On June 5, 2010, Robb Harris will give the sermon titled, respectively, “Frame of Mind.”

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.

Many would agree that we are living in the last days. But how many comprehend the tremendous responsibility which accompanies such understanding?

Paul warns us in 2 Timothy 3:1-4: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… unloving, unforgiving, slanderers… brutal… headstrong… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…”

Of course, many might say, this only describes the people in this evil world–it does not address conditions in the Church of God. And they even reason that they are true “Philadelphia” Christians, who have endured and overcome, and who are loved by God and will find protection from the great tribulation (Revelation 3:9-10). They are convinced that the biblical warnings to lukewarm “Laodicea” Christians or the world at large only apply to others.

Many who are claiming to be part of the body of Christ say that “they”–and “only they”–are Philadelphia Christians, perhaps without fully realizing that “Philadelphia” means “brotherly love.” They may feel and even proclaim that it is the other Christians who are the “poor, blind and naked” Laodiceans (Revelation 3:17). Christ warned of such self-deception–especially when we think that we are spiritually “wealthy, and have need of nothing” (same verse). Paul says that “he who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Those who uphold self-righteous positions of glorying in themselves, while despising and condemning others (Luke 18:9), lack what is tantamount to being a true and zealous Christian–brotherly or “Philadelphia” love and, what is even more important, godly love. The Bible calls this godly love “agape” love, which God has poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). We can only have godly love if Christ, through His Spirit, lives in us. Paul challenges us to examine ourselves whether Christ really LIVES in us (2 Corinthians 13:5). If He does, we will love our fellow man; otherwise, we are not even of God (1 John 3:10; compare John 5:42).

As we are living in the last days, we must be very careful that we are not being affected by the ungodly and unloving world around us (1 John 2:15). Christ tells self-righteous and spiritually blind Laodicean Christians to repent of their sins and to become zealous (Revelation 3:19). Otherwise, Christ will vomit them out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). They will cease to be His disciples, because of their lack of godly love (John 13:35).

Could this include you? Examine yourself! Do you love God and your fellow man, or just yourself and worldly pleasures which you want to enjoy? Are you diligent in excelling in technical aspects of God’s law, but neglecting to manifest the love of God in your life (Luke 11:42)? Are you willing to forgive, or are you unforgiving and unloving, quick to slander and to condemn others (Matthew 6:14-15; compare James 4:11-12)?

Could Christ be warning you, when He describes the spiritual condition of His Church in the end time? Notice: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). Christ refers here to godly “agape” love. Since only those in whom God’s Spirit dwells have such godly love, Christ is addressing Church members–those who have received God’s Spirit and with it the love of God, but who allow the love of God to GROW cold! And unless they repent or change and become again zealous to renew and use God’s love in them, Christ will vomit them out of His mouth!

We are living in perilous and serious times–and it is high time to awake out of sleep (Romans 13:11). “Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Let us make every effort to use powerfully God’s love in us. “For this IS the love of God that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3)–and with God’s love in us, we are fulfilling His law (Romans 13:10) and do not sin (1 John 3:4). Paul is not giving us this warning for nothing: “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34).

A deadly incident still under investigation has resulted in worldwide condemnation of Israeli conduct against international activists. Israel’s actions have been described by the German press as a “human tragedy and a political catastrophe for Israel.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 31: “Israeli commandos stormed the largest of the flotilla’s six ships in the early hours of Monday. The flotilla left Cyprus on Sunday and was carrying around 100 pro-Palestinian activists from the Free Gaza movement. The ships were heading for the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli blockade since the Islamist movement Hamas took control in 2007, and were carrying around 10,000 tons of relief supplies, including wheelchairs and medical supplies. Israel had repeatedly warned that it would not allow the boats to reach the Gaza Strip.”

According to Deutsche Welle of May 31, the “flotilla was organized by several groups, including a Turkish human rights organization… The ships were in international waters 124 kilometers off the coast of Israel when they were intercepted by the Israeli Navy and boarded by commandos. Demonstrators on the ships clashed with the soldiers. The Israeli army said the demonstrators were armed with knives and clubs and that commandos opened fire after one person on the boat grabbed a weapon from a commando…”

In other news, the German government was caught totally by surprise when in an unprecedented move, German President Horst Koehler announced his resignation. This could not have come at a more inopportune time for Chancellor Angela Merkel.

At the same time, we see Europe expanding and moving ahead in business deals with other countries, and military expenditures and arms exports are on the rise.

We conclude with a piece regarding best-selling author Joel Richardson and his false prophecies about an “Islamic Antichrist,” while he is dismissing the biblically correct concept of the end-time emergence of a unified Europe. The article illustrates the lack of biblical understanding, popularized by deceived “scholars” who are being tossed to and fro by every wind of “news” events.

It is interesting that the Bible prophesied in the book of Revelation that ancient Rome would receive a deadly wound, but that the wound would be healed, and that all the world would be astonished and begin to “worship” the Roman revival. In the same way, the world will be surprised when it finally realizes that and how the last and final resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire–the EU and within it ten European core nations or groups of nations–will overcome the present financial and religious crises and become a most powerful economic, political, military and religious entity.

Israel Provokes International Outrage

Reuters reported on May 31:

“Israel’s storming of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla set off a diplomatic furore, drawing criticism from friends and foes alike and straining ties with regional ally Turkey, which called off planned joint military exercises… Washington said it deeply regretted the loss of life and was examining the circumstances that led to the bloodshed while Turkey, Israel’s strongest Muslim friend in the region, summoned the Jewish state’s ambassador and said it would recall its own.

“‘This attack is another sign of the reckless levels that the Israeli government’s violent policies have reached,’ Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said in a televised speech. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled plans to meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on Tuesday… in the wake of the raid…

“Israeli commandos intercepted the flotilla carrying 700 people and 10,000 tonnes of supplies for Gaza before dawn on Monday. Officials said they were met with knives when they boarded the ships, including a ferry flying the Turkish flag. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the killings as a massacre, and the United Nations and European Union both demanded an inquiry. Rights group Amnesty International said Israeli forces appeared to have used excessive force… ‘Israel will have to endure the consequences of this behaviour,’ Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement…

“France’s Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the violence could not be justified… In the Arab world, the incident was viewed as an overreaction to an attempt to challenge Israel’s Gaza blockade that could put the brakes on any further efforts at normalisation and may derail the peace process… Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel, summoned the Israeli ambassador… Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said Israel’s move was a ‘crazy step’ that risked inflaming conflict in the region.”

The Associated Press added on May 31:

“The showdown came at a sensitive time for Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking… The activists were headed to Gaza to draw attention to the blockade, which Israel and Egypt imposed… There were conflicting accounts of what happened early Monday, with activists claiming the Israelis fired first and Israel insisting its forces fired in self defense…

“Robin Churchill, a professor of international law at the University of Dundee in Scotland, said the Israeli commandos boarded the ship outside of Israel’s territorial waters. ‘As far as I can see, there is no legal basis for boarding these ships,’ Churchill said.

“Many of the activists were from Europe… The European Union deplored what it called excessive use of force and demanded an investigation by Israel. It called the Gaza blockade ‘politically unacceptable,’ and called for it to be lifted immediately… Thousands marched in protest in Istanbul, some setting Israeli flags on fire after unsuccessfully trying to storm the Israeli consulate. Israel quickly advised… its citizens to avoid travel to Turkey…”

Egypt in Tight Position

USA Today wrote on May 31:

“The Cairo-based Arab League called an emergency session for Tuesday to address the attack, as the [only two] Arab states with peace deals with Israel — Jordan and Egypt — sharply condemned the violence. Jordan’s information minister, Nabil al-Sharif, called it a ‘heinous crime’ and called for the lifting of the blockade on Gaza.

“The incident also put Egypt in a tight position. The only Arab country bordering the Gaza Strip, it has helped enforce the blockade by cracking down on smuggling tunnels that are a key source of goods to Gaza’s 1.5 million people and by rejecting pressure that it open its border crossing. The Egyptian government has said it cannot open the border since there is no agreement on restoring European monitors who left during the Hamas takeover.

“Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the violence underlines how Gaza ‘remains under total Israeli occupation,’ and it called ‘for the immediate lifting of the Israeli siege on Gaza.'”

EU Condemns Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

“The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, has called on Israeli authorities to launch a ‘full inquiry’ into… the night raid on a convoy of aid ships destined for the Gaza Strip. Ashton… reiterate[d] the European Union’s position regarding Gaza – [that] the continued policy of closure is unacceptable and politically counterproductive. The incident has been met with widespread condemnation from across Europe.

“In an unusually strongly worded statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office said Israel’s response to the ships was disproportionate. ‘Every German government has always recognized and supported the right of Israel to defend itself, but this right must of course be within the boundaries of proportionality,’ Merkel’s spokesman said. ‘At first glance it does not look like this basic rule was adhered to.’…

“Greek government officials announced that they would withdraw from planned joint military exercises with Israel in protest…

“Turkey’s foreign ministry warned of ‘irreparable consequences’ after the incident and announced at midday that they would be recalling their ambassador to Israel. Some of the ships were sailing under Turkish flags and media reports indicate that Turkish nationals are among the dead.

“‘By targeting civilians, Israel has once again shown its disregard for human life and peaceful initiatives. We strongly condemn these inhumane practices of Israel,’ the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. ‘This deplorable incident, which took place in open [seas] and constitutes a flagrant breach of international law, may lead to irreparable consequences in our bilateral relations.’ Turkey has long been an important ally of Israel, one of only a few in the Muslim world. But relations have declined since Israel’s attack on Gaza a year and a half ago, in which some 1,400 Palestinians died and of which Turkey was very critical.”

Der Spiegel Online added on May 31:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy… condemned the ‘disproportionate use of force’… British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he deplored the loss of life and called for the blockade on Gaza to be lifted…

“Dozens of European politicians were reported to be on board the flotilla, including two members of the German parliament… both of whom belong to the far-left Left Party… Other prominent members of the convoy are the Swedish crime novelist Henning Mankell, Nobel peace laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire from Northern Ireland and the 85-year-old Holocaust survivor and activist Hedy Epstein.”

Israel Turns the World Against It…

Der Spiegel Online published the following commentary on May 31:

“Israel has sparked global outrage. At least 15 people were killed when the Israeli military stormed a flotilla carrying pro-Palestinian activists on Monday. In addition to being a human tragedy, it is also a political catastrophe for Israel. It has provided its critics around the world with fresh ammunition.

“The pro-Palestinian organizers had described the fleet with which they had hoped to break through the Israeli sea blockade of the Gaza Strip on Monday morning as a ‘humanitarian aid convoy.’ But as the Israeli army stormed the largest ship, the Mavi Marmara, the activists they encountered were in no way exclusively docile peaceniks. Some of the ‘peace activists’ received the Israelis with crow bars and sling shots. Some of the self-professed ‘human rights activists’ reportedly even tore the weapons from soldiers and began to shoot…

“But the reaction from Israel, a state which proclaims to adhere to the rule of law, was far from appropriate. Regardless how prepared to engage in violence the organizers of the ship convoy might have been: With at least 15 dead, all on the side of the activists, and more than 30 injured, some seriously, one thing is certain: Israel carelessly threw one of the most important principles of the application of military violence overboard: the proportionality of military force…

“And a number of questions remain to be answered: Why did Israeli soldiers shoot at the passengers from helicopters flying overhead? [Why] did the Israeli navy board the ship when they could have simply blocked the ships’ paths? And why did Israel strike in international waters, long before the fleet had arrived in Israeli waters?…

“In Jerusalem, officials are claiming Israel only exercized self defense. They say the activists used ‘extreme violence,’ and that they alone are responsible for the high number of victims. But it is Israel which carries the primary responsibility. The military behaved impulsively. It overreacted and showed no compassion for the victims…

“Former Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban once quipped that the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity (for reaching peace). With Israel, precisely the opposite is true: In times of crisis, Israel seems to search for opportunities to turn the world against it.”

