There is nothing new under the sun, but unless we get up early in the morning, we might miss the sunrise.  During the day—busy as we are—we might not even notice the storm clouds, and when the winds begin to blow and the rain comes pouring down, darkness has overpowered us, before we know it.  I’m talking in figurative terms, of course, speaking of doctrinal changes. They are like a dam which first allows a little bit of water to get through, until it breaks down entirely and the resulting devastating deluge tears down everything in its path; or they are like an avalanche, which buries everyone and everything under it.

Many of us have experienced abominable changes in the Worldwide Church of God (“Worldwide”), after Herbert W. Armstrong had died in 1986. Under the new leadership, a proverbial apostasy or falling away from the truth set in, destroying everything that Mr. Armstrong and those loyal to the truth had worked for. The changes were introduced subtly at first, and many were caught unawares, until the changes became bigger and swallowed up those who embraced them. Today, most unsuspecting, gullible or willingly ignorant “victims,” as well as the actively promoting perpetrators, have lost just about every aspect of the truth which they had once embraced.

We write about these horrible changes in the last section (“Why It Matters”) of our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?” If you don’t know the history of the apostasy in Worldwide, and how these changes were introduced, please read this booklet immediately.

Because, you see, the past will repeat itself—in fact, we are already seeing the beginning stages. Changes are taking hold in unsuspecting and trusting members of certain organizations, which are reminiscent, even though under a slightly different mantle, of what we all experienced in the days of Worldwide’s heresies and spiritual downfall. Make no mistake—the apostasy is not over, but ongoing, and it will raise its ugly head again with strong deception and persuasive temptation. Jesus said that because lawlessness (sin) will abound, the godly love (“agape” in Greek) of many (in the Church of God) will grow cold (Matthew 24:12), and many will be offended and betray and hate one another (verse 10).

When a Church organization changes established teaching and attempts to introduce “new truth,” one must ask the question, “Why is this being done? What’s the motive? What’s behind the move?” Now, sometimes, the leaders or those advising them might not know themselves where a particular change may lead, but Satan, the originator of everything in opposition to God and His truth, knows very well what he is doing, and whom he may be able to use to carry out his purposes.

Some are teaching now that the end-time apostasy, which Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, describes a major religious organization outside the Church of God, and it is claimed that the apostasy will set in with full force when that church becomes very influential and powerful. But this is most emphatically NOT what Paul is addressing here. (Compare also our Q&A in this regard). Paul is saying that in the end-time, when the man of sin is being revealed, an apostasy or falling away from the truth in the Church of God will occur, and many Church members will be deceived, because they did not receive and maintain the LOVE of the truth (verse 10). After all, the very word “apostasy” describes a falling away from the truth—it must be talking about the Church of God, which alone has the truth (compare 1 Timothy 3:15). How can an organization fall away from the truth, which it never had, to begin with?

The recent apostasy started, without any question, in Worldwide, after Mr. Armstrong died, but it is ongoing. And it will raise its ugly head again and become extremely powerful in the very near future. This means, God’s people will be severely tested, and many will fail. They must be warned today, not to fall for religious deception. Most in the Church might say: “It can’t happen to me.” But don’t be too sure. Paul warns us: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Religious deception will not begin with obvious and big doctrinal changes. No Church of God organization will declare right away that the Sabbath and the Holy Days need not be kept anymore; that we are now free to eat unclean meat; or that we don’t have to tithe anymore. When Worldwide introduced its changes, they did not begin to address the “big ones”—they began by fooling around with seemingly minor issues, so that most did not even realize, at first, that real changes were being made.

Some changes might be tolerated or even accepted by some, because, so they reason, they are unimportant, non-salvational, or only a matter of semantics—changes related to concepts such as: Are we already born again? Are we allowed to serve on the jury or vote in governmental elections? Are we embracing the idea that Christ was created by God the Father? Are we saying that the Holy Spirit is God; that is, a separate and third entity?  Must we celebrate new moons today? Should we begin to create our own calendars for the determination as to when to observe the annual Holy Days? Should God’s ministers perform interracial marriages, or a marriage between a believer and an unbeliever? Should we teach that the Sacrifice of Christ has nothing to do with physical healing? Should we teach that the woman riding the beast in Revelation 17 is the USA riding Europe? Should we teach that Christ is going to return on Pentecost? Should we believe in a rapture and that we are going to go to heaven at some point in time? Should we teach that the marriage supper is going to be celebrated in heaven?

All of these ideas are, and have been circulating in certain corners within some Church of God organizations, but not one of them is biblically correct or sound. However, far too many have already begun to entertain or even believe and teach these and other concepts. But not one of them is new, as there is nothing new under the sun.

Let’s take the marriage supper as an example. Some preach that Christ will return to resurrect the saints and change those alive, and take all of them to the third heaven, where the marriage supper will be celebrated, and then return together with the saints to the earth. The concept is that He comes first FOR the saints, and then later together WITH the saints. This is clearly a variation of the false secret rapture teaching—a doctrine of demons. Some even teach or have taught that after Christ’s “third” coming with the saints and their short stay on earth, Christ and the saints will return to the third heaven to rule the earth from heaven during the Millennium.

The idea that Christ will “rapture” the saints to celebrate the marriage supper in the third heaven was introduced by some in the Church of God as early as 1997, if not even before then. At that time, the Global Church of God (“Global”) decided, for biblical reasons, NOT to teach this concept.

At that time, I sent a memo to Global’s leading ministry. After discussing the Scriptures which were used to support a marriage supper in heaven, I wrote in November of 1997: “The above-mentioned scriptures do NOT prove that we will go to heaven, not even for a short time. Further, there is NO Scripture which says that the wedding banquet… will take place in heaven. Rather, all implications are that it will take place on earth.”

After discussing those passages, I set forth the following conclusion: “I would feel that we would make a big mistake if we were to preach that it [the marriage supper] will take place in heaven, as this runs absolutely contrary to the long-standing teaching of the church under Mr. Armstrong.”

At the same time, Evangelist Colin Adair submitted a paper on the matter, in which he wrote: “I believe it would be a mistake to teach as established fact and doctrine that the marriage supper occurs in heaven… We should not be looking for something ‘new’ just to please some brethren who think that growing as a church means discovering some new doctrine or teaching. Growing as a church means personal spiritual growth as Christians and getting the Work done, not ‘some new thing.’”

Others raised similar concerns, and so, the decision-making body of leading ministers in Global decided correctly at that time not to teach that the marriage supper will take place in heaven. The Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates in Canada and the UK–the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship, and the Global Church of God—maintain that it is unbiblical to teach that the wedding supper will take place in heaven or, that there will be a rapture of some kind and that Christ will return twice, and we have written several Q&A’s, http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/11537 ; http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/4125; http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/16  setting forth the biblical reasons for our stance on the matter.

We can learn from all of this that it is important to stick to the trunk of the tree and not to change anything, just for the sake of changing and pleasing somebody. We should and must only change an established teaching, when the Bible dictates the necessity of such a change. It is too dangerous to fall into the trap of wanting to declare something new—because the avalanche of change might ultimately bury those unaware, who are busy altering teachings and approving new doctrine. The Bible warns us, and not without reason: “Do not associate with those given to change” (Proverbs 24:21).

Focusing first on the USA, the economic situation is bound to deteriorate, but the government is facing additional international problems as well. While Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner suggests that “Congress should stop placing legal limits on the amount of money the government can borrow and effectively lift the debt limit to infinity,” Franklin Graham states that the USA is facing numerous problems because we have turned our backs on God. This is clearly the case; the Obama administration seems to be stumbling from one problem to another, and it seems that the USA is about to give up one of the last sea gates still in their possession.

The UK is struggling with their own problems—not the least of which is their ongoing persecution of small religious organizations.

The state of Israel does not seem to fare much better, facing condemnation from just about every side and outright wars on several fronts. The surprise announcement that Germany wants to strengthen its strategic ties with the Arab League should cause everybody to pause and think. At the same time, even though Angela Merkel is still the most popular German politician in Germany, her government is not liked. At this point, no real challenger seems to be in place, but this can change quickly.

We conclude with articles about the financial curse of Christmas, and the real dangers of solar storms.

Timothy Geithner: “Raise Debt Limit to Infinity”

CNSNews.com wrote on November 19:

“Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Friday that Congress should stop placing legal limits on the amount of money the government can borrow and effectively lift the debt limit to infinity… Geithner’s Treasury Department quietly warned at the end of October that the Treasury would reach current legal limit on the federal government’s debt by about the end of the year.

“In August 2011, President Barack Obama and Congress agreed to lift the legal debt limit by another $2.4 trillion–allowing the government to borrow up to $16.394 trillion. However, as of the close of business on Thursday, the Treasury had only $154.3 billion of that $2.4 trillion in new borrowing authority left. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid… said last week that the Senate stands ready to increase the debt limit by another $2.4 trillion…”

Of course, lifting any debt ceiling would mean that the incredible, foolish and ungodly borrowing habits of the US government could continue unabated, until the whole house of cards, that the USA has created, will come crumbling down and burying everybody with and under it.

“We Have Turned Our Backs on God”

Newsmax wrote on November 15:

“Franklin Graham charged in an exclusive Newsmax TV interview that America is in a deep economic quagmire because ‘we have turned our backs on God.’ ‘The more we turn our backs on God, the bigger our problem becomes,’ Graham, the son of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, tells Newsmax in a wide-ranging interview. “I didn’t hear any of the candidates say that we needed to call our nation to prayer. I didn’t hear any of the candidates say that we needed to ask God for help. We still think that we can work our way out of this problem – and I don’t think we can,’ Graham added. ‘I don’t have confidence in the Republican Party right now, and I don’t have confidence in the Democratic Party. I don’t believe there is leadership in Washington that can solve this problem. We just deal with it as issues for the day, and it kicks the can further and further down the road. We need God’s help to solve this problem – we can’t go without God.’ Last week’s election results, which sent President Barack Obama back to the White House for another four years, put the nation further along a ‘path of destruction,’ Graham said.

“’There is no question that America has been a nation that has been blessed by almighty God. There is no other nation in the history of mankind that has done what this nation has done – and it’s because of God’s hand and his blessing… What has happened is we have allowed ourselves to take God out everything that we do – and I believe that God will judge our nation one day.’ And, ‘maybe God will have to bring our nation to our knees – to where that we just have a complete economic collapse’ to do that, Graham said. ‘Maybe at that point, people will again call upon the name of almighty God.’

“Graham is the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The association’s tax-exempt status is under threat from a complaint filed with the Internal Revenue Service by the Freedom From Religion Foundation… The move by the Wisconsin group, Graham said, reflected a broader push by the far left. ‘They want to shut the mouths of evangelicals. They want to shut the mouths of Christians. One hundred years ago, political leaders in every community were the pastors. They were the voices that were heard. They were the voices that had the influence. Politicians know that and the government knows that – and they are trying to shut the mouths of especially evangelicals. I’m going to continue to speak out,’ Graham vowed. ‘I’m not afraid. I’m not worried.’”

