Church of God News

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COGwriter

Europe is very concerned about Donald Trump’s trade proposals:

17 December 2024

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that the EU must take a pragmatic approach with the incoming Trump administration in order to head off a trade war between Europe and the US.

The EU has been bracing for trade problems ever since the recently re-elected Trump vowed to impose tariffs of 10% to 20% on imports from all foreign countries– https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/12/17/italys-pm-meloni-says-eu-must-be-pragmatic-with-trump-to-avoid-us-trade-tensions

But trade is not the only matter that Europeans are concerned about related to Donald Trump. There is also his environmental policies:

Trump 2.0 will hurt planet, open door for America’s green rivals: EU climate chief

In an interview with POLITICO, Teresa Ribera said Donald Trump’s expected climate withdrawal presents an opportunity for others to boost their clean industries.

December 16, 2024

BRUSSELS — Donald Trump trashing United States climate efforts will empower rivals to control the industries of tomorrow, Europe’s top competition and climate official said …

Theresa … Ribera is in her third week as a European Commission executive vice president, https://www.politico.eu/article/teresa-ribera-america-clean-energy-donald-trump-reelection-climate-change-competition/

December 16, 2024

Looking ahead, Ribera envisions a future where Europe emerges as a leader in both the green and digital revolutions, setting ambitious targets to drive innovation and progress. With the EU poised to propose legislation aimed at significantly reducing emissions by 2040, Ribera’s strategic vision aligns with the broader goal of positioning Europe as a global powerhouse in sustainable development. https://motorcyclesports.net/the-shocking-repercussions-of-trumps-climate-policy-reversal-a-green-power-shift-in-favor-of-americas-rivals/

Europe has long wanted to lead the world digitally, and we see EU leaders sometimes publicly voice that.

Regarding climate concerns, Euronews reported the following right after the November 5th 2024 vote:

Trump victory casts shadow over upcoming COP global climate talks

6 November 2024

Donald Trump already pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement to halt global heating once, and his presidential election victory means he could be about to do so again. Many are now looking to the EU to hold the line. …

In his victory speech, president elect Donald Trump made clear his position on fossil fuels: “We have more liquid gold, oil and gas, we have more liquid gold than any country in the world, more than Saudi Arabia. We have more than Russia.” His campaign team signalled in June that he would pull out of the Paris Agreement again.

For many it was already clear that he planned to take a wrecking ball to domestic green policy as well as throwing a spanner in the works of global climate diplomacy. …

EU has ‘moral imperative’

The reaction of many in Europe suggested that incumbent president Joe Biden’s negotiating team – announced just last week – for the COP29 summit in Baku has been transformed into something of a lame duck by the spectre hanging over it of a likely US withdrawal after Trump takes office in January.

“Lack of US leadership does not alter the scientific and moral imperative to immediately address global emissions and build climate resilience,” said Chiara Martinelli, director of Climate Action Network Europe.

“It also doesn’t change the high expectations of the EU to constructively contribute in reaching an agreement in Baku for a new financial goal that meets the scale of the emergency and truly moves resources from the rich to the most climate vulnerable countries, particularly in the global south,” she said.

A major question to be answered in the Azeri capital is the degree to which other powerful and growing economies, and major polluters, will feel less pressure to contribute if they sense the largest economy in the world is about to walk away from the table. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/06/trump-victory-casts-shadow-over-upcoming-cop-global-climate-talks

Even though the world HAS NOT been living up to the Paris Accords, the US looks like it will be blamed in the future. Europe will consider that the US is immoral and needs to be eliminated one day, consistent with several biblical prophecies.

As far as being called immoral for that, notice something I warned about in my January 2017 book Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse:

Donald Trump does not seem to think there is any climate problem.[i] But many who do believe there are climate problems tend to equate them with fossils fuels, not biblically-immoral behavior (other than greed). …

Donald Trump’s view of climate change is expected to set up some type of issue between the USA and Europe. Europe will tend to see the USA as an irresponsible polluter of the planet, while Europe will claim to be the protector that the world needs.

[i] Eilperin J. Trump says ‘nobody really knows’ if climate change is real. Washington Post, December 11, 2016

Fox News reported the following:

December 16, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he would withdraw the U.S. from a global climate change agreement when he assumes office …

those in favor of Trump releasing the U.S. from the agreement tell Fox News Digital that there would be many benefits to a second withdrawal.

“The benefits of exiting the Paris climate agreement are many, first and foremost reclaiming U.S. sovereignty while respecting the rule of law,” said H. Sterling Burnett, Director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at the Heartland Institute.

“Paris encourages the U.S. to agree to emission reductions that are both unnecessary from a climate perspective, since we don’t control the climate, but which do place substantial costs on Americans while putting the nation at a competitive and geopolitical disadvantage to China, which emits more than double the U.S. with no firm reduction commitments,” he added. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/potential-second-withdrawal-from-paris-climate-treaty-under-trump-could-look-different-than-first-u-s-exit

The reelection of Donald Trump has served to accelerate certain steps in Europe.

For saying he would pull the USA out of the Paris Accords (which he later did), the USA was declared “rogue nation” back in 2017. Related to that the Continuing Church of God is put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

17:19

The USA Declared a ‘Rogue Nation’!

Because of US President Donald Trump’s position on ‘climate change’ as well as certain executive orders from him, the USA has been declared a rogue nation by various ones in Europe, Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world. How does Webster’s Dictionary define ‘rogue’? Is it possible that considering that the USA is a rogue nation will be part of the justification for it getting taken over in the future? What does the Vatican want done? Does the Bible teach that friends, who do not mean to takeover the USA will one day destroy it? Might ‘climate change’ be part of a false gospel?

(Photo from Free-Images.com)

COGwriter

Harbinger’s Daily posted the following:

What Christians Lose By Neglecting Bible Prophecy

December 16, 2024

With all that is taking place in the world, it is hard to imagine why so many in the church choose to distance themselves from Biblical prophecy. Numerous pulpits consider over one-third of God’s Holy Word (the amount containing prophecy) as a matter of secondary importance or even have categorized these portions as trivial points of contention for the body of Christ. …

There is a purpose God had in providing us with an understanding of the future in His Word, and a great deal is lost for Christians when they disregard or misconstrue these areas of the Bible.

The first thing sacrificed with indifference to Bible prophecy is a full grasp of God’s redemptive plan. Knowing the full picture—the beginning and the end—provides us with a complete understanding of God’s promises for the nation of Israel, the role and rewards of the church in eternity, and the gravity of our own salvation. …

The second aspect sacrificed with indifference to Bible prophecy is blessings and rewards. The Book of Revelation is the only book in the canon of Scripture that promises a blessing to those “that read, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (Revelation 1:3).

The Apostle Paul further reveals that a “crown of righteousness” is explicitly given to “all them that love His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). All who long for the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ, will be given this marvelous reward. Those who reject Biblical prophecy will sadly forfeit this crown.

The third loss for those indifferent to Bible prophecy is the assurance of our “Blessed Hope” and the understanding of Jesus’ resurrection. One day, the trumpet will sound. …

Scripture tells us that “Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). How, then, can members of the body of Christ reject part of their Savior? https://harbingersdaily.com/what-christians-lose-by-neglecting-bible-prophecy/

Harbinger’s Daily is basically a website with articles by various Protestants.

Since it is, sadly, it does NOT understand prophecies related to God’s true plan of salvation. Two free online books, however, that do are Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism and Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation.

That said, yes, Harbinger’s Daily is correct that prophecy is important and that most Christians are a bit indifferent to it.

So much so, that here is some of what Jesus prophesied about the bulk of true end time Christians:

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘” (Revelation 3:14-22)

Notice that Jesus is stating what He did because most end time Christians will NOT heed the end time prophecies as they should.

Here is something from the beginning of my article Why Prophecy?:

Should you pay attention to prophecy? Some wonder about that. Some consider that most prophecy is already fulfilled, which is a wrong and dangerous position to take (see The Dangerous Rise of Preterists).

Most world leaders look upon preaching the prophecies of WHAT GOD SAYS IS GOING TO HAPPEN as mere fanaticism or religious extremism.

They tend to spurn, scorn, ridicule, and scoff at the applicability of Bible prophecy (cf. 2 Peter 3:1-12).

To many people, PROPHECY seems to be a weird, fanatical sort of religious extremism having no bearing on actual fact or present-day world conditions. But biblical prophecies have come to pass and will come to pass.

Consider a prophecy about the wise:

3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:3, NKJV throughout)

In the end-times, the wise would be the Philadelphian Christians that are holding fast and doing the work that God wants done (Revelation 3:7-13). Various of them will “instruct many” (Daniel 11:33) just prior to the start of the Great Tribulation.

Interestingly, of the end-time Christians, only the Philadelphians are promised protection “from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be In or Near Petra).

God is clear that He makes prophetic statements and causes them to be fulfilled:

9 Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man who executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed I have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:9-11)

Fulfilled prophecy is part of the proof that God exists and should be real to your life EVERYDAY! Only the true God can make predictions and ALWAYS make them come to pass!

Between 1/5th and 1/3rd of the Bible is prophetic. Since, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God'” (Luke 4:4), knowing the prophetic word is important. All scripture, including prophecy, is important:

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

If you do not understand relevant prophecy, you cannot “be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Yet, most discount or misunderstand prophecy.

Many Misconceptions

Many people falsely ASSUME all prophecies are merely horrific foretellings of catastrophic events, of the wrathful vengeance of a harsh God who is about to descend with terrible fury upon His hapless subjects here below.

This is FAR from the truth!

Prophecies foretold the coming of Jesus as the Messiah (see also the free online book: Proof Jesus is the Messiah).

Biblical teachings about salvation are prophetic (see also the free online book: Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation).

Furthermore, MANY of The Gospel of the Kingdom of God prophecies foretell a time of peace, of happiness, of restoration, of joy, of great prosperity and physical wealth for those who are serving God (see also Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?).

MANY prophecies merely foretell, in advance, certain events which are to happen, the rise and fall of nations, the COURSE of world affairs! Thus, they help us understand where various events and trends in the world are leading.

Prophecy IS a chronicle of the great PLAN God is working out here below! It describes this plan in DETAIL, showing how God KNEW it would work out, according to human nature, together with other SPECIAL INTERVENTIONS of God.

The old Radio Church of God taught:

“Prophecy is HISTORY WRITTEN IN ADVANCE!” (Armstrong GT.Why Prophecy! Plain Truth, June 1960).

Yet, it should be sadly noted that, nearly all the non-Sardis COG groups have significant prophetic misunderstandings.

The Sardis group CG7-Denver, for example, is preterist and thus believes many events that are prophesied for the future are already past, hence Jesus warned them “you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3). This group has demonstrated with its loss of prophetic perspective that it has fulfilled prophecies related to Sardis.

