put together this sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:16:29

Truth About Mary, Mother of Jesus

Jesus was born of a woman named Mary in Bethlehem. Was she prophesied in the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament)? Did an angel appear to her? Did she make a prophecy about herself that came to pass? Should Mary be called blessed? Was she a “perpetual virgin”? Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? What do we see from the Bible as well as writings from early Christians such as Papias of Hierapolis, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, and Melito of Sardis? When does ‘The Catholic Encyclopedia” point to the start of Marian veneration? Did Gregory the Wonder Worker see Mary? Did he advocate for an Annunciation festival the same dates as a similar festival for the goddess Diana? Did the Lady of Fatima look like the Fatima statue or Diana? Is Mary the mother of grace? Is the ‘Hail Mary’ prayer original or from the Bible? Does the Bible warn about a claimed virgin who instead is a harlot? Might people be deceived by signs and lying wonders that might claim to be Jesus’ mother Mary? Dr. Thiel covers these issues and reveals the truth about Jesus’ mother Mary.

Here is a link to the sermon: Truth About Mary, Mother of Jesus.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link two related videos: Truth About Mary, Mother of Jesus and Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy. Here is a link to a sermon video: Why Learn About Fatima?
Women and the New Testament Church What roles did women play in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles? Did Jesus and the Apostle Paul violate Jewish traditions regarding their dealings with women? Do women have any biblical limitations on their role in the Church? Were there female prophets? Do women have any special responsibilities in terms of how they dress? What does the New Testament really teach about women? Here are links to two related sermons: Women’s Roles in the Church and New Testament Women.
Fatima and the ‘Miracle’ of the Sun On October 13, 1917, tens of thousands of people witnessed what they considered to be a miracle in the sky in Fatima, Portugal. Was this a miracle from God? Can you be certain? A video of some related interest is Fatima and Pope Francis. Here is a link to the sermon: Fatima and the ‘Miracle of the Sun’.
The ‘Lady’ of Guadalupe: Any Future Ramifications? It is claimed that a female apparition appeared near Mexico City on December 12, 1531. How has it affected the world? What might it suggest about the future? A video of related interest is titled: The ‘Lady of Guadalupe’ and Prophecy.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Feast of the Immaculate Conception? Did early Christians teach Mary had an immaculate conception and led a sinless life?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Roman Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
Assumption of Mary Did Mary die? Was she taken to heaven on August 15th? What is known? What does the Bible show?
Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! provides concerned Christians with enough Roman Catholic-documented facts to effectively counter every false Marian argument. In addition to the print version, there is a Kindle version of Fatima Shock! which you can acquire in seconds.
Priscilla and Aquila An early Christian married couple from Rome who moved to Asia Minor.
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection. A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. 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.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Will Philadelphian Christians instruct many in the end times? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work. Here is a link to another: Preparing to Instruct Many.
Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but …
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.
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.
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.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how they develop love, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. There are links to literature is about 160 different languages there.

Scramjet hypersonic missile (Hamzaalvi007 via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Voice of America reported the following:

Australia, US look to joint production of hypersonic missile, US lawmaker says

August 16, 2024

SYDNEY — Joint production of hypersonic missiles by Australia and the United States could reduce strain on the U.S. defense industrial base and boost deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul said in Sydney on Friday.In an interview, the chair of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee said the Australian manufacture of the cutting-edge weapons provided an example of how streamlined licensing of sensitive U.S. defense technology, and license exemptions on 70% of defense exports to Australia from September 1, would help the U.S. compete with China in developing advanced weapons.

Hypersonic missiles, which travel in the upper atmosphere more than five times faster than sound, were tested by China in 2021, prompting a technology race with the United States. Their recent use by Russia in the Ukraine war, sparked concern among members of NATO.

A Chinese hypersonic weapon “could hit Australia in a matter of minutes and Australia cannot stop that right now. So we need to catch up to that,” McCaul said.

“I was at a hypersonic company just yesterday and we want to move towards co-production,” he added.

“It is already starting and that is the exciting thing and it will help relieve the stress that we see on the defense industrial base,” he added.

Australia is testing a Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) with the United States, which it will consider as its first such weapon for fighter jets, the defense and foreign ministers of the two countries said after talks last week.

McCaul said his visit focused on the AUKUS partnership with the United States and Britain to transfer nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, as well as develop other advanced defense technologies.

The AUKUS alliance was an example of a U.S. ally spending more on its own defense, he said, when asked if a reelected Donald Trump would continue to back a growing U.S. defense posture in Australia, and the sale of U.S. nuclear submarines next decade.

AUKUS talks had started under the Republican Trump presidency, he added.

“I think there will be strong support for it,” he said.

Rotations of U.S. nuclear submarines through Australia under AUKUS are a deterrent factor in the region, where the Philippines is under pressure from China in the South China Sea, he said, after visiting the Philippines.

“Chairman Xi, I think, fears this alliance more than anything else because he knows what it means – it means that nuclear submarines will be rotating, but also these innovative technologies that we have,” he added, in a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In Beijing this week, the Chinese foreign ministry said AUKUS “harms efforts” to keep the region peaceful and secure and exacerbates the arms race. https://www.voanews.com/a/australia-us-look-to-joint-production-of-hypersonic-missile-us-lawmaker-says/7745066.html

Australia would seem pleased to have the ability to produce hypersonic missiles. Australia has long been relying on the USA to protect it from the Peoples Republic of China.

However, that will not work in the long run as after the USA is gone, China will find Australia a fairly easy target.

As regular readers of this page are aware, since 2009 (in my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect), I wrote that China may take over Australia, and possibly New Zealand. Since I wrote that, my belief in that outcome has increased.

The Chinese are upset with the AUKUS alliance, which is a military alliance of Australia, the USA, and United Kingdom–the Europeans were also not pleased with it. Related to that, we put out the following video shortly after that alliance was announced:

11:04

AUKUS sparking European military

In September 2021, US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a new military partnership called AUKUS. This announcement upset the French and the European Union, which is not part of it. Could AUKUS be another spark for the Europeans to develop their own joint military? What have European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and former German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel called for? Could having the Europeans increase their military capacity and technology and be dangerous? Is the European King of the North, also called the King of Assyria, prophesied to destroy the USA (Daniel 11:39) and its British-descended allies? What could stop that? Is national or personal repentance possible? Do the nations need Jesus or military alliances?

Here is a link to our video: AUKUS sparking European military.

The biblical reality is that alliances with the USA and UK will NOT be able to protect Australia against powers like China.

On June 24, 2010, the day it was announced that she became Prime Minister of Australia, I warned that I felt that Julia Gillard would take steps to fulfill prophecies that also could get the Chinese interested in taking over Australia (see Australia Now Has a Female Prime Minister: Prophetic Ramifications?).

And that happened.

For more on that and other issues with China and Australia, the Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?

Heat at night (Pexels)

COGwriter

CBS reported the following:

July was hottest on record, NOAA says, with 2024 likely to be warmest year to date

August 15, 2024/ 6:07 PM

Last month was the warmest July on record for the last 175 years, experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.

This marks the 14 consecutive month of record-breaking global warm temperatures, said Karin Gleason, monitoring section chief for NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

NOAA’s findings differed very slightly from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, another resource for seasonal forecasts, which ranked July 2024 as the second hottest July on record, behind July 2023.

“NOAA data set the record warm July by three hundredths of a degree Celsius,” said Gleason. “It’s essentially very close to a virtual tie [to July 2023] by all intents and purposes.”

Parts of the western and eastern U.S. saw above-average or record warm temperatures, NOAA said, with New Hampshire and California the most above average. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/noaa-hottest-july-2024-forecast/

As far as heat and California go, we have had a relatively mild summer in the Five Cities region. However, much food is produced in California and some of the crops have been affected by the heat.

Climate Ready: hottest July on record takes a toll on California’s table grape harvest https://t.co/UvH5F2P8qI

— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) August 15, 2024

Lowered food production leads to higher costs.

Irrespective of how one views the climate and weather, the Bible shows that sin causes problems and facts demonstrate that we have had severe weather.

As regular readers of this page are aware, I have repeatedly warned of weather problems coming. Back in 2009, in my book, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, I wrote that the following was about to happen:

Odd weather patterns result in food shortages and natural disasters.

Matthew 24:7

The world is actually in a berserk transition, as the real age of peace is not yet here. It may be a period of chaos. It is the beginning of sorrows.

Matthew 24:8

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

Related to record heat a while back, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

Here is a link to our video: Record Heat: Is it Biblical?

Since that video, it seems like each summer, more heat records are happening, as the CBS report citing NOAA supports.

The Bible is clear that God controls the weather and various calamities, but wants people to heed His prophets:

6… If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?

7 Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:6-7)

The Bible tells of weather-related blessings for obedience and weather-related curses for disobedience. Weather is not as random as many people seem to want to believe.

The Bible warns that God uses weather to send a message. Sometimes God uses drought and then sometimes sends mildew if people will not turn to Him as the following show:

7 “I also withheld rain from you,
When there were still three months to the harvest.
I made it rain on one city,
I withheld rain from another city.
One part was rained upon,
And where it did not rain the part withered.
8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water,
But they were not satisfied;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.

9 “I blasted you with blight and mildew.
When your gardens increased,
Your vineyards,
Your fig trees,
And your olive trees,
The locust devoured them;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord. (Amos 4:7-9)

While many humans often seem to think otherwise, God is in charge and controls the weather.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; (Psalms 148:7-8)

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. As the Book of Job records above, weather is sometimes used by God for correction.

Weather is not as random as most seem to want to believe.

What about high heat?

The Bible shows that it will get much worse later:

8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Revelation 16:8-9)

But, the above prophecy is for several years into the future–we are not too near that yet. But I believe that this will happen in the 21st century.

The Bible shows:

30 God … commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30)

And weather problems are one tool that God uses to urge people to repent (cf. Haggai 2:17; Amos 4:7-12). But most will not. Nor will most Christians as they should (cf. Revelation 3:14-18; see also The Laodicean Church Era).

The Bible shows that God uses weather matters, including high heat (Revelation 16:8-9) and what is often called climate change today (Amos 4:4-9) to encourage repentance and obedience to Him (Haggai 2:17).

Furthermore, the Bible shows how to resolve climate change:

3 ‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,
4 then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
5 Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing;
you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid;
I will rid the land of evil beasts,
and the sword will not go through your land. (Leviticus 26:3-6)

We also have the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:42

COP 27 and Solving Climate Change

The dates for the United Nations Climate Change meeting called COP 27 are November 6th through 18th, 2022. During that time, on November 13, 2022, a ‘Chrislam’ type group composed of leaders from the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, and other faiths associated with the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and the Elijah Interfaith Institute are making what they titled ‘A Prophetic Call for Climate Justice’ and are having a ‘Ceremony of Repentance’ on what is referred to as Mount Sinai, in Egypt. Do this sound Gaia, mother goddess worship? Are Christians supposed to have religious ceremonies with pagans? What did the Apostle Paul write? What did Jesus say would happen to the earth? Are humans, apart from God, going to solve climate problems before Jesus returns? Is there any type of false gospel associated with aspects of the climate change movement? Would obeying God solve the issues of pollution and climate change? What about the good news, the gospel of the Kingdom of God? Does the Bible have the solution to pollution? Does the Bible have the answer to solving climate change? Dr Thiel and Steve Dupuie discuss these issues.

Here is a link to our video: COP 27 and Solving Climate Change.

Yes, there is a biblical solution to climate change, but most associated with the climate change crowd have overlooked that.

But, people will heed God and His ways during the millennial Kingdom of God.

Most now will ignore weather changes and simply believe that weather changes all the time and the changes do not have to do with God or disobeying His laws.

Yet, the Bible shows that weird, severe, and odd weather patterns are part of the warning messages that God gives.

