On Saturday, February 5, 2005, J. Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “What Does God Require?”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

On the Sabbath of January 29, one day before the elections were to take place in Iraq, there was an article in “The Californian” in which three Iraqi scholars, who are presently students at the University of Arizona in Tucson, were interviewed. These three individuals, two men and a young woman, would travel approximately 1,000 miles round trip from Tucson to the nearest polling place for them, to cast their vote. This polling place was in Irvine, California, at El Toro, the former Marine Corps Air Base, one of five polling places established in the United States for this election.

Iraqis were to choose a 275-member assembly that will draft the country’s new constitution and appoint a president and a vice-president.

When asked their feelings concerning the potential turnout for the election in Iraq, which election was being held to establish a democratic form of government to replace the dictatorship which existed under Saddam Hussein; these three scholars (one a Shiite lawyer, one a Kurdish – Sunni lawyer, and one a Chaldean Catholic who is working toward a masters degree in teaching and teachers education) were in agreement that the people of Iraq are looking for leadership to improve the safety and economic health of their nation.

Additionally, they were unanimous in their belief there would be a “big turnout” for the election in Iraq, in spite of the threats of insurgents and terrorists expected to create violence inside their country. They felt that many of these people causing fear in their country are from neighboring countries “who fear a unified, economically powerful, democratic Iraq.” They were adamant in their belief that the people would no longer put up with the likes of a Saddam Hussein and his “false elections,” and that the people of Iraq are “anxious” for a change. They also felt that the new government will not become a religious government, because the people of Iraq have learned from the bad experiences with such governments in surrounding countries.

Articles in the same newspaper gave many other such examples of Iraqis with similar beliefs. Editorials by Thomas L. Friedman and Jay Bookman seemed to reflect much the same feelings about the Iraqi elections and the new government to be established.

It does appear on the morning following the elections in Iraq that perhaps as many as 60-72% of those qualified to participate in these elections have turned out to support the dream which surely the people of Iraq have had in spite of such odds against them. This has been the vision of many of the Iraqi people for a long time. Of course, we are told in Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

It is easy for you and me to understand how a people who have lived under the rule of tyranny for a long period would look longingly to such an opportunity that is before the Iraqi people today. No country desires to be ruled by a conquering nation or a tyrant, no matter where he is from. We all desire to live in peace and freedom.

When the people of this country, the United Sates of America, first came to this new land, they were desirous of a government to be established where all men would have an opportunity to live in peace and harmony with religious and political freedom. They were finally able to establish such a government that has existed now for over 200 years. However, we must realize that the freedom guaranteed by that government has been terribly abused by some, if not many, who have misused it as a license to sin in manifold ways.

The people of Germany, at the end of World War II, desired to live in peace and freedom without the rule of an individual over them in the manner that they had been under with the rule of Hitler. Many in the democratic “Federal Republic of Germany” (BRD) and the communist-ruled so-called “German Democratic Republic” (DDR) had a vision of a unified Germany with the freedoms that would allow each individual to live peaceably, each man able to support himself and his family without having to live in fear of those who ruled over them. And it was years later before they would fully realize that vision, with the fall of the Berlin wall.

Today, however, many Germans are unhappy with the German unification, and anti-American feelings and sentiments are being heard in Germany. Some have long forgotten or are deliberately willing to ignore Germany’s liberation after World War II through the Allies and the American support of the free part of Berlin, when the entire city was isolated by the Russian Communists.

The future will show what the elections in Iraq have accomplished. Commentaries warn that the elections should not be over-evaluated, as they are mainly symbolic in nature. The grim facts of violence and bloodshed will continue to occur in Iraq. The Scripture mentions in Jeremiah 6:14, and in other places, people who speak of peace, when there is no peace! That is certainly occurring on a continuing basis, today. And the main reason there is no peace in this world today is that the world does not look to God for His Divine guidance. The people look to themselves, never considering the fact that the inspiration of this world comes mainly from Satan the devil, who is the real ruler of this present world and its systems.

In Ephesians 2:2 we read of “…the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” It is this being who directs “the course of this world” and who inspires men to “conduct” themselves as they do in the lusts of the flesh, “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind” and “are by nature children of wrath…”

However, Satan’s time is short, and you and I look to the day when his rule will be put down. You and I have this vision, which is the reason we take no part in this world’s political systems. We look forward to the time when the Government of God will be established over this earth – and finally this entire universe – with Jesus Christ taking His rightful place on the Throne of David, and removing Satan from his seat of authority. He will then replace the false systems, which have been inspired by Satan, with God’s Righteous Government. At that time, there will be safety and economic health, as well as true freedom, established around the world, and God’s peace will rule over all of mankind for 1,000 years!

