On Saturday, January 24, 2009, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Poetry in the Hebrew Bible.”

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

In the Q&A in this week’s Update, we address, among other concepts, the need for the Church of God to continue preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. We show from Scripture that God will still do a powerful short Work just prior to Christ’s return. In a recent sermon, I explained that God is not trying to convert all people right now and lead them to salvation at this time–and neither should we! For most, their opportunity will still come in the future–AFTER Christ’s return!

In this day and age, God only calls the very few–the firstfruits–the “little flock”–those who were “predestined” to be called from the foundation of the earth–in fact, before time began. He wants His Church today to announce, as a witness or testimony, that Christ’s return is imminent and that the Kingdom of God will soon be established on this earth (Matthew 24:14). He wants His Church to warn the world of what is going to happen, and to proclaim the need to repent and to change (Luke 24:47). Most will reject our message–but some will listen and respond. We don’t know who will change their lives because of our preaching–but God knows. He knows whom He WANTS to call OUT OF this world, and whom He IS calling. He expects us to do our job of preaching the gospel, because how can they believe in the true God unless they have heard Him proclaimed first (Romans 10:14-15)?

But then what? In order to be saved from this present evil generation, one must receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are clearly taught in the Bible that God promises His gift only to those who repent, believe and are baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38; 4:4; 10:43). God is not giving His Holy Spirit to those who refuse to obey Him (Acts 5:32)–and God will take His Holy Spirit away from those who turn away from His truth after they have embraced it, and who will live again a life of disobedience (Hebrews 6:4-8;10:26-29; 2 Peter 2:20-22).

Once someone has responded to God’s call and has received His Holy Spirit, such a person is then able to comprehend more clearly the mysteries of God. Prior to God’s involvement or calling, a person cannot understand the truth. Once God’s Spirit begins to work with a person and opens his mind, he will be able to comprehend some of it–enough to show God that he is serious by obeying Him. But it is only after the receipt of God’s Spirit that we can begin to really comprehend the truth more and more perfectly–that we can really grow in the KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST (2 Peter 3:18)–the knowledge WHICH CHRIST HAS and which He wants to share with us.

Notice that the Bible gives us an order or time sequence which pertains to collective and individual salvation!

In 1 Corinthians 15:22-24, Paul explains that there is an order of salvation for mankind:

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive [through a resurrection from the dead]. But each one in his own ORDER: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are [or “were” at the time of their death] Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father…”

The “end” includes those in the “second resurrection,” who will be “raised up” from the dead after the time of the Millennium. (Compare the commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, equating “the end” with “the general resurrection, and final judgment and consummation.”) Revelation 20:4-5 refers to the first and the second resurrection. We read about those in the first resurrection–who were in Christ and Christ in them, when they died: “And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

Verse 5 clarifies that this describes those in the “first resurrection.” But the same verse speaks also of those who would be resurrected later: “But the rest of the dead did not live again UNTIL the thousand years are finished.” Their resurrection after the Millennium is described in Revelation 20:11-12–a time referred to in the Bible as the “Great White Throne Judgment” period.

Jesus referred to that judgment period in many passages. For instance, He prophesied the resurrection “in the judgment” of the men of Nineveh, the queen of the South and the Jews at the time of His first coming. He showed that they would all be resurrected AT THE SAME TIME. They will all be RAISED TOGETHER–in the second resurrection–and it is THEN that they will be offered salvation.

Note Christ’s exact wording in Matthew 12:41-42: “The men of Nineveh will RISE UP in the JUDGMENT WITH THIS generation… The Queen of the South will RISE UP in the JUDGMENT WITH THIS generation…” Christ also spoke of the resurrection of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah at that time of “JUDGMENT”–the Great White Throne judgment period of the second resurrection (compare Matthew 10:15; 11:24; compare also Luke 10:13-14).

As God deals with collective salvation according to a time order, so He deals with individual salvation in progressive stages as well. He does not reveal all of His truth right away to a newly-called person. It requires time to grow in spiritual knowledge, and it is impossible to do so unless God’s Spirit dwells IN us and is used by us.

Notice Christ’s sayings regarding the progressive stages of individual salvation. First, the gospel must be preached as a witness or testimony. That includes the preaching of repentance. Regarding those who respond to the preaching, Christ said in Matthew 28:19-20:

“Go therefore and make disciples of [“from among” or “in,” compare Living Bible] all nations, baptizing them in [“into,” compare “Literal Translation of the Holy Bible”] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe ALL THINGS that I have commanded you…”

First comes the preaching of the gospel, including the admonishment to repent or change. Those who respond, being called by God, believe and become obedient to what they understand, are to be baptized, as an outward sign of inner repentance. Christ did not say, of course, that all nations are to be baptized today–only THOSE who RESPOND to the preaching.

John Gill’s Exposition to the Entire Bible explains that the command to baptize “them” does not refer to “all nations” “since… the words for ‘all nations’, are of the neuter gender, whereas ‘them’, is of the masculine: nor can it be thought that it should be the mind of Christ, that all the individuals of all nations should be baptized, as Heathens, Turks, and Jews…”

Those who ARE properly baptized receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at the time of their baptism, and with the help of the Holy Spirit which now dwells within them, they are able to understand God’s truth more and more, and the need for their obedience of ALL THINGS which Christ teaches to His Church.

We see the same pattern of individual growth INTO the knowledge and obedience of Christ in John 14:15-17, 23:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper that [it] may abide with you forever–the Spirit of truth [which] the WORLD CANNOT receive, because it neither sees [it] nor knows [it]; but you know [it], for [it] dwells WITH you and will be IN you… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

Note the time sequence. First, we show that we love God by keeping His commandments. However, we can only show true love for God and His Word, when God the Father draws us to Christ (John 6:44, 64-65)–when the Holy Spirit of God works WITH us. Then, when we are ready, we will be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which will then dwell IN us–not only WITH us. Both God the Father and Jesus Christ will live IN a converted person by and through the Holy Spirit. They will make their HOME with him, or, as the New Jerusalem Bible translates John 14:23: “.. and we shall come to him and make a home IN him.”

The Holy Spirit, living IN us, will gradually guide or lead us into all truth (John 16:13). But we must OBEY God FIRST–to the extent that we understand His commandments–BEFORE we can even receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And once we have received the gift of His Spirit, we must continue to GROW in godly understanding and OBEY God MORE and MORE–not less and less. Christ said that when we TRULY love Him, we WILL keep His Word.

How WONDERFUL and exciting are “the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33). As He deals with mankind at large, pursuant to a time order to lead them to collective salvation, so He deals with us today individually, pursuant to a time order, to lead us to our individual salvation (Romans 13:11; Matthew 24:13).

But we need to respond to God, on an ongoing basis! How receptive are we to God’s lead? How much have we GROWN in knowledge and understanding since the time of our baptism? How much have we grown within the last year? Are we holding on to wrong concepts, even though we see them disproved in the Bible? Are we refusing to accept knowledge which God may reveal to us through His true and faithful ministers (compare Ephesians 4:11-13)?

Are we refusing to GROW in the knowledge of Christ–including how to live better Christian lives? Are we becoming more and more obedient to God’s words–or less and less? Are we going forward on our path to our salvation, or backwards? God has no pleasure in those who draw back (Hebrews 10:38). Therefore, let us not be “among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and will posses [eternal] life” (Hebrews 10:39, New American Bible).

The Inauguration of the 44th President

On Tuesday, January 20, the world watched the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama, with excitement and optimistic hope for a better future. ABC News reported on January 19 that even though the “country is in the middle of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, … this isn’t stopping rich donors and the government from spending $170 million, or more, on the inauguration of Barack Obama.”

The German paper, Die Welt, wrote on January 20: “Hundreds of thousands of people erupted in roars of approval on the broad National Mall grounds as they watched Obama stand with one hand raised, one hand on a Bible used to swear [in Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration] in 1861, and repeat the brief oath to become the 44th U.S. president and succeed George W. Bush.”

The paper added that “The inauguration of Obama, 47, the son of a black Kenyan father and a white mother from Kansas, was steeped in symbolic meaning for African-Americans, who for generations suffered slavery and then racial segregation that made them second-class citizens.”

During the Benediction, Joseph Lowery uttered the following controversial lines which were somewhat offensive to white people: “Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around… when the red man can get ahead; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen. Say Amen’…”

Some moments during the inauguration, even though embarrassing, might have been deeply symbolic–from the limping President Bush Sen. to Vice President Dick Cheney sitting in a wheelchair, to Ted Kennedy’s collapse, to the moment when the oath was messed up by Chief Justice John Roberts (so that the oath was re-administered the next day in the White House, without the use of a Bible). Also, it might have been better, depending on taste, if the musical “performance” by Aretha Franklin and the recital of the somewhat disjointed “poem” by Elizabeth Alexander had been dispensed with. Neither did the musical instrumental presentation of a rather boring piece by four performers merit enthusiastic approval. 

A strange sight remained the traditional READING of the prayers at the beginning and the end of the inauguration–the Invocation and the Benediction. Are we to believe that King Solomon READ his inspired prayer when he dedicated the Temple?

In President Obama’s historic inauguration speech, hope for a better world and the reality of calamity painted a colorful picture which was accentuated by contrast.

In Mr. Obama’s own words, “we are in the midst of crisis… Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.”

President Obama continued:  

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.  They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America –  they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.”

On Wednesday, January 21, 2008, President Obama took part in a prayer at the National Cathedral in northwest Washington. As one of the articles quoted in this Update points out, it seemed that representatives of virtually all religious belief systems participated, except perhaps for Atheists, Wiccans and Pagans. But wasn’t America built on the foundation and the faith of the Bible–and didn’t the Founding Fathers believe in the God of the Bible?

The fact that Mr. Obama became the 44th President exactly 220 years after the first President of the United States took office in 1789, might be deeply significant. In the Bible, the number 4 (in 44; i.e. 11 times 4) is associated with the revelation of God (compare the four gospel writers, for example). And the number 10 (in 220; i.e. 22 times 10) is associated with God’s judgment (compare the Ten Commandments which will be the basis for God’s judgment of man). Further, combinations of the numbers 4 and 10 signify God’s revelation IN judgment (compare Israel’s dwelling in the wilderness for 40 years because of disobedience and unbelief). Is it therefore possible that during the term of Mr. Obama’s office, God will reveal Himself more and more in judgment–showing that He will judge man severely, unless he repents?

In other news, we are reporting on the ongoing volatile situation in Gaza and the international reaction to the conflict; the attempts of certain Arab nations to unite; the desire of Iran to stay involved and of the EU to get involved in the Middle East; German fears of and hopes for the future; and Dresden’s incredible bestowal of honor on the former KGB officer Vladimir Putin.

After the Inauguration–Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral

USA Today reported on January 16:

“U.S. religious diversity will be on full display Wednesday (January 21) at the prayer service to be held at the Washington National Cathedral…

“Several folks invited to the pulpit are almost as controversial or nationally outspoken as… Rick Warren, who’ll give the invocation on Tuesday. There will be:…

“The presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, the denomination riven over whether to accept a gay bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori. She is a supporter of Gene Robinson, the gay Episcopal bishop who will give the invocation at Sunday’s We Are One concert… The official prayer service plan is to ’embody the themes of tolerance, unity and understanding (in) a worship service for all Americans’ (except the atheists who lost their suit to bloc events like this)…

“Leaders of the Washington National Cathedral, an Episcopal Church that’s huge and beautiful and frequently the location for great national moments of prayer, will host Baptists, non-denominational church leaders, Greek Orthodox, Hindu and more… Who’s missing? Wiccans? Pagans?…”

The Associated Press added on January 16:

“Roman Catholic Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington will deliver a prayer for the nation… Sharon Watkins, the first woman president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a Protestant group, will also be the first woman to deliver a sermon at the National Prayer Service. Several other women leaders will take part in the event.

“They include Ingrid Mattson, the first woman president of the Islamic Society of North America;… Cynthia Hale, senior pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Atlanta;… Suzan Johnson-Cook of the Bronx Christian Fellowship in New York; and Dr. Uma Mysorekar, president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America…

“The Jewish community will be represented in the service by Reform Rabbi David Saperstein, Conservative Rabbi Jerome Epstein and Orthodox Rabbi Haskel Lookstein of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in New York. Greek Orthodox Archbishop Demetrios and Auxiliary Catholic Bishop Francisco Gonzalez of Washington will also take part…”

Germans Worry About the Future and Welcome the EU

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 16:

“57 percent of German citizens believe the economic situation in their own country will get worse, compared to 51 percent of Europeans as a whole. Regarding the economic prospects for the European Union, 47 percent of Germans believe the situation will worsen. Forty-one percent of Europeans as a whole share their view…

“The survey also reveals that Germans are more likely to trust their own system than the average European: 38 percent of German respondents feel that things are moving in the right direction in Germany, compared to only 28 percent in Europe. Germans are also more likely to believe that the European Union is moving in the right direction (41 compared to 35 percent).