The Bible prophesies that the state of Israel will be hated by all nations. It will experience total animosity and isolation.

German Press Reacts to Israel’s “State Terrorism”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 1:

“Some of the Germans on board the aid ships attacked by Israel on Monday morning have now returned, but many others have yet to be released. One of those released, a Left Party parliamentarian, has called Israel ‘barbaric.’ The German press is none-too-complimentary either… 11 Germans were on board the several ships involved in the incident, but it is uncertain of the fate of six German citizens… Officials in other European countries said that nationals involved in the flotilla had also returned home. However, many still remain detained in Israel, including author Mankell. According to news reports, hundreds of activists are still being detained by Israeli authorities in the city of Ashdod in southern Israel. Forty-five activists injured on Monday are being treated in Israeli hospitals — mostly Turkish nationals…

“On German editorial pages on Tuesday, criticism of the deadly action by the Israeli armed forces is universal. Even the country’s most pro-Israeli daily, Die Welt, argues that the government should have known that the outcome of the attack would be deeply damaging to its international image.

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘… the expected international storm of anger against Israel has already begun. … The Israeli government and army will have to answer uncomfortable questions — from their own citizens, too. Everyone knew that Israel could only look bad if it followed a course of confrontation with these haters of Israel disguised as peace activists. That’s why it is even less understandable that no effective precautions were made to prevent such a catastrophe.’

“The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘The current Israeli government appears to have lost any sense of proportion in the implementation of its Gaza blockade. And it has already shown that it doesn’t care one iota about public opinion. Nevertheless, the boarding and seizure of the ships in an international flotilla — in which many people died — represents a new level of escalation. Israel’s international standing will be further diminished…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘Israel views itself as a nation at war. Even in absence of current fighting, the threat is omnipresent…. In the 62 years of its existence, Israel has never been at peace and continues to be surrounded by enemies even today… But Israeli politicians have failed entirely in this regard… Israel believes it cannot afford to suffer any defeats in this regard — no matter what the expense. But with this tunnel vision, Israeli forces have now caused the worst possible damage to its standing in the world.’

“Business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘The fact that this was the seizure of a humanitarian deployment will be devastating for Israel… It has also isolated Israel in the world…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… Among those on board were leading radical Muslims with ties to Hamas … which makes it even less understandable that German parliamentarians from the Left Party were on board. None of that changes the fact that Israel’s actions were disproportionate …. But it definitely shows how hard it is, in this conflict, to differentiate between good and evil.’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘… What happened at dawn on Monday in the Mediterranean Sea was a targeted attack on a civilian ship in international waters. The term for that is state terrorism.'”

Britain Condemns Israel

BBC News reported on June 2:

“Israel has released and is in the process of deporting the remaining British activists arrested in its raid on a Gaza-bound aid convoy. Foreign Secretary William Hague has said 37 British nationals, including 11 with dual nationality, were involved. Five have already been deported. He said he was concerned at the raid taking place in international waters.

“Prime Minister David Cameron condemned it as ‘completely unacceptable’, saying he deplored the loss of life. In his first Commons question time, he said everything should be done to prevent it happening again. Israel is in the process of deporting nearly all of the 682 detainees… None of the Britons was currently believed to have been involved in any violence against Israeli servicemen who boarded the ships, Mr Hague told MPs.”

American Killed by Israelis

ABC News reported on June 3:

“A U.S. citizen who lived in Turkey is among the nine people killed when Israeli commandos stormed a Turkish aid ship heading for the Gaza Strip, officials said today. The victim was identified as Furkan Dogan, 19, a Turkish-American. A forensic report said he was shot at close range, with four bullets in his head and one in his chest, according to the Anatolian news agency. Dogan was a high school student studying social sciences in the town of Kayseri in central Turkey. He was born in the United States and moved to Turkey at the age of 2…

“The ship was sponsored by a Turkish charity, the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) and was carrying aid to Gaza in defiance of the Israeli blockade. The charity released the names of all nine dead. All are male and the ages range from 32 to 61…

“Meanwhile, Israel is preparing for a new ship to run the blockade, the Irish ship MV Rachel Corrie, due to arrive in the area Friday… Former U.N. assistant secretary general Denis Halliday, who is on board the Rachel Corrie, told ABC News that they do not intend to stop their mission or head to the Israeli port of Ashdod instead. ‘It’s a totally unacceptable embargo. There’s no justification for it, there’s no legality for it, it’s not endorsed by the U.N., it’s not endorsed by anybody else. It’s an Israeli military zone which is without legal status,’ he said in a phone interview from the ship today. The Rachel Corrie expects to be boarded by the Israelis Friday when they are approximately 80 miles off coast.”

“Israel Has Played Into Hamas’ Hands”

The Israeli paper, Haaretz, published the following commentary and analysis on May 31:

“Despite having its eyes wide open, Israel fell into a trap. Israel knew that the organizers of the flotilla wanted to present the Israel Defense Forces to the world as an army that does not hesitate to use force. The flotilla organizers wanted deaths, casualties, blood and billows of smoke. And this is exactly what Israel gave them.

“Every child knows that the conflict here is one of consciousness, images, emotion and gut-feelings; not one of justice or logic. Therefore, Israel should have acted differently… Without getting into the question of the justification or logic of the blockade imposed by Gaza and its residents, it was indeed clear that it was only natural that Hamas would try to break the blockade by force. They have been doing this by means of the smuggling tunnels and via the sea…

“Apparently Israel, which prides itself as having the best intelligence in the world, should have known better that there were violent elements aboard one of the boats, equipped iron bars, knifes and slingshots. Had Israel known this, it would have probably used more appropriate ways to storm [the] boat, to avoid death and injuries…

“Israel has played into Hamas’ hands. It’s not the fault of the young soldiers who obeyed the orders of their commanders. The responsibility lies with the cabinet and the military planners.

“No matter how one looks at the conduct of the Israeli government and the IDF, it is hard to understand how stupid and tragic it was. Time and again, Israel tries to prove that what can’t be solved by force can be solved by more force. Over and over, the policies of force fail. The problem is that with each failure, the part of the world in which we would like to belong is losing patience with us.”

Israeli Senior Ministers Sharply Critical of Israel’s “Illegal” Raid

Haaretz reported on June 1:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his political-security cabinet on Tuesday that international condemnation would not stop Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip… Netanyahu added that Israel regretted that nine lives were lost in the operation on Monday, but defended the Israel Defense Forces soldiers as having been justified in the actions of their mission…

“Senior ministers have been sharply critical of the fact that the decision to seize control of the flotilla to Gaza was made after two meetings of the forum of seven senior ministers but without official deliberation by the inner cabinet, the body that has the authority to approve military actions of this scale… Senior ministers have noted that, in contrast to the handling of similar incidents in the past, the inner cabinet did not discuss issues related to the flotilla, receive operational briefings or approve the operation. The forum of seven, which did consider and approve the plan, is a consultative body only and does not have the legal authority to pass resolutions.

“The forum – Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Intelligence and Atomic Affairs Minister Dan Meridor, Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon, Interior Minister Eli Yishai and Minster without Portfolio Benny Begin – held just two meetings on the flotilla, the latest on Wednesday. They approved the operation and the continuation of the Israeli policy of barring ships from docking in Gaza.

“Much of the session was devoted not to the military operation but rather to media and public relations issues surrounding the issue. ‘The ministers who attended the meeting didn’t get the impression from the defense establishment that a violent confrontation of this scope was likely,’ one senior Jerusalem official said. ‘The sense during the discussion was that the navy would come and the organizers would take fright, do an about-face and flee,’ he said.

“According to senior officials who attended the session, a few ministers expressed differing views but in the end a consensus was reached and there was not even a vote…”

Another Point of View

Israel’s “A7-News” reported the following on June 1:

“One of the Naval Special Forces commandos who sustained a broken arm while under attack by the S.S. Mavi Marmaris’ passengers, reports, ‘Each soldier who descended was grabbed by three or four men and they simply exploded, beating him up. They lynched us. They had metal clubs, knives, slingshots, glass bottles…At one point there was also live fire. I was among the last to descend, and I saw that the group was dispersed, everyone in his own corner surrounded by three or four men. I saw a soldier on the floor with two men beating him. I peeled them off of him and they came at me and began beating me with the clubs. That’s how I broke my arm. At that moment I had no weapon in my hands, like everyone else who descended on the cables empty-handed…’

“IDF photos of two dozen knives, including a machete, plus clubs, chains and metal rods used against Israeli Navy commandoes in the flotilla clash Monday contradict Turkish claims that the passengers did not carry weapons on board… The IDF confiscated and photographed the weapons, which were used to brutally attack Navy commandoes as they descended to one of the ships via ropes from hovering helicopters, intending to take over the ships peacefully. Greta Berlin, spokeswoman for the Free Gaza movement, claimed to Israel National News that the IDF edited the video showing the commandoes landing on board and added the violence…

“IDF video documentation and United States diplomats have stemmed the anti-Israel tide in the United Nations – for the time being – a day after the flotilla clash on the high seas. The U.N. Security Council met in closed session until late Monday night after U.S. diplomats watered down a Turkish attempt to censure Israel. Most of the 15 countries sitting on the Council expressed harsh criticism of Israel, but no joint statement was issued. Turkey is trying to use the universal anti-Israel mood to force an end to Israel’s partial blockade on Gaza, imposed since Hamas gained control of the area [in] a military coup three years ago…

“Foreign media and diplomats have begun to note the IDF videos of a brutal attack on Israeli Navy commandos as they descended on one of the ships after the crew and passengers refused requests to change course and sail to Ashdod instead of Hamas…

“Lebanon, currently the rotating president of the U.N. Security Council, and Turkey both led the condemnation of Israel at the Council session with such terms as ‘piracy,’ ‘crime’ and ‘a black day in the history of humanity.'”

Nuclear Submarines for Israel

Times On Line wrote on May 30:

“Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline. The first has been sent in response to Israeli fears that ballistic missiles developed by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah… could hit sites in Israel… The submarines of Flotilla 7 — Dolphin, Tekuma and Leviathan — have visited the Gulf before. But the decision has now been taken to ensure a permanent presence of at least one of the vessels…

“The vessels can remain at sea for about 50 days and stay submerged up to 1,150ft below the surface for at least a week. Some of the cruise missiles are equipped with the most advanced nuclear warheads in the Israeli arsenal… The submarines could be used if Iran continues its programme to produce a nuclear bomb. ‘The 1,500km range of the submarines’ cruise missiles can reach any target in Iran,’ said a navy officer.”

In light of the most recent events pertaining to Israel’s actions and European condemnation, one wonders how long Germany will continue to (be able to) provide Israel with such dangerous weapons. At the same time, once Israel possesses these additional nuclear weapons, they WILL use them, when they feel threatened and compelled to do so.