That the USA has turned its back on God—and that for quite some time now—is without any doubt. God blessed this country because of the faith and obedience of Abraham, so that God promised him unconditionally that He would bless his descendants—and the USA are part of the modern descendants of Abraham. But the fate of the USA is much worse than mere economic downfall. The Bible shows that the USA will be defeated in a nuclear war, and survivors will be brought into captivity. It is then, while in that miserable state, but sadly not before then, that some will begin to repent.

Petraeus: Benghazi Was Terrorist Attack

Newsmax wrote on November 16:

“[The former CIA chief] David Petraeus is telling lawmakers he believed all along that the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya was a terrorist attack… Lawmakers say Petraeus told them that CIA talking points written after the attack in Benghazi that killed four Americans referred to it as a terrorist attack. But Petraeus says that reference was removed by other federal agencies that made changes to the CIA’s draft…

“Petraeus’ comments are a challenge to the Obama administration’s timeline of events which indicated the attack on the Libyan consulate were spontaneous, caused by an angry mob upset at an anti-Muslim video… the fact that talking points were changed as information made its way through various agencies is sure to spark another round of controversy for the Obama administration…”

The problems for the US Government don’t seem to diminish, but just to increase constantly.

Loss of Another Sea Gate?

National Review wrote in its November 2012 edition:

“On June 27, a plane carrying Wen Jiabao made a ‘technical’ stop on the island of Terceira, in the Azores. Following an official greeting by Alamo Meneses, the regional secretary of environment of the sea, the Chinese premier spent four hours touring the remote Portuguese outpost in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Wen’s Terceira walkabout, which followed a four-nation visit to South America, largely escaped notice at the time, but alarm bells should have immediately gone off in Washington and in European capitals. For one thing, Wen’s last official stop on the trip was Santiago, the capital of Chile. Flights from Chile to China normally cross the Pacific, not the Atlantic, so there was no reason for his plane to be near the Azores…

“Terceira, however, has one big attraction for Beijing: Air Base No. 4. Better known as Lajes Field, the facility where Premier Wen’s 747 landed in June is jointly operated by the U.S. Air Force and its Portuguese counterpart. If China controlled the base, the Atlantic would no longer be secure. From the 10,865-foot runway on the northeast edge of the island, Chinese planes could patrol the northern and central portions of the Atlantic and thereby cut air and sea traffic between the U.S. and Europe. Beijing would also be able to deny access to the nearby Mediterranean Sea.  And China could target the American homeland. Lajes is less than 2,300 miles from New York, shorter than the distance between Pearl Harbor and Los Angeles.

“Lajes is certainly the reason Wen went out of his way to win friends in Terceira. For years his country has been trying to make inroads into the Azores and waiting for opportunities to pounce. There is nothing the Chinese can do if the U.S. stays, but Pentagon budget cutters, according to some observers, are planning to make Lajes a ‘ghost base.’…

“In recent years, Beijing has identified Portugal as its entry point into Europe, and Chinese officials now know their way to Lisbon. It is in this context that the Portuguese are already thinking about the planned closure of Lajes Field. They don’t want to invite the Chinese in, but they have quietly indicated they will have no choice if the U.S. Air Force decides to leave the base…

“We will, as a longtime ally, need to work closely with Lisbon over an especially thorny issue, but in the interim, there are things that can be done. For instance, it’s not entirely clear why the U.S. Africa Command should be based at Kelley Barracks, outside Stuttgart. A transfer of the approximately 1,500 staff there to Lajes, which is much closer to Africa, would solve the problem overnight, and the move might actually improve Africom’s effectiveness. There are undoubtedly other stopgap solutions that the Pentagon could implement. None of them will be perfect, but all of them would be better than having Beijing’s red flag flying over the Atlantic — and permitting Chinese aircraft to patrol the waters connecting America to Europe.”

The Bible has prophesied that the USA and the UK will lose all its strategic sea gates. They have already lost most of them, and it seems that another one is about to fall into the hands of the Chinese.

“Outrageous” Decision by England’s Charity Commission Against Churches

Mail on Line wrote on November 16:

“MPs are demanding an inquiry into the Charity Commission after the watchdog banned a Christian group from charitable status on the grounds that religion is not always for ‘public benefit’. More than 50 MPs from all the main parties have signed a Commons motion calling on the charity regulator to think again, amid fears that hundreds of religious groups could be stripped of their tax-exempt status, threatening their very existence.

“They accuse the Charity Commission of ‘politically correct bias’ against faith groups after it ruled that the Preston Down Trust of the Plymouth Brethren Church – which has 16,000 members across Britain – is not entitled to charitable status because it does not do enough good works in the community…

“Tory MP Robert Halfon said: ‘There is something rotten in the Charity Commission. I cannot understand why the Brethren, good people who do so much in their communities, have been singled out. I believe an inquiry is needed into the role of the Charity Commission, to consider how it came to make the decision. What has happened is unjust and is creating fear in many churches across the country.’

“Garth Christie, an elder in the Plymouth Brethren… said that he and the other members had spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on trying to prove their charitable status, and they would appeal all the way to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if necessary. The group has already appealed to the Charity Tribunal in what is seen as a test case that could threaten the charitable status of hundreds of small religious groups.

“Several MPs are threatening to table amendments to the Small Charitable Donations Bill before Parliament later this month in a bid to protect faith groups… The threat to amend the Small Charitable Donations Bill seeks to overturn measures in the 2006 Charities Act which removed the presumption for charities that education, religion, or poverty relief are for the public benefit.

“In a ruling that sent shockwaves through even the established church, the Charity Commission ruled that its decision ‘makes it clear that there was no presumption that religion generally, or at any more specific level, is for the public benefit, even in the case of Christianity or the Church of England’. The commission’s decision will have a huge impact on the Brethren’s tax relief…”

This decision is just another example of a development in Europe severely limiting the rights of religious freedom and free exercise of religion… and this move is of course directed at the smaller churches.

Israel’s Coming Wars at Several Fronts

Stratfor Global Intelligence wrote on November 17:

“While Hamas is preparing for an Israeli ground assault into Gaza, Hezbollah’s movements on Israel’s northern frontier bear close watching. Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Nov. 17 called on the Muslim world to retaliate against Israeli actions in Gaza. Naturally, many are looking in the direction of Lebanon, where Hezbollah, Iran’s most capable militant proxy, could open a second front against Israel.

“Though Iran would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the spectrum of its militant proxy strength, especially after supplying Hamas with the long-range Fajr-5 rockets that have been targeting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Hezbollah will likely be extremely cautious in deciding whether to participate in this war. The group’s fate is linked to that of the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad; should Syria fracture along sectarian lines, Lebanon is likely to descend into civil war, and Hezbollah will have to conserve its strength and resources for a battle at home against its sectarian rivals. Indeed, Hezbollah has already been preparing for such a scenario by seizing control of villages along the Orontes River Basin in order to maintain connectivity with Syria’s Alawite community.

“At the same time, if Hamas is able to bog down Israeli ground forces by drawing them into a war of attrition in densely populated Gaza City, Hezbollah may see a political opportunity to burnish its credentials as the region’s leading ‘resistance’ movement. In this case, Hezbollah would likely monitor the situation until it could be assured that Israeli forces are sufficiently constrained on the Gaza front before it begins attacks on the northern front… Israel is already preparing for a two-front contingency…”

Ultimately, Israel will be attacked from all fronts, and there will be nobody there to help. Note the next article as well.

Turkey Condemns Israel

CBS wrote on November 19:

“A top Turkish official has claimed that Israel is committing acts of terrorism by bombing Hamas targets in Gaza. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told the Eurasian Islamic Council conference in Istanbul that the Jewish state is systematically mass-killing Muslims. ‘Those who associate Islam with terrorism close their eyes in the face of mass killing of Muslims, turn their heads from the massacre of children in Gaza,’ Erdogan said, according to Reuters. ‘For this reason, I say that Israel is a terrorist state, and its acts are terrorist acts.’…

“Obama reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s right to self-defense and discussed possible ways to scale back the conflict, the White House said. It did not offer specifics. Separately, Obama called Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on Friday and praised Egypt’s efforts to ease tensions in the region, the White House said. Obama expressed hope that Egypt’s efforts would be successful, officials said. In both calls, Obama expressed regret for the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives and underscored the importance of resolving the situation as quickly as possible.”

President Obama wants to please both sides, and won’t please either. Egypt and Turkey are turning against Israel to become strong enemies of Israel, as the Bible predicted. Note also the next article.

Egypt Turns Against Israel

The New York Times wrote on November 19:

“While holding itself out as an honest broker for truce talks between Israel and Hamas over the Gaza conflict,  Egypt’s new government sought on Monday to plunge into the battle over international public opinion on behalf of the Palestinian cause — an arena where the Israelis, more experienced in the world of the free press and democratic politics, have historically dominated.

“In Egypt’s most concerted effort to win more global public support for the Palestinians, advisers to Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi, a former leader of the Muslim Brotherhood who has been an outspoken supporter of Hamas, invited foreign correspondents in Cairo to a background briefing at which a senior Egyptian official sought to blame Israel for the conflict while at the same time maintaining Egypt’s role as an intermediary pressing both sides for peace…

“Speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid upsetting the talks with the Israelis, the Egyptian official argued that the West, which supports Israel’s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Gaza, was essentially blaming the victim… He implicitly compared the leaders of Hamas to George Washington in America or Charles de Gaulle in France: Heros because they resisted foreign occupation by armed force…”

The negative outcome of the Arab Spring for Israel becomes more and more obvious. But the liberal press is still refusing to admit it, and everyone’s praise for President Morsi’s accomplishment of a ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Hamas is shortsighted and premature at best. Even in the unlikely event that it holds, it did not and will not change a thing. Note the next two articles.

“Tenuous Truce”

The Washington Times wrote on November 21:

“The tenuous truce between Israel and Hamas militants after eight days of savage fighting now relies on Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to guarantee the cease-fire he spent days crafting. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who once suggested bombing the Aswan Dam and flooding the Nile Valley in Egypt, went out of his way Wednesday to praise Mr. Morsi, a member of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood…

“Mr. Morsi played a delicate diplomatic role as a leader of the Brotherhood, which sided with Hamas in the conflict. Last week, Mr. Morsi called Israelis the ‘aggressors’ after they retaliated for months of Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli communities. He even threatened Israel, claiming they will ‘pay a heavy price if they continue this aggression.’

“However, Mr. Morsi balanced his support for Hamas — an offshoot of the Brotherhood that is dedicated to Israel’s destruction — with his need for support from the United States, which sided with Israel and defended the Jewish state’s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks…President Obama ‘thanked President Morsi for his efforts to achieve a sustainable cease-fire and for his personal leadership in negotiating a cease-fire proposal,’ the White House said. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who rushed to the region Tuesday to help with the peace talks, also praised Mr. Morsi, saying Egypt is ‘assuming responsibility and leadership’ in the Middle East.