Nearly all the rest of the COG groups are Laodicean and hold to prophetic misunderstandings, that unless they repent as Jesus tells them to (Revelation 3:14-22), they will not possibly know when the Great Tribulation will be (prophetic details are in the article The Laodicean Church Era).

And then there are a variety of wrong prophetic position of Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholics.

Since many are wrong, is paying attention to prophecy and current events important?

Certainly.

God Reveals His Secrets to His servants

Notice what God had Amos record:

7 Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
Who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:7-8)

3 Woe to you who put far off the day of doom …
6 Who drink wine from bowls,
And anoint yourselves with the best ointments,
But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives,
And those who recline at banquets shall be removed. (Amos 6:3, 6-7)

Prophets and prophecy are important (see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God). Notice that those who DO NOT seem the care about what is going on in the lands of Joseph’s descendants Manasseh and Ephraim (the USA and its British-descended allies) will be taken into captivity (see also Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?).

God uses dreams and His Spirit for prophecy:

6 “Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream. (Numbers 12:6)

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:19-21)

Many in various COGs do not take prophecy seriously enough (see also Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God). And nearly all groups have major prophetic errors (some details are in the articles The Laodicean Church Era and The Sardis Church era).

Some fail to realize that in the first recorded sermon, the Apostle Peter tied current events in with biblical prophecy and said God would use dreams and prophets in the last days (Acts 2:14-40; see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?). Partially because people were aware of the events that Peter discussed in Acts 2, many paid attention and thousands were converted (Acts 2:41).

Throughout the New Testament, Christian leaders did try to tie events to prophecy and other parts of the Bible to known events better reach their audiences (e.g. Acts 17:22-31).

The first message that it is recorded that Jesus preached (the gospel of the kingdom in Mark 1:14) and the last message Jesus gave (the Book of Revelation) were prophetic. Various messages that He gave (e.g. Matthew 24, Luke 21) were tied to upcoming world events.

Does this mean that prophecy is the most important characteristic of the true Church?

No, love is (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1,8; see also The Philadelphia Remnant: It’s All About Love).

Yet, the pursuit of love is also tied in with prophecy in the Bible (1 Corinthians 14:1). Those who truly have the love of the truth, will be spared from some prophesied events according to 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.

Today, massive societal changes are taking place. Many of them are prophesied in the Bible. Even though much of the Bible is prophetic, most simply do not understand that truth about various key prophecies in the Bible that Jesus urged His followers in the end to understand (e.g. Matthew 24:15).

The Bible is clear that signs and lying wonders will deceive the masses of humanity:

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

Those who are not real Christians will be deceived. Yet the more faithful will be spiritually strong around this time and give a witness:

32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. (Daniel 11:32-33)

Those who are are subject to protection during the time of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 3:7-10) which begins a few verses later.

But not all Christians (like the Laodiceans and those who remain of Sardis) will be protected:

25 … Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)

14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:14-17)

These Christian saints have the testimony of Jesus and keep God’s commandments. Yet, we see two groups of Christians: Those protected for 3 ½ years and those who will be persecuted for 3 ½ years (time, times, and half a time). As mentioned before, Jesus only promised to protect the Philadelphian Christians from that “hour of trial” (Revelation 3:10).

Why about Jesus?

The “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of PROPHECY” and true Christians have that:

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants — things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:1-3)

9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:9-10)

People who discount prophecy are not understanding the Bible. Prophecy is also a key in understanding why Jesus is the Messiah (see also the free online book: Proof Jesus is the Messiah).

As far as prophecies go, notice that in the Book of Revelation, two groups of true Christians are mentioned. One gets persecuted and then protected, whereas the other gets persecuted later and is NOT promised the same protection (Revelation 12:13-17).

According to Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:10, it is only the Philadelphian Christians that receive that promise of protection.

The Philadelphian remnant believes the prophecies and responds as they should (cf. Revelation 3:7-13).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why Prophecy? Why is so much of the Bible devoted to prophecy? Some question or downplay the role of prophecy. This article gives some of the biblical reasons why prophecy should be important to Christians. Here is a link to a related video: Christians, Why Prophecy?
How to Understand Prophecy This is the late Herbert W. Armstrong’s overview on understanding prophecy.
25 items to prophetically watch in 2025 Much is happening. Dr. Thiel points to 25 items to watch (cf. Mark 13:37) in this article.
Why is there a Philadelphian remnant of the true Christian Church of God? Did the old Worldwide Church of God essentially predict a Philadelphian remnant? Is a Philadelphian remnant needed for end-time prophecies to be fulfilled? Here is a link to a related sermon: The Philadelphia Remnant.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them. Here is a related article in the Spanish language ¿Por qué estar preocupado acerca de falsos y heréticos líderes?
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18? A related sermon in the English language is also available: 17 Last Days’ Signs of the Holy Spirit.
21st Century Church of God Prophets Are there any true prophets in the 21st century? What about false prophets? What are scriptures and fruits to identify the true from the false? You you prove all things and test the spirits?
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
Philadelphian Christian Great Tribulation Protection What will the Great Tribulation be like? Does Jesus promise physical protection to some or all Christians? Where might the place of protection be? What about fleeing to the mountains? What did Ezekiel warn? Here is a link to a related sermon: Great Tribulation Protection.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety,’ Zephaniah 2 to ‘gather together,’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on fleeing to a place–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of related interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety?  Here are two related items in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra? and Existe un Lugar de Seguridad.

Map showing areas annexed by Russia from Ukraine
(Public domain via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Russia continues to push to clear Ukrainian forces from various areas:

Russia claims capture of two more Donetsk villages

15 December 2024

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces have captured villages in two key front-line areas of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region as Moscow’s troops continue their advance toward the logistical hub of Pokrovsk and the industrial town of Kurakhove.

In a daily briefing on Sunday, it said the villages of Vesely Gai and the village of Pushkine had been “liberated.”

Russian forces have been pushing forward in the Donetsk region for months now, and their advance seems to have recently accelerated.

Ukraine’s Khortytsia group of troops on Sunday spoke of “exhausting clashes” on the fringes of Kurakhove and in the town itself, as well as to the north in the hilltop town of Chasiv Yar, which has come under intense attack. https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-updates-russia-claims-further-advances-in-donetsk/live-71060919

Russia continues to make territorial gains.

How might this end? Here is a view published on ZeroHedge:

Peace in Ukraine

December 15, 2024

Essentially, there are six facts successful peace negotiations in Ukraine need to be based on:

1. In all non-nuclear military scenarios Russia will emerge as the victor in the Ukraine conflict.
2. Russia is unlikely to seek occupation of all of Ukraine.
3. Negotiations will have to fulfil (almost) all of Kremlin’s publicly declared goals, i.e. neutrality, limited military, territorial loss, non-membership in NATO but perhaps membership of the EU.
4. A credible force must be assigned to establish and monitor the line of ceasefire.
5. Due to a lack of mutual trust, all parties must commit to pre-agreement acts of de-escalation.
6. Post-war collapse of Ukraine must be prevented to avoid widespread and well-armed terrorism/banditry in the surrounding areas. Collapse will commence unless all parties commit to support Ukraine pre-agreement. …
   

Russia in Ukraine

There’s no denying that Russia is obliterating not just the AFU, but also Ukrainian society. …

Russia struck the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) “Oreshnik” carrying a non-nuclear payload on early morning of 21st November. These entail that there is only one (non-nuclear) endgame in Ukraine: capitulation of the AFU, either through negotiated peace or surrender.

For these reasons, the path to peace needs to be sought from the original aims of Kremlin. The publicly stated aims of the Special Military Operation (SMO), which commenced on February 24, 2022, were four:

1. Defending the people of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics under the Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
2. To clear “neo-Nazis” from Ukrainian leadership.
3. To stop the nuclear weapons program of Ukraine.
4. To stop and remove the NATO infrastructure being build, threatening Russia, from Ukraine.

In simplified terms, and as is widely known, the aim was a “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukraine. …

#1 and #4 can be considered as the actual aims of the Kremlin. There is where the path to peace lies.

It can also be assumed that the full collapse and occupation of Ukraine is not something the Kremlin is seeking either. …

Conflict in Ukraine has been very destructive to Ukraine, but also to the European security structure. …

Realities on the ground need to be acknowledged alongside meeting the demands of Kremlin. Peace in Ukraine will not be easy, but we need it now more than ever. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/peace-ukraine

Let me add that Russia did not begin its special military operation into Ukraine until after the Biden-Harris Administration said that Ukraine could join NATO. That, by the way, goes against promises that leaders from the USA and Europe told Russian leaders about 34 years ago (see https://natowatch.org/newsbriefs/2018/how-gorbachev-was-misled-over-assurances-against-nato-expansion).

That said, despite Ukrainian military resistance and a lot of Western weapons, Ukraine continues to lose control over more and more land.

And now, since the Biden-Harris Administration is on its way out, Ukraine has to realize that, based on Donald Trump’s comments, it is not going to receive the type of financial and military support it was getting.

As many realize, Russia attempted to make a deal with the West before it began its ‘Special Military Operation’ into Ukraine–but that was publicly rebuffed by US President Biden.

Then after the battles began, Russia agreed to a deal with Ukraine, but the US and UK interfered and pressured Ukraine not to take it.

While Ukraine has resisted and sometimes regained territories, overall its nation is facing devastation and losses in the fighting.

Anyway, back in 2013 there were protests against the democratically elected and pro-Russian government in Ukraine. Instead of backing Ukraine’s elected president, the USA backed a coup. Because of prophecies related to the “kings of the Medes” in the Book of Jeremiah, in the Fall of 2013 I wrote that Russia would end up with some territory that Ukraine claimed.

When Ukraine’s coup government took over in early 2014, one of the first things it did was to pass a bill (that ended up not being signed into law) to make Russian a second-class language in Ukraine. That incensed those in Crimea and various ones in the eastern portion of Ukraine. Many in Donbas, Crimea, and various parts of eastern Ukraine speak Russian as their native language.

In 2014, Crimea voted to leave Ukraine and become part of Russia. Russia later accepted the territory, which it had long wanted. Crimea has been a fairly poor region that felt neglected and discriminated against by the western portion of Ukraine. Many in Donbas also have felt neglected (or worse) by western Ukraine and have long wanted to be closer to Russia. It should be noted that the USA and some of its allies called the referendum in Crimea to be part of Russia some type of a sham, yet the reality is that the majority in Crimea wanted to be part of Russia. On March 18, 2014, when Vladimir Putin signed a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia (https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-to-visit-crimea-to-mark-five-years-since-).

