On July 9, 2011, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Confidence in the Bible?”

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.

Before his conversion, the apostle Paul made havoc of the early church by his unbridled zeal to try and stamp it out (Acts 8:1-3). He was a deeply religious man whose zeal turned to fanaticism in a quest to eliminate what he thought was a false belief system. He was zealous for the traditions of his fathers (Galatians 1:14), but in his misplaced zeal, he actually persecuted the true church of God (Philippians 3:6).

In the third chapter of the book of Revelation, the church of Laodicea was told that it was “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked” (verse 17).  It was bereft of vital qualities that were needed, and it was lukewarm.  

Have we fallen at one time or another into either, or both of these traps? Perhaps when we were called, we had so much enthusiasm and somewhat misguided zeal that we tried to convert family, friends and anyone else we could get to listen to our story. And we became upset, at times, when they did not want to accept our “convincing” arguments. But, perhaps after many years in the church, we became lukewarm, having heard it all before and taking our calling much less seriously than we had done when we first came into a knowledge of the truth.

Taking the comparisons a little bit further, we may have had our nose in the Bible at every available opportunity, forsaking everything else and neglecting our responsibilities for our mate and children, but now we may rarely look at the Word of God from one Sabbath to another. Does any of this strike a chord with anyone?

One writer commented that “If you are told someone is ‘a bit zealous,’ it does not convey a totally positive image. Words like enthusiastic, keen, hot headed, lacking wisdom, scary, etc. tend to come to mind!” 

We have to avoid being a fanatic because this can send out the wrong signal when we are told to be lights to the world (Matthew 5:14-16). On the other hand, we have to have Godly zeal and enthusiasm for the Way that we have been called to. I remember clearly a minister saying to me some decades ago that “we have to be sold on this Way of life.” That must be reflected in the way that we conduct ourselves at all times.

It’s a fine balance. Do we consistently achieve that in our lives?

In this issue, we first focus on the USA and Canada, followed by the Middle East, with special emphasis on Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Syria. We continue reporting on Denmark’s controversial decision to reintroduce border controls, which the EU considers as being in violation of EU law, and show from an article in the Wall Street Journal that Germany is THE leader in Europe. At the same time, the article points out that Europe is expecting much more from Germany, including in regard to military action. We also speak of Greece’s loss of much of its sovereignty.

We also focus on the developments regarding the questionable allegations regarding Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the abominable and shameful way in which our legal system has been compromised, pointing out at the same time that none of this excuses his infidelity and adulterous conduct.

We conclude with a report on the death of Otto von Habsburg and a ridiculous piece by CNN, which asks the question as to what is wrong with eating dog meat. We provide the answer from the Bible.

Down on the Fourth of July: the United States of Gloom

The Telegraph wrote on July 4:

“Across America today, people will gather for barbecues in their backyards, parades through their towns and firework displays lighting up the night sky. They’ll be celebrating Independence Day – the birthday of the United States and the 235th anniversary of shaking off the oppressive yoke of British rule. On this day in 1776 a group of 13 colonies broke away to found a new nation free to govern itself as it saw fit, pledging that each citizen would have the [sic] unalienable right to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. A nation, as Americans are apt to declare without equivocation, which became the greatest on the face of the earth.

“That’s the good news. On the flip side, however, a country whose hallmark has always been a sense of irrepressible optimism is in the grip of unprecedented uncertainty and self-doubt. With the United States mired in three foreign wars, beaten down by an economy that shows few signs of emerging from deep recession and deeply disillusioned with President Barack Obama, his Republican challengers and Congress, the mood is dark. The last comparable Fourth of July was probably in 1980, when there was a recession, skyrocketing petrol prices and an Iranian hostage crisis, with 53 Americans being held in Tehran.

“Frank Luntz, perhaps America’s pre-eminent pollster, argues that his countrymen are much more downbeat now than in 1980… Remarkably, many Americans think things will only get worse and the good times will never return… But Americans do not just blame Obama; and the national malaise is to do with far more than one president. ‘Every institution in America has gone through a collapse,’ says Luntz. ‘The Church is not what it was, thanks to all those religious scandals, the media is much less trusted today than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Big business does not have credibility.”

CNN Money wrote on July 6:

“Almost no one is satisfied with the current state of the U.S. economy. But economists say the outlook is pretty bleak too. Sluggish economic growth will continue into 2012, if not beyond, with only modest hiring and high unemployment… Expectations started off strong in 2011… but momentum waned in the spring after the Japanese earthquake shook the world economy and oil prices rose precipitously. Since then, [some economists raise] the risk of a new recession…”

The pessimistic mood in the USA is in fact quite realistic. The Holy Scriptures have prophesied that in these end times, the great nation of America—descendant of biblical Manasseh—will fall.

How Not to Improve Our Economy

The Weekly Standard wrote on July 3:

“When the Obama administration releases a report on the Friday before a long weekend, it’s clearly not trying to draw attention to the report’s contents. Sure enough, the ‘Seventh Quarterly Report’ on the economic impact of the ‘stimulus,’ released on Friday, July 1, provides further evidence that President Obama’s economic ‘stimulus’ did very little, if anything, to stimulate the economy, and a whole lot to stimulate the debt. The report was written by the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors, a group of three economists who were all handpicked by Obama, and it… [shows that] the ‘stimulus’ has added or saved just under 2.4 million jobs — whether private or public — at a cost (to date) of $666 billion.

“That’s a cost to taxpayers of $278,000 per job. In other words, the government could simply have cut a $100,000 check to everyone whose employment was allegedly made possible by the ‘stimulus,’ and taxpayers would have come out $427 billion ahead. Furthermore, the council reports that, as of two quarters ago, the ‘stimulus’ had added or saved just under 2.7 million jobs — or 288,000 more than it has now.  In other words, over the past six months, the economy would have added or saved more jobs without the ‘stimulus’ than it has with it. In comparison to how things would otherwise have been, the ‘stimulus’ has been working in reverse over the past six months, causing the economy to shed jobs.

“… it’s quite possible that by borrowing an amount greater than the regular defense budget or the annual cost of Medicare, and then spending it mostly on Democratic constituencies rather than in a manner genuinely designed to stimulate the economy, Obama’s ‘stimulus’ has actually undermined the economy’s recovery — while leaving us (thus far) $666 billion deeper in debt. The actual employment numbers from the administration’s own Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the unemployment rate was 7.3 percent when the ‘stimulus’ was being debated. It has since risen to 9.1 percent. Meanwhile, the national debt at the end of 2008, when Obama was poised to take office, was $9.986 trillion. It’s now $14.467 trillion—and counting.”

“Obama Lets China Guzzle Canada’s Oil”

Newsmax reported on July 2:

“The Obama administration is foot-dragging on approving a pipeline to deliver abundant Canadian oil to the United States at the same time the Chinese are investing in a pipeline that could send that oil to China… The Canadian province of Alberta has the world’s third-largest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, and more than Russia or Iran. Daily production from oil sands is expected to rise from 1.5 million barrels today to 3.7 million in 2025.

“Delivering the oil will mean building two pipelines, one south to the refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast and the other west toward the Pacific, where it can be exported to China. If the United States doesn’t approve its pipeline promptly due to environmental concerns, ‘Canada might increasingly look to China, thinking America doesn’t want a big stake in what environmentalists call “dirty oil,” which they say increases greenhouse gas emissions,’ according to a report from The Associated Press.

“Sinopec, a Chinese-controlled company, has invested $5.5 billion in the planned pipeline to the Pacific coast. Sinopec has also paid $4.6 billion for a stake in Syncrude, Canada’s largest oil-sands project… Environmentalist groups have urged Obama to reject the pipeline project. They assert that extracting oil from oil sands requires huge amounts of energy and water, increases emissions and threatens rivers and forests. But Michael A. Levi, senior fellow for energy and the environment at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, maintains that environmentalists are exaggerating the dangers of oil sand extraction.”

Canada is a descendant of the biblical Ephraim—one of the two sons of Joseph. It was prophesied that Ephraim would become a company or commonwealth of nations. Great Britain, as well as English-speaking Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other English-speaking nations, are descendants of Ephraim. The next article shows the still existing relationship between the descendants of Ephraim—especially of English-speaking Canada and England.

Prince William and Kate Visit Canada

The Associated Press reported on July 4:

“Prince William was preparing to put his military helicopter training to the test Monday with his first attempt at a water landing before crowds in Canada, where he and his wife, Kate, have been on their first official overseas trip since their wedding… Canada is the only country that trains its Sea King helicopter pilots to do a controlled landing on water should there be an emergency. The Sea King, which William flies back in the U.K, has the ability to land on water because of its amphibious hull…

“The Quebec visit hit a nerve among French-speaking separatists. Prince William and Kate had a private lunch at the Citadelle, a fortified residence where the British flag was raised at the end of the pivotal 1759 Battle of Quebec, when British forces defeated the French to seal the conquest of New France… The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are officially known, encountered small but vocal protests for the second straight day during their visit to predominantly French-speaking Quebec, following protests in Montreal…

“The jeers contrasted with the start of the royal couple’s Canadian trip in the largely English-speaking capital, Ottawa, where they were cheered by tens of thousands of people on Friday’s Canada Day holiday. Quebec separatists are angry that Canada still has ties to the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is still the country’s head of state… Support for the separatists among Quebeckers has been on the decline in recent years as the 80-percent French-speaking province has enjoyed plenty of autonomy even without quitting Canada.”