Are you paying attention to those messages?

Some items of interest may include the following:

Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? What does the Bible teach about weather? What about floods, droughts, heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, and solar storms? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather? A related item in the Spanish language would be Bendiciones y maldiciones del clima.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2024, 2025, or 2026? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Tribulation in 2024?
The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? Here is a link to a related sermon: Christians and the Environment (there is also a YouTube video available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy, one titled Will Pollution lead to the End?, and one called COP 27 and Solving Climate Change).
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.

(Pixabay image)

COGwriter

The following was in the latest CCOG Letter to the Brethren:

Unity of God

One of the areas I have been doing additional research on this past week has to do with the “unity of God.”

In the Continuing Church of God we have pointed out many historical references to support the position that the original Christian church of the Godhead was binitarian (see Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning) and not trinitarian (see Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity?).

We have also pointed out that it was Emperor Theodosius who forced the trinitarian teaching and called those who would not agree as “foolish madmen” (Theodosian Code XVI.1.2. Cited in Bettenson H, ed., Documents of the Christian Church, London: Oxford University Press, 1943, p. 31). We also pointed out that he even deposed the Demophilus, who had been the orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, in order to do so in 380 A.D. (watch also the recent sermon Cults and other Name Calling).

We have also pointed out that the Greco-Roman saint Gregory of Nyssa taught it was right to HATE and FIGHT those who did not accept Theodosius’ trinitarian position (Gregory of Nyssa. Letter 17 to Eustathia, Ambrosia, and Basilissa. Translated by William Moore. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 5. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1893).

Furthermore, we pointed out the following from a Roman Catholic seer:

JANE LE ROYER (d. 1798) SISTER MARY OF THE NATIVITY

“Many precursors, false prophets, and members of infernal secret societies, worshippers of Satan, shall impugn the most sacred dogmas and doctrines of our holy religion, shall persecute the faithful, shall commit abominable actions…

“When the time of the reign of Antichrist is near, a false religion will appear which be opposed to the unity of God and His Church. This will cause the greatest schism the world has ever known. The nearer the time of the end, the more darkness of Satan will spread on Earth, the greater will be the number of children of corruption, and the number of Just will correspondingly diminish. (Culligan, pp.127,128)

Now the above suggests that secret societies will impugn the most sacred dogmas and doctrines of the Roman Catholic religion. Before Jesus comes, who some Roman Catholic mystics sometimes seem to identify as the Antichrist coming (e.g. see Do Certain Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?), Roman Catholics teach that a false religion will arise that is “opposed to the unity of God and His Church.” Those in the true Church of God, of course, have long opposed the compromised church and its Godhead teachings.

In other Roman Catholic writings, it is the trinity that is referred to as the unity of God. The Catholic Encyclopedia states:

The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine of the Christian religion — the truth that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these Three Persons being truly distinct one from another … Three Persons are that One Omnipotent God in whom the Apostles believed. Indeed the unity of God is so fundamental … (Joyce G.H. The Blessed Trinity. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton Company)

The Unity and Trinity of God … The numerical unity or identity of the divine nature in the Three Persons is indicated in the trinitarian formulas (Ott L.  Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. Nihil Obstat: Jeremiah j. O’Sullivan. Imprimatur: +Cornelius Ep. Corgagiensis ei Ap. Amd. Rossensis, 7 October 1954.  Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1974, pp. 58-59).

There are some Roman Catholic seers that state that the beginning of the end will occur in the 20th century, but that also refer to a group that is a problem for the Roman Catholics, that some call the “secret sect”:

Ven. Sor Marianne de Jesus Torres (17th Century)… Our Lady told Sister Marianee: “… But this knowledge will only become known to the general public in the 20th Century.

“During this epoch the Church will find herself attacked by waves of the secret sect …

“Know, beloved daughter, that when your name is made known in the 20th Century, there will be many who do not believe, claiming this devotion is not pleasing to God…” (Birch, pp. 317,326) .

Nun Anne Catherine Emmerich (about 1820): “I heard that Lucifer (if I don’t mistake) will be freed again for awhile fifty or sixty years before the year 2000 A.D. I have forgotten many of the other dates were told (Emmerich AC. The Life of Lord Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations. Schmöger edition, Vol. IV. Nihil Obstat: D. Jaegher, 14 Februari 1914. Imprimatur: A.C. De Schrevel, Brugis, 14 Februari 1914. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 2004, pp. 353-354).

I believe that the Philadelphia-portion of the COG is the secret sect that is being discussed above and that we have affected the Roman Catholics in waves, starting with Herbert W. Armstrong–who put out the Plain Truth magazine for between 50-60 years before 2000 A.D. (specifically from February 1934 until his death in January 1986; he also was on radio and/or television from October 9, 1933 until his death). And thus, I suspect that it may have been Herbert W. Armstrong, that the demons had Nun Emmerich falsely identify as Lucifer.

Furthermore, notice also the following Roman Catholic writing:

“In the Middle Ages, the Popes and Councils were successful in destroying the Jewish revolutionary movements which appeared within Christianity in the form of false teaching and which were introduced by seeming Christians but by Jews in secret. The latter then recruited upright and good Christians for the arising heretical movement by persuading the latter in a crafty way.

“The secret Jews organized and controlled in secret manner the movements, which were the creative and driving-force of wicked false teachings, such as those of the ‘Catarensers,’ of the ‘Patarines,’ of the ‘Albignensians,’ of the ‘Hussites,’ … and others.” (Pinay, Maurice. The Plot Against the Church, Part Four Chapter One. Translated from the German and Spanish editions of the same work–originally from the 19th century. 1962 edition, p.236).

There were true Church of God Christians given the labels that the above book referred to.

Now consider that the “false religion” in the Jane le Royer’s prophecy can only be referring to an anti-trinitarian group. Notice she says that this group “appears” just before Antichrist. Thus, if the “false religion” that appears at the end AND the “secret sect” are the same basic group, then the private prophecies are warning about a group with “Jewish practices” that starts causing them problems in the 20th century, that is anti-trinitarian. This clearly describes the old Worldwide Church of God and, in the 21st century, the Continuing Church of God.

Yet, the Roman Catholics do not understand that the unity of God is.

Nor do they seem to realize it can involve unity with God.

Let’s look at a few verses from the Bible that touch on this:

15 … He seeks godly offspring. (Malachi 2:15)

6 I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High…” (Psalm 82:6).

15 I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. (Psalm 17:15)

10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. (John 17:10-11)

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. (Romans 6:5)

11 Now if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling within you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortal bodies because of His Spirit that dwells within you. (Roman 8:11, A Faithful Version)

3 His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Note that Christian are to attain unity with Jesus, who now is God, when we are resurrected. We are to be deified when we become partakers of the divine nature (see also What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God?).

The old Worldwide Church of God taught:

GOD GAVE US A HUMAN SPIRIT SO WE COULD BE UNITED WITH GOD. (Armstrong HW. First Day of Unleavened. Sermon Date: April 6, 1985)

Actually the PURPOSE of God’s Church is to reconcile man — unite man — with God. …

Jesus … came to call sinners OUT of this evil world, and UNITE them with GOD, … Jesus’ resurrection made possible our resurrection, for he was “the firstborn [by a resurrection] among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). … we may be now BEGOTTEN into the KINGDOM (Family) of God, and may, by the resurrection, be BORN into the GOD FAMILY! (Armstrong HW. WHERE Is the True Church? Booklet, 1984)

Man … needed the addition of God’s Spirit to unite with his spirit, begetting him as a child of God — uniting him with God — ultimately to be born into the very GOD FAMILY. … The only real LIFE, inherent and self-containing, lies in the Holy Spirit of God, united with the human spirit. The value of a human life lies in the human spirit and its potential of being united with God’s Spirit — which is God-mind and God-life. (Armstrong HW. The Only REAL Value of a Human Life. Plain Truth, February 1984)

In the early 2nd century, a Church of God leader named Ignatius of Antioch, whom the Greco-Roman Catholics consider to be a saint, taught deification and that was the ultimate unity of or with God:

Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, to the Church of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ which is in Philadelphia, in Asia, to her that hath found mercy and is established in the unity of God, (Ignatius. Letter to the Philadelphians, 0:1)

For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ, these are with the bishop; and as many as have repented, and have entered into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall be of God, (Ignatius. Letter to the Philadelphians, 3:2)

Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, and the prophets, and the apostles, and the Church; all these come into the unity of God. (Ignatius. Letter to the Philadelphians, 9:1)

Be strong in the unity of God, possessing his inseparable Spirit, which is Jesus Christ. (Ignatius. Letter to the Magnesians, 15:1)

I salute your godly bishop and your venerable presbytery [and] my fellow-servants the deacons, and all of you severally and in a body, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in His flesh and blood, in His passion and resurrection, which was both carnal and spiritual, in the unity of God and of yourselves. Grace to you, mercy, peace, patience, always. (Ignatius. Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 12:2)

For neither shall I ever have such [another] opportunity of attaining to God; … It is good to set from the world unto God, that I may rise again to Him. (Ignatius. Letter to the Romans, 2:1,2)

Let me be given to the wild beasts, for through them I can attain unto God. (Ignatius. Letter to the Romans, 4:1)

He is the door of the Father, by which enter in Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the prophets, and the apostles, and the Church. All these have for their object the attaining to the unity of God. (Ignatius. Letter to the Romans, 9:2)

So, Ignatius taught that the goal for God’s people was deification and to do a better, eternal, work–and that humans were to attain the unity of God, and that is something that the church assist with.

In the late 2nd century A.D., Irenaeus of Lyon, who claimed to get some teachings from Polycarp of Smyrna and who is considered a saint by the Greco-Roman Catholics, wrote:

… there is none other called God by the Scriptures except the Father of all, and the Son, and those who possess the adoption (Irenaeus. Adversus haereses, Book IV, Preface, Verse 4. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885).

we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods; (Irenaeus. Against Heresies, Book IV, 38:4)

For what meant the excess referred to? In the first place, [we must] believe not only in the Father, but also in His Son now revealed; for He it is who leads man into fellowship and unity with God. (Irenaeus. Against Heresies, Book IV, 13:1)

Yes, Christians are to attain unity of God and are to be deified. Yes, the binitarian position is that the Bible only refers to the Father and Son as actually God, but that those who become true children of God will also be deified.

A Church of God leader named Theophilus of Antioch, who the Greco-Roman Catholics also consider to be a saint, also taught about deification and the unity of God in the late 2nd century:

For if He had made him immortal from the beginning, He would have made him God … so that if he should incline to the things of immortality, keeping the commandment of God, he should receive as reward from Him immortality, and should become God … For God has given us a law and holy commandments; and every one who keeps these can be saved, and, obtaining the resurrection, can inherit incorruption (Theophilus of Antioch. To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapters 26, 27, p. 105).

he who acts righteously shall escape the eternal punishments, and be thought worthy of the eternal life from God. … And Moses, who himself also was a prophet, says, concerning the sole government of God: “Your God is He who establishes the heaven, and forms the earth, whose hands have brought forth all the host of heaven; and has not set these things before you that you should go after them.” And Isaiah himself also says: “Thus saith the LORD God who established the heavens, and founded the earth and all that is therein, and giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein. This is the LORD your God.” And again, through him He says: “I have made the earth, and man upon it. I by my hand have established the heavens.” And in another chapter, “This is your God, who created the ends of the earth; He hungereth not, neither is weary, and there is no searching of His understanding.” So, too, Jeremiah says: “Who hath made the earth by His power, and established the world by His wisdom, and by His discretion hath stretched out the heavens, and a mass of water in the heavens, and He caused the clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth; He made lightnings with rain, and brought forth winds out of His treasures.” One can see how consistently and harmoniously all the prophets spoke, having given utterance through one and the same spirit concerning the unity of God, and the creation of the world, and the formation of man. (Theophilus. To Autolycus, Book II, Chapters 34, 35)

Theophilus taught deification, the unity of God with humans, and doing good for those who were real Christians.

