On December 20, 2014, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Inner Man.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

For the past decade, I have always had some kind of active project to make improvements to the Church websites. The kinds of projects have varied widely, from modifications so minute that they’ve largely gone undetected, to projects that are so huge that they could never realistically be completed. Most of those projects fell into the latter category and, as a result, also fell to the wayside.  However, for the past two years those miscellaneous projects have converged, becoming focused on the coordination of a comprehensive overhaul of our Church websites. Recognizing that such an undertaking would require a lot of effort, a technical team formed to accomplish the huge goals entailed. This team has worked very hard over the past two years to bring a vision to fruition.

The replacement of our old website has an impact on many of the ways that the Church of the Eternal God communicates the message of the Gospel to the world. The technical team, with guidance from the ministry, has had to consider how all of our Church websites will be designed. This updated design brought every visual element under examination, including the Church logo. As a result, redesigning the website led us to update the Church logo as well. With a new logo design, we have had to consider the impact on the design of every piece of material that makes use of it. In general, with visual consistency being one of the key objectives in the work we’ve done, we have had to evaluate every inconsistency. And where there are inconsistencies, we have had to figure out ways to resolve them so all of our digital destinations convey a clear and consistent message. The work involved in this redesign has followed this pattern over and over again, opening virtual cans of worms wherever we went. The work has certainly been complex, but now that our major goals are complete, we have plans to launch this new website very soon.

As exciting as the launch of a new website is, it is important to understand that this is not the final product of my work, the work of the technical team, nor the work of the Church. The fulfilment of God’s plan to establish the Kingdom of God is the final goal. All of us work to that end. This newly designed website is merely a tool that works toward that end. We are reminded of the importance of working toward the Kingdom of God in Christ’s words recorded in Matthew 24:45-46, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.” As God’s faithful servants, we must never think that the Work is done – we must always be doing, fixed on seeking the Kingdom.

The growth of the Church over the past 14 years has brought us to the point where we manage a large amount of information and deliver it through a wide variety of channels. Many of the tools that we use today seemed unattainable to us in the past. Even though much has changed, and more will continue to change, there is one thing that remains the same since our establishment as a Church, and that is the unwavering commitment of the Church of the Eternal God to not compromise the Truth of God.

We begin with troublesome developments and opinions regarding the practices of CIA interrogators; address Germany’s growing discontent with asylum seekers; report on Islamist terrorists in Australia and Pakistan; point out an explosive change in US-Cuba relationship and the Vatican’s involvement; speak at length about Pope Francis’ controversial and disputed comments about the future of animals and the fact that (almost) everyone loves him; remind the readers of past comments from the former leaders of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church about the “myths” of the “Christmas story”; and conclude with a warning that the world is “heading inexorably towards a mass extinction.”

John McCain Condemns CIA Torture

On December 14, 2014, Newsmax reported the following:

“Some of the practices used by CIA interrogators to gather information from captured prisoners went against ‘everything that America values and stands for,’ Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain said Sunday. McCain believes it was right to release a controversial Senate report on the matter last week… McCain, who was tortured while being held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, said the CIA’s practices ‘were violations of the Geneva convention for the treatment of prisoners.’… ‘What we need to do is come clean, we move forward and we vow never to do it again,’ said McCain…

“McCain… [noted] that in meetings with Vice President Dick Cheney and then-CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden, he pointed out that ‘these things are torture, in violation of the Geneva Convention… You can’t claim that tying someone to the floor and have them freeze to death is not torture,’ said McCain. ‘You can’t say [it’s not torture when] 18 times someone is waterboarded,’ a technique that began with the Spanish Inquisition and was also done during World War II…

“And McCain agreed with experts that torture does not work as an interrogation technique, quoting Gen. David Petraeus. ‘There’s no man alive that is a military leader that I respect more than Gen. Petraeus,’ said McCain, quoting him as saying that while ‘we are warriors, we are also human beings…’”

Former Vice President Dick Cheney strongly condemned the report. He said that he endorsed the CIA activities, and that he would approve of them all over again. Former President George Bush was apparently of the same persuasion. These are alarming and extremely disturbing signs. Some do not seem to learn from mistakes at all. Mr. Cheney also denied that Japanese soldiers were prosecuted for waterboarding Americans. The Washington Post reported on December 15 that Mr. Cheney is clearly wrong, giving him “Three Pinocchios.”

However, in a shocking article of the Washington Post, dated December 16, it was revealed that “A majority of Americans believe that the harsh interrogation techniques used on terrorism suspects after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were justified, even as about half the public says the treatment amounted to torture.” Why are we then surprised to hear that God is VERY ANGRY with the USA?

Jeb Bush for President? No, Says Donald Trump

Newsmax wrote on December 16:

“Count billionaire Donald Trump among the unimpressed with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s announcement Tuesday that he will form an exploratory committee to consider a presidential run. ‘The last thing we need is another Bush,’ Trump said Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s ‘Your World with Neil Cavuto.’ ‘I’m not a fan of the job his brother did at all. I think his brother was a terrible president,’ Trump said. ‘Look, I’m a Republican, and I’m a very conservative guy.’ But, he said: ‘I’ve had it with the Bushes.’…

“Barack Obama has been a ‘terrible president’ Trump said, but he said George W. Bush wasn’t much better. ‘And Bush gave us Obama,’ he said. Trump also blamed George W. Bush for appointing John Roberts as chief justice, thus bringing about the 2012 ruling in favor of Obamacare. George W. Bush presided over the ‘total destabilization the world,’ Trump said…

“He wouldn’t say how he would vote if it came down to a general election between Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton. He said Clinton has her own problems with the far-left wing of the Democrat Party pushing for a more liberal candidate.”

JTA wrote on December 16:

“Jeb Bush announced his intention to ‘actively’ explore the presidency in a Christmas and Hanukkah greeting message. ‘Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!’ the former Florida governor said in a Facebook message posted Tuesday… Bush likely would attract substantial Jewish Republican support because of the closeness of Jewish Republicans to his brother, former President George W. Bush, and because he is perceived as a moderate relative to other candidates.”

Congress Approves Medical Marijuana

The Los Angeles Times reported on December 16:

“Tucked deep inside the 1,603-page federal spending measure is a provision that effectively ends the federal government’s prohibition on medical marijuana and signals a major shift in drug policy. The bill’s passage over the weekend marks the first time Congress has approved nationally significant legislation backed by legalization advocates. It brings almost to a close two decades of tension between the states and Washington over medical use of marijuana.

“Under the provision, states where medical pot is legal would no longer need to worry about federal drug agents raiding retail operations. Agents would be prohibited from doing so. The Obama administration has largely followed that rule since last year as a matter of policy. But the measure approved as part of the spending bill, which President Obama plans to sign this week, will codify it as a matter of law… Congress’ action marked the emergence of a new alliance in marijuana politics: Republicans are taking a prominent role in backing states’ right to allow use of a drug the federal government still officially classifies as more dangerous than cocaine.

“Some Republicans are pivoting off their traditional anti-drug platform at a time when most voters live in states where medical marijuana is legal, in many cases as a result of ballot measures. Polls show that while Republican voters are far less likely than the broader public to support outright legalization, they favor allowing marijuana for medical use by a commanding majority… Approval of the pot measure comes after the Obama administration directed federal prosecutors last year to stop enforcing drug laws that contradict state marijuana policies. Since then, federal raids of marijuana merchants and growers who are operating legally in their states have been limited to those accused of other violations, such as money laundering.”

Appointment of First Female Bishop for the Church of England

BBC News reported on December 18:

“Libby Lane has been announced as the first female bishop for the Church of England, just a month after a historic change to canon law… The appointment will end centuries of male leadership of the Church and comes 20 years after women became priests. Mrs Lane was ordained a deacon in 1993 and a priest in 1994… Prime Minister David Cameron congratulated Mrs Lane and said: ‘This is an historic appointment and an important step forward for the Church towards greater equality in its senior positions’… The first women priests were ordained in 1994, but to date women have not been able to take on the Church’s most senior roles. Archbishop Justin Welby is ‘absolutely delighted’ with the Church of England’s first female bishop…

“But Mrs Lane will not be able to enter the House of Lords, as the post she is taking up is a junior or suffragan appointment within the Diocese of Chester… The first women bishop eligible to take up a seat in the Lords is expected to be announced in the new year… The bishop and her husband, who is also a priest, were one of the first married couples in the Church of England to be ordained together.’

All of this is totally against biblical injunctions.

Asylum Seekers Pose a Problem for Germany’s Established Main Parties

The New York Times reported on December 15:

“With visible and vocal far-right protests against foreigners swelling in Germany in recent weeks, Chancellor Angela Merkel forcefully denounced the demonstrations on Monday, affirming that the country has both a special obligation and a desire to welcome anyone in need of sanctuary. More than 150,000 people sought asylum in Germany in the first 11 months of this year, many of them refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria… In addition, a looming labor shortage means Germany is increasingly attracting immigrants to work here.

“‘There is freedom of assembly in Germany but there is no place here for incitement and lies about people who come to us from other countries,’ Ms. Merkel told reporters on Monday, hours before a group opposing alleged ‘Islamization’ held its ninth weekly protest in Dresden, where attendance has swelled from a few hundred to 15,000 this week.

“‘Everyone needs to be careful that they are not taken advantage of by the people who organize such events,’ Ms. Merkel said. But her warning did not seem to deter the marchers. From 10,000 last week, they again strengthened their presence, despite a week of mounting establishment concern about right-wing opposition to Germany’s open door for immigrants. More refugees are seeking asylum in Germany than in any other country, straining Germans’ tolerance for foreigners and taxing the government’s ability to find housing for them…

“The protesters in Dresden [are] a mix of young men, local neo-Nazis and ordinary citizens… The three most prominent television hosts each devoted a whole show to the protests in Dresden, which are led by a group known as Pegida, a German acronym for Patriotic Europeans Against Islamization of the West…

“The protests have raised the question of whether Germany, despite relative prosperity and low unemployment, is vulnerable to the kind of populism on much stronger display in neighboring France, where polls show Marine Le Pen and her Front National party are favored by 25 percent to 30 percent of voters, or in Britain, where the anti-immigrant U.K. Independence Party has rattled the governing Conservative Party.

“A new party, Alternative for Germany, struck a populist tone and won local legislative seats this fall in three eastern German states, including Saxony, which in the past had elected neo-Nazis in the National Democratic Party to its state legislature. Every February, on the anniversary of the Allied bombing of 1945, Dresden is the venue for Germany’s biggest annual far-right protest…

“Over the weekend, Alternative party leaders clashed over whether to heed the Dresden demonstrators. One leader, Alexander Gauland, said in a telephone interview that he would go Monday and talk with Pegida marchers. ‘I would like to know who they are,’ he said, condemning other politicians for dismissing the Dresden crowd as out of hand. ‘Obviously, for the most part, these are normal people from right in the middle of society,’ Mr. Gauland said.”

These are interesting developments, and it will remain to be seen whether an individual will arise on the German political landscape who will strike a chord with most of the German people.

Islamist Gunman in Australia Heightens Fear of Islamic Terror Attacks

The Times of Israel wrote on December 16:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent an official letter of condolence to his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott Tuesday after two people were killed the day before during a hostage standoff at a Sydney coffee shop. Netanyahu called the deadly 16-hour standoff with an Islamist gunman a ‘brutal terrorist attack,’ and highlighted the common struggle against terrorism faced by both countries.

“‘Israel and Australia face the same scourge of ruthless Islamist terrorism which knows no geographic bounds and which targets innocent civilians indiscriminately. Now, more than ever, the international community must join hands and work together to defeat these forces of evil, which threaten the security of all civilized nations,’ Netanyahu wrote…

“The Iranian-born gunman… once was prosecuted for sending offensive letters to families of Australian troops killed in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Abbott said Monis had ‘a long history of violent crime, infatuation with extremism and mental instability.’ Authorities stressed that the actions were by a lone, disturbed individual and weren’t part of any larger terrorist plot.”

Even though he might have been a “lone wolf,” the worldwide fear of Islamist terror attacks grows. Note the next article.

Insane Terrorists Slaughter School Children and Teachers in Pakistan

The Washington Post wrote on December 16:

“The bloody siege of an elite army high school Tuesday by Taliban gunmen… killed at least 141 students and teachers… The mass targeting of children, in a military zone in the northwestern city of Peshawar, drew condemnation from around the world, as well as from across Pakistan’s political and religious spectrum — a rare display of unity in a country where Islamist violence is often quietly accepted and sometimes defended. The attack was also condemned by Taliban leaders in Afghanistan…

“The massacre was the most intimate assault ever against Pakistan’s military, the nation’s most respected and powerful institution…”

Deutsche Welle added on December 16:

“The leaders of Pakistan’s neighbors, Afghanistan and India… voiced their solidarity. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to denounce the violence.”

Could horrible events like these bring India and Pakistan closer together?

EU Parliament Recognizes Palestinian Statehood

JTA wrote on December 17:

“The European Parliament passed a [nonbinding] resolution that supports in principle recognition of a Palestinian state as part of peace talks with Israel. The resolution, which was drawn up by five political groups, passed Wednesday in a 498-88 vote in Strasbourg… There were 111 abstentions.

“The measure affirms the parliament’s support for ‘in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution,’ the statement said… Also in the resolution, the parliament reiterated ‘its strong support for the two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, with the secure State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security on the basis of the right of self-determination and full respect of international law.’… [It] reiterated the EU’s position that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.”

This “proposal” will never work.

“EU Court Rules Hamas Should Be Taken Off Terrorist List

”

Bloomberg reported on December 17:

“The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which fought Israeli forces for nearly two months this year, won a court ruling that could lead to it being removed from a European Union list of terrorist organizations. The EU General Court in Luxembourg, in what was described as a procedural ruling, said that the bloc’s decision to place Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, on the list of terrorist groups wasn’t sufficiently thorough and was based “on factual imputations derived from the press and Internet.”

“Israel reacted with anger to the decision, seeing it as the latest in a series of European diplomatic moves the country views as favorable to the Palestinian cause. ‘We are not satisfied by the explanation offered by the Europeans that the removal of Hamas from the list of terrorist organizations is due to a procedural issue,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an e-mailed statement. ‘The burden of proof is on the European Union and we expect them to immediately return Hamas to the list that everyone knows it belongs on,’ he said.

“Hamas, which is also deemed a terrorist group by the U.S., is a militant Islamic movement that arose out of the Gaza Strip during the 1980s… ‘Removing Hamas from the terrorism blacklist is a victory for the Palestinian people,’ Musa Abu Marzouk, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in an e-mail… The EU downplayed the court’s ruling, saying it was purely procedural and didn’t affect the bloc’s policy… The court, however, didn’t unfreeze Hamas funds in the region, delaying the ruling for three months to give the EU a chance to appeal.”

