On November 10th, 2012, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Trap of Idolatry.”

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.

Having just had the Presidential election I can now safely say that in this democratic nation of ours, we are united.  Even though the diametrically opposing views of the populace brought out the worst in so many and only served to make us more at odds with one another — we are still in agreement as to how to solve the problems that beset us.

This country was and still is united in the belief that a man of a particular political persuasion can make this a better country. Of course, half of the people believe their guy is the right one for the job and the other half believe theirs is.

Two days ago, Barack Obama was re-elected to the office he has held now for nearly 4 years, and I am telling you now that this once greatly blessed land of ours is going to continue going downhill.  Now what you will not read in most editorials and commentaries is that had Mitt Romney been elected or ANYONE else on the ticket for that matter, the same could have been said about them as well.

To have faith that either of the two leading candidates has the answers to this country’s problems is misguided.  In the end it did not really matter who won, because we as a nation are going to continue on a path towards self-destruction–and because it is not within man to guide himself or know right from wrong and then do it.

Religion was never heavily brought into this race.  Without true Christianity, this society will continue spiraling out of control and into oblivion as is prophesied — it is coming to pass before our very eyes.  Our society and the freedom and prosperity it has enjoyed is coming to The End.

After that THEN we will have true unity!  This will only happen with God and His Way and the Oneness that comes with His Spirit.  No longer will we be divided and laboring in cross purposes and wrong directions. When this time arrives we will begin to act as one body in unison advancing towards the right goals. 

For now though, we are to be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” and pray to Him in all of this that “Your Will be done” and not what we want or think is right and best for us or for this nation.

We begin reporting on the re-election of Barack Obama to the office of President, and the reactions in the USA and overseas, as well as the possible future of American relationships with other nations. We also focus on the terrible impression which the USA has given to the world, even prior to the results of the election, due to the dirty and extremely costly Presidential campaigns, which, it seems, have not brought about any change in and for a country which is as divided as ever.

We continue focusing on Israel and Turkey, as well as the entire Middle East; address interesting developments in Europe; and conclude reporting about another major earthquake—this time in Guatemala.

Barack Obama Wins Election With Help of Hispanic Voters

The New York Times wrote on November 6:

“Barack Hussein Obama was re-elected president of the United States on Tuesday… as a divided nation voted to give him more time.

“Hispanics made up an important part of Mr. Obama’s winning coalition… And before the night was through, there were already recriminations from Republican moderates who said Mr. Romney had gone too far during the primaries in his statements against those here illegally, including his promise that his get-tough policies would cause some to ‘self-deport.’

“Mr. Obama, 51, faces governing in a deeply divided country and a partisan-rich capital, where Republicans retained their majority in the House and Democrats kept their control of the Senate. His re-election offers him a second chance that will quickly be tested, given the rapidly escalating fiscal showdown.

“For Mr. Obama, the result brings a ratification of his sweeping health care act, which Mr. Romney had vowed to repeal. The law will now continue on course toward nearly full implementation in 2014, promising to change significantly the way medical services are administered nationwide…”

The fact that the Republican Party missed the opportunity of engaging in meaningful dialogue with Hispanic voters is also being emphasized in articles below.

No Reason to Celebrate

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 7:

“Barack Obama may have won the election, but it is a victory devoid of triumph.

“Republican candidate Romney proved instead to be an opponent who will quickly be forgotten by history — an inept, even awkward politician. Far more historic in this election was the Republican Party’s foolishness in failing to make a decisive effort to attract the minority groups that increasingly determine the outcome of American elections. African-American voters were expected to stand by Obama. But Hispanic voters could well have been drawn to the conservatives, given the difficult economic situation in which the US finds itself…

“American elections can no longer be won on the strength of white men’s votes alone. The Republican Party must recognize that the increasing numbers of immigrants and Americans descended from immigrants not only plan to remain in the country, but they want to be involved in the decision-making process too. Even… Fox News television host Bill O’Reilly has acknowledged that ‘the white establishment is now the minority’…”

This is true. As the Bible predicted, the American white establishment is now indeed in the minority.

The Achilles Heel of American Democracy

The Washington Times wrote on November 7:

“All that for nothing. It was the billion-dollar election that did not decide one single… thing. Republicans control the House. Democrats control the Senate. And the White House remains in Democratic hands with absolutely no mandate whatsoever. Another four years with no hope of change.

“In this environment with this economy and all the gravely important matters pressing against the very existence of this country, it should have been a tsunami election… Instead… it  was the rape election. The contraception election. The binders full of women election. It was about who was born where and whether she really could claim to be a Cherokee Indian. It was about former president George W. Bush. And it was about gay marriage…

“Just about the only thing the election wasn’t about was the economy, which everyone agrees was the only thing voters actually cared about…

“The most disturbing issue of the election was how President Obama managed to win re-election in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania and Michigan by talking about the highly unpopular bailout of General Motors. By taking billions of dollars in hard-earned money from taxpayers during a deep recession and giving it to a couple of huge companies, Obama managed to buy the votes he needed to eke out re-election. Taxpayers remain on the hook to the tune of $25 billion.

“This is the Achilles heel of a democracy. Politicians simply tax those who do not support them and give the money to those who do. Or give the money to those they would like to have support them…

“What happened last night is the same thing that has been happening for decades in America. Politicians deploy all this highly precise technology to slice and dice voters into little micro-groups… The result is you have all these states vote for one side and all these other states vote for the other side and it all comes down to Florida and Ohio… The only way this gridlock is finally broken is when politicians grow up and decide to… seriously address like adults the $16 trillion in debts they have racked up on our credit card.”

No amount of voting and politicking and propaganda and false and broken promises will change the fact that only God’s coming government can and will bring true freedom, equality, liberty, justice, prosperity, peace and happiness for all.

Why Mitt Romney Lost

Newsmax wrote on November 7:

“It was the worst of times and the worst of times… Perhaps the easy explanation is that two hurricanes… killed Mitt Romney’s chances. The first hurricane was Isaac, the one that skirted Tampa in late August during the Republican convention. That one seriously disrupted the official schedule… Then the second hurricane, Sandy, struck on Oct. 29. The campaign went into ‘freeze’ mode while Obama swung into ‘commander in chief’ mode. Romney’s surge was suddenly frozen too…

“Romney’s choice of Ryan was almost inexplicable… Ryan was unqualified for the job of vice president, and therefore the job of president… Romney’s VP selection was the most important one of his campaign, and by it he telegraphed his lack of political wisdom to the nation… Ryan’s plan, which first called for abolishing federal Medicare in 10 years and later for a substitute voucher program, proved to be disastrous for Romney and other Republican candidates…

“This election was just like every other one in modern times — about winning middle, swing voters… Romney did much to annoy them (like backing the Ryan plan) and almost nothing to reach out to them…

“Romney promised to create 12 million jobs. That’s not a plan, it’s a promise. He didn’t clearly articulate how he could fulfill that promise. In fact, Romney’s team offered the fewest specifics of any presidential campaign ever…

“As the elections of 2000, 2004, 2008, and now 2012 have demonstrated, demographics are trumping ideology in national elections. The Republican Party has a difficult time grasping this concept. Romney seemingly ignored this truth by taking an ultra-hardline on immigration — one so tough he called for the ‘self-deportation’ of illegal immigrants. Not only is such a plan impractical and immoral, it is unacceptable politically, as yesterday’s results proved… The one Hispanic group that has voted consistently for Republicans — Cuban-Americans — gave Obama a record number of votes this year…

“The GOP will learn from this debacle. The Republican Party might start the process with an image makeover — putting away the Wall Street look in favor of a Main Street one — while it takes back the mantle of Lincoln; a party that fights for the underdog and appeals to the aspirations of the American people.”

That would be nice… but this is hardly to be expected.

Reactions from Germany

The Local wrote on November 7:

“By Wednesday morning President Joachim Gauck and Angela Merkel had both offered their congratulations. Tens of thousands of Americans living in Germany were celebrating and the country’s newspapers were examining one of the most nail-biting nights of 2012.

“Der Spiegel magazine hailed Obama’s second victory as the dawn of a new era and a chance for the President to use his second term to ‘tackle the politics of change in the right way.’ The President’s re-election represents the ‘defence of his controversial political agenda,’ giving him the opportunity to secure a legacy ‘as one of the great presidents.’ If the economy picks up in the coming years, wrote the magazine, ‘it will be ascribed to Obama’s policies.’

“America voted for Obama because he was the lesser of two evils, claimed the Süddeutsche Zeitung, taking a more cynical view on the 51-year-old’s victory. The chances of him changing a lot in his second term ‘were not large.’ Remaining president was ‘not an illustrious victory,’ it said, and the US did not re-elect him for being successful, but because ‘they were not ready to put Mitt Romney in his place.’

“Not much had changed, agreed the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. That the Democrats had retained control of the senate was ‘no surprise’, and, since the Republicans held on to their majority in the House of Representatives, this would not make Obama’s second term ‘any easier than his first. Now in the political centres of power in Washington everything will remain as it has been: in the White House, in the House of Representatives and in the Senate,’ said the paper.

“Meanwhile, the daily tabloid Bild used the occasion to make demands on the new president on behalf of the world, calling for the US economy to be restored, an end to the Afghanistan conflict and to keep all options open regarding Iranian nuclear ambitions. During the next four years, the paper said, ‘it will be up to the US president to stop the Mullahs’ in their drive to build a nuclear bomb. This ‘maybe with sanctions’ but may be ‘also with military action. For the security of Israel.’…

“Although divided on the significance of Obama’s narrow victory, the German press did agree that the campaign had been what Der Spiegel called ‘harshest and dirtiest in the history of the United States.’ For the first time in the US, said Die Welt, the campaigns were tinged with negativity, as the Democrats ‘painted Romney to be a heartless multimillionaire, who wants to widen the divide between rich and poor with his tax plan.’”