Herbert W. Armstrong taught that he restored truths to the Philadelphian portion of the Church of God that the Ephesus era taught–though he also allowed for the Smyrna era taught. Ignatius was part of the Ephesian era and he taught that deification was how Christians attain the unity of God. Theophilus was part era of the Smyrna era and he taught that deification was how Christians attain the unity of God.

Despite claiming to hold to early teachings, the Church of Rome has a different view of the unity of God.

One of the reasons that the original catholics, who were called Paulicians by the Romans, were persecuted after the time of Theodosius, was because they denied the trinitarian “unity of God” (Gibbon E. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume 4. BF French, 1830, pp. 5,28,29). The denial of Theodosius’ trinity looks to be another reason some may cite for future persecution.

Furthermore, notice the following Roman Catholic prophecy that was written between 1810 and 1830:

Nursing Nun of Bellay … Once again, the madmen seem to gain the upper hand! … their books and their doctrines are swamping the world. But the day of justice will come. … the Great Monarch ascends the throne of his ancestors. … All these things shall come to pass once the wicked have succeeded in circulating large numbers of bad books. (Dupont Y. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 51)

Now “madmen” was a term used by Emperor Theodosius for those who refused to accept his trinitarian position. Hence, the above seems to be saying that when books come out that his doctrinal supporters do not like (perhaps such as Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?, Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century, Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?, and Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?), this will cause the Church of Rome problems, but lead to the rise of the Great Monarch–who looks to be the coming European Babylonian Beast power. As far as the “throne of his ancestors” goes, may be a reference to the Hapsburgs (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p. 195) and a resurrected final “Holy Roman Empire” (cf. Revelation 13:1-4) that other Greco-Roman Catholic private prophecies have pointed to. So, again it looks like calling the faithful “madmen” is still part of Satan’s plan.

It should be mentioned that other Greco-Roman Catholics seem to feel that prior to the Antichrist coming, some they associate with him will take a non-trinitarian view of the Godhead. Notice the following Greco-Roman Catholic writings:

Athanasius (4th century): But, whereas one heresy and that the last, which has now risen as harbinger of Antichrist, the Arian, as it is called. (Athanasius. Four Discourses of S. Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, Against the Arians Discourse 1. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies)

Cardinal Newman (19th century): Thus we have found S. Athanasius calling Arianism “the forerunner of Antichrist,” Syn. § 5, [prodromos], præcursor; vid. also Orat. i. §§ 1 and 7; Ap. c. Ar. fin.; Hist. Ar. 77; Cyr. Cat. xv. 9; Basil. Ep. 264; Hilar. Aux. 5, no distinction being carefully drawn between the apostasy and the Antichrist. (Newman JH. Four Discourses of S. Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, Against the Arians Discourse 2. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies)

Those of us in the Continuing Church of God espouse what Greco-Roman Catholics have termed semi-Arianism or binitarianism (see Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning), deny the Greco-Roman trinitarian unity of God, and our writings and preaching are often clearly opposed to those now taken by the Roman Catholic Church. They will consider us as supporters of the Antichrist, despite our being faithful. See also: Do Certain Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus and the Church of God?

The old Worldwide Church of God and groups that came (directly or indirectly) out of it, as far as the Greco-Roman Catholics are concerned, have simply recently appeared out of nowhere. Modern Greco-Roman Catholics are normally not willing to accept that we can trace our spiritual roots throughout history, although our ties to the faithfulness to the earliest apostolic successors, like Polycarp, are much stronger than theirs (see, the free online book, Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?).

Despite our long history traced to the original apostles, some assert that we are new and not a continuation of the original faith—hence a religion that supposedly has just appeared. Certain Greco-Roman Catholic sources have long claimed those with original biblical beliefs were “secret Jews … such as those of the Iconoclasts, the Cathars, the Patarines, the Albigensians, the Hussites, the Alumbrados and others” who opposed their church and they stated should be punished (e.g. Pinay M. The Plot Against the Church, Part Four Chapter One. Translated from the German and Spanish editions of the same work. 1962). Note: Iconclasts are those that oppose idols, and those in the Church of God have long opposed the idols and icons that the Greco-Roman Churches bow down before.

Now, in the CCOG, we have also pointed out that in the 21st century, the World Council of Churches does not allow non-trinitarian churches to be members and that the Vatican’s 2020 document, The Bishop and Christian Unity: An Ecumenical Vademecum, is also aimed at trinitarian churches. Hence, it looks to be safely concluded that the ecumenical movement wants non-trinitarians out of the way. Non-trinitarians are expected to be targeted (cf. Revelation 13; Daniel 7:25).

When it come to the truth about the unity of God, remember that it is us in the Continuing Church of God, and not the Greco-Roman Catholics, who hold to the original Christian view of the unity of God.

For more on church history and warnings against ecumenical compromise, see also the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?

There are many things that the Greco-Roman Catholics and Protestants adopted that original Christians did not.

Jude wrote for the faithful Christians:

3 … to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3)

That is what we in the Continuing Church of God strive to do.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God? What is your ultimate destiny? What does the Bible teach? Is deification only a weird or cultic idea? Are you to rule the universe? Here is a link to the video sermon What is Your Destiny?
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. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
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.
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church? Here is a link to a related video: Should You Call God Father?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages.
Jesus is God, But Became Flesh Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what? Here is information in the Spanish language¿Es Jesucristo Dios?.
Virgin Birth: Does the Bible Teach It? What does the Bible teach? What is claimed in The Da Vinci Code?
Why Does Jesus Have Two Different Genealogies listed in Matthew 1 and Luke 3? Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38 seemingly list two different genealogies for Jesus. Why? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Por qué Jesús tiene dos genealogías diferentes las cuales aparecen en Mateo 1 y Lucas 3?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view? A related sermon is available: Truth about the Holy Spirit: What THEY do not want you to know!
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD. Two related sermons are available: Trinity: Fundamental to Christianity or Something Else? and The Godhead and the Trinity. A brief video is also available: Three trinitarian scriptures?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it? Here is a link to a related sermon: Unitarianism? How is God One?
Did the Archangel Michael become Jesus? The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach this, and SDA Ellen White did, but does the Bible allow for this? Here is a link to a related video message: Is Jesus the Archangel Michael? Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Se convirtió el Arcángel Miguel en Jesús? Here is a a related video in the Spanish language: ¿El Arcángel Miguel es Jesús?
How Many Creators? Did the ancient Mayans know the truth about the Godhead at creation?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a longer article than the Binitarian View article, and has a little more information on binitarianism, and less about unitarianism. A related sermon is also available: Binitarian view of the Godhead. Here is a sermon in Spanish: La Identidad de Dios es Binitaria.

1939 Sheet Music Cover via Wikipedia

COGwriter

A reader sent me a link to the following published by the European Conservative:

Will There Always Be an England?

Most Americans are Anglophiles. It’s in our blood. Yes, our ancestors fought a bloody revolution to free ourselves from the British crown, but outside of the United Kingdom itself, you will find no people more eager to swoon over British royalty than Americans. More substantively, our love and admiration for the British has to do with a heady mix of Churchill, Wilberforce, Tolkien, Lennon and McCartney, and other extraordinary examples of courage, wisdom, and creativity.

For an American, it’s not only shocking, but also painful, to see what is happening to Britain today. The country of the Magna Carta, the nation that gave the world liberal democracy, and a people who stood indomitably against the Nazi totalitarian menace, succumb to utter demoralization and soft (for now) totalitarianism imposed on them by a corrupt ruling class. How far away seem the lyrics to the popular 1939 patriotic song “There’ll Always Be An England,” which lifted spirits through the Blitz:

There’ll always be an England,

And England shall be free

If England means as much to you

As England means to me.

It has become possible now to doubt that sentimental claim—precisely because England has ceased to mean much to its ruling class, and to many Englishmen. A friend who is a respected member of the British establishment wrote to me last week in despair.

“No sign it’s going to get any better, or that there is any way the country can come back from this,” he said. “We’ve faced wars, recessions, and pandemics for centuries, but this is different. You can’t reverse the slow dissolution of an entire culture and people, which is what is happening to the English.”

What prompted those black-pilled lines was my telling him of a dinner conversation I had had the night before in Budapest. I dined with a middle-class English couple in the Hungarian capital to take possession of a flat they had just bought as a kind of bolthole, to escape their native land if it becomes necessary. One of them had been born in the UK to parents who escaped the 1956 Soviet occupation of Hungary. They had gone west seeking ordered liberty; now their son and his family were contemplating reversing the course for the same reason.

The wife told me that she is friends with a white British couple who lost their daughter for a couple of years to a Pakistani grooming gang. The mum and dad went to the police, begging for help. As with so many white British people in similar circumstances, they received none. …

Britain’s tragedy is no doubt being closely watched all across Europe, especially in countries facing the same challenges from migration, crime, and national identity. It was a bit surprising that the first serious migration-related race riots happened not in France or Germany, but in the UK. Nevertheless, what’s happening in Britain today is likely to happen in several continental European countries tomorrow. We should expect governments to react with the same contempt for free speech and patriotism as the British government has. Remember that EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told the mandarins of Davos earlier this year that the greatest challenge Europe faces today is “disinformation.” Not uncontrolled migration, not migrant-related crime, not Islamic extremism—but disinformation, which the EU ruling class no doubt considers to include noticing and complaining about all these things. Brussels and other European capitals will watch closely to see how well Starmer’s methods work. 08/12/24 https://europeanconservative.com/articles/commentary/will-there-always-be-an-england/

The protests and counter protests and government comments in the UK in the past few weeks have made some wonder if there will always be an England.

Biblical prophecies point to its elimination.

Here are a few comments published by the old Worldwide Church of God last century:

Empires come and go, nations rise and fall, and somehow through it all the human race has usually managed to land on its feet.

So who is to say this generation is any different? The British people have maintained for decades “there will always be an England.” and so far they have been right. Do we have any reason not to be just as optimistic about the particular age of history in which we are living?

Can All Things Continue? …

The famous Olivet discourse is a good case in point. Here Christ not only foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, but He spoke of a series of global calamities that would herald a pivotal turning point in human history.

In verses 5 through 10 of Matthew 24, He outlined the usual scenario of wars, famines and persecutions that seem to accompany the disintegration of civilizations. These events could be applied to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. but in verse 21 Christ went on to expand the scope of His prophecy: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” …

Either we collectively change our ways or prepare ourselves for a rather grim scenario. (Ritter G. Are We Living in the Last Days? – Part 4. Good News, November 1976)

Today the nations of the Western world, especially the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and South Africa … have gone after strange gods. These gods are not the kind made from sticks, metal, or stone, but are typified by ideas, concepts and institutions.

Repeatedly Western democracies have looked to their leaders, native institutions, liberal democratic ideologies, and more recently science and technology, to bail them out in time of crisis. Most Americans somehow feel that the latest face in the election sweepstakes, … the free enterprise system, the workings of the constitution, greater material growth, more jobs, or lower taxes will somehow see them through. The people of Britain simultaneously lie prostrated before the altars of state socialism, trade unionism, the “I’m-all-right-Jack” and “There’ll-always-be-an-England” concepts.

If the English-speaking nations of the world think that they can continue to blindly follow such shopworn idols into the promised land, they are sadly mistaken. All the ideologies, economic theories and governmental formulas known to man will never bring salvation either on a national or individual basis. The only One that can do that is the Supreme Ruler and Creator of the universe.

Until humanity undertakes a fundamental and radical overhaul of their social faiths and ideologies, the plagues, calamities and catastrophes recorded in Leviticus 26, Jesus Christ’s Olivet prophecy and the book of Revelation will ultimately be the order of the day. In this respect, the words of the apostle Peter have never been more relevant than to this generation: “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ [the real Savior] appointed for you, Jesus” (Acts 3:19).