“She warned, however, that this ‘is a critical time for the region.’ Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak also cautioned about the reliability of a cease-fire with Hamas. ‘We expect the agreements to be fully honored, but from past experience we are aware it might be short-lived,’ he said. Although Israel agreed to a cease-fire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of ‘severe military action’ if Hamas or Islamic Jihad, another designated terrorist group in Gaza, breaks the truce…

“Israel insisted that the agreement announced in Cairo deal only with a cessation of hostilities. Negotiations on other substantive issues will begin in a few days after Israel confirms that the Palestinians are honoring the cease-fire. Mr. Obama also applauded Mr. Netanyahu and expressed his ‘appreciation for the prime minister’s efforts to work’ the Egyptian government, the White House said…

“Mr. Obama promised the Israeli leader additional U.S. funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system that shot down incoming rockets. The system destroyed at least 360 Palestinian rockets and deflected others… Israel flew more than 1,500 airstrikes, killing 161 Palestinians. Israeli officials said most of those killed were Hamas terrorists, although others were civilians… Mr. Netanyahu left open the option for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip if the cease-fire fails…

“The Cairo agreement requires Israel to end airstrikes and targeted assassinations of suspected terrorists in Gaza and for Hamas to stop shelling Israel and trying to send terrorists across the border. Future talks will deal with Hamas’ demands for Israel to lift the embargo imposed on the territory five years ago, when Hamas seized power and started attacking Israel. Israel also is demanding an end to the flow of weapons into the Gaza Strip. Iran has been Hamas’ chief arms supplier…”

Fragile Ceasefire

The Times of Israel wrote on November 21:

“The absence of a ground operation speaks to the vulnerabilities that both sides prefer to conceal. Israel, though it states publicly that it has the right to defend itself, knows that Hamas rockets cannot be silenced without a prolonged house-to-house ground offensive, which could claim thousands of lives and erode further Israel’s public standing in the world.

“Moreover, as King Abdullah of Jordan reportedly made clear Tuesday afternoon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, such an operation could threaten the stability of the entire region — that was a nice way of the king saying that Jordanian Hamas members could topple the Hashemite throne, leaving Israel’s eastern border open to Islamist regimes and chaos all the way through to India…

“Iran and its proxy Hezbollah sat remarkably still during the days of warfare between Israel and Gaza. But surely the silence from Tehran and the Dahieh is not to be interpreted as a lack of concentration. Quds Force leaders will chart where the rockets fell, how Israelis responded, and which salvos proved most difficult for Iron Dome to handle. They will readjust their smuggling routes as necessary and make every attempt to keep Hamas — in essence, the first Sunni Islamist revolutionaries of the Arab Spring — within its Shiite sphere of influence.

“In agreeing to an Egypt-brokered ceasefire, Israel, too, can learn a perhaps unpleasant lesson about its ongoing and looming struggle with Iran… both Iran and Hamas have arduously amassed weapons — whether by tunneling through the sand or moving the chess pieces of a military nuclear program forward in a masterful way… On both fronts, as even the ceasefire appears to indicate, Israel will have to consider making painful concessions.

“Finally, as relates to the conflict with Hamas, the real test will be not so much in the immediately disputed provisions of the agreement, but in the reality that ensues… If, in several months, the flow of weapons resumes its pace, then lsrael’s accomplishments will be quickly forgotten and all too swiftly challenged.”

Germany Wants Strategic Partnership with Arab League

German-Foreign-Policy.com wrote on November 16:

“The German foreign minister is pleading for a ‘strategic partnership’ between the European Union and the Arab League. During a meeting of foreign ministers of the two organizations, yesterday in Cairo, Guido Westerwelle noted that lately, the association of Arab states has been ‘assuming a growing amount of regional responsibility,’ which is why cooperation should be reinforced. Observers have been pointing out for quite some time that following the overthrow of the secular regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, the dictatorships on the Arabian Peninsular have seized leadership of the Arab League, and are using their newly acquired margin of maneuver to reinforce Islamist forces throughout the Arab world – including those among Syrian insurgents. They are cooperating closely with the West – which hopes to set them against Iran and uses Islamist associations in other countries, for example in Egypt. The losers are the secular forces, which, since 2010, have been in rebellion to overthrow their repressive, western-collaborating, secular regimes and who are now confronted with repressive, Islamist allies of the EU and USA…

“At the EU/Arab League foreign ministers’ meeting in Cairo yesterday, the German Foreign Minister demanded that cooperation between these two regional organizations be significantly enhanced. ‘I would like to see the Arab League become a strategic partner of the European Union’ proclaimed Westerwelle, and pointed to the League’s substantial increase in activity since the beginning of the transformation process in the Arab world in early 2011…

“The plans for cooperation are flanking the unrelenting intensification of German cooperation with Islamist forces in North Africa, as well as in the Middle East. For example, Berlin had already expanded its links to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood before Islamist President Muhammad Mursi took office. German authorities are also cooperating with Syrian Muslim Brotherhood militants, in their efforts to overthrow Syria’s president. In Morocco, Tunisia and Libya, from the standpoint of the German government, a pronouncedly closer cooperation with the respective dominant Islamist networks is indispensible[sic]. Therefore, this development has been observed by experts and think tanks for quite a while. The CDU-affiliated Konrad Adenauer Foundation had recently published a study on this subject. According to the paper on North African Islamist sectors, which, up to now, the West had only confronted militarily within the framework of the so-called war on terror, but is now being sought as allies, ‘detailed information’ is currently lacking on major aspects of these milieus, which are ‘not very transparent to the outside world.’…

“Social concepts pursued by the new Islamist rulers are currently of little interest to the West. ‘The only sectors that are relatively immune to constant reference to Islam are the economic and foreign policy sectors,’ writes the Adenauer Foundation… The Gulf dictatorships, which have taken over leadership in the Arab League, throughout the past few years, have proven themselves to be the most trustworthy Western allies throughout the Middle East – in spite of, or perhaps because of, their repression of any democratic movement within their respective borders. Under their influence, the Sunnite-Islamist form of worshiping Islam is becoming the force of social cohesion throughout the entire region, enabling them to oppose, in a consolidated front, those forces considered a threat by the West – Shiite Iran, as well as its allied Shiite associations elsewhere in the Middle East…”

This perceptive article is in total line with the prophecies of the Bible. We read in Psalm 83:3-8 that a confederacy of Arab nations will try to wipe Israel off the map, and modern-day Assyria (i.e. Germany) will be part of it. Shiite nations, however, such as Iran and Syria, are not mentioned in the context. In this regard, the next article should not come as a surprise.

EU Warns Israel

Haaretz reported on November 19:

“[The] White House and European countries, including Britain, France and Germany express strong opposition to ground operation…  Both Netanyahu and Barak are said to be reluctant to launch a ground operation, believing it should be ordered only if Hamas rebuffs all of Egypt’s mediation efforts. The two fear the diplomatic fallout that a ground operation would have on Israel’s relationships with Egypt and Jordan, as well as the blow such an operation would deliver to Israel’s image in the west.

“Strong messages against launching a ground invasion have been issued by the White House and European countries, including Britain, France and Germany… On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius arrived to tell Netanyahu that a ground invasion of Gaza would gravely endanger Palestinian civilians and make it difficult for the international community to continue giving the current Operation Pillar of Defense its backing… The EU ministers Monday expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself and condemned the rocket fire from Gaza, but in the same breath called for a cease-fire and demanded that Israel act proportionately and avoid harming innocent civilians…

“It’s unlikely, however, that many of the demands made by both Israel and Hamas will be readily accepted by other parties. For example, Israel is demanding that any cease-fire remain in place for a period of several years. Israel is also demanding an Egyptian commitment to prevent the smuggling of weapons from Sinai into Gaza, and that Hamas or other terror group members be kept 500 meters from the border fence. Israel also wants international assurance that, if necessary, it would be allowed to operate over the border to foil terror attacks.

“Hamas, for its part, wants the naval blockade of Gaza removed, and the full opening of all the border crossings to and from Israel – particularly the regular opening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt for the passage of people and goods. Hamas also wants international assurances that Israel will stop the assassination of senior members of the Palestinian factions.”

Merkel Ahead Only Because of Lack of Competition

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 19:

“With less than a year to go before Germans head to the polls for the 2013 general election, a quick glance at public opinion surveys would seem to indicate that Chancellor Angela Merkel has little to fear from her center-left challenger Peer Steinbrück. Her party holds a comfortable lead of 39 percent to 30 percent and some 53 percent would prefer to see Merkel remain chancellor, compared to just 38 percent backing Steinbrück.

“Such numbers, however, don’t tell the whole story. In reality, German voters are not at all impressed with the job her government is doing… an overwhelming majority believes that Merkel’s governing coalition… is not focused on the public good… close to seven out of 10 Germans think that Merkel’s coalition only pursues special interests, with just 24 percent believing that the public good is her administration’s priority. Furthermore, 65 percent of respondents believe the Merkel’s government is ‘not at all’ or ‘not very strongly’ focused on problems of the future…

“Not surprisingly, Merkel’s key coalition partner, the FDP, has emerged as the greatest drag on her government’s popularity… the party remains below the 5 percent hurdle necessary for representation in German parliament… Ironically, despite voters’ apparent frustration with the work of Merkel’s government, her own popularity remains high and most tend to believe that she is cutting a good figure in the euro crisis. The chancellor is, in fact, the most popular politician in Germany at the moment according to a separate survey conducted last week. Right behind her, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, with 67 percent surveyed valuing his performance as ‘very good.’”

All personal favoritism aside—the growing discontent of the German people with the German government will lead to a surprising rise of a powerful charismatic figure, who will enter the political arena and the occupation of the highly esteemed leadership role through flattery. Once in power, his mind will change, and he will become dictatorial and even demonically possessed. Biblical descriptions in the book of Daniel of certain “kings of the North” — leaders of the ancient Roman Empire and its revivals — are striking and very relevant today. A famous figure of the very distant past, i.e. Antiochus Epiphanes—and another figure of the not-too-distant past—Adolf Hitler–serve as historical example and forerunner of what the Bible predicts to happen very soon.

Powerful Solar Storms Coming

About.com wrote in its current November edition:

“NASA is predicting that the coming solar maximum could produce very energetic solar flares and coronal mass ejecta. These events have the potential to cause significant damage to our power grid as well as our orbiting satellites. But how do we know what to expect?… Should a solar storm erupt in the coming years, it will release a massive amount of high energy charged particles streaming toward Earth. Such a storm occurred in 1859.

“Shortly after the Sun reached solar maximum in 1859, the Sun experienced a significant increase in sun spot activity as well as a sequence of intense solar flares. The largest solar flare on record during the maximum was then observed by British astronomer Richard Carrington. The result of the flare was a coronal mass ejection that sent charged particles streaming toward Earth, reaching the atmosphere only 18 hours after the ejection. This is startlingly quick given that the trip normally takes several days.

“Once the particles reach the Earth they caused a series of phenomena to occur, the likes of which the Earth has not experienced since. First of all, charged particles are usually captured by the Earth’s magnetic field, and primarily get funneled to the poles. There, they interact with the Earth’s atmosphere creating brilliant colors known as aurorae. In this case, however, the flux of particles was so high that the magnetic field could not shield the Earth from them all. So instead of aurorae only being created near the poles, they came into existence throughout the Earth. Reports of aurorae were common over the Caribbean, as well as the central United States. At one point the glow in the Rocky Mountains was such that it awoke the sleeping miners, causing them to begin getting prepared for the day, believing that it was in fact dawn.