Many of those in Crimea (other than the Tartars) and Donbas believed that they would be better off with Russia who wanted them than Kiev who claims to want to keep them, but apparently had not shown them enough signs that it would truly be able to help them.

The USA would not accept the vote by the Crimeans primarily because it seems to want to stop Russia from expanding. The USA pushed for international sanctions with Europe, many of which still remain, in an effort to hope Russia would release Crimea to Ukraine. Perhaps I should add that in 2021/2 when I spoke to a Crimean women in Germany, she told me that she was glad that Russia annexed it–and that was not something the West was reporting about that.

The USA’s position seemed to be based mainly on politics as opposed to its professed belief in democracy.

Even though the USA and many in Europe have wanted Russia to leave Crimea, on March 18, 2019, I posted:

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

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

And the events of the past few years confirmed my view that sanctions would not stop Russia from having territories align with it. The various sanctions announced by the USA and the Europeans look to be political punishment, as opposed to being announced by those who seriously believe that they will get Russia to cede the Donbas back to Ukrainian control (it would probably take a pro-Russian government in Kiev for Russia to do that).

Long-time readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware that I have repeatedly told of a time where those in parts of Ukraine and Moldova would end up supporting Russia. For example, here is something from 2014:

As ‘independent states’ Donetsk and Luhansk may enter into some type of joint confederation with each other or Russia. If the forces from Kiev decide to attack, they will likely fight and ask for help from Russia.

Donetsk and Luhansk may vote to be annexed by Russia, like Crimea did. Or at minimum decide to ask to be part of Vladimir Putin’s Eurasian Union.

The Bible has several end time prophecies concerning the Medes (Isaiah 13:17-19) and the kings of the Medes (Jeremiah 51:11, 28-29) that involve military action. Various ones in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russia, and elsewhere are part of the descendants of the Medes, as likely are some in Moldova.

Alliances consistent with end time Bible prophecy are in the process of forming. (Thiel B. Eastern Ukraine votes for independence: Kiev upset, Russia pleased. COGwriter, May 12, 2014)

In early 2022, Russia’s president declared he had recognized and accepted the Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic as independent nations (see I365: Right before Messiah, US will fight Russia and China will capitalize, rabbinic “prophecy” reveals’ COGwriter: No, that is not what the Bible teaches). Then on 30 September 2022, Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in an address to both houses of the Russian parliament.

The Bible foretells a time when the “Kings of the Medes” will get together (Jeremiah 51:11, 28)–and some now have. Many in Russia, Ukraine, and even Moldova have descent from the ancient Medes.

On the Sabbath of February 5, 2022, I did a sermonette where I mentioned that lands associated with Ukraine would end up being confederate with Russia:

21:20

Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy

The situation between Russia and Ukraine has again heated up, although it has been tense since the Euromaiden protests and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. There was later a separation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church. Is war prophesied for Russia and Ukraine? Are prophecies in the Bible associated with the ‘kings of the Medes’ and a power from the “north country” related to any in Russia and Ukraine? Is a confederation of powers from the north, east, and central Asia prophesied to destroy the coming end time European Babylon? Will the destruction be reminiscent of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? How is the King of the North and who will destroy him? Do those in Russia and Ukraine have a hope of salvation? Will Russia and powers of the east be involved in the gathering in Armageddon as prophesied in Revelation 16? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy.

Since that came out, more territories that Ukraine once controlled are now controlled by Russia.

While Ukraine has put up a lot of resistance to Russia’s Special Military Operation, Russia is larger and has more troops, etc.

Remember that Jesus taught:

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. (Luke 14:31-32)

No matter what Ukraine’s leadership currently thinks, at least parts of Ukraine are going to support Russia (cf. Jeremiah 51:11, 28).

World events continue to align with properly understood biblical prophecies.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy as are two video sermonettes Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy and Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? Are we close to the battle with Gog and Magog? Four related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code), and Gog, Magog, Vladimir Putin, and Ezekiel 38?
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
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.

COGwriter

The following was written by a German historian named Tarik Cyril Amar:

Trump is a nightmare for the EU in more ways than one

With its submissiveness to the US and contempt for its president-elect, the bloc’s set itself up for a perfect storm of punishment.

14 December 2024

For a man his age, incoming US president Donald Trump has a knack for cultivating a bad-boy image. Refreshingly direct to the point of rude honesty, or dishonesty, as the case may be, he has no time for polite circumlocution. His threats are harsh, his demands unvarnished, including toward Washington’s so-called allies in Europe, which really are, at best, clients, and, more realistically, just vassals. In that spirit of candid, no-frills domination, Trump already has a long record of threatening NATO, which he sees – plausibly – as a scam in which European members fleece the US to free-ride on its insane (but that’s a different story…) military spending. …

Even less noticed is the fact that the new old US president – and thus capo dei capi of the West – is not much kindlier disposed toward the EU. And yet there it is: Trump’s frank, open, and long-standing dislike for that strange bureaucratic behemoth that is about as democratic as the former Soviet Union, less efficient than the Habsburg Empire, and so full of its global “norm-setting” mission that even American “indispensability” looks oddly old-fashioned by comparison. https://www.rt.com/news/609361-trump-eu-nightmare-punishment/

It is interesting that Tarik Amar thinks that the European Union, which basically considers itself the successor to things like the Habsburg Empire is even less efficient than that. As far as its global “norm-setting” mission goes, I have warned for years that the EU wants to set standards for the world (e.g., see European dismisses US campaign rhetoric on trade, and wants the world to follow its standards and BBC: What is the quantum apocalypse and should we be scared?; EUO: EU Commission wants to set world’s first digital standards).

As far as the relationship of the EU to previous European empires, including the Habsburg dynasty, notice the following from the article The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17:

Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

“And in the days of these kings… .” It is here speaking of the ten toes, part of iron and part of brittle clay. This, by connecting the prophecy with Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 and 17, is referring to the new UNITED STATES OF EUROPE, which is now forming out of the European Common Market before your very eyes! Revelation 17:12 makes plain the detail that it shall be a union of ten KINGS OR KINGDOMS that (Rev. 17:8) shall resurrect the medieval “HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. …

The seventh is now forming—the last, final, brief resurrection of the “Holy Roman Empire” by ten European groups or nations.  (Armstrong HW. 7 PROOFS OF GOD’S TRUE CHURCH: Part Four. Plain Truth, May 1979; that same exact quote is also in his 1985 book: The Bible Superstition or Authority? …and can you prove it?)

Well, what formed out of the European Common Market (which officially was the EEU) was the European Union–it is not currently constituted as the group of ten nations or groups of nations. And while there will be a reorganization leading to the the seventh involving the ten kings which Revelation 17:12-13 shows, that has not yet happened. The EU “now is,” yet since it does not have an emperor or dictator running it, it also “is not.”

When I asked him about the EU and the one that is but was not, CBCG’s Fred Coulter agreed that the one that “is” could be the European Union–and basically that “one is” should be seen as a contemporary, event, not something that the Apostle John would have known about in his time–but Fred also said this will tend to be cleared up as we get closer (telecom 5/02/24).

Going back to Revelation 17, John continued with:

9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.

Note that the seventh beast per Revelation 17:10c only continues for a short time. That is 42 months per Revelation 13:5. But the sixth king, then, can be assumed to have been around for a lot longer than that. And the EU has been around for over three decades and over six if you point to the EEU/Common Market as its start, and back to 1948 if you include Benelux. …

The Bible is clear that there are seven kings, plus a related eighth, which were prophesied.

The sixth is not Vladimir Putin.

The sixth does not seem to be Benito Mussolini, for several reasons, including that Adolf Hitler was more in charge of Europe than he.

Either the first five kings were ancient, with Rome being the sixth–though that seems to be in conflict with scripture, or the first five have to do with the church-state alliance known as the Holy Roman Empire (even when not called that).

If they are related to the old Holy Roman Empire, it would seem in the 21st century, that the one that “is” which would be the sixth king, which also “is not,” could very well point to the European Union.

People of the 21st century would better relate with the EU being the one that “is” as opposed to Benito Mussolini of 80 years ago.

The EU is not, however, the seventh king–but the EU is setting the stage for the coming reorganizations of Revelation 17:12-13.

Chart of Kings/Dynasties of the Revival of Rome as the ‘Holy Roman Empire’

Kingdom with a relationship to a type of ‘Holy Roman Empire’	Date(s) of Reign	Number in Revelation 17:10
Justinian’s Imperial Restoration	554 – c. 797	1
Charlemagne’s Frankish Kingdom	800 -c. 905	2
Otto the Great of the ‘Holy Roman Empire’	955 – c. 1137	3
Hohenstaufen dynasty	1138 – 1268	4
Habsburg dynasty; Remnant until Otto formally gave up title in 1958	1274 – 1806 1806 – 1958	5
European Economic Union/ European Union	1958 – 1993 1993 – Present	6
Final King of the North Beast	Future for 42 months	7

The seventh king will rise up soon.

That religiously aligned leader, who will be supported by the final Antichrist, is prophesied to rise up in Europe.

He will be the Beast of the Sea.

He will be the seventh.

The ground work for his rise is being set by the European Union, whether or not it can be definitively considered as the sixth king–it certainly now is and looks to fit the prophecies in the Book of Revelation.

Which means that the end of this age is getting near.

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

Getting back to Tarik Amar, his article also has the following:

The Russian leadership does not merely carefully watch Trump, as you would expect. It also sends back calibrated pings that signal cautious appreciation of his overtures, as recently over his criticism of firing Western missiles at Russia.

Hence, nightmare number one for the EU: Trump is serious about ending US support for the failed project of inflicting a geopolitical demotion on Russia via a proxy war in Ukraine. That will leave not only the regime of Ukraine’s past-use-by-date leader Vladimir Zelensky high and dry but remaining fanatics in the EU as well. In the best-case scenario, the US will leave the European vassals with the cost of the postwar, whatever shape that may take. Trump has already said as much. In the worst-case scenario, EU elites could try going it alone. That is, worst-case for them, in every (un)imaginable way: economically, politically, and yes, militarily, too. …

Then, nightmare number two, there is the economy. The US-EU relationship is the single largest trade connection in the world, worth about $11 trillion per year. That, you may think, constitutes a lot of common interest and thus reasons for treating each other if not gently then, at least, cautiously. Nope, that’s not how this works, because the relationship is lopsided, and Trump is furious about it. For him, the EU’s trade surplus with the US is yet another way in which shifty Europeans have been milking America. His weapon of choice to retaliate and rectify the situation are, of course, tariffs, the higher the better. Even before his re-election, Goldman Sachs warned that his rule could cost the EU as a whole a full percent of GDP. And yes, that’s a lot, especially for a continent already largely economically depressed, demographically declining, and with badly squeezed public finances. …

EU’s wannabe despot Ursula von der Leyen. Building her own power grab – like Stalin, as it happens – on a mix of executive apparat overreach, crony networking, and ideological bigotry, she has made one serious mistake that may cost her dearly: She has cozied up so shamelessly to the outgoing Biden administration that, serious rumor has it, Trump cannot stand her. …

Even if Trump condescends to accepting such tributes from his European subjects, he will never lose sight of the one thing that really interests him (apart from his own money, power, and fame): American advantage. Whatever the Europeans will offer and however low they will kowtow, in the end, any deal will be good only for one side, the US. 12/14/24 https://www.rt.com/news/609361-trump-eu-nightmare-punishment/

Others have voiced concerns about Donald Trump and his potential impact on the European Union.