There is still time for many to come out of the religious Babylon that currently deceives this world (Rev. 18:4). If you as an individual are interested, why not begin to go back and take inventory of your current religious beliefs? Study them in the light of what God says in the Bible. (Ritter G. 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse – The White Horse – False Religion. WCG booklet, 1976)

What is this abomination? This refers to Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15…That will be a time when the UNITED Europe shall appear–the revival of the medieval “Holy Roman Empire.” We shall then be warned, and readied to be taken to a place of refuge and safety from the Great Tribulation. Forty-five days later “the beasts armies” will surround Jerusalem. Thirty days later the Great Tribulation will probably start with a nuclear attack on London and Britain–and possibly the same day or immediately after, on the United States and Canadian cities. The GREAT TRIBULATION, we shall fully then realize, is the time of “Jacob’s Trouble,” spoken of in Jeremiah 30:7. And Jacob’s name was named on Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48:16). At that time a third of the people in our nations will die, or shall have died, by famine and disease epidemics; another third will dies of the war–our cities being destroyed (Ezek. 6:6), and the remaining third will be carried to the land of our enemies as slaves (Ezek. 5:12). (Armstrong HW. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General’s Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979, Page 2).

The Bible states:

33 I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste (Leviticus 26:33).

Nuclear and other high-tech weapons (as well as emp, electromagnetic pulse, bombs), as well as devastating solar flares, are ways to make land desolate and modern cities waste (for more on emp-weapons and solar flares see Nuclear EMP Attack on UK Called ‘Quite Likely’).

Events that resemble nuclear or similar devastation are part of the prophesied curses mentioned in the Bible:

23 ‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning (Deuteronomy 29:23).

19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts
The land is burned up,
And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother.
20 And he shall snatch on the right hand
And be hungry;
He shall devour on the left hand
And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. 21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah (Isaiah 9:19-21).

6 In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste (Ezekiel 6:6).

There will NOT “Always be an England.” Nor the United States for that matter (cf. Daniel 11:39; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

Consider the following about the old British Empire:

In 1913, 412 million people lived under the control of the British Empire, 23 percent of the world’s population at that time. It remains the largest empire in human history and at the peak of its power in 1920, it covered an astonishing 13.71 million square miles – that’s close to a quarter of the world’s land area. (McCarthy N. The Biggest Empires In Human History. Statista, December 19, 2019)

The United Kingdom now has 93,628 sq miles of land (United Kingdom, Wikipedia, accessed 08/15/24). That is a reduction of size by 99%! And the UK will lose more territory as well as will one day be conquered.

Despite British hopes for its future, the UK will continue to lose territories will one day include Northern Ireland. Notice a few 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)

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

These territorial losses will include Northern Ireland and Gibraltar, as well as England, Wales, and Scotland (and also its naval presence in Cyprus and other places). Yes, one day, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be no more.

The Bible ties the British people in with the descendants of Joseph’s son Ephraim–for details, see 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 specifically ties lack of repentance as the reasons reason that the King of Assyria (the final European Babylonian King of the North Beast power) will become Ephraim’s/England’s king:

3 I taught Ephraim to walk…5…But the Assyrian shall be his king, Because they refused to repent. 6 And the sword shall slash in his cities, Devour his districts, And consume them, Because of their own counsels. 7 My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him. (Hosea 11:3a, 5b-7)

The prophesied shame is starting to come upon the Anglo-American powers who instead of repenting have more and more embraced and promoted various sins. The Assyrian king is also prophesied to eliminate the USA per Isaiah 10:5-12.

Furthermore, it may be of interest to note that the Roman Catholics have a lot of predictions about England’s fate, though many of the older Roman Catholic prophecies that mention the English were written before that area actually was called England (and of course, if any apply to the USA, Canada, Australia, and/or New Zealand, they were not formed as we now understand them until several centuries after some of the Roman Catholic prophecies were first written). Hence, these are errors, changes, and/or distortions in translations (probably often just a “modernized” translation of some form of the word “Anglo”). Many of these private prophecies are believed to be intended to somehow refer to the British-descended peoples.

The following seems to predict after the time of movies and rockets, there will be bloodshed in Europe (WWII or civil unrest in Europe?), but that ultimately England will suffer:

Old English Prophecy (On a tombstone at the Kirby cemetery, Essex).

When pictures look alive, with movements free,
(T.V. and movies)

When ships like fish swim beneath the sea,
(Submarines)

When outstripping birds can soar in the sky
(Jets and rockets)

The half the world drenched in blood shall die…

In Germany begins a dance,

Which passes through Italy, Spain, and France,
But England shall pay the piper. (Dupont, pp. 21-22)

What several Roman Catholic prophecies appear to generally state is that there will be some type of civil unrest in parts of Europe which occur after England becomes less powerful, and that ultimately England (and/or perhaps more accurately, the English/Anglo peoples–for many reasons, including the fact that the nation was not actually called “England” as early as some translations of the early private prophecies below term it) will be severely chastised, and basically the Anglo-nations will no longer be self-governed. Here are several along those lines:

Saint Cataldus of Tarentino (c. 500): “The Great Monarch will be in war till he is forty years of age….he will assemble great armies and expel tyrants from his empire. He will conquer England and other island empires” (Connor, p.30).

Foretelling the fall of France and England, the famous Jesuit Father Necton, said in 1772, “When England shall wane in power, the destruction of Paris will be near at hand” (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 84).

Priest Jerome Botin of Cahors (died 1420): Woe to the sea, woe to the land,…and woe to the people of the Island (England), because the inheritance of the Lord shall abandon them, and for the few remaining faithful in it there shall be much affliction, says the Spirit. (Rossi, p. 24)

Priest Nectou (d. 1772): …when England shall begin to wane in power, the destruction of Paris shall be at hand. This shall be a sign. England shall, in her turn, suffer a more frightful revolution than that of France (Culleton, p. 176).

The Ecstatic of Tours…”When everyone believes that peace is assured, when everyone least expects it, the great happenings will begin. Revolution will break out in Italy almost at the same time as in France. For some time, the Church will be without a Pope. England, too, will have much to suffer…” (Dupont, p.37)

St. Edward (11th century). “The extreme corruption and wickedness of the English nation has provoked the just anger of God. When malice has reached the fullness of its measure, God will, in His wrath, send to the English people evil spirits who will punish and afflict them with severity by separating the green tree from its parent stem the length of three furlongs. But at last this same tree, through the compassionate mercy of God and without any national assistance, shall return to its original root, reflourish, and bear abundant fruit.”… It is to be noted, too, that there was no English nation as such in the 11th Century, but only a kingdom of the Angles and Saxons. This discrepancy, however, may be due to a mis-transcription {the preceding was the comment from Dupont personally on the Edward’s prophecy}, Dupont, pp.18,19)

Saint Edward (d. 1066) “The extreme corruption and wickedness of the English nation has provoked the just anger of God.  When malice shall have reached the fullness of its measure, God will, in His wrath, send to the English people wicked spirits, who will punish and afflict them with great severity…” (Culleton, p. 137).

Mother Shipton (d. 1551) “The time will come when England shall tremble and quake…London shall be destroyed forever after . . . and then York shall be London and the Kingdom governed by three Lords appointed by a Royal Great monarch…who will set England right and drive out heresy (Culleton, p. 163).

It has been foretold in 597, by ST. Columbkille…”…English nobility shall sink into horrible life–wars shall be proclaimed against them, by means of which the franatically proud race shall be subdued, and will be harassed from every quarter. The English shall dwindle into disreputable people and shall forever be derived of power” (Culligan, pp. 118-119).

St. Columbine (d. 597): The enemies of the English shall be aroused in battle–they who reside in the eastern and western parts of the world…the English shall be defeated … After the English shall be defeated in this battle, they shall be harassed by every quarter; like a fawn surrounded by a pack of voracious hounds, shall be the position of the English amidst their enemies. The English afterwards shall dwindle down to a disreputable people (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin.  Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941.  Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 131,132).

St. Senanus (d. 560): They (English) themselves will betray each other: in consequence their sovereignty will be broken…One monarch will rule in Ireland over the English (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p. 128).

Merlin (7th century): After destruction of England…shall come a dreadful man…he shall set England on the right way and put out all heresies (Culleton, p. 132).

Ancient Irish source: England will again injure the Irish…This will be a sign for the frightful punishment of England…England suffers the same degradation as she meted out to her neighbor, and for the same length of time. Not the smallest fraction of time in this long period shall be remitted…Never shall world power be hers again…France restores order in England (Culleton, pp. 234,235).

St. Malachy (12th century). “Ireland will suffer English oppression for a week of centuries, but will preserve her fidelity to God and His Church. At the end of that time she will be delivered, and the English in turn must suffer severe chastisement. Ireland, however, will be instrumental in bringing back the English to the unity of Faith.” (Dupont, p.15)

Certain Greco-Roman Catholic sources claim that the first portion involving oppression in the above Malachy prophecy has been fulfilled. But notice that the above also claims that England will suffer from severe chastisement. And apparently many those that survive will become some type of “Catholic” (probably through desperation, coercion, deception, and/or force).

Also notice:

Fr. Balthassar Mas (17th century). “I saw a land swallowed up by the sea and covered with water. But afterwards, I saw that the sea receded little by little and the land could be seen again. The tops of the towers in the city rose again above the water and appeared more beautiful than before, and I was told that this land was England.’ (Dupont, p.32)

The above may have several interpretations. Figuratively, it may mean that Protestant England is to be destroyed and will become some type of Catholic. Or it may simply mean some type of tsunami will affect England. However, notice that elsewhere England is prophesied to become Roman Catholic:

Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century). Whole nations will come back to the Church and the face of the earth will be renewed. Russia, England, and China will come into the Church. (Dupont, p.45)

Of course, Russia and China will finally turn on the European power (Daniel 11:44-45), but the Bible shows that for a while “All who dwell on the earth will worship him {the European beast power}, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

Anyway, according to biblical prophecies, England will one day be conquered (for details, see the 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 shows that this will be by a European power that will be tied to the religion of the City of Seven Hills–which is Rome. The fact that Roman Catholic prophecies seem to look forward to that suggests that those who will conquer England will believe that their god will want them to do so.

UPDATE 08/28/24: We just uploaded the following related video:

15:26

Will there always be an England?

Although there is a British song from 1939 that has the line “There will always be an England,” is that true? Some have noted cultural dissolution, enough so that they have wondered if England will remain. Does the Bible point to the end of England? While the British Empire was the world’s largest, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has less than 1% of its 1920 empire. Will the UK lose more land such as Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands? Will it be conquered? Do biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies point to the end of the UK? Could the British people be descendants of Joseph’s son Ephraim? Why does the Bible show it will be conquered? Dr. Thiel and Stever Dupuie go over these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Will there always be an England?

There will not always be an England as it has been as it will one day be conquered.