State of the Union Address 2005

As The Associated Press reported on February 2, 2005, “President Bush challenged a hesitant Congress on Wednesday to take political risks to make Social Security ‘permanently sound,’ saying the nation’s costliest social program was headed for bankruptcy unless changed. Bush’s plan would cut guaranteed retirement benefits for younger Americans but would not affect checks for people now 55 and older… He pledged to confront regimes that promote terror and pursue weapons of mass destruction, and singled out Syria and Iran… Bush also promised to push forward for Mideast peace, including $350 million in aid to the Palestinians… With the United States spending more than $1 billion a week in Iraq, Bush urged Congress to support his request for an additional $80 billion.”

To quote from the transcript of President Bush’s speech, as published by WorldNetDaily on February 2, 2005:

“Tonight, with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going back to work, with our Nation an active force for good in the world – the state of our union is confident and strong… So next week I will send you a budget that holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation, makes tax relief permanent, and stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009… Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up with an extra 200 billion dollars to keep the system afloat – and by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than 300 billion dollars. By the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be drastically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs… For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage…. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a commodity…

“We are working closely with governments in Asia to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions… The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom… To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder. Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region. You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act – and we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom. Today, Iran remains the world’s primary state sponsor of terror – pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium re-processing, and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you. “

The Democrats are strongly opposed to President Bush’s plans to privatize social security. The Democratic National Committee also pointed out, on February 2, 2005, that ” Experts recently announced that Bush’s growing $8 trillion dollar debt translates to roughly $26,000 per person… 4.3 million more Americans are now in poverty… 5.2 million more people are uninsured today than in 2000.”

To quote from the transcripts of the “Democratic Reponse” to the State of the Union Address, by Senator Harry Reid (Democratic Leader in U.S. Senate — Nevada) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (House Democratic Leader — California):

“After World War II, through the Marshall Plan, we rebuilt Europe and they went from poverty to an economic powerhouse. Today, we need to invest in our nation’s future with a Marshall Plan for America – to build the infrastructure our economy needs to go – and grow…. This 21st century economy holds great promise for our people. But unless we give all Americans the skills they need to succeed, countries like India and China will take good-paying jobs that should be ours… And that’s why we so strongly disagree with the president’s plan to privatize Social Security… it’s wrong to replace the guaranteed benefit that Americans have earned with a guaranteed benefit cut of 40 percent or more… The Bush plan would take our already record high $4.3 trillion national debt and put us another $2 trillion in the red. That’s an immoral burden to place on the backs of the next generation….”

“Despite the best efforts of our troops and their Iraqi counterparts, Iraq still faces a violent and persistent insurgency. And the chairman of the National Intelligence Council said in January that Iraq is now ‘a magnet for international terrorists.’ … Yet, the gaps in our security exposed by those attacks remain… airline cargo still goes uninspected, shipping containers go unscreened and our railroads and power plants are not secure… The greatest threats to our homeland security are the tons of biological, chemical, and even nuclear materials that are unaccounted for or unguarded.”

The Run from the U.S. Dollar

As WorldNetDaily reported on February 3, 2005, “Decisions by the world’s two wealthiest men to bet on a further weakening of the U.S. dollar, coupled with China’s lack of confidence in American currency should grab the attention of every working person, says Craig Smith, CEO of Swiss America Trading… Citing widening U.S. trade and budget deficits and a federal debt of $7.62 trillion, [Bill] Gates said in a TV interview at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last weekend he expects the dollar to extend its three-year decline…

“Smith said the actions of Buffett, worth more than $42.9 billion, and Gates, $46.6 billion, [to sell the dollar and to buy foreign currencies] are significant in light of the lack of confidence recently expressed by leaders of the world’s fastest growing economy, China, which has its currency pegged to the dollar… Since the beginning of 2002, the dollar has dropped 26 percent against a basket of six major currencies, and the trade deficit grew to a record $609 billion. In addition, the Bush administration expects the budget deficit this year to hit an all-time high of $427 billion.”

The EU Constitution — Unknown in Europe?

On January 28, 2005, the EUobserver reported that “one third of EU citizens [are] unaware of [the] European Constitution.” The article continued to explain that “a new poll has shown that a high percentage of EU citizens feel they know little about its content and a third are completely unaware of the document… Thirty-three percent have never heard of the new EU charter which was signed with great ceremony last year and is to be put to a referendum in at least nine member states – starting in Spain next month. In individual member states, the figures are higher – 50% of Britons, 45% of Irish and 39% of Portuguese are unaware of the document.”

In addition, “only 39% of citizens know that the Constitution does not foresee the creation of a direct European tax; meanwhile only 38% of respondents know that the President of the European Council will not be directly elected by citizens…”

The article also pointed out that most people in the UK are opposed to the ratification of the EU constitution (while, at the same time, 50% don’t even know of its existence). The article explained: “The UK, which many feel may reject the Constitution in its planned referendum next year, has among the most extreme results. At 30%, it has the most people against the Constitution; while, at 20%, the least in favour of the document. This contrasts strongly with Italy and Belgium where the figures in favour are 72% and 70% respectively.”