For example, last month, a reader sent me a link to a video, which I watched, titled, Trump wants to ‘aggressively’ spread Brexit throughout Europe | Yanis Varoufakis 11/13/24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhCnvVinnGQ.

“He has an agenda… essentially to make Brexit spread all over the European continent.”

Trump will apply “aggressive actions” to the European Union as he sees it as “a clear present danger to the United States”, says former Greek finance minister @YanisVaroufakis. pic.twitter.com/IRjpeK6vzm

— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) November 13, 2024

In it, Yanis Varoufakis, former Minister of Finance for Greece, asserted that “Donald Trump sees the European Union as a clear and present danger to the United States.” He also asserted that Donald Trump wants more Brexit actions (other nations to leave the EU). He also asserted that Europe needs to see Donald Trump as a threat and take action.

Many in Europe are outraged that Donald Trump is back in office.

They not only did not like him the first time, they were not pleased with his support of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. Donald Trump was perhaps the best known non-Brit that supported Brexit (the BRitish EXIT from the European Union).

So, what will Europe do?

1) It will increase military spending.
2) It will seek trade deals with nations other than the United States.
3) It will try to make one or more deals with the United States.
4) It will reorganize.
5) It will conquer the United States and its British-descended allies like Canada and the United Kingdom.

Europe is prophesied to dominate the world economically for a time per the 17th and 18th chapters of the Book of Revelation.

It has already signed a major trade deal since Donald Trump’s reelection (see https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-mercosur-countries-seal-controversial-trade-deal/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=LinkedIn).

It will also reorganize into a totalitarian dictatorship:

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

(Photo from Pixabay)

COGwriter

The price of Bitcoin rises and falls–with the price moving up since the reelection of Donald Trump.

The Chairman of the Federal Reserve made comments about that:

Fed Chairman’s Brazen Lies About Gold Go Unchallenged

Money Metals writer Mike Maharrey yesterday shot down the laughable assertion made this week by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that bitcoin is, “like gold,” merely a “speculative asset” and thus a competitor with gold, not the dollar, because people aren’t using bitcoin for payments or as a store of value. 12/09/24 https://activistpost.com/2024/12/fed-chairmans-brazen-lies-about-gold-go-unchallenged.html

Well, actually, after Chairman Powell made his statements, we challenged some of them and made the following video related to them, Bitcoin, and other matters. The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermonette from its ContinuingCOG channel:

15:07

Bitcoin … as good as gold?

“Bringing you news and analysis of world events in light of Bible prophecy.” This is the mandate of the Continuing Church of God. The world events Dr. Thiel will focus on today will be the recent record rise in the value of Bitcoin to over $100,000.00 The are several questions that will be addressed. Among them are: Will Bitcoin replace gold? Is Bitcoin as valuable as gold? Will nations just accumulate Bitcoin, will they just accumulate gold, or will they accumulate both? Will governments embrace Bitcoin? What about the US dollar? Will it be replaced by Bitcoin? Is it possible that the US Dollar will still be the world’s reserve currency well into the Great Tribulation? How about Bitcoin? Is something similar to Bitcoin prophesied in the Bible? Dr. Thiel addresses these world news items in light of Bible prophecy. He uses scriptures that address the status of the US Dollar’s value during the Great Tribulation as well as the use of a Bitcoin, like crypto currency, by the Beast of Revelation 13. Is it possible that both gold and Bitcoin will be useless as a hope for salvation? Dr. Thiel gives the prophetic answer to that question at the end of this video.

Here is a link to our video: Bitcoin … as good as gold?

Do NOT place your confidence in Bitcoin, the US dollar, silver, or gold, but “seek first the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos. Here is a link to a related sermon: Physical preparedness for Christians.
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What About Silver? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold and silver? Two videos of related interest may be: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar and Silver, Science, and Scripture.
The End of US Dollar Dominance Is the USA losing its economic status? What about the petro-gold-yuan? A related video is also available: US Dollar being challenged by Gold-Petro-Yuan.
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?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.
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 over 1,500 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.
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.

(US Centers for Disease Control photo)

COGwriter

A reader tipped me off to the following:

Scientists Warn of Unstoppable Threat from Lab-Created Mirror Bacteria

December 14, 2024

The ability to manipulate life at a molecular level has opened new doors in science, but it has also raised serious concerns. …

The rapid progress in synthetic biology comes with risks that scientists say we are not fully prepared to manage.

Now, a group of international researchers is warning that one such innovation — mirror-image bacteria — could become a danger too great to ignore.

These lab-created organisms, designed as reverse molecular replicas of natural life, may defy immune systems and existing antibiotics.

The warning stems from a 299-page report authored by 38 leading experts, including Nobel laureates and genome-sequencing pioneer Dr. Craig Venter.

The group argues that pursuing this line of research without stringent safeguards could unleash what they describe as “an unprecedented threat” to ecosystems and public health.

Mirror bacteria, also known as chiral organisms, are built from molecules that are structurally flipped versions of those found in nature. https://www.msn.com/en-au/health/other/scientists-warn-of-unstoppable-threat-from-lab-created-mirror-bacteria/ar-AA1vQE4X

What are “mirror bacteria”?

To understand mirror bacteria, we first need to take a look at one of the key properties of the molecules of life as we know them; they have homochirality, or uniformity of “handedness”. This means that they only come in one particular form that cannot be superposed onto its mirror image.

You can visualize this property using a pair of gloves. Place them out in front of you so that they’re mirroring each other, then put the right one on top of the left. Try rotating it – no matter what you do, they’ll never line up perfectly.

High school biology teachers will likely have told you that DNA is exclusively “right-handed”, while nearly all amino acids are left-handed. The processes in our cells and those of other organisms rely on these conformations, and they can govern how organisms interact with each other too.

In mirror bacteria, however, the molecules of life are – as you might’ve guessed from the name – mirrored. …

Are mirror bacteria a risk to us?

The expert group – which includes a number of Nobel laureates, famed geneticists, and those trying to de-extinct the woolly mammoth – doesn’t mince its words.

“Although we were initially skeptical that mirror bacteria could pose major risks, we have become deeply concerned […] our view is that mirror bacteria and other mirror organisms should not be created,” they write in a policy forum that summarizes the findings of their report.

One of the primary reasons for this is because of the potential implications for the spread of disease. 12/13/24 https://www.iflscience.com/what-are-mirror-bacteria-and-are-they-a-threat-to-humanity-77220

Urging companies and nations not to do something will not stop some from deciding that there is an advantage in doing research like that.

When discussing the results of those who do not wish to listen to God, the Apostle Paul warned about them being covetous, traitors, and disobedient, plus warned those people were also “inventors of evil things” (Romans 1:30). What is known as synthetic biology can often lead to inventions of evil things.

Nowadays with Artificial Intelligence, this looks to be a way to accelerate the trend to invent dangerous microorganisms, among other evil things.

Consider the following risk related to AI reported this past Spring:

BIOWEAPONS

May 9, 2024

The American intelligence community, think tanks and academics are increasingly concerned about risks posed by foreign bad actors gaining access to advanced AI capabilities. Researchers at Gryphon Scientific and Rand Corporation noted that advanced AI models can provide information that could help create biological weapons.

Gryphon studied how large language models (LLM) – computer programs that draw from massive amounts of text to generate responses to queries – could be used by hostile actors to cause harm in the domain of life sciences and found they “can provide information that could aid a malicious actor in creating a biological weapon by providing useful, accurate and detailed information across every step in this pathway.”

They found, for example, that an LLM could provide post-doctoral level knowledge to trouble-shoot problems when working with a pandemic-capable virus.

Rand research showed that LLMs could help in the planning and execution of a biological attack. They found an LLM could for example suggest aerosol delivery methods for botulinum toxin. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/from-deepfakes-to-bioweapons-all-you-need-to-know-about-threats-posed-by-ai-5627182

Last December, NewsMax reported the following:

Gordon Chang to Newsmax: China Working on Bioweapons

December 25, 2023 8:30 pm

Gordon G. Chang, author of “The Coming Collapse of China,” told Newsmax that Beijing is experimenting with what appears to be biological weapons targeting human brains. …

“These are biological weapons, and China isn’t part of the Biological Weapons Convention that would outlaw this,” Chang explained. …

The Times’ report cited recent studies by the Chinese Communist Party on biological weapons designed to induce sleep or sleep-related disturbances in enemy troops.

Other potential weapons would create a connection between the brain and external devices, as well as pharmaceuticals designed to impair people genetically and physiologically.

“This whole idea of ‘genetic drugs,’ although it has not really been fleshed out, clearly it is a biological weapon. And certainly, the other weapons that we’ve been talking about in this Washington Times report … [are] essentially biological-influenced,” Chang stated.

Chang believes it is time now more than ever to challenge China on their biological weapons program, which he suggested could be responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/gordon-chang-china-brain/2023/12/25/id/1147150/

So, since China did not sign the treaty saying it would not do so, it may well be that it is working on these type of weapons.

As far as biological warfare and China goes, back in January 2020, we put out the following video:

17:01

Biological Warfare and Prophecy

Is biological warfare possible? Was it prophesied? Scientists have long warned that pathogenic organisms like the coronavirus could be weaponized. Furthermore, back in 2017, there were concerns that the biological research facility being constructed in Wuhan, China was risky and that a coronavirus from it could be released. On January 25, 2020, China’s President Xi Jinping publicly stated that the situation with the Wuhan-related strain of the coronavirus was grave. Did Church of God writers like the late evangelist Raymond McNair warn that engineered viruses (the “Doomsday bug”) were consistent with prophecies from Jesus? Did a warning from CCOG leader Bob Thiel warn about risks of genetically-modified (GMO) mosquitoes come to pass? Could human research and/or the consumption of biblically-unclean animals such as bats and snakes be a factor in current outbreaks or coming future pestilences? What about famines? How devastating have pestilences been? How devastating are the prophesied ones going to be? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link to our video: Biological Warfare and Prophecy.