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? 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.
Brexit and the fate of Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, the UK, and the USA On April 29, 2017, 27 of the nations of the European Union agreed to certain guidelines for the negotiations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which gave its notice to leave on March 29, 2017. These guidelines are contrary to what the UK wants. Does the EU intend the UK to pay a price for leaving the EU? What does Spain want? What does the Republic of Ireland want? Will Northern Ireland and Gibraltar eventually fall under European control? Will the UK and USA be conquered? What does the Bible teach? Dr. Thiel answer these questions and more in this video.
Brexit Happened: Now What? At 11:00 pm January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally left the European Union. Many celebrated, while many mourned. Nigel Farage stated, “This is the greatest moment in modern British history.” What will happen to the United Kingdom? Will the UK be involved in trade deals with the United States of America and the Europeans? Will the UK regret the BRitish Exit (Brexit) from the EU?What will happen with the European Union? Is Europe prophesied to have a great army and many ships? Does the Bible prophesy a reorganization of Europe? Does it prophesy that the Europeans will become a conquering military power? Is the United Kingdom prophesied to be conquered? How does the Bible name the British-descended peoples? Was the British Empire the largest in world history? Was Brexit predicted by Church of God leaders in 1970 and the early 1990s? Will the European Union be negatively affected financially by the departure of the UK? Will this turn out well for the UK or the Europeans? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? Spain wants Gibraltar and Argentina wants the Falklands (also known as the Malvinas). Does the Bible give clues as to what will happen with these ‘sea gates’? A version of the article in the Spanish language would be ¿Perderá el Reino Unido a Gibraltar y las Islas Falkland (Malvinas)?
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?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2024, 2025, or 2026? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Tribulation in 2024?

Stages of monkeypox lesion development
(UK government photos)

COGwriter

Newsweek published the following:

Mpox: … ‘Multiple Outbreaks’ As Global Health Emergency Declared

August 15, 2024

Mpox has been declared a “public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization amid the spread of a deadlier form of the virus through multiple African countries. …

Mpox, previously called monkeypox, rose to recognition during the global outbreak in 2022, affecting the U.S., Europe, Australia and many other countries. The virus comes in two “flavor”s—clade I and clade II—and spreads through close contact. …

The previous outbreak in the U.S. and Europe was driven by the clade II form of the virus and was mostly spread through sexual and intimate contact, with men who have sex with men being at the highest risk of infection. However, the current surge in Africa is being driven by a new variant of the clade I virus, called clade Ib, which is thought to cause more severe disease than previous variants. https://www.newsweek.com/mpox-map-outbreaks-global-health-emergency-who-1939715

A global emergency was also declared two years ago–see AP: UN health agency declares monkeypox a global emergency.

Notice a report from Mississippi from 2 years ago:

What is monkeypox?

August 20, 2022

According to the CDC, monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, in the same family as the virus that causes smallpox. Before 2022, most monkeypox cases were traced back to central and western Africa; cases outside of the continent were related to international travel or imported animals. …

How does the virus spread?

Monkeypox can spread through close contact, including contact with rashes, scabs, fluids or respiratory secretions from someone with the disease. Contact also includes touching fabrics or surfaces someone infected has interacted with.

Intimate or sexual contact and even hugging, massaging, kissing or prolonged face-to-face contact can spread the virus.

Monkeypox can spread from a pregnant person to the fetus through the placenta, and bites, scratches, meat or other byproducts from animals can transfer the virus.

Well, that is one report. But it overlooked the fact that this is almost entirely a homosexual male disease outside of Africa.

Now, notice the following:

Monkeypox is a gay disease spread by seminal fluid, not merely skin contact, study finds

August 20, 2022

The know-it-alls in “science” have come to the conclusion that so-called “monkeypox” is not spreading through simple skin-to-skin contact, but is rather a product of homosexual activity.

The main driver of the alleged disease is men who have sex with men, “experts” say. Numerous peer-reviewed studies point to monkeypox transmission being a factor of gay sex. (Related: Even though monkeypox is a gay disease, the globalists are still pushing for innocent children to be “vaccinated” against it.)

“A growing body of evidence supports that sexual transmission, particularly through seminal fluids, is occurring with the current monkeypox outbreak,” claims Aniruddha Hazra, medical director of The University of Chicago‘s Sexual Wellness Clinic. …

“It looks very clear to us that this is an infection that is transmitting sexually the vast majority of the time,” wrote Jeffrey Klausner, an infectious disease physician at the University of Southern California (USC), and Lao-Tzu Allan-Blitz, a resident physician in global health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. https://www.dcclothesline.com/2022/08/20/monkeypox-is-a-gay-disease-spread-by-seminal-fluid-not-merely-skin-contact-study-finds/

NBC News: Monkeypox chiefly transmitted through sex between men, suggests CDC update communications strategy

NBC News poked a hole in the public health narrative that skin-to-skin contact, rather than sex between men, was the chief transmitter of monkeypox in a report on Wednesday, and quoted scientists urging the Centers for Disease Control to update its communications on the infectious disease.

NBC’s Benjamin Ryan reported that growing evidence in recent weeks “has suggested that experts may have framed monkeypox’s typical transmission route precisely backward.”

“Since the outset of the global monkeypox outbreak in May, public health and infectious disease experts have told the public that the virus is largely transmitting through skin-to-skin contact, in particular during sex between men,” NBC reported. “Now, however, an expanding cadre of experts has come to believe that sex between men itself — both anal as well as oral intercourse — is likely the main driver of global monkeypox transmission. The skin contact that comes with sex, these experts say, is probably much less of a risk factor.”

Accurate information on the highest-risk behavior for transmission is crucial, as it plays into recommendations on isolation, infection risk and other factors. It cited studies finding the virus in semen, with one scientist remarking a “growing body of evidence supports that sexual transmission, particularly through seminal fluids, is occurring with the current MPX outbreak.”

Among the other evidence cited for the claim was the disease’s prevalence among men aged 18-44 (more than 75 percent of global cases), and the majority of cases occurring in the anorectal or genital areas, suggesting sexual transmission when the virus is first passed along.

“Consequently, scientists told NBC News that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health authorities should update their monkeypox communication strategies to more strongly emphasize the centrality of intercourse among gay and bisexual men, who comprise nearly all U.S. cases, to the virus’ spread,” NBC reported. 08/18/22 https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-news-monkeypox-chiefly-transmitted-through-sex-between-men-suggests-cdc-update-communications-strategy

The Mpox issue is another problem due to people not following biblical instructions.

Since sin affects us all, yes some outside of homosexual men will contract it.

But sexual immorality–including sodomy–is a major cause of what is now happening with Monkeypox.

Notice the following last days prophecy:

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
About Baptism Should you be baptized? Could baptism be necessary for salvation? Who should baptize and how should it be done? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Talk About Baptism and Baptism, Infants, Fire, & the Second Death.
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There are also two YouTube videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’ and Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2024, 2025, or 2026? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Tribulation in 2024?
Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation?
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Here is a link to a related sermon: Fourth Horseman, COVID, and the Rise of the Beast of Revelation. Here is a version of that sermon in Spanish: El Cuarto Caballo, El COVID y El Surgimiento de la Bestia del Apocalipsis. Some shorter related videos may include Amphibian Apocalypse: Threat to Humans? and Zombie Deer Disease is Here! Are the 10 Plagues on Egypt Coming? Here is a version of the article in Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.

The ‘Mary’ in the Basilica of Mary Major That Pope Francis Prays Before (Photo by Joyce Thiel, June 2013)

COGWriter

August 15th is a holiday known as the Assumption of Mary. It is not a day that the early Christian church observed. Yet, many Roman Catholics do and plan to:

August 13, 2024

The baths at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France have fully reopened for the first time in four years for France’s national pilgrimage for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary this week.

More than 30,000 pilgrims are expected in Lourdes for the Aug. 15 feast day, according to the news station Europe 1. The weeklong celebration will culminate in a Mass and candlelight rosary procession with thousands of sick in wheelchairs leading the way.  …

During the pilgrimage, which lasts from Aug. 12–16, the swimming pools will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. with more than 3,000 people volunteering to enable as many pilgrims as possible to wash in the baths and take part in the processions, according to the pilgrimage organizers. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/258675/lourdes-baths-have-fully-reopened-as-30000-expected-for-assumption-pilgrimage

Zenit, a pro-Vatican news source, reported that Pope Francis made comments about it in the past:

On the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

August 15, 2020

When man set foot on the moon, he said a phrase that became famous: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. In essence, humanity had reached a historical goal. But today, in Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, we celebrate an infinitely greater conquest. The Madonna has set foot in paradise: she went there not only in spirit, but with her body as well, with all of herself. This step of the lowly Virgin of Nazareth was the huge leap forward for humanity. Going to the moon serves us little if we do not live as brothers and sisters on Earth. But that one of us dwells in the flesh in Heaven gives us hope: we understand that we are precious, destined to rise again. God does not allow our bodies to vanish into nothing. With God, nothing is lost! In Mary, the goal has been reached and we have before our eyes the reasons why we journey: not to gain the things here below, which vanish, but to achieve the homeland above, which is forever. And Our Lady is the star that guides us. She went there first. She, as the Council teaches, shines “as a sign of sure hope and solace to the People of God during its sojourn on earth” (Lumen gentium, 68). …

Let us ask Our Lady, the Gate of Heaven, for the grace to begin each day by raising our eyes to Heaven … https://zenit.org/2020/08/15/popes-angelus-address-on-the-feast-of-the-assumption-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-full-text/

Looking to Mary is not seeing the Christian goal. Mary is not the “Gate of Heaven” nor the source of grace.

In Roman Catholicism it is now a Marian dogma that Mary was bodily assumed into heaven (while most early writings indicated that she died first, some Greco-Romans teach that she did not–whether or not she was dead or alive is not currently part of the dogma).

Where does the ‘Assumption of Mary’ come from?

The Catholic News Agency reported:

4) The Assumption … This dogma has no direct basis in scripture. (The Four Marian Dogmas. Catholic News Agency, http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource.php?n=424 viewed 08/26/11)

The National Catholic Register reported:

What is the Assumption of Mary?

The Assumption of Mary is the teaching that:

The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory [Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus 44]. …

What level of authority does this teaching have?

This teaching was infallibly defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950 in the bull Munificentissimus Deus (Latin, “Most Bountiful God”).

As Pius XII explained, this is “a divinely revealed dogma” (ibid.). …

What are the earliest surviving references to Mary’s Assumption?

John Paul II noted:

The first trace of belief in the Virgin’s Assumption can be found in the apocryphal accounts entitled Transitus Mariae [Latin, “The Crossing Over of Mary”], whose origin dates to the second and third centuries. …

How did the recognition of Mary’s Assumption develop in the East?

John Paul II noted:

There was a long period of growing reflection on Mary’s destiny in the next world.

This gradually led the faithful to believe in the glorious raising of the Mother of Jesus, in body and soul, and to the institution in the East of the liturgical feasts of the Dormition [“falling asleep”—i.e., death] and Assumption of Mary. (National Catholic Register, August 15, 2017 http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/the-assumption-of-mary-12-things-to-know-and-share2)

The Transitus Mariae is recognized by Roman Catholic sources as a false document. This doctrine of the assumption did not come from the Bible, but with compromises for those who wanted to keep a holiday like this.

One Roman Catholic writer noted:

Many people, even Catholics, don’t believe in the assumption of Mary. (Rozett E. Mother Mary and the Goddess. http://www.interfaithmary.com/pages/mary_rosary.html, viewed 08/15/2011)

The belief in the “Assumption of Mary”–the teaching that she perhaps did not die but went directly to heaven (or her body was “assumed” into heaven at or after death)–is based on supposition, mysticism, and apparently compromise.

Mary’s tomb has been claimed to have been in both Jerusalem and Ephesus (I have been to both), which suggests, at least, that it was believed that she died and was buried.

The Catholic Encyclopedia admits:

Regarding the day, year, and manner of Our Lady’s death, nothing certain is known … The dates assigned for it vary between three and fifteen years after Christ’s Ascension. Two cities claim to be the place of her departure: Jerusalem and Ephesus. Common consent favours Jerusalem, where her tomb is shown; but some argue in favour of Ephesus. The first six centuries did not know of the tomb of Mary at Jerusalem. The belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary is founded on the apocryphal treatise De Obitu S. Dominae, bearing the name of St. John, which belongs however to the fourth or fifth century. It is also found in the book De Transitu Virginis, falsely ascribed to St. Melito of Sardis, and in a spurious letter attributed to St. Denis the Areopagite.(Holweck, Frederick. “The Feast of the Assumption.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 26 Aug. 201114 Aug. 2010 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02006b.htm>)

So, according to The Catholic Encyclopedia the basis for the “belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary is founded on the apocryphal texts which were claimed to be written by people (like the Apostle John and Melito of Sardis) who did not write them. This makes no sense as a source for any dogma people would hold to be true.