“Putin Roars”

The Associated Press reported on December 18:

“Sternly warning the West it cannot defang the metaphorical Russian bear, a confident-looking President Vladimir Putin promised Thursday to shore up the plummeting ruble and revive the economy within two years… He said Western sanctions accounted for at least 25 percent of the ruble’s fall, but the main reason was Russia’s failure to ease its overwhelming dependence on oil and gas exports. In his speech, the man who has led Russia for 15 years sought to soothe market fears, saying the country has sufficient currency reserves…

“Following Putin’s performance, the Russian currency traded between 60 and 62 rubles to the dollar, roughly the same level as late Wednesday, when it rallied 12 percent after plummeting to a historic low of 80 rubles per dollar. The currency has lost about half its value since January. In Brussels, the EU beefed up its sanctions against Russia with a ban Thursday on investment in Crimea and other economic penalties, including measures aimed at keeping tourists away…

“Audi was the latest major company to suspend deliveries in Russia amid the ruble’s turmoil. Apple halted online sales earlier this week.”

Europe’s sanctions against Russia could back-fire.

President Obama’s Controversial Decision to Change Policy with Cuba

Mail On Line wrote on December 17:

“President Barack Obama declared the end of America’s ‘outdated approach’ to Cuba Wednesday, announcing the re-establishment of diplomatic relations as well as economic and travel ties with the communist island – a historic shift in U.S. policy that aims to bring an end to a half-century of Cold War enmity… As part of resuming diplomatic relations with Cuba, the U.S. will soon reopen an embassy in the capital of Havana and carry out high-level exchanges and visits between the governments. The U.S. is also easing travel bans to Cuba, including for family visits, official U.S. government business and educational activities. Tourist travel remains banned.”

Reuters added on December 17:

“Senator Marco Rubio said on Wednesday he would ‘make every effort’ to block moves by President Barack Obama toward normalizing relations with the Cuban government. ‘The president’s decision to reward the Castro regime and begin the path toward the normalization of relations with Cuba is inexplicable,’ Rubio said in a statement. The Florida Republican senator, who is Cuban-American, said he would use his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Western Hemisphere subcommittee in the new Congress to try to block the plan.”

The Hill wrote on December 17:

“Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is slamming President Obama over the deal to release an American held in Cuba. ‘President Obama’s actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government,’ Menendez, known for his tough stance on Cuba, said in a statement. ‘There is no equivalence between an international aid worker and convicted spies who were found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage against our nation.’

“American aid worker Alan Gross, who was held in Cuba for five years for trying to set up Internet for a small Jewish community, was released on Wednesday as the U.S. released three Cuban agents convicted of spying. Menendez said the move ‘sets an extremely dangerous precedent. It invites dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans serving overseas as bargaining chips. I fear that today’s actions will put at risk the thousands of Americans that work overseas to support civil society, advocate for access to information, provide humanitarian services, and promote democratic reforms.’

“Obama’s move to begin normalizing relations with Cuba is reverberating across the political world, with members of both parties blasting the decision…”

The Miami Herald wrote on December 17:

“The political ground shook in South Florida on Wednesday when President Barack Obama announced plans to restore full diplomatic relations with Communist Cuba. Miami, the heart of the Cuban exile community, reacted with a collective shock. Hardline opponents of the Castro regime lambasted the president for what they called a betrayal. But while critics were the loudest ones to decry the policy overhaul, more moderate proponents of greater engagement with the island welcomed the news as a step in the right direction…”

“The Obama Administration Cannot Be Relied On…”

The Weekly Standard wrote on December 17:

“Imagine for a moment that you are a Saudi, Emirati, Jordanian, or Israeli. Your main national security worry these days is Iran—Iran’s rise, its nuclear program, its troops fighting in Iraq and Syria, its growing influence from Yemen through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon. Your main ally against Iran for the past decades has been the United States. Naturally you worry about American policy. You remember President Obama’s outreach to Iran in 2009, and his failure to back the Iranian people’s protests in June of that year after the stolen election. You wonder if the United States can be relied on, or will one day announce a major policy shift.

“What shift? A rapprochement with Iran that ends the sanctions, throws an economic lifeline to the regime, re-establishes diplomatic relations with it—in exchange for nothing. That is, the Islamic Republic would make no concessions about its foreign or domestic policies. And the change in U.S. policy would show that in the long struggle between the United States and Iran since 1979, the Americans have finally blinked. And now, you turn on the TV and see the announcement about the change in American policy in Cuba. Re-establishment of diplomatic relations. Lots of changes in the embargo that will mean plenty more cash for the Castros. A change in the whole American official position vis-à-vis Cuba. In exchange, the Castro brothers have pledged to let 53 political prisoners out, free one American spy, and free the American hostage Alan Gross. As to real changes in the regime—changes in its foreign or domestic policies—none. Zero. Zip. So, you conclude that in the long struggle between the United States and the Castro regime since 1959, the Americans have finally blinked.

“Your conclusion about Iran is inevitable: that the Obama administration cannot be relied upon and is quite likely to abandon America’s Iran policy as well… The American collapse with respect to Cuba will have repercussions in the Middle East and elsewhere—in Asia, for the nations facing a rising China, and in Europe, for those near Putin’s newly aggressive Russia.  What are American guarantees and promises worth if a fifty-year-old policy followed by Democrats like Johnson, Carter, and Clinton can be discarded overnight? In more than a few chanceries the question that will be asked as this year ends is ‘who is next to find that America is today more interested in propitiating its enemies than in protecting its allies?’”

Very important concerns indeed.

Pope Involved

Breitbart reported on December 17:

“Pope Francis and the Vatican were involved in the negotiations with Cuba, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on background. ‘Pope Francis personally issued an appeal thorough a letter that he sent to President Obama and to President Raul Castro, calling on them to resolve the case of Alan Gross and the cases of the three Cubans who have been imprisoned here in the United States and also encouraging the United States and Cuba to pursue a closer relationship,’ the official noted.

“The Vatican also hosted the United States and Cuban delegations to discuss the political exchange of prisoners and ‘improving their relationship’ going forward. In March, President Obama spoke about Cuba with Pope Francis during his visit to the Vatican and has continued to work with the Vatican during the process… ‘The support of Pope Francis and the support of the Vatican was important to us,’ a Senior Administration official explained, pointing to the pontiff’s history with Latin America.

“The Obama administration also informed Pope Francis of the big diplomatic step between the two countries. ‘The Vatican welcomed that news,’ the official noted.”

Breitbart wrote on December 18:

“Pope Francis’ casual embrace of a communist regime contrasts sharply with the approach of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict… Pope Francis’ perspective on the Cuban embargo is nothing new to the Vatican. His active involvement in negotiations, however, is. And given his rhetorical differences with his predecessors on the evils of communism, that activism should cause nervousness among more traditional Catholics in the mold of John Paul II and Benedict.”

We will see more and more that the Vatican will get actively involved in political matters.

All Dogs Go To Heaven?

USA Today wrote on December 12:

“Pope Francis continues to show he’s anything but traditional. During a recent public appearance, Francis comforted a boy whose dog had died, noting, ‘One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.’… the remark is being seen by some as a reversal of conservative Catholic theology that states because they are soulless, animals can’t go to heaven…  In 1990, Pope John Paul II said animals have souls, but his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, gave a 2008 sermon that seemed to say the opposite.

“Francis’ comment has now sparked a new debate on the subject, and the Humane Society says it has been flooded with e-mails. If Francis does, in fact, believe animals have souls, ‘then we ought to seriously consider how we treat them,’ a rep says. ‘We have to admit that these are sentient beings, and they mean something to God.’ PETA is also running with Francis’ remark, suggesting Catholics should move toward a vegan lifestyle.”

On December 12, The New York Times published the following “correction” of their previous article of December 11:

“An earlier version of this article misstated the circumstances of Pope Francis’ remarks. He made them in a general audience at the Vatican, not in consoling a distraught boy whose dog had died. The article also misstated what Francis is known to have said. According to Vatican Radio, Francis said: ‘The Holy Scripture teaches us that the fulfillment of this wonderful design also affects everything around us,’ which was interpreted to mean he believes animals go to heaven. Francis is not known to have said: ‘One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.’ (Those remarks were once made by Pope Paul VI to a distraught child, and were cited in a Corriere della Sera article that concluded Francis believes animals go to heaven.)…”

Nevertheless, the “correction” aside, The New York Times had also stated this in their previous article of December 11:

“Pope Francis has given hope to gays, unmarried couples and advocates of the Big Bang theory. Now, he has endeared himself to dog lovers, animal rights activists and vegans… Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper, analyzing the pope’s remarks, concluded he believed animals have a place in the afterlife. It drew an analogy to comforting words that Pope Paul VI was said to have once told a distraught boy whose dog had died: ‘One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.’…

“In his relatively short tenure as leader of the world’s one billion Roman Catholics since taking over from Benedict XVI, Francis, 77, has repeatedly caused a stir among conservatives in the church… So to some extent, it was not a surprise that Francis, an Argentine Jesuit who took his papal name from St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, would suggest that they have a place in heaven.

“The question of whether animals go to heaven has been debated for much of the church’s history. Pope Pius IX, who led the church from 1846 to 1878, longer than any other pope, strongly supported the doctrine that dogs and other animals have no consciousness… Pope John Paul II appeared to reverse Pius in 1990 when he proclaimed that animals do have souls and are ‘as near to God as men are.’ But the Vatican did not widely publicize his assertion, perhaps because it so directly contradicted Pius, who was the first to declare the doctrine of papal infallibility in 1854.

“John Paul’s successor, Benedict, seemed to emphatically reject his view in a 2008 sermon in which he asserted that when an animal dies, it ‘just means the end of existence on earth.’”

It has been almost a recent routine for the Vatican to dispute or clarify something that Pope Francis has (allegedly) said. But the discussion aside, neither men nor animals have an immortal soul, and neither go to heaven at the time of death. Please read our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”  

On the other hand, the Bible reveals that man and animals have a spirit (but that spirit does not “live” independently from the body.) In a Q&A on our powers and abilities as members of the God Family we said this:

“1 Corinthians 15:45 tells us that Christ is ‘a life-giving spirit.’ That is, He is a Spirit being who can give and create LIFE. In fact, that is what He did before He became a human being. That is what He is doing today, and what He will continue to do after His return. We know, for instance, from the book of Revelation that all living things in the oceans and rivers will have died before His return (Revelation 16), but we also read in several passages that there will be fish in the Millennium (Ezekiel 47). This shows that God will create LIFE – in this case, physical fish. He created life when the surface of the earth was renewed; and He created (‘had prepared’ or ‘had made’) a great fish to swallow up Jonah (Jonah 1:17).

“This understanding has wide-ranging consequences. Some have wondered about the fate of our pets, when they die. Even though the Bible does not say anywhere that animals will be resurrected, as human beings will be, there is also nothing in the Bible that says that they will not be. We read that animals have a spirit, and while Solomon states that the spirit in man will go back to God who gave it, he wonders about the fate of the spirit of animals, without giving a decisive answer (Ecclesiastes 3:21). Consider that God can CREATE animals—including those resembling our pets. When scientists can clone animals today, how much more will God the Father and Jesus Christ be able to create or recreate animals that God had created in the first place?”

(Almost) Everyone Loves Pope Francis

USA Today wrote on December 12:

“… a recent Pew survey finds Francis has a 60% approval rating worldwide and 78% approval in the US… China may be growing fond of the pontiff, too, considering he allegedly refused a meeting with the Dalai Lama…”

The Washington Post wrote on December 11:

“Everyone, well almost everyone, seems to love Pope Francis. The Roman Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff has charmed global opinion since he ascended to his papal seat last year, championing causes of economic justice and the rights of migrants in a way that has endeared him to many outside of the church’s more than 1 billion faithful.

“A recent Pew survey of the pope’s popularity shows the depth of goodwill for him around the world… Unsurprisingly, the part of the world the pontiff’s rated worst was the Middle East… Even then, a similar number surveyed in the Middle East approve of Pope Francis as those who find him ‘unfavorable… The pope’s popularity is highest in the Vatican’s traditional backyard, Europe. Moreover…  a considerable number of non-Catholics like the pope, even if he’s not the head of their own congregations. The ‘favorability’ gap between Catholics and non-Catholics is narrowest in Europe.”

A breakdown for European countries set forth the following:

84% of Europeans have a favorable view of the pope. In Germany, 94% of Catholics and 77% of Non-Catholics have a favorable view. The available figures are somewhat similar for Italy (97%/71%), Poland (95%/78%), France (93%/81%) and Spain (94%/69%).

Christmas Story All Wrong?

Although somewhat dated, we would like to bring again the following two articles to our readers’ attention, as they show that even the former leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church know that there is something wrong with the entire Christmas story:

TIME wrote on November 22, 2012:

“Pope Benedict XVI has revealed … that Jesus may have been born earlier than previously thought… The suggestion that Jesus wasn’t actually born on Dec. 25 has been tirelessly debated by theologians, historians and spiritual leaders, but what makes this case different is that now the leader of the Catholic Church is the one asking the questions.

“The historical revisionism continues with the Pope raising the issue of the presence of animals at the birth of Christ. He reveals… that ‘there is no mention of animals in the Gospels.’ This may come as a shock to the thousands of schools currently preparing their Nativity plays. But Pope Benedict reassures his readers not to worry — that ‘no one will give up the oxen and the donkey in their Nativity scenes,’ notes the Telegraph. Even if animals did not feature at the birth, the Vatican seems happy to keep up the myth as it presents an elaborate life-size Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square this Christmas.”

Even though the Vatican knows that this is not biblical, they continue to “keep up the myth.”

The Christian Post wrote on December 20, 2007

“The Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the 77 million-strong Anglican Communion, recently dismissed one popular aspect of the Christmas story of the three wise men as ‘legend.’ Dr. Rowan Williams [who retired as Archbishop on December 31, 2012] indicated that Scripture does not describe the magi as commonly depicted in nativity stories and scenes. ‘Well Matthew’s gospel doesn’t tell us that there were three of them, doesn’t tell us they were kings, doesn’t tell us where they came from…’

“He noted there was no evidence of oxen or donkeys – popular characters in nativity scenes – in the stable and that the chances of snow falling around the stable in Bethlehem were ‘very unlikely.’ … [He] said the Gospels do not state if Jesus was born in December. ‘Christmas is the time it is because it fitted very well with the [pagan] winter festival,’ Williams said in the interview.

“Williams did a literary-critical analysis of traditional Christmas cards and found that most featured a virgin Mary holding baby Jesus with shepherds on one side, the three wise men on the other, and oxen and donkeys surrounding them. The scene is sometimes depicted with snow falling and a bright star rising in the east, according to The Times of London.

“The Anglican Archbishop contends that most of the happenings in the popular nativity scene could not take place as it is depicted. Williams’ observation of the popular Christmas story is not new. Similar views are taught in the most conservative theological colleges, according to The Times. The Archbishop says his views on the Christmas story and other issues… are based on what the Bible says.”

For a correct understanding of the “Christmas story” and its many myths and fabrications, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”  

Man-Made Climate Change “Greatest Scientific Fraud in History”?