Note that Queen Elizabeth II is still the head of Canada.

Iran Funnels New Weapons to Iraq and Afghanistan

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 2:

“Iran’s elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has transferred lethal new munitions to its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent months… In June, 15 U.S. servicemen died in Iraq, the highest monthly casualty figure there in more than two years. The U.S. has attributed all the attacks to Shiite militias it says are trained by the Revolutionary Guards, rather than al Qaeda or other Sunni groups that were the most lethal forces inside Iraq a few years ago.

“In Afghanistan, the Pentagon has in recent months traced to Iran the Taliban’s acquisition of rockets that give its fighters roughly double the range to attack [the] North Atlantic Treaty Organization and U.S. targets. U.S. officials said the rockets’ markings, and the location of their discovery, give them a ‘high degree’ of confidence that they came from the Revolutionary Guard’s overseas unit, the Qods Force.

“U.S. defense officials are also increasingly concerned that Iran’s stepped-up military activities in the Persian Gulf could inadvertently trigger a clash. A number of near misses involving Iranian and allied ships and planes in those waters in recent months have caused Navy officials to call for improved communication in the Gulf… U.S. and European officials also say Iran has grown increasingly aggressive in trying to influence the political rebellions across the Middle East and North Africa. Tehran is alleged to have dispatched military advisers to Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad put down a popular uprising.”

Iran would like to emerge as the new leader of major countries in the Middle East, but as the next article shows, this appears presently to be unlikely to happen.

The New “Cold War” Between Iran and Saudi-Arabia

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief, has warned that if Iran obtained nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would too. Analysts say the two are already engaged in a ‘cold war’ in various parts of the world… Iran and Saudi Arabia are historical rivals who both see themselves as the most legitimate natural leaders of the Muslim world. Iran is a majority Shia state that subscribes to an [sic] politicized Islamist ideology, while Saudi Arabia is a predominantly Sunni monarchy…

“Saudi Arabia fears that Iran will take advantage of the democracy movements that have toppled a series of dictatorships in the region to strengthen its influence in those countries. Iran has positioned itself as an ally to these protest movements, and there are concerns within the Saudi government that the country’s Shia minority would even answer a call to arms from Iran… As far as some analysts are concerned, the current situation amounts to a serious conflict.

“‘Saudi Arabia and Iran are now engaged in a regional cold war that is spreading out into the rest of the world,’ said Theodore Karasik, director of research and development at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA). ‘It’s a cold war where Saudi Arabia and Iran are using proxies to fight against each other and creating a sectarian Sunni–Shia divide.’

“The flashpoints have already been identified. Saudi Arabia recently invited Morocco and Jordan, both Sunni monarchies, to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a group made up of Sunni autocratic states. This was seen as an attempt to create a defensive alliance against Iran. By the same token, Saudi Arabia sent troops to Bahrain earlier this year to help quell protests led by Shia Muslims.

“But this proxy conflict extends to more unexpected places. Saudi Arabia and Iran are competing in Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh, said Karasik. They are rivals in West Africa, especially in Nigeria, and in Latin America the two nations compete when it comes to building mosques and distributing sectarian literature…

“For analyst Steinberg, the significance of Faisal’s speech is not so much the threat of a nuclear arms race. ‘I think the point is less that Saudi Arabia is really planning to make nuclear weapons – it’s about impressing on the US how urgent it is to react to Iran’s nuclear program,’ he said.”

Because of the hostilities between Sunnites and Shiites, it appears presently unlikely that Sunnite countries will accept the Shia state Iran as their leader. On the other hand, stranger things have happened, and current Shia minorities might emerge in some countries as majority powers. In addition, as we dicussed in our recent Q&A on Iran, at least some modern Iranians will participate, perhaps as mercenaries, in military actions by some Middle Eastern countries in collaboration with the modern Babylonian system in Europe. These actions and attacks will be directed against the state of Israel. Subsequently, Iran, which is presently supported by Russia, will again become a strong ally of Russia and fight together with Russia against modern Babylon.

Waiting for the “Imam Al-Mehdi”

On July 2, emirates247.com stated the following:

“A Saudi man mounted a prayers platform at the Grand Mosque in Islam’s holiest shrine in the Gulf kingdom and told thousands of worshippers that he was a prophet and their saviour before he was seized by police…

“It was the latest in a series of incidents involving persons claiming to be Al-Mehdi Al-Montathar (the Chosen Imam Al-Mehdi) at Islamic holy sites in Makkah over the past few months. All of them had been arrested and medically examined. Muslims believe Imam Al-Mehdi, dubbed ‘the ultimate saviour of mankind’ will eventually reappear as a great reformer who will destroy the beliefs of injustice and ignorance and fill this earth with fairness after it has been filled with injustice and oppression.”

In future Q&As, we will be addressing the role of Saudi Arabia in prophecy and the Muslim expectation of a coming Savior or “Mahdi.”

Gadhafi Threatens to Attack Europe “Like Locusts, Like Bees”

The Associated Press reported on July 1:

“A defiant Moammar Gadhafi threatened Friday to carry out attacks in Europe against ‘homes, offices, families,’ unless NATO halts its campaign of airstrikes against his regime in Libya. The Libyan leader… delivered the warning in a telephone message played to thousands of supporters gathered in the main square of the capital Tripoli. It was one of the largest pro-government rallies in recent months, signaling that Gadhafi can still muster significant support…

“‘We can decide to treat you in a similar way,’ he said of the Europeans. ‘If we decide to, we are able to move to Europe like locusts, like bees’…

“In the past, Gadhafi supported various militant groups, including the IRA and several Palestinian factions, while Libyan agents were blamed for attacks in Europe, including a Berlin disco bombing in 1986 and the downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, mostly Americans. Libya later acknowledged responsibility for Lockerbie…

“A U.S. State Department spokesman… said the U.S. would take Gadhafi’s threat of attacks seriously, as his regime carried out such actions in the past. Toner said he did not know if there was intelligence to indicate Gadhafi’s regime would be able to carry out such attacks.”

Gadhafi’s choice of words for military action and weaponry, such as “locusts” and “bees,” is quite interesting; compare the biblical language for “locusts” in Revelation 9:3, 7; Isaiah 33:3-4; and for “bees” in Deuteronomy 1:41-44; Psalm 118:10-14; and Isaiah 7:18-20.

African Union Rejects Arrest Warrant Against Gadhafi

Sky News wrote on July 2:

“The African Union has called on member states to disregard the arrest warrant issued against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi by the International Criminal Court. The AU says the ICC’s move ‘seriously complicates efforts to find a solution to Libya’s crisis.’[ The African body recommended member nations do not honour the warrant if Col Gaddafi visits their country. If members apply the AU’s decision, it will weaken the warrant as it will mean the dictator will be able to travel freely on the continent.”

NATO Will Not (Cannot) Intervene in Syria…

The EUObserver wrote on June 30:

“Nato head Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said there will be no military intervention in Syria despite similar levels of government-sponsored violence as in Libya… Perception that Nato is in the business of regime change in Libya rather than protecting civilians, as mandated by UNSC 1973, is the main reason for opposition to any UN move on Syria in key swing UNSC voters – Brazil, India and South America.”

NATO will not intervene in Syria, because it cannot obtain the necessary votes within the UN Security Council (presently led for another three weeks by German Defense Minister Guido Westerwelle). But the time will come when another emerging mighty power will act, with or without NATO or UN approval.

Denmark in Violation of EU Law?

The Local wrote on July 1:

“German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has sharply criticised Denmark’s decision to reintroduce border controls and demanded EU officials take action against the Scandinavian country. ‘I expect the European Commission as guardian of (EU) treaties to probe the compatibility of the Danish decision with European law,’ she [said]…

“Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said Copenhagen’s move to reimpose customs checks on border crossings with Germany and Sweden was a ‘bad day for Europe’ and in clear violation of its EU treaty obligations.

“Denmark’s minority government, prodded by the far-right populist DVP party, on Friday announced it would start to make random checks starting next week ostensibly to stem the flow of criminals from eastern Europe. But the EU and the country’s neighbours have argued they will impinge on the freedom of movement within the visa-free Schengen area.”

It is foreseeable that Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland will not become a part of the eurozone and the final unification of core European nations, and neither will Great Britain.