That said, treaty or not, other nations, including the USA are involved in biological warfare research–which does imply the ability to produce biological weapons.

There have been many reports over the years about the USA being involved with pathogen research for use in biological warfare. Last summer, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was interviewed by Tucker Carlson about that. Here is something about that:

RFK Jr. Warns Of Thousands Of “DEATH SCIENTISTS” Developing Killer Microbes In America

“We are making bioweapons.”

August 15, 2023

During an interview with Tucker Carlson, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr warned that there are thousands of so called ‘scientists’ developing killer bioweapons inside America without oversight.

The topic was raised when the pair began to discuss biolabs in Ukraine, with Kennedy noting that the U.S. “has biolabs in Ukraine because we are making bioweapons.”

He then went on to state that “Anthony Fauci got all the responsibility for bio-weapons development,” adding that after three bugs escaped from three labs in the U.S. “In 2014, 300 scientists wrote to President Obama and said ‘you’ve gotta shut down Anthony Fauci, because he is going to create a microbe that will cause a global pandemic.’”

“And so Obama signed a moratorium and shut down the 18 worst of Anthony Fauci’s experiments, where most of them were taking place in North Carolina by a scientist called Ralph Baric,” Kennedy added. https://summit.news/2023/08/15/video-rfk-jr-warns-of-thousands-of-death-scientists-developing-killer-microbes-in-america/

Could the USA be so involved?

Well, it is not supposed to be:

The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) effectively prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological and toxin weapons. It was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

The United States officially agreed to it in 1975, as did most nations in the world.

Officially, the USA claims it has no biological weapons.

FACT: The United States does not have chemical and biological weapons labs in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/cB9ZrH8vCo

— Department of State (@StateDept) March 10, 2022

However, it admits that it is involved with biological research on pathogenic microorganisms, as are many other countries. The USA and many others claim that the research is entirely peaceful and that the biological pathogenic agents can be, and supposedly are, under complete control.

If Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. gets into the Cabinet of the Trump-Vance Administration, it is possible he will look more into this.

That said, notice something else from last Spring:

Exposing the Link Between Lyme Disease and Secret U.S. Biowarfare Experiments

May 11, 2024

Declassified documents reveal that the seemingly innocuous island off the coast of Connecticut may have been ground zero for government experiments with weaponized ticks, possibly unleashing Lyme disease upon an unsuspecting public.

In 2008, Kris Newby, after extensive research, released a groundbreaking documentary on Lyme disease. The film sparked widespread discussion about the origins of Lyme disease and the reasons behind its increasing prevalence. …

Plum Island, an 840-acre island located just a mile off the north fork at the eastern end of Long Island, is notorious for its secretive government experiments involving bioweapons. Newby highlighted this in a discussion with Tucker Carlson, emphasizing the island’s mysterious and concerning activities.

Bioweapons Testing Facility and Disease Cluster

People living near Plum Island started getting diseases like Lyme arthritis, rickettsiosis, and babesiosis all around the same time. Tucker Carlson discussed this and wondered if these diseases came from government experiments.

In the late 1960’s, government bioweapons labs started injecting ticks with exotic diseases. Soon, people nearby began to get those diseases. Now, tick-borne Lyme is endemic. Naturally the government has admitted nothing. pic.twitter.com/B7doR3DFhF

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 9, 2024

https://rairfoundation.com/exposing-link-between-lyme-disease-secret-u-s/

Whether or not Lyme Disease was human-engineered, it can be a very, very difficult disease to treat. But sadly, humans (and apparently also with the use of AI) are looking to make more devastating diseases.

And as it turns out, it is usually not difficult to turn biological pathogens into weapons.

The USA certainly has dangerous biological agents from which it could do so. So do many other nations.

Remember that Jesus Himself warned that the “signs” of the end of the age would include pestilences:

7…And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7-8)

11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:11)

Biological warfare agents certainly can be a factor in pestilences.

Furthermore, in the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation, the ride of four horsemen are described. The passages about the fourth horseman are as follows:

7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:7-8)

So, the opening of the fourth seal is the time that the pale horse of death is apparently increasing death by war, hunger, and pestilences (the beasts of the earth).

Could humans intentionally cause some of that?

Certainly.

More pestilences are coming (Revelation 6:7-8).

In the summer of 2023, we put out the following video:

14:53

Biological Weapons and the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse

Tucker Carlson interviewed Democratic presidential party candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK). During that interview, RFK asserted that the United States has had thousands of scientists working on making bioweapons. Officially, the USA has denied this as it is a party to the Biological Weapons Convention. RFK states that Anthoy Fauci was responsible for biological weapons development. Does the ‘Global South’ consider that the West may intend to exterminate people through biological warfare? Did Jesus prophesy pestilences? Have humans engaged in biological or germ warfare for millennia? What were some things that Raymond McNair warned about over 50 years ago? Can we trust scientists to totally safely control all the infectious agents they work with? Could humankind be developing, knowingly or unknowingly, biological agents that could be responsible for many of the deaths that are prophesied to occur with the ride of the ‘pale horse of death,’ which is the fourth of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to ride? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Biological Weapons and the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse.

Biological pathogens developed by humans are a real threat.

Do NOT trust the scientists who say that they are simply trying to help us fight diseases and can always control them–they DO NOT KNOW all the risks, no matter what they say.

Do not count on scientists and nations doing the right thing and not experimenting with mirror-bacteria and other types of dangerous synthetic biology.

Humans, directly or indirectly, will be a factor in the coming, more severe pestilences. Adding AI to the mix adds additional risk.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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 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.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here are some related videos: GMO Risks and the Bible and GMOs, Lab meat, Hydrogenation: Safe or Dangerous?
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras?  Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues? A video of related interest is Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?  and Human-Monkey Embryos and Death.
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? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Here is a link to a shorter video: These Signs of the 4 Horsemen Have Begun.
Could God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2031 or 2025 or? There is also a video titled: When Does the 6000 Years End? 2031? 2035? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
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: Can the Great Tribulation start in 2022 or 2023? Notice also: Can Jesus return in 2023 or 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.

COGwriter

There is a remnant of the Philadelphian church left now because:

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

1:15:34

The Philadelphia Remnant

If the Philadelphia era of the Church of God (COG) ended the last century, would there be a remnant in the 21st century? Can parts of two different eras of the COG exist at that same time? Are all COGs the same as far as God is concerned? Did Herbert W. Armstrong and the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God point to Philadelphians being around until fleeing to the wilderness before the Great Tribulation? What are scriptural reasons why there must be a Philadelphia remnant? What did dreams have to do with the old Radio Church of God and the Continuing Church of God (CCOG)? What is different about Bob Thiel being a prophet? What are ways that the CCOG differs from other COGs? Did Habakkuk predict that the work would be revived? Was there a gap in the dream that Loma D. Armstrong had? Is the CCOG preparing for the short work of Romans 9:28 while also reaching Gentiles consistent with Romans 11:25? What group is getting the Ezekiel warning out? What about the 18 restored truths? Are there any important truths that were restored in the CCOG in the 21st century? Are there are any parallels to Zerubbabel? Why will the lukewarm Laodiceans not finish the warning and gospel proclamation gospel? Could there be a scriptural need for a Philadelphia remnant left now because the short-work of Romans 9:28 needs to be done, Matthew 24:14 still needs to be fulfilled, God promised to pour out His Spirit and give dreams and prophecies in the end before Jesus returned (cf. Acts 2:17-18), an end time Zerubbabel would be part of the Philadelphia remnant to rebuild the second spiritual temple–which would NOT look anywhere near as impressive as the previous temple physically (Haggai 2:3-4,9), all things needed to be restored (Matthew 17:11), and the mantle held, the full number of Gentiles must come in (Romans 11:25), the end time Ezekiel watchman warning must go out (cf. Ezekiel chapters 3, 5, 6, and 33), the Philadelphian remnant is to be targeted by the Beast power before (Daniel 7:25a, 11:29-35; Revelation 12:13-16) he goes to persecute the rest of the Christians (Revelation 12:17, 13:5-10, 14:12-13), and that the Philadelphians are the only one that Jesus promises protection from the coming hour of trial (Revelation 3:10) – and that has not happened yet? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more.

Here is a link to the sermon: The Philadelphia Remnant.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Why is there a Philadelphian remnant of the true Christian Church of God? Did the old Worldwide Church of God essentially predict a Philadelphian remnant? Is a Philadelphian remnant needed for end-time prophecies to be fulfilled? Here is a link to a related sermon: The Philadelphia Remnant.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era and Remnant Though the era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D., but a remnant has continued. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God were part of the era, and 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. Here is a link to a related sermon: Philadelphia Church Era: History & Teachings.
Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God “Contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, NKJV),  “Let brotherly love (Philadelphia) continue” (Hebrews 13:1) ” & continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles” (Acts 2:42 YLT). So, what does that really mean in terms of specific beliefs? The Statement gives answers. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Declaración de las Doctrinas de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. Here is a related link in Tagalog: Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. Here is a related link in Mandarin Chinese ~ç~íy^v„eYOv„OáNðXðf. Here is a related link in Kiswahili: KATIKA LUGHA YA KISWAHILI. Here is a related link in Dutch: Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Deutsche (German): Glaubenserklärung der Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Italiano: Dichiarazione del Credo della Continuing Church of God. Here is related link in the French language: Déclaration des croyances de L’Église Continue de Dieu. Here is a related link in the Chichewa language: ZIKHULUPIRIRO ZA MPINGO WA CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD. Here is a link in Romanian: Declarația de credințe a continuării Bisericii lui Dumnezeu. Here is a link in Portuguese: Declaração de Crenças da Continuação da Igreja de Deus. Here is a link in Russian: Утверждение верований о продолжении Церкви Божьей. Here is a link to a related English-language sermon: Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God. Here is a link to a printed booklet, which is available free online, titled: Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18? A related sermon in the English language is also available: 17 Last Days’ Signs of the Holy Spirit.
Old Testament Church Eras Are there seven church eras in the Old Testament? Do they parallel those in Revelation 2 &3?
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 from 31 A.D. to present: information on all of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3. There is also a YouTube video: The Seven Church Eras of Revelation. There is also a version in the Spanish language: Las Siete Iglesias de Apocalipsis 2 & 3.
1. The Ephesus Church Era was predominant from 31 A.D. to circa 135 A.D. The Church of James, Peter, Paul, and John, etc. Here is a link to a related video sermon: Ephesus Church Era.
2. The Smyrna Church Era was predominant circa 135 A.D. to circa 450 A.D. The Church led by Polycarp, Melito, Polycrates, etc. Here is a link to a related video sermon: The Smyrna Church Era.
3. The Pergamos Church Era was predominant circa 450 A.D. to circa 1050 A.D. An especially persecuted Church. Here is a link to a related sermon video: Pergamos Era and the Antichrist.
4. The Thyatira Church Era was predominant circa 1050 A.D. to circa 1600 A.D. The Church during the Inquisition. It claimed succession from the apostles. Here is a link toa related sermon: Thyatira, Succession, and Jezebel.
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses some early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, CG7-Salem, Jerusalem 7DCG, and COG-7th Day-Denver. Here are two historical sermons: Sardis Church Era: Beginnings, Doctrines, and Leaders and Sardis: SDBs, SDAs, & CG7s.
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?
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.