The Bible shows that America is indeed in decline—and we should not expect a substantial improvement of our economy. It is interesting that the following articles agree with this assessment—even though they do not know anything about biblical prophecy.

“America Has Already Lost…”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 5:

“The United States Army is developing a weapon that can reach — and destroy — any location on Earth within an hour. At the same time, power lines held up by wooden poles dangle over the streets of Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy ripped them apart there and in communities across the East Coast last week, and many places remain without electricity. That’s America, where high-tech options are available only to the elite, and the rest live under conditions comparable to… those of a developing nation. No country has produced more Nobel Prize winners, yet in New York City hospitals had to be evacuated during the storm because their emergency generators didn’t work properly.

“Anyone who sees this as a contradiction has failed to grasp the fact that America is a country of total capitalism. Its functionaries have no need of public hospitals or of a reliable power supply to private homes. The elite have their own infrastructure. Total capitalism, however, has left American society in ruins and crippled the government. America’s fate is not just an accident produced by the system. It is a consequence of that system. Obama couldn’t change this, and Romney wouldn’t be able to either…

“Romney, the exceedingly wealthy business man, and Obama, the cultivated civil rights lawyer, are two faces of a political system that no longer has much to do with democracy as we understand it. Democracy is about choice, but Americans don’t really have much of a choice…

“From a European perspective, it doesn’t matter who wins this election. Only US foreign policy is important to us — and Obama is no dove and Romney no hawk. The incumbent president prefers to wage his wars with drones instead of troops, though the victims probably don’t care if they’re killed by man or machine. Meanwhile, despite all the criticism, his challenger says he wouldn’t join Israel were the country to go to war with Iran because the US can now no longer afford such a thing.

“In any case, it is wrong to characterize Republicans as the party of warmongers and Democrats as the party of peace… After all, it was Democratic presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson who started the wars in Korea and Vietnam. Republican presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon ended these wars. And Ronald Reagan… was a peaceful man compared to the standards we have since become accustomed to…

“The truth is that we simply no longer understand America. Looking at the country from Germany and Europe, we see a foreign culture. The political system is in the hands of big business and its lobbyists. The checks and balances have failed. And a perverse mix of irresponsibility, greed and religious zealotry dominate public opinion.

“The downfall of the American empire has begun. It could be that the country’s citizens wouldn’t be able to stop it no matter how hard they tried. But they aren’t even trying.”

America’s Decline

In a related article, Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 5:

“The United States is frittering away its role as a model for the rest of the world. The political system is plagued by an absurd level of hatred, the economy is stagnating and the infrastructure is falling into a miserable state of disrepair. On this election eve, many Americans are losing faith in their country’s future…

“After a brilliant century and a terrible decade, the United States, in this important election year, has reached a point in its history when the obvious can no longer be denied: The reality of life in America so greatly contradicts the claim — albeit one that has always been exaggerated — to be the ‘greatest nation on earth,’ that even the most ardent patriots must be overcome with doubt.

“This realization became only too apparent during and after Hurricane Sandy, the monster storm that ravaged America’s East Coast last week, its effects made all the more devastating by the fact that its winds were whipping across an already weakened country. The infrastructure in New York, New Jersey and New England was already in trouble long before the storm made landfall near Atlantic City. The power lines in Brooklyn and Queens, on Long Island and in New Jersey, in one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas, are not underground, but are still installed along a fragile and confusing above-ground network supported by utility poles, the way they are in developing countries…

“Although parts of New York City, especially the island of Manhattan, are only a few meters above sea level, the city still has no extensive system to protect itself against storm surges, despite the fact that the sea level has been rising for years and the number of storms is increasing…

“America is no longer the great, robust global power it once was. Europeans who make such claims have always been accused of anti-Americanism. But now Americans themselves are joining the chorus of those declaring the country’s decline… The worst thing about it is that the country still refuses to engage in any debate over the reasons for its decline… Criticism is seen as a betrayal of America’s greatness… At the beginning of the 21st century, this American dream, which consisted mainly of confidence and optimism envied the world over, is failing…

“In the 2012 campaign, many Americans have realized for the first time that the US’s role as a global power is no longer uncontested… The upheavals in the Arab world took America’s diplomats by surprise, and they ended Obama’s offensive in the Islamic world. But they also showed how poorly connected and, ultimately, uninfluential the United States is in the region today. A member of the Muslim Brotherhood is now Egypt’s president, Iran apparently remains undeterred in advancing its nuclear program and the situation in Israel is more precarious [than] ever. These are all signs that America has far less influence than many Americans still want to believe. This is not solely attributable to an American decline, but also has to do with various shifts in the global power structure…”

The Future of American-Israeli Relationships

The Guardian wrote on November 7:

“It was hard to imagine champagne corks popping in the Israeli prime minister’s Jerusalem residence as Barack Obama took to the stage to make his victory speech. Much more likely was a mood of sombre resignation, possibly spiked with trepidation, as Benjamin Netanyahu reflected on his heavy bet on the wrong horse.

“Judging by the swiftly delivered official response, there is no problem: Netanyahu and Obama will continue their close, warm and strategically aligned partnership. No one who has observed the deepening chill and distance between the two leaders over the past four years is likely to buy that. But, assuming Netanyahu is still prime minister after Israel’s general election on 22 January, the day after Obama’s re-inauguration, both men will be forced to recalibrate their difficult relationship.

“… some observers believe Obama will seek ‘payback’ for Netanyahu’s perceived high-handedness, attempts to browbeat the US into a tougher line on Iran, refusal to restrain settlement growth in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and meddling in the US election process…

“Danny Danon, the deputy speaker of the Knesset, urged Obama to ‘reset his course relating to Israel and our region for the next four years. Rather than dictating ill-advised policies that endanger the well-being of America’s only true ally in the Middle East, now is the time for President Obama to return to the wise and time-honoured policy of “zero daylight” between our respective nations.’

“Two issues will characterise the relationship between the US and Israel over the next year. The first is Iran… Israel – the political, military and security leadership, as well as the general public – would much prefer joint action with the US, not least because of questions over Israel’s military capability to strike unilaterally. But Obama’s reference in his victory speech to moving ‘beyond this time of war’ indicates his strong aversion to military confrontation with Iran.

“The second issue is progress towards a settlement of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. This is the most likely arena for any possible ‘payback’, especially if Obama decides, as so many previous second-term presidents have, that he wants to make this a legacy issue.

“Netanyahu, whose inclination is to ‘manage’ the current situation in which millions of Palestinians live under occupation, rather than advance towards a two-state settlement of the conflict, will attempt to resist pressure…”

The Holy Scriptures tell us that the relationship between the USA and Israel will continue to deteriorate. In the end, Israel will find itself all alone. Please also note the next two articles.

“Netanyahu Vows to Stop Iran, Even in Defiance of the United States”

The Times of Israel wrote on November 5, 2012:

“Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday night to put a stop to Iran’s nuclear program by whatever means necessary — even in outright defiance of American objections — if neither sanctions, nor other international action, achieves that goal. ‘There is no doubt about Iran’s intention — to destroy us,’ Netanyahu said… Asked in an interview whether, if reelected in January, he would ‘pledge that Iran won’t have a nuclear program by the end of your next term,’ Netanyahu said simply, ‘Yes.’

“When it was put to him that the US has opposed a unilateral Israeli resort to force, Netanyahu said President Barack Obama had stated that Israel has the right to defend itself as it sees fit, and that Israel dare not entrust its future to others, even to the United States. Israel’s prime ministers had ignored US disapproval in establishing the country in 1948 and preempting the Arab attack in the 1967 war, he noted…

“Asked whether he believed Netanyahu had the guts to order a strike on Iran, the prime minister’s former national security adviser, Uzi Arad, said he had ‘no doubt.’… Vowing that Israel ‘is ready to act’ against Iran, Netanyahu said he was watching the Islamist regime ‘advancing step by step… toward producing nuclear bombs.’ When the Jews were being murdered by the Nazis, they were unable to save themselves, he said. But he, as Israel’s prime minister, did have the capacity to protect the Jewish nation. ‘When we didn’t have a state, we begged others’ to defend the Jews, he said. ‘Today, we’re not begging, we are preparing.’… Netanyahu said in his interview that he was ‘not eager for war’ and hoped sanctions or other international action would thwart Iran.”

Israel and Turkey

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 5:

“Soured relations between Turkey and Israel are likely to receive another blow this week with the beginning of a controversial trial in a Turkish court against four Israeli generals for killing pro-Palestinian activists. The Israeli generals are charged with commanding a deadly raid on the Mavi Marmara flotilla, which attempted to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip two years ago. The raid killed nine Turkish citizens aboard one of the ships… Israel has already dismissed the case as a ‘unilateral judicial process’ and refused to cooperate. Many experts also question whether the Turkish criminal court has jurisdiction on the matter… observers view the legal validity of the trial and the practical imposition of the penalty highly questionable…

“The deterioration of ties between Turkey and Israel has been a growing concern for the US administration and European governments. Turkey and Israel enjoyed special and close relations for more than a half-century, despite various ups and downs. Turkey had been the first majority Muslim country to officially recognize Israel and open an embassy in Tel-Aviv. Ankara has also mediated for closer relations between Israel and other Muslim countries.

“During the 1990’s, Turkey and Israel pursued close ties in defense projects… Close relations continued in the early years of the Islamic-conservative AKP government. Erdogan mediated between the Israeli and Syrian leaders Ehud Olmert and Bashar Assad, but a two-year long effort by Ankara collapsed with an Israeli operation into Gaza in 2009. This was a turning point in Turkish-Israeli relations. Erdogan expressed great frustration with Israel when then-Prime Minister Olmert started a Gaza offensive only days after his key visit to Ankara. Relations received another major blow with the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010.