“… the EU enjoys high approval ratings in Germany, with 64 percent of Germans believing that membership of the bloc is a good thing, 11 percentage points more than the EU average of 53 percent. European Commissioner Verheugen [who is German himself] sees this as a positive sign. He feels that Germany has a special responsibility for Europe because of its history and because of its role as the largest and economically strongest member state.

“However, German enthusiasm for the European project does have its limits. The Germans are not so keen on EU enlargement, with only 26 percent supporting the admission of new member states, compared to 44 percent of Europeans.”

OPERA BALL SCANDAL– Dresden Medal of Honor for Ex-KGB Agent Putin

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 16:

“It’s a big night for Russian Prime Minister Putin. The former KGB officer will return to his old Dresden haunt for the Semper Opera Ball. There, [he] will receive a medal of honor… [The medal] is a stunning replica of the ‘Heilige Georg zu Pferde’… And it is a special symbol: St. George symbolizes the victory of good over evil…

“The award… is to be pinned to the breast of [Putin], a man who has just cut off natural gas supplies to half of Europe. It is hard to imagine such an event taking place anywhere other than in Saxony…

“Just why Putin was chosen for the award is not entirely clear… From 1985 to 1990, he was stationed in the city as a KGB officer and resided in a villa located just across the street from the Stasi’s district offices. The Stasi was the feared East German secret police. Under the codename ‘Adamov,’ his job was to recruit new spies for the Soviet intelligence apparatus…

“The Saxony governor, Stanislaw Tillich — who back in 1989 was himself a functionary in the local government and has been put under massive pressure recently for apparently trying to cover up his ties to the communist system — will hand the former Dresden KGB officer a thank you medal 20 years after the fall of the Wall.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 16:

“‘[Putin] doesn’t deserve to be honored,’ the German-based Society for Threatened Peoples said, blaming Putin for human rights violations by Russian troops in Chechnya. During his time as president, the Russian leader was responsible for the deaths of around 80,000 men, women and children in the breakaway republic, the society said in a statement…

“Werner Schulz [a former civil rights activist in East Germany] told the newspaper Leipziger Volkszeitung that shortly before the fall of the wall [in 1989], Putin threatened to open fire on East German dissidents if they approached KGB headquarters in Dresden.”

Is German Pacifism Anti-Semitic?

Press TV wrote on January 16: “The German chancellor and British prime minister say they have been ‘shocked’ by the humanitarian tragedy created by Israel in the Gaza Strip…”

But on January 15, the German Netzeitung published an article about “German pacifism” by Ze’ev Avrahmi, a Berlin-based freelance correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz. Avrahmi is asking the question whether German pacifism is actually nothing else but German anti-Semitism. We are reproducing the following excerpts:

“During these times of war in the Middle East, there is nothing that bothers me more than German pacifism. Or, to put it more correctly, I look at the Germans’ pacifism with a mixture of anger and envy, because it is a luxury that we Israelis can’t afford. If I had a choice, I would also like to end the conflict without guns. I would also self-righteously like to point out that violence only creates more violence. I would like to be leftist, pacifist and completely unaware of the daily attacks from Gaza on Israel for the past eight years.

“And at the same time, here is something I want to ask these German pacifists: Would you still condemn the right to self-defence if Austria or Poland would attack Berlin and Munich with daily barrages of rockets? I also want to ask them: Where is the preaching against violence when there are daily attacks on foreigners in Germany? Why don’t you cry out loud when your fellow German citizens beat up and attack innocent refugees and immigrants on the outskirts of Berlin or in small towns in Bavaria or Saxony?

“And where is your outspoken pacifism when Jews, only 60 years after the Holocaust, have to wear baseball caps to hide their kippas when they walk in the streets of Berlin because they are, again, afraid to identify themselves as Jews in the former Nazi capital? And why do you keep silent when German police force their way into an apartment in Duisburg to tear down Israeli flags to placate Muslim protestors who were becoming violent?

“I would like to know why pacifism gains so much strength every time it is directed against Israel. How come the newspaper pictures of the war are so one-sided and pro-Palestinian? Could it be that anti-Semitism is again prevalent in Germany, only this time it conveniently disguises itself as being anti-Israel?…”

Ceasefire in Gaza

Haaretz reported on January 18:

“Trying to hide a smile and a sense of self-satisfaction Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced the cameras at the Defense Ministry and declared to the Israeli public, ‘We won.’ The Israel Defense Forces objectives for its operation in the Gaza Strip were ‘obtained in full.’ Hamas was ‘surprised and badly beaten,’ the government ‘made decisions responsibly and wisely,’ the IDF’s performance was excellent and the southern home front ‘displayed resilience’…

“The Gaza operation was undoubtedly intended to redeem Olmert, and will be used as a springboard for a comeback – if he avoids conviction on any of the charges pending against him…

“Israel succeeded in hurting Hamas and in creating an international awareness of the need to prevent weapons from being smuggled into the Gaza Strip, but not all the operation’s objectives were accomplished… Hamas’ gains cannot be ignored: It has won international legitimacy and sympathy, and its forces still control the Gaza Strip.”

Gaza–“The Situation Will Change Only for the Worse”

Welt-On-Line reported on January 18:

“In Gaza, families began emerging from their places of hiding, including U.N. school compounds where some 45,000 people sought refuge during the fighting, and returning to their homes — some only to find them damaged or destroyed… With no formal deal between the two sides, despite mediation efforts by Egypt, the situation looked much like that before the conflict…

“Israel’s leading newspapers put pictures of victorious Israeli troops on their front pages on Sunday, but behind the banner headlines some commentators wondered whether the conflict had not worsened the prospects for peace with Gaza. ‘This war was a just war,’ wrote one leading commentator in Ma’ariv, a right-of-centre tabloid. ‘But this was not a wise war. This war presumed to change the situation … But the situation, regrettably, will change only for the worse.'”

German Reactions to Ceasefire in Gaza

Der Spiegel Online commented on January 19 as follows on the cease fire in Gaza:

“German commentators ask what Israel actually achieved with its three-week offensive… Hamas for its part claimed that Israel had failed to achieve its war aims. ‘God has granted us a great victory, not for one faction, or party, or area, but for our entire people,’ said the top Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, in a televised speech… As the post-war analysis begins, many questions remain… Hamas… was adamant in its attention to re-arm…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“‘What has Israel’s offensive actually achieved, apart from more than 1,300 people dead, more than 5,300 wounded, and some relatively unproductive crisis diplomacy? Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that the aim of the offensive had been achieved. But so far he still hasn’t spelled out what the objective of the war against Hamas actually was…

“… the majority of the 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip see Israel as being responsible for the devastation and destruction. Israel’s supposed victory, which Olmert talks of, is in reality a defeat. The campaign has sown hatred and anger and brought Israel only insecurity in return.’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“‘Israel has largely achieved what can be achieved militarily in terms of weakening Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, its tough — sometimes too tough — response to the rocket attacks against Israeli towns is a signal to the Lebanese group Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, who are equipped with missiles of ever-increasing range and who will therefore sooner or later have the capability to strike targets in the Israeli heartland. The offensive against the terrorist attacks from the Gaza Strip was also aimed at Tehran, home to the weapons suppliers and those who stir up the conflict’…

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes:

“‘Israel is certainly a big step closer to its aim of bringing weapons smuggling into Gaza under control… But did it really need a war to achieve this? Did the Europeans and the Americans really need a military operation and hundreds of dead children in order to be convinced that cooperating with Israel makes sense?… Hamas has survived the war. It exists, and it is here to stay…’

“The conservative Die Welt writes:

“‘… The main issue which needs to be addressed is the support that religious — in this case Islamic — fundamentalism and its representatives receive from both governments and, especially, religious leaders. The most important thing is the rhetoric of hate which originates in many mosques and is then spread by Arab TV and radio stations and the Internet. The fight — including the armed struggle — of Islam against all “infidels” is not only promoted but both encouraged and demanded. Potential suicide bombers are praised and promised glorious rewards in paradise…. Only when all imams stop glorifying murder can there be real peace in the Holy Land…'”

EU Gets Involved in Gaza

The EUObserver wrote on January 19:

“European Union states have engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity following the announcement of a ceasefire…, with the EU’s big three [France, Germany and the UK] pledging naval support to prevent the delivery of weapons into Gaza.”

Unhappy Lieberman

On January 20, Haaretz published an interview with Israeli Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman. We are bringing you the following excerpts:

“What was achieved here? Zip, nada. The strategic objective of the operation should have been the collapse of Hamas. This goal could have been reached not by capturing Gaza and Jabalya, but [simply] by taking over the crossing points and the Philadelphi route… if we had closed the Strip in a vice, we would have strangled Hamas.

“… after the cease-fire, everyone wants to know how it could be that the strongest army in the Middle East was unable to overcome 12,000 terrorists. The result is similar to that of the Second Lebanon War: damage to our deterrent capability. Instead of destroying Hamas, the operation upgraded it, turning it into an important regional player. It’s only a matter of time before the government in Ramallah collapses and falls into Hamas hands…

“Iran threatens us three ways. Once through Hamas and Hezbollah. A second time through preparing global public opinion for the possibility of doing without Israel. A third time with nuclear [weapons development] and ballistic missiles. If we were a normal country, we would stop quarreling over the Palestinian issue and the Golan Heights issue and we would deal with Iran… Only after the source of the problem – Iran – is resolved will it be possible to discuss the symptoms of the problem in Judea, Samaria and the Golan… To accept an Iranian nuclear bomb in 2010 is like accepting Hitler’s election in 1933. A nuclear Iran is like Hitler with nuclear weapons…”

“Hurray! We Lost!”

On January 20, Der Spiegel Online wrote the following:

“Israel’s war in Gaza is a military victory. But with 1,300 dead and thousands wounded, it is also moral defeat. The painful lesson: Israel can only defeat itself. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya only had to hide to emerge as the winner…

“Approximately 1,300 dead is no trifle and no collateral damage from an act of war even when many of the dead were militants who just happened to forget to put their uniforms on and who hid behind civilians. Approximately 1,300 dead is a tenth of a percent of the population of Gaza. If it were Germany, that figure would be 80,000…

“Thirteen hundred dead: That screams to the heavens. That is not an issue of ‘proportionality,’ which is impossible in any asymmetrical war. A pile of corpses like that is a nightmare, a catastrophe… That is a down payment on the Apocalypse — no matter who started it, who bears responsibility and who ultimately settles the score… Hamas cannot win against Israel, but Israel really can lose against Hamas.”

“Gaza War Utter Failure for Israel”

Haaretz reported on January 22:

“On the morrow of the return of the last Israeli soldier from Gaza, we can determine with certainty that they had all gone out there in vain. This war ended in utter failure for Israel. This goes beyond the profound moral failure, which is a grave matter in itself, but pertains to its inability to reach its stated goals. In other words, the grief is not complemented by failure. We have gained nothing in this war save hundreds of graves, some of them very small, thousands of maimed people, much destruction and the besmirching of Israel’s image…

“The initial objective of the war was to put an end to the firing of Qassam rockets. This did not cease until the war’s last day. It was only achieved after a cease-fire had already been arranged. Defense officials estimate that Hamas still has 1,000 rockets. The war’s second objective, the prevention of smuggling, was not met either. The head of the Shin Bet security service has estimated that smuggling will be renewed within two months… this war has served to prove that only poor quality, rudimentary weapons passed through the smuggling tunnels connecting the Gaza Strip to Egypt.

“Israel’s ability to achieve its third objective is also dubious… The deterrence we supposedly achieved in the Second Lebanon War has not had the slightest effect on Hamas, and the one supposedly achieved now isn’t working any better: The sporadic firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip has continued over the past few days.

“The fourth objective, which remained undeclared, was not met either. The IDF has not restored its capability… The heroic descriptions and victory poems written abut the ‘military triumph’ will not serve to change reality… The describing of the operation as a ‘military achievement’ by the various generals and analysts who offered their take on the operation is plain ridiculous.