Germany on Top of the World

The Wall Street Journal wrote on June 27:

“Germany is sitting on top of the world… The country has come roaring out of the global financial crisis, boasting one of the strongest economies in the West and seemingly poised for years of rising exports ahead. What’s more, the better it does, the more the world expects it to do. Europe and the U.S. want Germany to take charge on cleaning up Europe’s debt crisis and do more for big causes—like supporting the Arab revolutions and the sputtering global economic recovery…

“Unlike many other Western countries, Germany has spent years living within its means and building up a deep trade surplus. Now it’s reluctant to bail out nations that weren’t as prudent. And it doesn’t want to get involved in foreign entanglements like Libya. All of which leads to a question with big implications for the global economy and political order: What is Germany’s place in the world?…

“NATO allies are worried by the revival of a pacifist stance under German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. German pacifism after World War II was long tolerated, even welcomed, in a Europe that had suffered from German militarism. But since the 1990s, Germany was supposed to become a ‘normal’ country again, one that took part in multilateral interventions in war-torn places such as Kosovo and Afghanistan.

“When the UN Security Council voted for military intervention in Libya, Germany abstained, breaking with its NATO allies. Germany even withdrew its ships from NATO naval patrols in the Mediterranean… Many German lawmakers are uncomfortable with Mr. Westerwelle’s policy, and Ms. Merkel has made efforts to repair relations within NATO. But opinion polls showed ordinary Germans want just as little to do with the Libya conflict as their foreign minister.”

But things will gradually change, as the Bible clearly shows. We can already see signs right now. Der Spiegel reported on July 2, that this summer Germany will sell 200 military “Leopard” battle tanks to Saudi Arabia for billions of euros. The magazine also stressed that with 11 % of global weapon trade, Germany is the world’s third-biggest weapons exporter, following America (30%) and Russia (23%); and that about 80,000 people work for the German weapon industry.

At the same time, the Local and Der Tagesspiegel argued on July 5 that Germany was “once a strong yet evil country. Then it was weak but good. Today it’s both strong and good.” They also claimed that “The United States has become weaker, but is still fairly ruthless. Germany is stronger, but still extremely prone to high-minded moralizing – even while considering the sale of hundreds of tanks to Saudi Arabia. Can this new balance hold?”

Prophecy shows that it won’t.

Note, in this context, The Local’s report from July 6:

“Germany, France and Poland have joined forces to form a joint European combat group that will be ready to deploy in crisis zones from 2013. The three European Union military powers signed an agreement in Brussels to put together a unit of 1,700 soldiers that will take part in the rotation of the EU’s rapid reaction force, known as battlegroups. The three nations, bound by a long history of alliances, rivalry and wars, have discussed the possibility of creating the so-called Weimar Combat Group since 2006… The technical agreement between the high-ranking military officers from Germany, France and Poland comes four days after Poland took over the EU’s rotating presidency… Paris, Berlin and Warsaw created the Weimar Triangle in 1992 to encourage cooperation between the three nations after the Cold War.”

Greece Faces ‘Massive’ Loss of Sovereignty

The EUObserver wrote on July 4:

“Eurozone finance ministers over the weekend staved off looming bankruptcy in Greece by agreeing to release the next tranche of aid to the country, but Athens will pay with a massive loss of its sovereignty, the eurozone chief has said. In return for the €12 billion – the fifth payment from the €110 billion EU-IMF loan agreed last year – Greece will have to push through a swathe of privatisations reminiscent of the selling of East German firms in the 1990s after the fall of Communism.

“‘The sovereignty of Greece will be massively limited,’ Jean-Claude Juncker told Germany’s Focus Magazin…”

In the future, we will observe the loss of sovereignty of other European countries as well.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Victim of Conspiracy?

On July 2, Reuters reported the following:

“Scrutiny of the accuser in the sexual assault case against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn intensified on Saturday after more revelations about her conduct following the purported May 14 attack. A judge released Strauss-Kahn from house arrest and lifted strict bail conditions on Friday after prosecutors discovered a pattern of lying in the accuser’s background, although serious charges including sexual assault and attempted rape remain in place against the man once seen a top French presidential contender…

“In a [recorded] phone conversation with her boyfriend, who was held in an Arizona jail on suspicion of possessing 400 pounds (180 kg) of marijuana, she said there was money to be made from Strauss-Kahn… On Friday, prosecutors said the accuser lied about being gang-raped in Guinea as part of an application for U.S. asylum and changed details of her story about what she did after the incident in Straus-Kahn’s luxury hotel suite.

“As the woman’s stature falls, that of Strauss-Kahn has rebounded. Some in France are talking about a political comeback…Revelations about the accuser have left prosecutors struggling to make a case with a central witness whose credibility would be targeted by Strauss-Kahn’s defense lawyers. Investigators once trumpeted the woman as a devout Muslim…”

The New York Post wrote on July 2:

“Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s accuser wasn’t just a girl working at a hotel — she was a working girl. The Sofitel housekeeper who claims the former IMF boss sexually assaulted her in his room was doing double duty as a prostitute, collecting cash on the side from male guests… The woman was allegedly purposely assigned to the Midtown hotel by her union because it knew she would bring in big bucks…

“Sources also told The Post Strauss-Kahn’s probers uncovered evidence that she was part of a pyramid scheme that targeted immigrants from her native Guinea… The stunning new info surfaced yesterday as the accuser was unmasked as a pathological liar and scam artist by prosecutors whose rape case has unraveled… To get tax benefits, she also claimed she had a second child. She only has one, a 15-year-old daughter.”

The abominable way in which Dominique Strauss-Kahn was treated, so far, by the American legal system and the American press is of course no justification or excuse for his infidelity. If he had not engaged in admitted adulterous conduct, no allegations of sexual assault could have been brought. Sadly, far too many would excuse his adulterous conduct, as long as it was “consensual.” Please read in this context our next article.

On the other hand, our legal system does not punish adultery, but it does punish sexual assault and attempted rape. However, insofar as those criminal allegations are concerned, our system demands that a person is viewed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law, during a fair trial. This important principle has been terribly violated by our entire legal system and the shameless reporting by our media.

French “Tolerance” and “Admiration” for Infidelity

The Washington Post wrote on July 2:

“Even if the sexual assault case against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is faltering, its repercussions in France are not… Several people said Saturday that it was the rape allegations, not the infidelity, that started to shift their opinions…

“Journalists and politicians in France had long considered Strauss-Kahn a womanizer. But few here spoke of it publicly, even after he admitted to a 2008 affair with a Hungarian economist who was a subordinate at the International Monetary Fund. When they did, it tended to be with admiration or amusement, not concern. Even Strauss-Kahn’s wife, former broadcast journalist Anne Sinclair, said in 2006 that ‘for a political man, it is important to seduce.’

“French journalists obeyed a culture of discretion so strong and venerable that former president Francois Mitterrand was able to have a long-standing mistress and a child without journalists writing about it until shortly before he retired.

“That silence, many here say, was part of what enabled the encounter in room 2806 of the Manhattan Sofitel. Neither side disputes that a sexual encounter took place; at issue is whether it was consensual and whether it was violent…”

This is indeed a very sad testimony of a country which claims to be “Christian.”

“Otto von Habsburg, Heir to Austria’s Last Emperor, Dies at 98”

The Local wrote on July 4:

“Otto von Habsburg, the eldest son of Austria’s last emperor who became a champion of Europe’s enlargement as a Bavarian politician, died Monday in Germany at the age of 98. The man who was once first in line to the throne of the former Austro-Hungarian empire which covered most of central Europe, died at his home in Pöcking on Lake Starnberg in Bavaria…

“The son of emperor Karl I, who reigned for only two years before the empire disintegrated, Habsburg was born on November 20, 1912 in Reichenau an der Rax in eastern Austria… the state abolished his family’s titles and confiscated their property in 1919… [He served as an] elected member of the European parliament from 1979 to 1999 for Bavaria’s conservative CSU party. He held Austrian, German and Hungarian citizenship. An ardent anti-Communist, Habsburg organised in August 1989 the now-famous ‘Pan-European picnic’ in Sopron, near Hungary’s border with Austria, during which some 700 East Germans were able to escape to the West, a few months before the Berlin Wall fell on November 9.

“He always campaigned for a unified Europe based on Christian values and for a greater integration of eastern countries into Europe. Forced into exile with his family after the empire fell in 1918, Habsburg spent time in Switzerland, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, Spain, Belgium, France and the United States, and studied political and social sciences at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, graduating with a doctorate in 1935. In the 1930s, he openly opposed the Nazi party, joining the Austrian resistance after the 1938 Anschluß and helping thousands of Jews flee the country at the beginning of World War II…

“He said he became ‘a European patriot in the very depths of his soul’ after Nazi Germany occupied Austria. In 1951, Habsburg married the German princess Regina von Saxe-Meiningen und Hildburghausen, with whom he had seven children. He reluctantly renounced all claims to the Austrian throne in 1961, five years before the state repealed so-called anti-Habsburg laws, adopted after World War I, which effectively banned all members of the former imperial family from setting foot in Austria.”