German President Koehler Resigns

Deutsche Welle reported on May 31:

“In a move that took just about everybody by surprise, German President Horst Koehler stepped down on Monday, citing comments he made about Afghanistan, which he said had been misconstrued…

“German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he ‘deeply regretted’ Mr. Koehler’s decision and had tried to change his mind… Bavarias’s State Premier, Horst Seehofer, said Mr. Koehler ‘had won the sympathies of the German people and was widely respected abroad.’

“The president’s resignation caught Germany’s political parties completely off guard. Chancellor Angela Merkel was reportedly only informed of the decision shortly before the public announcement… the chancellor said [she] was stunned and surprised by Mr. Koehler’s decision and had ‘unsuccessfully tried to get him to change his mind’…

“In the past few days, Koehler had been under fire for saying that a country like Germany, which was heavily reliant on foreign trade must know that military interventions could be necessary to uphold German interests. Koehler said his comments were ‘misunderstood’ and that his remarks were not meant to refer to the mission in Afghanistan… Polls show that a majority of Germans are opposed to the mission in Afghanistan…

“A former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Koehler was elected to the post of president in 2004 and re-elected in 2009…”

Another Blow to Merkel…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 31:

“German President Horst Köhler, under fire for controversial comments he made about Germany’s mission in Afghanistan, resigned with immediate effect on Monday in a shock announcement that comes as the latest in a series of blows to Chancellor Angela Merkel…

“The mayor of the northern city state of Bremen, Jens Böhrnsen, will take over from Köhler as interim head of state until a new president is elected. Under the constitution, Böhrnsen assumes the position in his capacity as president of the Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament…

“Finding a successor to Köhler will pose a headache for Merkel, whose popularity has slumped in recent months. She has been hit by criticism of her handling of the euro crisis and by the loss of a center-right majority in the upper house following sharp declines for her CDU in a state election in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, on May 9.

“A further blow came last week with the resignation of CDU heavyweight Roland Koch, the governor of Hesse, a conservative hardliner whose departure has left a big gap in the right wing of her party.”

German Press Condemns Koehler’s Resignation

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 1:

“Germany’s president Horst Köhler threw in the towel to escape criticism. It hasn’t worked. Commentators on Tuesday slammed the departing head of state for damaging his country’s highest office…

“The Financial Times Deutschland… writes: ‘If Horst Köhler hoped that his resignation would protect the office of president from further damage, he failed miserably… by leaving office without facing any notable pressure to do so, he has acted with extreme negligence’…

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘The resignation of (Horst Köhler) was imprudent… He should have known that he was doing no favors to a government that has not exactly comported itself with brilliance.’

“The center-left paper Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘Never has anyone done such great damage to the office of German president as Horst Köhler did… he threw in the towel because he feels offended…’

“The center-right daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘Never before has a German president stepped down due to criticism…’

“The mass-circulation tabloid Bild writes: ‘That wasn’t a resignation. That was someone leaving in a huff. Just as the European Union is wobbling, the euro threatens to collapse and Germany is in a deep crisis, the German president flees his office. An employee would be considered highly irresponsible for displaying such behavior. Now, Horst Köhler is gone and the shards, once again, lie at the feet of the chancellor. Angela Merkel will now need great strength to prevent Köhler’s resignation from turning into a state crisis.'”

The Role of the German President

Deutsche Welle reported on May 31:

“The president represents Germany in matters of international law, and represents the country at official gatherings. The president signs laws because without that signature they cannot take effect… German President Horst Koehler [refused] to sign a law on flight security that foresaw a privatization of flight-security agencies. He also refused to sign a consumer information law.

“Part of the president’s job is to propose a chancellor to the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag. He appoints and fires the chancellor based on suggestions made by the Bundestag. Likewise, he can appoint and fire cabinet ministers based on the chancellor’s recommendation. The president can also pardon criminals…

“Unlike in the US, France or Austria, the German president is not elected directly by the people. He is elected by a committee consisting of members of the Bundestag and the same number of delegates sent from the state parliaments. The president has a term of five years, and can only be re-elected once. Any German who is older than 40 can become president.

“Why does the German president play a mainly ceremonial role? The reason is that in the Weimar Republic, the president at the time had wide-reaching powers. He could annul basic laws and rule with emergency law. These factors played a large role in the Nazis’ rise to power and post-war Germany wanted to avoid potential for abusing power.”

German Press on Merkel’s Struggles

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 3:

“Ursula von der Leyen, for less than a day, looked set to become Germany’s new president. Now another candidate [Lower Saxony Governor Christian Wulff] has nosed his way forward and Chancellor Merkel appears increasingly isolated. The internal struggle speaks volumes about the German presidency, and about Merkel herself…”

Guttenberg vs. Merkel

Deutsche Welle reported on June 3:

“German Defense Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg has reopened a long-simmering debate about the draft in Germany, saying he wouldn’t shy away from ‘radical and controversial measures’ in his efforts to cut back on military expenditure… Guttenberg was planning to ‘suspend the draft for an unspecified period of time’, a Defense Ministry official said on Wednesday, adding ‘its complete abolition could save up to 400 million euros per year’…

“However, there has been strong resistance to the proposal from the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU. ‘The end of military conscription cannot be explained with the need for savings, let alone be pushed through in just three days’, Chancellor Angela Merkel is quoted as saying by the ‘Financial Times Germany’ newspaper in its Thursday edition.

“The newspaper cited a source who had taken part in a meeting of CDU/CSU leaders on Wednesday. ‘Nobody knew about Guttenberg’s plans, and every participant in the meeting was up in arms,’ the source was quoted as saying.”

EU-Russian Summit

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

“European Union and Russian leaders began a two-day summit Monday in southern Russia… The EU… is Russia’s biggest trade partner… This year expectations are high for productive talks at the summit, following Medvedev’s statement in April that Russia must show a ‘smiling’ face to the world.

“The twenty-fifth EU-Russia summit is the first to be held between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and EU President Herman Van Rompuy whose position came into force last year under the Lisbon Treaty. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, [who] currently holds EU’s rotating presidency, will be joined in Russia by European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso.”

Historically, European nations and Russia have had a strange hate-love relationship. In many cases, it ended in war, and the Bible predicts that after some economic and political cooperation, another war will break out between these power blocs.

Record Unemployment Rate in Europe–Germany the Exception…

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on June 1:

“Debt-laden Europe posted a record unemployment rate on Tuesday and its core currency and shares plummeted amid a worrying industrial slowdown. The unemployment rate hit 10.1 per cent in April, its highest since the euro came into being in 1999 and just one of a series of blows on Tuesday to the eurozone economy after a brief lull last week in market pressure. Almost 16 million people were out of work across the 16 countries that share the euro… The numbers reached more than 23 million in the 27-nation EU as a whole, including non-euro giants Britain and Poland, 2.4 million more than one year earlier. The euro sank to a new four-year low of 1.2115 dollars on concerns about the European financial sector’s ability to weather the region’s debt and deficit crisis. European stock markets also fell sharply…

“Leading economy Germany recorded a ‘significant slowdown’ in its growth rate… German unemployment fell sharply in May… while retail sales picked up as Europe’s biggest economy pushed on despite the eurozone financial crisis. The unemployment rate fell to 7.7 per cent of the workforce, the lowest rate since December 2008, from 8.1 per cent in April…

“The latest figures show US unemployment running at 9.9 per cent, and Japan’s just 5.0 per cent. Throughout the EU, only Germany recorded a fall in unemployment over the full year, from 7.6 per cent to 7.1 per cent. Deficit-plagued Spain, with a 19.7 per cent rate beaten only by Latvia, saw unemployment among under-25s reach a dizzying 40.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2010.”

Europe Continues to Enlarge

Reuters reported on June 2:

“European Union ministers said on Wednesday they remained committed to the integration of the Western Balkans into the bloc, dismissing fears of ‘enlargement fatigue’ in the wake of the Greek financial crisis…

“Of the nations that emerged from the violent collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Slovenia has already joined the EU, Croatia is close to membership and Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia have applied. To the south, Albania has also applied. Bosnia… and Kosovo… are lagging behind.

“‘Today in Sarajevo the European Union and the Western Balkans decided to have a new deal on the future, a future of hope, a future of peace, a future of full integration into the European Union,’ said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, whose country initiated the meeting.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 3:

“No European country has been more adept than the former Soviet republic of Estonia in dealing with the global economic crisis. Tallinn implemented some of the toughest austerity measures seen in Europe and, in one year’s time, has qualified to become the next country to introduce the euro… The European Commission in Brussels, the EU executive, has already spoken out in favor of accepting the Estonians, and now the decision is up to the euro-zone countries. Bizarrely enough, three highly indebted countries, Italy, Spain and Portugal, will be among those deciding whether model pupil Estonia should be permitted to introduce the euro by as early as next year.”

Europe in the Lead

The Hindu wrote on June 1:

“The European Union on Tuesday sent 3 million euros ($3.7 million) in aid to the victims of tropical storm Agatha, which has killed at least 135 people in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The storm, the first of the Pacific hurricane season, has caused widespread flooding and devastation, forcing at least 150,000 people to flee their homes.”

Africa — France’s Future?

AFP wrote on June 1:

“France on Tuesday moved to shore up its businesses in Africa that have fallen far behind China’s massive investment drive on the continent, at a summit hosted by President Nicolas Sarkozy. The two-day gathering in the Riviera city of Nice saw France shift its focus away from its traditional west African allies and engage with the continent as a whole, reaching out to economic powerhouses South Africa and Nigeria… The push on the economic front comes as France has taken a back seat to China, Africa’s biggest trade partner, which has injected billions over the past decade to tap into raw materials needed to fuel its hungry economy. No figures were released on new French investments but Sarkozy made clear that France was back in force on the trade and business front…

“Declaring that ‘Africa is our future,’ Sarkozy has backed a permanent seat for Africa at the United Nations Security Council among other changes needed to give the continent a greater say in global affairs… While business ties topped the agenda at the Nice summit, Sarkozy made clear France would support Africa in its struggle against piracy, terrorism and drug trafficking. ‘There are crises on the continent,’ Sarkozy said, and Africa ‘cannot cope on its own.'”

Ten European Nations vs. European Court of Human Rights

Catholic Culture wrote on June 2:

“Ten of Europe’s 47 states have joined Italy in petitioning the European Court of Human Rights to overturn its decision in the Lautsi case, in which the court ruled that the display of a crucifix in a classroom is ‘contrary to parents’ right to educate their children in line with their convictions and to children’s right to freedom of religion.’ No European state intends to file an amicus curiae brief in support of the decision.

“In addition to Italy, the ten nations that oppose the court’s decision are Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, Romania, the Russian Federation, and San Marino.”

Zenit added on June 1:

“The third party status allows the States to submit to the court their written and oral observations as official parties to the case. The court’s Grand Chamber will hold a public hearing on June 30, and the final judgment on the case is expected by the end of the year. The director of the European Centre for Law and Justice, Gregor Puppinck, stated in a communiqué today that this is ‘an important precedent in the practice of the court, because usually member States abstain from intervening, or intervene only when the case affects a national of their State’…

“The communiqué also noted the ‘tremendous importance’ of the fact that this is ‘an unprecedented alliance between Catholics and Orthodox countries in the face of the liberal and secularist ideology. Those countries are uniting their forces to protect their religious heritage and freedom to reaffirm that the Christian symbols have a natural right to be displayed in public within Christian countries,’ it added. The center pointed out that the court’s role is to apply the European Convention on Human Rights, which says nothing about ‘duties to secularize education in Europe’ nor about ‘the nature of the relationship between the State and the church.'”