“We have not weakened Hamas. The vast majority of its combatants were not harmed and popular support for the organization has in fact increased. Their war has intensified the ethos of resistance and determined endurance… The population in Gaza, which has sustained such a severe blow, will not become more moderate now. On the contrary, the national sentiment will now turn more than before against the party which inflicted that blow – the State of Israel…

“When it comes to assessing Israel’s international situation, we must not allow ourselves to be fooled by the support parade by Europe’s leaders, who came in for a photo-op with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert… The conclusion [of the world] is that Israel is a violent and dangerous country, devoid of all restraints and blatantly ignoring the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, while not giving a hoot about international law…”

“Hamas Use of Children During Gaza Operation Was Monstrous”

Haaretz reported on January 22:

“The Israel Defense Forces’ Gaza Division Commander on Thursday branded Hamas’ use of women and children during Israel’s recent offensive in the coastal strip as ‘monstrous’ and ‘inhumane.’ Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg said the civilians were sent by Hamas to transfer weapons to gunmen during the offensive. He also accused the Islamist militant group of booby-trapping many of the civilians’ homes…

“Israel has been heavily criticized for the high number of Palestinian civilian casualties in the operation. Eisenberg, however, asserted that Israel Defense Forces soldiers adhered to moral principles while fighting in Gaza. Palestinian civilians, meanwhile, have accused Hamas of forcing them to stay in homes from which gunmen shot at Israeli soldiers during the recent hostilities in Gaza, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported Thursday.

“The Italian paper also quoted a doctor at Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital as disputing the number of Palestinians said to have been killed in the campaign. ‘It’s possible that the death toll in Gaza was 500 or 600 at the most, mainly youths aged 17 to 23 who were enlisted by Hamas – who sent them to their deaths,’ he said… The Gaza doctor was further quoted as saying: ‘Perhaps it is like Jenin in 2002. At the beginning they spoke about 1,500 dead, and at the end it turned out to be only 54 – of whom 45 were militants.'”

Iran Gets Involved Again

The Jerusalem Post reported on January 20:

“Iran has renewed efforts to supply advanced weaponry to Hamas… On Monday, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that renewed weapons smuggling would be legitimate grounds for Israel to renew attacks against Hamas.”

Iran–The Nuclear Clock Is Ticking…

Haaretz wrote on January 22:

“The policy Obama is formulating is one of engagement and negotiation. He hopes the Iranians will be tempted to respond to the generous proposals he intends to offer them, diplomatic relations, lifting sanctions, improved commercial ties, and in return a halt or at least suspend uranium enrichment.

“Iran… will ostensibly respond favorably to the American courtship and will even reciprocate with some gestures of its own, but in practice, Iran will accelerate its nuclear program and there are already signs of this. Even leading U.S. intelligence officials acknowledge that Iran is likely to produce its first nuclear bomb as early as this year. Remarks to this effect were made last week by CIA Director Michael Hayden, and the director of national intelligence, Michael McConnell, who said he is concerned Iran would continue along a path that will end with nuclear weapons…

“This is a race against the clock for all parties involved, Israel foremost among them, which may be obstructed by Obama’s policy, even though his intention to negotiate with Iran is good. It is clear to all the experts that Israel will be unable to attack without coordinating it on one way or another – probably tacitly with the American administration. And such coordination will be difficult, certainly a decision to let Israel attack Iran’s nuclear facilities so long as negotiations are underway between Washington and Tehran.

“The concern in Israel is that if the negotiations end in failure and even if Obama’s administration reaches the conclusion that Iran was toying with it and never intended to reach a compromise and suspend its uranium enrichment, it might already be too late. Iran might have nuclear weapons and then it will be too late and too dangerous to attack it.”

Will Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt Unite?

The New York Times wrote on January 19:

“At the talks in Kuwait, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia pledged $1 billion toward a $2 billion reconstruction fund [for Gaza] that Palestinians are seeking to establish… King Abdullah exhorted Arab nations to overcome their divisions and urged Israel to embrace an Arab peace plan put forward in 2002 or risk its being withdrawn… On the sidelines, leaders from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt met privately, apparently seeking to present a united front. Syria called for declaring Israel a terrorist state…”

The Los Angeles Times added on January 19:

“By offering cash and talking tough, Saudi King Abdullah sought to absorb popular anger directed at the so-called moderate Arab states, which have been accused of failing to do enough to halt the Israeli offensive. He also hopes to recapture Saudi Arabia’s diminished stature in the Arab world.

“The nation has been eclipsed by Syria and Iran, which support Hamas, and Qatar, which emerged as a diplomatic powerhouse in May after bypassing the Saudis in brokering a deal between competing Western-allied and Iranian-backed factions in Lebanon.”

Interview with Syria’s Bashar Assad

On January 19, Der Spiegel Online published a revealing interview with Syrian President Bashar Assad. We are bringing you the following excerpts:

“Basically, Hamas is not the problem in this conflict, but Israel… The fact is that for six months Hamas complied with the cease-fire that had been agreed upon… Hamas captured an absolute majority of votes in the internationally recognized parliamentary election three years ago, a landslide victory… During the most recent six-month ceasefire, Israel targeted and killed more than a dozen Palestinians, but no Israeli died. And yet Europe remained silent…

“We do not recognize Israel and Israel is still our enemy — it occupies part of our country, the Golan Heights. If the Israelis withdraw from Golan, we will recognize them. First comes peace, then recognition — not the other way around… Hamas must be included. Nothing will work without Hamas… Hamas today must be part of an agreement…

“Hamas will not disappear… Hamas has the trust of the people, and anyone who wishes to destroy it must destroy an entire people… we would welcome it if the Germans, in general, played a larger role… Peace without Syria is unthinkable.”

We explained in an earlier Q&A on Zechariah’s vision of the four chariots (in Zechariah 6:1-8), as well as in our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” that the horses mentioned in this first vision, as well as other visions in the book of Zechariah, describe angels or spirit beings. Angels can appear or manifest themselves in the form and shape of animals, including horses, as well as men. In Zechariah’s first vision, which begins in Zechariah 1:8, angels manifest themselves both as men and as horses. Notice the exact wording:

“(8) I saw by night, and behold, a MAN riding on a red HORSE, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow, and behind him were HORSES: red, sorrel and white. (9) Then I said, ‘My lord, what are these?’ So the ANGEL who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ (10) And the MAN who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, ‘These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.’ (11) So they answered the ANGEL of the LORD, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”

While most commentaries apply this passage strictly and exclusively to the time and circumstances of Zechariah, all the visions of Zechariah, as we saw in previous Updates, deal mostly with the end time, just prior to Christ’s return. Of course, some aspects ARE limited to the events in Zechariah’s days–but even then, underlying principles still apply to our time.

(1) A World at Rest

In Zechariah’s first vision, a picture is painted of a world “at rest” (notice verse 11).

As Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible states to verse 11:

“There is general peace through the Persian empire, and other states connected with Judea; but the Jews are still in affliction; their city is not yet restored, nor their temple built.”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible adds:

“Wars, although soon to break out again, were in the second year of Darius for the time suspended [when Zechariah received his first vision]. The rest, in which the world was, suggests the contrast of the yet continuing unrest allotted to the people of God. Such rest had been promised to Israel, on its return from the captivity, but had not yet been fulfilled. Through the hostility of the Samaritans the building of the temple had been hindered and was just recommenced; the wall of Jerusalem was yet broken down…; its fire-burned gates not restored; itself was a waste…; its houses unbuilt…”

The Ryrie Study Bible explains:

“God’s patrols report that the earth ‘sitteth still, and is at rest’; i.e., the heathen nations still flourished and were self-confidently secure, while Israel was downtrodden.”

(2) A Short-Lived Rest

The peaceful rest of the world was short-lived. As mentioned above, wars would break out soon between the Persian and the Greek Empires. In any event, the peaceful rest of the Gentile nations was in opposition to the “downtrodden” condition of Israel.

In fact, the reaction of the angel of the Lord in verse 12 shows that this “rest” was detrimental to the condition of Israel: “Then the ANGEL of the LORD answered and said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?'”

We also read in verse 15 that the nations opposed to Jerusalem were “at ease”–unaware of the destruction which would come upon them.

(3) God’s Anger for Seventy Years

We read that God was angry with Israel for seventy years. What does this time period refer to?

Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible points out:

“This cannot mean the duration of the captivity for that was nearly twenty years past. It must mean simply the time that had elapsed from the destruction of the temple to the time in which the angel spoke. As the temple was destroyed in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, and this vision took place in the second year of Darius, the term of seventy years was completed, or nearly so, between these two periods.”

The Nelson Study Bible agrees, stating:

“The seventy years refers to the period of exile during which the temple lay in ruins (586-515 B.C., see Jer. 25:7-14).”

It is important to note that Zechariah’s vision–as is the case with ALL the visions of Zechariah–is DUAL. It has application for us today–speaking of nations and individuals alike who are not willing to obey their Maker.

(4) No Anger for Seventy Years in the End-Time

However, there is no indication in prophecy that a period of seventy years of destruction of a physical or spiritual temple will apply to end time events. That is, there is no indication in prophecy that the modern nations of Israel and Judah, after they have been defeated in war and captured by their enemies, will remain enslaved for seventy years, before Christ returns to bring them out of slavery. Nor can we say that the spiritual temple–the Church–has been, or will be in ruins for seventy years, prior to Christ’s return.

(5) A Church at Ease

In fact, just the opposite is true:

The end-time Church of God was revived, beginning in the 1930’s. But it IS correct that the building of the spiritual temple, the Church, has not been completed yet, and the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of God must still continue.

Unfortunately, we are facing a situation now where many in the Church (spiritual Israel) have become disillusioned and frustrated, and, being bogged down by own personal problems, have lost the zeal to finish the Work and to overcome sin in their own lives, rather than striving ever more for perfection.

In addition, we have also witnessed a terrible complacency within the modern nations of physical Israel–especially the USA. Even though the handwriting of national disaster and calamity is clearly on the wall, many in the USA still believe in the “American way of life,” which is going to save them from all their problems. Their trust in themselves–rather than in God–will be their downfall.

Relative peace or “rest” or a life “at ease” in this world has lulled the senses of many inside and outside the Church of God, who are asleep and who are not aware of the storm which will engulf this planet very soon to bring “sudden destruction” (compare 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).

(6) The Work Will Be Finished

We read in Zechariah 1:13 that God answered the angel with “good and comforting words.” Verse 14 states that God is zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion; and verse 16 adds that He will return to Jerusalem with mercy and that His house or temple will be built there. The physical temple would in fact be finished at the time of Zechariah within four years after his first vision. This shows us that when God intervenes to motivate His people to finish His work, it will be done within a VERY SHORT time.

Again, these historical events foreshadow what is prophesied for our day and age. When the prophet Habakkuk announced sudden destruction, he quoted God’s words in Habakkuk 1:5: “Look among the nations and watch–Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.”

Habakkuk continued to state in verse 6 that God will raise the Chaldeans to bring punishment on others. But Paul later applied this passage in Habakkuk 1:5, of raising up an “unbelievable” work, to the work of the preaching of the gospel (compare Acts 13:41). Since the preaching of the gospel in all the world as a witness is a sign of Christ’s impending return (Matthew 24:14), we can see that a most powerful work of preaching the gospel must still occur–so unique that “you would not believe, though it were told you” (compare again Habakkuk 1:5).

Paul also explains in Romans 9:28 that this final work will be quick and short: “For He will FINISH THE WORK and CUT IT SHORT in righteousness, Because the LORD will make a SHORT WORK upon the earth.”

(7) Time Is Short

When Christ returns, His bride–the Church–has made herself ready, and she will be arrayed with fine white linen (Revelation 19:7-8). But this does not mean that everyone “in the church” will be ready.

Rather, Christ warns us in Revelation 16:15: “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” Also, Christ warns His end-time Church in Laodicea: “[You] do not know that you are… naked. I counsel you to buy from Me… white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed” (Revelation 3:17-18).

The time is short (1 Corinthians 7:29). Satan knows it (Revelation 12:12). He knows that God will crush him under our feet shortly (Romans 16:20). He knows that all the things which are written in the book of Revelation must come to pass shortly (Revelation 1:1; 22:6). The question is, Do we in God’s Church know this, too? And if we do know it, do we ACT accordingly?

Let us heed the prophetic warning of Zechariah’s first vision. He wrote it down for us today “upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

New StandingWatch program and sermons in English and German

A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and YouTube. It is titled, “Ambassadors for God?”

In the program, Norbert Link asks the question how converted Christians can live in a world plagued with problems? Just consider the recent war in Gaza, affecting many innocent people; renewed discussions about a mandatory draft in the USA; the recent economic warfare between Russia and the Ukraine, leaving many Europeans freezing; more big American banks asking for bailouts; or a new U.S. stimulus package on the horizon. Do we realize that none of these activities or plans are in accordance with godly standards? The Bible says that true Christians are to live as ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. But HOW are Christ’s representatives supposed to conduct themselves today?