“Another, and perhaps more significant, problem was that the charged particle flux began to reek [sic] havoc on electronic systems. Specifically, failure of telegraph systems worldwide were reported. Knowing that such an event has happened in our worlds history would surely lead the world’s leaders to prepare for another such event, right? With all of today’s advanced technology we must be prepared.

“Well, no. In fact a report commissioned by the office of the President showed that… such a storm would not only cause problems for electronic devices, but could potentially bring down the entire power grid. And not just here, but around the world. The kind of damage that would be caused could take months or, more likely, years to repair. Could you imagine? No electricity for years? No phones, no computers, no internet? That is the possibility that we are facing. However, this would take a massive storm like the one in 1859 to even approach such cataclysmic events, but it is something that we need to be aware of…”

Cosmic disturbances will occur. The Bible refers to most of them as the heavenly signs—the fifth seal of the seven seals in the Book of Revelation.

Christ Born Several Years before 1 AD and Christmas Derived From Paganism

The Telegraph wrote on November 22:

“The entire Christian calendar is based on a miscalculation, the Pope has declared, as he claims in a new book that Jesus was born several years earlier than commonly believed… ‘The calculation of the beginning of our calendar – based on the birth of Jesus – was made by Dionysius Exiguus, who made a mistake in his calculations by several years,’ the Pope writes in the book, which went on sale around the world with an initial print run of a million copies. ‘The actual date of Jesus’s birth was several years before.’

“The assertion that the Christian calendar is based on a false premise is not new – many historians believe that Christ was born sometime between 7BC and 2BC [Actually, He was born in 4 BC]. But the fact that doubts over one of the keystones of Christian tradition have been raised by the leader of the world’s one billion Catholics is striking…

“John Barton, Professor of the Interpretation of the Holy Scripture at Oriel College, Oxford University, said most academics agreed with the Pope that the Christian calendar was wrong and that Jesus was born several years earlier than commonly thought, probably between 6BC and 4BC. ‘There is no reference to when he was born in the Bible – all we know is that he was born in the reign of Herod the Great, who died before 1AD,’ he told The Daily Telegraph. ‘It’s been surmised for a very long time that Jesus was born before 1AD – no one knows for sure.’

“The idea that Christ was born on Dec 25 also has no basis in historical fact. ‘We don’t even know which season he was born in. The whole idea of celebrating his birth during the darkest part of the year is probably linked to pagan traditions and the winter solstice.’”

The Financial Curse of Christmas

CNBC reported on November 19:

“Despite a whittling away of consumer debt that has been underway since the recession, many Americans are still entering the holiday season unprepared to cope with the expenses that crop up around this time of year… Some 45 percent… said the holiday season brings so much financial pressure, they would prefer to skip it altogether. Almost half said their level of stress related to holiday expenses is high or extremely high. That’s probably because nearly the same amount — some 45 percent — say they do not expect to have enough money set aside to cover holiday expenses… the financial anxiety may be more widespread than it had been in prior years…

“Half of the consumers polled in the survey who make between $75,000 and $99,999, said they would put items on layaway, and 32 percent who earn more than $100,000 said they did. Think Finance CEO Ken Rees said the fact that consumers of all income levels are using layaway shows there is a demand for financial options beyond just credit cards… ‘everyday Americans are still working hard to cover expenses making holiday spending particularly stressful,’ Rees said.

“It’s easy to understand why the holidays are a source of worry when you consider how many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. About 41 percent said they would only be able to get by for two weeks without a paycheck, while an additional 25 percent say they could only survive a month. The holidays are expected to only make the situation worse. About 59 percent of those in the survey expect to carry debt with them into the New Year, including more than half — some 54 percent — of those who earn more than $100,000 a year.”

But they still are willing to keep a pagan Feast which has nothing to do with true Christianity. For our readers outside the USA, we might want to explain the concept of “layaway.” The Wikipedia Encyclopedia says the following: “Layaway (lay-by in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) is an agreement in which the seller reserves an item for a consumer until the consumer completes all the payments necessary to pay for that item. Rather than taking the item home and then repaying the debt on a regular schedule…, the layaway customer does not receive the item until it is completely paid for. There is sometimes a fee associated, since the seller must ‘lay’ the item ‘away’ in storage until the payments are completed. Because there is little risk involved for the seller, layaway can be readily offered to those with bad credit. If the transaction is not completed, the item is returned to stock and the customer’s money is returned minus a fee. The main advantage of layaway is that no interest is charged.”

In this second installment on the questions raised, we are proceeding with answering whether those Old Testament institutions are still of any validity today. In last week’s first installment, we quoted the relevant biblical passages (mainly Exodus 23:10-11 and Leviticus 25:1-7, 18-22), and we cited numerous commentaries to show their understanding as to what these passages meant for the ancient Israelites. Now, we are beginning to answer the question as to what they mean for us today.

At the end of the previous installment, we alluded to the fact that we had addressed the issue of the ongoing validity of the Land Sabbath or the Sabbatical Year in previous Q&As, which also quote numerous commentaries to the effect that they do not feel that the Land Sabbath only applied to the nation of Israel for the time while in the Promised Land.

In our Q&A, addressing Leviticus 25:1-7, we wrote the following:

“Many commentaries acknowledge the wisdom contained in these verses to let the land lie fallow every seventh year. The Broadman Bible Commentary states, ‘…there were also agricultural advantages in leaving a field fallow once in seven years, to alleviate the exhaustion of the soil…’ Likewise, the Nelson Study Bible points out, ‘A sabbath to the LORD is the same phrase used for the weekly Sabbath (23:3). The people rested weekly from their work; the land was to rest every seventh year from its work. The principle of the land needing rest has been rediscovered in recent years and is practiced in various ways by farmers of many nations.’

“Jamieson, Fausset and Brown agree, ‘This year of rest was to invigorate the productive powers of the land, as the weekly Sabbath was a refreshment to men and cattle…’

“But, how are we to understand Leviticus 25: 5-7? Some claim that these verses teach that the owner of the land was in no way permitted to take for himself what grew in the seventh year (compare Broadman). This view has been correctly rejected by most commentaries, as it does not agree with the Biblical text. For instance, the Nelson Study Bible points out:

“‘Reaping and gathering for storage and selling were not permitted in the Sabbath year. However, harvesting for daily needs was permitted. Since the purpose of these laws was to promote social equality in Israel, anyone, regardless of social standing, was permitted to use anything that grew, wherever it grew. Even the wild beasts of the field are mentioned here, to emphasize that God would provide for every creature. Of course, Israel’s main provision during this time was the bumper crop produced the year before the Sabbath year (vv. 21, 22).’

“The Soncino Cumash concurs, pointing out, ‘In this year you must not think of yourself as the sole owner, but others have an equal right to its produce with you. That which grows on its own accord, without any effort on your part, is permitted.’

“The Ryrie Study Bible also concurs, ‘Every seventh year the land was to have a sabbath, a rest. Whatever grew during the year was freely available to all alike (vv. 6-7). It was also a time of special instruction in the Law of God (cf. Deut. 31:10-13).’

“So does The New Bible Commentary: Revised: ‘In the law of the sabbath rest, the principle is applied to all human beings, whether free or bond, and also to the cattle (Ex. 20:10), to the ox, the ass, or any cattle, as beasts of burden (Dt. 5:14), as well as to the sojourner. Here it is extended to the land. Every seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of solemn rest… from sowing and reaping. The land is to be left untilled and that which grows of itself, called in v. 6 the sabbath of the land (i.e. what the sabbath of the land produces of itself), is to be food for all alike, for the owner and the servant, for the sojourner and the cattle…’

“Leviticus 25:1-7 teaches us important lessons, including reliance on God and sharing our goods with others. Food growing by itself during the seventh year could be eaten by everyone. Applying these principles today, this would be like walking through the forest and finding wild berries that grow on their own accord. In some areas of the world, these could be freely plucked and eaten by the one who is hungry.

“God warned His people not to neglect to obey His law regarding the land Sabbath. Ancient Israel and Judah refused to carry out God’s command to let the land rest every seventh year. God prophesied that Israel and Judah would go into captivity, if they were not to obey His laws. ‘Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall rest – for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it’ (Leviticus 26:34-35).

“Because of their disobedience of God’s laws, ancient Israel and Judah actually went into captivity. 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 states, ‘And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon…, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate, she kept Sabbath…’

“Today, the modern tribes of Israel and Judah do not obey their God, either, including God’s command to grant their land rest every seventh year. The prophecy in Leviticus 26 is dual. As it was fulfilled in the past, so it will be fulfilled again in the future…”

In our Q&A, addressing fruit trees during the Sabbath Year, we wrote the following:

“Leviticus 19:23-25 prescribes what we are to do with newly planted fruit trees. This law…is still valid today…

“These verses prohibit the consumption of fruit from a NEWLY PLANTED fruit tree for the first three years… In the fourth year, the fruit is to be used to praise God… In the fifth year, and all following years, the fruit belongs to the individual — but the individual is of course still obligated to tithe on the increase.

“This law… does not refer to shrubs, bushes, grapefruits, or olive trees. Those ‘trees’ are described in the Bible as field crops, as they have a different production cycle. The distinction is shown in the law of gleaning (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19-22). It is also shown in the law of the Sabbath rest (Leviticus 25:3-5; Exodus 23:10-11). Notice carefully that the law of gleaning and the Sabbath rest does NOT refer to fruit trees… Leviticus 25:3-4 instructs us not to sow our field, nor to prune our vineyard during the Sabbath year. (Again, this passage does not refer to fruit trees.) We are also told, in verses 7 and 8, that the Sabbath produce of the land shall be food for us and our livestock and other beasts during the Sabbath year.”

Leviticus 25 shows that the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee or Fiftieth Year are closely connected.

We read in Leviticus 25:8-14:

“And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field. In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession. And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible remarks:

“A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you,…. Which, clearly shows, that not the forty ninth year was the year of jubilee, as many learned men have asserted, chiefly induced by this reason, because two years would come together in which were no sowing [and] reaping; but that God [who] could cause the earth to [bring] forth fruit for three years, Leviticus 25:21, could make it bring forth enough for four years; and in order to make their sentiment agree with this passage, they are obliged to make the foregoing jubilee one of the fifty, and begin their account from thence; but this could not be done in the first account of the jubilee… ye shall not sow; in the year of jubilee, which shows also that this could not be the forty ninth year, which of course being a sabbatical year, there would be no sowing, reaping [etc.], and so this law or instruction would be quite needless.”