“During the 1990’s, Israeli companies had been among the leading contractors of Turkey’s strategic defense and modernization projects, reaching billions of US dollars. With the rising political tensions between the two countries all military agreements and defense cooperation was suspended, including work on a strategic aerial intelligence system.

“Turkey has blocked NATO’s closer cooperation with Israel… The Turkish-Israeli dispute has caused serious damage to political ties, defense relations and tourism…

“Erdogan told journalists on a plane en route to Ankara from Berlin that he had plans to visit Gaza soon; a plan that is likely to draw Israeli anger. The prime minister said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had asked him (on Wednesday) to take steps to normalize ties with Israel and he reiterated the Turkish position: ‘All our three demands must be realized,’ Erdogan told journalists, ‘Turkey is not open to options that include offering an apology and compensation, but not lifting the Gaza blockade.’”

The past, present and future relationship between Turkey and Israel is quite interesting, given the fact that their ancestors, Jacob and Esau, were brothers.

Radioactive Water Threatens Middle East

Der Spiegel wrote on November 5:

“The Middle East and North Africa suffer from water shortages and pump millions of liters a day from ancient aquifers. But the water contains high levels of naturally-occurring radioactive contamination. Experts fear this will increase the cancer risk for millions of people.

“True masters of water management once lived in the desert of what is now Jordan. It took the Nabataeans only a few decades to carve the city of Petra out of sandstone cliffs. In addition to crafting now world-famous decorative tomb facades, they built a sophisticated system of water pipes and cisterns, which made it possible for the city to exist in the dry wilderness in the first place — more than 2,000 years ago.

“Today trucks rumble through Jordan to supply the population with drinking water. The water sloshing back and forth in their tanks is often thousands of years old, pumped from fossil groundwater reservoirs that filled up when the region wasn’t as dry. Millions of cubic meters of water are now being pumped from such aquifers every day in the Middle East and North Africa…

“Tests have revealed that the water contains high levels of naturally occurring radioactivity, with samples exhibiting radiation levels well above World Health Organization (WHO) radiation guidelines. The health risk doesn’t just affect Jordan, but virtually all of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa…

“This is a worrisome conclusion, since fossil groundwater is now essential for the survival of agriculture in the region… Saudi Arabia already derives about half of its water from aquifers. Israel also pumps water from fossil reservoirs to irrigate its fields in the Negev Desert, and Egypt has pumped fossil groundwater in oases since the 1980s. But Libya operates the world’s largest pumping operation…

“Saudi Arabia, at least, is treating fossil groundwater and removing radioactive particles… But elsewhere, especially in rural parts of North Africa, the situation is ‘problematic.’… Libya lacks water-treatment technologies…

“There are already initial signs of the possible health consequences. In 2010, King Saud University examined 10 men who change filters in underground wells. Their blood was found to contain 11 times as much chromosomal damage than that of controls… These changes in genetic material can lead to cancer and illnesses in offspring…”

No Summit Between EU and Ukraine

The EUObserver wrote on November 5, 2012:

“The EU and Ukraine will ‘most likely’ not hold a summit this year, but diplomats blame it on technical instead of political reasons… The two sides have held a summit every year for the past 15 years. The break in tradition comes amid a sharp deterioration in ties since Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych came into power in 2010.

“The EU already cancelled a meeting with him in Brussels last October after he jailed his main political opponent, former PM Yulia Tymoshenko. Top EU officials did go to Kiev last December to initial an EU-Ukraine trade and political association agreement. But the frosty meeting in the Ukrainian capital ended with a warning the pact will not be signed unless Tymoshenko goes free.

“They told Yanukovych’s Prime Minister Mykola Azaraov to ‘stay home’ in May this year. EU leaders the same month boycotted a regional summit in Yalta and later boycotted the Euro 2012 football championships in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s parliamentary elections in October did nothing to repair damage.

“International monitors, the Vienna-based OSCE, said ‘democratic progress appears to have reversed in Ukraine’ in their assessment of the vote…”

The Bible tells us that the Ukraine will break any ties with Europe and instead become Russia’s ally.

Tony Blair: “Europe Needs a President”

The Telegraph wrote on November 7:

“In a move interpreted by some as a job application, the former prime minister said the EU could do with a strong leader approved by the people. He also warned that too deep a political divide between Britain and the core eurozone countries could lead towards a break-up… Mr Blair [said:] ‘A Europe-wide election for the presidency… is the most direct way to involve the public… An election for a big post held by one person – this people can understand’…

“Speaking in Berlin, he said the EU must not allow too big a divide to grow up between Britain, which wants to claw back powers from Europe, and countries like France and Germany opting for more political union… European states, such as Finland, have expressed fears that the UK is waving ‘bye bye’ to the EU.

“Mr Blair today made it clear that forging Britain’s role in the EU as it changes will be a ‘tricky task. But it is an essential one if the UK is not to be sidelined and Europe to be without the active participation of such a large and significant member of the existing union,’ he said.”

And such strong leadership will arise in Europe… ultimately, Europe’s final leader will be the one described in the Bible as the beast, the king of the North, and King Jareb of Assyria.

Big Earthquake Strikes Guatemala

Fox News reported on November 7:

“The earth shook violently in Central America Wednesday morning, as a 7.5 magnitude quake took over the Pacific coast of Guatemala, rocking the capital and shaking buildings as far away as Mexico City and El Salvador. According to Guatemala City fire officials, 15 people died buried under rubble in three different Guatemalan towns.

“Landslides were blocking roads in some areas, authorities said, and about 40 houses had been severely damaged in the quake, which occurred at 10.35 am local time. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was a possibility of a local tsunami, within 100 or 200 miles of the epicenter, but they were not issuing an immediate warning for the broader region. The earthquake, about 20 miles deep, was centered off the town of Champerico.”

We should recognize the recent intensity and frequency of major earthquakes, as foretold in the Bible.

In previous Q&A’s, we showed how the survivors of the modern descendants of the houses of Israel and Judah will be brought out of captivity and led to the Promised Land, where they will settle down. We discussed a subsequent invasion of Far Eastern nations into the Promised Land at the beginning of the Millennium, and how God will deal swiftly with these hostile armies.  We also discussed the fact that Christ will come to bring spiritual and physical restoration for all peoples, but He will rule in Jerusalem over—at first–the Israelite nations. How, then, will “Gentile” nations come to and accept the truth?

The Bible makes very clear that after Christ’s return, He will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem (Luke 1:32) to rule the entire world. But it will be a process—all the nations will not automatically and immediately know and embrace the truth; they will have to be taught and their minds will have to be opened.

How is this going to happen?

As mentioned, Jesus Christ will deal at first with the survivors of the modern descendants of the houses of Israel and Judah. He will convert them and bring them back to the Promised Land, under the resurrected David, their king (Jeremiah 31:8-9). They will submit to Christ’s rule. We also read that the original apostles will sit on thrones and rule the tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28).

The effect will be that there will be no more hurt or destruction in all His holy mountain, and ultimately, the earth will become full of the knowledge of the LORD, and the Gentiles will seek Him, as we read in Isaiah 11:6-10.

Why will the Gentiles seek Him?

Isaiah 2:2-4 gives us a clue. We are told that the Gentiles will hear or somehow learn about the righteous rule in Jerusalem, and they will want to learn more about it. They may at first send ambassadors or messengers to Jerusalem to inquire more about what they have heard, and to report back to them (compare Isaiah 14:32. For historic examples, see Jeremiah 27:2-3 and 2 Chronicles 32:31). As a consequence, since God will be opening their minds, the Gentile nations will be led to forsake war and choose peace  (compare Zechariah 9:10).

But this is a process. Recall that at the beginning of the Millennium, Asiatic hordes will try to conquer the land of Israel (compare chapters 38 and 39 of the book of Ezekiel). But notice WHY God will be dealing with the hordes supernaturally, mightily and swiftly. For one reason, He wants to have the survivors of Israel and Judah understand, once and for all, HOW powerful God is, and that He will always defend them, and that there is never a need for them to fight in war. In fact, God wants them to realize that it would always be wrong for them to fight in war.

Notice Ezekiel 39:22: “So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward.”

Compare also verse 7, first part: “So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel. And I will not let them profane My holy name anymore.”

Israel profaned God’s holy name by violating His commandments and by refusing to make a difference between the holy or clean things and the unholy or unclean things (Ezekiel 22:26). They violated His holy Sabbath and His annual Holy Days, and substituted them with human holidays and religious practices which had been invented for the purpose of worshipping pagan gods and demons (Ezekiel 20:11-13,16, 18-21, 23-24; compare Psalm 106:35-38). Even though God had commanded them to keep His Law for their own good (Deuteronomy 6:24) and not to worship or offer sacrifices to demons (Leviticus 17:7), they continued to do so (Deuteronomy 32:17; Amos 5:25-26).

And so, as God had “given them up” to the worship of idols in the wilderness (Acts 7:42-43)—that is, He did not force them to keep His Law, as He gave them free will to decide—so He later “gave them up” to statutes that were not good (Ezekiel 20:25). And such is the case with the modern descendants of ancient Israel—as is the case with all of mankind—even though Paul warns us that we are not to engage in the worship services of unbelievers, as they are serving demons and not God (1 Corinthians 10:20-21).

But once Christ rules on earth, all of this will change.

Let’s return to the description of events in Ezekiel 38 and 39, and continue reading the second part of Ezekiel 39:7:

“Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.”