Newsmax reported on December 17:

“The climate change theory that man-made global warming is caused by an increase of greenhouse gases ‘is the greatest scientific fraud in history,’ says John Casey, president of the Space and Science Research Corporation. ‘If you go back and look at how all this got started and look at the 30 years and the $30 billion [spent] in an attempt to make what’s always been a weak scientific theory into something valid, we now know after all that effort, money and time, that the greenhouse gas theory as shown in the UN’s own climate models has been a miserable failure in predicting climate change,’ Casey told J.D. Hayworth and Francesca Page on ‘America’s Forum’ on Newsmax TV Wednesday…

“He contends that it’s hard to believe ‘why so many people believe in a theory that has been proven to be so unreliable versus models that are very reliable… There is an average line of 18 years long where there’s been no effective increase in global temperature,’ he explained. ‘In fact, based on our models, we’re showing a global cooling phase…’”

“The World Is Heading Towards Mass Extinction”

The Guardian wrote on December 13:

“A stark depiction of the threat hanging over the world’s mammals, reptiles, amphibians and other life forms has been published by the prestigious scientific journal, Nature… the journal indicates that a staggering 41% of all amphibians on the planet now face extinction while 26% of mammal species and 13% of birds are similarly threatened.

“Many species are already critically endangered and close to extinction, including the Sumatran elephant, Amur leopard and mountain gorilla. But also in danger of vanishing from the wild, it now appears, are animals that are currently rated as merely being endangered: bonobos, bluefin tuna and loggerhead turtles, for example.

“In each case, the finger of blame points directly at human activities. The continuing spread of agriculture is destroying millions of hectares of wild habitats every year, leaving animals without homes, while the introduction of invasive species, often helped by humans, is also devastating native populations. At the same time, pollution and overfishing are destroying marine ecosystems.

“… the data indicate that the world is heading inexorably towards a mass extinction… The Earth has gone through only five previous great extinctions, all caused by geological or astronomical events. (The Cretaceous-Jurassic extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was triggered by an asteroid striking Earth, for example.) The coming great extinction will be the work of Homo sapiens, however.

“… a quarter of all mammals, a fifth of all reptiles and a seventh of all birds are headed toward oblivion. And these losses are occurring all over the planet, from the South Pacific to the Arctic and from the deserts of Africa to mountaintops and valleys of the Himalayas.

“A blizzard of extinctions is now sweeping Earth and has become a fact of modern life… the French anatomist Georges Cuvier showed that the elephant-like remains of the mastodon were actually those of an ‘espèce perdue’ or lost species. ‘On the basis of a few scattered bones, Cuvier conceived of a whole new way of looking at life,’ notes Elizabeth Kolbert… ‘Species died out. This was not an isolated but a widespread phenomenon.’

“Since then the problem has worsened with every decade, as the Nature analysis makes clear. Humans began by wiping out mastodons and mammoths in prehistoric times. Then they moved on to the eradication of great auks, passenger pigeons – once the most abundant bird in North America – and the dodo in historical time. And finally, in recent times, we have been responsible for the disappearance of the golden toad, the thylacine – or Tasmanian tiger – and the Baiji river dolphin. Thousands more species are now under threat…”

This article confirms the biblical warning in Hosea 4:1-3. Because of man’s sins, “beasts of the field,” “birds of the air” and “the fish of the sea” will waste and be taken away. 

In Revelation 13, we read about two “beasts.” The first “beast” (Revelation 13:1-10) is a political and military power and describes the ancient Roman Empire and its ten European revivals (see our last Q&A on the number of the Beast). The second beast is introduced in Revelation 13:11 and describes a religious power. We state the following in chapter 14 of our free booklet, “The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”: 

“This second beast had two horns. It looked like a lamb (Jesus Christ is referred to as the Lamb of God throughout the New Testament, compare John 1:29), but it spoke like a dragon (Remember that Satan is identified as a dragon in Revelation 12:3, 9). This second beast is obviously a religious power, which is influenced by Satan, while pretending to speak on behalf of Christ…

“We read in Revelation 13:14 that the second beast will make an ‘image’ to the first beast, which we identified as the Roman Empire. This passage found its fulfillment, historically, when the religious power of the second beast patterned itself after—made an image of—the governmental and political structure of the worldly power—the first beast—when it became a state in Rome, called the Vatican State, which would make contracts or treaties with other worldly governments; which also would send out their ambassadors and emissaries; and which would even have an army, including the Swiss guards, which fought against ‘heretics’ under the leadership of the Pope. It ultimately influenced and ‘inspired’ the first beast to put to death those who would not worship and follow the dictates of the Catholic Church.”

We are then introduced to the famous “mark of the beast.” We explain in our free booklet, “The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation!,” in chapter 15: 

“Revelation 13:16–17 explains that ‘the image’ of the second (religious) beast will cause people to accept ‘a mark’ of the first beast ‘on their right hand’ or ‘on their foreheads.’ Without it, they cannot buy or sell (compare Revelation 14:9).

“This mark of the first beast is clearly associated in Scripture with the violation of God’s Sabbath commandment (compare Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:20; Isaiah 56:2; Isaiah 58:13; Amos 8:5; Exodus 16:23, 26; Exodus 31:15). In the Bible, the ‘right hand’ is associated with work (Psalm 90:17; 137:5). The ‘forehead’ is the seat of thoughts (Ezekiel 3:8; 9:4; Revelation 7:3).

“We are told that the ‘little horn’—a reference to the Roman Catholic Church…—would try to ‘change times and law’ (Daniel 7:25)—that is, God’s law regarding holy time. The Roman Church has changed the calendar in Europe [in 1976], which identifies Sunday as the last day of the week, rather than the 7th-Day Saturday-Sabbath. It commands that Christians are to rest on Sunday, and it did command in the past that they were to work on Saturday. We will experience something similar very soon.

“The ‘image’ will influence the first beast—the final European revival of the ancient Roman Empire—to enjoin people to work on the Sabbath, while prohibiting to work on Sunday. As in the past, it will thereby ‘cause’ the death of true Christians (compare Revelation 13:15)…

“God warns us not to worship the beast and his image, and not to receive his mark on our forehead and on our hand (Revelation 14:9). If we do, we will ‘drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation’ (Revelation 14:10)…”

That the Catholic Church (the little horn) “changed” God’s law regarding holy time is even admitted by the Catholic Church itself. Archbishop James Cardinal Gibbons wrote in 1893 in the Catholic Mirror: “The Catholic church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her Divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday…. The Protestant world at its birth found the Christian Sabbath [Sunday] too strongly entrenched to run counter to its existence; it was therefore placed under the necessity of acquiescing in the arrangement, thus implying the [Catholic] Church’s right to change the day, for over 300 years. The Christian Sabbath [Sunday] is therefore to this day the acknowledged offspring of the Catholic Church…”

In addition, the Catholic Church Extension Society in Chicago published the following statement by Peter R. Kraemer, a Catholic priest: “We Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith. Besides the Bible we have the living church, the authority of the church, as a rule to guide us…. We accept her change of the Sabbath to Sunday. We frankly say, yes, the church made this change, made this law, as she made many other laws…. It is always somewhat laughable, to see the Protestant churches, in pulpit and legislation, demand the observance of Sunday, of which there is nothing in their Bible.”

Regarding the mark of the beast, the commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown states that, “The mark may be, as in the case of the sealing of the saints in the forehead, not a visible mark, but symbolical of allegiance. So the sign of the cross in Popery. The Pope’s interdict has often shut out the excommunicate from social and commercial intercourse. Under the final Antichrist [the beast] this shall come to pass in its most violent form.”

In addition to the rejection of the weekly Sabbath, the mark of the beast includes, among other things, the rejection of God’s annual Holy Days [which are also called Sabbaths in the Bible, compare Leviticus 23], while the celebration of man’s pagan holidays will be enforced. We state this in “Biblical Prophecy–From Now Until Forever,” Chapter 4:

“Simply put, the mark of the beast is tantamount to a political and religious philosophy detrimental to the true worship of God. It includes the mandatory and legally enforced celebration of pagan religious holidays, such as Sunday, Christmas and Easter, and the rejection of God’s weekly and annual Holy Days, including the weekly Saturday-Sabbath and, for instance, the Feast of Tabernacles. It also includes humanly devised and ungodly ideas such as fighting in war or supporting and embracing a religion which preaches a false Jesus or a false gospel.”

It is important that we come out of the modern “Babylonian” system of religious and political confusion (Revelation 18:4). Modern “Babylon” includes the many false religious teachings of the fallen woman in Revelation 17 (compare verse 5)—the “second” beast—in conjunction with the many false political, military and economic concepts and activities of the “first” beast (Revelation 18:9, 11-14).

In our free booklet, Europe in Prophecy, beginning with page 18, we discuss the mark of the beast in much detail, as follows:

“The mark comes from the first beast. But the second beast causes all people to accept this mark. We can get a clue about its character from what has gone before in the Roman Empire and its revivals. Notice what historian Will Durant says in The Age of Faith, volume 4 of his renowned work, The Story of Civilization, about the Code of Justinian: ‘This Code, like the Theodosian, enacted orthodox Christianity into law. It began by declaring for the Trinity…. It acknowledged the ecclesiastical leadership of the Roman Church, and ordered all Christian groups to submit to her authority…. Relapsed heretics were to be put to death… and other dissenters were to suffer confiscation of their goods, and were declared incompetent to buy or sell, to inherit or bequeath; they were excluded from public office, forbidden to meet, and disqualified from suing orthodox Christians for debt’ (1950, p. 112).

In addition, the Catholic Church decreed in 364 A.D. that Christians must work on the Sabbath, and that they ought to rest on Sunday. Canon 29 of the Council of Laodicea stated the following:

“Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord’s Day [Sunday]; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.”

In A.D. 597, Pope Gregory I labeled those who insist on the observance of the Sabbath as teachers of Antichrist: “It has come to my ears that certain men of perverse spirit have sown among you some things that are wrong and opposed to the holy faith, so as to forbid any work being done on the Sabbath day. What else can I call these but preachers of Antichrist…”

Continuing with quoting from our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy”: 

“… those who were not orthodox Catholics were forbidden from buying and selling—i.e. conducting business… Thus, the mark of the Beast apparently means general participation in the worship system of the revived Roman Empire…

“The little horn [the Catholic Church] intended to change times and laws—indeed, to change the law regarding holy times—and persecuted God’s people who did not accept its change. God has commanded His people to keep certain times holy and, during these holy times, His people are not to engage in commerce. The little horn changed those times, replacing God’s holy times with times designated by man to be holy. A very obvious aspect of the mark of the Beast, then, will… revolve around worship days—indeed, this itself would impact days on which ‘buying and selling’ could be conducted. And the little horn, the woman riding the beast, will cause people to accept the mark of the Beast under pain of death.

“As in the past… the [fallen] woman will influence the political power of the Roman Empire to command people to work during God’s holy times, while prohibiting work at other times, thereby ‘causing’ (compare Revelation 13:15) true Christians who will refuse to comply to be put to death…

“In Revelation 20:4, John says, ‘Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.’

“Though the weekly and annual Sabbaths are holy to God and He commanded Christians to keep them, the little horn [the fallen woman] changed the law regarding holy times by substituting other worship days—replacing the weekly Sabbath with Sunday and the annual Sabbaths with traditional holidays like Easter and Christmas…

“Theologians and commentators alike know that Sabbath observance is biblical, and that Sunday observance was instituted without God’s authority… Swiss reformer, John Calvin, admitted that the Bible teaches the observance of the Sabbath, not of Sunday. But, like Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation, he was unwilling to go back to Sabbath worship… The Roman Catholic Church knows full well and teaches that the Bible does NOT endorse or permit a change from Sabbath to Sunday worship.

“Recall now the mark of the Beast and how there would be severe penalties for those who would not accept that mark on their forehead or on their right hand… Failure to comply with the Roman system… will result in being forbidden to conduct business, which could put true Christians out on the street with no money to buy food. And the easiest way to identify someone’s religious convictions when it comes to keeping such [holy] days is to observe when he will and will not work or, if a business owner, when his business is open or closed.

“… the woman that rides the Beast, has been around for a long time, and has blatantly changed what God Himself sanctified. In the process, God’s annual Holy Days were discarded and pagan holidays, such as Easter and Christmas, were adopted. God specifically warned ancient Israel not to incorporate pagan elements in their worship of Him. He says in Deuteronomy 12:30-32, ‘Take heed to yourself… that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, “How did these nations serve their gods? I will also do likewise.” You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods…. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it, you shall not add to it nor take away from it.’ The same warning is for us today!…

“Sunday was the day on which pagans worshiped their sun god since ancient times. That is where the name Sunday comes from. Easter was a feast of fertility for the goddess Astarte, also called Ishtar, Ostara or Eostre. Christmas was the holy day of Mithras, of Attis, and of other pagan gods. Remarkably, many pagan ‘saviors’ were supposedly born on December 25, killed on a Friday, and resurrected on a Sunday during Easter time. Christ Himself was not born in December, nor killed on a Friday nor resurrected on a Sunday. Rather, Scripture indicates, with the support of history, that He was born in early autumn, before the rainy season. He couldn’t have been born later than that because shepherds were still in the fields with their sheep. Records confirm that He was crucified on Wednesday and resurrected on Saturday, just before sunset, thereby fulfilling the only sign He gave—that He would be in the grave for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40)…

“Surprising as it may be to some, the Christmas tree is a relic of pagan tree worship, which is condemned in Jeremiah 10:3: ‘For the customs of the peoples are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold, they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple.’

“It is no secret that the early Roman Church absorbed pagan elements into their worship, and it was done in direct contradiction to God’s command not to do so. Why? To make the new faith attractive to Gentiles who were already steeped in pagan customs. These pagan customs were placed under a ‘Christian’ mantle so that they would have the appearance of being godly. Traditional Christianity clearly violates God’s command to not learn our ways of worship from the Gentiles, to not add pagan elements to holy worship, and to not delete godly elements that are to be observed, such as the weekly and annual Holy Days. Traditional Christianity has, in effect, accepted the mark of the Beast by embracing human traditions that violate God’s laws. And there have been voices over the centuries warning against such conduct.”

We also state in the afore-mentioned booklet that “accepting the mark of the Beast and rejecting the sign of God will affect your future. God commands us to watch the signs of the time and to pray always to be counted worthy to escape the horrible things in store for this world. God warns us to reject the mark of the Beast, and He commands us to keep His weekly and annual Sabbaths, the sign of His people.”

In the months and years ahead, it will become increasingly important for all of us to draw very near to God, to stand firm in the face of challenges and persecution, and to be faithful in observing God’s laws regarding the weekly and annual Sabbaths, which identify us as HIS people (Exodus 31:13, 17; Ezekiel 20:12, 20), while rejecting the religiously inspired “mark” of the revived Roman Empire, which will enforce the false religious doctrines of the fallen woman, rewarding those who will observe them, while persecuting those who won’t.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

“The Christmas Myth-Exposed?,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Both former Pope Benedict XVI and former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, have questioned the accuracy of the Christmas “myth”-in particular the alleged time of Christ’s birth and the way in which the Nativity scene is commonly depicted. They claim that there were no animals present and that the wise men were not identified as three. There are of course many more Christmas assumptions and ideas which do not find support in the Bible. In this program, we show you what the Bible really says about Christmas and its customs, and we offer you a free reprint article about the wise men or “magi,” and our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

“Der Mythos des Weihnachtsfestes—Entlarvt?,” is the title of the German language program, which discusses the same topic as the SW mentioned above.