In the Jubilee Year, according to Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary, “… besides the common rest of the land, which was observed every sabbatical year (v. 11, 12), and the release of personal debts (Deu. 15:2, 3 [Year of Release]), there was to be the legal restoration of every Israelite to all the property, and all the liberty, which had been alienated from him since the last jubilee… The property which every man had in his dividend of the land of Canaan could not be alienated any longer than till the year of jubilee, and then he or his [offspring] should return to it, and have a title to it as undisputed, and the possession of it as undisturbed, as ever…”

We wrote the following in our Q&A regarding the Jubilee Year:

“In Old Testament times, God established a system whereby the poor would not be in perpetual poverty… Notice that the Jubilee Year began on the Day of Atonement. This annual Holy Day points at a future time when mankind will be released from the captivity of Satan and from the oppression of this present evil world. At the time of ancient Israel, the Jubilee Year designated a release from all debts and a repossession of the land which had been initially allocated to the debtor.”

In our Q&A on bankruptcy, we wrote this:

“There are numerous Biblical passages which, judging by their spiritual implications, allow for [declaring bankruptcy]. These passages deal with God’s institution for ancient Israel of the ‘Sabbath’ and the ‘Jubilee’ Year.

“(1) On the ‘Sabbath Year,’ that is, at the end of every seventh year, ‘debts of fellow Jews [correctly: Israelites] were to be canceled’ (Halley’s Bible Handbook, 24th ed., p. 139). One needs to note that this was an automatic release of debt, by God-given law. It was not required that an agreement was reached between creditor and debtor, or that the creditor agreed to release the debt of the debtor. Quite to the contrary, the debts had to be released every seventh year, whether the creditor liked it or not. This was not just a postponement of debts, either; it was, rather, a cancellation of debts.

“Notice Deuteronomy 15:1-3, 9: ‘At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor SHALL RELEASE IT; HE SHALL NOT REQUIRE IT OF HIS NEIGHBOR OR HIS BROTHER, because it is called the Lord’s release. Of a foreigner you may require it; but you SHALL GIVE UP YOUR CLAIM TO WHAT IS OWED TO YOUR BROTHER… Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye will be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing [knowing that by the time of the seventh year, the lender or creditor would never receive back what he gave] and he cry out to the LORD against you, and it become sin to you.’

“References to the Sabbath Year can also be found in Exodus 21:2, Nehemiah 10:31, and in Jeremiah 34:14. The release of debt was to occur automatically, without the necessity of an agreement between creditor and debtor. An interesting application of these principles can be found in Nehemiah 5:1-13.

“(2) In addition, every fiftieth year, God’s civil law for ancient Israel demanded that ANOTHER release be granted. This was, again, not a matter of choice or agreement between creditor and debtor, but automatic. Halley points out on p. 139: ‘Jubilee Year was every 50th year. It followed the 7th Sabbatic Year, making two rest years come together. It began on the Day of Atonement. ALL DEBTS WERE CANCELED, slaves set free, and lands that had been sold returned.’

“The Year of Jubilee is mentioned in several places, for instance in Leviticus 25 and Numbers 36:4. It is associated with the proclamation of ‘liberty’ (Leviticus 25:10) and referred to as the ‘Year of Liberty’ in Ezekiel 46:17. In Leviticus 25:24, 28, 39-41, it is stated: “‘And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land… But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee, and in the Jubilee it shall be RELEASED, and he shall return to his possession… And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you…, [he] shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee. And then he shall depart from you — he and his children with him — and shall return to his family. He shall return to the possession of his fathers.’

“The New Testament does not abolish the principles set forth in these Scriptures. In fact, Jesus came to preach liberty, as expressed in the Year of Jubilee, at His first coming (Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:17-21), applying it to total freedom of God’s people, including freedom from all sickness, disease, sin, death, and every curse (compare, for example, Edward Chumney, ‘The Seven Festivals of the Messiah,’ p. 147). It is true that there are New Testament Scriptures describing how creditors freely forgave their debtors (compare, Luke 7:41-42; 16:5-8). These additional Scriptures do not negate the principle, however, that debts can be forgiven by law and in God’s sight, regardless of whether the creditor is agreeable to such cancellation or not. In conclusion, the concept of declaring bankruptcy is Biblical under certain circumstances.”

In addition, as alluded to above, land was not to be sold forever. It had to be returned to the previous owner in the Year of Jubilee. Leviticus 25:15-16 explains that the price of the property or crops had to be determined based on the number of years left until the Jubilee Year.

Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary writes:

“What was to be done in that year extraordinary; besides the common rest of the land, which was observed every sabbatical year (v. 11, 12), and the release of personal debts (Deu. 15:2, 3), there was to be the legal restoration of every Israelite to all the property, and all the liberty, which had been alienated from him since the last jubilee… The property which every man had in his dividend of the land of Canaan could not be alienated any longer than till the year of jubilee, and then he or his [offspring] should return to it, and have a title to it as undisputed, and the possession of it as undisturbed, as ever (v. 10, 13): ‘You shall return every man to his possession’; so that if a man had sold or mortgaged his estate, or any part of it, it should then return to him or his heirs, free of all charge and encumbrance. Now this was no wrong to the purchaser, because the year of jubilee was fixed, and every man knew when it would come, and made his bargain accordingly.”

From all the foregoing, we can clearly see that the Sabbatical Year or the Land Sabbath or the Year of Release, as well as the Jubilee Year, were laws for the nation of Israel, which were indeed related to the Land of Canaan. They are of course not enforceable today, on a grand scale, as every nation today has its own laws which may quite differ in regard to cancellation of debts, long-term “employment” relationships, transactions of real property, or even the cultivation of farm land. Still, as will be explained in the next installment, the Church of God has consistently taught that certain PRINCIPLES can and should be applied as much as possible by Christians today.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

We are pleased to announce the launching of our newly refreshed AufPostenStehen site: http://www.aufpostenstehen.de. This is the culmination of work by our technology team, and it will greatly facilitate our web presentations in Europe and specifically among the German speaking audience.

“The Christmas Tree’s Origin” is the title of our newest StandingWatch program. In this presentation, Evangelist Norbert Link challenges our acceptance of practices that actually are rooted in blatant paganism–here is a summary: Perhaps the most cherished Christmas custom of all is the Christmas tree. But did you know that the Christmas tree was a pagan object of worship long before the birth of Christ? Pagans believed that their gods were living in and actually changed into pinetrees. Does the Bible speak about Christmas trees? And if so, does it approve or condemn the custom of decorating pine trees at Christmas time?

“Der Ursprung des Weihnachtsbaumes” is the German language version of this program and it is posted at http://www.aufpostenstehen.de/.

“Don’t Keep Christmas” is a booklet we have produced which goes into even more detail on the topic of Christmas observance. Following are quotes from the Introduction:

“Were you shocked when you read the title of this booklet? Was your first thought that the publishers of this booklet either embrace a non-Christian faith, or that they are atheists? Surely, a person calling himself Christian would not possibly suggest to NOT OBSERVE such an important Christian holiday, you might say.  After all, it celebrates the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!  Or, does it?  Have you ever questioned the validity of Christmas?

“Is Christmas a biblically commanded festival? Does the Bible even mention Christmas? Where did Christmas and its customs originate? How did Christmas become a Christian festival? What do Christmas customs have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ? And finally, what does God have to say about the celebration of Christmas? Does it matter to Him whether we keep Christmas? Does He approve of it? Or does He condemn it?  The answers may astound you!”

A new German sermon was recorded this week. The German title, “Gott Wird Herrschen” would say in English: “God Will Rule.” This sermon covers the concept as to how the Gentile nations will look for and seek Christ in the Millennium.

by Michael Link

Prayers have been intensified recently in my life, and they seem to be getting longer and longer.  There is so much to pray about. Aside from the many sicknesses and trials others in the church are going through, I spent a good amount of time thinking about the things going on in my family’s life and mine… But lately every morning, I have also emphasized my prayers on simply getting through the day, and that God will give me strength, patience, and wisdom, because there are many opportunities for Satan to strike.  It’s the simple things I often times neglect that can lead to more harm, if not controlled.

Getting frustrated at inanimate objects is easy to do, since they can’t respond, and it’s an immediate short-term relief to let it all out.  For example: yelling at a computer or the television because something isn’t working to my expectation, or lashing out at an appliance that has been in the same place for years, but still manages to stub my toe.  And many times when I am working, a package takes the heat when I’m unable to find it initially, as I was ready to deliver it 30 seconds ago.  I find myself yelling at traffic lights that turn red right when I’m about to cross the intersection, because I’m in a hurry and one minute at a stoplight seems like an eternity, and an utter waste of time.

This fast-paced lifestyle with more things to do than the day allows is quite normal.  I realize that my patience is tested, and I know that I am going through these tests to see how I would react. What may be insignificant like yelling at a box is very significant to Satan, because it can lead to more, if I allow him to. Fortunately, I recognize this, which is why I ask for God’s help, and I am thankful that God is there to help me.  Self-control is challenging at times, and over the years it has improved, but I know I can do better.  If I want to be blessed as God promises, I have to do my part as well, by conquering the simple things.

On November 17th, 2012, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Perfect Minister.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

The day following the recent US Presidential election, I tuned in to BBC radio and television programmes to see what the reaction was. One question was asked about what the Republican party now had to do in the light of this defeat. Answers given by several commentators and American politicians were that President Obama and his team had understood the mood of the country about such matters as gay rights and abortion, as the liberal agenda moved forward. In fact, one “blogger” said that the Republican party was primarily a religious party and would have to leave religious matters alone, if they ever wanted to get elected again. Such, it appears, is the antipathy towards God and His Word.

A few days before the election, hurricane Sandy hammered the eastern coast of the United States and caused billions of dollars’ worth of damage. Hurricane Katrina caused huge damage to New Orleans in 2005, and there have been many other disasters in between.

Not one commentator I heard mentioned the sowing and reaping principle.  The agenda of approving perversion, killing in war and murdering the unborn (just three of a raft of immoral behaviours) seems to have no connection in their minds with the punishments now being experienced. But the Bible says: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

God promises blessings for righteous behaviour and punishment for unrighteous behaviour (see Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28–these are principles that still apply in our time). There seems to be little or no recognition of this in society today, and these connections still go unrecognised.

The Church of God has forecast the downward spiral of our nations for many decades but, unfortunately, as people grow ever more distant from God and His ways, so the punishments will continue and increase. If ungodly practices were repented of and eliminated, countries would benefit enormously, but there seems to be no general recognition that behaviour is wrong!

As our nations continue to lurch from crisis to crisis, many more bad days lie ahead. After the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, the world will have the righteous rule and government of God on earth. But until that time, with no leaders having the answers and none of them truly trusting God, more punishments will inevitably follow.

With this edition, we are focusing first on the devastating situation in the USA, beginning with the suspicious timing of CIA Director David Petraeus, and continuing with America’s insurmountable problems, as evidenced by the fiscal cliff and the entitlement cliff, leading more and more commentators to conclude that America’s downfall has begun and appears inevitable.

We are reporting on interesting developments in Europe, pertaining to new Euro bills and the desire of most in the UK to leave the EU; speak about the precarious situation for Israel; and conclude with a report on India’s “Christmas”—the Festival of Lights.

CIA Director David Petraeus Resigns Over Marital Infidelity Affair

Last week, Petraeus, 60, resigned as Director of the CIA and admitted in a statement to having an affair. He is a four-star general and led the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to Reuters, November 9, “Petraeus’ name had circulated speculatively as a possible Republican presidential nominee before Obama tapped him as CIA chief.”