Norbert Link’s video-recorded sermon, “The Church of God–A Great Mystery,” which was given on February 3, 2007, has been posted on our Website and on Google Video.

A new German sermon, dealing with the biblical dietary laws (“Ist Alles Fleisch Essbar?”), was recorded this week and has been posted on Google Video.

by Cali Harris

A recent Monday morning drive to work was on a highway covered by four inches of slick, slushy snow.  As the traffic moved at about 25 miles per hour, a car sitting at a complete stop in an exit lane decided to merge back onto the highway at the last minute—right in front of me.  I knew I would either hit the car if I couldn’t slow down in time, or be rear-ended by the cars behind me if I slowed too quickly.  As I compressed my brakes, the back end of my car fishtailed into the next lane of traffic. I slowed down enough to avoid hitting the car in front of me, and looked in my rear-view mirror to see how close the cars were behind me.  I watched a van, only about 4 feet directly behind my car, slow down and fishtail exactly parallel to my car; we moved in unison together, avoiding any collision.  The van then pulled around and passed me, and the cars behind me all slowed in time.  By man’s standards, avoiding an accident in this situation was highly improbable—in fact, the other drivers probably thought, “That was a close call!”

I was thankful for the protection I knew God had provided. In my thankfulness, something struck me: it was not a close call.  God is in total control of my life, and whether or not I had ended up in an accident, I know God would have provided the protection He promises.  Just this past Friday, my sister, Shelly, and nephew, Nicolas, were in a car accident that essentially totaled their car.  God intervened and protected them from serious injury—another example of what would be a close call by this world’s standards, but was confirmation of God’s complete involvement in our lives.

These recent situations were good preparation for the times ahead, in which only God will be able to intervene and protect.  I now more fully understand that I don’t have to worry about “close calls,” because God is in close control. 

On Saturday, January 17, 2009, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “With God.”

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.

Rather unusually, I would like to dedicate this Editorial to a very close friend who recently died. We can always learn from the lives of others. This is why biographies and autobiographies are written, read and dissected by millions of people around the world. The Bible is full of examples of people whom we can imitate (compare 1 Corinthians 11:1).

The person I want to mention here was neither famous nor rich, nor did he hold an high office. He was a caring, unassuming man, dedicated to serving others, but with a charisma that made him likeable and popular with those who knew him.

Terry McQuire died in early December of 2008. As a Church member since the early 1960’s, he had seen much change in the Church, particularly after the death of Mr. Herbert Armstrong in 1986. He was fond of quoting the fact that we must have a love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10), and he certainly exemplified that most important requirement.

Like Ananias (Acts 22:12), Terry had a “good report” (Authorized Version). He was “highly respected” (New International Version) and “highly spoken of” by others (New American Bible). Neighbors had a “high opinion” of him (Bible in Basic English), as he “bore a good character” with them (Weymouth New Testament).

Our “good report” can be from those who may not necessarily agree with our religious views, but who can see our sincerity and that we live our lives without hypocrisy.

Anyone who knew Terry would testify that he was very much like Nathanael of whom Jesus said: “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” (John 1:47, Authorized Version).

Terry was generous and service-orientated. He was gentle and loyal. He unquestionably had the attributes that make a true Christian. We so often look at the great and not-so-great men and women in the Bible to learn from their successes and failures. We can, likewise, do the same with our peers, and Terry, while not perfect, certainly provided us with a terrific example.

Could our legacy from those who knew us be one of having had a love of the truth and a good report among men, and that there was no guile in us? That we were generous with a service-orientated approach, and that we were unassuming, gentle and loyal? If so, we would have done very well.

Terry endured to the end (Matthew 24:13). He is now awaiting his reward. It was inspiring to see him cope with his terminal illness, with his faith intact and undiminished in any way. He waited on God’s decision on whether or not he would be healed at this time, and he accepted the result unquestioningly. That’s another good example which all of us should follow. 

You might want to listen to the last public interview with Terry, which was recorded for our StandingWatch program, just two months before he died. It is titled, “Comfort in Terminal Sickness.” When you watch this program, you will see why Terry was a man worth remembering.

War in the Middle East

In this week’s Update, we are mainly reporting on the situation in the Middle East, and worldwide reactions to this crisis. All of these events ARE clearly in line with biblical prophecy.

While the war in Gaza continues, the overwhelming worldwide reaction has become one of CONDEMNATION of Israel. Demands for a cease fire get louder, but the warring parties don’t show any signs of listening. A report last week by the New York Times, stating that Israel was allegedly willing to attack IRAN directly last year, but did not get the green light from the USA, has raised concerns as to what Israel was and is willing to do. This is even more true specially in light of most recent news reports that Israel is preparing a strike against Iran within a few DAYS!!!

On the other hand, Iran is clearly involved in the present conflict between Israel and Hamas, and its destructive ambitions towards Israel must not be underestimated.

The Bible tells us that Israel will be hated by all nations. In addition, more and more voices are being heard now demanding a European intervention in the Middle East–again underscoring biblical prophecy announcing in advance that Europe will send TROOPS to the Middle East just prior to the return of Jesus Christ.

In light of all these worldwide crises, the EU is becoming more and more serious about the appointment of an EU President with REAL powers. And it is being considered that he should be selected from one of the BIGGER EU states! The Bible prophesies that such a powerful European leader being, of German descent, WILL ultimately manifest himself on the world scene. (See our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”)

We conclude this section with articles on the terrible financial situation in the USA. And this, too, is in line with biblical prophecies which predict that the USA will lose its status as a world superpower. (See our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”)

We are observing how prophecy is being fulfilled. It is exciting and at the same time sobering how quickly these events are shaping up… and God’s Church has a duty, of course, to report these developments in no uncertain terms. Not everyone will agree with what we write–but we are not in a popularity contest. Rather, we are conscious of the commission which God has given His end-time Church to carry out.

Israel Losing Public Relations War

The Financial Times reported on January 10:

“As Israel’s offensive in Gaza enters its third week, the Jewish state appears to be rapidly losing the public relations war abroad as criticism from United Nations officials and humanitarian agencies has mounted amid the constant stream of pictures of dead and wounded women and children.

“Israeli strikes on UN convoys and schools sheltering hundreds of Palestinians who fled their homes, as well allegations that Israeli troops prevented medical workers from retrieving dead and injured Palestinians, have increasingly called into question Israel’s conduct of the war.

“A UN agency added to the increasing negative news flow with a report that cited witness testimony alleging that Israeli troops evacuated Palestinian civilians to a house in Gaza City and then repeatedly shelled the building 24 hours later, killing some 30 people inside.

“And from the outset, Israel has been under fire for preventing foreign journalists from entering the strip – restrictions that were in place weeks before the bombardment started.

“‘… all [of this has] been hugely detrimental to the Israeli cause,’ said Charlie Beckett, a media specialist at the London School of Economics. ‘The fact that the Israelis seem to be trying to blockade the media only hurts their argument that they are somehow more democratic, more open and not terrorists.’

“Israel officials have insisted they regret civilian deaths and have accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields. They have also sought to highlight the threat posed by rockets fired by Palestinian militants into southern Israel – which have killed three Israelis since the offensive started – saying some 950,000 Israelis are vulnerable to attacks. But analysts say the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza overwhelms the impact.

“Anthony Cordesman, at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, says Israel has failed to talk to the world ‘in ways that the outside world finds relevant. We are now two weeks into the war and nobody has a clear idea what the Israelis are attempting to accomplish,’ he says…

“Still, an Israeli newspaper poll on Friday showed that 91 per cent of Israeli Jews were still in favour of the war… But for Israel losing the propaganda war could be costly.”

U.N. and France Condemn Israel

The Associated Press reported on January 15:

“Israel shelled the United Nations headquarters in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, engulfing the compound and a warehouse in fire and destroying thousands of pounds of food and humanitarian supplies intended for Palestinian refugees.”

It added in a related article:

“U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon was in the area on a mission to end Israel’s devastating offensive against the territory’s Hamas rulers. Ban expressed ‘outrage’ over the bombing. He said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told him there had been a ‘grave mistake’ and promised to pay extra attention to protecting U.N. installations…”

Press TV reported on January 15:

“The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday issued strong condemnation of Tel Aviv over its targeting of several hospitals, a UN compound and a media building in the Gaza Strip… The comments come on the 20th day of the Tel Aviv offensive into the coastal sliver. So far at least 1,100 Palestinians have been killed and around 4,700 others have been wounded, according to medics.”

Most Germans Blame Israel at Least in Part for the War in Gaza

Deutsche Welle reported on January 14:

“Germany is split over its feelings towards Israel, according to a new survey. Of those questioned, 60 per cent thought the country no longer had a special duty towards the Jewish state… The figures… showed less engagement amongst young people, of whom 70 percent felt no special responsibility towards Israel…

“Questioned about the Gaza conflict, 30 percent held Hamas responsible for the current military offensive. Some 13 percent blamed Israel, while 35 percent said the causes lie on both sides in equal measure…

“More generally, 49 percent considered Israel to be an aggressive country. A further 10 percent said Israel was acting without regard for other countries. Only 30 percent of those surveyed thought Israel was respecting human rights.”

Israel Angers Bush Administration

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 14:

“Ehud Olmert’s aides on Wednesday said that the prime minister stood by his claim that his intervention made the US abstain from last Thursday’s UN Security Council resolution vote on a Gaza cease-fire… Olmert had claimed that US President George W. Bush broke off a speech he was giving in Philadelphia to take his call, and that the abstention embarrassed Rice…

“Israel and the US engaged in a rare and uncharacteristic public spat Tuesday over events leading up to the UN vote… State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Olmert’s story of what happened in his conversation with Bush was ‘just 100 percent, totally, completely not true’…

“McCormack said that Rice had decided as early as Wednesday that she would not veto a resolution, after Arab ministers rejected an initial effort by the US to push for a weaker presidential statement from the Security Council. That left her with the option of either voting for the final text or abstaining…

“Middle East expert Steven Spiegel described the episode as ‘the worst faux pas by an Israeli prime minister in history.’

“‘You really do wonder what the prime minister was thinking – if it’s true, you’d really want to keep it as quiet as possible, and if it’s not true, why would you want to make up a story that would embarrass both the Bush administration and the Israeli government and draw criticism from those who are antagonistic to Israel?’ asked Spiegel, director of the Center for Middle East Development at UCLA. ‘No matter how you play it, exaggeration, falsehood, whole truth, the whole thing makes them all look bad,’ Spiegel told The Jerusalem Post.”

European Anti-Israel Demonstrations

The EUObserver wrote on January 12:

“Hundreds of thousands marched in cities across the [European] continent to protest Israel’s war on Gaza over the weekend in the biggest pan-European demonstrations the continent has seen since those against the launch of the Iraq war in 2003…

“Massive protests… took place in London, Brussels and throughout France. Sizeable demonstrations also took place in German and Italian cities, as well as Athens, Thessaloniki, Budapest, Bregenz, Oslo and Stockholm. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero, the first European leader to take part in such rallies, addressed a protest in Ourense…

“In the UK, 100,000 filled Hyde Park in London… Around 123,000 people took part in protests throughout France… Germany, home to some of Israel’s strongest supporters in Europe, was not immune, with 40,000 taking part in protests across the country, despite temperatures below zero, although most German politicians and trade union leaders were noticeable by their absence…

“The weekend also saw a handful of rallies supporting the Jewish state’s assault on Gaza, with 3,000 in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich, 4,000 in Marseille, some 800 in Antwerp and a sizeable crowd of 200 in Prague.

“Two large pro-Israel rallies also took place in London and Manchester on Sunday. The estimated between 4,000 and 15,000 in Trafalgar Square raised a sea of Israeli and British flags and was addressed by Labour MPs. Another 2,000 showed their solidarity with Israel outside Manchester’s town hall.”

Articles like these show the growing anti-Israeli position around the world, a “handful” of some pro-Israeli voices notwithstanding–except, interestingly enough, for a larger pro-Israeli demo in Britain. But we also read in the Bible that Ephraim–Great Britain–will finally be taking a stance against Judah–the state of Israel.

The above-quoted article said that Germany was the “home to some of Israel’s strongest supporters in Europe.” This might be the official position of some governmental leaders and the politically accurate representations within the German main-stream press, but this is NOT the position of most German PEOPLE.

Holy See Advocates International Intervention in the Middle East

Zenit wrote on January 12:

“The warring parties in the Middle East cannot get out of the circle of violence on their own, and so they need international help, says the Holy See [adding that]… the international community… should therefore fulfill its responsibilities [and] intervene actively to stop the bloodshed, provide access for emergency humanitarian assistance, and end all forms of confrontation.”