“What’s Wrong with Eating Dog Meat?”

CNN published the following ridiculous article on June 30:

“Dog soup, or Boshintang, is a summer delicacy in South Korea… A minority of people eat it regularly. It’s consumed most frequently in summer but is available year-round. And it’s more popular with men than women and is said to possess qualities that ‘help stamina’… In the country, they raise ‘meat dogs,’ also known as ‘junk dogs’ and ‘lower-grade’ dogs… So, what’s really wrong with eating dog? Just because we don’t do it in the U.S. doesn’t seem to make for a very good argument.”

If one was familiar with and believed the Bible, the answer would be obvious: God did not create dogs for human consumption. The fact that ignorant people don’t abide by God’s health laws and eat whatever they wish, does not mean that God approves of such conduct. For more information, please read our Q&As on the issue of clean and unclean meat. http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/1216 and http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/3192

In the previous Q&A, we saw that the modern Babylonian system under Assyria’s lead will conquer Edom (modern Turkey) and enslave it, after Edom had at first escaped the “king of the North,” while participating in the defeat of the modern houses of Israel (mainly the USA and GB) and Judah (the modern Jews).

We also saw in the last Q&A that God expressly stated that He will bring about Edom’s defeat to punish them for their conduct.

Psalm 137:7 tells us one reason for God’s anger with Edom: “Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, ‘Raze it [Lit., make it bare], raze it, To its very foundation!’”

Joel 3:19 tells us: “Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom a desolate wilderness, Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in their land.” Note, in passing, that Egypt’s desolation will end, as Egypt will become a major power in the Millennium, and Esau’s desolation will also end, even though it will not become a major power in the Millennium.

Amos 1:11-12 adds:

“Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, And cast off all pity; his anger tore perpetually, And he kept his wrath forever. But I will send a fire upon Teman, Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.’” [As an aside, however, when Edom is punished, God will in turn punish those nations who act indecently and with unrestrained cruelty towards Edom, compare Amos 2:1].

Ezekiel 25:12-13 is even more specific, stating: “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,’ therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan shall fall by the sword [or, as the margin has it, even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword]…’”

Ezekiel 35:1-15 adds more reasons for God’s anger with modern Edom. In that passage, the term, “you shall know that I am the LORD” is used several times. In prophecy, this expression is a reference to the time when God directly intervenes in human affairs, which He will begin to do about one year prior to Christ’s return. The prophecy in Ezekiel 35 states in detail:

“’Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you; I will… make you most desolate; I shall lay your cities waste, and you shall be desolate. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Because you have had an ancient [or everlasting] hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end, therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; since you have not hated blood [better: bloodshed], therefore blood shall pursue you. Thus I will make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it the one who leaves and the one who returns. And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall. I will make you perpetually desolate [until circumstances change], and your cities shall be uninhabited [for a while, as major Israelite cities will first be uninhabited for a while]; then you shall know that I am the LORD.

“‘Because you have said, “These TWO NATIONS and these TWO COUNTRIES [referring to the houses of Israel and Judah] shall be mine, and we will possess them,” although the LORD was there, ‘therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘they are desolate; they are given to us to consume’… Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate. As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, so I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of Edom—all of it. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.’”

Edom will become desolate for a while, but not for all eternity. Ezekiel emphasizes that they will realize that God is THE Lord—and many will turn to Him and believe in Him.

In this context, Ezekiel 36:3-5, 10 adds: “… Because they made you [the mountains of Israel, verse 1] desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations… therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD… ‘Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with whole-hearted joy and spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country… I will multiply men upon you [the mountains of Israel], all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt…”

Obadiah sheds further light on the reasons why God will punish modern Edom so severely. In the previous Q&A, we showed that Obadiah’s entire prophecy applies to the time of the end—the Great Tribulation and the Day of the LORD. We read God’s words, beginning with verse 10:

“For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, And you shall be cut off forever. In the day that you stood on the other side—In the day that strangers carried captive his forces, When foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem—Even you were as one of them. But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother In the day of his captivity; Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah In the day of their destruction; Nor should you have spoken proudly In the day of distress. You should not have entered the gate of My people In the day of their calamity. Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction In the day of their calamity Nor laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity. You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped; Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained In the day of distress (Menge: the Great Tribulation). For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you…”

We have seen that Israel and Judah will have to go into slavery, and that Edom will actively participate in this future war against Israel and Judah which will bring about the complete downfall of those two nations. We also saw that Edom will possess at least parts of Israel’s and Judah’s territories. But what will happen in respect to Esau when the returning Jesus Christ frees Israel and Judah from their slavery and brings them back into the Promised Land? What will Israel and Judah do?

Let us now analyze what is prophesied regarding the role of the modern houses of Israel and Judah, in respect to the future of modern Edom.

We find a few amazing passages shedding some light on those future occurrences.

First, we read in Ezekiel 25:14 that God says:

“‘I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,’ says the Lord GOD.”

Some commentaries say that this prophecy was fulfilled at the time of the Maccabees, but we need to note that this is an end-time prophecy, relating specifically to God’s vengeance, fury and anger. In what way will God act “by the hand of His people”?

Obadiah 17-21 adds:

“‘But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance [margin: salvation], And there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,’ For the LORD has spoken. The South (Negev) shall possess the mountains of Esau… Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion To judge the mountains of Esau, And the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.”

Even though it says in Obadiah 9 that no survivors shall remain of the house of Edom, we already saw—and will also show below—that some Edomites (for instance, the fatherless and widows) will survive. The reference in Obadiah seems to be to those “mighty men” in the Edomite army who fought against Israel and Judah, and who might be fighting with the Babylonian system against Christ at His return.

In what way will the house of Jacob and of Joseph become a flame, and the house of Esau stubble? Does this mean that when the house of Israel will be freed from slavery, they—mortal human beings–will fight in war against Esau and destroy them completely? This is hardly to be assumed, as by that time, “the kingdom shall be the LORD’S,” and the house of Israel will follow God’s ways and will therefore be unwilling to fight in war anymore (Isaiah 2:1-4). In fact, when at the beginning of the Millennium, Asiatic hordes try to overrun and conquer Israel, it will be God who will be doing the fighting for Israel by sending fire on those hostile armies—Israel will not fight at all (compare Ezekiel 38 and 39).

We read in Isaiah 10:17 that “the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day.” It will be Christ Himself and His angels who will punish His enemies through fire, when He returns (compare Malachi 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10). At the same time, God’s followers (“the saints”) who will be resurrected and changed to immortality at the time of Christ’s return, will also participate in the judgment and the execution of unrighteous people, compare Psalm 149:5-9. Today, true Christians are spiritual Israelites, and once they have become immortal God beings, they will of course have every right to rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26-27). Those from the house of Israel and Joseph, who will have become immortal God beings, will be part of the “Light of Israel” and “the flame.”

As mentioned, the passage in Obadiah 9, 17-21 does not convey that the country of Esau will be a wasteland forever and that no one in Esau will survive; otherwise, what would there be for the nations of Israel and Judah to possess, and why would saviors come to Esau to judge them? This conclusion is also confirmed by the following passages.

Amos 9:11-12 states:

“‘On that day [referring to the end time when God begins to actively intervene in human affairs] I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the REMNANT OF EDOM, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ Says the LORD who does this thing.”

There will be still in existence a “remnant” of Edom. Not all Edomites will have died—there will be those who will live in the Millennium, and many of those will become converted.

Also, note Isaiah 11:11-14:

“It shall come to pass in that day That the LORD shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left… And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth… they [especially Ephraim and Judah, verse 13] shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west… they shall plunder the people of the East; they shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them…”

As we have seen earlier, God will bring Israel and Judah into the Promised Land and replace those nations (including Edom) who took illegal possession of the territory. No illegal acts on the side of the Israelites and Jews are implied here; they “plunder” or “rob” their enemies by taking back or receiving from them what had been illegally taken away from them in the first place. Regarding the statement that Edom will obey Israel and Judah, please read our Q&A on slavery in the Millennium.

In conclusion, God will punish Edom or modern Turkey severely due to Edom’s hatred and violence towards Israel and Judah. However, many of the surviving Edomites [the remnant of Edom] will convert to God in the Millennium, and their hatred towards their brother Jacob will end at that time.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on our Web site and on YouTube, titled, “Global Economic Governance IS Coming!” Recent developments pertaining to the accusations against Dominique Strauss-Kahn cast great and shameful doubt on the integrity of our American legal system and the American press. But why is the appointment of “convicted European” Christine Lagarde as the new head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) so meaningful? In what way is her goal to create a “global economic governance organization” in line with biblical prophecy? And why will united Europe-and not America or China-become the most powerful economic might in the world?