On November 11, Newsmax published the following article by Ronald Kessler, chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com. He is the New York Times bestselling author of books on the Secret Service, FBI, and CIA:

“FBI agents investigating CIA Director David Petraeus’s affair were shocked when told by bureau officials that despite the national security implications, no action would be taken on their findings until after the presidential election: Only then would President Obama ask for Petraeus’ resignation. The White House claims President Obama and his national security advisors were first informed of the Petraeus’ affair on Thursday, two days after the election.

“But the official timeline strains credulity. Senior FBI officials suppressed disclosure of the highly sensitive case, apparently to avoid embarrassment to Obama during his re-election campaign. On Oct. 10, I was contacted by a longtime FBI source who told me that a bureau investigation had uncovered Petraeus’ affair with a journalist and that it could potentially jeopardize national security. The veteran agent related to me that FBI agents assigned to the case were outraged by what… they  were told by senior officials: The FBI was going to hold in limbo their findings until after the election…

“My source said the FBI had been investigating the matter since last spring and the probe was considered among the most sensitive investigations the bureau was handling. Both FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and the Justice Department were aware of the investigation, according to my source. The source did not specifically know whether Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder or FBI Director Mueller had given the order to delay taking action until after the election.

“However, Mueller meets at least once a week with the president and routinely informs him of highly sensitive investigations and threats. An FBI investigation of the CIA director should have been at the top of that list. In fact, it would have been a scandal if the FBI had not informed the president or the attorney general of an investigation of the CIA director… If the president genuinely did not know about the probe, it would constitute malfeasance by the White House. But my FBI sources doubt the order to suppress the probe’s findings until after the election — while taking a chance with the nation’s security — was made by the bureau…

“In my opinion, Mueller is a man of impeccable integrity. He would not have acquiesced to delaying action on the bureau’s findings unless ordered to do so by the attorney general or by the president…

“As FBI agents and CIA officers tell me, such a delay could have meant that foreign intelligence service officers or criminals who may have learned of the affair could have blackmailed Petraeus into giving up the country’s most sensitive secrets. Given his position, those secrets would have included penetrations of Russian communications, bugging of foreign embassies, identities of assets risking their lives to give the U.S. valuable information on terrorists, and identities of terrorists who are about to be killed by drones…”

Holder Knew About CIA Director David Petraeus Investigation

Newsmax wrote on November 12:

“Attorney General Eric Holder knew as early as late summer that former CIA Director David Petraeus was the subject of an FBI investigation that eventually uncovered an affair that Petraeus was having with his biographer…

“The revelation raises questions of whether Holder, already under fire for the botched ‘Operation Fast and Furious’ gun-running scheme, should have – or even would have – told President Barack Obama once he was notified about the FBI investigation. ‘The idea that the White House didn’t learn of this potential problem until Election Day, I just find incomprehensible,’ John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under George W. Bush, told Fox. ‘Did the attorney general sit on this information for two months?’… Bolton told Fox that it begged the question ‘of whether the information was suppressed.’

“According to the White House, Obama did not find out about the Petraeus affair last Thursday when the highly decorated general met with him in the Oval Office… given that Petraeus came up in an investigation was enough reason to notify the White House, several congressmen told Fox… Utah GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz told Fox:….The heads of the House and Senate intelligence committees should have been informed… ‘Notification should have also gone to the president – immediately.’”

“White House Lied and Covered Up”

Newsmax wrote on November 13:

“Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee tells Newsmax it’s an ‘absolute certainty’ there has been a cover-up involving the Benghazi terrorist attack and the White House ‘flat-out lied’ to the American people about it… And Huckabee, who sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2008, says he won’t rule out another White House run in 2016. Gov. Huckabee is now the host of ‘The Mike Huckabee Show,’ broadcast on 190 stations in 44 states, and a Fox News contributor…

“In an exclusive interview with Newsmax TV, Huckabee was asked if details of [Petraeus’] affair were covered up by the White House to help Obama win re-election. ‘The answer to that is I don’t know, but there are certainly some very curious things about the whole timeline,’ he says. ‘There are some things in Benghazi that the White House has covered up. That much is a pretty absolute certainty. They were dishonest with the American people. They flat-out lied to us about what happened. They knew they were lying to us. And they’ve been covering it up. That we know and we’ll stick with that until we find out what the White House did know.”

Collateral Damage

The Daily News reported on November 14:

“The seedy scandal surrounding Gen. David Petraeus has now imperiled his successor as commander in Afghanistan, given the U.S. military a black eye and embarrassed America on the world stage. The fallout from the shenanigans has also left President Obama with a huge headache as he tries to pull American forces out of Afghanistan by 2014, ending the country’s longest war…

“With the frat house-like atmosphere surrounding the top defenders of the United States, no one is sure where this ‘Greek tragedy,’ as one politician called it, will wind up. The sexcapades that have made America’s top brass a laughingstock came to light when raven-haired bombshell Jill Kelley [a  Lebanese Catholic who came to the U.S. as a child]… complained to the FBI about sketchy emails and touched off the probe that doomed Petraeus as CIA director. Now, the collateral damage from Petraeus’ two-timing has hit Gen. John Allen, whose appointment to head NATO forces in Europe has been put on hold after it turns out he and Kelley exchanged a blizzard of sometimes ‘flirtatious’ emails.”

These articles raise and address some interesting questions, but in light of the government’s and Congress’  investigative “results” of other troublesome issues in the past, it is highly doubtful that we will ever learn what really happened—until Christ’s return, that is, when all the hidden things will come to light and be revealed.

The Fiscal Cliff

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 8:

“The US has more in common with heavily indebted southern European countries than it might like to admit. And if the country doesn’t reach agreement on deficit reduction measures soon, the similarities could become impossible to ignore. The fiscal cliff looms in the near future, and it’s not just the US that is under threat…

“Americans are now facing a… real horror scenario… if the country is allowed to plunge off the ‘fiscal cliff’ at the beginning of next year. Coined by Federal Reserve head Ben Bernanke, it refers to the vast array of cuts and tax increases which will automatically go into effect if Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on measures to slash the US budget deficit.

“… the US is staggering under a monumental pile of debt and could potentially begin to face the kinds of difficulties that have plunged several euro-zone countries into crisis. It is a viewpoint shared by the ratings agencies… the ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans in the face of a horrendously imbalanced budget looks catastrophically absurd. As their country heads toward the edge of the abyss, lawmakers preferred to debate whether or not French fries and pizza should be considered vegetables…

“Were taxes to be ratcheted up at the same time as state programs were slashed, it would have an enormous effect on the economy. According to the Congressional Budget Office, 2013 growth would immediately drop by four percentage points, making a recession unavoidable. The number of unemployed would be two million higher than without the cuts.

“It is an eventuality that doesn’t just put fear into the hearts of Americans. In its annual report on the US, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) referred to the fiscal cliff as the largest risk currently facing America. Investors have already reportedly become more cautious in the face of the looming cuts. Should politicians not agree to a credible plan for reducing US debt, it could ultimately harm the credibility of the dollar as a reserve currency…

“US politicians, no doubt, would not be fond of hearing their country compared to Greece. After all, the heavily indebted euro-zone country was used during the presidential campaign as a caricature for the horrors of European-style socialism. But their current finances are not dissimilar, with one difference being that the US can’t count on outside help as the Greeks have received.

“It remains to be seen how US politicians choose to approach the problem. Republicans, having defended their majority in the House of Representatives, could simply let the country plunge off the cliff in the hopes that it would be blamed on Obama. Or, on the other hand, their willingness to compromise may have been increased by virtue of losing the presidential election badly… Greece’s economic problems and the resulting austerity packages it has passed have plunged the country into five straight years of recession. Germany, Europe and the world are hoping that the same fate is not in store for the US.”

America’s immediate economic future looks grim. But as the next article shows, America’s not-too-distant economic future looks even grimmer.

Fiscal Cliff and Tax Cuts

Newsmax wrote on November 12:

“Most Americans believe the federal government should extend a variety of tax cuts, including those implemented during the George W. Bush administration, a new poll reveals… Most voters believe Congress and the president should work to extend the tax cuts set to expire at the end of this year, but don’t think they should allow the automatic spending cuts to take effect at that time…

The Entitlement Cliff

Newsmax wrote on November 11:

“Much has been said about the ‘fiscal cliff’ coming at the end of the year, when tax cuts are set to expire and automatic spending cuts begin, but that ‘pales in comparison’ to the ‘entitlement cliff’ looming for the country in coming years, a new report warns.

“Entitlement spending is already so high that the cost of all entitlement programs plus interest on the debt is nearly equal to total federal revenue. That means virtually everything else the government does is being paid for with borrowed money, the report from the Institute for Policy Innovation discloses.

“Entitlements include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and means-tested welfare programs, plus veteran benefits, unemployment pay, disability pay, and more.  A number of these programs have grown substantially since President Obama took office. Medicaid has grown from 46.9 recipients to 56 million, disability beneficiaries have increased from 7.5 million to 8.8 million, and the food stamp program has grown from 32 million beneficiaries to 47 million.

“All told, more than 120 million Americans receive entitlements of some kind, according to the Institute, a Texas-based think tank. Add to that an estimated 16 million new Medicaid beneficiaries resulting from Obamacare, and some 18 million people who enter the health insurance exchanges beginning in 2014.

“The bottom line: For fiscal 2012, the federal government spent about $2.2 trillion of its $3.7 trillion budget on entitlement programs, while gross annual revenues stood at $2.6 trillion. Add interest on the federal debt of $220 billion to the entitlement payout, and that leaves less than $200 billion to pay for everything else, including defense, transportation, education, and homeland security. So the government makes up the shortfall by borrowing, or printing, money.

“The problem will only get worse in coming years. Since 1980, Medicare and Medicaid have grown at more than 9 percent annually, and an estimated 77 million baby boomers are beginning to retire and collect Social Security. At the same time, the pool of workers who pay for these programs is not growing. The Tax Policy Center reports that only 53 percent of households now pay both income and payroll taxes…”

America’s troubles are not limited to the economy, as the next article explains.

The Downfall of the USA Is Obvious

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 10:

“… the signs of the downfall [of the USA] are obvious. One must only take a look at the condition of the streets (every fourth bridge is crumbling!), or the entirely outdated power grid, to come to the conclusion that this country has its future behind it. A nation that has its utility lines hanging from poles in the street, instead of burying them in an orderly fashion underground, cannot really be taken seriously…

“There is hardly an issue about which Germans as so united as they are by their desire to see America on its knees. It unites both the left and the right. Wherever they look, they see decay, a lack of culture and ignorance. ‘A perverse mixture of irresponsibility, greed, and religious zealotry,’ as… columnist Jacob Augstein, furiously argued on Monday…

“The childish excitement over Obama, that once again took hold over Germans during this election — fully 93 percent of the country would have voted for him in this election — is the flip side of this desire for America’s demise. That the Germans, of all people, should see themselves in a black civil rights attorney from Chicago can only be explained by the fact that they see him as the opposite of what they consider to be normal Americans.