In Need–A Real European President

The Financial Times wrote on January 11:

“Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister, is re-emerging as a possible choice to be the European Union’s first full-time president after four momentous crises reinforced the argument for having a high-profile international personality in the job… the sheer scale of the challenges facing the EU – from last August’s Russia-Georgia war and the global financial meltdown to the Gaza conflict and the shutdown of Russian gas deliveries to Europe – is redefining the debate.

“Whereas last year Germany and other countries looked favorably on candidates such as Jean-Claude Juncker, the long-serving prime minister of Luxembourg, more policymakers now feel the EU presidency demands an occupant from a much bigger member-state.”

How Iran Directs Its “Spiritual Little Brothers” Hamas and Hezbollah

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 12:

“Iran is exerting heavy pressure on Hamas not to accept the Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire with Israel, an Egyptian government official said on Sunday… As soon as the Iranians heard about the Egyptian cease-fire initiative, they dispatched… two officials to Damascus on an urgent mission to warn the Palestinians against accepting it,’ the Egyptian government official told the Post.

“‘The Iranians threatened to stop weapons supplies and funding to the Palestinian factions if they agreed to a cease-fire with Israel. The Iranians want to fight Israel and the US indirectly. They are doing this through Hamas in Palestine and Hizbullah in Lebanon…’

“The Egyptian official accused Iran of ‘encouraging’ Hamas to continue firing rockets at Israel with the hope that this would trigger a war that would divert attention from Iran’s nuclear plans. ‘This conflict serves the interests of the Iranians,’ he said. ‘They are satisfied because the violence in the Gaza Strip has diverted attention from their nuclear ambitions.'”

In addition, The Associated Press reported about Hezbollah’s involvement on January 10:

“Nearly 20,000 people marched through the southern Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh in a protest organized by the militant Hezbollah group, a strong ally of Hamas that fought its own war with Israel in the summer of 2006.”

CAN Israel Win Against Iran’s Proxy Hamas?

This week’s edition of Time Magazine published the following words on its cover: “Why Israel Can’t Win. The siege of Gaza may punish Hamas, but it won’t make Israel safe. Why it is in peril like never before.”

Inside the magazine, an article with this headline was published: “Can Israel Survive Its Assault on Gaza?” In the article, it was stated:

“Israeli politicians and generals know that the total elimination of Hamas’ entrenched military command could take weeks; it might be altogether impossible. The more realistic outcome is an unsatisfactory, brokered truce that leaves Hamas wounded but alive and able to regenerate — and Israel only temporarily safe from attack.

“Israel’s Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, has promised a ‘war to the bitter end.’ But after 60 years of struggle to defend their existence against foreign threats and enemies within, many Israelis may be wondering, Where does that end lie? The threat posed by Hamas is only the most immediate of the many interlocking challenges facing Israel, some of which cast dark shadows over the long-term viability of a democratic Jewish state. The offensive in Gaza may degrade Hamas’ ability to menace southern Israel with rocket fire, but, as with Israel’s 2006 war against Hizballah, the application of force won’t extinguish the militants’ ideological fervor.

“The anti-Israeli anger swelling in the region has made it more difficult for Arab governments to join Israel in its efforts to deal with Iran, the patron of both Hamas and Hizballah and a state whose leaders have sworn to eliminate Israel and appear determined to acquire nuclear weapons…

“But there’s something tragic, too, in Israel’s predicament: in any confrontation with its enemies, it is damned if it does and doomed if it doesn’t. Across Israel’s political spectrum there seems to be a consensus that Hamas’ provocative rocket barrages could not go unanswered — though whether Israel’s response has been proportional to the threat is, at the least, questionable…

“After weeks of global outrage over the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Gaza, any mediator — France, the European Union, Turkey and Egypt are all auditioning for the role — will insist that Israel end its 18-month blockade. What then? Like Hizballah, Hamas will declare itself victorious…”

Israel to Strike Iran Within DAYS???

Newsmax.com wrote on January 12:

“Informed sources in Washington tell Newsmax that Israel indeed will launch a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities soon – possibly in just days as President George W. Bush prepares to leave office. The reason: The time clock has begun to run out. Iran is close to acquiring a nuclear device under the control of its radical president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said in June that Iran would have a nuclear weapon in as little as six months. That six-month period has passed.

“Reports of Israel’s decision to imminently launch strikes, although unconfirmed, would seem to contradict the Bush stance outlined in a front-page New York Times story last week, which asserted that Bush rejected a plea from Israel last year to help it raid Iran’s main nuclear complex. The Times said Israel was rebuffed after it requested from the U.S. specialized bunker-busting bombs that it needs to attack Iran’s nuclear complex at Natanz. The U.S. also reportedly nixed permission to the Israeli warplanes to fly over Iraqi territory to reach Iran…

“Last year 100 Israeli jets took part in an exercise over the eastern Mediterranean that was interpreted as a dress rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran.  And on Sept. 6 Israel launched an air attack against a site in Syria believed to be a nuclear-related facility containing material delivered by North Korea.

“Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton predicted that Israel would stage a raid against Iran’s nuclear facilities if Barack Obama won the presidential election. Bolton stated that he believed the Israeli attack would take place sometime between the day after Obama’s win and his inauguration on January 20. In an interview with FOX News, Bolton reasoned that Israel wouldn’t be able to hold off a strike on Iran any longer than that given Obama’s more conciliatory approach to Iran…

“William Perry, U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton, said that Obama would face a major crisis in his first few months in office over Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Perry, speaking at a foreign policy conference on Jan. 8, said that Iran is ‘moving inexorably toward becoming a nuclear power’ and ‘it seems clear that Israel will not sit by idle while Iran takes the final steps toward becoming a nuclear power’…

“Iran, even without nuclear weapons, is a regional power. If attacked, they are likely to press proxy terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah to launch offensives against Israel and possibly the U.S. Iran has warned in the past that it would launch a ‘missile blitz’ against Gulf states if it is attacked. And last July a senior Iranian official said the Islamic Republic would destroy Israel and 32 U.S. military bases in the Middle East if Iran is attacked over its nuclear program… Even more ominously, Iran has reportedly carried out missile tests for what could be a plan for a nuclear strike on the U.S.”

“U.S. Economy on Brink of Disaster”

Newsmax reported on January 12:

“When ‘IOUSA’ made its documentary film debut last August, it soon earned the sobriquet ‘fiscal wake-up tour.’  Its unrelenting gloom toted up a $9 trillion federal debt, a $738.6 billion trade deficit, and the news that each U.S. citizen now owes $30,000.

“But all the stats are already hopelessly out of date… Fiscal irresponsibility is now a calamitous cycle that poses a bigger threat than al-Qaida and its plans to attack the United States with a weapon of mass destruction…

“Today, counting all those who have dropped off unemployment rolls for part-time work or no work, 21 million Americans are either jobless or underemployed. Average workweeks also are being cut back. Some employers now shorten workweeks as a way to keep some on the payroll. And as the baby boomer generation begins to retire, ‘IOUSA’ asks if there will even be any Social Security benefits left to collect.

“Overextended entitlement programs and debts to foreign countries are becoming impossible to honor… The United States has mortgaged its future to foreigners with promises to its own people it can’t possibly keep. China, with $1.3 trillion in U.S. paper, could decide its strategic interest is no longer compatible with America’s — and quit as America’s banker…

“Overspending still dominates the lives of U.S. citizens. The Chinese save 35 percent of what they earn; Americans save less than 1 percent, the lowest of any developed country… Americans are now shocked to see their 401(k) retirement savings accounts losing their allure, as many employers say they no longer can afford matching funds. The government, for its part, is taking in more than it can pay out.”

More Banks in Trouble and Stocks Take a Dive

Reuters reported on January 15:

“Shares of Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc plummeted Thursday on worries the banks may need more government help to handle soaring credit losses… Bank of America, the largest U.S. bank, is seeking billions of dollars of new aid after realizing that credit losses at Merrill Lynch & Co, which it bought on January 1, were much higher than expected… Citigroup, the No. 3 U.S. bank, is expected on Friday to report a fifth straight multibillion-dollar quarterly loss… Even Wells Fargo & Co, which just bought troubled Wachovia Corp and has long been considered among the best-managed large banks, was hit, falling $3.90, or 16.9 percent, to $19.17.”

The Associated Press wrote on January 15:

“On Wednesday, stocks took a dive reminiscent of the terrifying jumps and drops of last fall, with the Dow Jones industrials falling more than 300 points before closing down 248. It was the Dow’s biggest point drop since Dec. 1 and the first string of six straight down days since early October…

“Holiday sales turned out to have been worse than expected, the jobless rate exceeds 7 percent for the first time in 16 years, the global economy is eroding faster and corporations from Alcoa to Intel to Wal-Mart have disappointed investors. Apple was the latest company out with bad news Wednesday, with CEO Steve Jobs saying he is taking a medical leave of absence.

“‘Right now we just don’t have any evidence to show that that free fall is over,’ said Robert Dye, senior economist at PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh.”

As a first step in answering this question, we need to consider what the New Testament is. Why is there even such a collection of books and letters that report on events from the first century A.D.? Are these merely the random writings of an influential religious movement that have found their way into the literature of the present time?

Or, as the New Testament claims for itself, is this part of the inspired Word of God? Understanding who preserved the New Testament adds even more proof about the unquestionable authority of this part of the Bible that we now possess!

What is the New Testament? Consider the following summary statement given in the “Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible,” Herbert Lockyer, Sr., Editor, 1986:

“…the second major division of the Bible. It tells of the life and ministry of Jesus and the growth of the early church. The word testament is best translated as ‘covenant.’ The New Testament embodies the new covenant of which Jesus was Mediator (Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 9:15)…

“The 27 books of the New Testament were formally adopted as the New Testament canon by the Synod of Carthage in A.D. 397, thus confirming three centuries of usage by the church.”

This traditional overview of the New Testament places formal acceptance of the “books” as occurring some three hundred years after the lives of the apostles and of their contemporaries. However, this selection, done by what had become the Catholic Church, is merely an example of a religious organization choosing to accept what already existed—much as did later movements within “Christianity,” such as Protestantism.

Earlier, history of the Church established by Jesus Christ, through His chosen ministry, also shows the source of the writings we now have in the canon of the New Testament. An important test of what truly constitutes the inspired Word of God is true for both the Old and New Testaments:

“…the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:15-16).

To this end, individuals inspired by God wrote the record of the life of Jesus Christ, the founding of the Church and the subsequent growth of the faith of Christianity, along with instructions concerning the doctrines of God. We must note that the New Testament also contains the record of false teachers with deceiving doctrines beginning to infiltrate the body of true worshippers of God and Jesus Christ:

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9).

Along with this stern rebuke from Paul, others whose letters became a part of the New Testament, recorded warnings and admonitions concerning a growing departure from the original faith (compare 2 Peter 2; 1 John 4:1-6; 3 John 1:9-12, and the letter of Jude).

Additionally, carefully note what Peter said, showing that in his lifetime it was necessary to warn the brethren—and this message was written down in order that it would endure beyond his own lifetime:

“For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease” (2 Peter 1:12-15).

While most people who study the history of the Bible agree that the canon—that is, the entire New Testament as commonly accepted—is complete, the fact is that the preservation of these writings was first accomplished by the Church of God that began on the Day of Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit of God in 31 A.D. And while the Church grew with powerful impact in the decades that followed, nonetheless, heresy arose to such an extent that the next century records a much different kind of Christianity. Note what Jesse Lyman Hurlbut states in his book, “The Story of the Christian Church,” 1967, page 33:

“For 50 years after… Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of… Peter and… Paul.”

In fact, the true and faithful Christians all but disappeared from the annals of history in those times. These followers of the true faith depended on the copies of the letters that were to become a part of the New Testament, which they continued to preserve through hand-written documents. As already mentioned, the Roman Church was able to avail itself of long existing copies of the New Testament books several centuries later.

A very poignant example of multiple copies of a part of the New Testament being distributed among various congregations is found in the Book of Revelation. The resurrected Jesus Christ is quoted by John as saying: “‘…I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,’ and, ‘What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: To Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea’” (Revelation 1:11).

If we are to believe that John carried out what he was instructed to do, then we know that this information went to these churches—and, since they received this inspired “book” of Revelation, they then were instrumental in preserving it. The very intent of this book is primarily focused on the future and was to be preserved for our time—prophesying of events leading to the return of Jesus Christ (For further explanation, please read our free booklet: “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation!”).