“Global Trailer–Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” presented by Pastor Brian Gale, is now available for viewing.

“Die Propheten Hängen an der Liebe, Teil 2,” is the German sermon for this coming Sabbath. In English, the title is: “The Prophets Hang on Love, Part 2.”

“The Prophets Hang on Love, Part 1,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

According to the words of Jesus, all the Law and the Prophets hang on the two great commandments of love towards God and love towards neighbor. In this sermon, we will show how the first four of the Ten Commandments are covered in the Prophets, emphasizing that God is our only God who prohibits the worship of idols and who enjoins us to hallow His name and His weekly and annual Sabbaths.

On December 13, 2014, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Prophets Hang on Love” (Part 1).

The live services are available, over video and audio, at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Throughout the time since the Church of the Eternal God first began (July 2, 2001), along with our affiliates, the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship (Canada), the Global Church of God (United Kingdom)—now including Die Kirche des Ewigen Gottes (Germany), we have endeavored to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God in all the world.

We have emphasized explaining the fulfillment of prophecy—especially those things Jesus revealed to His disciples which would indicate the close of this Satan-ruled age and God’s powerful intervention to save the world.

We have come to a point in human history in which biblical prophecies are being fulfilled before us, and it appears that the generation which will witness the end times spoken of by Jesus Christ has arrived! Importantly, Jesus gave us key signs to watch for, and He very specifically declared, “‘See, I have told you beforehand’” (Matthew 24:25).

What we now see is the emergence of the final resurrection of the Roman Empire—the European Union led by and already ruled over by Germany. We see that the Catholic Church has survived worldwide condemnation for abusive priests to once again become the dominant religious voice in the Western nations. These two conditions which we are watching are foundational to the next occurrences in biblical prophecy—the revealing of the persons who are identified as the “beast” and the “false prophet” (compare Revelation 13).

In fact, the Bible shows that we should be watching for a man who will exert tremendous political and military control—even noting that he will be uniquely identified by the number “666” (See the Q&A in this Update). Furthermore, we understand that one in a religious office will be able to show great and deceptive miracles.

We have also been told to watch for other events:

“‘But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near’” (Luke 21:20);

“‘Therefore when you see the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 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’” (Matthew 24:15-21).

Most people in the world are ignoring the events of our time (compare Matthew 24:36-39); however, we must not allow ourselves to become blinded to the reality of prophecy being fulfilled! Rather, we are to be diligently watching and prepared with all readiness for not only these events, but for the promised return of Jesus Christ! Here is the sobering warning given to His disciples by Jesus:

“‘Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man’” (Luke 21:36).

In this special edition of Update #666, we are focusing on events related to the rise of a future charismatic political and military leader of German or Austrian descent, called the “beast” in the Book of Revelation, as well as his prophesied collaboration with the Roman Catholic Church under its end-time leader, the “false prophet,” and his shaky and finally hostile relationship with Russia and China, leading to a brutal military confrontation.

Also in this light, we are reporting on the predicted establishment of a united European Army (under German leadership) and focus on Germany’s current leader, Angela Merkel, who is not the “beast,” even though she might be an architect in preparation of future developments. We also remind our readers of the prophesied concept of a core Europe or a Europe with two speeds.

We are also reporting on developments within the Catholic Church and Pope Francis, who seems to want to be “a man for all seasons” and “for all people” – and animals. We add an article about depression during the Christmas holiday season—the most “holy” time for professing Christians, especially Catholics.

We continue with articles pertaining to the isolation of the UK from the EU, as well as America’s and Israel’s isolation in the world. All of this is prophesied to occur around the same time when the beast power rises to predominance—and speculations and possible scenarios bringing about the “end of the world.” We know that due to natural and man-made disasters, cosmic disturbances and the “Great Tribulation” which will be ushered in by the beast power, all flesh would be destroyed, if Christ were not to intervene.

United European Army in Light of Putin’s Remarks?

The Telegraph wrote on December 4:

“Vladimir Putin excoriated the West in a speech on Thursday, comparing his foreign opponents to Adolf Hitler in their desire to destroy Russia… He added: ‘It also didn’t work out for Hitler, who with his man-hating ideas wanted to destroy Russia and throw us beyond the Urals…’

“Mr Putin justified the takeover of Crimea by saying that it was ‘where our people live, and the peninsula is of strategic importance for Russia’ as well as it being the setting for the baptism of the medieval prince Vladimir the Great in the 10th century…”

The Local wrote on December 5:

“The [German] government rejected on Friday the justification given by Russian President Vladimir Putin for annexing the Crimea in his annual state of the nation address. Putin said in his speech on Thursday that the Crimean peninsula was ‘just like the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for those of Jewish or Muslim confession’ in its ‘civilisational and sacred meaning’ for Russians…

“Putin further recalled the last time when Western Europe and Russia had come to open war. ‘People should remember how it ended’ when Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet pact to invade the USSR in 1941, he said…

“Putin’s speech came on the same day as the Social Democratic Party (SPD) called for a ‘United European Army’ in a strategy document. SPD defence spokesman Rainer Arnold wrote that… [it] was particularly pointless for different EU nations to maintain nationally isolated arms industries…”

Germany Heavily Dependent on Russia’s Fossil Fuel Supplies

The Local wrote on December 8:

“New figures released on Monday showed that Germany continues to be heavily dependent on Russia for its fossil fuel supplies as tensions remain high over Ukraine. The Federal Institute of Raw Materials (BGR) in Hannover reported that just two percent of Germany’s oil and 12 percent of natural gas were produced within the country in 2013. Those two fuels together account for 55 percent of German energy consumption, with Russia providing one third of the country’s imports.

“Germany is only self-sufficient in renewable energy, brown coal and nuclear energy, which together make up less than a third of the country’s power consumption… Around €142 billion worth of mineral raw materials was imported in 2013, a drop of five percent compared with 2012. Fuel made up the lion’s share of imports at around 70 percent.”

It can be easily foreseen what might happen if Russia was to threaten to cease selling fossil fuel supplies to Germany.

Alliance Between Russia, China and India

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have announced a deal for Moscow to help New Delhi build [at least ten, apparently as many as twelve] more nuclear reactors – to Washington’s chagrin… Putin added the two nations had also agreed to cooperate in building additional nuclear power plants for third countries.

“The high-level business talks came as Russia continued to suffer from sanctions imposed by the US and the EU over its role in the Ukraine conflict… India has opposed Western sanctions against Russia and looked adamant in disregarding a caution from Washington that now was not the right time to do business with Moscow… Reuters reported that Sergey Aksyonov, the new leader of Crimea, had also arrived in India for talks on boosting trade with the Black Sea region…”

In a related article, Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India underlines his apparent determination to lessen the impact of Western sanctions over Ukraine by deepening ties with Asian countries… [He] is seeking to restore his country’s former prowess on the international stage…  Hence his recent attempts to improve ties first with China, and now with India…

“Narendra Modi was shunned by the West for many years because of his alleged role in a religiously motivated massacre in his home state of Gujarat in 2002. Moreover, Hindu-nationalist Modi distrusts the West’s domination of international organizations and the international media. He is said to reject the spread of Western culture throughout the world… Putin also knows what it is like to be shunned by the West… According to Indian sources, the chemistry between the two leaders is good…

“Since little has come of India’s nuclear deal with the US, Putin has now seized his opportunity… MILITARY COOPERATION is expected to focus on the development of a new fighter jet and a transport aircraft…  

“[According to] Modi’s perspective, the present level of bilateral trade with Moscow totaling a mere ten billion USD annually is only a fraction of trade volumes between Russian and China, and the Indian PM needs more trade… Against this background, it is hardly surprising that the Modi-Putin summit may shape ties between the two countries for the next decade…

“None of this bodes particularly well for US President Barack Obama’s visit to India next month. The West needs to sit up and take notice. A reinvigorated relationship between New Delhi and Moscow, an alliance of the needy, may have a greater impact on the so-called ‘Asian century’ than many had thought possible just a few months ago.”

The Bible prophesies the end-time emergence of the Kings of the East in opposition to the King of the North—the European power bloc under the “beast.” Russia, China, India and other Far Eastern countries will undoubtedly belong to the “Kings of the East.”

Europe’s and Russia’s Dispute Over Bosnia

The Associated Press wrote on December 5:

“The European Union urged Russia on Friday to leave the Balkans out of its dispute with the bloc over Ukraine, and let the region proceed on its path toward EU and NATO memberships. Moscow has said that because of its strained relations with the West, it no longer supports Bosnia’s membership efforts and that there is no consensus in Bosnia over the issue.

“The country’s Bosniacs and Croats tend to look westward, but Bosnian Serbs maintain close ties with Russia, object NATO membership and have obstructed EU-requested reforms…

“For the first time in 14 years, Russia last month abstained from the vote when the U.N. Security Council extended the mandate of the EU-led military presence in Bosnia because the declaration mentioned the country’s European and NATO future too often. ‘We did not want the resolution to be used as an instrument to advance objectives that we were not part of and that is Bosnia-Herzegovina becoming part of NATO,’ or the European Union, Russia’s ambassador to Bosnia, Petr Ivancov, told the Associated Press in an interview…”

According to Zeit Online and Bild Online, dated December 6, more than 60 prominent German personalities from politics, economy, science, religion (Roman Catholic and Protestant) and culture warned in a mutual declaration against the return of war to Europe. Signatories include Luitpold Prinz von Bayern; Dr. Roman Herzog (former German President); Gerhard Schröder (former German Chancellor); and Dr. Hans-Jochen Vogel (former Minister of Justice).

“Nobody wants war,” the statement reads, continuing: “But North America, the EU and Russia are moving undeniably towards it, unless the spiral of threats and counter-threats is not stopped. All Europeans, including Russia, are responsible for peace and security. Americans, Europeans and Russians have abrogated the main concept to ban war between them. At this time of great danger for the continent, Germany has a special responsibility for maintaining peace.”

The statement also admonished the German government, the media and politicians in general to report in a balanced way, without creating images of foes and enemies, and without demonizing entire populations and peoples. Rather, people should be freed from the worry of war. Also note the next section.

Merkel—The Best for Staying in Power

The Local wrote on December 7, 2014:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who entered politics when the Berlin Wall fell 25 years ago, is nearing a decade as leader of Europe’s biggest economy, her popularity ratings still sky-high. Often called the world’s most powerful woman, the pastor’s daughter, trained scientist and master tactician has outlasted a generation of world leaders, WITH NO OBVIOUS SUCCESSOR IN SIGHT… The stunning rise of Merkel, 60 — a twice-married, childless woman from communist East Germany, now often labelled the ‘Queen of Europe’ — defies political convention…

“She joined the nascent group Democratic Awakening, which later merged with the CDU, a party was then led by chancellor Helmut Kohl who fondly and patronisingly dubbed her ‘the girl’. Merkel’s political mentor was neither the first nor last politician to underestimate her and pay the price. When he became embroiled in a campaign finance scandal in 1999, Merkel stuck in the knife, urging her party to drop the self-declared ‘old warhorse’…

“Critics charge she has perfected the art of saying little and avoiding both offence and commitment, while lulling Germany into an apolitical stupor. ‘If politics means shaping reality with ideas, then Merkel is not a politician at all,’ wrote journalist Jakob Augstein. ‘If politics means staying in power, then Merkel is the best.’”

Deutsche Welle added on December 7:

“Angela Merkel has rejected criticisms of her Russia policy made by her predecessors as German chancellor… In an interview with Die Welt am Sonntag, Merkel reproached Russian President Vladimir Putin for standing in the way of East European countries that would like to join the EU or strengthen relations with it. Merkel said ‘Russia created difficulties’ for Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, which had ‘on their own sovereign decisions, signed association agreements with the EU.’…

“The chancellor added that the fact ‘that Russia had broken its guarantees in the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 guaranteeing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine must not be without consequences.’

“She also took on chancellery predecessors. Fellow Christian Democrat (CDU) Helmut Kohl, who left office in 1998, and Gerhard Schroeder, the Social Democrat (SPD) whose spot she took in 2005, say Germany’s Russia policy isolates Moscow…”

Core Europe

The Telegraph wrote on December 8:

“European plans to introduce a tax on financial transactions have fallen into disarray, with ministers failing to meet a year-end deadline that would have resulted in the so-called ‘Robin Tax’ being introduced at the start of 2016. Finance ministers from the 11 countries planning to introduce the levy had planned to sign off on a basic outline this week, but internal squabbling has forced further delays….

“The British Government has challenged the idea in the European courts… Latvia – which has expressed scepticism about the tax and does not plan to introduce it – assumes presidency of the European Council from Italy on January 1, another potential roadblock.

“Countries planning to introduce the tax: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia.”

It is interesting that many of the countries (but not all) proposing such a tax belong to the most likely candidates for the prophesied ten nations or groups of nations which will evolve from the current 28 European member states. A core Europe or a Europe of two speeds is clearly predicted. When those ten nations or groups of nations have manifested themselves, they will give their power and authority to the beast who will rule for only a very short time.

All Donkeys Go To Heaven!

The Express wrote on December 5 on its website, express.co.uk:

“‘All donkeys go to heaven!’ [The] Pope says the Kingdom of Heaven is open to ALL God’s creatures.

“POPE Francis has received an unusual early Christmas present of two donkeys, following his declaration that animals do, after all, go to heaven.
 “In his weekly audience in St Peter’s Francis quoted the apostle Paul who comforted a child who was crying after his dog died. ‘One day we will see our animals again in eternity of Christ’, Francis quoted Paul as saying. The Pope added: ‘Paradise is open to all God’s creatures.’

“His position is markedly different from that of Pope Benedict XVI [who] said that the other animals ‘are not called to the eternal life’. This week the pope was presented with the two donkeys, named Thea and Noah, by a company that produces donkey milk for babies that are allergic to other milks. After thanking him for the curious gift, a delighted Francis revealed that he too as a baby was fed donkey milk…

“At the service in St Peter’s Square the Pope also met and blessed rescue dogs… Two years ago Pope Benedict claimed that donkeys were not part of the Nativity. He wrote in his book about the childhood of Jesus that the presence of animals like cattle and donkeys in traditional Nativity scenes is based on little more than a myth and was probably inspired by pre-Christian traditions. ‘There is no mention of animals in the Gospels,’ he wrote.”

Women Bishops in the Catholic Church?

The Austrian edition of the Local wrote on November 11, 2014:

“Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger is a 58-year-old Austrian ex-nun, who made headlines when she was excommunicated by Rome in 2002… [She] came under the spotlight after she and a group of other Catholic women announced they had been ordained as priests by a retired bishop on a boat in the middle of the Danube. The so-called Danube Seven have inspired at least 100 other women to follow in their footsteps. In 2003 Mayr-Lumetzberger took it one stage further by being consecrated a bishop.