Notice also Ezekiel 38:23:

“Then I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”

God’s mighty intervention for Israel at that time, after He allowed them to go into slavery and become captives of war, will help to cause an interesting change in the minds of the nations, and it will reinforce in Israel’s mind the need to glorify God and obey Him.

Note Ezekiel 39:23:

“The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.”

But when God intervenes for Israel and when He brings the Far Eastern nations into judgment with a great earthquake, pestilence and bloodshed, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:19, 22), so that even the troops of the hostile armies will begin to fight each other (verse 21), then it will become clear to the nations that God is now hallowed in Israel, and that Israel’s former sins have been forgiven. But equally importantly, Israel will know and understand this too (compare Ezekiel 39:27-29).

These events will also make clear to all peoples that God will not allow compromise with His holy Law (compare Isaiah 11:4).

Undoubtedly, that message and the word of the events will spread. People will want to know what is happening in Jerusalem and the Promised Land, and why God is acting so powerfully on behalf of Israel. And so, their ambassadors and messengers will appear in Jerusalem and return and report back to them, telling them about Jesus Christ’s rule with mercy, justice and righteousness, and what the requirements are to please God (compare Psalm 98:1-9). One of these requirements will be the abolishment of war and the destruction of all the weapons of war, and the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles.

But not every nation will be immediately prepared and willing to obey God and keep His Sabbath and His Holy Days. We read in Zechariah 14:16-19, that not every nation will immediately worship God in the right way—some will refuse for a while to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. When this happens, God will deal with them. He will withhold certain blessings—rain in due season which is necessary for a good harvest—and so they will learn swiftly that it does not pay to disobey God.

People will have to be taught—Israelites and Gentiles alike. Christ’s government and peace will increase. His rule will start in Jerusalem with the nations of Israel and Judah, but it will spread from there to the entire world (compare Isaiah 9:5-7). Isaiah 60:1-3 explains that the Gentiles will come to Christ—quite literally, by sending ambassadors first and then appearing in Jerusalem themselves, for instance during the Feast of Tabernacles—and most certainly also spiritually, in that they are accepting the Way of God and are “coming to Him” in spirit and truth. They will come to the right understanding, as Jeremiah 16:19-21 explains. Even Gentile kings will want to please God (Psalm 68:28-29). They will be drawn to Christ the King (Isaiah 49:5-7).

Gentiles will recognize that God is ruling in Jerusalem, and that Israel and Judah have been responding to God’s call. And so, Gentiles will want to show their respect, not just for God, but also for modern Israel and Judah (Isaiah 60:14; 61:9; Jeremiah 33:9).

Gentiles will want to seek Jesus Christ, the LORD, in Jerusalem. They will realize that God is with the Jews, and so they will ask them for help (Zechariah 8:20-23).

In addition, we are told that Israelites and Jews will be sent to foreign lands to teach the Gentiles (Isaiah 66:19). They will declare God’s glory to them, and the Gentiles will come to see His glory (verse 18). Note that some of those peoples include survivors from the country of Tubal, who had sent their armies previously against the Promised Land, as we read in Ezekiel 38.

But as Jesus Christ will deal and work directly with the Gentile nations, so will His born-again disciples who have become immortal members of the Family of God. As they will help Israelites and Jews (Isaiah 30:20-22), so they will help other nations as well.

We read in Obadiah 21 that they will become “saviors” to judge the “mountains of Esau,” when the Kingdom of God has been established on earth. They will be saviors in the sense that they will help the nations to come to salvation. As Christ will rule with uncompromising righteousness and mercy (Psalm 2:8-9), so will they (Revelation 2:25-27; Psalm 149:5-9).

During the entire Millennium or one thousand years, they will rule under Christ on this earth (Matthew 5:5; Romans 4:13; Revelation 5:10; 20:4, 6; compare also Daniel 7:27, clarifying that their rule will be on earth, as the Kingdom of God will be established “under the whole heaven”). Their rule will spread from Jerusalem, until God’s peaceful and righteous Way of Life engulfs the entire earth, as water covers the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

“How the Nations Will Learn!,” is now posted. In this sermon, given on the Sabbath of November 3, 2012, Evangelist Norbert Link examines eye-opening, prophetic statements from the Bible–here is the summary: When Christ rules on earth during the Millennium, how will the non-Israelite nations come to the point of repentance and acceptance of God’s Way of Life? Is it going to happen “overnight,” or will it require some time? How is God going to reveal Himself to them? Why and how will they seek God and learn the truth? Why are the events, which are depicted in Ezekiel 38 and 39, significant in this regard?

A new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why I Don’t Vote!,” has been recorded and is now posted; here is the summary: Should Christians vote in governmental elections? Some feel that they should not do so. However, many will try to argue that one must vote, even it is for the lesser of two evils. But what does the Bible say? In this program, God’s position on this important matter will be explained.

In this week’s German sermon, Norbert Link continues with the second part of the series on Ezekiel 38 and 39; this time, it covers Ezekiel 39–the title in English is “War During Christ’s Rule?, Part 2.”

On November 3rd, 2012, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “How the Nations Will Learn!”

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.

We have just returned from the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. During those eight days, all of us received a spiritual diet to carry us through the coming winter months.

Our batteries were topped up through inspiring messages; the rejoicing in fellowship with friends and family (some of whom we have not seen for a year); restaurant meals we were able to enjoy with friends; and our participation in the social activities and planned and prepared meals.

All these blessings, and many more, had a positive effect on us, as we were charged up spiritually, before entering a long period of almost six months until the arrival of the next commanded annual Holy Days in the spring.

It’s important to stay fully charged. Even a high-powered automobile, with an alternator not working to keep the battery charged up, will eventually come to a complete stop.  A transmission in neutral will not move a car forward; it must be engaged, and so must we in order for our spiritual battery to remain fully charged. We ensure and demonstrate this during the winter months by the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, as outlined in the letter to the Galatians.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us:  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Notice, against these there is no law; that is, if we are walking in the Spirit and live righteously, without sinning, the penalty of the law has no negative effect on our lives.

We must be zealous in our involvement of being engaged in the Work that God has given us to do, just like Christ was, even at an early age, as outlined in Luke 2:49: “And [Christ] said to [His mother Mary and Joseph], ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’”

Christ was not distracted or out of focus as to what His role was, even at this young age of twelve (compare verse 42).

His example should inspire us to have zeal to be engaged in and focused on the job we have in regard to our Father’s business; and that is, to complete the Work and the responsibilities given to us by Christ, the living Head of the Church. That Work includes, amongst other things, to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness to this sick world, prior to Christ’s return to establish the previously announced government of God here on earth–because this is where the problems are. And the immortal saints will rule here as well, with Christ and under Him.

Nothing is presently more important for God, and it should be equally important for us. God in His wisdom and mercy has given us the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day to ensure that our spiritual batteries are fully charged, so that we can and will be focused on the completion of our God-given responsibilities.

We must not neglect our spiritual responsibilities and tools that we have been given, to keep our batteries topped up. Only then are we true followers of Christ to be engaged in our Father’s business.

We begin with reports on the undoubtedly demonic nature of Halloween and its foolish and dangerous celebrations; continue with a startling revelation in the Roe v. Wade case legalizing abortion; address a ridiculous court decision in Italy; speak of the illegal involvement of churches in political election campaigns; report on the fraudulent practices of many restaurants and stores mislabeling the fish which they are selling; speak of Hurricane or Cyclone Sandy and a major earthquake off the Canadian coast; address future relationships between the USA and Europe; and revisit the ongoing question whether Great Britain will soon leave the EU, and how many more EU member states will have to give up their national sovereignty.

Halloween Undoubtedly Demonic

The New York Times wrote on October 27, 2012:

“In an article from Oct. 30, 1892, ‘Customs From Halloween; An Observance That has Come From Pagan Times,’ The New York Times described ‘All Hallow Even or Halloween’ as ‘undoubtedly a relic of pagan times.’ The article continues: ‘Druids were accustomed to kindling sacred fires on the eve of Nov. 1, possibly to ward off evil spirits, as in the popular imagination this has always been considered the high carnival season for witches, fairies and the immaterial principle in humanity to wander abroad. Supernatural influences prevail and divination by means of mystic ceremonies is at its highest power then.”

ABC News wrote on October 26, 2012:

“While many in the U.S. bemoan what they see as a war on Christmas, in Russia a very different holiday is under attack: Halloween. Here some don’t see it as the holiday of tricks and treats, but as a sinister celebration that endangers children. The latest salvo came from a group of Russian Orthodox Church leaders and a group of Cossacks, who are spearheading an effort to cancel Halloween celebrations in the region of Stavropol Krai, in southern Russia. A nearby region, Krasnodar Krai, recently prohibited celebrating the holiday in schools…

“Like Valentine’s Day, which has also been criticized as it has grown in popularity here in recent years, Halloween is a western holiday that was imported after the fall of the Soviet Union. While some Russians have embraced them, others fear them as foreign to the country’s culture. In 2003, Moscow’s Education Department banned Halloween celebrations from the city’s schools, citing concerns about ‘rituals of Satanically oriented religious sects’ and saying it promotes ‘the cult of death.’”

The Washington Times wrote on October 28:

“Prepare yourself this Halloween for a procession of pint-sized trick-or-treaters like none you’ve encountered before. If the companies that gamble on offering the right mix of costumes are correct, visitors to your doorstep will include a grisly array of waist-high killer clowns brandishing blood-soaked machetes, deranged convicts and zombie ninjas armed with knives.