Other letters were commonly circulated among the churches (compare 2 Peter 3:15-16; Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27). However, not all of these “letters” were genuine (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). In fact, this very process of writing letters continued well past the lifetime of the first generation of the apostles. Spurious writings made claims to inspiration on par with that of the New Testament books; however, when closely examined for authorship and for agreement with foundational biblical teachings, these documents were eventually rejected.

Beyond the rather blurry record that marks the transition of the early Christian faith into history’s background and the subsequent emergence of the Roman Catholic Church, another factor supersedes in accounting for Who preserved the New Testament. The real Author of the inspired writings of the New Testament also has sustained His written Word throughout the ages. The proof of this statement is found in the words of Jesus Christ, when He said, “‘Sanctify them [set them apart] by Your truth, Your word is truth’” (John 17:17); and, “‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away’” (Matthew 24:35; also, compare parallel statements)—1 Peter 1:23, 25).

These Scriptures, along with many others, point to the fact that the New Testament record would be preserved. For instance, another quote from Jesus shows that His teachings would come before all men in all generations: “‘He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him–the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day’” (John 12:48).

Consider one final answer as to who preserved the New Testament. The teachings of Christianity became a Way of life for those who embraced what they learned! Note this statement by Paul: “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13; also, compare a parallel statement in 1 John 2:5).

By taking to heart their calling to salvation, the faithful of countless generations have helped sustain and preserve a true understanding of the written Word of God. That same responsibility now falls upon us—we, too, must endeavor to uphold the teachings we have been given, just as those who helped to preserve the New Testament: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, HAVE KEPT MY WORD, and have not denied My name” (Revelation 3:8).

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

New StandingWatch programs and sermons in English and German

A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch, GoogleVideo and YouTube. It is titled, “Israel’s Unpopular War in Gaza.” In the program, Norbert Link discusses the fact that while Israel and Hamas continue their fighting, civilians are suffering the most. Europe has warned Israel that it is destroying its image and prestige. Aid agencies blame Israel for a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Europe is considering sending troops to the Middle East, if peaceful solutions cannot be found. What does all of this mean?

Norbert Link’s new sermon, “Converting Others? Why Not!,” which was given on December 10, 2009, has been posted on Google Video. 

A new StandingWatch program, dealing with the war in Gaza, was posted on our German Website and on YouTube.

Two new German sermons, addressing the Sabbath and the Ten Commandments (“Der Sabbat und die Zehn Gebote“), as well as the annual Holy Days (“Gottes Heilige Festtage“), were posted on Google Video and on our German Website.

Recent Comments from our StandingWatch Viewers

Israel’s Unpopular War in Gaza:

I appreciate the diverse references and sources you include in your updates… you won’t hear them mentioned on CNN or Fox News. It helps give a broader perspective on these world events in light of biblical prophecy.

Soon, we shall see a “charismatic” individual who will (deceivingly) bring about “Peace, Peace” … and then … we shall truly shake our heads, bow our knees and cry out to our “Abba Father”. Your comments always inspire me into deeper, meaningful Bible study ; you are continually in my prayers. Thank you from Canada.

I appreciate your news updates especially using the holy scriptures.

On Saturday, January 10, 2009, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Converting Others?–Why Not!”

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.

As the days grew shorter and shorter recently, I found myself reflecting on the things I wished I could do, but could not, because it was now dark. I long for the extended days of light when I could do the things that I want to do and need to do. 

These days will come again, but the question that remains is, will I make the most of them when they arrive? Have I learned the lesson from the extra hours that I had to spend in the dark? Will I make hay while the sun shines? Will I accomplish the work that I need to do while I have the light to do it?

What about the Church?  Will we be productive and fruitful while we have the opportunity to do the Work?  Will we perform the work that God has placed in our hands and has given us the responsibility to accomplish? In John 9:4, we read Christ’s words, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”

There was a time when we had more of the day in front of us, but now the night is near. Do we feel the deadline approaching? Is the onus of that which is ahead weighing heavily upon us? Are we motivated by the fact that we have made a commitment to do the work that God has given to each of us individually? 

In Matthew 21:28-31, we read this, “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”

The answer is obviously the one that repented of his wrong attitude and eventually did the work.

Right now it is still day, but we are rapidly approaching the twilight of the Work, and then it will be night. It may then be too late to do the work effectively that we will have to give an account for (Romans 14:11-12). Without delay, let us follow the example of Christ and work the works of Him who gave us this great calling… while it is day.

Europe Gets Involved in the Middle East…

The EUObserver wrote on January 2 that “Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek told national TV on Thursday (1 January)… ‘It is up to the European Union to take over the initiative [on the Middle East]…'”

… But May Have Little Success–For Now!

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 5:

“Europe is trying to step into a diplomatic vacuum left by the US… because the government in Washington is in limbo for the coming two weeks until President George W. Bush formally hands power over to Barack Obama. But Europe’s many envoys are a hindrance to each other, German media say…

“Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘… This chaos won’t result in any order, let alone lead to peace. In the Middle East, strength is what counts…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… The chances of the EU [of] mediating successfully between the Israelis and Palestinians are already poor, but the chances of the Czech presidency doing so are virtually zero…'”

How divided, bumbling and INCONSISTENT the politics of certain European countries are–especially the Czech Republic and France–can be seen in the following article by the EUObserver, dated January 5:

“The Czech EU presidency this weekend retracted its support for Israel amid the ground attack on Gaza, while France switched its criticism from Israel to Hamas… ‘Even the undisputable right of the state to defend itself does not allow actions which largely affect civilians,’ [the Czech government said]… Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who last week complained about Israel’s disproportionate use of force, laid the lion’s share of blame on Hamas in an interview on Monday.”

The article continued to report about growing anger amongst “ordinary Europeans.” It stated:

“Pro-Palestinian marchers took to the streets of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Poland, Greece and Cyprus, with reports of skirmishes outside Israeli embassies. In Paris, 20,000 people marched in support of the Palestinians on Saturday, while a crowd of 12,000 showed its solidarity with Israel on Sunday.

“Pro-Palestinian protests also took place in Turkey, Iran, Syria, India and Lebanon, with Israel tightening security on its northern border amid fears that Lebanese militants Hezbollah may fire rockets in the coming days.”

All of this shows Europe’s DESIRE to become the world’s policeman. However, Europe is still divided, and therefore, Europeans realize that a STRONG European leader with REAL powers would be necessary to fill the vacuum left by the USA. Bible prophecy reveals that such a STRONG European leader will arrive soon. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Will America Stab Israel in the Back?

The New York Post wrote on January 1:

“As world leaders and international organizations rush to rescue Hamas, Israel faces complex battlefield challenges – while fearing a stab in the back from the incoming Obama administration…

“Even the timing of Israel’s strike at Hamas has been driven, at least in part, by the coming power transfer in Washington. The immediate trigger was the hundreds of Hamas rocket attacks on Israel after the terrorists refused to renew an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire, but Israel’s leaders also counted on steadfast support from the Bush administration in its final days.

“Obama’s an unknown quantity, though. While hysterical claims that he’ll be pro-Islamist from start to finish are absurd, even minor shifts away from supporting Israel’s struggle against terrorists could have catastrophic consequences. And Israel’s vaunted intelligence services can’t tell their superiors what Obama will do, since few (if any) of the president-elect’s supporters know what he intends to do.

“In fact, the president-elect may not know himself. He’s a babe in the woods, and the woods are full of wolves. Fighting political rivals doesn’t prepare you for fighting terrorist fanatics… his all-too-coy insistence that ‘we have only one president at a time’ has been selective from the start. Glad to pontificate on stimulus packages and union benefits, Obama has used the one-president mantra to avoid taking stands on difficult issues that bedevil or bewilder him.

“Our president-elect needed to make a clear, prompt statement in support of Israel. He didn’t. If I were an Israeli leader, I’d be worried, too. Obama [is] notorious for avoiding firm stands that might alienate any important constituency. But you can’t have it both ways in the Middle East. He needs to stand up in support of Israel. Now. Israeli soldiers should not have to go into battle worrying about an American bullet in the back.”

The Deafening Silence of Barack Obama

The Times wrote on January 2:

“As the new year begins to the depressingly familiar noise of war in the Middle East, a pregnant silence is all that can be heard from Barack Obama… The whole world is waiting impatiently for Mr Obama to start making good on his promise of change. Of all the issues that have separated the US from the rest of the world during the Bush presidency, the Israeli-Palestinian one might span the largest chasm.

“Europeans and Arabs have simply not been able to believe at times the virtually unyielding pro-Israel line that the US has taken since 2001, whether over Jewish settlements, Ariel Sharon’s security fence, the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 or the present fighting with Hamas, or on any number of lesser but pointed issues.

“There are lingering hopes in Europe and much of the Middle East (suspicions in some parts of America) that the new president will seek to rebalance US policy. No one really thinks that Mr Obama is about to ‘get tough’ with the Israelis… a sharp change in direction in the Middle East is not going to be high on the new President’s agenda.

“The challenges confronting him – put simply, rescuing the US economy from a possible depression and winning wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – won’t leave much time for eye-catching new initiatives on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. And that’s before he has to decide how to deal with the emerging Iranian nuclear threat.”

A Jewish Rabbi’s Grief for Gaza

On January 5, The Times published the following editorial by Rabbi Michael Lerner:

“Israel’s attempt to wipe out Hamas is understandable, but stupid. No country in the world is going to ignore the provocation of rockets being launched from neighbouring territory day after day. If Mexico had a group of anti-imperialists bombing Texas, imagine how long it would take for America to mobilise a counterattack. Israel has every right to respond.

“But the kind of response matters. Killing 500 Palestinians and wounding 2,000 others (at the time of writing) is disproportionate. Hamas can harass, but it cannot pose any threat to the existence of Israel. And just as Hamas’s indiscriminate bombing of population centres is a crime against humanity, so is Israel’s killing of civilians (at least 130 so far in Gaza, not to mention the thousands in the years of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza)…

“How do we get out of this destructive spiral? The first step is for the world to demand an immediate ceasefire. That ceasefire should be imposed by the United Nations and backed unequivocally by America…

“It breaks my heart to see the terrible suffering in Gaza and in Israel. As a religious Jew I find it all the worse, because it confirms to me how easy it is to pervert the loving message of Judaism into a message of hatred and domination. I remain in mourning for the Jewish people, for Israel and for the world.”

Civilians Suffer the Most in Israel’s Proxy War Against Iran

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 5:

“Israel hopes to critically weaken Hamas with its attacks in the Gaza Strip. Governments in the West and even in the Arab world can understand Israel’s aims, but civilians are the ones suffering the most from the bombardment. How much bloody retribution is legitimate?…

“What happened in Lebanon two years ago and is happening in Gaza today can also be seen as a proxy war — as operations against Iran’s spiritual little brothers, who deny Israel’s right to exist…

“The Arab world is divided more than ever in its position toward the war between the Israelis and Hamas. Egyptian President Mubarak blames the Hamas leaders for the attacks… Most Arab governments feel antipathy toward the mullah regime in Iran, which seeks to develop itself into a hegemonial power in the region. But their populations are enthusiastic about Tehran’s aggressive rhetoric, such as the words of the Iranian revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: ‘Can there be a catastrophe greater than the behavior of the Muslim states who strengthen the Zionist regime?’

“The hero of the Arab street is Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.”

EU Warns Israel Is Destroying Its Image

The EUObserver wrote on January 7:

“Pressure to obtain a ceasefire in Gaza has been mounting, with the EU warning Israel it was ‘destroying’ its image, while Israeli forces on Tuesday (6 January) killed at least 40 people during an attack on a United Nations-run school in Gaza… The bombing has drawn international condemnation, with the EU calling it “completely unacceptable’… The Israeli military however argued Hamas fighters had fired mortar shells at their forces from the school and they had to return fire…

“‘We have come to Israel in order to advance the initiative for a humanitarian ceasefire and I will tell you, Mr President, that you have a serious problem with international advocacy, and that Israel’s image is being destroyed,’ EU foreign affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told Israeli President Shimon Peres during the visit of an EU delegation in the region.

“But Mr Peres retorted that Israel was fighting other wars and a public image one was not among them. ‘Europe must open its eyes. We are not in the business of public relations or improving our image. We are fighting against terror, and we have every right to defend our citizens,’ he told an EU ministerial delegation…”

“EU Must Stop to Support Israel”

Deutsche Welle reported on January 7:

“The European Union must put all hopes of building a closer relationship with Israel on hold until the fighting in the Gaza Strip ends, a group of leading aid agencies said Wednesday… It would be ‘inconceivable’ for the EU to work for closer ties with Israel at a time when the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has been ‘pushed to crisis point’ by Israel’s assault on the salient, the statement by groups including Oxfam and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) said…

“On June 16, the EU accepted an Israeli request to upgrade bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, environmental protection and research. However, in December the bloc stressed that that cooperation should include working towards a peaceful settlement between Israelis and Palestinians.