Defective Software Dangerous for U.S. Military

The Associated Press reported on June 1:

“A problem that rendered as many as 10,000 U.S. military GPS [Global Positioning System] receivers useless for days is a warning to safeguard a system that enemies would love to disrupt, a defense expert says. The Air Force has not said how many weapons, planes or other systems were affected or whether any were in use in Iraq or Afghanistan. But the problem, blamed on incompatible software, highlights the military’s reliance on the Global Positioning System and the need to protect technology that has become essential for protecting troops, tracking vehicles and targeting weapons…

“The problem occurred when new software was installed in ground control systems for GPS satellites on Jan. 11, the Air Force said. Officials said between 8,000 at 10,000 receivers could have been affected, out of more than 800,000 in use across the military. In a series of e-mails to The Associated Press, the Air Force initially blamed a contractor for defective software in the affected receivers but later said it was a compatibility issue rather than a defect…

“At least 100 U.S. defense systems rely on GPS, including aircraft, ships, armored vehicles, bombs and artillery shells… But a leaner, GPS-dependent military becomes dangerously vulnerable if the technology is knocked out…”

Global Military Expenditure Keeps Going Up

Deutsche Welle reported on June 3:

“Every year, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) issues a report surveying international military expenditure… A SIPRI report released on Wednesday estimates expenditure in 2009 amounted globally to 1.5 trillion dollars, 5.9 percent more than in the previous year…

“Once more, it’s the United States which is at the top of the list, with 53 percent of the world’s expenditure – an increase of 47 billion dollars… But the US was not alone: Almost every region of the world, apart from some small countries in Eastern Europe, has increased military expenditure. Countries with significant natural resources have been particularly energetic. Algeria and Nigeria have doubled their expenditure, Kazakhstan has increased spending by 360 percent, Azerbaijan by nearly 500 percent, the Democratic Republic of Congo by as much 663 percent…

“SIPRI does see some progress towards a serious reduction in the 8,000 nuclear warheads in the world, thanks to Obama’s efforts to reach a wide-ranging disarmament and non-proliferation treaty. But even there, the increasing isolation of North Korea and Iran’s questionable nuclear program give grounds for pessimism.

“Germany has the world’s seventh largest expenditure on arms, at $46 billion (which is less than the US increase). Even within Europe, it’s not as big a spender as France or Britain. But what Germany and most western European countries have in common is an overall drop in military spending…”

Catholic Crisis Continues…

Deutsche Welle reported on June 2:

“German prosecutors said Wednesday they are investigating claims that the head of the German Catholic Church, Robert Zollitsch, aided and abetted a known sex offender in the church. It is claimed that while Zollitsch was in charge of a diocese in southern Germany in 1987, he appointed a priest who was known to have abused children. The archdiocese of Freiburg has released a statement denying that Zollitsch was responsible for the appointment, saying the decision was taken independently…

“Sexual abuse scandals have rocked the church in Germany since January, when dozens of cases emerged involving sexual molestation of minors by priests and other clergy over a period of 50 years at church-run schools. As Germany’s highest ranking bishop, Zollitsch has been at the frontline responding to the ongoing reports of abuse within the Catholic Church. He has often stated that the church needs to reform and ‘heal the wounds of victims.’ And in his Easter messages to his Freiburg parishoners, he said the Catholic Church must examine its ‘dark aspects as well as our own shadowy sides.'”

More Religious Ignorance and Confusion

On May 30, WorldNetDaily reported about short-sighted and biblically unsupportable claims by best-selling author Joel Richardson, arguing that the “Antichrist” will be Islamic, not European. Assuming Richardson means “the beast,” mentioned in the book of Revelation (even though he incorrectly refers to the beast as the “Antichrist”), his predictions are blatantly false. But to show our readers the confusion and false teachings propagated by so-called “experts” in the field of religion, we are bringing you excerpts from the WND article. But let it be known that Richardson is wrong, and that the beast will arise in Europe. Those who preach something different are ignorant of biblical prophecy.

WND wrote:

“With Europe on the verge of economic collapse, what about all those popular predictions that the European Union would become the world’s political powerhouse, giving rise to the endtimes prophecies of a world dictator known to Bible students as the Antichrist? Joel Richardson, author of a best-selling book on Bible prophecy, says atheists will have a field day mocking Christians for the incorrect interpretations about the last days.

“‘Nearly twenty years ago, I intently watched as a very popular Christian television prophecy teacher declared, ‘the present formation of the European Union is literally the fulfillment of Bible prophecy right before our eyes!'” he writes in a commentary today in WND. ‘According to this teacher, the creation of the European Union represented a biblically prophesied revived Roman Empire…’

“Richardson said the formation of the EU in 1993 spurred even more prophecy teachers to set their sights on Europe. ‘But the present harsh realities in Europe may soon cause all of this Euro-centric, restored Roman Empire prognosticating to come crashing down,’ writes Richardson. He also expects many Christians to become disillusioned as the EU fights for its very survival, rather than for the global dominance that was predicted…

“His book [“The Islamic Antichrist”] makes the case that the biblical Antichrist is one and the same as the Quran’s Muslim Mahdi. ‘The Bible abounds with proofs that the Antichrist’s empire will consist only of nations that are, today, Islamic,’ says Richardson. ‘Despite the numerous prevailing arguments for the emergence of a revived European Roman empire as the Antichrist’s power base, the specific nations the Bible identifies as comprising his empire are today all Muslim.'”

This is utter nonsense. In fact, we read the absolute opposite; namely that the “beast” or the “king of the North” will fight AGAINST and even occupy Islamic and Muslim nations. And that the beast will be working hand-in-hand with the biblical “false prophet”–a religious “Christian” personality.

If you want to know what the BIBLE prophesies–rather than what ignorant and misinformed biblical “scholars” may predict–please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy,” “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” “Is That in the Bible–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation,” and “The book of Zechariah–Prophecies for Today!”

In Old Testament times, God established a system whereby the poor would not be in perpetual poverty. God did this in His great mercy, knowing what human nature is like, and that there are those who accumulate and those who squander. He did not want a few extremely wealthy individuals ruling over the masses who were just getting by, or who became and were poor. In reflecting on the situation of this world, Christ said in Matthew 26:11: “For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.” He knew that as long as Satan rules this world; as long as human carnality exists; and as long as societies work in the way they do; the poor would always be among us.

Of course, this was not what God had intended. He told the ancient Israelites in Deuteronomy 15:4 that if God would richly bless the people, “there may be no poor among you.” But anticipating that ancient Israel would not be obedient enough so that God could bless them beyond measure, He said in Deuteronomy 15:11: “For the poor will never cease from the land…”

Those who were too poor to pay their debts could sell their property and even “sell” themselves to their creditors to work for them. But God saw to it that there would be the possibility of being “freed” from such indebtedness, including by means of the “Jubilee Year.”

When did the Jubilee Year begin and what did it entail?

We read in Leviticus 25:8-14:

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

Notice that the Jubilee Year began on the Day of Atonement. This annual Holy Day points at a future time when mankind will be released from the captivity of Satan and from the oppression of this present evil world. At the time of ancient Israel, the Jubilee Year designated a release from all debts and a repossession of the land which had been initially allocated to the debtor.

Somebody could “buy” or better lease a person’s farmland, and the price was always in relationship to how many years were left before the Jubilee Year. Obviously, if there were only a few years remaining, one would not pay a large sum to use the person’s land. Leviticus 25:15-16 says:

“According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crop he shall sell to you. According to the multitude of years you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you shall diminish its price; for he sells to you according to the number of the years of the crops.”

The return to a person’s farmland or his rural or suburban residence was a guarantee. Such land returned to the prior owner every fifty years.

Notice what God says about the land, in Leviticus 25:23: “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.”

It is interesting that a person or a family member could redeem his sold farmland prior to the Jubilee Year (compare Leviticus 25:24-28). On the other hand, if a man owned a house in a walled city and sold it, he or his family had a year to redeem it. After that, it was gone for good. Leviticus 25:29-30 says: “If a man sells a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year he may redeem it. But if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee.”

If the house and the land on which the house was built were in the country, it was released in the Jubilee Year, as Leviticus 25:31 says: “However the houses of villages which have no wall around them shall be counted as the fields of the country. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.”

As mentioned, slaves and those who “sold” themselves to their creditors for incurred debts were also released in the Jubilee Year. Leviticus 25:50 says: “Thus he shall reckon with him who bought him: The price of his release shall be according to the number of years, from the year that he was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee; it shall be according to the time of a hired servant for him.”

The Jubilee Year was instituted so that a person who sold himself or his land could obtain release, liberty and freedom from debt and servitude, and return to the land. This institution prevented the few from accumulating all the wealth and the poor from being perpetually poor or in never-ending slavery, due to mismanagement or bad circumstances in their lives. Out of love and mercy, and in recognition of man’s human nature and Satan’s rulership over this world, God provided a way to equalize the playing field to give every one a fresh start and hopefully, to allow those who might have acted foolishly, to become somewhat wiser and not make again the same financial mistakes.

We should also note that every seventh year was a land Sabbath, during which no crops were to be sown and harvested, and that the land was also to rest from cultivation on the Jubilee Year (Leviticus 25:11).

In a Plain Truth article from February, 1986, titled, “The Debt Bomb–When Will It Explode?”, the following was stated about the Jubilee Year:

“[In ancient Israel, God had provided for] the canceling of short-term debts at the end of every seven years (Deut. 15:1-11) and the return of forfeited real estate every 50 years (Lev. 25:8-17). For example, if through hard times one had to borrow a small sum of money and, through unforeseen circumstances, was unable to repay the sum within the time frame of a seven-year cycle, his debt was to be forgiven him by his creditor. Or if an Israelite mismanaged his family property (farmland and rural or suburban residence), on the jubilee year his property was to be returned to him or his family (Lev. 25:8-10) if relatives had not already been able to redeem the land (see verse 25)…

“God’s jubilee offers humans what they have needed–and what no man-devised system of economics has ever been able to give us–a financial clean slate: the chance men have only dreamed of, to begin anew and learn from past mistakes. The jubilee year will be a cornerstone in the reestablishment of God’s government on earth (Luke 4:16-19). The ‘acceptable year of the Lord’ that Jesus quoted out of Isaiah 61 is the restoration of the jubilee year.”

We find an interesting prophecy, pertaining to the Millennium, when Jesus Christ rules on this earth, in Ezekiel 46:16-18: “Thus says the Lord God: ‘If the prince gives a gift of some of his inheritance to any of his sons, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. But if he gives a gift of some of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his until the year of liberty (compare Leviticus 25:10), after which it shall return to the prince. But his inheritance shall belong to his sons; it shall become theirs. Moreover the prince shall not take any of the people’s inheritance by evicting them from their property; he shall provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people may be scattered from his property.'”

This Scripture addresses issues that will arise in the future and does seem to be an application of the Jubilee Year. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary explains:

“The prince’s possession is to be inalienable, and any portion given to a servant is to revert to his sons at the year of jubilee, that he may have no temptation to spoil his people of their inheritance… The mention of the year of jubilee implies that there is something literal meant, besides the spiritual sense. The jubilee year was restored after the captivity [Josephus, Antiquities, 14.10, 6; 1 Maccabees 6:49]. Perhaps it will be restored under Messiah’s coming reign.”