“Since Obama spoke to the world in front of the Victory Column in Berlin during his first presidential campaign in the summer of 2008, he has found a firm place in the hearts of German citizens. They will always be grateful to him for this honor. That’s why they forgive him for keeping Guantanamo open and for sending out drones like other people would send postcards…

“Obama has no interest in Europe, and all of his attention goes to Asia. If this president calls the German chancellor’s office, it is only to try to sweet talk her into finally implementing euro-bonds, so Wall Street can sleep again. But that is one of those facts that is better to suppress…”

However one wants to analyze the situation, it should be rather obvious that America’s downfall has not only begun—total collapse seems to be inevitable.

Princess Europa and the New Euro

The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 8:

“No matter what happens with its high-stakes debt negotiations, Greece is staying in the euro. Literally.

“The European Central Bank said Thursday that it would begin issuing new bank notes in May of next year, starting with the five-euro bill. A new feature: The portrait of Europa, a beautiful Phoenician princess and figure from Greek mythology who gave Europe its name, will be part of the new note’s security watermark and hologram. The overall design of the notes, featuring generic bridges, arches and windows, won’t change—Europa will serve as a new security feature.

“After the five-spot, the ECB will include the watermark in 10s, 20s and 50s, all the way up to 500-euro notes over the course of several years. As the ancient tale goes, Europa was abducted by Zeus, who somehow turned himself into a bull to capture her. Thanks to the Europa design, ECB bank notes will be ‘even more secure,’ the ECB said. In other words, Greece will protect the euro, not the other way around.

“Eventually the Europa design will replace existing bank notes. Europeans holding stashes of current bills need not fear. Those notes ‘will retain their value indefinitely and can be exchanged at the Eurosystem [national central banks] at any time,’ the ECB said.”

The EUObserver added on November 9:

“In Greek mythology, the Phoenician princess Europa was abducted and raped by the king of the gods, Zeus. But her image will from next year replace pictures of windows and doors on euro banknotes as a security and decorative feature. ‘Portraits have long been used in banknotes around the world and research has shown that people tend to remember faces. Is there any better figure than Europa to serve as the new face of the euro?’ the chief of the European Central Bank (ECB), Mario Draghi, said on Thursday (8 November) according to Bloomberg…

“Europa’s face will be shown as a watermark and as a hologram. Until now, euro notes carried pictures of windows and doors in various architectural styles in a symbol of openness designed not to offend national sensibilities.”

It appears that the concept of the pagan god Zeus enticing the princess Europa, as well as the concept of the Tower of Babel, representing many different languages, have had a direct conscious influence on the desire of Europeans to resurrect the ancient Roman Empire.

A Great Britain Without Europe?

The Telegraph wrote on November 8:

“The leaders met in London to try to iron out differences over the EU’s €1 trillion (£800.5bn) budget that threaten to block a deal and fuel fears that London is drifting away from the 27-nation union. Describing plans to increase the EU budget as ‘ludicrous’, Cameron has threatened to veto any deal he thinks is not in Britain’s interests and will push for a real-terms freeze.

“However, German officials are exasperated by what they see as London’s slide towards Europe’s margins, a feeling reinforced last week after the British parliament voted to call for a real-terms cut in the EU’s budget. Before meeting Cameron, the German Chancellor told the European Parliament she could not imagine a Europe without Britain, the world’s sixth largest economy, which relies on the EU for half its trade.

“‘I believe you can be very happy on an island, but being alone in this world doesn’t make you any happier,’ Merkel said after British politician Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-European UK Independence Party, urged her to tell Cameron that Britain should quit the EU…

“Cameron was humiliated by last week’s defeat in parliament and opponents say he has lost control of Conservative Party anti-Europeans, a group that helped topple former leaders and that wants a referendum on Britain’s EU membership. Debate over a referendum on Britain reworking its EU role or even leaving has climbed the agenda. A YouGov survey in October found 49pc of those polled wanted to leave the EU, against 28pc who wanted to stay in it.

“Talking tough on Europe can play well with ‘eurosceptic’ British voters and Conservative politicians, but Cameron risks angering EU neighbours and his pro-European coalition partners, the Lib Dems… Cameron’s threat to block a deal could delay a funding increase for the poorest east European member states and isolate Britain from disgruntled EU nations. He has already angered some by talking of using closer eurozone integration as a chance to repatriate some powers from Brussels…

“Germany is the biggest net contributor to the budget while Britain, which receives an annual rebate on its payments, is the fourth largest net payer after France and Italy.”

Britain’s exit from the EU seems to be a foregone conclusion.

“Netanyahu Has Few Options in the South, None of Them Good”

The Times of Israel wrote on November 12:

“Israel’s situation today vis-à-vis Gaza, from the bottom up, is quite untenable.

“Hamas and other groups have fired some 11,000 rockets at Israel since 2001, according to Home Front Defense Minister Avi Dichter — 160 or so of them since Saturday evening. Israel’s sovereignty has been violated time and again. The residents of the south have found themselves on the front lines on innumerable occasions…

“People living in Sderot and Netivot are outraged: They know that if this rocket fire was being directed at Tel Aviv, Israel would be at war. They also know that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak only promised to fortify the houses situated between 4.5 and 7 kilometers from Gaza on October 24, in the midst of an elections campaign. (Homes closer to Gaza are already fortified.) Moreover, they know that for years the IDF and the government decided against investing in short-and-medium-range rocket protection…

“Toppling the Hamas regime is not a sensible option — the consequences range from chaos, to the rise of a still more extreme Islamist regime, to a draining, vehemently unwanted restoration of Israeli responsibility — and victories against guerilla groups are difficult to attain and nearly impossible to secure. The government owes its citizens some sort of solution. Speaking with Hamas, however, as advocated by former defense minister Amir Peretz, is not something Netanyahu is likely to do, and least of all while under fire.

“A limited operation…is a possibility. But even that means throwing Israel into a small war in Gaza – and, like all wars, one knows where it would start but not where it would end. This is especially meaningful today, with the Muslim Brotherhood presidency in Egypt, the Syrian border heating up and the entire region in a once-a-century sort of flux.

“Internationally, Netanyahu has little goodwill to call upon…  It is difficult for the prime minister to commission a report that deems the settlements in the West Bank legal by international law – disregarding the opinion of every Western government – and at the same time to expect full-throated backing from the governments whose support Israel would need for a bloody resort to force. It is impossible to appoint a man such as Avigdor Liberman to the post of foreign minister – a virtual persona non grata in Washington DC and some of the capitals of Europe — and then think that you can count on the leaders of those countries for robust support in Israel’s hour of need…

“The best case scenario for Netanyahu may be to ready the country and the world for war – much as he has done on the Iranian issue – while clandestinely urging and fervently hoping that someone else will intervene in its stead. But if they do not, if Egypt cannot or will not broker a deal, and if the US is disinclined or unable to help at this time, then however discouraging the circumstances, the Israeli government will have to act.”

Since this article, spectacular events happened pertaining to Israel, the Gaza Strip and Hamas.

Hamas Military Chief Killed in Gaza Air Strike

The Telegraph reported on November 14:

“Hamas has said an Israeli air strike in Gaza killed Ahmed Jabari, the head of its military wing, in an attack on a vehicle on Wednesday. The military wing of Hamas said in a statement that the assassination ‘has opened the gates of hell’. Israel’s military said the strike was the ‘start of targetting Gaza militants’, according to AFP… Jabari is the most senior Hamas official to be killed since an Israeli invasion of Gaza four years ago. He has long topped Israel’s most-wanted list, the Associated Press reported.
 
“Israeli officials had said in recent days that they were considering assassinating top Hamas officials following a wave of heavy rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence service confirmed it had carried out the attack, saying it had killed Jaabri because of his ‘decade-long terrorist activity’…

“Meanwhile, an Israeli official said they may try to topple President Mahmoud Abbas if he carries out a plan to ask the United Nations this month to upgrade the status of the Palestinian Authority. The upgrade would give the Palestinians a place in the world body akin to that of the Vatican – short of full membership as a sovereign state but as close as they can get without the full recognition that Israel says can only come from a peace treaty… Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman… said Israel must confront this challenge by means that could include ‘toppling (Abbas) and dismantling the Palestinian Authority’. Lieberman said in a speech at the settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank that if the Palestinian upgrade request was accepted by the UN General Assembly – as is widely predicted – it could force Israel to punish the Palestinians.

“‘If the … proposal is adopted at the United Nations General Assembly, as far as we are concerned this would be a complete breaking of the rules and it will elicit an extreme response from us,’ Lieberman said on Wednesday. Newspaper reports say Israel instructed its ambassadors to warn it may revoke all or part of the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which set up the Palestinian Authority under an interim peace agreement.”

The Jerusalem Post added on November 14:

“IAF hits 20 underground sites housing long-range launchers capable of striking Tel Aviv; strikes mark start of targeted anti-terror campaign… The IAF struck and killed Hamas armed wing Izzadin Kassam Brigades commander Ahmed Jabari in central Gaza on Wednesday. The strike marked the beginning of Operation Pillar of Defense to target Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror organizations in Gaza, IDF spokesman Yoav Mordechai announced… Mordechai added that Gaza is a ‘forward Iranian base,’ adding that the latest campaign of air strikes targeted most of the long-range offensive capabilities in the hands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad…

“Shortly after Mordechai’s annoucement [sic], the IAF struck over 20 underground rocket launchers belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The airstrikes targeted long-range rockets in the possession of terror organizations, such as the Fajr-5 and other rockets that are capable of striking Tel Aviv from Gaza. Palestinian sources said that six Gazans were killed in the IDF strikes… The majority of the Gaza weapons storage sites were located in civilian residential buildings, the IDF confirmed. “This is further evidence of the pattern of Hamas to use the population in Gaza as human shields,” the IDF stressed… Wednesday’s violence came after a four-day rocket barrage which began Saturday appeared to have come to an end on Tuesday evening. The hostilities saw over 100 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel and Israeli retaliatory strikes which killed six Palestinians.”

An escalation of the situation would of course have devastating consequences for the entire region, but it seems that this is exactly what the Bible says, will happen.

All-Out War Looms

Reuters wrote on November 15:

“Two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip targeted Tel Aviv on Thursday in the first attack on Israel’s commercial capital in 20 years, raising the stakes in a showdown between Israel and the Palestinians that is moving towards all-out war.

“Earlier, a Hamas rocket killed three Israelis north of the Gaza Strip, drawing the first blood from Israel as the Palestinian death toll rose to 19, six of them children.

“Israeli warplanes bombed targets in and around Gaza city for a second day, shaking tall buildings. In a sign of possible escalation, the armed forces spokesman said the military had received the green light to call in up to 30,000 reserve troops…

“Egypt’s new Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, viewed by Hamas as an ally, led a chorus of denunciation of the Israeli strikes by Palestinian allies… After watching powerlessly from the sidelines of the Arab Spring, Israel has been thrust to the centre of a volatile new world in which Islamist Hamas hopes that Mursi and his newly dominant Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt will be its protectors…

“The new conflict will be the biggest test yet of Mursi’s commitment to Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel, which the West views as the bedrock of Middle East peace. The Muslim Brotherhood, which brought Mursi to power in an election after the downfall of Hosni Mubarak, has called for a ‘Day of Rage’ in Arab capitals…”

An escalation of the situation would of course have devastating consequences for the entire region, but it seems that this is exactly what the Bible says, will happen.