“Given Israel’s massive offensive against the Islamic group Hamas, which the EU lists as a terrorist organization, the 11 aid agencies who signed the statement demanded that the upgrade be put on hold. Instead, ‘the EU must now apply real pressure to convince Israeli and Hamas leaders to accept (a truce) and redouble its efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the region,’ Jeremy Hobbs, executive director of Oxfam International, said.”

Will Germany Send Troops to Gaza?

Deutsche Welle reported on January 7:

“There have also been calls by politicians for German peacekeepers to be sent to Gaza. Eckart von Klaeden, a foreign policy spokesman in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said the use of German troops was feasible but they must have ‘robust’ powers. However, government  spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said the discussion about sending German troops in blue UN helmets was premature.”

“Attack on Israel from Lebanon Threatens 2nd Front”

The Associated Press reported on January 8:

“Lebanese militants fired at least three rockets into Israel early Thursday, threatening to open a new front for the Jewish state as it pushed forward with a bloody offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 700 people. Two people were lightly injured, and the rockets that exploded in Israel’s north raised the specter of renewed hostilities with Hezbollah…”

Deutsche Welle added on January 8 that “Hezbollah has denied firing” these rockets.

Germany’s Interests in Iran May Necessitate U.S. Military Action

Deutsche Welle reported on January 2:

“A US think tank has warned that diplomacy would not stop Iran’s nuclear program and that harsher sanctions against Tehran should be adopted, a move that could drive a wedge between the White House and Germany.

“… a new round of sanctions risks magnifying the diverging interests between the US and its allies such as Germany, which still has firm financial connections with Iranian banks and which continues to do business with the Islamic republic of around 70 million inhabitants. In fact, some 75 percent of all medium and small businesses in Iran use German-made equipment… In November, the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce met in Hamburg to discuss the UN sanctions and how they could affect German firms doing business in the Islamic country. Some of the advice included ways of obtaining German government guarantees for trade with Tehran… The reaction to this in the US has been one of growing anger, particularly in the conservative press.

“‘Germany loves Iran,’ the Wall Street Journal said in a commentary by editorial writer Dan Schwammenthal. He pointed out that German-Iranian trade had increased 14.1 percent in the first seven months of 2008. Germany, he said, was less worried about an Iranian nuclear bomb than it was about tighting [sic] sanctions that could negatively affect trade between the two countries.

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly emphasized Germany’s special responsibility to protect Israel. She insists that Germany is only obliged to obey the UN sanctions and will not undertake any further unilateral action against Iran at this time. Thus, Iranian banks such as the government-owned Melli and Saderat banks — which have been accused by Washington of funding terrorists and weapons research — do flourishing business in Germany…

“With such vested interests, it is a matter of debate among conservative thinkers as to whether a peaceful solution can be found to the Iranian question. Phillips, the Middle East expert, noted the years-long efforts by Europeans as part of talks involving Germany, Britain and France have showed [sic] that negotiations bring nothing. He added that the situation was not helped by the fact that, for example, the German government still undertook credit guarantees for Iranian business…

“As for the role of the Europeans in a new sanctions effort, many US analysts believe that they are more worried about keeping the US from invading Iran than they are about Iran’s development of nuclear weapons.”

War Between USA and Iran–“Sooner Than You Think”?

Newsmax.com reported on January 8 about Iran expert Kenneth R. Timmerman’s publication, “Six Days to War,” which lays out the scenario likely to unfold if the U.S. and Iran go to war. It was stated:

“In Timmerman’s report you’ll find out why ‘Six Days to War’ could happen sooner than you think — as many American assets are already ‘in position’ for an attack… As the Bush administration ratchets up the pressure, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs says the military option is still on the table and warns Iran that the U.S. can launch massive strikes using Navy and Air power.

“The new American commander in the region, Gen. David Petraeus, has also told Congress that Iran is supporting Iraqi insurgents killing Americans. President Bush said in a White House address that Iran, along with al-Qaida, are ‘two of the greatest threats to America.’

“Timmerman’s report on the looming war with Iran is based on sources including top Israeli intelligence officers, military and political leaders interviewed in Israel and Washington, D.C., and a key planning document… developed by the Iranian navy.”

The Success of the Euro

Welt-On-Line wrote on January 2:

“The introduction of the euro a decade ago may be the most successful product to date of European integration. Now used by sixteen countries -with the addition of Slovakia on Jan. 1- and 325 million people, the users and guardians of the euro have reason for optimism for a stable currency over the next ten years.

“The Eurozone, the sixteen-nation group of countries now using the common European currency, may be in recession, with the worst of the global financial crisis yet to come; but experts agree that without the euro, the financial situation of its users would be worse still.

“Introduced into world financial markets and for accounting purposes on Jan. 1, 1999, the euro and its caretaker, the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, can now look back over ten years of contributing to the comparatively stable economic conditions prevailing in continental Europe.

“Perhaps the most significant flattery as the euro turns ten comes from that Euroskeptic nation par excellence, Great Britain, where some commentators are now wondering aloud whether adopting the euro (and ditching the age-old symbol of British financial prowess, the pound) would be a boon to the country’s economic future. But despite the pound’s nearing parity with the euro at the New Year, and a comment by European Commission president José Manuel Barroso that the UK is ‘closer than ever before’ to entering the Eurozone, such a move does not appear imminent.

“Not surprisingly, it was first British, then American observers who predicted the failure of the currency… Today, even those Britons most adamantly opposed to merging with ‘Euroland’, as it is derisively called there, would be hard pressed to argue that the euro has failed. On the contrary, adopting the euro has not only provided a stable currency for its users; it has also become the world’s second most popular currency reserve. Though the dollar remains king, representing two-thirds of all reserves compared to the euro’s one-quarter, some have suggested that this relationship might be reversed in the future.

“… it is hard to underestimate the importance of the stability provided by the single currency, especially in times of turmoil such as the present. The main strength of the euro is the solidity that comes with the vast size of the European economy standing behind it. This powerful economy strengthens the euro, while the prudent monetary policy of the ECB helps strengthen the economy in general.

“Thus it looks likely that the benefits of the currency will continue to attract European countries not yet members of the Eurozone. Denmark, which has already rejected the euro twice, is considering a third referendum which would likely pass. Eight eastern European countries and Sweden are required by the conditions of their membership in the EU to adopt the common currency sooner or later. The stalwart UK may hold on to its exemption negotiated into the Maastricht Treaty for now…”

The Euro–a Milestone of European Unification

Time Magazine wrote on January 1:

“Europe’s single currency has come of age early. The euro turns 10 on Jan. 1, a milestone for one of the most powerful symbols of European identity…

“It’s a remarkable achievement for a currency whose only global rival is the U.S. dollar. The greenback has more than two centuries of history behind it. But it wasn’t until Jan. 1, 1999 that 11 E.U. countries locked their national currencies together into a fixed exchange rate. Three years later, physical coins and notes became available, replacing national cash in a massive changeover operation.

“The euro zone is now 15 members large and has a combined population of about 320 million. However, many more people are directly affected by the currency, from would-be members whose money is already pegged to it, to countries like Montenegro and Kosovo, whose effective national currency is the euro. France’s former African colonies also peg their common currency to Europe’s. That means about 500 million people rely on the euro or euro-pegged currencies…”

Consider what might just be in our near future–the total collapse of the dollar. The US government is proposing spending at such an alarming level that it seems even the average Joe is beginning to question things (Compare our next article, “The Ever-Climbing American Debt”).

However, too many think that the things happening on such a wide front are just hic-ups and the normal ups and downs of a country’s fortunes. The truth is that events of the current moment are absolutely unprecedented! For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Russia Is At It Again…

The Independent wrote on January 7:

“Fears of a deep chill spread across Europe yesterday after a row between Russia and Ukraine over gas prices cut supplies to the rest of the continent on a day of plummeting temperatures and heavy snowfalls. The European Union said the situation was ‘completely unacceptable’ as thousands of businesses were urged to switch fuels, and households struggled to keep warm in sub-zero temperatures. But there was no sign of an end to the standoff between Russia’s energy monopoly Gazprom and Ukraine, locked in battle since New Year’s Day.

“Gazprom stopped pumping gas to Ukraine for domestic consumption on 1 January after the two countries failed to agree on a fixed price for 2009. The pipelines that cross Ukraine also carry gas to Europe but that continued to flow, until Moscow accused Ukraine of siphoning off Europe’s fuel and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin retaliated by ordering Gazprom to cut EU-bound exports by the amount being stolen.

“Yesterday Russia stopped gas supplies through Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Macedonia. The government of Slovakia declared a national emergency; Austria and Italy reported falls of 90 per cent; France said Russian supplies had tailed off 70 per cent, and Germany also reported a decline although did not quantify it.

“The Czech Republic, which took over the EU presidency this month, had sharp words for Moscow… In Bulgaria, the government has declared a ‘crisis situation’. The country not only has the lowest GDP per capita in the EU, but relies on Russia for all of its gas… Most European countries say they have enough gas in storage to cover at least a few weeks of disruption. The 27-nation EU gets about a quarter of its gas from Russia, of which 80 per cent is pumped through Ukraine.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 7:

“The EU warns Russia and Ukraine that they face long-term consequences unless they immediately resolve a dispute that has cut gas supplies to Europe…”

The Ever-Climbing American Debt

The Washington Post wrote on January 3:

“With President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats considering a massive spending package aimed at pulling the nation out of recession, the national debt is projected to jump by as much as $2 trillion this year, an unprecedented increase…[U.S.]

“As of yesterday, the debt stood at nearly $10.7 trillion, of which about $4.3 trillion is owed to other government institutions, such as the Social Security trust fund. Debt held by private investors totals nearly $6.4 trillion, or a little over 40 percent of gross domestic product.

“According to the most recent figures, foreign investors held about $3 trillion in U.S. debt at the end of October. China, which in October replaced Japan as the United States’ largest creditor, has increased its holdings by 42 percent over the past year; Britain and the Caribbean banking countries more than doubled their holdings.

“[U.S.] Economists from across the political spectrum have endorsed the idea of going deeper into debt to combat what many call the most dangerous economic conditions since the Great Depression.”

“Investors Dump $89B in U.S. Securities in Historic Fire Sale”

Even though foreign investors hold huge debts in the USA, many begin to manifest their concern about the faltering U.S. economy by dumping their U.S. investments. USA Today wrote on January 5:

“As the global financial crisis grew more severe this summer, foreigners sold almost $90 billion of U.S. securities — the greatest quarterly fire sale by overseas investors since the government began keeping track in 1960. U.S. investors also are retrenching; they unloaded about $85 billion worth of foreign holdings in the quarter…

“In the first quarter of 2008, foreigners deposited more than $79 billion with U.S. banks. That flow reversed in the second quarter, as foreigners withdrew a staggering $256 billion, and the outflow continued in the third quarter with an additional $147 billion… ‘Institutional investors, including banks, across the board are pulling their capital back home,’ says economist Eswar Prasad of the Brookings Institution.”

US Wants to Send 20,000 to 30,000 More Troops to Afghanistan

As if America’s experience with the ill-conceived Iraq war wasn’t bad enough, we are now advised that American troops are to be increased in Afghanistan. However, Afghanistan has also been a total failure for American endeavors, and nothing indicates that a huge increase of U.S. troops will bring any solutions. In fact, the opposite for American interests and its prestige around the world may be the result.

The Associated Press reported on January 2:

“The U.S. is preparing to pour at least 20,000 extra troops into southern Afghanistan to cope with a Taliban insurgency… Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last month that Afghanistan could get up to 30,000 new U.S. troops in 2009… The infusion of U.S. power risks Americanizing a war that until now has been a shared mission of 41 coalition countries… In Canada and many European countries [including Germany], governments face low public support for keeping troops in Afghanistan combat zones.”

Violence in Mexico

The San Diego Union Tribune wrote on January 2:

“[Mexico’s border city with the USA] Tijuana marked its bloodiest year in 2008, with 843 killings, more than twice 2007’s total of 337… among the dead were children, spouses, co-workers and neighbors of suspected gang members who became caught in the [gangs’] crossfire. Also among the dead were 38 law enforcement agents from municipal, state and federal agencies. Authorities link some to organized crime, but say others were killed in the line of duty.