As stated above, we also read that Christ quoted in Luke 4:17-19 from a passage in the book of Isaiah, dealing with the proclamation of liberty and the “acceptable year of the LORD.” Many feel that this is also a reference to the Jubilee Year. For instance, the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary states that the phrase “acceptable year” is “an allusion to the jubilee year… a year of universal release for person and property.” Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible agrees, stating: “There is, perhaps, here, an allusion to the year of jubilee – the fiftieth year, when the trumpet was blown, and through the whole land proclamation was made of the liberty of Hebrew slaves, of the remission of debts, and of the restoration of possessions to their original families.”

When Christ came and proclaimed the “acceptable year of the LORD,” He made it clear that it was now possible for His disciples to obtain spiritual freedom from Satan’s slavery and release from the captivity of their debts, which they incurred because of sin; i.e., death (Romans 6:23).

At the same time, based on the foregoing, it appears that the Jubilee Year will be enforced quite literally at the beginning of the Millennium. It appears that at that time, release from physical debt and slavery will be proclaimed in all the land, and the individual nations will be restored to their God-ordained lands (compare Acts 17:26). However, it appears unlikely that the aspect of the Jubilee Year will be upheld in the Millennium, which would refer to [renewed] slavery, including slavery because of debt. (However, as expressed in Ezekiel 46:16-18 (quoted above), other aspects of the Jubilee Year will apparently be in force.) Notice what we wrote in a related Q&A on slavery:

“As to the primary reason for slavery–capture in war–this concept won’t exist anymore in the Millennium as there will be no more wars in the Millennium (Isaiah 2:1-4). Also, since all will live in prosperity and there will be no more poverty, that reason for slavery won’t exist anymore, either (Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 3:10). Finally, ‘slavery’ for punishment of crime or debt in the Millennium might likewise be non-existent, as people might not be allowed to actually carry out crimes or go into debt, necessitating that kind of punishment or treatment (compare Isaiah 30:20-21). We should also mention that it was never God’s original intent that men should be poor in the first place (Deuteronomy 15:1-6). Nor was it God’s original intent that men should go to war… God had never intended that slavery should exist at all… Paul also prohibited Christians from becoming voluntarily slaves of men… Based on the foregoing, we feel that it is highly unlikely that there will exist any slavery in the Millennium… it was never God’s intent that there should be any kind of slavery in the first place–had mankind chosen to OBEY God. It is highly unlikely that God will use men to enslave others in the Millennium.”

Man will be taught how to live responsibly, and God will bless man with prosperity and peace. What a tremendous time that will be!

Lead Writers: Rene Messier and Norbert Link

A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled, “Das Evangelium und Sie, Teil 3” (“The Gospel and You, Part 3”)

Earlier this year, my wife and I visited our son and his wife in Thailand. We saw our 5th grandchild, Austin, for the first time. He is just 10 months old. This got me to thinking about the ways that families can now be a group of geographically separate and disparate groups that may often be only connected by the family name. Social mobility occasioned by economic factors, job prospects, marrying someone from another country, preferring the climate of another land or simply being disillusioned by current circumstances are often the cause for people moving and for families seeing little of each other. That was not necessarily the case that much half a century ago, when travel was not a highly marketable commodity, nor did families, generally, think of leaving the area in which they were born and brought up.

In his book “Family Britain 1951-1957”, David Kynaston wrote the following: “Sociologist Michael Young conducted research in London’s Bethnal Green. Here he describes a widow in her 60’s living alone save for a dog and a budgie. She is infirm and rarely goes out. A married daughter lives two minutes’ walk away with her five children. One grandson does her shopping, another collects and returns the washing which is done by the married daughter living ten minutes’ walk away. A young grandson often stays a night. The grandchildren fetch her papers, chop her firewood and take the dog out. Her second daughter collects her pension and her mother spends every Sunday at her home. A son with a market stall brings vegetables every morning and give her ten shillings a week. He lives five minutes walk away with his wife and child. A second son lives in Norwich and that is where the widow spends a fortnight’s (two weeks) holiday every summer. Fifteen relatives are seen at least once a week, several every day.”

It can often be deceptive to just look at everything from yesteryear through rose coloured glasses, but there is no doubt that there was much more genuine social cohesion and care for one another in families, and society, that seems to be missing in so many lives today.

But we have to accept that moving within one’s own country, or abroad, may be a necessity in many cases, as jobs become scarcer, prospects limited and financial pressures build up. But that can impact on the support that families can give to each other at critical times and on an ongoing basis. And, of course, those who have been and are involved in the Work of God have, in many cases, moved a number of times to different parts of the world to carry out those responsibilities that God has given them. The New Testament gives a clear indication that the early apostles were “socially mobile” as was Jesus Himself. But it is incumbent on us, as “ambassadors for Christ” to do the best we can for our families irrespective of our geographical situation. Of course, the other extreme may be that family members can be “smothered” by them not being left to get on with their own lives and make their own decisions (always with input from family members if required). As usual, balance is the key.

When we look at the meltdown in morals, behaviour and the acceptance of “alternative life styles,” this should clearly show us why our society is in such a mess. And all of this has been fostered by a liberal elite with an agenda to shape society in a different way and undermine much of the good that went before it. This has been ably aided and abetted by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) who is the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2).

According to the perceived wisdom of our rulers regarding the definition of a family, it seems that any combination of people will do. One leading politician in the UK stated over a year ago that he believed in marriage. But then he added – marriage between a man and a woman, a man and a man and a woman and a woman! The old “nuclear family” of a husband and wife and two children is no longer the best game in town. Without going through a great catalogue of what now constitutes a family in the eyes of those in power, suffice to say that any grouping today seems to fit the bill.

God’s definition is simple and clearly defined: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). And then they were told to have children, to be “fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28).

In the soon coming Kingdom, the ways of God will be practiced. And families–properly constituted Godly families–will once again be the bedrock of society. That will be a time when the disintegration of the family will be left well behind and society will benefit enormously when God imposes His rules which will be, as always, for the benefit of all of mankind.

During the last two weeks, this world was introduced to the concept of man’s creation of artificial life. Upon further analysis, it is not REALLY such a creation, but close enough to send shivers down the spine of any thinking person. Arrogant scientists are playing God, and they are fooling themselves and others as to their Frankenstein monsters which might soon become a frightening reality. Sadly, as American scientists have the dubious honor of having created the atomic and hydrogen bomb, so it is again American scientists who have created this latest artificial “bomb” of potentially horrible and devastating consequences.

The ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico should have told greedy, exploring man what catastrophes he is capable of creating. But man’s deceitful and rotten heart seems to be incapable of heeding the warnings.

Britain is facing an uncertain future as well. Deep spending cuts were announced by the queen and the new government, while Mr. Cameron postulated that Britain will not become a part of the eurozone. This is not a surprise, as we have proclaimed for decades that Britain will in all likelihood not be a part of core Europe. At the same time, Italy announced budget cuts to defend the euro.

Even though the euro is falling against the U.S. dollar, this does not mean that Europe is facing inflation. In fact, according to articles in Der Spiegel Online and Bild Online, dated May 22, 2010, the weak euro has already saved 80,000 jobs in the German industry, due to higher export possibilities.

While many uninformed voices speak of a demise of the EU and the “European project,” Horst Seehofer, state premier in Bavaria and coalition partner of Angela Merkel, said that TOO MUCH POWER had been shifted to Europe at the expense of the German Parliament, and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said he is looking to establish a clearer “HIERARCHY” among the EU institutions and member states.

There are fears that a war will break out involving North and South Korea, and according to some press releases, Egypt and Israel are preparing for war as well. While Angela Merkel, Guido Westerwelle and other German officials and top managers are visiting key Arab countries to improve their prosperous economic relationships, reports suggest an increasing anti-Israel stance of European nations, including Germany.

The low-enriched uranium deal between Iran and Turkey, which was brokered by Brazil, shows the close alliance between these three countries against western nations and especially the USA. The Washington Post wrote that this “is not just an America in decline. This is an America in retreat — accepting, ratifying and declaring its decline, and inviting rising powers to fill the vacuum… This is retreat by design and, indeed, on principle.”

Our two remaining articles deal with the Catholic Church, the immunity of the pope and the trouble and hypocrisy caused by enforced celibacy. Deutsche Welle explains that “a life of celibacy cannot be regarded as a commandment from God, since it is not specifically called for in the Bible. It was probably economic considerations which lay behind the decision to make celibacy obligatory in the 12th century; priests were thus unable to pass on church property to their descendants.”

And so, the Catholic Church grew in wealth and riches; it is said that the Vatican State is perhaps the richest “state” in the world.

The Horror of Artificial “Life”

The Economist wrote on May 20:

“Artificial life, the stuff of dreams and nightmares, has arrived…

“Craig Venter and Hamilton Smith, the two American biologists who unravelled the first DNA sequence of a living organism (a bacterium) in 1995, have made a bacterium that has an artificial genome—creating a living creature with no ancestor… Pedants may quibble that only the DNA of the new beast was actually manufactured in a laboratory; the researchers had to use the shell of an existing bug to get that DNA to do its stuff. Nevertheless, a Rubicon has been crossed. It is now possible to conceive of a world in which new bacteria (and eventually, new animals and plants) are designed on a computer and then grown to order.

“That ability would prove mankind’s mastery over nature in a way more profound than even the detonation of the first atomic bomb. The bomb… was purely destructive… artificial life looks like a wonderful thing. Yet that is not how many will view the announcement. For them, a better word than ‘creation’ is ‘tampering’… What horrors will come creeping out of the flask on the laboratory bench?

“Such questions are not misplaced—and should give pause even to those… who normally embrace advances in science with enthusiasm. The new biological science does have the potential to do great harm, as well as good… It will be a while, yet, before lifeforms are routinely designed on a laptop. But this will come… Databases are filling up with the genomes of everything from the tiniest virus to the tallest tree.

“The risk of accidentally creating something bad is probably low… Creating something bad deliberately, whether the creator is a teenage hacker, a terrorist or a rogue state, is a different matter. No one now knows how easy it would be to turbo-charge an existing human pathogen, or take one that infects another type of animal and assist its passage over the species barrier…”

Venter–“One of the Most Controversial Scientists”

Bild Online wrote on May 25:

“US researcher Craig Venter (63) succeeded with the ‘divine experiment’, leading the scientific world to celebrate its heroes while the Catholic Church lurches between elation and horror… The reaction of the Vatican varied wildly between joy and shock. ‘A very great success,’ said Nicola Cabibbo, President of Pontifical Academy of Sciences, welcoming a breakthrough in genetic engineering. ‘Admiration for the capabilities of human intelligence,’ declared Archbishop Bruno Forte of the Pontifical Theological Commission…

“More critical was the legal expert of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Domenico Mogavero, in the ‘La Stampa’ newspaper. He called Venter’s discovery a ‘potential time bomb, a dangerous double-edged sword’ with possibilities which could not yet be assessed or predicted…

“Craig Venter was awarded the World Health Award in 2002 in Vienna. In 2009, President Barack Obama presented him with the National Medal of Science, the highest science award in the US. Venter may be one of the most successful scientists, but he is also one of the most controversial.

“Research colleagues tell him he lacks morals, and his many successes in the field of genetic research led to his reputation of wanting to play God. The latest research will once again stoke the debate on the ethical implications of his work.”