“Hindu Christmas”

Deutsche Welle reported on November 14:

“India’s Festival of Lights, or Diwali, is the most important Hindu celebration. The high point in 2012 is on November 13. Due to its spiritual and social significance, the festival is often compared to Christmas. In northern India, Diwali also coincides with New Year’s Day… The key element of the Diwali Festival is light. In the past, little oil lamps were placed in rows along window sills or in doorways. Today, more and more electric lights are being used to illuminate homes, businesses and streets all across the country with decorative strings of tiny lightbulbs…

“In Hindu tradition, every worship or prayer begins with praise for Ganesha, the elephant god. He is the god of success and prosperity… and the god who clears all obstacles out of one’s path… Traditionally. Diwali is dedicated to the sweet goddess of good fortune, Lakshmi. But in some eastern India states – for instance, West Bengal – it is Kali who is worshipped. Also known as ‘the Black One,’ she is the goddess of death and destruction…In 2009, US President Barack Obama celebrated Diwali for the first time in the White House. Some three million ethnic Indians live in the United States. At the same time, Obama congratulated Hindus around the world as they marked their New Year…

“Diwali is a festival for the entire nation. The Festival of Lights is observed by all ethnic groups in every region of India, as well as by other religious groups. Across the country schools are closed for the holidays… The manufacturers of all kinds of sweet things have to work overtime in the weeks before Diwali. It is a tradition to give your neighbors, friends or colleagues some delicious treat. Milk, sugar, grits, pistachios, or almonds are the main ingredients…

“Strings of real flowers, but also plastic ones, decorate doors all over India. The most important doorways, like a home’s main entrance, are especially colorful. Lakshmi, the goddess of good fortune, after all, needs to find the house!… For Diwali, people often wait until the last minute to buy gifts for the family, friends and neighbors… A few days before this year’s Diwali Festival, activists from an NGO in Kolkata protested against child labor and released homemade balloons into the night sky. Children are still commonly exploited in India for manufacturing fireworks and the elaborate but tiny ‘diyas,’ or oil lamps.”

The parallels with Christmas—another festival with pagan origins—are indeed striking. That President Obama should keep this Feast is ample testimony for the accuracy of biblical condemnation for this end time, as pointed out in Isaiah 2:6-9.

As this is a very broad subject, we will provide answers in several Q&As. This Q&A constitutes the first installment, to be continued next week.

The purpose of this first installment is NOT to answer most of the questions about the Land Sabbath and the Jubilee Year. Answers will be provided in future installments. In this installment, we will mainly be quoting from commentaries to show the different positions applied to the issues—which are somewhat reminiscent of SOME opinions and concepts which are occasionally raised by some Church members as well.  In subsequent installments, we will discuss the substantive accuracy or inaccuracy of many of those statements.

Let us first look at the biblical provisions in detail, and analyze what exactly they provide. In that context, we must realize that there are ritual temporary laws (which are not in force for us today), spiritual eternal laws (which are immutable and always effective for man), physical and spiritual laws binding today for individuals, and laws which were given to the nation of Israel in the Promised Land, which were in force while God was their Supreme Ruler, and which may not presently be in force (although underlying spiritual principles might be). We need to ascertain to which category the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee Year injunctions belong.

The first mention of the Sabbatical Year or the Land Sabbath can be found in Exodus 23:10-11, long before Israel entered the Promised Land. We read:

“Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove.”

Please note that this provision is immediately followed, in verses 12-19, by the injunction regarding the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days.

Let us now review several statements, opinions and interpretations, as set forth in commentaries regarding the nature and purpose of the provisions of the Land Sabbath, as referred to in Exodus 23.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible says: “This is the first mention of the Sabbatical year; the law for it is given at length in Leviticus 25:2…”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible adds: “And six years thou shall sow thy land, The land of Canaan, given to their ancestors and to them, and which they were now going to inherit…”

Wesley’s Notes write: “The institution of the sabbatical year was designed, To shew [sic] what a plentiful land that was, into which God was bringing them, that so numerous a people could have rich maintenance out of the products of so small a country, without foreign trade, and yet could spare the increase of every seventh year. To teach them a confidence in the Divine Providence, while they did their duty, That as the sixth day’s manna served for two days meat, so the sixth year’s increase should serve for two years subsistence.”

The Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary writes:  “Even in the year of rest they must not think that the sabbath day was laid in common with the other days, but, even that year, it must be religiously observed; yet thus some have endeavoured to take away the observance of the sabbath, by pretending that every day must be a sabbath day…”

We will address the substance of some of these comments in subsequent installments.

The next reference to the Land Sabbath can be found in Leviticus 25:1-7, 18-22:

“And the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you; for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land—all its produce shall be for food…”’”

“’So you shall observe My statutes and keep my judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety. And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years, And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.’”

Again, let us review some statements from several commentaries in this regard.

Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible says: “It may be asked here: if it required all the annual produce of the field to support the inhabitants, how could the people be nourished the seventh year, when no produce was received from the fields? To this it may be answered, that God sent his blessing in an especial manner on the sixth year (see Leviticus 25:21, Leviticus 25:22), and it brought forth fruit for three years.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible adds: “And now this law did not take place as soon as they came into the land, for it was to be sown six years, and then was the year of rest; and indeed not till after Joshua had subdued the whole land, which was seven years a doing; nor till they were quite settled, and it was divided among them, and every man had his field and vineyard apart, which this law supposes…”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary agrees, writing: “When ye come into the land which I give you—It has been questioned on what year, after the occupation of Canaan, the sabbatic year began to be observed. Some think it was the seventh year after their entrance. But others, considering that as the first six years were spent in the conquest and division of the land (Jos 5:12), and that the sabbatical year was to be observed after six years of agriculture, maintain that the observance did not commence till the fourteenth year.”

The Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament writes: “The omission of sowing and reaping presupposed that the sabbatical year commenced with the civil year, in the autumn of the sixth year of labour, and not with the ecclesiastical year, on the first of Abib (Nisan), and that it lasted till the autumn of the seventh year, when the cultivation of the land would commence again with the preparation of the ground and the sowing of the seed for the eighth year; and with this the command to proclaim the jubilee year on ‘the tenth day of the seventh month’ throughout all the land (Leviticus 25:9), and the calculation in Leviticus 25:21, Leviticus 25:22, fully agree.”

Wesley’s Notes say:  “When ye come into the land – So as to be settled in it; for the time of the wars was not to be accounted, nor the time before Joshua’s distribution of the land among them. Keep a sabbath – That is, enjoy rest and freedom from plowing, and tilling. Unto the Lord – In obedience and unto the honour of God. This was instituted, For the assertion of God’s sovereign right to the land, in which the Israelites were but tenants at God’s will…”

Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary points out: “The law of this chapter concerns the lands and estates of the Israelites in Canaan, the occupying and transferring of which were to be under the divine direction, as well as the management of religious worship; for, as the tabernacle was a holy house, so Canaan was a holy land; and upon that account, as much as anything, it was the glory of all lands. In token of a peculiar title which God had to this land, and a right to dispose of it, he appointed… [that] every seventh year should be a year of rest from occupying the land, a sabbatical year (v. 1-7). In this God expected from them extraordinary instances of faith and obedience, and they might expect from God extraordinary instances of power and goodness in providing for them (v. 18-22)… All these appointments have something moral and of perpetual obligation in them, though in the letter of them they were not only peculiar to the Jews [Israelites], but to them only while they were in Canaan…

“In the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land… This sabbatical year began in September, at the end of harvest… The Jews say they ‘began not to reckon for the sabbatical year till they had completed the conquest of Canaan, which was in the eighth year of Joshua; the seventh year after that was the first sabbatical year…’”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states: “The express prohibition of sowing and reaping, and of pruning and gathering, affords a presumption in favor of the sabbatical year beginning, like the year of Jubilee Leviticus 25:9, in the first month of the civil year Leviticus 23:24, the seventh of the sacred year, when the land was cleared of the crops of the preceding year.. Its great spiritual lesson was that there was no such thing as absolute ownership in the land vested in any man, that the soil was the property of Yahweh, that it was to be held in trust for Him, and not to be abused by overworking, but to be made the most of for the good of every creature which dwelt upon it.”

Again, we will discuss the substance of these statements in subsequent installments. However, to conclude this first installment, we would like to briefly point out the following:

While many of the above-quoted comments are very good, some statements are misleading and will be addressed and clarified, as we proceed. For instance, the argument, which seems to be associated with some of the comments above, that this was a law which only applied to Israel while in the Promised Land, will have to be rejected. We read, for instance, that Israel was ordered in Exodus 23:10-11, long before entering the Promised Land, to keep the Land Sabbaths (without any reference there to the Promised Land), and in the same context, they were ordered, in Exodus 23:12, to keep the weekly Sabbath (again without any reference to entering the Promised Land).

We addressed the issue of the ongoing validity of the Land Sabbath or the Sabbatical Year in previous Q&As, which we will cite and discuss in the next installment. These Q&A’s quoted numerous commentaries to the effect that they do not feel that the Land Sabbath only applied to the nation of Israel for the time while in the Promised Land, even though it is quite obvious that the provisions only began to be applied sometime AFTER Israel had left Egypt and entered the Promised Land, because, while in the desert, they had no land to cultivate. It should also be noted that there is no indication that any of the provisions regarding the Land Sabbath are mentioned prior to Exodus 23, while there were undoubtedly righteous people who cultivated land. Still, the omission of such provisions is no conclusive evidence that they were not in effect prior to Exodus 23, nor, that they have no validity today.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The draft for our newest booklet, covering the timeline of prophecy and titled, “Biblical Prophecy From Now Until Forever,” has entered the first review cycle. Look for the publishing of this astonishing and biblically comprehensive booklet in the weeks ahead. If you would like to have a hard copy mailed to you, please contact us with your request.

Following up on his live sermon given last Sabbath (“The Trap of Idolatry”), Norbert Link has recorded a German sermon (“NEU! Goetzendienst im Christentum?“) covering the same topic. This will be played by the brethren in Germany this coming Sabbath.

“The Petraeus Scandal and the Fiscal Cliff” is the new StandingWatch program recorded by Evangelist Norbert Link–here is a summary: What is the real scandal behind David Petraeus’ marital infidelity and resignation? And why should you be concerned about the fiscal cliff and the entitlement cliff? Why do all these and other developments show that the signs of the downfall of the USA are obvious? Why the desire of the world to see America on its knees?

Other recent StandingWatch progams include: “Why I Don’t Vote!” and “Americans Voted for Nothing!”

StandingWatch Radio (http://www.standingwatch.org/radioPrograms) also airs the audio portion of each video presentation. If you are in an area receiving these broadcasts, please tune in and give us your input–as we work to bring biblical truth to a world so desperately in need of the good news of the coming Kingdom of God!