“Add to that the full roster of fictional killers who gave people nightmares during the ‘80s and ‘90s — Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees from ‘Friday the 13th,  and Chucky, the murderous doll from ‘Child’s Play’ — now available in sizes that can fit a 5-year-old…

“Cynthia Edwards, professor of child psychology at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C. [says:] ‘Part of the thrill of Halloween for little kids is that you put on a costume and you become the thing. If you dress up as a fairy princess or a pilot, you are a fairy princess or a pilot for a couple of hours. But that’s when you get to the question, If you dress up as a really horrible thing, what is the kids’ perception of that?’…

“What can be especially confusing for kids, according to Fangoria’s Mr. Alexander, is that ‘parents, by and large, will say “no” to horror and say “no” to gore for kids all year long. But once a year they have no qualms about taking them to stores with body parts everywhere and animatronic dead things coming at them’ to buy disturbing costumes…”

It certainly is a horrible celebration of Satan and his demonic forces. A true Christian must have NOTHING to do with such ungodly conduct. We wrote the following in our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible? Man’s Holidays or God’s Holy Days?” :

“The Bible, in fact, commands us to have nothing to do with the devil or his evil forces of darkness (compare 1 Thessalonians 5:21–22; Ephesians 5:10–12). Paul warns us that we must not attempt to partake of the cup of the Lord and of the cup of demons (1 Corinthians 10:21). We are also warned not to try to communicate with the dead (Deuteronomy 18:9–14). Witchcraft, in all of its different forms and variations, is abominable and sinful (1 Samuel 15:23; Galatians 5:20)!”

However, some, if not many, professing Christians see it differently. For a typical example, note these statements from carm.org (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry):

“As Christians, there is a lot of debate on whether or not we should participate in Halloween. Is it alright to go trick-or-treating? Can we dress our kids up in costumes on that day? If we do any of this, are we celebrating an evil holiday?… it appears that the origins of Halloween are a mixture of old Celtic pagan rituals superstition and early Catholic traditions… What does the Bible say about Halloween? Nothing. But it does speak concerning witches, the occult, and paganism… The Bible definitely speaks negatively about occultic practices, spirits, and witches and condemns not only the practice but also the people who are involved in it. As Christians, we are to have nothing to do with the occult. Tarot Cards, contacting the dead, séances, lucky charms, etc., are all unbiblical and can harm a Christian’s fellowship with God and open the Christian to demonic oppression. Most Christians know this and avoid these activities.

“But, the question still remains. Since there are ancient pagan connections and present occultic connections, what is the Christian to do? Can the Christian celebrate Halloween? The answer is simple: Yes and No. Let’s look at the negative first.

“The Christian is not to be involved with or support the occult, witchcraft, demonism, or any other thing that uplifts the occult. To do so is to contradict God’s word, dabble in the demonic, and invite judgment from God. If a Halloween celebration is centered on demons, devils, spirits, etc., I would say don’t have anything to do with it.

“On the other hand, it isn’t wrong to dress up in a costume and go door-to-door saying ‘Trick or Treat.’ Provided that the costume isn’t demonic, I can’t see anything wrong with this. It’s just fun for the kids. Take a look at the Christmas tree. It was originally an ancient fertility symbol. Yet, it has become a representation of Christmas and the place where gifts are placed. Are the Christians then paying homage to an ancient pagan fertility god? Not at all. They do not consider it pagan and are simply joining in a cultural event and giving no honor to anything unscriptural… Even though Halloween has pagan origins, because of your freedom in Christ, you and/or your kids can dress up in costumes and go door-to-door and just have fun…”

Similarly, the Billy Graham Organization (billygraham.org), which states:

“For some people this holiday is a time for dress-up and candy; it is an opportunity for fun. Others express concern for their child’s safety or for the emphasis that is often made on violence or horror at this time of year. Those who are interested in the right or wrong of the celebration may look at the holiday’s origin in the occult and believe it should not be celebrated at all; they are aware that some groups celebrate Halloween as a tribute to Satan. On the other hand, others recognize that Halloween, the eve of “All Saints’ Day” (November 1), is also associated with Martin Luther and the Reformation. They celebrate the religious freedoms won at that time in history. Since each of these perspectives contain truth, it is difficult to know how to respond…”

Such an evasive answer helps no one. It is not difficult to respond at all, unless one does not see the faulty trap of syncretism (combining right aspects of godly worship with wrong practices). But such is the logic of this world’s philosophy. It is detrimentally opposite to what God tells us. The Israelites were not even to inquire as to how the pagans worshipped their gods, so as to not use those pagan worship practices and apply them to the true God (such as the Christmas tree).  Whom do you want to believe—human reasoning or God?

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Should Christians Observe Halloween?” 

Halloween and the Jews

The Jewish Press wrote on November 1:

“Halloween is also called All Hallows’ Eve, because, for the gentiles, it is a hallowed evening, the eve of All Saints’ Day, a day which honors all Christian saints.

“The Encyclopedia Britannica explains that in ancient Britain and Ireland, the Festival of Halloween was also [a] celebration of the end of the fertile period of the Celtic goddess, Eiseria. It is said that when Eiseria reaches the end of her fertile cycle, the worlds of the dead and the living intertwine. This supposedly happens on October 31. Masks are worn to show respect for the Goddess Eiseria, who, like most Celtic gods, does not wish to be seen by human eyes. This is one of the reason[s] behind Halloween costumes and for the holiday’s omens, spirits, demons, and witches.

“This date was also New Year’s Eve in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times, and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons said to be roaming about.

“It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divination concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes. These pagan observances also influenced the Christian festival of All Hallows’ Eve, celebrated on the same date…

“When it comes to the question whether Jews can take part in gentile holidays, the halachic discussion differs between clearly religious holidays like Xmas, which are forbidden, and purely secular holidays like Labor Day, which are permissible. Halloween’s religious origins and pagan history place it in the category of gentile holidays that are forbidden to celebrate… there is good reason for telling the kids that ‘Trick or Treating’ is a no-no for Jewish children.”

Halloween in Germany

The Local wrote on November 1:

“In Bonn, two drunken 17-year-olds who covered more than 30 cars with shaving foam, egg and tomato ketchup are likely to face hefty bills from the vehicles’ owners. A bus driver in nearby Remscheid was forced to pull over after being pelted with eggs.

“Up in the north east of the country, police were called to the scene of a robbery. A gang of opportunist thieves in Rostock forced an 8-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl to hand over their haul from treat-or-treating. They threatened the girl with what appeared to be a gun. A separate group took a bag filled with treats from a pair of 12-year-olds in neighbouring Schwerin.

“In fact, children wanting to go trick-or-treating Rostock should exercise a little caution – one elderly lady appeared to be so freaked out by the tiny monsters at her door that she hit two young girls in the face after [they] rang her doorbell. In the southern city of Trier, one of the scarier sights on Wednesday night was a 16-year-old boy being dragged through the streets by police, who said that he was very drunk and had been throwing things at the building of a security firm.

“The prize for the most police calls goes to the Rhein-Erft area near Cologne, where officers fielded 81 different cries for help – mostly complaints of loud music from parties. In Mannheim police received 50 phone calls and in the Swabia area of Bavaria there were 40. Officers in Esslingen near Stuttgart did not have an easy night either. They confiscated hundreds of eggs, 200 firecrackers and even homemade smoke-bombs…”

Roe v. Wade Based on Lies?

The Gatewaypundit.com wrote on October 24, 2012:

“Nearly 40 years ago, as a young, pregnant woman, Norma McCorvey played an instrumental part in the Supreme Court decision that brought legal abortion to America. McCorvey, the ‘Roe’ in the Roe v. Wade case… became a Christian in 1995 and has since repudiated her role in Roe v. Wade, campaigning for its reversal… McCorvey says the Roe v. Wade decision was based upon a lie… ‘I was persuaded by feminist attorneys to lie; to say that I was raped, and needed an abortion. It was all a lie. Since then, over 50 million babies have been murdered. I will take this burden to my grave. Please, don’t follow in my mistakes…’”

If true, that would really be scandalous, and these feminist attorneys will have to give account for such horrible conduct in the Day of Judgment.

Italian Court Decision Has Scientists Up In Arms

Reuters reported on October 25:

“Scientists reacted with alarm to the manslaughter conviction of six earthquake experts in Italy for failing to give adequate warning of the 2009 earthquake in the city of L’Aquila that killed 308 people. Scientists warned that researchers in areas involving unpredictable natural threats, like volcanology and even meteorology, will now be more reluctant to offer advice and insight to the public. ‘If it stands, this verdict will have a chilling effect on earthquake science in Italy and throughout Europe,’ said Sandy Steacy, professor of earthquake physics at the University of Ulster. ‘Who would now be willing to serve on an earthquake hazard evaluation panel when getting it wrong could mean a conviction for manslaughter?’…

“In the United States, Michael Halpern at the Union of Concerned Scientists lobby group said in a blog: ‘This is an absurd and dangerous decision that U.S. officials should rebuke, and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano should overturn.’ Scientists warned the ruling could have repercussions beyond Italian borders and across other disciplines. ‘This bizarre verdict will chill anyone who gives scientific advice, and I hope they are freed on appeal,’ said David Spiegelhalter, a professor for the public understanding of risk at Cambridge University.”

The New York Times wrote on October 26:

“I learned with disbelief on Monday about the decision of an Italian judge to convict seven scientific experts of manslaughter and to sentence them to six years in prison for failing to give warning before the April 2009 earthquake that killed 309 people, injured an additional 1,500 or so and left more than 65,000 people homeless in and around the city of L’Aquila in central Italy.

“By this distorted logic, surgeons who warn a patient that there’s a small chance of dying during surgery should be put in prison if the patient does, in fact, die. Imagine the consequences for the health system. The effect on other fields would be just as devastating. In response to the verdict, some Italian scientists have already resigned from key public safety positions. Unless this shortsighted verdict is overturned by wiser minds, it will be very harmful in the long run.”