Man, following and embracing the “god” of science, will get to the brink of utter destruction. Only the returning Jesus Christ will be able to rescue man from man.

The Ongoing Oil Spill Disaster

Der Spiegel Online reported on May 25:

“Politicians in Washington are getting nervous. With attempt after attempt to seal the leaking BP oil well on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico having failed, a number of government officials ramped up the rhetoric over the weekend in an effort to up the pressure on the oil giant… Frustration is growing overseas as well. Cem Özdemir, head of the German Green Party, called for a boycott of BP in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday… He accused BP of disinformation and of trying to play down the damage caused by the ongoing oil leak…

“Over the weekend, more heavy oil washed into the marshlands of the Mississippi River delta, threatening the fragile ecosystem as well as the jobs of thousands of Gulf Coast residents who depend on the region’s fishery. On Monday, the US declared a ‘fishery disaster’ in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as a result of the pollution…

“Conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘Washington’s oversight of the oil industry has failed. That is not surprising — it’s like a junkie trying to control his dealer. It has been said that the US Environmental Protection Agency is considering withdrawing all government contracts, drilling licenses and leases from BP. The oil giant has 22,000 oil and gas wells in the US worth $16 billion (€13 billion) — almost 40 percent of BP’s entire turnover. Such a move would be crushing. And it would be almost impossible to push through. BP is also one of the most important fuel suppliers of the US military…'”

The man-caused oil spill shows man’s utter helplessness in the face of his greed for passing and destructive riches.

President Obama Takes the Blame–Well, Not Really…

USA Today reported on May 27:

“The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has spewed more oil than originally estimated, surpassing the Exxon Valdez tanker disaster in 1989 in Alaska to become the biggest oil disaster in U.S. history, federal scientists said Thursday.

“Meantime, President Obama issued tough words during a news conference, also on Thursday. He addressed questions by critics as to why the United States did not play a stronger role in facilitating an end to the spill triggered by an April 20 explosion on a rig leased by British energy giant BP. ‘From the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort,’ Obama told reporters at the White House. ‘As far as I’m concerned, BP is responsible for this horrific disaster’…

“Thursday, BP engineers continued to pump hundreds of thousands of gallons of heavy mud into a massive device atop the runaway well in the latest attempt to stem the flow. The procedure — known as a ‘top kill’ — started Wednesday afternoon and continued through the night…

“BP and federal officials have come under increased pressure for failing to plug the gushing well and keep oil out of coastal marshes and beaches. The oil has impacted more than 100 miles of Louisiana’s coast, including 35 acres of fragile marshland… BP officials will monitor the top kill operation for at least 24 hours, gauging pressure coming from the well.

“More than 7,000 barrels — or 294,000 gallons — of the heavy drilling mud has been jammed into the damaged blowout preventer… About 50,000 barrels of the mud sits on a supply vessel on the surface, ready to be pumped into the device.

“If the mud stems the flow, engineers will pump cement to seal the well. Two relief wells being drilled simultaneously will permanently seal the well… Those wells will not be completed until August.”

The Los Angeles Times added on May 27:

“President Obama on Thursday insisted his administration was ‘in charge’ and ‘on top of’ the effort to stop the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, batting away suggestions that the federal response had been lackluster and that BP executives were actually calling some of the shots. Speaking to reporters hours after BP launched its latest attempt to plug the hole on the ocean floor, Obama said federal officials specifically ordered the company to drill two holes as part of that effort instead of the single one executives had proposed.

“‘BP is operating at our direction,’ Obama said. ‘Every key decision and action they take must be approved by us in advance,’ adding that, if the Coast Guard ordered BP to do something, ‘they are legally bound to do it.’

“Obama said he was ‘angry and frustrated’ about the spill as it entered its sixth week but argued that the best experts were being deployed to ‘get this fixed as quickly as possible.’ …

“Obama blamed practices of the previous administration for poor regulation, citing a ‘cozy and sometimes corrupt relationship’ between oil companies and regulators.”

So, if President Obama and Washington are “in charge” and “on top of” the efforts to stop the oil spill, then they SHOULD take the blame for the ongoing disaster! To blame BP or the prior administration would not be fair or logical.

Painful Spending Cuts in Britain

BBC News wrote on May 23:

“Imminent spending cuts [of £6bn this year] will be ‘painful and controversial’, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has admitted… the business department’s budget will fall by £700m… a further £500m… come from trimming or axing public bodies… The government, which will hold an ’emergency Budget’ on 22 June, has said frontline services will be protected from cuts in spending… But with the deficit standing at £156bn, there are far more painful cuts to come… Labour have said budget cuts of this size will inevitably hit frontline services and threaten jobs.”

The Queen Announces Budget Cuts

Deutsche Welle reported on May 25:

“The new session of the British parliament was opened by the queen, surrounded by the regalia of ancient tradition. However, the message from her new government is one of future budget cuts… It was the monarch’s 57th Queen’s Speech… [She] announced her government’s ‘first priority’ would be to tackle the massive public sector deficit of an estimated 156 billion pounds (182 billion euros, $223 billion)…

“As the queen is Britain’s head of state, she has the formal power of inviting a prime minister to form a government and of opening each session of parliament. The ceremony is a traditional one, where Queen Elizabeth II, dressed in full royal regalia, addresses her government and subjects. In the speech written for her by the new Prime Minister David Cameron, the queen announced the most important issue was ‘to reduce the deficit and restore economic growth.’

“Areas of focus for the new government also include proposals for changing the British electoral system… The queen also confirmed the new government’s plans to limit the number of non-EU nationals entering Britain… A multi-billion-pound scheme to introduce ID cards in Britain will be scrapped, and the widespread use of surveillance cameras is to be more closely regulated.”

It remains to be seen how quickly the British people will have enough of their new government of “change.”

Britain Opposed to Agreement Supporting Euro

BBC News wrote on May 21:

“At a press conference in the German capital, Mr Cameron said the UK would not agree to the transfer of any sovereignty from Westminster to Brussels as part of any future reforms to EU institutions aimed at protecting the single currency area from economic instability… The Conservative leader has said any such transfer of powers would have to be approved by the British people in a referendum and has talked of repatriating EU powers in certain areas to the UK Parliament…

“‘Britain is not a member of the euro, nor are we likely to become a member, but we want a strong and stable eurozone. That is where 50% of our trade goes and it’s our interest that that takes place.’ But he insisted: ‘Britain would not be agreeing to any agreement or treaty that drew us further into supporting the euro area. It goes without saying that any treaty, even one that just applied to the euro area, needs unanimous agreement of all 27 EU states including the UK, which of course has a veto.'”

Whether this is a politically and economically wise or foolish position, it is in line with the biblical prophecies strongly indicating that Great Britain will not be a part of the eurozone and a member of core European nations.

Italy Defends Euro by Slashing Public Spending

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 25:

“The Italian government has joined a European movement to slash public spending — to the surprise of many Italians. Until recently, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had promised to avoid big budget cuts. But the euro must be defended, say Italian officials.

“Italy’s government approved a €24 billion ($30 billion) austerity package Tuesday evening… The package aims to reduce the nation’s budget deficit — which last year stood at 5.3 percent of its gross domestic product — to within the euro zone limit of 3 percent by 2012. It’s also meant to tame Italy’s public debt, which at 115.8 percent of GDP is the highest in the 16-nation euro zone.

“About half the cuts involve a sharp reduction in funds paid by the central government to Italy’s regions and cities. Wage freezes and cuts for public-sector workers will save some €6 billion. Salaries for government ministers and parliamentarians will take a 10 percent shave, and the government will slow its hiring. Only one in every five government positions that come open between 2011 and 2013 will be filled, according to the Reuters news agency.

“Average Italians won’t see their taxes rise, though taxes on stock options and private-sector executive bonuses will increase. The government will crack down on tax evasion, and introduce a measure called ‘construction amnesty’ — a grace period for Italians who have built houses without proper zoning approval. The amnesty allows homeowners to pay a fine lower than the taxes owed on their property…

“A deficit of 5.3 percent of GDP is… not outrageous compared to other euro-zone nations. It’s modest compared to Greece’s 12.7 percent deficit, for example, and less than half the deficit levels in Ireland and Spain…

“The cuts follow similar austerity measures in Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain. Germany, after backing a massive €750 billion package of loans to ensure other EU governments can meet their debt payments, will have to decide in June how to slash €3 billion from its own budget.

“The aim is to save the euro’s currency union from breaking apart despite pressure from financial traders skeptical of debt and deficit levels in Europe. ‘It’s absolutely necessary to do our part for Europe; to contribute to the financial stability of monetary union and to economic growth,’ Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said on Tuesday in Washington… early reaction from economists was positive.”

No Fertile Ground for Inflation in Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 21:

“How real is the risk of inflation in the eurozone?… German Central Bank president Axel Weber… argues that the ECB is fully committed to controlling inflation in the eurozone. ‘The euro system will not budge a centimeter from its goal of maintaining price stability,’ said Weber… Even during these difficult times, he said, the ECB promises to ensure price stability…

“The employer-friendly Institute of German Business (IW) in Cologne maintains that European central bankers are well armed to fight inflation; it also doesn’t expect prices to explode anytime soon…

“Gustav Horn, director of the Institute for Macroeconomics and Economic Research (IMK)… has a plausible explanation why Europe is unlikely to fall into such an inflationary cycle in the near future… ‘The level of production in Europe is still far below the pre-crisis level. There is plenty of capacity, and unemployment is high. In such a situation, companies will be unable to push through higher prices and the same applies to unions seeking higher wages. So, to put it simply, inflation lacks fertile ground to grow.’”

Too Much Power for Europe?

The New York Times wrote on May 21:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany narrowly pushed the country’s share of the nearly $1 trillion stabilization package for the euro through Parliament on Friday in the face of significant public opposition. It was an uncomfortably close call for Mrs. Merkel. The bill passed by a margin of just seven votes, with half a dozen members of her conservative coalition voting against it. The left-wing opposition parties refused to support the deal, either abstaining or voting against it.

“The vote answered the question… of whether Germany is committed to seeking European solutions to the fiscal crisis facing the continent. It came at the end of a week that saw sharp divisions emerge over the German government’s decision to introduce unilateral measures to dampen financial-market speculation, and to do so without consulting its European partners…

“Mrs. Merkel’s leadership was called into question not only by leading opposition politicians but also by members of her own bloc. Horst Seehofer, state premier in Bavaria… [said] that too much power had been shifted to Europe at the expense of the German Parliament…

“Mr. Seehofer… used the debate over the rescue plan to distance [himself] from a chancellor in trouble… Germans are angered at the prospect of paying the debts of what they see as profligate states like Greece…”

This and the next article show what is really beginning to happen in Europe in light of the economic crisis–rather than falling apart, Europe is becoming more and more a hierarchical powerful dictatorship.

Clearer Hierarchy in Europe?

The EUObserver wrote on May 25:

“European Council President Herman Van Rompuy has said he is looking to establish a clearer ‘hierarchy’ among the EU institutions and member states to make it easier to deal with any future crises in the eurozone… Germany, angry at paying the lion’s share of the Greek bail-out – a move that is extremely unpopular among ordinary Germans – is leading the calls for a rules change, including a modification of the [Lisbon] treaty.