Also, if the body of Mary was “assumed” into heaven 3-15 years after Christ’s ascension in the Book of Acts, then why is it not mentioned in sacred scripture? All the books of the New Testament were written at least 5 years after Jesus’ ascension and the last book (Revelation) was apparently written over 60 years later–hence if this is a doctrine that God wanted His people to accept, why is it not specifically mentioned in the Bible? The Catholic writer Epiphanius, in the late fourth century, wrote:

Perhaps this [Rev. 12:13-14] can be applied to her; I cannot decide for certain, and I am not saying that she remained immortal. But neither am I saying that she died. (Panarion of Epiphanius, 78.11.4. As cited in Shoemaker S. The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 12)

Notice what a Roman Catholic translation of the scripture Epiphanius referred to actually states:

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man child: 14 And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the desert unto her place, where she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Revelation 12:13-14, DRB).

Notice that “the woman” goes to “the desert” and “here she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time.” Heaven is NOT a desert. Also understand that Catholic scholars tend to correctly believe that the expression “a time and times, and half a time” refers to 3 1/2 years in this passage (and even if that was in error, this is a finite period of time, not nearly two thousand years). Thus, it makes no sense that Revelation 12:13-14 could possibly apply to Mary. Epiphanius should have been able to decide for certain that it did not, around 400 years after she was born. It should be clear that the idea of Mary’s “assumption” was not a dogmatic belief centuries after she would likely have been expected to have died.

Of course, the Bible was clear in the mid-late 1st century that only Jesus had immortality:

13 I charge thee before God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate, a good confession, 14 That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Which in his times he shall shew who is the Blessed and only Mighty, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, and inhabiteth light inaccessible, whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and empire everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:13-16, DRB)

The above was written in approximately 63 A.D. (Ryrie Study Bible, p. 1847). That is more than 3-15 years after Jesus’s ascension, and if Mary had obtained immortality by then, Saint Paul should have mentioned that, but he did not.

That view is consistent with the Roman Catholic-approved Douay-Rheims translation which is shown in this article. If Mary was immortal then, then the Apostle Paul would not have been inspired to write that.

Concerning Mary, the Greco-Roman Catholic saint Augustine wrote of “her death” (Augustine. Tractates on the Gospel of John (Augustine) > Tractate 8, Chapter 9. Translated by John Gibb. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1701008.htm>). Thus, the idea of Mary dying was an old concept.

So where did the idea of Mary’s assumption come from? Basically, from false apocryphal literature in the fourth century (or possibly as early as the late third century)–but mainly even later than that. Although Epiphanius tried to investigate it, he was uncertain as to when it really first developed.

Interestingly, the ancient Romans had a 1-3 day festival for the goddess Diana. On the first day she allegedly came to earth and on the third day, August 15, they apparently celebrated her assumption into heaven as the queen of heaven. This is the same day of the Roman Catholic feast of the assumption of Mary. Some do not consider this to be coincidental. (Green CMC. Roman religion and the cult of Diana at Aricia, Volume 0, Issues 521-85150. Cambridge University Press, 2007, p. 62; Frazer JG. The Magic Art and the Evolution of Kings V1, Volume 1. Kessinger Publishing, 2006, pp. 14-17). Notice also the following:

Lena Gorve’s name has symbolic significance, identifying her with Diana of Nemi, Diana of the Woods whose sacred groce stood on the lake of Nemi. The fact that the festival of Diana of Nemi gave place to the festival of the Assumption of the Virgin on August 15 offers an obvious basis in the combination of Lena of pagan qualities and of attributes associated with the Virgin Mary. (Kerr E. William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha: “a Kind of Keystone in the Universe.” Fordham Univ Press, 1985, p. 61)

The Assumption of the Virgin is set for the 15th of August. This day is marked in the Roman calendar of Columella as that of the death or disappearance of Virgo. (Hillard K. The Black Madonna of Loreto. Atlantic Monthly, September 1889, p. 412)

Diana was known as the “revered virgin” (Fischer-Hansen T, Poulsen B. From Artemis to Diana: the goddess of man and beast. Museum Tusculanum Press, 2009, p. 56) and “the Lady Artemis” (Davidson HE. Roles of the northern goddess. Psychology Press, 1998, p. 18); also as ”the virgin” (Morford MPO, Lenardon RJ. Classical mythology, 6th edition. Oxford University Press US, 1999, p. 141).

There is a suspected connection between Diana and various other goddesses and how many view Mary (Fischer-Hansen, p. 49). Yet, the Catholic saint Augustine specifically referred to Diana as one of several “false and lying deities” (Augustine. The Harmony of the Gospels, Book I, Chapter 25. Translated by S.D.F. Salmond. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 6. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1602125.htm>). Hence, it would seem wise that Catholics consider the wisdom in observing the date of her claimed assumption into heaven.

Mary’s “assumption” apparently became more of an issue after the death of Mohammed. Wikipedia notes:

John of Damascus, from this period, is the first church authority to advocate the doctrine under his own name; he had been brought up in an environment in which a corporeal ascent of Muhammed into heaven was official policy, since he, and his father before him, held the post of imperial chancellor of the Islamic empire of the Umayyads, and Muhammed’s ascent into heaven is the subject of the Night Journey, a Surah in the Quran. His contemporaries, Gregory of Tours and Modestus of Jerusalem, helped promote the concept to the wider church.

So, it may be that the assumption became a Catholic-equivalent of not only the pagan Diana, but the Muslim Muhammad. Furthermore, perhaps I should mention that Muslims teach that Muhammad’s daughter Fatima also was assumed into heaven. Some have considered that how certain Muslims venerate Fatima is very similar to how some Catholics venerate Mary.

Of course, since Mary is mentioned in the Quran, there is some Islamic veneration of her as well.

A Roman Catholic writer posted:

The occasion and the site are sacred to Muslims and Christians alike. Every Sunday at least some Muslims come here before ‘Hazreti Meryem Ana’, Her Majesty Mother Mary and attend mass.

(Rozett E. Mother Mary and the Goddess. http://www.interfaithmary.com/pages/mary_Islam.html, viewed 08/15/2011)

Apparently because the Muslims claimed that Muhammad (and Fatima), and Greco-Romans claimed that the goddess Diana, went directly to heaven, certain Catholics began to promote the idea about Mary in a widespread manner.

However, it should be pointed out that even the place of the “assumption” changed. Wikipedia noted:

In some versions of the story the event is said to have taken place in Ephesus, in the House of the Virgin Mary, although this is a much more recent and localized tradition. The earliest traditions all locate the end of Mary’s life in Jerusalem…

So, the earliest accounts claimed Jerusalem, but that was later changed to Ephesus by some. If Mary died 3-15 years after Jesus, then she likely did not die in the area near Ephesus. Another article in The Catholic Encyclopedia mentions:

As to tradition, there is some testimony for Mary’s temporary residence in or near Ephesus, but the evidence for her permanent home in Jerusalem is much stronger… In Panaghia Kapoli, on a hill about nine or ten miles distant from Ephesus, was discovered a house, or rather its remains, in which Mary is supposed to have lived. The house was found, as it had been sought, according to the indications given by Catherine Emmerich in her life of the Blessed Virgin… In 451 Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, testified to the presence of Mary’s tomb in Jerusalem…Another witness for the existence of a tradition placing the tomb of Mary in Gethsemani is the basilica erected above the sacred spot, about the end of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century… It has been seen that we have no absolute certainty as to the place in which Mary lived after the day of Pentecost. Though it is more probable that she remained uninterruptedly in or near Jerusalem, she may have resided for a while in the vicinity of Ephesus, and this may have given rise to the tradition of her Ephesian death and burial. There is still less historical information concerning the particular incidents of her life. (Maas, Anthony. “The Blessed Virgin Mary.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 26 Aug. 201114 Aug. 2010 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm>)

Of course, the presence of a tomb suggests that one was buried within it, not assumed directly to heaven. Others have claimed her body left the tomb:

In the eighth century, St. John Damascene was known for giving sermons at the holy places in Jerusalem. At the Tomb of Mary, he expressed the belief of the Church on the meaning of the feast: “Although the body was duly buried, it did not remain in the state of death, neither was it dissolved by decay. . . . You were transferred to your heavenly home, O Lady, Queen and Mother of God in truth.” (Stevens C, Priest. Assumption of Mary. Catholic Heritage, July-August 1996. http://www.ewtn.com/library/answers/aofmary.htm)

S. Shoemaker also claims that the earliest accounts of the assumption state it occurred in Jerusalem, but later Ephesus:

Nevertheless, the earliest evidence of any such belief appears only in the ninth century, in a Syriac manuscript, copied in 874 which reports that Mary accompanied John to Ephesus, where she died and was buried. (Shoemaker S. The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 75)

The idea that Mary’s house was specifically in Ephesus allegedly began to gain acceptance because of visions that the mystic nun Anne Catherine Emmerich claimed to have had in the early 19th century. Because of her visions, one or more priests went to Ephesus and found a house apparently matching her descriptions (Shoemaker, p. 76). Some in the local area confirmed the location as Mary’s last house. And while some may claim that is proof it was Mary’s home, I should also add that Anne Catherine Emmerich claimed to have seen Limbo in her visions, yet the current Pontiff (Benedict XVI) has indicated that there is no such place as Limbo (What is Limbo? Is There Such a Place as Limbo? What Happens to Babies When They Die?). Despite this, on October 3, 2004 Anne Catherine Emmerich was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

But irrespective of what location may have been “Mary’s house” the historical accuracy of the “assumption of Mary” is, at best, a supposition that seems to contradict scripture. Although some have claimed that the apostles originally reported “the assumption,” there do not appear to be any pre-fourth century documents that state this (and even the “apostolic claim” was from testimony in the mid-fifth century by Juvenal, see The Catholic Encyclopedia Assumption of Mary).

The assumption position mainly seems to be have been accepted because people want to believe it as opposed to basing it upon reliable historical documentation:

In view of the striking absence of early historical evidence, the Vatican proceeded to establish the Assumption dogma primarily on a dogmatic rather than a historical basis. It was determined that despite the complete lack of any historical evidence for early belief in the Virgin’s Assumption, the dogma should still be proclaimed…(Shoemaker S. The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 15)

Wikipedia also noted:

Protestant theologians…cite the fact that the idea did not gain acceptance in the church until the sixth century, after Gregory of Tours accepted the apocryphal work “Transitus Beatae Mariae”…Catholic theologian Ludwig Ott stated, “The idea of the bodily assumption of Mary is first expressed in certain transitus-narratives of the fifth and sixth centuries…. The first Church author to speak of the bodily assumption of Mary, in association with an apocryphal transitus B.M.V., is St. Gregory of Tours.”…The Catholic writer Eamon Duffy goes further, conceding that “there is, clearly, no historical evidence whatever for it.”…

In Ludwig Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma he states that “the fact of her death is almost generally accepted by the Fathers and Theologians, and is expressly affirmed in the Liturgy of the Church”, to which he adduces a number of helpful citations, and concludes that “for Mary, death, in consequence of her freedom from original sin and from personal sin, was not a consequence of punishment of sin. However, it seems fitting that Mary’s body, which was by nature mortal, should be, in conformity with that of her Divine Son, subject to the general law of death”…The point of her bodily death has not been infallibly defined, and many believe that she did not die at all, but was assumed directly into Heaven. The dogmatic definition within the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus which, according to Roman Catholic dogma, infallibly proclaims the doctrine of the Assumption leaves open the question whether, in connection with her departure, Mary underwent bodily death; that is, it does not dogmatically define the point one way or the other, as shown by the words “having completed the course of her earthly life”…Many Catholics also believe that Mary first died before being assumed, but they add that she was miraculously resurrected before being assumed…This doctrine was dogmatically and infallibly defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in his Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus.