“She told The Local that there are very few women priests practising in Austria as the Catholic Church is so powerful here that it can be a difficult life for someone who chooses to make a stand… She says that in Austria and Germany she is now very well accepted and is asked to say mass and conduct weddings and funerals at churches and abbeys. She has ordained women priests herself, mainly foreigners, although she won’t say where they are from for fear of exposing them.

“Pope John Paul II, in 1994, told Catholics that not only were women excluded from the priesthood (because Jesus was a man and the reasoning is that the priest stands in the place of Jesus) but also that the question should not even be discussed. However, Mayr-Lumetzberger believes that Pope Francis is very much in favour of women’s ordination… ‘I was ordained by Argentinian bishop Antonio Braschi, the Pope is Argentinian and I believe sympathetic, and there is a Spanish priest in favour of women’s ordination who is very close to the Pope.’…

“After leaving her order she met her husband, Michael, a historian. He had been married before and had four children. Their wedding was not in church – because he was divorced – but they had a party in the parish house afterwards… She even ran courses for women who felt called to the priesthood. She further antagonised the Vatican by being consecrated a bishop. The ceremony took place in secret and she will not name the male bishops involved in her consecration in case they are disciplined by the Vatican.

“Mayr-Lumetzberger says that she has a good relationship with the official church, and that she is in contact with the bishops in Austria who do not treat her as an outcast. ‘We have unofficial networks–many of my peers are now in top positions in the Roman Catholic Church.’”

The reasoning that women should not be priests or bishops because Jesus was a male and because priests stand in the place of Jesus is of course utterly wrong and totally unbiblical. The reasons why there should be no women pastors or priests and why women should not preach in Church services or regarding activities related the Work of the Church, is explained by the apostle Paul in the Bible (compare 1 Corinthians 14:33-35; 1 Timothy 2:12). But it will be interesting to see how the Catholic Church will proceed under Pope Francis. Also note the next article.

Roman Catholic Church in Ireland Against Gay Marriages

The Christian Post wrote on December 4:

“The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has warned that allowing gay and lesbian couples the same rights to marry as straight couple[s] would be ‘a grave injustice,’ ahead of the country’s upcoming referendum on marriage in 2015. ‘To put any other view of unions on the same level as Christian marriage would be disservice to society rather than a service,’ Bishop Liam MacDaid said… ‘In a same sex union, children would be deprived of what a man and woman can give to children in a stable marriage.’

“The Irish bishops’ views mirror that of the Vatican’s major synod on the family, which over two weeks of meetings in October affirmed the traditional definition of marriage…

“Ireland legalized same-sex marriage in 2009, but still defines marriage between one man and one woman. In May 2015, however, it will become the first country to hold a nationwide referendum on whether gay marriage should be legalized. A… [October 2014] poll suggested that the majority of the Irish population would support such legalization. While 67 percent of those who responded to the survey said they would vote in favor of gay marriage, 20 percent said that they will not. A previous poll from November 2012 saw 64 percent of responders indicate they would support such a change, while 36 percent said no.

“Last week, Finland’s parliament voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, joining another 11 European nations that have approved of the practice. Nearly 8,000 members from the Lutheran Church in Finland announced that they will be resigning from the church after Kari Mäkinen, the Archbishop of Turku and Finland, revealed that he is ‘rejoicing’ with the news.”

Depression During the Christmas Holiday Season

The Independent wrote on December 7:

“… nearly half of men admit that they actually feel depressed or sad over Christmas, a study by the Samaritans has revealed… Around 37 per cent say they feel lonely during a time that is traditionally spent with friends and family and 30 per cent say they are stressed and anxious due to relationship and financial difficulties…

“Men in the UK are three times more likely than women to take their own lives with most of those victims aged between 40 and 44…”

UK One Step Closer to Exit from the EU

The Express wrote on December 8 on its website, express.co.uk:

“Figures buried in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement show that our contribution will soar because the ­European Union’s overall spending is set to rise by £2.4billion. The European Commission will push for the extra spending when EU leaders meet to consider the budget in Brussels on December 18. The extra £400million will raise Britain’s annual contribution to £13.7billion.

“The calculations, which were conducted by a team in the Treasury, suggest the UK will not block the proposal. David Cameron has repeatedly demanded financial austerity from Brussels. But the Treasury failed last month to vote down the proposal when it was discussed by finance ministers.

“The issue of the EU budget has been a thorn in Mr Cameron’s side in recent weeks after the Commission slapped Britain with a bill for £1.7billion in backdated payments. George Osborne says that he managed to halve that bill to £800million, although critics pointed out that he simply agreed to pay what Britain owes, minus the sum returned as part of the UK’s budget rebate.”

The US Senate Report on CIA Torture

The National Journal wrote on December 9:

“A powerful Senate panel released Tuesday a long-awaited report on the Bush administration’s use of ‘enhanced interrogation’ practices, providing a harsh critique of the intelligence community’s methods for obtaining information from detainees in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“The report charges that the practices—implemented by the Central Intelligence Agency in response to the attacks and as the U.S. entered into two wars in the Middle East—did not provide unique or actionable information that could not have been obtained through other means, including intelligence that eventually led to the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s landmark investigation has found.

“Moreover, the report charges the CIA systematically misled the White House, Congress and the public about the severity and importance of those interrogation methods for years, according to the report, while using techniques that were at times not directly approved by the Justice Department or central CIA leadership. The study, which examined more than 6 million internal CIA documents, also concluded that the agency’s management of its rendition, detention and interrogation program, especially during 2002 and 2003, was fundamentally flawed.”

Germany Condemns CIA Practices

Deutsche Welle added on December 10:

“The UN’s special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, Ben Emmerson, said on Wednesday that senior US officials who authorized and tortured prisoners in consonance with former President George W. Bush’s security policy after the September 11, 2001 attacks should be made accountable for committing human rights violations… International law prohibits granting immunity to government officials who allow the use of torture, Emmerson said… [The report] claimed that the CIA’s detention and interrogation program of al Qaeda suspects following the 9/11 attacks included harsh techniques such as waterboarding and ‘Russian roulette’ to force detainees into admission…

“The report sparked controversy all over the world, prompting US President Barack Obama to say that the CIA’s rights violations ‘did significant damage to America’s standing in the world.’ Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned the CIA’s activities as documented in the report, saying they amounted to a ‘gross violation of our liberal, democratic values’ and that ‘what was then considered right and done in the fight against Islamic terrorism was unacceptable and a serious mistake.’”

What we should take from this is that America has become again extremely unpopular in the world. True Christians are not part of this world. They are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. They know that this world is ruled by Satan the devil, and all of his methods are evil. Whether we are looking at torture, war (with the infamous justification of “necessary casualties”), use of guns, abortion (when and how) or countless other issues, we must realize that in God’s new world, none of this will exist. Instead, God will rule with justice and fairness—which is not the case in today’s human governments. 

California Drought Worst in 1,200 Years

Newsmax wrote on December 5:

“A combination of record high temperatures and sparse rainfall during California’s three-year drought have produced the worst conditions in 1,200 years, according to a study accepted for publication by the American Geophysical Union.

“The state has gone through numerous periods of dry weather, with as little or less rainfall as the past few years, but scientists looking at the cumulative effects of temperature, low precipitation and other factors said that it all adds up to the worst conditions in more than a millennium… The study by the University of Minnesota and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution said that warm, dry conditions have shrunk the supply of surface water from reservoirs, streams and the Sierra Nevada snowpack in the state, even as demand from people and farms has gone up, resulting in unprecedented scarcity…’

“In October, the AGU published a study by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City saying that the 1934 U.S. drought, which caused the upheaval known as the Dust Bowl, was the worst in 1,000 years.”

The Bible prophesies bad weather conditions for the USA in these end-times as part of the predicted curses God will bestow on a nation due to their sins.

“USA and Zionist Conspired Against Egypt”

Newsmax wrote on December 7:

“The Egyptian judge who acquitted former President Hosni Mubarak wrote that the United States and Zionists conspired to launch the January 2011 revolution that toppled Mubarak’s government… He backed up his claim by citing testimonies of ‘the nation’s wise men,’ including former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and former defense head Hussein Tantawi, the Jerusalem Post reported.

“The judge also said the Muslim Brotherhood was a key conspirator and aided efforts by Hamas and Hezbollah to infiltrate the country to bring down the Mubarak regime… Mubarak, now 86, was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for conspiring to murder 239 demonstrators during the revolution that ended his 30-year rule. An appeals court overturned the decision, and on Nov. 29 the judge dropped all murder charges against Mubarak, igniting demonstrations in Cairo that claimed two lives.”

Israel Attacks Targets in Syria

The Washington Post wrote on December 7:

“Israeli warplanes bombed targets in territory held by the Syrian government near Damascus on Sunday, underscoring the deepening complexity of the war raging on multiple fronts in Syria and beyond. Israel has carried out airstrikes in Syria on at least four occasions since early 2013, but these were the first attacks in many months and the first since the United States began bombing Syria in September.

“Whereas the U.S. raids have targeted positions of the extremist Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, however, the Israeli ones have all been carried out against government facilities in areas loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad… a statement from the Syrian army’s general command said Damascus International Airport and another site in the Damascus countryside were hit. Syrian journalists and activists said the second site was a small civilian airport in Dimas, northwest of the capital on the road to Lebanon. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an import-export warehouse was the target of the attack on the international airport… Israel and Syria have been in a state of war since 1948…”

The Times of Israel wrote on December 8:

“The Syrian and Iranian foreign ministries castigated Israel for airstrikes on two areas near Damascus, calling it an act of aggression that proved Israel was ‘in the same trench’ with extremist groups fighting the Syrian government…

“Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem claimed Israel was trying to compensate for losses incurred by Islamic extremist groups in Syria at the hands of the Syrian army. He did not elaborate. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham also denounced the… Israeli airstrikes, the Fars news agency reported, and accused Israel of collaborating with rebel groups against the ‘oppressed people’ of Syria.

“Arabic media reported Monday that two alleged Israeli airstrikes the day before had targeted advanced Russian-made air-defense missiles bound for Hezbollah.”

As we explain in our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy,” chapters 2 and 4, both Syria and Iran will be ultimately attacked and conquered by the beast power. Nothing is stated in the Bible that Syria will fight against Israel, but it is stated that Iran will, apparently together with the beast. Subsequently, the possibility is indicated that the beast will turn against Iran at the same time (!) when it will fight against Israel, the USA and the UK.

The End of the World

The Telegraph wrote on December 7:

“… many potential threats have been identified to our species, our civilisation or even our planet itself…

“Our solar system is littered with billions of pieces of debris, from the size of large boulders to objects hundreds of miles across. We know that from time to time these hit our Earth. Sixty-five million years ago, an object, possibly a comet a few times larger than the one landed on by the Philae probe last month, hit the Mexican coast and triggered a global winter that wiped out the dinosaurs. And in 1908, a smaller object hit a remote part of Siberia and devastated hundreds of square miles of forest… a dino-killer would certainly be the end of our civilisation and possibly our species…

“A genetically created plague… [is] possibly the most terrifying short-term threat – because it is so plausible… [The result would be potentially] catastrophic…

“Nuclear war [is still] the most plausible ‘doomsday’ scenario. Despite arms limitations treaties, there are more than 15,000 nuclear warheads and bombs in existence – enough, in theory, to kill every human on Earth several times over. Even a small nuclear war has the potential to cause widespread devastation… [The probability is high.] Nine states have nuclear weapons, and more want to join the nuclear club…”

The Independent wrote on December 8:

“Urgent action is needed to minimise the risk of a nuclear war, more than 120 senior military, political and diplomatic figures from across the world have warned… the experts wrote in a letter that the danger of such a conflict was ‘underestimated or insufficiently understood’ by world leaders… 

“‘Tensions between nuclear-armed states and alliances in the Euro-Atlantic area and in both South and East Asia remain ripe with the potential for military miscalculation and escalation,’ says the letter… ‘In a vestige of the Cold War, too many nuclear weapons in the world remain ready to launch on short notice, greatly increasing the chances of an accident.”

In Revelation 13:1, John sees in a vision a fantastic beast rising out of the sea, which has SEVEN HEADS and TEN HORNS. It is like a leopard, with feet of a bear and a mouth of a lion (Revelation 13:2). In the book of Daniel, chapters 2, 5, 7 and 8, we are told that, beginning with the ancient Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, there would arise FOUR world-ruling empires on this earth—the Babylonian Empire (Daniel 2:36), the Medo-Persian Empire under Cyrus, Xerxes and others (Daniel 5:28), the Greco-Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great and his four generals (Daniel 8:20-21), and finally, a fourth Empire (Daniel 2:33; 7:7). In Daniel 7:3-24, these four empires or kingdoms are compared with a lion, a bear, a leopard with four heads, and a terrible beast with TEN HORNS (Daniel 7:7).

Comparing these four beasts in the book of Daniel with the one beast in Revelation 13, we can see that the beast in Revelation is a conglomeration of those four beasts in Daniel. It has SEVEN HEADS, because it combines the HEAD of the lion, the HEAD of the bear, the FOUR HEADS of the leopard, and the HEAD of the fourth beast with ten horns. Virtually all Bible scholars confirm the historical fact that this fourth beast was the Roman Empire. It would have TEN successive resurrections or revivals, symbolized by the TEN HORNS.

The first three resurrections or revivals of the Roman Empire after its fall occurred under Geiseric of the Vandals; Odoacer of the Heruli; and Theodoric of the Ostrogoths. The fourth resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire occurred under Justinian in 554 A.D. Historians refer to this event as the “Imperial Restoration.”

The fifth resurrection occurred under Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse) in 800 A.D.; the sixth under Otto the Great in 962 A.D.; the seventh under Charles V of Hapsburg in 1530 A.D.; and the eighth under Napoleon (which lasted from 1804 A.D. until 1814 A.D., when Napoleon abdicated at the battle of Leipzig). The ninth resurrection happened under Mussolini and Hitler. We are observing right now the beginning of the tenth and final resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire in continental Europe, under German leadership.

Revelation 13:17 tells us that no one will be able to buy or sell if he does not have the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name, which is 666.

The number 6 has great meaning in the Bible. It is the number of a man who is far from God or alienated from Him. The most famous combination of the number six is perhaps the number of the beast in the book of Revelation, namely 666. In the Greek, this number is written as 600 and 60 and 6. This number stands for total separation from God and the unconditional submission to Satan the Devil. Most people will be so deceived that they will worship Satan and his human instruments—the beast and the false prophet—while rejecting the true God and His Law.

The sixth commandment forbids murder in all of its different forms (Exodus 20:13), but man, separated from God, thinks that some kinds of murder are permitted, such as killing in war. Those who will worship and follow the beast and the false prophet will be so deceived that they will not only want to fight against other human beings in war, but they are even willing to fight the returning Jesus Christ, thinking perhaps that He is an Alien or “the Antichrist.” (For a correct understanding of the concept of “Antichrist,” please read our Q&A on that subject).

We were also told in Revelation 13:17 that the nations will accept the NAME of the beast and the number of his name.
 