A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled  “Die Tuerkei in der Prophezeiung, Teil 2” [“Turkey in Prophecy, Part 2”].

Please feel free to proceed with making reservations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2011 with the Hilton Garden Inn at 601 James Way, Pismo Beach, CA 93449. When you call under 1-805-773-6020, please make sure that you mention that you are attending the Feast convention of the Church of the Eternal God. Further information is available on our Web site (www.eternalgod.org), under “Feasts.”

On July 2, 2011, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Prophets.”

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

The attempt to coercively persuade an individual to a “right mindset” is not new to mankind. It has been tried throughout the centuries–by the Papacy during the Medieval Inquisitions; the Russian secret police; the prison systems; the mental healthcare facilities; and so on. 
 
During the Korean War, brainwashing was put forth as the explanation for why captured American soldiers were making anti-American statements and defecting at a higher rate than normal. It was found out later that the Chinese had been using de-humanizing techniques and once the POW’s were out from under the heavy hand of their captors and able to reassert their own will, they quickly reintegrated back into their previous life style. In other words, for mind control to be effective and lasting, there was a need for willing participants.
 
Though some may believe that “mind control” is a reasonable explanation when it comes to many of the organizations that claim Christianity or any other religious persuasion as their foundation, the truth is that adherents willingly submit themselves to being molded and shaped. As a major tenet of the Christian religion, its followers believe that they are to allow their minds to be changed by the power of the Spirit of God.
 
However, what must be recognized is that there are two spirits at work which are an antithesis of each other. This is why we are admonished in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God…” Satan has the ability to negatively influence the human mind, and he has and is making the most of it by deceiving the whole world. Though many follow the Devil’s lead ignorantly–without realizing that they do so—it is nevertheless true that due to Satan’s deceptions and evil devices from their childhood, they have acquired a will and a desire to follow Satan willingly.
 
It is this same sway that man’s Adversary, a being of vast power, seeks to foist upon true converted Christians who have received God’s Holy Spirit. Even though we, the Spirit-begotten Children of God, have a hedge set about us, Satan desperately wants to direct our thoughts especially. 
 
If we are to combat the wicked one, we must allow our minds to be transformed in the right way. James says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). We are to obey God and truly be led by His Power in us. Doing so will put us in the right frame of mind to overcome all that besets us. To avoid being conformed to Satan’s world and all that is in it, we must willingly replace our mind with the perfect Will of God (Romans 12:2).

In this news edition, we are reporting on the fragile and highly volatile situation in Libya, especially in light of continuing charges of NATO’s illegal conduct in that part of the world, the questionable conduct of the German Defense Ministry, and the dissemination of rumors pertaining to a possible American invasion of Libya and Syria; inform our readers on Iran’s plan to start its first nuclear power plant in August; speak about Egypt’s futile attempts to create real democratic change; quote several articles about the interesting relationship between China and Europe, and especially between China and Germany; speak about the pressure which the EU is asserting against Greece; report on a new proposed Dutch law prohibiting Muslims and Jews to ritually slaughter animals; discuss the appointment and the intensions of the French Minister, Mrs. Christine Lagarde, as the new head of the IMF; and conclude with a warning that nuclear power plants are dangerous—including in the USA.

Europe Is Doing the Work

Reuters reported on June 28:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy rejected on Friday criticism of Europe’s role in the Libyan war effort by outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and insisted Washington’s allies were ‘doing the work… It was particularly inappropriate for Mr. Gates to say that [i.e., that Europe is not doing enough in Libya] and, what is more, completely false, given what is going on in Libya,’ Sarkozy told reporters at an EU summit in Brussels. ‘There are certainly other moments in history when he could have said that, but not when Europeans have courageously taken the Libyan issue in hand and when France and Britain, with their allies, for the most part, are doing the work.’”

The relationship between Europe and the USA is bound to deteriorate. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

The Hague Issues Warrant Against Gadhafi

Deutsche Welle reported on June 27:

“Libyan rebels, human rights groups and numerous governments around the world warmly welcomed the decision by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Monday to issue [arrest] warrants for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, his son, Saif al-Islam, and the regime’s director of intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, Gadhafi’s brother-in-law. The three men have been charged with crimes against humanity, committed against opponents of the regime since mid-February of this year…

“NATO, which is coordinating and conducting the air campaign against the Libyan leader, said the indictments showed that time was running out for Gadhafi… Monday’s announcement marks the first time that the ICC has ever issued arrest warrants during an ongoing conflict.”

The Associated Press wrote on June 27:

“The warrants turn Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam Gadhafi and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanoussi into internationally wanted suspects, potentially complicating any efforts to mediate an end to more than four months of intense fighting in the North African nation… Gadhafi’s regime remained defiant. Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim… insisted Gadhafi will remain in Libya.

“While issuing international arrest warrants is a significant step toward bringing Gadhafi to The Hague to face justice, the court has no police force and a patchy record on detaining suspects. The court’s best chance of detaining Gadhafi appears to be if rebels supported by NATO airstrikes win the battle for control of Libya, manage to arrest the longtime leader and agree to extradite him to stand trial.

“In the court’s only other case against a head of state, judges have twice issued international arrest warrants for Sudanese leader Omar al Bashir on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur, but he remains free nearly a year after the second warrant was issued and has flown several times to friendly nations without being arrested.”

Die Welt wrote on June 28:

“One does not need to mince words or beat around the bush: Moammar Gadhafi is a bloodthirsty torturer. He is a murderer who sometimes pitches his tent in Sodom, at other times in Gomorrah. Even worse, he transforms every place that he governs into Sodom and Gomorrah. Every day that he remains in power is one day too many. Nevertheless, the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant against him is foolish. … It will rule out any possibility of Gadhafi choosing to go into exile, because most states will be obliged to arrest him and deport him to the Netherlands.”

Even though the Western world may jubilate over The Hague’s entirely symbolic and thoroughly political move to issue arrest warrants (normally it takes The Hague years of prior investigations before they would be willing to even entertain that thought), the Associated Press stated correctly that this ill-advised action will “complicate any efforts to mediate an end to the war,” and Die Welt added accurately that this course of  conduct prevents the possibility of Gadhafi ending the war and going into exile. The Libyan war becomes also more and more questionable in light of the following statements by Deutsche Welle, dated June 29:

“This week marked the three-month anniversary since the start of NATO’s military operations in Libya, but there was little sign of a breakthrough… Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini told reporters last week that NATO’s reputation was on the line… On Monday, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Gadhafi, accusing him of crimes against humanity. Ian Lesser of the German Marshall Fund in Washington said that the court’s decision could prolong NATO’s involvement… Adding to NATO’s woes, key allies Britain and France are warning about the cost of the air strikes, running at around 1 million euros ($143 million) per day. Others, like Canada, are considering pulling out in the autumn.”

Germany’s Duplicity

Der Spiegel wrote on June 29:

“Germany’s abstention from the Security Council vote authorizing the use of force against Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi earned it criticism from its international partners. But now the German government, despite its fundamental unwillingness to get involved in the conflict, wants to help its NATO allies attack Gadhafi’s troops…

“NATO submitted a request to all members asking for technology and components for bombs and other military equipment at the start of last week. Berlin has already responded positively to the request… Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière approved the request from the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA). He gave authorization for the German military, the Bundeswehr, to provide bomb components and complete missiles for the Allied bombing campaign against Gadhafi

“… the government is assuming that the Bundeswehr will receive a detailed request within the next few days. Then the military will check whether it can help its allies and how quickly the weaponry can be delivered. It is not clear which weapons would be included in a concrete request… In Berlin on Monday, requests for an official statement on the Defense Ministry’s controversial decision went unfulfilled. The Foreign Ministry likewise opted not to comment…”

In an accompanying article, Der Spiegel Online reported about the furor and condemnation with which the opposition and even members from the coalition party reacted to the report that the German Defense Ministry had responded positively to NATO’s request. However, such German duplicity is not new. When the German government, under former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, publically condemned the Iraq war, Germany’s Intelligence clandestinely assisted the Bush Administration in their war efforts.

Rumors of US Plans for Libya, Syria Cause Concern

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 27:

“When the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1973 on March 17 of this year, it authorized the use of force by UN member states, granting them the right to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in Libya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.

“In the three months that have followed, the rules of Resolution 1973 appear to have been bent to allow the NATO-led mission to not only protect civilians in Libya but actively pursue the forces of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, target his strongholds and effectively force him out of power. This ‘mission creep’ has caused fractures and divisions within the international coalition that originally agreed to take on the UN’s Libyan operations.

“The Arab League, whose involvement helped sell the mission to the Arab world, is becoming increasingly nervous about what it sees as NATO’s new goal of regime change. Meanwhile, those members of the Security Council that abstained from the Resolution 1973 vote are concerned by developments they fear may lead toward a land invasion of Libya and the contravening of the UN resolution. Russia in particular has been angered by the deployment of military advisors and Special Forces operatives from the US, France and Britain to support the efforts of the Libyan opposition.

“Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters earlier this month after France and Britain had deployed attack helicopters to Libya for the first time that the prospect of land operations in Libya was against Moscow’s wishes…  a number of unsubstantiated reports based on anonymous military sources began flooding the Internet claiming that US forces were already being readied for a full-scale ground invasion of Libya… [in] October.

“Whether it is part of a future invasion plan or not, the existence of a recently re-deployed US Navy strike group in the Mediterranean cannot be disputed… The group, led by the Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, along with the guided missile destroyers Truxtun and Mitscher, the missile cruisers Gettysburg and Anzio and eight squadrons of aircraft, has been sent to strengthen the US Sixth Fleet which is based in Naples, Italy. Most of the NATO missions in Libya to date have originated from bases in that country. If an invasion was being planned, the amount of naval firepower now available in the region would give more than adequate support for any land forces being deployed on Libyan soil.

“This is not the only US Navy strike group on the move. The USS Bataan, which alone can land more than 2,000 marines, equipped with helicopters and vertical takeoff planes, artillery and tanks, along with two other amphibious assault ships, anchored in Italy in mid-May. Reports suggest that the Bataan and its flotilla then left for an undisclosed location off the Syrian coast, prompting further rumors of a potential US intervention in Syria… However, while there is no documented evidence that suggests the US is planning to intervene in Syria, the presence of US warships in the vicinity – for whatever reason – … cannot be denied.”

In light of America’s domestic troubles and its feverish fascination with its Presidential elections in 2012, it may appear unlikely that the USA will get involved in another invasion of foreign countries, unless the Obama Administration may feel that such a move might increase its chances of winning the next election. In any event, the very idea that such an invasion might be possible raises grave concerns among America’s allies and foes alike. It also brings back into focus that even NATO’s current activities, especially as they pertain to Libya, seem to be in blatant violation of international law and the UN resolution authorizing limited military activities pertaining to Libya. Even though the warring Western parties don’t seem to be impressed by the restrictive demands of the law, it does not speak well about their unwillingness to abide by it and their alleged “noble cause” for fighting in Libya in the first place.

Iran’s Nuclear Plant to Start in August

The Associated Press reported on June 27:

“Moscow and Tehran signed a US$1 billion contract to build the 1,000-megawatt Bushehr plant in 1995, but delays… left the plant unfinished for years. Russian Deputy Foreign Ministry Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Monday that the plant is ‘completed’ and will start up in early August. The United States and some of its allies believe the plant is part of an Iranian attempt to develop nuclear weapons.”

The Guardian wrote on June 29:

“A senior Saudi Arabian diplomat and member of the ruling royal family has raised the spectre of nuclear conflict in the Middle East if Iran comes close to developing a nuclear weapon. Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to Washington, warned senior Nato military officials that the existence of such a device ‘would compel Saudi Arabia to pursue policies which could lead to untold and possibly dramatic consequences.’

“He did not state explicitly what these policies would be, but a senior official in Riyadh who is close to the prince said yesterday his message was clear. ‘We cannot live in a situation where Iran has nuclear weapons and we don’t. It’s as simple as that,’ the official said. ‘If Iran develops a nuclear weapon, that will be unacceptable to us and we will have to follow suit’…

“Turki holds no official post in Saudi Arabia but is seen as an ambassador at large for the kingdom and a potential future foreign minister. Diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and published by the Guardian last year revealed that King Abdullah, who has ruled Saudi Arabia since 2005, had privately warned Washington in 2008 that if Iran developed nuclear weapons ‘everyone in the region would do the same, including Saudi Arabia’…

“Turki also accused Iran of interfering in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and in the Gulf state of Bahrain…”

We have warned for quite some time that Iran pursues its nuclear activities with the intent to build a nuclear weapon and to use it in a war against Israel. Iran is getting closer and closer to its goal, and an explosion of the entire Middle Eastern powder keg would be the inevitable consequence.

Egypt’s Dilemma

Der Spiegel wrote on June 27:

“A new state is being born in Egypt in the wake of the revolution. While the old guard is battling to preserve its influence, scores of new parties are jockeying for power, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which is resorting to shrewd tactics in a bid to cement its political clout… Five months after Hosni Mubarak, who ruled the country for 30 years with a single political party and a clique of corrupt corporate leaders, stepped down at the age of 83, Egypt’s population of some 80 million is mired in a political swamp. It is hard to discern the democratic reforms, the long-overdue improvement in living conditions and the more equitable social order that Egyptian protestors longed for. ‘It’s business as usual,’ wrote the popular weekly newspaper Al-Fagr (The Dawn) in a resigned commentary. ‘The old powers are still in control.’

“Very few of Egypt’s key government decision-makers have had to give up their posts. Only a handful of prominent officials… were replaced. Security also leaves much to be desired. Crime is rife due to a lack of police operations. Unknown gangs have meticulously dismantled and stolen some 300 kilometers of train track along an important route across the Suez Canal towards Palestine and Israel…

“Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood is making headway in its campaign in the villages and city slums where imams are trying to persuade the faithful that everyone who denies the party of the Muslim Brotherhood his vote is betraying Islam…”

Politico reported on June 30:

“The U.S. has decided to formally resume contact with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood group – which does not recognize Israel… One senior U.S. official said the Brotherhood’s rise in political prominence… makes the American contact necessary… The decision to resume contact with the Muslim Brotherhood group may worry members of the Jewish community and Israeli officials, Reuters reported. Politico… wrote yesterday about the increasing anxiety of center-left Jewish Democrats who are losing faith in Obama, most recently because of the speech in which he called for the country’s 1967 borders to be the basis for peace talks, with ‘land swaps.’”

The whole idea of Egypt’s fight for real change and true democracy was, sadly, nothing else but an illusionary pipe dream. Egypt’s prophesied future does not look too promising.

Chinese-European Relationship

Deutsche Welle reported on June 27:

“Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao explained to his government that solving Europe’s debt crisis would be of great interest to China. Hong Lei of the Chinese Foreign Office stated that ‘China is ready to help European countries now and in the future.’ He explained further that some measures to boost economic cooperation have already been taken; for example, China has started buying EU bonds… China’s foreign exchange reserves of over $3 billion (around 2.1 billion euros) are the largest in the world. One fourth of these are in euros. According to official Chinese statements, China has already bought up debt from euro countries for billions of dollars since April alone…

“Thirteen Chinese ministers are accompanying Wen Jiabao for the first round of German-Chinese government consultations in Berlin. For China, this is a completely new form of cooperation… [Germany’s Chancellor Angela] Merkel still takes every opportunity she gets to talk to the Chinese government about human rights. Though the Chinese have always patiently listened to her, it has never seemed to have any effect.”

The Telegraph wrote on June 27:

“…while the Chinese media will sell any intervention [to save the euro] as a grand favour to impoverished Europe, it is worth remembering that Europe remains China’s biggest export market. And with the latest surveys indicating that Chinese factories have slowed to almost flat growth, China needs Europe to keep on buying its goods or face difficulties in what remains one of the key pillars of its economy. China may be the world’s fastest-growing major economy, but it still needs moribund old Europe.”

Der Spiegel added on June 27:

“Beijing recently published a report praising cooperation between the two countries [China and Germany]. From bank regulation to research, technology and youth exchange programs, the ‘strategic partnership’ with Germany is more extensive than with any other European nation…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 28:

“As Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao wrapped up his European visit in Berlin on Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany intended to boost trade with China to at least 200 billion euros ($283.8 billion) in the next five years… Trade between the world’s number two economy, China, and Germany, at number four, currently stands at 130 billion euros annually. The Chinese premier followed Merkel’s announcement by asserting China’s confidence in the eurozone. ‘It’s true that right now some European Union countries are encountering economic problems. These are, however, of a temporary nature,’ he told the business forum. The European Union is ‘strong enough to master the current challenges,’ he added.”

The close interdependent relationship between Europe and China is one more reason why the euro will not fail, as both power blocs cannot afford such an occurrence. However, just to give an example of the absolute nonsense and irresponsible misinformation which is being circulated, note what the British Express wrote on June 27:

“Rumours are also rife in Germany that Deutsche Mark bank notes are being printed again in preparation for ditching the euro. It is said Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, has been ordered to print marks as part of contingency plans to leave Europe’s single currency.”

Of course, there is absolutely no verifiable truth to this statement, and no shred of evidence is offered for such irresponsible reporting, but the tragedy is that gullible people tend to believe just about anything that seems to support their false paradigms and wishful thinking.