The holiday, then, is based upon mystic literature like the Transitus Mariae, essentially combined with a dogmatic declaration in 1950.

Now, the Transitus Mary was allegedly an account from an apparition claiming to be Mary. Yet, Roman Catholics need to realize that in the early 6th century, a papal decree, Decretum Gelasianum, classified the Transitus Mariae writings as apocryphal (The Transitus Mariae Non-canonical Account of Mary’s passing. http://www.bibleprobe.com/transitusmariae.htm).

Anyway, the Transitus Mariae claims that John was in Ephesus and the Holy Spirit transported him to Mary in Bethlehem (Smith Lewis A. Apocrypha syriaca: the Protevangelium Jacobi and Transitus Mariae, with texts from the Septuagint, the Corân, the Peshiṭta, and from a Syriac hymm in a Syro-Arabic palimpsest of the fifth and other centuries. C.J. Clay and sons, 1902, p. 25) and that Mary was taken into heaven from her house in Bethlehem (p. 33) and that was within the jurisdiction of the governor of Jerusalem (p. 36).

Now, having been to Ephesus a couple of times, I would like to mention the Islamic Turks in that area actually do celebrate the “assumption of Mary” as well. Not because it is mentioned in the Quran (it does not seem to be), but because Mary is mentioned in the Quran more times than Jesus. Certain Muslims venerate Mary to a degree.

Perhaps I should add that August 15th is considered by certain Roman Catholics to be Mary’s “heavenly birthday.” However, perhaps it should be pointed out that early Christians did not observe birthdays (Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays?), hence the “birthday into heaven” position also was not a position of early Christians.

Notice what the Roman Catholic news agency Zenit reported in the past on the dogma:

Why a … dogmatic pronouncement on the Assumption? Because the Vicar of Christ…was inspired to do so to bring forth a new outpouring of grace for the Church through the intercession of the Queen of Heaven — the Mediatrix of all graces who was newly honored by a solemn papal proclamation of her parting earthly prerogative …

One objection voiced during the months preceding the 1950 definition by a group of theologians was that the new Marian definition would wreak havoc to ecumenical efforts newly initiated with other Christians. The late Cardinal Edouard Gagnon who lived through the years preceding and proceeding the Assumption definition, repeatedly testified to the opposite — that immediately following the papal proclamation of Our Lady’s Assumption, the Church experienced its greatest ever advancement in ecumenism in Church history up to its time, which consequently led to its historic flourishing at the Second Vatican Council.

Mothers unite. They do not divide. (Our Lady and Dogmas: Pondering the Assumption. ZE10081612 – 2010-08-16. Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-30069?l=english)

So, the dogma is for the eventual ecumenical plans of the Church of Rome. But it was not an original dogma (it was adopted in 1950), it is in conflict with sacred scripture, and it was not an original apostolic tradition.

Continue to look for Pope Francis to push more towards his version of ‘Mary’ (watch Fatima and Pope Francis).

Here is the latest sermon that the Continuing Church of God put out:

1:16:29

Truth About Mary, Mother of Jesus

Jesus was born of a woman named Mary in Bethlehem. Was she prophesied in the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament)? Did an angel appear to her? Did she make a prophecy about herself that came to pass? Should Mary be called blessed? Was she a “perpetual virgin”? Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? What do we see from the Bible as well as writings from early Christians such as Papias of Hierapolis, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, and Melito of Sardis? When does ‘The Catholic Encyclopedia’ point to the start of Marian veneration? Did Gregory the Wonder Worker see Mary? Did he advocate for an Annunciation festival the same dates as a similar festival for the goddess Diana? Did the Lady of Fatima look like the Fatima statue or Diana? Is Mary the mother of grace? Is the ‘Hail Mary’ prayer original or from the Bible? Does the Bible warn about a claimed virgin who instead is a harlot? Might people be deceived by signs and lying wonders that might claim to be Jesus’ mother Mary? Dr. Thiel covers these issues and reveals the truth about Jesus’ mother Mary.

Here is a link to the sermon: Truth About Mary, Mother of Jesus.

For more information, please check out the following:

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link two related videos: Truth About Mary, Mother of Jesus and Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy. Here is a link to a sermon video: Why Learn About Fatima?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
The ‘Lady’ of Guadalupe: Any Future Ramifications? It is claimed that a female apparition appeared near Mexico City on December 12, 1531. How has it affected the world? What might it suggest about the future? A video of related interest is titled: The ‘Lady of Guadalupe’ and Prophecy.
Fatima Shock! YouTube Dr. Thiel highlights a few points of why no one would support Fatima, etc. as discussed in the documented book Fatima Shock!
The ‘Lady’ of Guadalupe: Any Future Ramifications? It is claimed that a female apparition appeared near Mexico City on December 12, 1531. How has it affected the world? What might it suggest about the future? A video of related interest is titled: The ‘Lady of Guadalupe’ and Prophecy.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Feast of the Immaculate Conception? Did early Christians teach Mary had an immaculate conception and led a sinless life?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The talks for unification involve compromise and the apparent rising up of a changed religion that no one should accept.
Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
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. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrection? Is there more than one future resurrection? Did early Christians teach a physical resurrection? Did early Christians teach three resurrections?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

COGwriter

A new study came out on aging:

Research shows our bodies go through rapid changes in our 40s and our 60s

August 14, 2024

For many people, reaching their mid-40s may bring unpleasant signs the body isn’t working as well as it once did. Injuries seem to happen more frequently. Muscles may feel weaker.

A new study, published Wednesday in Nature Aging, shows what may be causing the physical decline. Researchers have found that molecules and microorganisms both inside and outside our bodies are going through dramatic changes, first at about age 44 and then again when we hit 60. Those alterations may be causing significant differences in cardiovascular health and immune function.

The findings come from Stanford scientists who analyzed blood and other biological samples of 108 volunteers ages 25 to 75, who continued to donate samples for several years.

“While it’s obvious that you’re aging throughout your entire life, there are two big periods where things really shift,” said the study’s senior author, Michael Snyder, a professor of genetics and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford Medicine. For example, “there’s a big shift in the metabolism of lipids when people are in their 40s and in the metabolism of carbohydrates when people are in their 60s.”

Lipids are fatty substances, including LDL, HDL and triglycerides, that perform a host of functions in the body, but they can be harmful if they build up in the blood. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/aging/research-shows-ages-metabolism-undergoes-massive-rapid-changes-rcna166367

Here is some of the actual report of the study in Nature Aging:

Abstract

Aging is a complex process associated with nearly all diseases. Understanding the molecular changes underlying aging and identifying therapeutic targets for aging-related diseases are crucial for increasing healthspan. Although many studies have explored linear changes during aging, the prevalence of aging-related diseases and mortality risk accelerates after specific time points, indicating the importance of studying nonlinear molecular changes. In this study, we performed comprehensive multi-omics profiling on a longitudinal human cohort of 108 participants, aged between 25 years and 75 years. The participants resided in California, United States, and were tracked for a median period of 1.7 years, with a maximum follow-up duration of 6.8 years. The analysis revealed consistent nonlinear patterns in molecular markers of aging, with substantial dysregulation occurring at two major periods occurring at approximately 44 years and 60 years of chronological age. Distinct molecules and functional pathways associated with these periods were also identified, such as immune regulation and carbohydrate metabolism that shifted during the 60-year transition and cardiovascular disease, lipid and alcohol metabolism changes at the 40-year transition. Overall, this research demonstrates that functions and risks of aging-related diseases change nonlinearly across the human lifespan and provides insights into the molecular and biological pathways involved in these changes. …

Discussion

Analyzing a longitudinal multi-omics dataset involving 108 participants, we successfully captured the dynamic and nonlinear molecular changes that occur during human aging. Our study’s strength lies in the comprehensive nature of the dataset, which includes multiple time point samples for each participant. This longitudinal design enhances the reliability and robustness of our findings compared to cross-sectional studies with only one time point sample for each participant. …

Lastly, our study’s molecular data are derived exclusively from blood samples, casting doubt on its direct relevance to specific tissues, such as the skin or muscles. We propose that blood gene expression variations might hint at overarching physiological alterations, potentially impacting the ECM in tissues, including skin and muscle. (Shen, X., Wang, C., Zhou, X. et al. Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging. Nat Aging (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-024-00692-2) https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-024-00692-2

Yes, we are all aging and apparently blood analysis points to a couple of times where aging effects accelerate.

Yet, we can have a better attitude about aging and take steps as we realize that this physical life is short.

Notice something that the Apostle Paul wrote”

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Hebert W. Armstrong, the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, wrote the following related to attitudes about aging:

MILLIONS have been believing a myth that has brought on one of modern civilization’s greatest tragedies.

I saw a pitiful example of this one day in Miami. A few of my traveling team decided to take a drive over on Miami Beach. We crossed over near the southern end, then drove north to and through the luxury hotel area. But driving up from the southern end we passed first through a district of economy-class retirement hotels.

As we drove slowly by, our attention was arrested by the sight of many retired “elderly” — probably between the ages of 60 and 70 — sitting idly on front verandas passing away the time. It was the despondent, hopeless, beaten look on their faces that caught our attention and filled us with dismay. Plainly, they had nothing to look forward to. There was just a tired, uninterested, hopeless stare on their faces. They were just eking out an existence until finally death would deliver them from hopeless monotony.

I had to wonder: WHY should people believe in a myth that cheats millions out of one of the happiest times of life? WHY should the MILLIONS believe a myth that makes them old before their time and robs them of usefulness, vigor, sparkling interest in life, and real accomplishment?

I remember when I was a boy still growing up. My two grandfathers were dead, but my grandmothers, one in her late 50s, the other in her early 60s, were still living. Not that my ancestors died young. I remember, between ages 3 and 5, a great grandfather in his 90s and a great uncle, also in his 90s. My mother lived to age 95 1/2, and she had brothers and sisters who lived into their late 80s and 90s.

But my grandmothers, after about age 50 or 55, had changed their attire to dress like “old folks.” It has seemed to me that it must have become custom for people to think they are “growing old.” I have noticed that many young men, reaching somewhere around 25, begin to cultivate a changed personality, put on a facial expression, and adopt a manner of speech of one “more MATURE.” As they reach the later 40s and turn 50, they seem to feel they must talk, look, and act like they suppose the “middle-aged” ought to appear. And by or before 60, they seem to feel they have now become “old.” They appear to feel their usefulness is now over, and they must “retire.”

This feeling is so universal that many corporations have retirement programs timed to age 60 or 65.

Somehow, I never could quite understand that type of outlook on life. I have never reached “middle age,” at least not consciously — not in my mind and manner of thinking and acting. After age 83, I have enjoyed joking about being “37, going on 36.” I have simply been TOO BUSY to think of “growing old” or ever “retiring.”

One of our employees came to me at age 55. He wanted to retire. True, he had been on our payroll for some 25 or 30 years. He had been divorced and had married a widow who had a camper. She had a small income.
“We can travel very cheaply,” he said, “and I want to get to travel and see some of the United States before I have to meet my Maker,” he said. He had already “grown old” — in his mind. Well, “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he,” said Solomon. (Armstrong HW. THE WESTERN WORLD’S GROWING TRAGEDY – GROWING OLD BEFORE OUR TIME. Plain Truth, December 1976)

Herbert W. Armstrong worked until he died at age 93 1/2. In my upper 60s, I also continue to work. He and I both dedicated our lives to strive to do and support the end-time work of God.

The Book of Ecclesiastes discusses being young and old and that even the young should remember God from the New Living Translation:

1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.