The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary states that the “‘number of his name’ [implies] that the name has some numerical meaning.” The NAME can refer to a literal name, to an adopted name, or to a well-known expression associated with or describing the beast (such as “Heil Hitler” or “Il Duce”). In addition, when people accept his name, they accept what he stands for and what he does.

Revelation 13:18 continues that the famous “NUMBER of the beast” is the “number of a man.” We are told to “calculate” the number, which is 666. King Lateinos was the founder of Rome and the Roman Empire. In the Greek, every letter has a numerical value. The numerical value for “Lateinos” is 666. Therefore, the beast is clearly identified as the Roman Empire, as the number 666 identifies the founder of the Roman Empire–Lateinos. Iraeneus, a pupil of Polycarp (disciple of the apostle John) understood the 666 to  be the Greek word “Lateinos.” Clement stated that 666 applies to the “Latin Kingdom,” as written in Greek.

Many commentaries agree that the number of the beast—666—refers to Lateinos, the founder of Rome. In the Greek, L stands for 30, A for 1, T for 300, E for 5, I for 10, N for 50, O for 70, and S for 200. These total 666. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary states that the beast “may have a close connection with Rome, and so the name ‘Lateinos’ (666) may apply to him.”

Many claim that the number 666 is a reference to Nero, but there are several problems with this. Dummelow, “A Commentary on the Holy Bible,” explains: “It has been found that if ‘Neron Caesar’ be written in HEBREW letters, the sum of the letters is 666… to get 666, ‘Caesar’ has to be written defectively. If spelt, ‘Nero Caesar,’ the sum of the letters is 616…” In addition, to arrive at 666 even in the Hebrew letters, an artificial change for “Nero” to “Neron” has to be made. If it is spelled “Nero,” one does not reach the numerical value of 666.

In any event, we need to focus on Greek letters, not letters in Hebrew, Latin or any other language. The New Testament was written in Greek. Barnes’ Notes on the Bible explains that it is indeed the Greek language and the numerical value of its letters that need to be consulted to determine the number, as John wrote in Greek; the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet are expressly selected to denote Christ’s eternity, i.e. Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8, 11); and “the numerals by which the enigma is expressed… are Greek.”

Further, the number 616 is incorrect. Barnes explains that the number is indeed 666, and not 616, as sometimes proposed, as 616 is only contained in some falsified and corrupted versions.

Although the designation “beast” in Revelation 13 describes the Roman Empire, it can also refer to the representative or ruler of that Empire and especially to the end-time leader of the final revival of the Roman Empire (compare Revelation 16:13; 19:20). Likewise, the NUMBER of the “beast” may not only refer to the original founder of the Empire (i.e. Lateinos), but it is likely that the numerical value of the name of the final human leader—referred to as a MAN (compare again Revelation 13:18)—will also be 666.

The Ryrie Study Bible states that “Somehow, unknown to us, the number will play an important part in the identification of the Antichrist [the beast] in a future day.” And J.H. Blunt’s commentary writes that “the true and full application of it is not likely to be discovered until the personal Antichrist [the beast] himself has arisen, and then it may prove to be one of the signs by which he is to be readily identified.”

We need to emphasize that the number refers to a “man.” In other words, the reference is to a male and not to a female. Even though the general term “man” could refer to a human being in general (male or female), this is not the meaning in Revelation 13. For instance, we read in Revelation 13:8 that “All who dwell on the earth will worship HIM whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

The Zuercher Bible points out that one would expect the statement that people would worship “IT”—rather than “HIM.” But saying that all the earth will worship HIM indicates that a MALE person is meant. We find the same expression in Revelation 13:14 where reference is made to the “beast WHO [not “it”] was wounded by the sword and lived.” This might also indicate the fact that not only the Roman Empire received a deadly wound and was healed (Revelation 13:3), but also, that the end-time human leader (“the beast”) will suffer a political defeat (so that one may think he has no future), but that he then will arise again from the historical abyss, so that many will marvel and follow him (compare again verse 3).

The Elberfelder Bible confirms in two footnotes their understanding that in verses 8 and 14, a MALE person is meant, as the pronoun is masculine (“he”), not feminine (“she”) or neuter (“it”).

It is also important to note that the number refers to the beast—the political military leader—and not to a religious figure. Therefore, all the calculations which in one way or another apply the number to a religious person, including the Pope, are not in accordance with Scripture.
 
However, the understanding of the beast’s “name” and “number” won’t be a sign that will be readily discernable by most, since we specifically read in Revelation 13:18: “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast…”
 
One will need to have godly wisdom and understanding to figure out and calculate the number of his name. Most people will not be able to do so, and they will not believe it when it is revealed, because they will be deceived by Satan and the false prophet to believe a lie.

For further information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy,” “The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”  and “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

“Die Propheten Hängen an der Liebe, Teil 1,” is the title of this week’s German sermon. In English the title is: “The Prophets Hang on Love, Part 1.” Note that this sermon will also be presented by Norbert Link in English during this week’s Sabbath services.

For your information, here is a list of the forty booklets currently availble from CEG:

Europe in Prophecy: The Unfolding of End-Time Events
The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God
Don’t Keep Christmas
Is God a Trinity?
Do We Have an Immortal Soul?
The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families
And Lawlessness Will Abound…
The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord
God’s Commanded Holy Days
God Is a Family
Baptism—a Requirement for Salvation?
Angels, Demons and the Spirit World
Are You Already Born Again?
Sickness and Healing—What the Bible Tells Us
Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery!
Tithing—Today?
Should YOU Fight in War?
The Fall and Rise of Britain and America
Are YOU Predestined to be Saved?
The Mysteries of the Bible
Teach Us to Pray!
Human Suffering—Why…and How Much Longer?
The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days
The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days
The Sacrificial System and the Tabernacle In the Wilderness
Is That In the Bible?—Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days
Is That In the Bible?—The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation
The Book of Zechariah—Prophecies for Today!
Paul’s Letter to the Galatians—How to Understand It
The Authority of the Bible
Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians—How to Understand It
Germany in Prophecy—The Mysterious Origin of German-Speaking Peoples
and Their Prophetic Destiny
Paul’s Letter to the Philippians—How to Understand It
Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy
Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever
The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire
Hidden Secrets in the Bible
Old Testament Laws—Still Valid Today?
When and How Will Christ Return?

On December 6, 2014, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “A New Creation.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

In my previous Editorial, “Are We Easy Targets?,” which was published in Update #662, I made the following observation: “Thinking that we can solve or ignore our personal problems by just changing church organizations (even within the Body of Christ) is also useless and futile, because our problems will accompany us, no matter where we go. Unless we are willing to focus on, face and overcome OUR problems—not the problems of others—we are and will continue to be easy targets of Satan’s craftiness and deception.”

In this Editorial, I’d like to say a few more things about this common mistake. Far too many think that they can escape reality and live in an illusionary dream world by just changing locations.  But we do not meet our God-given responsibilities by just changing our jobs, leaving our employers, moving to another town or turning our backs on our Church congregation, while avoiding to deal with our own personal problems. This will never work, “because our problems will accompany us, no matter where we go.” When God led Israel out of Egyptian slavery, “Egypt” went with them; their hearts never left it.

Of course, if a job requires of us to break God’s law, or if a Church organization begins to water down or change God’s truth, then it is time to flee (Revelation 18:4). But to run away strictly for personal reasons, because we do not want to deal with our personal challenges, is never a solution. In fact, it is sinful conduct because God commands us to face and overcome our problems, where we are. Trying to flee from our problems by changing locations is, in fact, attempting to flee from God, who wants us to confront our challenges head on—and it is futile and foolish to think that we can flee from God’s presence (Psalm 139:7). Jonah was unwilling to fulfil his mission. He thought he could “flee… from the presence of the LORD” (Jonah 1:3). But God saw to it that Jonah became obedient—even though it was a long, laborious and thorny path.

Proverbs 27:8 tells us: “Like a bird that wanders from its nest Is a man who wanders from his place.” Trying to escape our God-given responsibilities by just changing our status quo is tantamount to wandering “from the way of understanding” and resting “in the assembly of the dead” (Proverbs 21:16). It is the “foolishness of man” that “twists his way” (Proverbs 19:3). A person who “isolates himself” for improper reasons from his co-employees or Church brethren reveals a lack of love and shows that he only “seeks his own desire” (Proverbs 18:1).

It did not happen because of time and chance that we found ourselves in a particular Church organization. Rather, God placed us there. If we truly believe that God works in our lives, then we will not flee when we are facing problems. Isaiah 28:16 says: “He who believes need never run away again” (Living Bible). It is the uncommitted “hireling” who does not care for others and who flees when he is confronted with challenges (John 10:12-13). Rather than fleeing from our responsibilities, we are to submit to God and resist the devil, and it is Satan who must flee from us (James 4:7).

It may be tempting to just change Church organizations if we do not like “something,” because we might think that all teach the same thing, and that it really does not matter where we attend, and we might justify our conduct by rationalizing that we will still remain to be part of the Body of Christ. But if Church group and minister “shopping” are being done to escape our God-given responsibilities, then we commit a terrible and tragic mistake and even a grave sin, which might cost us our eternal life. To leave a Church organization within the Body of Christ and “join” another one, which may also be in the Body of Christ, constitutes sinful conduct, if it is being done for unbiblical reasons.

A person who has been validly disfellowshipped by a minister of God within the spiritual Body of Christ is never “free”, in God’s eyes, to just join another Church organization within the Body of Christ, as long as the reasons for the disfellowshipment continue to exist. To do so would heap sin upon sin, and it does not matter whether the other Church organization, for whatever reason, would grant access to their fellowship. At the same time, it is also sinful conduct for anyone, including relatives and friends, to leave their Church organization because of a falsely-perceived “loyalty” for the disfellowshipped person, and to follow the disfellowshipped person into another Church organization—even within the Body of Christ—because such conduct would not be justified in the eyes of God. To do so would show a wrong kind of “sympathy” for the disfellowshipped person, and it would be SIN against God as it would manifest rebellion against God’s Church government and a lack of love for God, while loving a human being more than Christ. If we did this, we would not be worthy of Christ (Matthew 10:37-39).

At this point, I’d like to bring to your attention a previously unpublished article by Herbert W. Armstrong, the late human leader of the Worldwide Church of God, who died in 1986. Mr. Armstrong wrote an article in the early 1980’s, titled, “Clarifying Church Doctrine on Disfellowshipping.” Here is what he said:

“God’s own Biblical teaching for His Church is the necessity of harmony and unity in Christ. In I Corinthians 1:10, all in the Church are commanded to speak the same thing—unity in clear Biblical teaching. God’s Word teaches that God’s Law is LOVE to all—first, love to God, then also love toward fellow human. God’s Law is love toward all. But also God teaches a special fellowship love toward brethren in Christ. In I John 1, we have that special close fellowship not only with one another, but also with God and with Christ. Jesus said of Church brethren, ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another.’

“When one deliberately breaks that unity and causes division among brethren, or causes it by deliberate and continuing sin, God commands, ‘Mark those that cause division among you, and avoid them’ (Romans 16:17). The word ‘mark’ is from the Greek ‘skopeo’ meaning ‘look at, consider, take note of.’ The same word ‘mark’ from the same Greek word, in Philippians 3:17, says ‘mark them which walk so as you have us for an example,’ speaking favorably of such a person. ‘Mark’ certainly does not mean ‘brand,’ or ‘stigmatize,’ or ‘condemn,’ but ‘take note of, avoid them.’ This does not violate God’s command to have the attitude of love toward all people. We still have love for those disfellowshipped. But it does mean avoid contact—avoid fellowship—especially avoid contact. Jesus taught us to LOVE even our enemies and those who despitefully use us. To avoid a disfellowshipped one does not mean hold malice toward. It does not mean injure, fight against, or defame. It simply means avoid fellowship or even personal contact. It does not accuse, any more than we accuse, brand, or fight against any or all outside the Church.

“The Church are those ‘called out’ from the world. We do not fight against the world, but merely withdraw from whatever ways in which it lives contrary to God’s way of life defined by His Law. We remain friendly toward those of the world, but do not have close friendship or fellowship with them. But we still do love disfellowshipped former members.”

We ought to take these words to heart. We have to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. We must never give in to the thought that we may know it better than God. We are told exactly what we must do. Rather than trying to escape our responsibility by changing locations, we must choose to follow God’s directive, no matter where we are.

We are reporting on developments in the UK and the US; address the Pope’s trip to Turkey and his desires for “unity”; quote from an article about Europe’s new President of the EU Council; cite little-known excerpts from a lengthy article about Angela Merkel, the ruler of the EU, and Germany’s role in Europe; and conclude with developments in Egypt and Israel and an article about the rise of the occult.

Nothing Ruled Out

BBC News wrote on November 28:

“David Cameron has urged other EU leaders to support his ‘reasonable’ proposals for far-reaching curbs on welfare benefits for migrants… Under his plans, migrants would have to wait four years for certain benefits…

“Mr Cameron said he was confident he could change the basis of EU migration into the UK and therefore campaign for the UK to stay in the EU in a future referendum planned for 2017. But he warned that if the UK’s demands fell on ‘deaf ears’ he would ‘rule nothing out’ – the strongest hint to date he could countenance the UK leaving the EU.”

The Guardian wrote on November 28:

“David Cameron has stepped back from a radical plan to cap directly the number of EU migrants entering Britain after an intervention from the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, who warned him she would not tolerate such an incursion into the principle of the free movement of workers… In a speech that repeatedly emphasised the benefits of UK membership of the EU, Cameron nevertheless tried also to emphasise his determination to secure his negotiating goal saying: ‘I don’t want to fail, I don’t believe I am going to fail. But to put it beyond doubt I am saying today that if I do fail, I rule absolutely nothing out, and I mean nothing’.

“The German news magazine Der Spiegel called Cameron’s speech blackmail.”

Slavery in Great Britain

The Telegraph wrote on November 29:

“As many as 13,000 people in Britain are being held in conditions of slavery… They include women forced into prostitution, domestic staff and workers in fields, factories and fishing boats… Theresa May, the Home Secretary, said the scale of abuse was ‘shocking’.”

The USA Is Fighting the Wrong Battle

The New York Times wrote on November 27:

“Wissam Tarif, a Lebanese activist who aids Syrian civic groups, said that airstrikes against extremists were useless without a war of ideas. ‘You kill 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 — they will recruit more and more,’ he said. ‘The U.S. is fighting the wrong battle. It needs to fight to win the hearts of the Syrian people. They need to feel that there is someone out there who is a superpower who really cares.’…

“Many Syrians are stuck in the middle. Umm Firas, who lost two sons working to depose Mr. Assad, now fears losing another to army bombardments and insurgent infighting that the United States air attacks have done nothing to stop. She fears the Islamic State will soon penetrate her district on the outskirts of Damascus.”

Newsmax wrote on November 28:

“Syria’s foreign minister said U.S.-led air strikes had failed to weaken Islamic State…”

New York City – Another Ferguson?