“Mexican authorities say that the killers are typically between 18 and 25, members of broken families lured by easy money into a life of crime, recruited in Tijuana and other parts of Mexico. They belong to a new generation of criminals…

“Drug-related violence has surged across Mexico, with 5,207 deaths in 2008 linked to organized crime, more than twice the 2007 total of 2,275… And while the violence is in Mexico, the problem is binational… It is the demand of U.S. consumers that drives the violence, and weapons from the United States that are used to carry it out…”

The famous woman Rahab who helped the spies at the time of Joshua, is clearly identified in the Bible as a harlot or a prostitute. This is the obvious conclusion, when we just accept the relevant Scriptures on their face value.

However, many commentaries feel uncomfortable with that assessment and have been trying to re-interpret and re-write Scripture to bring it more in line with their humanly-devised perceptions. The following serves as a very good example to caution everyone NEVER to accept the opinions of commentaries as inspired doctrine, UNLESS they are clearly supported by the biblical evidence. Commentaries reflect, as a whole, the opinions of man which may or may not be inspired by God. We must also remember that God has revealed His truth to “babes,” while HIDING it from most of the learned and sophisticated intellectuals of this world (compare Matthew 11:25).

Regarding Rahab, notice the following clear biblical evidence:

Joshua 2:1 and Joshua 6:17, 22, 25 identify Rahab as a “harlot.” This is confirmed, in the New Testament, in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25. The Hebrew and Greek words are “zanah” and “porne” and designate a harlot, as we will see.

Rahab later married Salmon and brought forth Boaz. Boaz married Ruth and brought forth Obed. Obed, in turn, brought forth Jesse, the father of David (compare Matthew 1:5-6). David became the forefather of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and of Mary herself. Based on these facts, many commentaries have concluded that Rahab could not have been a harlot, but that she was just an upstanding innocent and respected “innkeeper.”

Notice the following examples for this adventurous reasoning:

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible states to Hebrews 11:31 that it is “exceedingly probable that the [Hebrew and Greek words]which we translate harlot, should be rendered innkeeper or tavernkeeper, as there is no proper evidence that the person in question was such a woman as our translation represents her. As to her having been a harlot before and converted afterwards, it is a figment of an idle fancy. She was afterwards married to Salmon, a Jewish prince… And it is extremely incredible that, had she been what we represent her, he would have sought for such an alliance.”

Please also consider these comments in John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible:

“The Targum… calls her… ‘a woman, that kept a victualling house’: this paraphrase is taken notice of by Jarchi and Kimchi on the place, who interpret it, ‘a seller of food’: and even the Hebrew word… is so explained by a considerable Jewish writer… and this may rather seem to be the sense of the word, and to be her proper business, from the spies going to her house, as being an house of entertainment; and from Salmon’s marrying her, which might be thought strange that a prince of Israel would, had she been a person of ill fame.

“… but yet, the constant use of the word, in this form, the testimonies of two apostles, and her making no mention of her husband and children, when she agreed with the spies, confirm the generally received character of her, that she was an harlot. Some Jewish writers say… that she was ten years of age when the Israelites came out of Egypt; and that all the forty years they were in the wilderness… ‘she played the harlot’; and was one and fifty years of age when she was proselyted. She is called an harlot…”

In addition, Vincent’s Word Studies explains correctly:

“Rahab’s occupation is stated without mincing, and the lodging of the spies at her house was probably not a matter of accident. Very amusing are the efforts of some earlier expositors to evade the fact of a harlot’s faith, by rendering [the word for “harlot” as] landlady.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible also explains correctly:

“Among the noble army of believing worthies, bravely marshalled by the apostle, Rahab comes in the rear, to show that God is no respecter of persons… She was a Canaanite, a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel… She was a harlot, and lived in a way of sin; she was not only a keeper of a public house, but a common woman of the town…”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible contains the following interesting annotations to Hebrews 11:31:

“Much perplexity has been felt in reference to this case, and many attempts have been made to remove the difficulty. The main difficulty has been that a woman of this character should be enumerated among those who were eminent for piety, and many expositors have endeavored to show that the word rendered ‘harlot’ does not necessarily denote a woman of abandoned character, but may be used to denote a hostess… But there are no clear instances in which the Greek word, and the corresponding Hebrew word… is used in this sense. The usual and the fair meaning of the word is what is given in our translation, and there is no good reason why that signification should not be retained here…

“… the obvious meaning of this word here and of the corresponding place in Joshua 2:6 is, that she had been a woman of abandoned character, and that she was known as such. That she might have been also a hostess, or one who kept a house of entertainment for strangers, is at the same time by no means improbable, since it not unfrequently happened in ancient as well as modern times, that females of this character kept such houses…

“Other females of a similar character have been converted, and have subsequently led lives of piety… ‘Publicans and harlots,’ said the Saviour, ‘go into the kingdom of God;’ Matthew 21:31. Rahab seems to have been one of them; and her case shows that such instances of depravity are not hopeless. This record, therefore, is one of encouragement for the most abandoned sinners.

“… there is no need of supposing that the apostle in commending this woman [in Hebrews 11:31] approved of all that she did. That she was not perfect is true. That she did some things which cannot be vindicated is true also – and who does not? But admitting all that may be said about any imperfection in her character… it was still true that she had strong faith – and that is all that the apostle commends. We are under no more necessity of vindicating all that she did, than we are all that David or Peter did – or all that is now done by those who have the highest claims to virtue.”

In addition, please note, as a matter of clarification, that at the time of the destruction of Jericho, Rahab and her relatives were at first not allowed to stay INSIDE the camp of Israel (compare Joshua 6:23)–obviously due to Rahab’s reputation. She first had to prove herself–she had to show or bring forth fruits worthy of repentance (compare Matthew 3:8). That she clearly did so is manifested by the fact that she would later live IN Israel (compare Joshua 6:25).

In any event, we really don’t need to guess as to who and what Rahab was. The concept that she was just an outstanding noble landlady is plainly and totally ridiculous.

The Hebrew word “zanah” (translated as “harlot” in regard to Rahab, in Joshua 2:1, etc.) can also mean, “to commit fornication, go a whoring.” It is used in Genesis 34:15, 24, 31. Jacob’s brothers condemned the Hivite prince Shechem of having treated their sister Dinah like a harlot–not like an innkeeper.

Jephtah is called the son of a harlot in Judges 11:1; and there are many more passages which translate this word accurately as “harlot.” (Compare, Judges 16:1; 1 Kings 3:16; Proverbs 29:3; Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 3:1, 6, 8; 5:7; Ezekiel 16:31, 35; Hosea 3:3; Joel 3:3; Micah 1:7, etc., etc.)

The Greek word “porne” (translated as “harlot” in regard to Rahab, in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25), can also mean, literally, “one sold” or “fornicator.” It is used in Matthew 21:31-32 where Christ talked about publicans and harlots, not publicans and innkeepers. Notice also Luke 15:30 where the “lost son” did not devour his living with innkeepers, but with harlots. Also, notice 1 Corinthians 6:15-16 where Paul was not talking about fornication with an innkeeper, but with a harlot or prostitute. AND, notice Revelation 17:5 where Babylon is described as the mother of harlots, not of innkeepers.

The Bible is very candid about the strengths and weaknesses of its heroes. The Bible does not tell fairy-tales, but it gives us the complex characteristics of real life people. The GOOD NEWS is that EVERYONE who is called by God to repentance CAN change–NO MATTER what he or she was or what he or she might have done. Rahab was a harlot–no doubt–but she responded to God’s call with faith, and she acted upon her faith by hiding the spies and saved them from death. After all, faith without works is dead (James 2:17, 24-25). Rahab changed her life, and she became an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

We might also recall that Jesus Christ defended a repentant woman who is identified as “a sinner” in the account given in Luke 7:36-50. The contextual meaning is that she was an immoral woman. However, note what Jesus said of her actions: “Then He said to the woman, ‘Your FAITH has saved you. Go in peace'” (Luke 7:50). This record further supports the reason Rahab is mentioned among the faithful in Hebrews 11:31–in spite of the fact that she had at one time lived as a harlot.

The only women specifically mentioned by name in the genealogy of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 1, besides Rahab, are Mary, the wife of Joseph (verse 16), who was a righteous woman; Tamar, the daughter in law of Judah (verse 3), who played the HARLOT with him since he had broken his promise to give her one of his sons in marriage (compare Genesis 38:1-30); and Ruth, a non-Israelite from the tribe of Moab (verse 5). One more woman is mentioned, without naming her directly, in verse 6, where we read: “David the king begot Solomon by her [who had been the wife] of Uriah.” This refers to Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, whom David had killed, after Bathsheba became pregnant as a result of David’s adulterous affair with her.

All of these women are listed in the genealogy of Jesus, the stepson and foster child of Joseph. They are listed because they deserved to be listed–not because of their weaknesses and sins, but because of their subsequent repentance and faith. Rahab is no exception. She clearly was a harlot and she was known as such, but she acted upon faith, repented and changed her lifestyle, and she is today memorialized in God’s Word as one of the ancestors of Jesus’ stepfather Joseph. In addition, she was an ancestor of Mary, the mother of Jesus–which means that Jesus Christ was a direct descendant of Rahab! (Compare Luke 3:32 with Matthew 1:5, showing that Boaz, an ancestor of King David, was the son of Salmon and Rahab). Most importantly, however, is the fact that she will be in the first resurrection (Hebrews 11:31, 39-40).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

New StandingWatch program

A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch, GoogleVideo and YouTube. It is titled, “Israel’s War with Iran’s Proxy Hamas.” In the program, Norbert Link points out that in attacking Hamas, Israel struck Iran! How and why was it done? Will this war escalate? Will other groups such as Hezbollah get involved? What about other countries? And if so, which ones will try to intervene?

New Member Letter

A new member letter was written and has been posted on the Web. In the letter, Norbert Link discusses current world events in the light of biblical prophecy for us today, and he reminds all of us of the importance of the Work of God in these very end times.

Recent Comments from our Readers

I see where Israel has “bisected” Palestine and surrounded Gaza City, with the same spirit of determination to put an end to terrorist strikes, so reminiscent of us marching into Baghdad, only to “die there” as Saddam predicted, and Hamas now also predicts for Israel. In considering the whole panorama of the history of humankind, I’m glad it’s near the end of Satan’s rule and the beginning of Christ’s rule. 

The update was quite informative this week  and more alarming news all the time.  We get more news from the CEG updates than we ever do from the TV.  Whoever puts them together really does a complete and great  job of keeping us informed on world events.

Recent Comments from our StandingWatch Viewers:

Is Homosexual Conduct Sinful?:

Although it should come as no surprise, I am always astounded when “Christians” dismiss the Old Testament Scriptures stating they are no longer valid. Perhaps their Bible is missing Matthew 5:17? Thanks for addressing the issue of homosexuality head on instead of dancing around it like many so-called Christians do.

Israel’s War with Iran’s Proxy Hamas:

I recall from the Update from July 2008 that you had said it was inevitable that Israel would strike Iran. I appreciate the time you take to watch the world events and present them in an unbiased manner in light of biblical prophecy. I particularly like the Current Events Section in the weekly Update.

Halleluiah! Thank God we will see the coming of the Lord in Glory soon. These events which seem catastrophic and are/will be, are in a way very positive since they will complete the Biblical prophecies and herald in the second coming of Christ. I can’t wait to greet HIM

Thank you for letting us know what is truly happening and how this coincides with what the Bible prophecies. The United States is becoming less and less popular and it is clear to see that. It’s hard to believe that things are going to get better, but as long as we believe in and DO what the Bible says, we will be protected.

It appears that we are now entering the beginning of the time of the end of this age, and soon European armies will surround Jerusalem. Then we will see the fulfillment of Matthew 24:15. It is time to be studying the Bible, and understand we are very near this time Christ warned about.

by Michael Link

During these times that we are living in, I notice how impatient most people can get. There seems to be a sense of urgency due to the rise of unemployment and the fear that more and more jobs will be lost in this new year. I get to witness this every day due to my job and the several people that I meet, especially those I work with. The mood has slowly changed from a content to a melancholy state.  I’m not saying that I notice this everywhere, since there are also several out there that act as if nothing is changing.  

The fact is, things are getting worse, and it is plain to see that. I may sometimes get caught up in all of this, as my patience gets tested due to my surroundings. I know, despite everything that we will be going through, that I have to remain positive and focus on what God has in store for me, realizing that He has a great deal of patience with me.

So why can’t I sometimes have that same patience?  There are certain things that I’m trying to accomplish, and through God’s Will, I have to have patience despite what happens around me or what others may say. I am truly grateful for the blessings that God has given me thus far. I need to continue to have faith that God will not cease to provide; and I must not cease to have patience to wait for what He has in store for my family and me. The most important thing for me to realize is that, without God in my life, my accomplishments are as good as gone.