First, the ridiculous German court decision prohibiting circumcision; now this ridiculous Italian decision. What will be next? Where are the “no-nonsense” judges?

The US Government and the Sabbath

On October 25, 2012, the Jewish paper Haaretz, which is headquartered in Jerusalem, published the following on October 25, 2012, re-publishing an article, which was originally published by “The Jewish Daily Forward” paper on the same day: 

“Jack Lew, who is an Orthodox Jew, on how he keeps Shabbat while serving as the chief of staff for the U.S. president.
  
“When Jack Lew was appointed chief of staff to President Obama in January, many in the Jewish community wondered how he could observe Shabbat in such a demanding position. ‘I saw the president on many occasions on Friday afternoons look at his watch, and ask: “Isn’t it time for you to get going?”’ Lew said, ‘or, “Why are you still here?”…

“Lew, who is Orthodox, revealed the details about his keeping Shabbat in an extraordinary interview with the Forward that touched on his need to observe the Jewish holy day… The chief of staff noted it was Obama who brought up the issue of Shabbat when first offering Lew the job. ‘He raised it with me saying: “I know that things are going to come up where there’s an emergency on Saturday or that you need to be here. I know you well enough to know that this is not an issue. I want you to know that I’m never going to ask you to work on Saturday if it’s not really necessary. It’s important for me that you know that.”’… On Fridays, Lew leaves the White House before Shabbat begins and he is off on Saturdays. In the cases where his presence was needed on Shabbat, the chief of staff usually walked to the White House and back.

“Rabbis he consulted with assured Lew that when there is a real necessity, Jewish tradition approves of working on the Sabbath. The number of times Lew actually had to work in Saturday has been ‘limited,’ he said. Lew had dealt with the potential conflicts between observing Shabbat and working in top level positions under President Bill Clinton, when he served as the White House budget director. Clinton made sure not to have his top budget adviser busy from sundown Friday to the end of Saturday, and Lew made himself available when emergencies occurred. ‘I have found that if you are true to your own beliefs, people respect it,’ Lew said. ‘I’ve found that President Obama considers it a sign of strength and value that there is something in my life that reflects principles that I adhere to.’”

This article poses numerous interesting questions. Following the Bible, one is only justified to do work on the Sabbath if it is a true emergency of an “ox-in-the-ditch” nature. It is never permitted to engage in work, KNOWING that “emergencies” will arise. Therefore, the advice by the Jewish Rabbis is not biblically correct. But it also gives another reason why the Bible does not approve of God’s people holding such political governmental offices in this day and age.

The reaction of the readers to the articles was mixed and highly charged. We are giving you a few representative excerpts:

“Regardless of your political viewpoint, could we not all agree that people supporting each other’s observance of Shabbat is a ‘good’ thing.”

“Obama thinks he can mistreat Jews for 4 years and then plant a ridiculous story like this to win us back. Obama really thinks the Jews are fools.”

“This is a scenerio [sic] I’m quite familiar with – having my non-Jewish coworkers remind me that it’s time to leave on Friday afternoon. As a Shabbos observer, the worst employment experience I ever had was when I was working for a major secular Jewish organization. My subsequent experience has always been that I’d much rather work for a non-Jew then a secular Jew. The latter will look up what time sunset is and then start arguing with me that ‘I don’t need to leave that early’, while a goy will respect my observance.”

Political Activities by Churches Break the Law

The Washington Times wrote on October 25, 2012:

“Pastor Ron Walker knew he was breaking the law when he took his place behind the pulpit of The Little White Church in Hill City, S.D., to preach a sermon critical of President Obama. ‘I think it’s a risk well worth taking,’ said the pastor of the nondenominational church of about 150 members. ‘We would be delighted to be sued and have the opportunity to defend ourselves — in front of the Supreme Court, if necessary.’

“Mr. Walker was one of more than 1,600 pastors — up from 33 five years ago — who risked their tax-exempt status to preach politics on ‘Pulpit Freedom Sunday’ this month, challenging the 1954 tax law that prohibits nonprofits from politicking. For many of the protesting pastors, the law violates their Constitutional rights, and challenging the rule is a fight they welcome. Many of the participating pastors mailed recordings of their sermons to the Internal Revenue Service…

“The IRS, however, is declining to take the bait… The IRS declined repeated requests to comment on the protest, except to refer The Washington Times to the segment of the federal tax code that states tax-exempt organizations are ‘absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.’

“The tax code also warns that violations could get a nonprofit’s tax status revoked and make it vulnerable to excise taxes… One sign that the federal government may not be eager to tackle the church protests — especially in an election year — was the announcement this week that the IRS will not conduct any church audits until the Treasury Department clarifies which officials have jurisdiction over the churches. The tax agency was forced to rethink its jurisdictional rules after a federal district court tossed out a case against a Minnesota church accused of promoting Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann from the pulpit in 2009.

“Three years later, no work has begun on the jurisdictional rules. That delay may be the real roadblock stopping the IRS from cracking down on the Alliance Defending Freedom and churches, said John Pomeranz, a lawyer who specializes in lobbying and election-related activities by tax-exempt organizations.

“We have wondered whether or not the IRS is hamstrung at the moment,” said Mr. Pomeranz, who works at the Washington firm Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg LLP. “I think there is a fundamental question about the ability of the IRS to audit churches, and they need to address that before they can get to the question of whether they’re going to audit these Pulpit Freedom Sunday churches…”

Catholic Clergy Involved in Presidential Election

The Chicago Tribune wrote on October 31:

“Joining the chorus of Roman Catholic clergy in Illinois criticizing President Barack Obama before next week’s election, Peoria Bishop Daniel Jenky ordered priests to read a letter to parishioners on Sunday before the presidential election, explaining that politicians who support abortion rights also reject Jesus. ‘By virtue of your vow of obedience to me as your Bishop, I require that this letter be personally read by each celebrating priest at each Weekend Mass,’ Jenky wrote in a letter circulated to clergy in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.

“In the letter, Jenky cautions parishioners that Obama and a majority of U.S. senators will not reconsider the mandate that would require employers, including religious groups, to provide free birth control coverage in their health care plans…”

Churches and their pastors should NOT be getting involved in making political statements to promote voting for or against one particular political candidate. True Christians should have nothing to do with time-wasting political campaigns, and they should NOT vote in governmental elections. For more information, please listen to our video-recorded sermon, “What Would Be Jesus’ Vote?”

Fish Labeling Fraud

The Huffington Post wrote on October 28:

“It’s easy to identify the bright orange flesh of raw salmon, or tuna’s muted red tones. But when it comes to other types of fish, consumers are pretty much at the mercy of supermarket and restaurant labels, and fraud is rampant. That’s what NBC LA’s Get Garcia hidden camera investigation found when it DNA-tested samples of fish that were purchased from local stores and sushi restaurants.

“Of the 27 fish samples purchased at Ralphs, Sprouts, Pavilions, Gelsons, Whole Foods, San Pedro Fish Market and Sushi Yuzu, five were not correctly labeled… The substitutions, like the Ocean Perch fish that had been labeled ‘Red Snapper’ at Gelsons, Ralphs and Pavilions end up ripping off consumers. Ocean Perch costs $6.99 per pound, but Red Snapper retails for $14.99 a pound…

“In addition to the ripoff, mislabeling could also cause problems for people trying to avoid certain kinds of fish for health reasons.

“NBC LA’s findings echo a study released by conservation group Oceana back in April. Oceana’s investigation found that over half of the seafood sold in Los Angeles and Orange counties were fraudulently labeled, a violation of federal law. Some key findings, via the press release:

“Fraud was detected in 11 out of 18 different types of fish purchased. Every single fish sold with the word ‘snapper’ in the label (34 out of 34) was mislabeled, according to federal guidelines. Nearly nine out of every ten sushi samples was mislabeled. Eight out of nine sushi samples labeled as ‘white tuna’ were actually escolar, a species that carries a health warning for it purgative effects. The group has also found similar instances of mislabeling in Boston and South Florida… while the FDA has the authority to inspect seafood for fraud, they rarely elect to do so.”

This is a crying shame and abominable conduct, while the government watches, knows … and does nothing.

Hurricane or Cyclone Sandy Causes Once-in-a-Generation Flooding

The New York Times wrote October 29:

“Hurricane Sandy battered the mid-Atlantic region on Monday, its powerful gusts and storm surges causing once-in-a-generation flooding in coastal communities, knocking down trees and power lines and leaving hundreds of thousands of people — including a large swath of Manhattan — in the rain-soaked dark.

“The mammoth and merciless storm made landfall near Atlantic City around 8 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of about 80 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said. That was shortly after the center had reclassified the storm as a post-tropical cyclone, a scientific renaming that had no bearing on the powerful winds, driving rains and life-threatening storm surge expected to accompany its push onto land.

“The storm had unexpectedly picked up speed as it roared over the Atlantic Ocean on a slate-gray day and went on to paralyze life for millions of people in more than a half-dozen states, with extensive evacuations that turned shorefront neighborhoods into ghost towns…

“Hurricane-force winds extended up to 175 miles from the center of the storm; tropical-storm-force winds spread out 485 miles from the center. Forecasters said tropical-storm-force winds could stretch all the way north to Canada and all the way west to the Great Lakes. Snow was expected in some states. Businesses and schools were closed; roads, bridges and tunnels were closed; and more than 13,000 airline flights were canceled…

“Forecasters attributed the power of the storm to a convergence of weather systems. As the hurricane swirled north in the Atlantic and then pivoted toward land, a wintry storm was heading toward it from the west, and cold air was blowing south from the Arctic. The hurricane left more than 60 people dead in the Caribbean before it began crawling toward the Northeast…”

The Los Angeles Times wrote on October 29:

“Cyclone Sandy roared ashore Monday night with 80 mph winds in southern New Jersey, battering the most populous region of the United States, paralyzing epicenters of power and commerce, and plunging smaller coastal communities into crisis.