“But Mr Van Rompuy spoke out against opening a new treaty discussion… He is the second EU figure to speak out against treaty change after [European Commission President Jose Manuel] Barroso forcefully rejected the idea in a newspaper interview… Mr Van Rompuy… pointed out that the recession lasted only 12 months in most EU states… But the Belgian politician noted that ‘serious errors’ had been made in the last decade, including letting countries go unpunished for breaching the eurozone rules, ignoring the huge economic divergences between euro states and not acting even though weaker economies had been already showing balance-of-payment problems for several years.”

New War Between South and North Korea?

The Wall Street Journal reported on May 25:

“North Korea said Tuesday it will cut off all ties to South Korea, going well beyond the penalties that Seoul imposed on it a day earlier for its apparent role in the sinking of a South Korean warship two months ago… The decision sharply escalates the tensions between the two countries…

“North Korea said it would expel all South Koreans from a joint industrial complex just inside the North where about 120 South Korean companies employ about 40,000 North Koreans. The statement also said Pyongyang will ‘totally abrogate the agreement on nonaggression between the north and the south and completely halt the inter-Korean cooperation’…

“North Korea also said it would ban South Korean ships and planes from its territorial waters and airspace, though that step means little since South Korean planes avoid the country and only ships involved in commerce with the North travel there…

“Secretary of State Clinton promised military support for South Korea after Seoul laid down stiff penalties against North Korea. But China, a key ally of the North, declined to publicly criticize Pyongyang…

“North Korea’s state media said ‘dozens’ of South Korea warships crossed the inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea over the past 10 days. The area, near where the South Korean patrol boat Cheonan sank on March 26, has long been disputed by North Korea… In the announcement, North Korea warned of further, unspecified military action in the Yellow Sea. It didn’t refer to the Cheonan sinking in the announcement.”

Bild Online added on May 25:

“North Korea’s mad dictator has put his country’s military on alert. The order was given by a senior military official in the capital Pyongyang, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap who quoted observers of the communist state.”

Christ prophesied that wars and rumors of wars indicate the beginning of sorrows. There have always been wars, of course, but in light of other signs which are being fulfilled in front of our eyes, we should also take heed of potential future wars–as many of these could affect and involve other countries and could ultimately throw this world into utter destruction. Let us never forget that World War I began with just one shot in Sarajevo.

Egypt and Israel Prepare for War

Israel National News reported on May 25, 2010 (Sivan 12, 5770):

“The Egyptian military completed large scale training maneuvers in the Sinai Peninsula on Sunday. The official Middle East News Agency said the weeklong maneuvers… included an exercise to cross the Suez Canal as well as a  simulation of an offensive thrust deep into what is termed as ‘enemy’- i.e. Israeli- territory.

“MENA further reported that helicopters, fighter jets, armored units, paratroopers and special shock troops participated in the military exercises and that similar drills were held in Sinai a week earlier… Egypt currently receives massive amounts of United States military aid and is considered to be the second biggest recipient of American weapons in the Middle East. Despite the country’s ostensible peace agreement with Israel, Egypt’s government remains a leader in the production of anti-Zionist propaganda.

“Israel is holding civil defense drills this week designed to prepare the country and its defense forces for various modes of possible attack on civilian areas.”

The Bible says that war will break out in the Middle East, and that the state of Israel will be isolated and overrun by their enemies. Rather than a treaty between Europe and Israel, there will be a confederation of European and Arab states against Israel. In this light, the next two articles are of special interest.

Germany’s Dealings with the Arab World

On May 22, Deutsche Welle published an article with the following headline: “Prime Minister Hariri calls on German troops to stay in Lebanon.”

The article continued:

“Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle… held a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Beirut. There, he told reporters that peace in the Middle East is important for the entire world, not just those in the region… During his talks with Westerwelle, Hariri made it clear that he hoped the UNIFIL mission would be extended. He added that security, peace and stability in the region were in the best interests of Germany. Later on Saturday, Westerwelle travels to Cairo to meet with the General Secretary of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, as well as the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. His final visits are to Jordan and Syria on Sunday before his return to Berlin on Monday. A peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is to be an important topic of discussion on the trip…”

Deutsche Welle reported on May 25:

“On the second day of a four-day tour of the Gulf region, German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid a visit to Masdar City, a prestigious project that aims to become the world’s first carbon-neutral city. On Monday, Merkel wrapped up talks in Abu Dhabi with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister for Economic Affairs… Abu Dhabi is the capital and richest of the United Arab Emirates’ seven members… Germany is the UAE’S largest European trading partner, a position Merkel said she hoped to ‘solidify and of course expand.’

“Accompanied by a delegation of German business leaders, Merkel sealed contracts for plastic production and a natural gas service during her first stopover in Abu Dhabi, one of the most important economic partners for Germany in the Middle East. The list of top managers on the trip reads like a Who’s Who of Germany industry: Siemens chief Peter Loescher, Deutsche Bahn CEO Ruediger Grube, Linde CEO Wolfgang Reitzle and Eon-Ruhrgas Manager Bernhard Reutersberg. 

“The German Chamber of Industry and Commerce estimates that current projects in the Gulf are worth around 2.8 billion euros ($3.5 billion)…”

On May 27, Deutsche Welle reported:

“While in Qatar on the last day of her tour of the Gulf, Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday said Germany should do more to build business ties with the region… ‘We are definitely not moving fast enough,’ she said. ‘We have to exert ourselves.’

“Merkel said that, in an effort to rival the Asian competition, she would push for the introduction of a free trade agreement with Gulf States when she meets with EU leaders at a bloc summit in June… Merkel also said Europe had to work more closely with the Gulf States to foster a stronger mutual understanding of each other’s cultures…

“Earlier, in Saudi Arabia, Merkel addressed Gulf concerns over the ongoing economic crisis in the eurozone… ‘I want to (make) a very clear statement,’ she told a gathering of German and Saudi businessmen in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, ‘Germany as the largest exporting nation, the largest economy in the European Union, has strongly benefited from the euro in the past … therefore, we will work with all our strength for a strong euro.'”

Europe’s Anti-Israel Propaganda Mission

A-7 News reported on May 21:

“Italian Member of European Parliament Gabriele Albertini, a senior foreign relations official, has stepped out of a delegation to Israel, calling the delegation’s planned trip an ‘anti-Israel propaganda mission.’… ‘Out of the 25 deputies who are to take part in the mission, there are fewer colleagues than the fingers on one hand whom you could define as pro-Israeli or even neutral,’ Albertini [wrote]. ‘Rather than a peace-keeping mission, it looks like an anti-Israel propaganda mission is being prepared!’

“The email followed a disagreement between Albertini and his fellow delegates after Israel refused to authorize the group to enter Gaza from Israel. While Albertini believed the delegation should alter its itinerary to allay Israel’s concerns, other delegates voted to circumvent Israel’s decision by entering Gaza through Egypt, and to show their displeasure by canceling a meeting with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.

“According to Albertini one delegate, German MEP Hans-Gert Poettering, wanted to hold a press conference criticizing Israel before the mission even began. Poettering’s idea earned applause from his fellow delegates, he added. Israel turned down the delegates’ request to enter Gaza due to concern that diplomatic missions to Gaza give moral support to Hamas. Israeli officials also noted that the EU delegation planned to ‘concentrate its program around interlocutors representing the views of only one side of the conflict.’”

Iran’s “Deal” With Turkey!

CNN reported on May 22:

“The deal, which was reached Sunday after 18 hours of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Iran, Brazil and Turkey, calls for Iran to hand over nearly half of its estimated supply of low-enriched uranium to Turkey. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called this week’s agreement for an Iranian nuclear swap one of the most important diplomatic decisions in the 30-year history of the Islamic Republic of Iran…

“The deal has not swayed the United States and its international partners, who this week drafted a fresh set of tough sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program… Ali Akbar Javanfekr, an adviser to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told CNN that Clinton’s statement that key nations had reached agreement on a strong U.N. resolution would not hurt Iran, but instead would alienate the United States. ‘Mrs. Clinton can have her opinions, but every day that passes the position of the Islamic Republic gains more support in the world while America is losing its allies because of its illogical position,’ Javanfekr said.”

Will the Security Council adopt “tough sanctions” against Iran, as CNN suggests? This is very unlikely, states Charles Krauthammer in the next article. But Javanfekr’s reflection, as quoted above, is noteworthy, saying that Iran’s political position grows stronger, while the USA is losing its allies.

Brazil, Turkey and Iran vs. the USA

On May 21, Charles Krauthammer wrote in the Washington Post:

“It is perfectly obvious that Iran’s latest uranium maneuver, brokered by Brazil and Turkey, is a ruse. Iran retains more than enough enriched uranium to make a bomb. And it continues enriching at an accelerated pace and to a greater purity (20 percent). Which is why the French foreign ministry immediately declared that the trumpeted temporary shipping of some Iranian uranium to Turkey will do nothing to halt Iran’s nuclear program.

“It will, however, make meaningful sanctions more difficult. America’s proposed Security Council resolution is already laughably weak — no blacklisting of Iran’s central bank, no sanctions against Iran’s oil and gas industry, no nonconsensual inspections on the high seas. Yet Turkey and Brazil — both current members of the Security Council — are so opposed to sanctions that they will not even discuss the resolution. And China will now have a new excuse to weaken it further.

“But the deeper meaning of the uranium-export stunt is the brazenness with which Brazil and Turkey gave cover to the mullahs’ nuclear ambitions and deliberately undermined U.S. efforts to curb Iran’s program. The real news is that already notorious photo: the president of Brazil, our largest ally in Latin America, and the prime minister of Turkey, for more than half a century the Muslim anchor of NATO, raising hands together with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the most virulently anti-American leader in the world.

“That picture… is a crushing verdict on the Obama foreign policy. It demonstrates how rising powers, traditional American allies, having watched this administration in action, have decided that there’s no cost in lining up with America’s enemies and no profit in lining up with a U.S. president given to apologies and appeasement.

“They’ve watched President Obama’s humiliating attempts to appease Iran… They’ve watched America acquiesce to Russia’s re-exerting sway over Eastern Europe, over Ukraine (pressured by Russia last month into extending for 25 years its lease of the Black Sea naval base at Sevastopol) and over Georgia (Russia’s de facto annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is no longer an issue under the Obama ‘reset’ policy).

“They’ve watched our appeasement of Syria, Iran’s agent in the Arab Levant — sending our ambassador back to Syria even as it tightens its grip on Lebanon, supplies Hezbollah with Scuds and intensifies its role as the pivot of the Iran-Hezbollah-Hamas alliance…

“They’ve observed the administration’s gratuitous slap at Britain over the Falklands, its contemptuous treatment of Israel, its undercutting of the Czech Republic and Poland, and its indifference to Lebanon and Georgia. And in Latin America, they see not just U.S. passivity as Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez organizes his anti-American ‘Bolivarian’ coalition while deepening military and commercial ties with Iran and Russia. They saw active U.S. support in Honduras for a pro-Chávez would-be dictator seeking unconstitutional powers in defiance of the democratic institutions of that country.

“This is not just an America in decline. This is an America in retreat — accepting, ratifying and declaring its decline, and inviting rising powers to fill the vacuum… This is retreat by design and, indeed, on principle. It’s the perfect fulfillment of Obama’s adopted Third World narrative of American misdeeds, disrespect and domination from which he has come to redeem us and the world…

“Given Obama’s policies and principles, Turkey and Brazil are acting rationally… There’s nothing to fear from Obama, and everything to gain by ingratiating yourself with America’s rising adversaries…”

Indeed, America’s weak leadership is creating a vacuum, which will be filled. But this vacuum will not be filled, foremost, by countries such as Turkey or Iran or Brazil, but by a most powerful United States of Europe.