(Above from Pixabay)

COGwriter

Is the end coming in 2025?

What are the prophetic trends?

Can the ‘Great Tribulation’ begin or Jesus return this year?

Some have claimed so.

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus’ disciples specifically asked Him how to know when this would happen (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7)–and He responded with details. Several of those details are yet to be fulfilled.

But sadly, many overlook what Jesus taught, but instead try to point to other things.

Related to nearly every individual year beginning in 2008, I have denounced false prophets as well as those that speculated on each of those years as to the start of the Great Tribulation, as all who did so were much too close to that date/year for it to be possible.

Consider, for example, that although some claimed that the blood moons in 2014 and 2015 may have marked the beginning of the Great Tribulation, I correctly denounced that years ago (Blood Moons, Eclipses, and Prophecy; a related YouTube video is also available: Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015) and was proven right. I also denounced the so-called Shemitah year and the claimed devastation that was supposed to hit the world economy, etc. in late 2015 (see also 6000 years up and Jesus to return in 2016? and September ‘convergence’: a harbinger of potential disaster?), and again was right. On January 1, 2017, I blasted the idea of the claimed “Jubilee of 2017” would mark the end (see Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2017? Furthermore, I blasted the idea that the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 (see Solar Eclipse and the Apocalypse) or Planet Nibiru would begin the tribulation or destroy the Earth (see Doomsayers: Planet Nibiru to destroy Planet Earth in four weeks). I also denounced the view that because of the formation of the tiny nation of Israel in 1948, that the Great Tribulation needed to start 70 years later, like in 2018 (watch Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?). Some wrongly claimed that something from the “Sabbatical Code” as well as a shemita-decree calculation or a message from Fatima predicted 2019 (see False ‘Great Tribulation’ predictions/calculations for 2019). Some pointed to astronomy and even John 20:20 as proof for 2020 as the beginning, but this was denounced as well (watch Could the Great Tribulation Begin in 2020?). Certain ones who claimed to be COG pointed to 2020 and/or 2021, and they were wrong (see PCG claims Revelation 17:12 prophecy can happen this year! James Malm wrong about 2021) and some pointed to Israel’s 1948 formation and the US presidential election in 2020 as pointing to 2021 (2021: The Great Tribulation or the Great Reset?)–which I also denounced. Also denounced were centuries-old predictions supposedly pointing to 2022 by Nostradamus and Paracelsus as well as some from Muslims that pointed to Jesus returning in 2022 or 2023 (watch Can the Great Tribulation start in 2022 or 2023?). I also denounced that some pointed to ancient sources, biblical holy days, a guess of the Jubilee year, and various other signs for 2023 for either the ‘rapture’ or the start of the Great Tribulation–and a claimed COG which had the Great Tribulation beginning on March 31, 2023 and another who claimed September 16, 2023 (watch Can Jesus return in 2023 or 2024?), but they were also wrong. Also denounced were various ones who wrongly pointed to 2024, including one tying it in with 1948 and the State of Israel (watch Tribulation in 2024?).

Why?

Because according to the Bible, other events needed to occur that had not yet occurred.

What about the reelection of Donald Trump?

While Politico pointed to that as proof that the ‘American Century’ was over (see Donald Trump is end of ‘American Century’? The British ‘Century’ also ended. so what is next? Plus, EU makes Mercosur deal consistent with COGwriter prediction!), the fact is that we must base the timing of the Great Tribulation upon what the Bible teaches.

Another fact is that there are sufficient clues in the Bible, such as in the books of Daniel and Matthew, that make the prospective of the Great Tribulation happening in the next three years impossible.

Yet, we have seen events occur that are getting us closer.

For example, all the societal deterioration we have seen is consistent with the following being fulfilled:

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

In 2025, Eastern Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew is intending to host the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea (see Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople says Pope Francis Will Visit Turkey in May 2025 for Nicea Anniversary). That may have religious and prophetic ramifications.

With all this going on, could it still be possible that the countdown for the Great Tribulation will begin in 2025?

Notice the following:

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. (Matthew 24:3-5)

Just like you, the disciples wanted to know. But also notice that Jesus said to be careful about being deceived, including by people who teach that Jesus is the Christ.

Many have been deceived about the Great Tribulation and its start.

Notice something from an Instagram post:

The Great Tribulation starts in 2025

The Mark of The Beast | Sunday law 2025

Blue laws … REPENT JESUS✝️ IS COMING🗣️

MESSIAH✝️ 2028

https://www.instagram.com/cubofjudah_/reel/C-SkLlIuEZo/?locale=ko&hl=am-et

Well, that is not possible. And Jesus will not return then.

Here is another assertion:

“Great Tribulation, which corresponds to the years AD 2025 to AD 2028 on our calendar. So the Antichrist will reign the last 42 months (3.5 years)”

― Gabriel Ansley Erb,  2028 END: Declaring The End From The Beginning

No, that is wrong,

There is a YouTube video out there titled:

April 12, 2025 Passover Commences The Great Tribulation

The video claims certain seals of Revelation were opened before they were, plus it tries to tie this in with the formation of the State of Israel in 1948–but again, that start date is wrong because it is too soon.

The biblical reality is that necessary events that Jesus and Daniel mentioned, that will allow for that, have not happened.

For some scriptural proof, let’s look at the account in Matthew 24:

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:4-16)

That said, there is no possibility that the Great Tribulation can happen in 2025 and those who rely on the Bible have realized this. It is only those who overlook scripture and rely on their own views and/or false traditions who make the mistake of thinking that the Great Tribulation can, or could, happen in 2025.

Why do I state this?

Jesus pointed to Daniel.

Thus, one reason that the Great Tribulation will not begin yet is that one known as the final King of the North in Daniel 11 needs to rise up.

The Bible shows that the coming “King of the North” will make a deal of some sort with one called the King of the South just before the appointed time of the end:

27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time (Daniel 11:27).

Daniel chapter 11 tells much about the end times and it involves both a King of the South and a King of the North. And while there was a president of the South and a president of the North in the Union for the Mediterranean (see Deal Leading to Psalm 83?), these individuals have not held the type of power (nor prerogatives) of the prophesied King of the North and the King of the South. Nor will the current head of the post-Lisbon European Union, likely be the final King of the North as she does not seem to fit that description.

Since the Great Tribulation will not start before there is an actual King of the South and an actual final King of the North –it is not yet.

We also know that the Bible shows that sacrifices will stop (Daniel 9:27, 11;31, 12:11), thus they must first start. And mainly because of Israeli politics, they have not yet begun.

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).

There are several reasons that this “prince” is referring to the leader of the developing European empire (see King of the North and Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation). One is 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. 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 is referring to. Thus, this prophecy tells us that a lower level European leader will 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” (Revelation 13:1) fits with the beasts from the “great sea” (Daniel 7:2)–and that is the Mediterranean Sea according to the Old Testament–hence this is an empire like the old Roman one (for more details, please see Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation).

This portion of scripture in Daniel seems to be discussing some type of peace deal that the Europeans will either propose or at least one from Europe will endorse. Such a deal did not exist as of late 2024, or at least was not publicly confirmed by the “prince” by then. The deal will be broken 3 1/2 years later (Daniel 9:27; 11:31)–and shortly after that deal is broken, the Great Tribulation will begin.

Some hope that the reelection of Donald Trump means he can help force such a deal–we will see–but the biblical reality is for this to be THE prophesied deal, a particular European leader, who might be Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, needs to confirm it.

Now, with the turmoil we have seen in the Middle East, at this instant it is possible that such a deal could be confirmed in 2025. Particularly if Israel and Iran escalate direct actions against each other. And that would also expect to involve Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah, and perhaps others. But we do not know yet–we are to “Watch” as Jesus admonished His followers in Mark 13:37.

Now what about Donald Trump?

CNN posted the following:

Trump’s second term could bring chaos around the world. Will it work?

It may be horrific and redefine the world order. Or it may be underwhelmingly bluster over substance. But US President-elect Donald Trump’s second term will certainly be disruptive. And even the most severe American isolationism – the greatest amount of doing little – will likely herald significant change. …

The incumbent Biden administration leaves a series of global crises at best unsolved – at worst raging. https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/09/world/analysis-trump-second-term-world-intl/index.html

I have long considered him to be apocalyptic, meaning that his timing and some of his policies are helping set up for the Great Tribulation. Actually, world events confirmed, either totally or partially, 22 items I warned about PRIOR to Donald Trump taking office the first time back in 2017.

That said, we are in the time called the beginning of sorrows by Jesus. Those times, according to Jesus include troubles:

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

So, yes, the trend of troubles and chaos are expected during the Trump-Vance presidential term, though there will likely also be periods of calm.

There will also be many unintended consequences to the USA, because of Donald Trump’s statements and policies.

His tariff threats, to cite one example, will drive nations further away from each other and more towards trade not involving the United States. That will help set the stage for the coming European Babylonian trading power the Bible warns about in the 17th and 18th chapters of the Book of Revelation.

While we are close to the end of the 6,000 years, of humanity’s rule of the planet–if Jesus was killed and resurrected in 31 A.D., then presuming a 6000 year plan ends a year before the Day of the Lord, then we may expect the 6,000 years end to in 2031 and Jesus to return in 2032 (Could God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

Adding 3 1/2 years to the current date leads us to 2028 for the earliest possibly start date of the Great Tribulation.

Christians, Philadelphian ones, are to understand Jesus said tribulation-related events tie in with Daniel. Yet, most who profess Christ do not fully get it. Anyway, after Daniel 11:31 and the fleeing (Matthew 24:15; Revelation 12:14-17), the Great Tribulation begins:

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22)

This cannot possibly happen before 2028.

But make no mistake about it–the end is coming and fairly soon–and probably, sometime in the next ten or so years. But the Great Tribulation will not start in 2025 or 2026 or 2027.