The Huffington Post wrote on December 3:

“Judge Andrew Napolitano, the senior judicial analyst for Fox News, said Wednesday that he was shocked by a grand jury’s decision not to indict a New York City police officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, describing Garner’s death as ‘criminally negligent homicide.’… ‘This is not Ferguson, Missouri,’ Napolitano continued. ‘This is not somebody wrestling for your gun, this is not where you shoot or be shot at. This is choking to death a mentally impaired, grossly obese person whose only crime was selling cigarettes without collecting taxes on them. This does not call for deadly force by any stretch of the imagination.’…

“Napolitano said he was taken aback by the grand jury’s decision, which was made public on Wednesday. Garner, 43, died July 17 in Staten Island, New York while he was being arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes. A bystander’s video of the arrest shows New York City police Officer Daniel Pantaleo appearing to put Garner in a chokehold, a move that is prohibited under NYPD policy. In the video, Garner screams ‘I can’t breathe!’ multiple times before his body goes limp. A medical examiner later ruled his death a homicide.

“This is the second recent high-profile case in which a grand jury declined to indict a white police officer in the killing of an unarmed black civilian, following last week’s decision in the case of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

“A nationwide series of protests erupted immediately following the grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot an unarmed Brown on Aug. 9. New York officials braced for similar protests on Wednesday. While the reaction to the Ferguson grand jury decision largely broke down along party lines, with many conservatives agreeing that Wilson should not have faced trial, Napolitano, a libertarian, is one of a number of conservatives who have expressed outrage at the grand jury’s decision in the Garner case…”

Subsequently, charges were published by the Daily News on December 4 that the grand jury was “rigged.” Ramsey Orta who video-recorded the killing of Garner and who testified before the grand jury, was quoted as saying: “When I went to the grand jury to speak on my behalf, nobody in the grand jury was even paying attention to what I had to say… People were on their phones, people were talking… people were having side conversations…”

Another sad day for the perception of American “justice.”

The USA—More Divided Than Ever

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 3:

“In March 2008, when Barack Obama, then a candidate for president, gave his big speech on racism, he sounded like the one who could unite the country. But in November of this year, Obama is — contrary to his intentions — the president of a country that is more divided than ever before. And one of the deepest divisions runs between blacks and whites… When Obama delivered a statement last Monday evening at the White House about the grand jury decision, he seemed more helpless than at almost any other time during his presidency. Even as he called on blacks in Ferguson to remain calm and peaceful, the first shops were being looted and set on fire. His comments seemed strangely uninspired and apprehensive — as though he had already succumbed to resignation…

“Making matters worse is the discrimination practiced by state institutions such as law enforcement. The chances that a young black man will be shot dead by the police, for example, is 21 times greater than it is for young white males. The death of 18-year-old Michael Brown is far from abnormal. Just 10 days ago, a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed by a police officer in Cleveland because he was playing with a toy pistol at a playground…

“Six years after Obama’s race speech, more than a quarter of blacks in American live below the poverty line. Among whites, that figure is 12.8 percent. According to the Pew Research Center, the median annual income of a white household was about $27,000 higher than that of a black household in 2011…

“Almost half of all murder victims and about 40 percent of the US prison population are black, even though the African-American share of the population is just 12.6 percent… it is also true that Obama has never really presented himself as an advocate of African-Americans during his time in office…

“Equal opportunity was the subject of Obama’s State of the Union address in January and, in it, he cited two examples. The first was Misty DeMars, a white woman from a Chicago suburb who counts among the long-term unemployed. The second was Estiven Rodriguez, a 17-year-old student from New York who immigrated to the US as a nine-year-old from the Dominican Republican without speaking a word of English. DeMars was meant to represent the difficulty women face in advancing their careers. And Rodriguez served as an example of how immigrants can succeed when given the chance. He didn’t mention a single black person in his speech.”

Pope Francis Seeks Dialogue with Muslims

The Associated Press reported on November 29:

“Pope Francis on Saturday stood in two minutes of silent prayer facing east inside one of Istanbul’s most important religious sites [known as the Blue Mosque]… Francis prayed alongside the Grand Mufti of Istanbul, Rahmi Yaran, who had his palms turned toward the sky in a Muslim prayer, inside the 17th-century Sultan Ahmet mosque… The Vatican added the stop at the Blue Mosque at the last minute to show Benedict’s respect for Muslims.

“Francis then visited the nearby Haghia Sofia, which was the main Byzantine church in Constantinople — present-day Istanbul — before being turned into a mosque following the Muslim [Ottoman Turks’] conquest of the city in 1453… A few dozen well-wishers outside Haghia Sophia waved a combination of the Turkish and the flag of the Holy See. One carried a banner that read: ‘You are Peter.’”

Deutsche Welle added on November 29:

“In a gesture of harmony between religions, Pope Francis stood alongside a senior Islamic cleric for a moment of contemplation at Istanbul’s most famous mosque… Pope Francis removed his shoes as he entered the Sultan Ahmet mosque, widely known as the Blue Mosque, on Saturday… [The Pope] was taken through the mosque by Istanbul’s Grand Mufti Rahmi Yaran. The two paused for two minutes facing Mecca alongside each other, the pope closing his eyes, bowing his head and clasping his hands in front of the cross he wore on his chest, the cleric performing an Islamic prayer…

“The three-day papal visit to Turkey is seen as a test of Francis’ ability to build bridges, as he had to establish and strengthen ties with Muslim leaders…”

Reuters wrote on November 30:

“Pope Francis said on Sunday that equating Islam with violence was wrong… Francis’ predecessor, Benedict XVI, caused storms of protest throughout the Islamic world in 2006, when he made a speech that suggested to many Muslims that he believed Islam espoused violence… [Pope Francis said:] ‘You just can’t say that, just as you can’t say that all Christians are fundamentalists. We have our share of them (fundamentalists). All religions have these little groups,’ he said. ‘They (Muslims) say: … “the Koran is a book of peace, it is a prophetic book of peace”’”.

The Pope’s comments are ridiculous. We have proven time and again in our Updates, through direct quotes from the Koran, that those believing and following these teachings cannot be described as peaceful, or that Islam teaches pacifism. Also, the Pope’s inflammatory comments about “fundamentalist” Christians should tell everyone how he views those who live by their belief in the literal inspiration of the Bible.

Pope Francis Seeks Unification with Greek Orthodox Christians

The Associated Press wrote on November 30:

“Pope Francis and the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians demanded an end to the persecution of religious minorities in Syria and Iraq on Sunday and called for dialogue with Muslims, capping Francis’ three-day visit to Turkey with a strong show of Christian unity. Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I issued a joint declaration urging leaders in the region to intensify help to victims of the Islamic State group, and especially to allow Christians who have had a presence in the region for 2,000 years to remain on their native lands…

“Francis, who represents the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church, and Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians, called for ‘constructive dialogue’ with Islam ‘based on mutual respect and friendship.’

“The Catholic and Orthodox churches split in 1054 over differences on the primacy of the papacy, and there was a time when patriarchs had to kiss popes’ feet. At the end of a joint prayer service Saturday evening, Francis bowed to Bartholomew and asked for his blessing ‘for me and the Church of Rome,’ a remarkable display of papal deference to an Orthodox patriarch that underscored Francis’ hope to end the schism.

“In his remarks Sunday, Francis assured the Orthodox faithful gathered in St. George’s that unity wouldn’t mean sacrificing their rich liturgical or cultural patrimony or ‘signify the submission of one to the other, or assimilation. I want to assure each one of you gathered here that, to reach the desired goal of full unity, the Catholic Church does not intend to impose any conditions except that of the shared profession of faith,’ he said.

“The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, acknowledged the novelty in Francis’ message. While experts from both churches continue to debate theological divisions between them, Francis and Bartholomew are ‘pushing with incredible strength toward union’ through their frequent and warm personal contacts, Lombardi said.”

Zenit added on November 30:

“‘We are already on the way towards full communion,” Pope Francis is affirming in regard to the Orthodox… Patriarch Bartholomew said that… while the process of reunification can be sometimes ‘rugged,’… it’s ‘nonetheless irreversible,’ and is needed… Both the Pope and the Patriarch agreed that for various reasons, the upheaval in the Middle East and persecution of Christians makes union all the more urgent…

“the Pope and Patriarch signed a joint declaration… ‘We express our sincere and firm resolution, in obedience to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, to intensify our efforts to promote the full unity of all Christians, and above all between Catholics and Orthodox,’ it stated. The declaration also called for Catholic and Orthodox faithful to ‘join us in praying “that all may be one.”’

As long as the daughter churches [but excluding “fundamentalists” and other “minorities, see above] will return to the “mother church,” the Pope is willing to compromise…

Pope Francis’ Contradictory Messages

ABC News wrote on November 28:

“Pope Francis urged Muslim leaders to condemn the ‘barbaric violence’ being committed in Islam’s name against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria as he arrived in neighboring Turkey Friday… He reaffirmed that military force was justified to halt the Islamic State group’s advance… ‘As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations against human dignity and human rights… As such, any violence which seeks religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation because the omnipotent is the God of life and peace.’”

On the one hand, Pope Francis says that military force (i.e., “violence”) against religious fanatics is justified. With the same breath, he states that “any violence” seeking religious justification must be condemned. So what is it?

Donald Tusk—The New President of the EU Council

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 26:

“With the appointment of Donald Tusk as president of the powerful EU Council, a politician from Eastern Europe will be placed in one of Brussels’ most important positions for the first time… Tusk wanted to prove that his country was a responsible EU member — and he succeeded. Another reason for his successful foreign policy is Poland’s good relationship with Germany…”

We have felt for a long time that Catholic Poland will play an important role in Europe.

Meet Angela Merkel’s Germany and Europe

The New Yorker wrote on December 1, 2014:

“Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany… is the world’s most powerful woman… On a continent where the fear of Germany is hardly dead, Merkel’s air of ordinariness makes a resurgent Germany seem less threatening… The ongoing monetary crisis of the euro zone has turned Germany, Europe’s largest creditor nation, into a regional superpower—one of Merkel’s biographers calls her ‘the Chancellor of Europe.’… American politics is so polarized that Congress has virtually stopped functioning; the consensus in Germany is so stable that new laws pour forth from parliament while meaningful debate has almost disappeared…

“Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who was Germany’s defense minister between 2009 and 2011, said that Merkel took a ‘Machiavellian’ approach to the [euro zone] crisis. She had the stamina to keep her options open as long as possible, and then veiled her decisions behind ‘the cloud of complexity.’ Guttenberg said, ‘This made it easier for her to change her mind several times rather dramatically, but at the time no one noticed at all.’… Merkel realized that she could not allow the euro-zone crisis to capsize the project of European unity. ‘If the euro falls, then Europe falls,’ she declared…

“Merkel’s commitment to a united Europe is not that of an idealist. Rather, it comes from her sense of German interest—a soft form of nationalism that reflects the country’s growing confidence and strength. The historic German problem, which Henry Kissinger described as being ‘too big for Europe, too small for the world,’ can be overcome only by keeping Europe together… She needs Europe because… Europe makes Germany bigger…

“When the Wall fell, Putin was a K.G.B. major stationed in Dresden. He used his fluent German and a pistol to keep a crowd of East Germans from storming the K.G.B. bureau and looting secret files, which he then destroyed. Twelve years later, a far more conciliatory Putin, by then Russia’s President, addressed the Bundestag ‘in the language of Goethe, Schiller, and Kant,’ declaring that ‘Russia is a friendly-minded European country’ whose ‘main goal is a stable peace on this continent.’ Putin praised democracy and denounced totalitarianism, receiving an ovation from an audience that included Merkel… As a Russian speaker who hitchhiked through the Soviet republics in her youth, Merkel has a feel for Russia’s aspirations and resentments which Western politicians lack. In her office, there’s a framed portrait of Catherine the Great, the Prussian-born empress who led Russia during a golden age in the eighteenth century. But, as a former East German, Merkel has few illusions about Putin. After Putin’s speech at the Bundestag, Merkel told a colleague, ‘This is typical K.G.B. talk. Never trust this guy.’…

“In early 2008, when President George W. Bush sought to bring Ukraine and Georgia into NATO, Merkel blocked the move out of concern for Russia’s reaction and because it could cause destabilization along Europe’s eastern edge. Later that year, after Russia invaded two regions of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Merkel changed her position and expressed openness to Georgia’s joining NATO. She remained careful to balance European unity, the alliance with America, German business interests, and continued engagement with Russia…

“When, this past March, Russia annexed Crimea and incited a separatist war in eastern Ukraine, it fell to Merkel to succeed where earlier German leaders had catastrophically failed. The Russian aggression in Ukraine stunned the history-haunted, rule-upholding Germans. ‘Putin surprised everyone,’ including Merkel, her senior aide told me. ‘The swiftness, the brutality, the coldheartedness. It’s just so twentieth century—the tanks, the propaganda, the agents provocateurs.’…

“Merkel ruled out military options, yet declared that Russia’s actions were unacceptable—territorial integrity was an inviolable part of Europe’s postwar order—and required a serious Western response. For the first time in her Chancellorship, she didn’t have the public with her. In early polls, a plurality of Germans wanted Merkel to take a middle position between the West and Russia. A substantial minority—especially in the former East—sympathized with Russia’s claim that NATO expansion had pushed Putin to act defensively, and that Ukrainian leaders in Kiev were Fascist thugs. Helmut Schmidt, the Social Democratic former Chancellor, expressed some of these views, as did Gerhard Schröder—who had become a paid lobbyist for a company controlled by the Russian state oil-and-gas giant Gazprom, and who celebrated his seventieth birthday with Putin, in St. Petersburg, a month after Russia annexed Crimea. The attitude of Schmidt and Schröder deeply embarrassed the Social Democrats.

“A gap opened up between élite and popular opinion: newspapers editorializing for a hard line against Russia were inundated with critical letters. Merkel, true to form, did nothing to try to close the divide…

“Merkel takes a characteristically unsentimental view of Russia. Alexander Lambsdorff, a German member of the European Parliament, said, ‘She thinks of Russia as a traditional hegemonic power that was subdued for a while and now has reëmerged.’ Ukraine forced Merkel into a juggling act worthy of Bismarck, and she began spending two or three hours daily on the crisis. Publicly, she said little, waiting for Russian misbehavior to bring the German public around. She needed to keep her coalition in the Bundestag on board, including the more pro-Russian Social Democrats. And she had to hold Europe together, which meant staying in close touch with twenty-seven other leaders and understanding each one’s constraints: how sanctions on Russia would affect London’s financial markets; whether the French would agree to suspend delivery of amphibious assault ships already sold to the Russians; whether Poland and the Baltic states felt assured of NATO’s support; the influence of Russian propaganda in Greece; Bulgaria’s dependence on Russian gas. For sanctions to bite, Europe had to remain united…

“Germans told me that anti-Americanism in Germany is more potent now than at any time since the cruise-missile controversy of the early eighties… In a sense, German anti-Americanism is always waiting to be tapped…

“Earlier this year, President Joachim Gauck made headlines when he called on Germany to take its global responsibilities more seriously, including its role in military affairs. It was the kind of speech that Merkel (who had no comment) would never give, especially after a poll commissioned by the foreign ministry in May showed that sixty per cent of the public was skeptical of greater German involvement in the world. German journalists find Merkel nearly impossible to cover… The private Merkel they admire and enjoy but are forbidden to quote disappears in public. Any aide or friend who betrays the smallest confidence is cast out…”

Putin Tells the World

The Associated Press reported on December 4:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin in his annual speech on Thursday defended the Kremlin’s aggressive foreign policy, saying the actions are necessary for his country’s survival. Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in March and was later accused of supplying pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine with ammunition and manpower…. ‘No one will succeed in defeating Russia militarily,’ he said. ‘They would have been delighted to let us go the way of Yugoslavia and the dismemberment of the Russian peoples, with all the tragic consequences. But it did not happen. We did not allow it to happen.’”