“Berlin’s Dance with the Dragon”… German Press Concerned About China’s Influence

The Local wrote on June 29:

“Newspapers, regardless of their political stripes, were all but unanimous in expressing concern about the danger of too-great China’s influence in Germany and Europe after Chinese premier Wen Jiabao travelled to the region this week. Some bemoaned the lack of a united European policy on China, allowing the emerging Asian giant to use its considerable economic lure – and bulging wallet – to more easily influence each country individually… while Germany sees business and trade as purely economic issues, China sees them strategically…

“Populist mass-circulation Bild newspaper wrote that China offers great business opportunities – but also poses a giant risk… ‘China is not a democracy, nor a country with the rule of law, nor a free market economy, distance and mistrust remain essential… Germany and Europe must remain true to themselves…’

“The centre-left Süddeutsche Zeitung lamented the fact that there was no common European policy on China… The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung criticized the fact that Europe sees China only through the lenses of business and human rights… China’s purchase of the stricken bonds of debt-ridden European nations was not done from the goodness of its heart, the paper wrote. Europe’s increasing dependence on China would make criticism of its human rights record harder…

“The left-wing Tageszeitung wrote that the great love-in between the German cabinet and Wen’s entourage of ministers masked the realities of China: a paranoid communist party that is cracking down on media and strengthening its network of spies while using business to further its political aims. The paper noted that an advisor to the Chinese Foreign Ministry had recently put it this way: The Chinese were ‘interested in a strategic vision and a global perspective. Europe by contrast seems to believe that it is more important how many planes are sold and how many contracts are signed.’”

EU Pressures Greece

The EUObserver wrote on June 28:

“…the European Commission has warned Greek deputies that if they do not vote the right way, then ‘everything changes’ as to whether ‘EU solidarity continues’… EU economics commissioner Olli Rehn said there are only two options for the country: pass the mid-term package or default… He refused to answer whether a country can default and still be a member of the Eurozone…

“The austerity has provoked furious country-wide resistance to the measures. A two-day general strike [instigated by communists and labor and trade unions, and supported by anarchists, according to Der Spiegel and Deutsche Welle] was launched on Tuesday.”

BBC News wrote on June 29:

“The Greek parliament has voted in favour of a drastic package of austerity measures intended to save the country from defaulting on its debts. The proposed tax hikes and spending cuts have been deeply unpopular with the Greek public. A nationwide 48-hour strike is under way and violent clashes are continuing in the streets of the capital, Athens… Top EU officials welcomed the result as a ‘vote of national responsibility’, saying it had pulled Greece away from the ‘very grave scenario of default’ while paving the way for a second aid package.”

In response to the Greek vote, Bild Online wrote: “The euro has been saved.” Deutsche Welle quoted Angela Merkel as saying the vote was “both an important step for the future of Greece and for the stability of the euro. We, the European Union, stand ready to help.”

According to Bild Online, the Greek Parliament approved detailed laws pertaining to austerity measures in a second vote on June 30. The paper wrote: “Now it is done!” It also stated: “As a consequence, the market reacted positively and relieved, and the value of the euro rose and reached a level of 1.45 towards the U.S. dollar.”

Animal Sacrifices—A Foretaste of What Is to Come…

BBC News reported on June 28:

“The Dutch lower house of parliament has passed a law effectively banning the ritual slaughter of animals… The legislation states that all animals must be stunned before being killed. But the Islamic dhabiha and Jewish shechita methods of ritual slaughter require them to be fully conscious… debate over the matter swiftly became a focus of animosity towards the Netherlands’ 1.2 million-strong Muslim community. The country’s Jewish population is comparatively small at 50,000.

“Following months of debate a last minute concession was offered – the Muslim and Jewish communities will have a year to provide evidence that animals slaughtered by traditional methods do not experience greater pain than those that are stunned before they are killed. However, observers say finding such proof will be virtually impossible. The bill must still be approved by the upper house of parliament before it can become law… In a rare show of unity, the Muslim and Jewish communities condemned the legislation and said it infringed on their religious freedom.

“‘One of the first measures taken during the Occupation [by Nazi Germany during World War II] was the closing of kosher abattoirs,’ Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs told MPs during a debate in The Hague… To make meat kosher for Jews or halal for Muslims, animals must be slaughtered while still awake, by swiftly cutting the main arteries and veins in their necks with sharp knives, and then allowing the blood to drain out.”

This is an interesting foretaste of what IS going to happen in the Holy Land. The Bible is very specific that the Jews will start bringing sacrifices again in Jerusalem, and the future United States of Europe, under German leadership, will intervene and forcefully forbid such sacrifices.

IMF Confirms Lagarde as Strauss-Kahn Successor

Deutsche Welle reported on June 29:

“French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has been named as the new head of the International Monetary Fund… replacing her countryman Dominique Strauss-Kahn who was forced to step down from the post in May after becoming embroiled in a sexual assault case in the United States…

“The 24-member IMF board appointed Lagarde, 55, by consensus to a five-year term beginning July 5. Earlier Tuesday, she had won the backing of the United States, which carries the most votes within the board. A host of Asian, African, European and Latin American nations also threw their weight behind her for the role, which traditionally has gone to a European…

“Lagarde was the first woman to head the French Finance Ministry, the first female finance minister in a G8 country and is now the first woman to lead the IMF. She received strong support for her candidacy, backed not only by French President Nicolas Sarkozy but also by members of the OECD from Britain, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands. Germany had also expressed support for her… Lagarde also received backing from Russia and China, despite the fact that the latter would have preferred a candidate from the emerging economies take the job, rather than another European…

“Like Sarkozy, she wants the IMF to develop into a type of global economic governance organization. The contacts she’s made during her career in the international economic and financial world could help realize this aim.”

Der Spiegel Online commented that  “’Convinced European’ Christine Lagarde Takes Over.” Lagarde’s intensions to bring about a global economic government are also quite interesting in light of biblical prophecies, as contained in the 18th chapter of the book of Revelation.

Nuclear Threats in the USA

CNN reported on June 29:

“The manager of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant and his colleagues are bent on dispelling rumors about… a meltdown… Still, there is a genuine crisis at the plant. Floodwaters from the swollen Missouri River have engulfed this facility… The buildings housing the reactor core, the spent fuel rods and other crucial components are protected by small levees and aqua-berms. But outside those barriers, the water is at least 2 feet above ground level…

“Officials did not allow journalists directly into the rooms housing the reactor core and the spent fuel rods…”

Reuters reported on June 29:

“New Mexico fire managers scrambled on Tuesday to reinforce crews battling a third day against an out-of-control blaze at the edge of one of the nation’s top nuclear weapons production centers. The fire’s leading edge burned to within a few miles… of a dump site where some 20,000 barrels of plutonium-contaminated waste is stored at the Los Alamos National Laboratory…

“Established during World War Two as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project to build the first atomic bomb, it remains one of the leading nuclear arms manufacturing facilities in the United States. Nuclear Watch New Mexico said on its website its greatest concern was for the 20,000 55-gallon sealed drums of plutonium-tainted waste stored at one corner of the complex, some stacked in the open on asphalt, some in tents, some buried underground…

Of course, we are being told that no real danger exists. But in light of the continuing lies permeating from Japan’s nuclear power plant fiasco, who is really willing to believe those “reassuring” words any longer? In any event, we should be able to see the potential dangers that nuclear power plants pose for mankind.

As was explained in our previous Q&A, the Turkish people can be identified today as belonging to the descendants of biblical Esau or Edom. Additional biblical references to modern Turkey are Teman (descendant of Esau), Idumea, Bozrah (ancient capital of Esau) and Seir (compare Joshua 24:4).

In this and a subsequent Q&A, we will show that many Scriptures reveal that modern Esau—Turkey—will be severely punished in the end time. Some of the Scriptures are more general in nature, while others are very specific. Some passages give us reasons for modern Esau’s destruction and defeat in a coming war. Some Scriptures imply that God will directly and supernaturally destroy Edom before and at Christ’s return, while other Scriptures show that God will also act through other nations. Some passages seem to indicate, at first sight, that Esau will be totally annihilated; that there won’t be any survivors; and that the country of Esau will become a wasteland for all eternity; but upon further scrutiny, other passages suggest otherwise, and we know that the Bible cannot and does not contradict itself. Finally, the role of modern Israel and Judah towards Edom will be explored.

Let us first focus on passages in the Bible, which describe the judgment of Edom in general terms.

Psalm 60:8; 108:9 show that modern Esau will be punished in the end time. God says twice that He will cast His shoe over Edom. Wesley’s Notes states that this is a proverbial expression to indicate slavery, while Albert Barnes’ Notes’ on the Bible says: “It is supposed that there is allusion in the expression ‘I will cast out my shoe,’ to the custom, when transferring a possession, of throwing down a shoe on the ground as a symbol of occupancy… The idea is, that he [God] would take possession of it, or would make it his own.”