“After days of dire warnings and bustling preparations, the storm crashed ashore a little after 8 p.m. EDT, leaving more than 3 million people without power and at least two people dead. Although its winds reached low hurricane strength, officials called it a post-tropical cyclone. Cyclones, unlike hurricanes, are not defined by wind speed but how they find their energy, officials said…

“Sandy is a freak event — a late-season hurricane hemmed in by weather bands, gobbling up the energy of the Gulf Stream as it raked the coast while growing into a ragged, 1,000-mile-wide storm. As it grew, so did its power to push a wall of seawater onto shore — with such force that some rivers were expected to run backward… Sandy cast tropical-storm-strength winds from the Carolinas to Maine. Hurricane-force winds stretched from Virginia to Massachusetts.

“Because of its size, Sandy is more than a coastal event. Officials predicted a blizzard in the West Virginia mountains, 33-foot waves in Lake Michigan and high wind in Indiana. There were formal government warnings of one variety or another in 23 states, and 60 million people — nearly 1 in 5 Americans — might feel the storm before the end of the week…

“The storm derailed the presidential campaign just a week before the election, postponing early voting in some areas and causing President Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to cancel campaign events…”

The Terrible Aftermath of Sandy

CNBC wrote on November 1:

“Power outages at hundreds of gas stations and a distribution bottleneck due to flooding damage and power loss has caused a gasoline shortage in the New York metropolitan area that may not be cleared up for at least a week… What was a problem for drivers when Super Storm Sandy ended two days ago has become a nightmare for frazzled motorists who find themselves in gas lines that can stretch on for hours. Some lines were hundreds of cars long in sections of New Jersey and New York Thursday… An estimated 75 percent or more of the gas stations in New Jersey were closed either because they had no gasoline, no power or both…”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 31:

“Hurricane Sandy revealed just how vulnerable America is to the forces of nature. Clean-up is likely to take weeks or even months in the hardest hit sections of New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy’s true power is only now becoming apparent, hours after the storm slammed into America’s East Coast. But now it is clear that entire regions of New Jersey have been destroyed. Some 8 million Americans will be without power for days. And the number of deaths has climbed to at least 45. Half of Manhattan seems like a ghost town on Tuesday…

“Sandy, like all natural disasters, didn’t differentiate between rich and poor, city or countryside. The super-storm’s swath of destruction reached from rural Virginia across New York and into the rich suburbs of Connecticut…

“The chaos in New York, unprecedented in a metropolis that has no shortage of catastrophes in its history, made the most headlines. But the worst of the damage can be found in the state of New Jersey, where the coastal city of Atlantic City was badly flooded and battered by an unprecedented storm surge. A tired-looking New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said on Tuesday that the damage ‘is beyond anything I thought I’d ever see. Terrible.’

“The full extent of what happened only became apparent as the East Coast woke up on Tuesday morning. Sandy was the largest storm ever recorded in the region, with its effects being felt from Georgia in the south to Maine in the north. There were deaths in six different states and material damage is likely to exceed $20 billion. Even through Tuesday, Sandy continued to pummel states further inland, producing heavy snowfall, torrential rains and winds gusts of over 60 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour). Its effects were felt as far west as the Great Lakes…

“Sandy also revealed just how fragile America’s infrastructure is. Streets and rail lines were destroyed, the power grid failed and communication networks collapsed, with both telephone and internet connections spotty up and down the East Coast. Telecommunications company Verizon was hit the worst, with technically vital facilities suffering floods in Manhattan, Queens and Long Island. The most densely populated and technologically advanced region in the US turned out to be defenseless against the elements…

“At least 18 people were killed in New York City alone, according to the Associated Press, with damage likely to exceed €7 billion. Two million people were without electricity on Tuesday afternoon, 660,000 of them in Manhattan, with the southern half of the island almost completely dark. ‘This will be the largest storm-related outage in our history,’ said John Miksad, vice president of the electricity utility Con Edison… Wall Street, busy even on Christmas, was completely dark and abandoned…

“New York’s subway system — the world’s largest with 1,355 kilometers (842 miles) of track and five million passengers per day — has suffered the worst damage in its 108-year history… A total of some 15,500 flights have now been cancelled as a result of Sandy… Numerous towns were almost entirely under water on Tuesday…”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 1:

“Hurricane Sandy has destroyed an entire neighborhood in the Queens borough of New York. First, the flood waters ravaged Breezy Point, and then a fire finished the job. Local residents have lost everything. Breezy Point has been decimated. Street after street, one house after the next — burned out, smashed to pieces or swept away…

“It is only now, three days after Sandy struck, that the sheer scale of the disaster has finally become apparent. Entire coastal stretches have been destroyed, 5 million people are still without power, and the death toll is rising daily. According to the latest data, 24 people have died in New York City alone — more than in any other previous natural disaster to have occurred here…”

Major Earthquake Hits Off West Coast of Canada

On October 28, the Washington Times wrote the following:

“A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck off the west coast of Canada, but there were no reports of major damage. Residents in parts of British Columbia were evacuated, but the province appeared to escape the biggest quake in Canada since 1949 largely unscathed.

“The U.S. Geological Survey said the powerful temblor hit the Queen Charlotte Islands just after 8 p.m. local time (11 p.m. EDT) Saturday at a depth of about 3 miles and was centered 96 miles south of Masset, British Columbia. It was felt across a wide area in British Columbia, both on its Pacific islands and on the mainland… The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of British Columbia, southern Alaska and Hawaii, but later canceled it… The weather service also canceled a tsunami advisory for Oregon [and] Northern California…

“Canada’s largest earthquake since 1700 was an 8.1-magnitude quake on August 22, 1949, off the coast of British Columbia… In 1970, a 7.4-magnitude quake struck south of the Haida Gwaii…”

“President Romney” and American-European Relations

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 1:

“Germans have long since made up their minds about Mitt Romney. Only 5 percent would give him their vote if they had one, they say… When America votes, the German heart traditionally beats for the Democratic candidate. To many, the Republicans are suspect: cocky, Christian-conservative, narrow-minded and often hawkish — at least according to the widespread cliché… But what would a President Romney mean for Berlin? Frankly, politicians in the German capital aren’t sure. The Republican candidate, said Harald Leibrechts, Germany’s coordinator for German-American relations, is a ‘blank page, which makes him difficult to gauge.’ He is unlikely to be alone in this assessment.

“Romney has portrayed himself as both a tough guy and a diplomat, but his waffling has confused people both at home and abroad… In Berlin, the Republican nominee is seen as somewhat of an enigma. Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière, for one, is puzzled…

“Rolf Mützenich, the foreign policy spokesman of the opposition Social Democrats in parliament, believes… that a Romney administration would most likely not see eye to eye with Germany and its fellow European Union nations when it comes to the global regulation of the financial markets.

“Braml, the DGAP expert and author of the book ‘Der amerikanische Patient’ (‘The American Patient’), champions the thesis that American’s poor socio-economic condition and growing isolationist sentiments will lead it to try to shift the burdens of military actions onto its allies. This view is shared by many in Berlin. Leibrecht, Chancellor Merkel’s coordinator for German-American relations, has said that one of the possible consequences of a Romney victory would be calls for augmenting defense budgets. ‘That is not particularly popular with us,’ he said…

“In any case, whether Obama or Romney wins, CDU politician Missfelder says that Germans will have to get used to one thing: ‘When it comes to global military actions in crisis zones, the Americans will definitely be coming to us and demanding more in the years to come.’”

Britain On Their Way Out Of the EU?

The New York Times wrote on October 27:

“Is Britain moving inexorably toward the European Union’s exit door?

“When the European Union unexpectedly won the Nobel Peace Prize this month, the leaders of Germany, France and Italy spoke of their pride. But the British prime minister, David Cameron, maintained an awkward silence. Before that, the British government said it wanted to exercise an opt out of an estimated 133 areas of European Union police and judicial cooperation to which it had once agreed.

“And Mr. Cameron supported a plan for a new budget for countries that use the euro (which Britain does not), something that would place his nation firmly in Europe’s outer tier. The prime minister has been hinting that he could hold a referendum on Britain’s relations with the union, and one newspaper reported recently that a senior cabinet minister wants Britain to threaten openly to leave the 27-nation bloc. There was no official denial of the report…

“Britain has always been ambivalent about the European project. Unlike the founding six nations, all of them defeated or occupied in World War II, Britain was a victor. In national mythology, the war was neither a moment of disgrace nor a humiliation. On the contrary, it was widely considered the country’s finest hour, when it stood alone against fascism.

“So the idea of reconciliation through integration never had the appeal in Britain that it did on the Continent. Unlike many other member countries, Britain always paid more into the union in contributions than it received in subsidies. Now, with the euro zone almost three years in crisis, British public opinion has hardened. The overwhelming majority of Conservative lawmakers are euro skeptics, and many privately favor withdrawal. For some this is a question of conviction…

“Mr. Cameron seeks a new arrangement that abandons any pretense of being at the heart of the European Union. He does not, for instance, want to stop the euro zone integrating without Britain. Indeed, he recognizes that this is necessary to save the euro…But to anchor Britain in Europe, Mr. Cameron needs to emerge from a whole series of negotiations successfully — or at least persuade his own skeptical party that he has done so.

“Most urgently, he faces tough discussions on the European Union’s next seven-year spending cycle. Many officials and other observers expect Mr. Cameron to veto a budget deal at a November summit. That will satisfy euro skeptics only if Mr. Cameron can bring home an improved offer later. Yet, playing to his domestic gallery with an aggressive veto may alienate the very European allies Mr. Cameron would need in later talks in any effort to redefine ties.