UPDATE 12/15/24: We just uploaded the following video:

14:26

Great Tribulation Trends 2025

“Bringing you news and analysis of world events in light of Bible prophecy.” This is the mandate of the Continuing Church of God. World events are speeding toward the final chapter of mankind’s attempt at utopia. Is the Great Tribulation right around the corner? Many false Biblical prognosticators have led us to believe that the Great Tribulation will begin in 2025. Are they right? Dr. Thiel uses scripture to shine the light of Biblical prophecy on their prognostications to prove that these false prognosticators are still false. Is the election of Donald Trump a world event that that signals the start of the Great Tribulation? Once again, Dr. Thiel uses the light of Bible prophecy to highlight the fact that some of Donald Trump’s actions may bring us closer to start of that day. But still, it won’t happen in 2025. So, what events will herald the start of the Great Tribulation? Are some of those events close to taking place? When the Great Tribulation begins, what will be the fate of the United States? What is the “pride of its power”? Will the “pride of its power” be broken? What will cause the fall of the United States? Might the presidency of Donald Trump be directly involved in breaking the pride of the power of the United States? Dr. Thiel goes directly to the Bible to shine the light of God’s Word on all these questions. The verses referred to and quoted from the book of Daniel are especially intriguing. If you live in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, or the United Kingdom, you will definitely want to watch this podcast.

Here is a link to our video: Great Tribulation Trends 2025.

Anyway, if you are willing to believe the Bible, you can understand that the Great Tribulation cannot start in 2025. But perhaps the countdown for the seven year period leading to Jesus’ return can.

Janet Yellen (via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Janet Yellen, US Secretary of the Treasury, is now trying to claim that abortion is good for the economy.

When Janet Yellen was the head of  the US Federal Reserve, she said she believed that there would be no more financial crises “in our lifetimes”:

June 28, 2017

Responding to a question on financial system stability, Yellen said post-crisis regulations (and $2.5 trillion in excess reserves which just happen to be fungible and give the banks the impression that they are safe) had made financial institutions much “safer and sounder.”

“Will I say there will never, ever be another financial crisis? No, probably that would be going too far. But I do think we’re much safer and I hope that it will not be in our lifetimes and I don’t believe it will.”

Some were quick to compare this statement to Neville Chamberlain infamous – and very, very wrong – 1938 prediction of “peace in our time.”

Others drew comparisons to a similar bold prediction by Ben Bernanke, who in 2014 predicted during one of his $250,000/hour speeches that “rates would not normalize during my lifetime.”

Yet others, who noted Janet Yellen’s 70 years of age, asked her to “define our lifetime.” http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-27/yellen-i-dont-believe-we-will-see-another-crisis-our-lifetime

We are NOT much safer. We are on the precipice of economic destruction (cf. Habakkuk 2:6-8).

Here is a report about Janet Yellen, abortion, and the economy:

Yellen ‘demonstrably wrong’ on claim abortion helps economy

May 12, 2022

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently proclaimed publicly that abortion helps the economy, and a decision by the Supreme Court striking Roe v. Wade and allowing states to regulate the industry would be harmful to the nation’s money issues.

But she’s “demonstrably wrong,” according to commentary writer Tiana Lowe, an economics graduate from USC and founder of the USC Economics Review, at the Washington Examiner.

The commentary explained, “Like the Confederates who settled on an economic argument to defend slavery rather than justify such a travesty on the principle of personhood, Yellen is not only avoiding a moral defense of the morally indefensible, but she is also demonstrably wrong.” …

“Population growth generally promulgates aggregate economic growth, but especially in an entitlement state such as ours, an at-replacement birth rate is crucial to avoid a deficit crisis,” she explained. https://www.wnd.com/2022/05/yellen-demonstrably-wrong-claim-abortion-helps-economy/

As far as debt goes, the USA went from being the leading creditor nation in the world to the biggest debtor nation in the history of humanity since it began to ‘legalize’ abortions. Despite the overthrow of Roe vs. Wade, the number of abortions in the USA looks to have increased, because since the original flawed Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, the abortion industry in the USA expanded and has its tentacles deep in American society.

Several years ago, Chelsea Clinton (daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton) said abortion was part of “social justice,” although those so aborted would not come to that conclusion. She also said, “Reproductive rights have always been economic rights,” while indicating that killing babies is some type of positive economic stimulus.

Notice the following:

13 “Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. 14 Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. (Ezekiel 22:13-15)

Any economic “benefit” from abortion is at best a dishonest profit from bloodshed. This will not end well for the USA.

As far as the economy goes, there are many things to consider.

Notice one other example:

Real Hourly Wages Have Risen Less Than a Penny a Year Since 1973

January 5, 2022

• In nominal terms, the production and nonsupervisory worker made $4.05 per hour in 1973. Today that worker makes $26.40 per hour.
• Accounting for inflation, using 1982-1984 as the base rate, a worker made $9.38 in 1973 and makes only $9.63 per hour today.
• In 48 years, real wages have risen $0.25. That’s just over half a penny per hour each year.
• Between 1964 and 1973 workers came out ahead. Since then it’s practically $0 and that assumes you believe the CPI is not understated.

https://mishtalk.com/economics/real-hourly-wages-have-risen-less-than-a-penny-a-year-since-1973

Since the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been understating inflation, the situation is worse than the above suggests.

Abortion is not good for the economy–nor the longevity of the USA.

Now notice some comments from Janet Yellen and the debt of the USA:

Janet Yellen “Sorry” After Presiding Over $15 Trillion Increase In US Debt

December 13, 2024

Something funny happened in late November.

Outgoing Treasury Secretary, and former Fed chair and vice chair, Janet Yellen said that she spoke with Donald Trump’s nominee to be her successor, Scott Bessent, after he was selected for the job. During a Tuesday event organized by the WSJ, Yellen said that in a call before Thanksgiving, she told Bessent, a veteran hedge-fund manager, about the breadth of the job and strength of the department’s staff. …

Yellen also expressed regret over failing to make more progress in narrowing the fiscal deficit during her tenure.

“I am concerned about fiscal sustainability and I am sorry that we haven’t made more progress,” she said adding that “I believe that the deficit needs to be brought down especially now that we’re in an environment of higher interest rates.”

This is really funny for two reasons.

First, it was under Yellen’s watch that the US experienced its biggest debt increase in history. … under Yellen total US debt increased by $6.8 trillion while she was Fed Chair/vice-Chair and then another $8.4 trillion while she has been Biden’s Treasury Secretary. …

The second reason why Yellen’s words are a laughable grotesque, is that as we showed earlier, in its final days, the Biden administration – which is best known for spending trillions to buy votes in the US (and inexplicably, in the Ukraine) – has decided to go out with a bang, and at a time when government spending is hitting new record high month after month, even as US tax revenue has flatlined for the past five years…

Meanwhile, US interest expense is now $1.2 trillion, the second largest government outlay surpassing defense and health spending, and is just one debt crisis and/or interest rate spike away from exceeding Social Security spending as the largest government outlay for the world’s most indebted government.

So yes, Janet, we too are “sorry”… sorry that under your various official tenures the US took irrevocable steps to losing the world’s reserve currency (don’t believe us, just as gold and bitcoin), and sorry that the US is just a few months away from the biggest financial crisis in history. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/janet-yellen-sorry-after-presiding-over-15-trillion-increase-us-debt

Unsustainable: Yellen resigns, leaving behind over $36 TRILLION in debt — the highest in U.S. history

December 13, 2024

– The federal deficit has reached unsustainable levels, with the U.S. national debt surpassing $36 trillion, largely due to reckless fiscal policies under the Biden administration.

– Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen acknowledged concerns over the lack of progress in reducing the deficit, admitting that the deficit needs to be brought down amid rising interest rates.

– The Biden administration’s fiscal approach, including $3 trillion in economic stimulus, led to runaway inflation and a ballooning deficit, with interest expenses now exceeding defense and health spending.

– The incoming Trump administration, with Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent, aims to prioritize fiscal responsibility, focusing on reducing government spending, reforming entitlement programs, and promoting sustainable economic growth.

– The U.S. faces an urgent need to address its fiscal crisis to avoid a future debt crisis, with the Trump administration tasked with restoring fiscal sanity and rebuilding public trust in responsible financial management.

As the Trump administration prepares to take the reins of government, the nation faces a stark and urgent reality: The federal deficit has ballooned to unsustainable levels, threatening the long-term stability of the U.S. economy. …

Yellen herself has acknowledged the gravity of the situation, expressing concern over the lack of progress in reducing the deficit. During a recent event organized by the Wall Street Journal, she stated, “I am concerned about fiscal sustainability and I am sorry that we haven’t made more progress. I believe that the deficit needs to be brought down, especially now that we’re in an environment of higher interest rates.” …

Under Yellen’s watch, the U.S. debt increased by an astonishing $15.2 trillion, representing 42% of all U.S. debt ever issued. …

The U.S. cannot afford to continue down the path of unsustainable debt accumulation. https://www.naturalnews.com/2024-12-13-yellen-leaves-36-trillion-debt-highest-us-history.html

Janet Yellen was not a voice crying out against debt. Now that she is leaving her post, she brings it up.

She should have PUBLICLY voiced debt concerns over her time in office. But she did not, instead she basically helped the politicians increase debt.

That brought to mind the following scriptures:

¹² As for My people, children are their oppressors,
And women rule over them.
O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths (Isaiah 3:12).

¹⁶ For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed (Isaiah 9:16).

The Bible warns about debt and disobedience:

43 The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. 45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed…47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. 52 They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you (Deuteronomy 28:43-45,47-52).

13 And the Lord said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, 14 but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts…16 I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them.” (Jeremiah 9:13,14a,16)

The US is doomed unless there is national repentance.

Now, you may wish to read and re-read something that the prophet Habakkuk was inspired to write over 2600 years ago:

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

9 “Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, That he may set his nest on high, That he may be delivered from the power of disaster! 10 You give shameful counsel to your house, Cutting off many peoples, And sin against your soul. 11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, And the beam from the timbers will answer it. (Habakkuk 2:9-11)

The above prophecy points to doom. And it will be fulfilled at the time of the end (cf. “The message was true, but the appointed time was long…in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come,” Daniel 10:1,14). Daniel 8:19, 11:27,29,35 use the same Hebrew term for “appointed time” as Habakkuk 2:3, while Daniel 10, using a different term, ties the latter days to the time in Daniel 8:19. Habakkuk 2 was not fulfilled in its entirety anciently.

The Trump Administration will not be able to stop Habakkuk 2:6-8 from being fulfilled.

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.
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.
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? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.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. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and 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.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?
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may wish to view the YouTube videos: Abortion and Birth Control: History and Scriptures. Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt, American Infanticide, Euthanasia: Mercy killing or murder?, and Land of ‘Free’ Abortions and Debt.
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 two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
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. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2022, 2023, or 2024? 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: Can the Great Tribulation start in 2022 or 2023? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.

15th century portrayal of ancient Gog and Magog

COGwriter

Israel365News posted the following:

Is the War of Gog and Magog Being Fought in Syria?