Further general references to God’s future punishment of “[spiritually] uncircumcised” Edom can be found in Jeremiah 9:25-26; 25:15, 21; and 48:21-24. Another Scripture, Lamentations 4:21-22, describes the punishment of the “daughter” of Edom, at the time of the captivity of the “daughter” of Zion (“daughter” signifies here in prophetic terms the end-time descendants of ancient Edom and Zion). Note also the general description of the destruction of Edom’s kings and princes in war in Ezekiel 32:29. Further, Malachi 1:4 says that God will throw down what Edom has built, and that God has indignation against the people of Edom “forever,” calling Edom “the Territory of Wickedness.” Note, however, that the word “forever” does not need to mean, “for all eternity,” but that it could refer to a certain period of time, until the circumstances change (see our Q&A, describing the biblical meaning of the word “forever,”). Circumstances will change dramatically when Jesus Christ rules over this earth during the Millennium.

A vague reference to the “night” of punishment of Seir (Edom) is also found in Isaiah 21:11-12.

In addition, the Bible includes very specific references to the punishment of modern Edom.

In Isaiah 34:5-6, we read that God’s bloody sword will come down on Edom, the people of God’s curse, for judgment, and that God has a sacrifice of a great slaughter in Bozrah and the land of Edom. The time setting is very clearly identified as being in the future, when Christ returns, compare Isaiah 34:8, speaking of the “day of the LORD’s vengeance” and the “year of recompense for the cause of Zion.” As mentioned before, the term “day of the LORD” applies ALWAYS to a future time, beginning about one year prior to Christ’s return.

God’s punishment of Edom is also described in Isaiah 63:1-6. It says there that God Himself has punished Edom “alone” (verse 3); that “from the peoples no one was with” Him (same verse); that there “was no one to help” (verse 5); and that therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him (same verse). The meaning is, Christ will act without the help of any supportive human armies which would see the need for Edom’s punishment. Even though some nations will fight against Edom (see below), they won’t do so because they want to do God’s Will, but they will act because of ulterior selfish motives (An interesting parallel passage as to motive may be Isaiah 10:5-7. God will use the modern King of Assyria to punish the modern houses of Israel and Judah. However, that king will not understand or consider that he is a tool in God’s hands, but he will act because it is in his heart to destroy many nations).

In addition, the time setting in Isaiah 63 is the day of God’s anger and fury, as well as the day of His vengeance and the year of His redeemed (verse 4)—that is, a future time when God’s enemies will be destroyed and His people will be redeemed. When Christ returns, He will indeed act “alone” against His human enemies, without the “help” of human allies.

A possible parallel Scripture of God’s punishment of Edom and His coming from Seir and Bozrah can be found in Habakkuk 3:3. The prophet asks God in the context of the revival of His work in the midst of the years to remember mercy in wrath (verse 2). It is interesting that we read in Deuteronomy 33:2 that at the time of Moses, God came from Seir (Edom) “with ten thousands of saints” to declare His Law. Note that the word “saint” means “holy” and can refer both to angels and men. When God declared His Law to ancient Israel, He was accompanied by angels (“saints”). It is possible that the passage in Deuteronomy 33:2 is also a reference to Christ’s second coming, when He descends with His disciples (the “saints”) to the Mount of Olives (compare Jude 14-15; Zechariah 14:3-5). Christ will punish Edom at that time, and coming from Seir or Bozrah, He will continue to declare His Law and execute judgment on all ungodly people (compare again Jude 15).

We also find a rather lengthy description of God’s judgment on Edom in Jeremiah 49:7-22. God declares very specifically that Bozrah will become a desolation, a waste or ruin, and a curse, and that its cities will be perpetual wastes (verse 13). We also read that nations will fight against Edom (verse 14), that Edom will become small among nations (verse 15)—that is, it will not cease to exist–and that no one shall remain there, as “in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah” (verse 18). This will happen “in that day” (verse 22), when God will “come up and fly like the eagle, and spread His wings over Bozrah” (same verse). At the same time, we read in verse 11 that God tells Edom to leave their “fatherless children”; that God will preserve them alive; and that Edom’s “widows” should trust in Him.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible says: “As with Moab… and Ammon…, so there is mercy for Edom. The widows shall be protected, and in the orphans of Edom the nation shall once again revive.” Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible agrees, stating: “Even the widows and orphans of Esau, who escape the general destruction, shall be taken care of by the Lord.” Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible implies that God might be speaking ironically, and that no Edomite would survive, but this does not seem to be the meaning here.

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary says: “Thy fatherless and widows must rest their hope in God alone, as none of the adult males shall be left alive, so desperate will be the affairs of Edom. The verse also, besides this threat, implies a promise of mercy to Esau in God’s good time, as there was to Moab and Ammon…; the extinction of the adult males is the prominent idea.” The Geneva Study Bible concurs, saying: “The destruction will be so great that there will be none left to take care of the widows and the fatherless.” But some Edomites will survive, as we will see in more detail, and Edom will not remain a wasteland like Sodom for all eternity.

How will Edom’s punishment unfold?

Psalm 83:6 tells us about a future confederacy of nations against “Israel.” This confederacy will consist of Edom (including Amalek, one of Edom’s grandsons) and other Middle Eastern nations, as well as modern Assyria (Germany) and the revived Babylonian system (“Tyre”). Goal of that confederacy is to cut off Israel, so that “the name of Israel may be remembered no more” (verse 4). A reference to that conspiracy is alluded to in Amos 1:6, 9 where we read that “Gaza” and “Tyre” will be punished because they “took captive the whole captivity to deliver them up to Edom” and because “they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom.”

The reference to the “captivity” is to the enslavement of the modern descendants of the house of Judah and perhaps some from the modern house of Israel. In addition to bringing about slavery, we are specifically told in Amos 1:11 (among many other places) that Esau will pursue his brother (Israel) with the sword and cast off all pity, keeping his wrath against Jacob forever.

In fact, we read in Obadiah 11-14 that Edom was as one of them who carried captive the forces of Israel, and who gazed on or gloated over the day of his brother’s calamity in the day of his captivity; that Edom rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; and that they entered the gate of God’s people in the day of their calamity and laid hands on their substance. We even read that Edom stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped and delivered those up who remained in the day of distress (verse 14), or, as the Menge Bible puts it, at the time of the Great Tribulation.

As will be discussed in the next Q&A, Edom’s conduct during that time is a major reason WHY God will pour out His wrath over Edom. A parallel Scripture of Edom’s appalling conduct towards his brother can also be found in Ezekiel 35:5. God says that He will make Esau (Mount Seir) desolate, as the inheritance of the house of Israel had become desolate before (verse 15)—but Israel’s desolation will end, and so will Edom’s—and God states in Ezekiel 36:5 that Esau plundered God’s country and occupied it as a possession for them.

However, the Bible tells us that God will allow a change of the configuration of the conspiracy mentioned above. We find that Edom’s allies, and especially Assyria and the entire Babylonian system, will turn against Edom. Obadiah 6-7 says:

“Oh, how Esau shall be searched out! How his hidden treasures shall be sought after [including those which they robbed from Israel and Judah, when they laid hands on their substance]! All the men in your confederacy Shall force you to the border [the meaning is, “they will expel you,” compare the Soncino commentary; or “make you captives,” compare Barnes’ Notes on the Bible and Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible], The men at peace with you Shall deceive you and prevail against you, Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you [or, wound you].” The words for “lay a trap” or “wound you” mean, “both a wound and a plaster; they pretended to lay a plaster to heal, but made a wound; or made the wound worse” (compare Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible).

In Obadiah 8-9, God makes clear that this will happen “in that day”—that is, after the Great Tribulation and during the Day of the Lord—and that God will inspire the former allies of Edom to act in this way. It is as if God Himself will do it, because we read in verse 8 that God says: “Will I not in that day… even destroy the wise men from Edom… then your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone from the mountains of Esau May be cut off by slaughter.”

This passage will be discussed, in greater detail, in the next Q&A.

Finally, we read in Daniel 11:41 that the king of Assyria—the final king of the North—will at first NOT conquer Edom, but other Scriptures show us that he will later turn against Edom. This reminds us also of Psalm 60:8; 108:9 (quoted above), which indicate as well a future defeat in war and captivity for the people of Edom.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on our Web site and on YouTube, titled, “Greek Crisis HELPS European Unification.” Are you surprised by this title? Haven’t you heard that because of the Greek debt crisis, the EU and the European project are history? The Holy Scriptures tell you quite the opposite, and this program reveals from today’s news how the current European situation has already contributed to its biblically prophesied political, military and religious unification.

A new Video-taped sermon was posted on the Web, titled, “Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, Part 8.”

A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled, “Die Tuerkei in der Prophezeiung, Teil 1” [“Turkey in Prophecy, Part 1”].

Our U.S. Internet ad campaign for our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immoral Soul?” has so far resulted in 380 requests.

Please feel free to proceed with making reservations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2011 with the Hilton Garden Inn at 601 James Way, Pismo Beach, CA 93449. When you call under 1-805-773-6020, please make sure that you mention that you are attending the Feast convention of the Church of the Eternal God. Further information is available on our Web site (www.eternalgod.org), under “Feasts.”