4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.

6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7)

Yes, we should change and better serve God as soon as we can. And that even includes those who are elderly, as well as the young.

Jeremiah was inspired to write:

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.  (Lamentations 3:25-27)

Yes, it is better to start as young as you can to serve God.

The Psalmist wrote:

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Notice also the following:

25 I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken (Psalms 37:25)

Yes, all will either die first or get old. If you do not wish to ever be forsaken, live God’s righteous ways.

Remember, too, the Bible teaches:

172 … all Your commandments are righteousness. (Psalms 119:172)

And yes, you are better off keeping God’s commandments as soon as you can.

The Book of Psalms also teach:

4 “Lord, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am. (Psalms 39:4)

9 For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
10 The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.  (Psalms 90:9-12)

Realizing that we will die should motivate all of us to consider that we need our Saviour for salvation.

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  (John 3:16)

9 … He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, (Hebrews 5:9)

Yes, we all get older everyday.

Here are some items that can possibly assist your health as you age:

Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to three related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food, Evil is Affecting the Food Supply, and Let’s Talk About Health.

Should Christians Smoke (or Chew) Tobacco or Marijuana?  Is smoking a sin? What does the Bible teach? What have COG leaders written? Can smokers change? What about marijuana? Here is a link to a related video: Should You Smoke? Would You Like Help to Quit?

Marijuana: Should a Christian Get High? There is increasing acceptance of the use of marijuana. How should Christians view this? Here is a related video titled How Should a Christian View Marijuana?

Alcohol: Blessing or Curse? This is an article from the old Good News magazine that attempts to answer this question.

Binge Drinking, Health, and the Bible Many college students and others overindulge in alcohol. Are there health risks? What does the Bible teach? A related video is also available: Binge Drinking and the Bible.

Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods? A related video would be Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.

Should Christians Exercise? What does the Bible teach? What are some of the benefits and risks of exercise? Here is a link to a related video: The Plain Truth About Exercise.

Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.

But more than the physical, we realize that this life is temporal.

Therefore, it should be an urgent imperative for us to fully live God’s way and obey Him.

God does have a plan for you — and the more you embrace it, the better your eternity will be (see also the free online book: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You?).

And yes, for all of us, we need to change and improve our focus on God, His ways, His end-time work and His coming Kingdom

We related to aging, we also have the following video:

14:18

Let’s Talk About Aging

Could you have the wrong attitude about aging and the elderly? Should your goal to be to retire and cease being productive? What did Herbert W. Armstrong say about it? What does the Bible say about aging? Is it better to listen to God when you are in your youth? What about later? Since physical life is temporary, should that motivate us to better obey God? What are some things we can do physically in order to be healthier? What about avoiding things like smoking, too much alcohol, and obesity? What about spiritual things such as prayer, Bible study, paying attention to church services, and fasting? Are there benefits responding to God sooner than later? Who is Jesus the author of ETERNAL SALVATION for? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel go over these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Let’s Talk About Aging.

Several items of possibly related interest include:

The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, Mystery of Race, and The Mystery of YOU. Here is a link to two videos in Spanish: El Misterio del Plan de Dios and El Misterio de Satanás, el Misterio de la Verdad, el Misterio del Reposo.
Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to three related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food, Evil is Affecting the Food Supply, and Let’s Talk About Health.
Should Christians Smoke (or Chew) Tobacco or Marijuana?  Is smoking a sin? What does the Bible teach? What have COG leaders written? Can smokers change? What about marijuana? Here is a link to a related video: Should You Smoke? Would You Like Help to Quit?
Marijuana: Should a Christian Get High? There is increasing acceptance of the use of marijuana. How should Christians view this? Here is a related video titled How Should a Christian View Marijuana?
Alcohol: Blessing or Curse? This is an article from the old Good News magazine that attempts to answer this question.
Binge Drinking, Health, and the Bible Many college students and others overindulge in alcohol. Are there health risks? What does the Bible teach? A related video is also available: Binge Drinking and the Bible.
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods? A related video would be Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.
Should Christians Exercise? What does the Bible teach? What are some of the benefits and risks of exercise? Here is a link to a related video: The Plain Truth About Exercise.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available inover 1,000 languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains how he is and should be viewed today.
What is Armstrongism? Did Herbert W. Armstrong raise a new faith or promote the original Christian faith? Here is a link to a related video: What is Armstrongism? Are Some Dismissive of Original Christianity?
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
About Baptism Should you be baptized? Could baptism be necessary for salvation? Who should baptize and how should it be done? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Talk About Baptism and Baptism, Infants, Fire, & the Second Death.
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. Here is a video in Spanish: ¿Qué es un verdadero cristiano?

(Pixabay photo)

COGwriter

NewsMax reported the following:

US Races to Forge Mideast Peace Deal as Iran Attack Looms

13 August 2024 08:03 PM EDT

The Biden administration is sending three top officials to the Middle East this week in an 11th-hour effort to salvage a peace agreement between Israel and Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists.

White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk is set to go to Egypt and U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein is heading to Lebanon, where they are expected to help overcome obstacles to a deal, … Negotiations between Israel and Hamas have stalled for months, but the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar last week called on them to resume talks in a summit Thursday, promising to present their own proposals, …

The region is bracing for a possible direct Iranian attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on July 31 in Tehran. …

“We want everybody to show up on Thursday and roll up their sleeves and get down to work,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/u-s-israel-hamas/2024/08/13/id/1176402/

Hamas has said no to meeting to discuss such a deal:

14 August 2024

Hamas to stay out of Gaza truce talks

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said on Wednesday it would not take part in a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks slated for Thursday in Qatar, dimming hopes for a negotiated truce that Iranian sources say could hold back an Iranian attack on Israel.

The US has said it expects indirect talks to go ahead as planned in Qatar’s capital Doha on Thursday, and that a ceasefire agreement was still possible, Reuters reported. …

“Hamas is committed to the proposal presented to it on 2 July, which is based on the UN security council resolution and the Biden speech and the movement is prepared to immediately begin discussion over a mechanism to implement it,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

“Going to new negotiation allows the occupation to impose new conditions and employ the maze of negotiation to conduct more massacres,” he added. https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/aug/14/israel-gaza-war-live-us-arms-sales-israel-iran

The Biden-Harris Administration desperately wants at least some type of cease-fire agreement before the November 2024 US presidential election.

Yet, EU has more credibility with the Palestinians than the USA does.

Consider also the following:

The EU and the Middle East Peace Process

The EU firmly believes that only a negotiated political agreement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict offers a chance of security and peace for all.

We reaffirm our commitment to a just and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the two state solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition, and with Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both states. For this purpose, the EU is active in the Middle East Peace Process.

Since 7 October 2023, the EU has increased its political efforts to end the conflict in the Middle East. Through these diplomatic efforts, the EEAS continues to build relations with both sides involved.  05/02/24 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-and-middle-east-peace-process_en

The establishment of a Palestinian state is “the only route to peace” in the Middle East, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said as his country announced formal recognition, alongside Norway and Ireland. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/28/palestinian-state-the-only-route-to-peace-says-spanish-pm

European support for Palestinians aimed at fostering peace with Israel has been commendable. The financial investment from the international community, especially the EU, has exceeded €100 billion. 07/06/24 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-809027#google_vignette

The EU, along with various Arab nations, like Saudi Arabia have also made it clear that they want a “two-state solution”:

January 22, 2024

JERUSALEM (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat said the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel or contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction without a credible path to a Palestinian state — a nonstarter for Israel’s government. …

Before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war, the U.S. had been trying to broker a landmark agreement in which Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for U.S. security guarantees, aid in establishing a civilian nuclear program and progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In September, Netanyahu had said Israel was on “the cusp” of such a deal.  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/saudi-arabia-wont-normalize-israel-relations-without-palestinian-state-plan-top-diplomat-says

But that deal did not happen happen in 2023 nor has it happened in 2024.

Regarding the Saudi Arabian – Israeli prospect for peace in the Middle East in 2023, about four weeks before Hamas’ attack, I warned that the talks between the USA and Saudi Arabia were:

interesting, though a regional war in the Middle East, probably also involving Syria and Iran may need to take place first (cf. Isaiah 22:6-9). (Thiel B. Is a Middle East peace deal brewing? COGwriter, September 11, 2023)

As it turns out, the Bible itself shows that the time will come when there will be a temporary ‘peace deal’ (see the article The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

The Bible shows that a European leader will be involved in confirming the coming, prophesied deal of Daniel 9:26-27, which states:

26 And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate (Daniel 9:26-27).

The “prince” is a European leader who is later called the King of the North in Daniel 11:40. The ‘one week’ has generally been understood by prophecy watchers to mean a seven year deal, that is broken in the middle of it (after 3 1/2 years). This break is also confirmed in the following scripture:

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31)

The “him” is the European King of the North–he was the one who was the prince who confirmed the deal.

One way to show Daniel is referring to a European kingdom is to realize that it was the people of the Roman Empire of the 1st century that fulfilled the portion of Daniel 9:26 as they destroyed the city (Jerusalem) in 70 A.D. Jewish sources, while not understanding all of this, also agree that it was Roman sources that destroyed the city and sanctuary as the following demonstrates:

“The people of the prince will come and destroy the city and the Sanctuary” Daniel 9:26, refers to the Roman legions of Vespasian and Titus, who destroyed Jerusalem. (Daniel 9 – A True Biblical Interpretation. Jews for Judaism. https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/answers/jewish-polemics/texts/daniel-9-a-true-biblical-interpretation/ accessed 07/30/16)

In the 21st century, the European Union includes much of the land and peoples that were part of the ancient Roman Empire. And it is the “prince” coming from that people that verse 27 of Daniel 9 is referring to. Thus, this prophecy tells us that a lower level European leader will somewhat officially start to rise up about 3 1/2 years before the great tribulation (and yes, according to Jesus, some “tribulation” does happen prior to the start of the Great Tribulation). Another is the fact that the “beast of the sea” of Revelation 13:1 fits with the beasts from the “great sea” of Daniel 7:2–and that sea is the Mediterranean Sea according to the Old Testament. Hence a power in Europe the only region that could have an empire geographically like the old Roman one (for more details, please see Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation).

Now, regarding false peace, this same beast leader will be involved in that in several ways. Here are a couple of scriptures pointing to that:

25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:25, KJV).

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

So this leader gives people the impression that there will be “peace” and is involved in some type of deal. This is the same leader that confirms the covenant in Daniel 9:27. The term is translated as “peace” in Daniel 8:25 is from the Hebrew term shalvah and essentially means security. In other words, this leader will destroy “many” who are under the impression that they are secure because of some type of security and/or trade arrangement. Such arrangements are now commonly referred to as peace deals or treaties. Land swaps or changes to territories are likely.

He also will make a lying deal with an Arabic leader that the Bible calls the King of the South per Daniel 11:27.

Isaiah was inspired to write:

8 The way of peace they do not know … (Isaiah 59:8, ESV)

While the “two-state solution” is not going to bring lasting peace, something like that may happen with the coming peace deal. Perhaps after a major attack by Iran (cf. Isaiah 22:6-9).

Yet, notice also that the Bible says:

3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

So, yes, the current Hamas-Israel war looks to be a factor in the coming deal of Daniel 9:27, but I still believe that scripture supports the view that we will see an expanded regional war first.

Then, about 3 1/2 years after the deal of Daniel 9:27 is confirmed, it will be over for the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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.
Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century This is a free online book which helps show where biblical and Islamic prophecies converge and diverge. Here are links to related sermons: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes, Imam Mahdi, women, and prophecy, and Terrorism, Iran, and Fatima, Dajjal, Antichrist, Gold, & Mark of the Beast?, and Jesus and God’s Plan for Muslims.
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.
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 and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
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.