“Meanwhile, the emergence of an ever more clear-cut two-tier Europe, with much greater integration among the 17 euro zone nations on issues like banking and financial services, is putting a strain on Europe’s unified economic space, and could ultimately threaten London’s status as Europe’s financial capital.”

EU Member States Have Already Lost National Sovereignty

The EUobserver wrote on October 28:

“The EU should have the power to police and interfere in member states’ national budgets, [central bank chief] Mario Draghi [said…] he ‘completely supported’ the suggestion by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble to give more autonomy to the EU’s economic and monetary affairs commissioner. ‘I am certain, if we want to restore confidence in the eurozone, countries will have to transfer part of their sovereignty to the European level,’ Draghi [said] demanding a more concerted push for European integration.

“‘Several governments have not yet understood that they lost their national sovereignty long ago. Because they ran up huge debts in the past, they are now dependent on the goodwill of the financial markets,’ Draghi said.”

Let us look very closely at both passages.

In Psalm 8:4-5, David wonders about the purpose of the creation of man. We read, in the New King James Bible: “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor.”

David proceeds in the next verses to show that man has received dominion over the animal world (verses 7-8).

In the margin of the New King James Bible, it is stated that in the Hebrew, the word for “angels” is “Elohim,” which means “God.” (Compare the footnote in the Elberfelder Bible and the Schlachter Bible.) While translations such as the New International Version and the Living Bible render it, “angels,” the Revised Standard Version, the English Revised Version and the American Standard Version say, “little lower than God.” So also the revised Luther Bible (“Gott”) and the Menge Bible (“Gottheit”).

The Schlachter Bible also comments that the phrase, “a little lower” can be rendered as, “for a little while lower…”

Commentaries offer different explanations.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible says:

“Than the angels – So this is rendered by the Aramaic Paraphrase: by the Septuagint; by the Latin Vulgate; by the Syriac and Arabic; and by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb 2:7, who has literally quoted the fourth, fifth, and sixth verses from the Septuagint. The Hebrew, however, is… ‘than God.’ So Gesenius renders it, ‘Thou hast caused him to want but little of God; that is, thou hast made him but little lower than God.’ So DeWette, ‘nur wenig unter Gott.’ So Tholuck renders it, ‘nur um wenig unter Gott.’ This is the more natural construction, and this would convey an idea conformable to the course of thought in the psalm, though it has been usually supposed that the word used here… ‘Elohiym’ – may be applied to angels, or even men, as in Psalm 82:1; Psalm 97:7; Psalm 138:1; Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:8-9.

“Gesenius… maintains that the word never has this signification. The authority, however, of the Aramaic, the Septuagint, the Syriac, and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, would seem sufficient to show that that meaning may be attached to the word here with propriety, and that somehow that idea was naturally suggested in the passage itself. Still, if it were not for these versions, the most natural interpretation would be that which takes the word in its usual sense, as referring to God, and as meaning that, in respect to his dominion over the earth, man had been placed in a condition comparatively but little inferior to God himself; he had made him almost equal to himself.”

We note from the foregoing that the word “Elohim” can refer, on rare occasions, to human judges (whose potential it is to become God), or to pagan gods; but a plural verb is then associated with “Elohim,” whereas, when “Elohim” is used to describe the true God, it is usually associated with a singular verb. However, there are exceptions, and as we explain in our booklet, “God Is A Family,” the word “Elohim” can refer to the God Family, consisting of the Father and the Son, or to either one of the two God beings. What is important to note here, however, is the fact that the word “Elohim” is never used to describe angels.

Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible agrees, stating:

“The original is certainly very emphatic… Thou hast lessened him for a little time from God. Or, Thou hast made him less than God for a little time.”

This comment is also remarkable in that it seems to say that it is the potential of man to become, after a little while, equal with God. And this is exactly correct, as we will explain.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible says:

“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels…. Than Elohim, ‘than God’, as this word usually signifies: and could it be interpreted of man, as made by God, it might be thought to refer to the creation of him in the image and likeness of God… Sometimes the word ‘Elohim’ is used for civil magistrates, as in Psalm 82:6; because they are in God’s stead, and represent him; and, on account of their majesty, authority, and power, bear some resemblance to him…”

Wesley’s Notes state:

“But the words more literally rendered are, Thou madest him a little less than God.”

The Ryrie Study Bible states:

“Hebr. Elohim, usually translated, as it should be here, ‘God.’ The psalmist views man, created in God’s image, as little lower than God.”

The Nelson Study Bible states:

“The Hebrew text is, ‘You have made him to lack little of God.’”

It is true that God made man, in his present state, a little lower and for a little while lower than the angels, but God shows us too that it is man’s destiny to enter the Kingdom of God as immortal God beings, far above angels, and with the destiny to rule over angels (compare Hebrews 1:14; 1 Corinthians 6:3). God does not give aid to angels, but to the seed of Abraham (Hebrews 2:16). We are specifically told, in Hebrews 2:5, that the world to come is not going to be in subjection to angels, but to man, made immortal.

On the other hand, it is also very true, and seems to be the primary meaning in Psalm 8:5, that man was made for a little while lower than God. God created man in His own image, according to His likeness. He did not create him as a spirit being, but from the dust of the ground. Man has to qualify to be changed into a spirit being and to enter the Kingdom or Family of God. So, for a while—during this life time—man is made lower than God, but in the resurrection, he will be like God (1 John 3:2). In fact, he will BE God and in that sense EQUAL with God—a member of the God Family, a child of God the Father and a brother or sister of Jesus Christ, who is in the image of the Father (Hebrews 1:1-3) and who is God Himself (John 1:1). Man will share the divine nature of God—He will be equal with God, fully God, even though he will always be UNDER the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

In light of this understanding, let us now focus on Hebrew 2:7. Paul is quoting, or better paraphrasing the passage in Psalm 8:5 (a careful comparison between Hebrews 2:6-8 and Psalm 8:4-6 shows that  the wording is not identical). Paul is trying to convey an important  truth which is included in the book of Psalms, even though the emphasis there was slightly different.

In the New King James Bible, Hebrews 2:7 reads:

“You have made him a little lower than the angels…”

Here, the Greek word “aggelos” means literally, “messenger” or “agent,” and it is commonly referring to angels.

Paul proceeds to explain that the dominion that God had intended for man is not limited to rule over animals (as David had limited it in Psalm 8), but that man is destined to rule over everything, emphasizing: “For in that He put ALL in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him” (Hebrews 2:8). But Paul continues to explain that even though God has put all things in subjection under his feet, we do not yet see all things put under him (verse 8). However, Paul says, we see Jesus, “who was made a little lower than the angels… crowned with glory and honor” (verse 9).

While Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and while He was changed into an immortal Spirit being—the same God being that He was before He became a Man—this transformation has not yet occurred for man. Man is still awaiting his future resurrection or change to immortality.

In the context, it is clear that Paul could not have said that Jesus, who was God and the Immanuel (“God with us”), was made for a little while lower than God. Even though Christ gave up His divinity and became a human being (Philippians 2:5-7; John 1:14), He was still the very Being that He had always been—He was still God, but in the flesh, so that He could be tempted by Satan to sin, and so that He could die. It only made sense to say that Jesus became a little lower—or for a little while lower— than the angels—in authority and even in respect to His appearance. Angels are higher than mortal men—they are spirit beings and cannot die. Christ became a little lower, or for a little while lower than the angels, because He became a mortal being and could and did die.

The context of the entire passage shows that Paul wanted to make the point that Christ did not assume or take on the nature of angels, but of men (Hebrews 2:16, compare the Authorized Version and the margin of the New King James Bible), and that, in the resurrection, He did not assume the nature of angels, but of God, “having become so much better than the angels” (Hebrews 1:4), and all the angels have become subject to Him (1 Peter 3:22).

The Ryrie Study Bible explains:

“‘a little lower’. This may mean (1) for a short time, or (2) more likely, a little lower in rank. In the order of creation, man is lower than angels, and in the incarnation Christ took this lower place.”

There is no contradiction or even discrepancy between Psalm 8:5 and Hebrews 2:7, because when referring to man, both statements are correct (compare the Nelson Study Bible, comments to Psalm 8:5-8). Man was made (for a little while) a little lower than both angels and God, with the potential of becoming God and ruling over angels. However, in regard to Christ, the Son of God the Father and God Himself, it only made sense to say that Christ, when He came in the flesh and became flesh, was made a little lower or for a little while lower “than the ANGELS,” to be crowned in His resurrection with honor and glory in the Kingdom of God.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

“Gottes Heiliger Sabbat”–is the title of our newest German booklet, and the text has been forwarded for finalization and posting on our website. This is a translation of the first part of our English booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” and it presents specific information on God’s commanded Sabbath observance.

“NEU! Krieg Waehrend Christi Herrschaft? (“War During Christ’s Rule?”),” is the title of this week’s German sermon, which is the first part of the attack by Gog and Magog, as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. This part covers Ezekiel 38.

“Should Christians Observe Halloween?,” has been posted on our website and YouTube. In this StandingWatch program, Evangelist Norbert Link challenges viewers regarding why Christians would be observing this pagan practice–here is a summary: Halloween is dedicated to Satan the devil. Satanists celebrate it as one of Satan’s holidays. It is associated with the occult, with witches and paganism, and it is known as the festival of the dead. Trick-or-treat, masks and jack-o’-lantern are all ancient practices or symbols in connection with feared encounters with spirits of the dead, demons and damned souls. But some professing Christians argue that it is not wrong for them and their children to observe Halloween and participate in at least some of its practices. Does God agree?