In a related article, the Associated Press wrote on December 4:

“Putin… described [Crimea] as Russia’s spiritual ground, ‘our Temple Mount,’ and added that national pride and sovereignty are ‘a necessary condition for survival’ of Russia.”

Mubarak Acquitted

Deutsche Welle reported on November 29:

“An Egyptian court on Saturday rejected a case against former President Hosni Mubarak for alleged involvement in the killing of protesters during a 2011 uprising against his 30-year rule. Mubarak, along with his sons Alaa and Gamal, was also cleared on a separate corruption charge related to gas exports to Israel, but will remain in prison on other charges of embezzlement. The court also acquitted former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly and six of his aides on charges of ordering the killings.

“Mubarak had been charged with having failed to prevent the killing of hundreds of protesters during the revolt, which ultimately led to his ouster. Eight-hundred Egyptians died during the protests. Saturday’s rulings can be appealed… In June 2012, a court sentenced Mubarak to life imprisonment on the charges, but this ruling was overturned in early 2013, and a retrial ordered. He is the first-ever Egyptian ruler to be tried and sent to prison. He is already also serving a three-year sentence on separate embezzlement charges in a case that saw his two sons put behind bars for four years.

“The 86-year-old Mubarak has been staying at an army hospital in southern Cairo on grounds of poor health. He was flown by helicopter to the Cairo Criminal Court to hear his verdict and sentencing, state media said… His successor as president, Islamist Mohamed Morsi, is also on trial after being removed from power in July 2013 by then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, who has since himself been elected to the post. Morsi stands accused of having committed acts of violence both during the revolt against Mubarak and during later protests against his own rule that led to his own downfall.

“Since Morsi’s removal, Egyptian police have waged a crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood followers in which at least 1,400 people have died.”

BBC News added on November 29:

“The verdict means no-one has been held responsible for the killing of more than 800 protesters during the 2011 revolution. It is as if the dead committed mass suicide, said one Egyptian journalist on Twitter. Relatives of those killed in 2011 had awaited Saturday’s verdict with trepidation. Mahmoud Ibrahim Ali, whose wife was killed, had little faith in the judiciary, believing it simply did the government’s bidding. ‘The regime is the same,’ he told AP news agency. ‘Names have changed but everything is the same.’’’

It seems, nothing ever changes in Egypt.

Early Elections in Israel?

TSA wrote on December 2:

“For the second time in about two years, Israel appears to be headed toward elections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a news conference Tuesday that he will support a bill to dissolve the Knesset, leading to elections next spring. Ahead of the announcement, Netanyahu fired two key Cabinet ministers, Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni, after they publicly criticized his performance as prime minister…

“The collapse heralds an acrimonious end to a coalition of rivals ranging from the nationalist-right to the center-left… Should Netanyahu win another term, he has indicated that he will revert to a more stable coalition of right-wing parties — including the haredi Orthodox factions…

“The Knesset is likely to approve new elections in the coming days, leading to a national vote in March or April…”

Rise of the Occult

The Daily Mail wrote on November 30:

“Ouija boards are flying off the shelves. Not in the super- natural sense — but the commercial one. The device, said to be a method of contacting the spirit world, is experiencing an unexpected renaissance. Google reports that sales of the board are up 300 per cent, and it is threatening to become a Christmas ‘must buy’.

“The culprit is Hollywood, and a new horror film titled Ouija. Low-budget, lowbrow, it tells a familiar story — of kids dabbling with the ‘other side’ and coming off second best. The critics hammered it, but cinema-going teens, looking for something scary in the Halloween season, loved it… Cue big box office takings and huge demand for Ouija boards, many manufactured by the American toys giant Hasbro. Being a canny company, Hasbro even helped finance the making of the film Ouija, which has put new life into the business of talking to the dead…

“‘It’s like opening a shutter in one’s soul and letting in the supernatural,’ says Peter Irwin-Clark, a Church of England vicar who has witnessed the dark side of Ouija. ‘There are spiritual realities out there and they can be very negative.’

“The board itself is a simple thing, combining the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 0 to 9 with the words Yes, No and Good-Bye. With it comes a planchette or pointer. Players are told to sit around the board, each place two fingers ‘lightly’ on the pointer, and concentrate — before starting to ask questions in turn. ‘Ask your questions slowly and clearly,’ read the instructions. ‘And wait to see what the planchette spells out for you.’ The planchette then ‘moves of its own volition’ towards specific letters and numbers, according to Christina Oakley Harrington, proprietor of Treadwell’s, a London bookshop specialising in the esoteric and the occult. ‘You feel it pulling away from the fingers. I’m not dim — I have a PhD — but it’s not being pushed. It’s mysterious.’…

“The year 1973 saw the release of hit film The Exorcist, in which a young girl takes to communicating with an unseen being by means of such a board. The being is a demon that goes on to possess her… William Peter Blatty, author of the novel on which it was based, was inspired by a tale from the Forties, about Roland Doe. The teenager was said to have become possessed after playing with a Ouija board for long spells, his spiritual infestation manifested by scratches, levitation and poltergeist activity…”

These demonic activities must be avoided by all means.

No, they do not.

As a general introduction, we explained the basic meaning of these terms in our free booklet, “The Authority of the Bible,” chapter 13, “Understanding Biblical Prophecy.” We pointed out that the terms refer generally to the time just prior to Christ’s return, but that they can also describe a time after His return.

In addition, as we will see in this Q&A, they can also refer to a broader timeline which might begin quite a few years, decades and in some instances even centuries prior to, or subsequent to, Christ’s return. The term “at the time of the end” or similar phraseology could be confusing to some; it is therefore important to review the exact context in which they are used.

To just name a few examples about the use of “last days” or similar terms in reference to events AFTER Christ’s return, we want to point to Ezekiel 38:8 (“in the latter years”). The events described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 occur AFTER Christ’s return. In addition, Isaiah 2:2 and Micah 4:1 refer to the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth under Jesus Christ’s rule—after His return—using the terms “in the latter days.” We also read in Hosea 3:5 that Israel will seek God and the resurrected King David “in the latter days”—obviously referring to a time AFTER Christ’s return.

Christ also stated on several occasions that He will raise up Christians “at the last day” (John 6:40), referring to the First Resurrection; and that His words will judge the ones who reject Him “in the last day” (John 12:48)—a reference to either the Second or the Third Resurrection.

Let us continue with several examples where these terms at issue describe events in New Testament times, during the life of the early apostles.

We read in 1 Peter 1:20 that Christ “was manifest in these last times for you.” In addition, Hebrews 1:2 reads that God the Father “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” In these passages, reference is made to the fact that with the death and resurrection of Christ, the last days of this present evil age had become a certainty; that this world is destined to end; and that Jesus Christ did qualify to be the Supreme Ruler over this earth in the World Tomorrow.

The early apostles pointed at events in their lifetime, which began then, but which would increase in magnitude, culminating in Christ’s return. James addressed the rich people in his day and age, but made the overall observation that they “heaped up treasure in the last days” (James 5:3). In the same way, John spoke of false teachers or “antichrists” at his time, describing this phenomenon as “the last hour.” John wrote that the appearance of “many antichrists” pointed at the beginning of the final apostasy. He even said that “we know” thereby “that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18). What John described was just the beginning of the mystery of lawlessness and false doctrines, which would increase to reach a climax at the time of Christ’s return (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8).

Jude 18 pointed at mockers “in the last time,” but he spoke of his day and age.

Also, Paul made clear that end-time prophecies already found their initial fulfillment in his day and age. He stated that in “latter times some will depart from the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1), but he used this passage to describe the falling away from the truth at his time. He also said that “in the last days perilous times will come” (2 Timothy 3:1), making the point that the description of those perilous times applied to his day and age.

Peter quoted a passage about an end-time prophecy in the book of Joel (Joel 2:28-32), but stated that that particular portion, which was quoted by him, had already found a “fulfillment” at his time in the early New Testament church, when God gave His Holy Spirit to the disciples (Acts 2:16-21), saying that “in the last days” God “would pour out of My Spirit on all flesh” (verse 17). He also said in 1 Peter 4:7 that the “end of all things” was “at hand.” This mirrors Christ’s and John the Baptist’s statements that the Kingdom of God was at hand during their lifetime (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15)–it was certain that it would be established here on earth, but it was not to be established for more than 2,000 years.

When Christ answered the question of His disciples as to what would be the sign of His Coming and the end of this present evil age, Christ mentioned numerous occurrences. The events described in Luke 21 and in Matthew 24 culminate in the return of Christ, but they were not all to happen just a few years prior to His return. Some of the events happened a long time ago (the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. [compare Matthew 24:2] and the disciples were already deceived [compare Matthew 24:5, 11] and the apostasy had already begun in Paul’s day, compare Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Corinthians 11:4).

Those “jumps” in time are not unusual in Scripture. Christ, when quoting an end-time prophecy from the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 49:8-13) regarding the coming Day of the Lord, used a part of that passage as being fulfilled during His First Coming (Luke 4:16-21).

In the Old Testament, the term “in the last days” or similar wording may not have to refer to just a few years prior to Christ’s return, but they could describe a process of time culminating in Christ’s return. For instance, we read in Genesis 49:1 about prophecies describing the fate of the descendants of Jacob “in the last days.”  In reviewing the entire chapter, we find numerous passages which relate to events which occurred several hundred years ago (compare the prophecies about the modern descendants of Joseph—America and the UK—in verses 22-26).

The book of Daniel includes several examples where the term “the last days” or the “time of the end” are used, without necessarily referring to just a few years prior to Christ’s return.

For instance, we read in Daniel 2:28 that a dream about a statue was to reveal to Nebuchadnezzar “what will be in the latter days.” The dream described four successive world empires which would arise on the world scene, and the fourth empire (the Roman Empire) would survive (through ten successive revivals) until the return of Christ. Much of the dream related to events a long time prior to the last revival of the Roman Empire with ten kings at the time of Christ’s return—the “stone” or Rock which would smite and destroy the ten toes of the statue (verse 44-45).

Something similar can be found in Daniel 8:17, 19, which talks about “the time of the end” and the “latter time of the indignation.” The entire passage starts with the time of ancient Media and Persia, followed by Alexander the Great and, sometime later, Antiochus Epiphanes, and culminating in certain events which apparently end with the last King of the North at the time of Christ’s return.

A similar situation is apparently described in Daniel 11:40, which seems to begin with events which occurred several decades ago, culminating in the return of Christ. We read in Daniel 11:40 that at “the time of the end the king of the South shall attack” or push at the King of the North. This passage signals the beginning of the end. It describes a time prior to and during the ninth resurrection of the Roman Empire (under Mussolini and Hitler).

This ninth resurrection is referred to in Revelation 17:8 as the beast power which “was and is not,” since it was so small and insignificant in comparison with the other revivals—but it would lead to the last resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire. Daniel 11:40 captures the events which would lead to the return of Christ. But what is described in Daniel 11:40 is most certainly not all still future—some of it has clearly been fulfilled, or is being fulfilled (but we do not dismiss the concept that this prophecy might be dual, and that a future King of the South might arise again to push at a future King of the North).  For a thorough discussion of the prophecies pertaining to the King of the South, please read our Q&As http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/532 and http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/348; as well as our Note under “What Our Readers Say” in Update #156.

When reading Daniel 12:4, 9, we are told that the book of Daniel would be sealed “until the time of the end,” but that then “knowledge” in general and the right understanding of the book would increase. This has most certainly started to occur under the late Herbert W. Armstrong (the human leader of the Worldwide Church of God), which means that Mr. Armstrong already lived in the time of the end, although he died in 1986.

In conclusion, when reading about the “time of the end,” the “latter days” or the “last days,” we always have to note the context, lest we are reaching false or inaccurate conclusions.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Plans are being finalized for next year’s Church Conference beginning on March 20, 2015, and concluding on March 25, 2015. Also, we are finalizing ministerial assignments for the Spring Holy Days.

A new member letter has been written by Pastor Brian Gale. In this letter, Mr. Gale focuses on dramatic and prophetically significant events occurring in Europe–with special emphasis on Britain’s growing alienation with the European Union.

“Germany–the Predestined Leader of Europe” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

More and more news reporters realize that Germany is the leader of Europe, and that nothing goes without Angela Merkel, the “world’s most powerful woman” and the German “Chancellor of Europe.” The New Yorker and the Telegraph published insightful articles about Germany’s superpower status and the fact that Britain is a lame duck. Reference is also made to a “reconstituted Holy Roman Empire governed from Berlin” with “charisma and sanctity [to be] bestowed [on it]… by Rome.” All of this is in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. We are offering three free booklets, “Germany in Prophecy,” “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

“Ist Zungenreden biblisch?,” is the title of this week’s German sermon. Title in English: “Is Speaking in Tongues Biblical?”

“Den Standort Wechseln?” (vom 30. November 2014), a German translation of this week’s Editorial by Norbert Link, has been sent to members and subscribers and was posted on the German website.

Four new printed German booklets have been received from the printer. They will be distributed this Sabbath in Church services and sent to our subscribers next week. We will also begin to advertise them in our AufPostenStehen programs.

“Past, Present, Future,” the sermon from last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible shows us how the past, present and future all work together.  Through past examples for our own admonition, we can learn from them in our present lives by obeying God, so we can be counted worthy to make it in the future.

by John Amorelli    

With much realization and reflection since coming back from the Feast of Tabernacles, I know that God has blessed my wife and me tremendously; even with trials and maltreatments in our lives. I poignantly listed the blessings in my mental and spiritual bulletin board that I look at when faced with trials. It’s very hard at times, many times, but with patience and prayer to the Eternal, fervently, He does pull through!! 

I am reflecting on this Thanksgiving season to be so thankful for so many things: that the Eternal True God and His Son Jesus are always there for me; that they are only a prayer away; that God has called my wife and me to know the Truth; that my wife and I have been given the knowledge by God that His Son will return and bring and set up His Government in this world;  that a beautiful/best friend/sister/wife is worth more to me than all the gold in the world; that knowing that brethren in the Church will always be there for me and my wife; that we had the pleasure of spending time with family members on Thanksgiving; that the simple pleasure of watching wood burn on our wood stove is more joyful than watching TV!!; that our two “therapy” cats keep us company; that I have a job!!!; that we have running water in our well; and that we have food to fill our bellies!!

It might be a simple list to be thankful for, but for me, I thank God and praise HIM through Jesus Christ every day for the simple things!!  Thank YOU, GOD!