President Obama Supports Pope’s Immunity

AFP wrote on May 25:

“The Obama administration in a brief to the Supreme Court has backed the Vatican’s claim of immunity from lawsuits arising from cases of sexual abuse by priests in the United States. The Supreme Court is considering an appeal by the Vatican of an appellate court ruling that lifted its immunity in the case of an alleged pedophile priest from Oregon.

“In a filing on Friday, the solicitor general’s office argued that the Ninth Circuit court of appeals erred in allowing the lawsuit brought by a man who claims he was sexually abused in the 1960s by the Oregon priest. The unnamed plaintiff, who cited the Holy See and several other parties as defendants, argued the Vatican should be held responsible for transferring the priest to Oregon and letting him serve there despite previous accusations he had abused children in Chicago and in Ireland.

“The solicitor general’s office, which defends the position of President Barack Obama’s administration before the Supreme Court, said the Ninth Circuit improperly found the case to be an exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, a 1976 federal law that sets limits on when other countries can face lawsuits in US courts.”

This world, including the USA, accepts the pope as a political leader and sovereign head of a state–even though the Bible strongly condemns religious alliances with political powers. The true Church of God does not involve itself with the politics of this world, heeding Christ’s admonition that His kingdom is NOT of this world.

Celibacy in the Catholic Church

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 25:

“For about 900 years, the Catholic Church has required that its priests stay celibate. But what happens if a priest falls in love?… Since the vow of celibacy for clergy is an iron law in the Roman Catholic Church, it is an absolute requirement for young men wishing to become ordained as priests. However, a life of celibacy cannot be regarded as a commandment from God, since it is not specifically called for in the Bible. It was probably economic considerations which lay behind the decision to make celibacy obligatory in the 12th century; priests were thus unable to pass on church property to their descendants…

“A group made up of Catholic priests and their wives has been fighting against celibacy in Germany for over 25 years. Members estimate that not even 50 percent of priests in the country stay celibate… Abandoning the ministry does not come into question for many priests, and there is also a fear of social fallout. Priests are not insured against unemployment and only have minimal pension rights. They also lack experience with the working world outside the church… As a result, many priests have kept their relationships and children hidden…”

The concept of enforced celibacy is unbiblical and produces wrong fruits. It is interesting that it was apparently created by the Catholic Church because of greed for wealth and riches.

The first time that the Bible mentions “Urim and Thummim” is in Exodus 28:30, in connection with the garments for the high priest; especially, the “ephod” and the “breastplate of judgment.” The breastplate was to be placed on the ephod (Exodus 28:28), and verse 30 reads: “And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD.” A similar statement can be found in Leviticus 8:8.

In Numbers 27:21, only the Urim is mentioned [but it has been understood that it included the Thummim as well–“Urim” is used here as a summary term for both]. On this occasion, God asked Moses to transfer some of his authority to Joshua. Verse 21 reads: “He [Joshua] shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim–at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in…”

When the high priest was to inquire for the civil leader of God’s people, he was to be dressed in his official garments, containing the Urim and the Thummim.

In Deuteronomy 33:8, the Urim and the Thummim are mentioned in reverse order [showing that both were equally important], relating to the blessing with which “Moses, the man of God,” blessed Levi: “And of Levi he said: ‘Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one [Lit., Your pious man]…'” In other words, God decreed that the Urim and the Thummim should be with the Levites; in particular, based on Exodus 28:30 and Numbers 27:21, with the high priest who had to be from the tribe of Levi.

In 1 Samuel 28:6, only the Urim is mentioned [but by implication, it included the Thummim]: “And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.” We see here that somewhat of a distinction is made between dreams and prophets, and the Urim. At the same time, some kind of prophetic revelation was involved when using the Urim and the Thummim–but it occurred through the high priest, not through dreams or prophets.

We find another direct reference to both the Urim and the Thummim in the book of Ezra, describing the time after the destruction of the first temple and before the erection and completion of the second temple. The names of several of the Jews who had returned from Babylon were not found in the registry of priests, and we read in Ezra 2:62-63:

“These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but they were not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled. And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.” We find a repetition of this passage in Nehemiah 7:64-65. These passages might imply that at that time, no priest was able to reveal God’s Will through the Urim and the Thummim.

We might also note that the Septuagint refers to the Urim and the Thummim in its translation of 1 Samuel 14:41: “Then Saul said, ‘O Lord, God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If the guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim; and if you indicate that it is in the people of Israel, give Thummim.’ And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped.”

However, this text is highly suspect. The New King James Bible, which is based on the Masoretic Text, simply states: “Therefore Saul said to the LORD God of Israel, ‘Give a perfect lot.’ So Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.”

On the other hand, there IS general agreement that the previous inquiry of God (compare verses 36-37) through the high priest Ahijah, who was wearing the ephod (compare verse 3), did occur with the help of the Urim and the Thummim. Considering the close connection between the high priest’s ephod and the Urim and Thummim, it is reasonable to conclude that Saul’s inquiry involved the use of the Urim and the Thummim. But apparently, verse 41 does not refer to such kind of inquiry, but strictly and only to the casting of lots, as God had not answered Saul before through the Urim and the Thummim.

Another indirect reference to the Urim and the Thummim can be found in 1 Samuel 23:6, 9-12, when David inquired of the LORD after the high priest Abiathar arrived with the ephod (verse 6). David specifically asked for the ephod to be brought to him (verse 9).

A similar episode is described in 1 Samuel 30:7-8. In this case, the inquiry resulted not only in a specific answer to a specific question, but in additional statements from the LORD, showing that the use of the Urim and the Thummim might have involved more than (just) the casting of lots.

It is true, however, that most believe that the Urim and Thummim was a “lot” oracle, but this concept is not without problems, as we have seen. Realizing the uncertainties, the Good News Bible includes the following annotation to the description of the Urim and the Thummim: “Two objects used by the priest to determine God’s will; it is not known precisely how they are used.”

We are not told in Scripture what, exactly, the Urim and Thummim were, nor how they were used, but we are told that they were in existence at the time of Moses; that they were known at the time of Saul and apparently David; and that they were referred to in some way at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Since the Bible does not describe the nature of the Urim and the Thummim, nor their physical appearance, there have been many speculative attempts to visualize and identify them.

Flavius Josephus seemed to describe the Urim and the Thummim as the twelve stones or gems of the breastplate on the ephod of the high priest (arranged in rows and engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel), and possibly also with two sardonyx stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, saying that light flashed from them to show the presence of God. He also wrote that when the light ceased flashing, God showed His displeasure.

Another Jewish tradition has it that when one stone on the breastplate did not shine, while the others were, this phenomenon identified the guilty tribe.

When attempts are made to translate the terms “Urim” and “Thummim,” the most common renditions are “revelation and truth,” “manifestations and truth,” and “lights and perfections.” The Jerusalem Talmud writes: “Urim… illuminated Israel and Thummim… perfected the way before them.” Luther referred to them as “light and fullness,” or “light and justice.”

There is no consensus as to when God ceased to reveal His Will through the Urim and the Thummim. Josephus stated that their cessation took place about 105 B.C. The Mishna stated that the cessation took place when the first prophets died. Some refer to the first prophets as David, Samuel and Solomon, others as all the prophets except Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, saying that the cessation took place when the first temple was destroyed. Others stated that the cessation took place when the second temple was destroyed, in 70 A.D. However, many commentaries state that the Urim and Thummim were missing in the second temple.

In John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, the following comments are made regarding Haggai 2:9:

“The Jews… themselves [say] there were several things wanting in the latter [temple] which were in the former [temple], as the ‘ark’, the ‘Urim’ and ‘Thummim’, the ‘fire’ from heaven, the ‘Shechinah’ (or, as in some books, the anointing oil, and, in others, the cherubim), and the ‘Holy Ghost’: by one of their writers…, they are reckoned in this order, the ark, the mercy seat, and cherubim, one; the Shechinah or divine Majesty, the second; the Holy Ghost, which is prophecy, the third; Urim and Thummim the fourth: and the fire from heaven the fifth…”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible adds:

“Those five things, the absence whereof they felt, were connected with their atoning worhip or God’s presence among them; ‘the ark with the mercy-seat and the cherubim, the Urim and Tummin, the fire from heaven, the Shechinah, the Holy Spirit.'”

Similarily Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible:

“…the Jews [say] that several of the divine glories of the first temple were wanting in this [second temple] – the ark, the urim and thummim, the fire from heaven, and the Schechinah…”

The connection between the Urim and the Thummim and the existence of the temple, and their cessation with the destruction of the (first or second) temple, could be meaningful.

In his remarkable work, “The Urim and Thummim,” Cornelis van Dam informs us on page 101 that “in medieval Judaism the messianic expectation was great. The [Urim and Thummim] were not forgotten in this context. It is noteworthy that they formed part of the vision for the restored temple, and the implication was that the [Urim and Thummim] would once again function… among Protestants it was often stressed (not only in the sixteenth but also in the seventeenth century) that the [Urim and Thummim] pointed at the Messiah.”

As there are currently attempts underway to prepare for the construction of the third temple and the beginning of sacrifices in Jerusalem prior to the coming of the Messiah, it will be interesting to see whether at the same time the Jews will also initiate the use of the Urim and the Thummim through a high priest from the tribe of Levi.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, “The Lies About Europe.” Will the euro fail? Will the euro zone collapse? Will the EU fall apart? The answer to all of these questions is, No! How can we be so sure? Listen to this program, and you will know!

A German version of the StandingWatch (AufPostenStehen) program, titled, “Luegen ueber Europa,” was posted on YouTube and our German Website.

Norbert Link’s video-taped sermon, “Pentecost 2010,” has been posted on the Web.

Norbert Link’s video-recorded sermon, “To the Ephesians, Part 2,” has been posted on the Web.

Norbert Link’s new German sermon, “Das Evangelium und Sie, Teil 2,” (“The Gospel and You, Part 2”), has been posted on the Web.

by Phyllis Bourque

I find it interesting that many of the subjects covered in the StandingWatch programs apply in my personal life, realizing that I am essentially subjected to the issues of this world, yet not without God’s involvement. Two recent issues that I had to face were unemployment and excessive health care costs.

Earlier this year, I lost my job. In fact, the whole transcription department of 16 people was done away with, in favor of outsourcing. My first reaction was that I would finally be able to retire! A very generous severance package would have easily bridged me over to retirement in September. I began to think of all the things I wanted to catch up on when I retired and was feeling pretty good about it… UNTIL I looked at the cost of health care. My dream of retirement was quickly overshadowed by the very steep cost of health insurance, as well as the insecurity of the Social Security system itself.

God was clearly involved, however, even before I learned I had lost my job. Within two weeks of the initial announcement, four people were rehired, but in a different capacity. This has since been reduced to three, and I am one of them. The new position, Transcription Quality Auditor, involves checking the reports transcribed by the outsource company for accuracy, along with assuring the proper work flow between the various software programs used by the hospital. I am working fewer hours but my hourly wage is higher. I still have health insurance benefits, and I still have the privilege of working from home. I know that job security, like Social Security, is weak at best, but for now, I do have a job.

I could see again that God knows what is best for me, even before I do, and that He is the only real security for me in this life, for which I am very grateful.