December 12, 2024

With Assad hiding in Russia, rival rebel groups are fighting for dominance in Syria. The IDF has entered the fray, placing tanks less than 25 kilometers from Damascus. While many believe this is not the prophesied battle of Gog and Magog that is predicted to be fought inside Israel, some sources see it as precisely that.

In October 2015,  Rabbi Shalom Berger, the spiritual leader of the Mishkoltz sect of Hasidic Judaism, gave a Torah lesson at the end of the holiday of Simhat Torah in which he made predictions regarding the imminent arrival of the Messiah.

“Whoever merely tries to look truthfully at what is going on around us understands that God is bringing us toward the revelation of the King Mashiah and our Redemption and the redemption of our souls,” Rabbi Berger said.

“This winter,” continued the rabbi, “there will continue to be uprisings throughout the world – and everything is for Israel’s benefit!”

“My heart tells me,” concluded the rabbi, “that God has mercy on the nation of Israel and, despite what the prophets have prophesied – that the Gog Umagog War needs to be within Jerusalem. Nevertheless, God sweetened this and is currently making it in Syria. And the proof is that it is brought down in Sifri (Devarim 1) that the gates of Jerusalem are destined to reach until Damascus.” …

If that is the case, instead of the war being in Jerusalem with the inhabitants of Israel suffering from it, God widened Jerusalem so that it reaches as far as Damascus so that the great war will be there, as we saw when Russia entered with powerful forces into Syria.

In chapters 38 and 39 of the Book of Ezekiel, the prophet describes a great war that will occur at the end of days. Gog of the land of Magog from the north will lead a host of nations in battle against Israel and God, a war that will bring about the final redemption. …

Russia may also play a leading role in the War of Gog and Magog, as hinted by Ezekiel (38:2) when he refers to the Hebrew word for ‘chief’, which is רֹאשׁ (Rosh). Many have interpreted this to refer to Russia.

This is also hinted at by Russian President Putin’s first name, Vladimir (ולדימיר), which has a value in gematria (Hebrew numerology) of 300. This is equal to the value of the name Nimrod (נימרוד), who, according to Jewish mysticism, was a previous incarnation of Gog.  https://israel365news.com/398546/is-the-war-of-gog-and-magog-being-fought-in-syria/

There are several issues with the above to address.

The first is, no, I do not believe that God had Ezekiel write about what would happen in Israel in Ezekiel 38, and now change the location to Syria.

Next, while some may find Vladimir Putin’s name of interest, the numerology pointed to is not of true prophetic interest.

That said, PCG’s Gerald Flurry also ties Vladimir Putin with Ezekiel 38, and identifies him the as the “Prince of Rosh” (see Vladimir Putin: Lord of the world? Prince of Rosh?).

But he is in error on that.

As far as the identities of Gog, Rosh, and Magog go, here are some views of 19th century commentators:

Gog is further described as the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: some render it, “prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal”; taking Rosh, as the rest, for the name of a place, a part of Scythia, from whence the Russians came, and had their name. (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)

The Scythian Tauri in the Crimea were so called. The Araxes also was called “Rhos.” The modern Russians may have hence assumed their name, as Moscow and Tobolsk from Meshech and Tubal, though their proper ancient name was Slavi, or Wends. Hengstenberg supports English Version, as “Rosh” is not found in the Bible. “Magog was Gog’s original kingdom, though he acquired also Meshech and Tubal, so as to be called their chief prince. (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

Interestingly, the above mentions Crimea, which was part of Ukraine and is now again part of Russia.

Regarding the timing of Ezekiel 38, the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, published the following:

And now we come to chapter 38! And this chapter finds Israel restored in her land — “the land that is brought back from the sword,” (Verse 8). We find Israel now at rest, dwelling SAFELY, totally UNPREPARED for war — having “neither bars nor gates” (Verse 11); in the desolate places of the land of Israel, now inhabited, (verse 12) — yes, inhabited (same verse) by the people that are once again restored to great material prosperity — “which have gotten cattle, and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.”

Notice it! The TIME of this prophecy is AFTER — not before, but AFTER the Second coming of Christ — AFTER the Great Deliverer has come and rescued our people and restored us to the land of Israel — AFTER Israel and Judah are reunited! Certainly the “latter years” (verse 8). (Armstrong HW. Will Russia attack America? 1971)

Notice also the position of the old Radio Church of God as well as the old Worldwide Church of God:

Nearly all Bible students believe that Ezekiel’s amazing prophecy refers to Russia. Yet they totally misapply the time of its fulfillment. It is referring to an invasion of Palestine after Christ has restored His people Israel to Palestine. This has been amply proved in articles in The PLAIN TRUTH…Notice that it is Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38:2) which will come against the nation in which Christ’s capital will be located (verse 16). Notice again that Gog and Magog come “out of the north parts” (verse 15 ) where Russia is today. (Does Ezekiel 38 and 39 Refer to Russia? Good News, August 1954, p. 5)

Future Russo / China Alliance?

Ultimately allied with the Russians under Gog will be “many people” (Ezek. 38:6,9,15). These could hardly exclude the militarily weaker Chinese and their Asiatic kinsmen those eastern Magogites who “dwell securely in the coastlands” of the Pacific (39:6, The Amplified Bible). The People’s Republic of China the “many people” of Ezekiel 38 is thus pictured as being linked with Gog in the last days…

Linked with the Russians and the other nations of the Orient in the vast end-time Asian confederacy will be Persia, Cush, Phut, Gomer and Togarmah (Ezek. 38:5- 6). Who are these peoples today?

History and Scripture identify them as the very peoples of the South Asian region. Willingly or unwillingly, they will all be drawn into the Soviet sphere of influence in the years just ahead! Let us look at each one individually. Let us begin with Persia (Ezek. 38:5), the most easily identified. Persia is simply another name for modern-day Iran. The name Persia originated from a geographical region within southern Iran. This region was anciently known as Persis, the Greek form of Old Persian Parsa. Historically, the people of Iran have never used the name Persia for their country. (Southeast Asia in Prophecy. Ambassador College Press, 1985)

According to a Jewish source (Rabbi Winston), the Gog-Magog conflict may have begun in February 2018 because an escalation on Israel’s Syrian border then and other reasons (see Did the ‘War of Gog and Magog’ Already Begin?).

But that was not the start of the Gog-Magog conflict.

What about what is happening in Syria now?

Does this mean that the Ezekiel 38 war with Gog and Magog is there or it is about to start?

No.

Let us look at what the Bible itself teaches.

Notice the first 7 verses from Ezekiel 38:

1 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops — many people are with you.

7 “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.

Verses 1-7 talk about a group getting ready to battle. Various nations such as Russia, Iran, Asians, and others are included here. Turkey is not clearly mentioned and may not actually be involved.

What does the Bible actually teach about the timing? Notice the next two verses from Ezekiel 38:

8 After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. 9 You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”

Verses 8-9 refer to a regathering of Israel. Why do certain prophecy watchers say that it is for now?

Because certain Protestants believe that the creation of the nation of Israel in 1948 fulfills verse 8.

Yet, this is not really the fulfillment for several reasons (also watch the video Israel, 1948, and Prophecy).

One reason is that even today most Jews do not live in the nation of Israel. The Jewish diaspora is scattered throughout the world. But the other reason is that many do not realize that there are multiple millions of the descendants of Israel that are not of the tribe of Judah. The Bible shows that Israel split into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel after the reign of Solomon and that later the ten tribes that were part of Israel (cf. 1 Kings 11:31,35; 12:16-17; 12:20-23) were carried into captivity (2 Kings 17:21-23). Those tribes represent hundreds of millions of people currently alive, and as there are around 7,200,000 Jews in Israel, most simply have not been regathered (more information on the tribes of Israel is in 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?).

Furthermore, pay close attention to the part of verse 8 about people dwelling safely. That is NOT the case in Israel today.

Additionally, notice verses 10-13:

10 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’ — 12 to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. 13 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”‘

Israel has its walls and “iron dome” and military weaponry. Notice that it is against a ‘peaceful people’ in unarmed villages that the prince of Rosh is going against. This cannot happen until AFTER the return of Jesus. Furthermore, there simply is not a plan to take a lot of gold and silver out of Israel right now by the power of the far north, nor does the current nation of Israel have enough of it to likely justify an attack for that purpose (unless perhaps some hidden gold/silver mines or remaining treasure of David).

Notice the following:

Israel holds no gold reserves at all, according to a Bank of Israel spokesman. (Kopf S. Jerusalem of Gold. Jerusalem Post, February 16, 2011. http://www.jpost.com/Jerusalem-Report/Israel/Jerusalem-of-Gold viewed 07/21/14)

Israel Gold Reserves

1950 – 2018 | Monthly | USD mn | CEIC Data

Israel’s Gold Reserves was reported at 0.00 USD mn in Feb 2019.  https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/israel/gold-reserves accessed 12/12/24

According to Index Mundi, the nation of Israel was not among the top 48 producers of silver in the world, so its supply of this would also seem to be limited–it also confirmed that Israel does not have gold reserves (though there is some gold and silver in coins, etc. in Israel). Israel in the early 21st century is NOT the target of Ezekiel 38.

Ezekiel was further inspired to write:

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” (Ezekiel 38:1-16)

So, a power from the far north, which would seem to have to be Russian-led as it is the only major military power in the far north now and may be the only one also in the future, will come. But again, notice that this happens when Israel is dwelling safely.

Notice the following observation by the old Worldwide Church of God:

The events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 are without question still future – for the “latter days” (38: 16) and “latter years” (38:8). Moreover, Ezekiel 38:14 describes the time setting as being “in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely.” This is certainly not the situation in the State of Israel to- day! The Israel described by Ezekiel is a nation that dwells in security, in unwalled villages, totally unprepared for war (38:8, 11, 14). (Southeast Asia in Prophecy. Ambassador College Press, 1985)

And while Ezekiel 38 does mention Russia and Iran, the tiny nation of Israel is not now a “land of unwalled villages” with “a peaceful people who dwell safely” (Ezekiel 38:10-11). We are not particularly close to the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38. Those who believe otherwise are in error.

Even though Ezekiel 38 is NOT for our time, consider the following:

6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots,And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. (Isaiah 22:6-8 NKJV)

So, if Iran later does attack Israel and cause damage to Jerusalem, do NOT think that is the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38. Unlike Ezekiel 38, Isaiah 22 can be fulfilled in our time.

Believe the Bible and its prophecies. NOT the view of Jewish numerologists.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? Are we close to the battle with Gog and Magog? Four related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code), and Gog, Magog, Vladimir Putin, and Ezekiel 38?

Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy as are two video sermonettes Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy and Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?

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.