The article stated in its concluding remarks: “The Constitution, which will introduce an EU foreign minister, a permanent chair of the EU and greater powers to the European Parliament, has to be ratified by all 25 member states before it can come into force.”

In light of these statistics, and the lack of knowledge amongst many Europeans as to what the EU Constitution entails, the following prophecy in Revelation 13:3 is remarkable: “And all the world [inside and outside Europe] marveled and followed the beast” [a modern resurrected Holy Roman Empire, forming right now in Europe].

Australia vs. Europe?

The Australian reported on January 31, 2005, that Australia’s “John Howard has lashed out at ‘old Europe’, describing criticism of the US as ‘unfair and irrational’, as global tensions grow over the Iraq war and free trade. During a vigorous panel debate on US global relations at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, several European officials attacked President George W. Bush’s Iraq policy, but Mr Howard stood up to defend his ally. Earlier in the summit, Mr Howard attacked the European Union over the reintroduction of wheat export subsidies, which he said harmed underdeveloped nations and were contrary to free trade. ‘Some of the criticism (of the US) by some of the Europeans is unfair and irrational,’ Mr Howard said in the panel debate, organised by Britain’s BBC TV. ‘I mean the negative mindset of the last five minutes (of this debate) is ridiculous – of course America has made mistakes,’ he said. Later Mr Howard told The Australian he found the European ‘irrational level of anti-Americanism’ perplexing. ‘It is a sign of parochialism and it is disturbingly intense.’ He said the BBC debate ‘was based on an anti-American mindset which was established right at the beginning by the moderators from the BBC’. “Mr Howard said anti-Americanism had already affected world co-operation. ‘But it is very important to remember it is confined to sectors of Europe – not all Europeans. In that debate there was a significantly different tone taken by the Latvian President to that taken by the German and other contributors,’ Mr Howard said. ‘The British have a different view through their Government, but there remains in Britain some of the old jealousies that have always been there. I found the French and German attitude has lingered longer than I thought it might, and longer than is in anyone’s interests.'”

The Bible describes ongoing “jealousies” between the United States of America and Great Britain. It also prophesies increasing feelings of Anti-Americanism in Europe, especially in leading nations, such as Germany.

Elections in Iraq — Legitimate or not?

On February 2, 2005, The Associated Press filed this report about the recent elections in Iraq:

“Iraq’s leading Sunni Muslim clerics said Wednesday the country’s landmark elections lacked legitimacy because large numbers of Sunnis did not participate in the balloting, which the religious leaders had asked them to boycott… Large numbers of majority Shiite Muslims and Kurds participated in Sunday’s election for a new National Assembly and regional parliaments. Although no results or turnout figures have been released, U.S. officials say participation appeared much lower in Sunni areas where the insurgency is strongest. The low turnout has been blamed variously on the clerics’ own boycott call and on fears of insurgent reprisals against those who voted… “In its first statement since the balloting, the Association of Muslim Scholars said the vote lacked legitimacy because of low Sunni participation. The association months ago urged Sunnis to shun the polls because of the presence of U.S. and other foreign troops, and insurgents threatened to kill anyone who voted. Iraqi officials have acknowledged voting problems, including a ballot shortage in Baghdad, Basra and Mosul, which have substantial Sunni populations and which also may have contributed to a low Sunni turnout. With many Sunnis having stayed away, a ticket endorsed by the Shiite clergy is expected to gain the biggest number of seats in the 275-member National Assembly, followed by the Kurds and a list headed by interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite. Shiites comprise an estimated 60 percent of Iraq’s 26 million people, and Shiite candidates were expected to fare best regardless of Sunni turnout. However, low Sunni participation was believed to have reduced the totals of other tickets.”

Russia and China — a New Power Bloc?

The Associated Press reported on February 2, 2005, that “Russia and China will hold regular security consultations, President Vladimir Putin and a visiting Chinese official announced Wednesday, moving to further strengthen close military cooperation between the two Cold War-era adversaries… Putin hailed an increasingly close cooperation between the former Communist rivals, saying that ‘relations in the political, economic and security sphere and in the field of military cooperation have been developing intensively.'”

The article continued to point out: “The maneuvers, set to begin in August, were seen by many observers as Russia’s response to the cooling of relations with the United States and other Western nations, most recently over the presidential election in Ukraine… After decades of rivalry, Moscow and Beijing have developed what they call a strategic partnership since the 1991 Soviet collapse, pledging their adherence to a ‘multipolar world,’ a term that refers to their opposition to a perceived U.S. domination in global affairs. China has purchased billions of dollars worth of fighters, missiles, submarines and destroyers, becoming the No. 1 customer for struggling Russian defense industries.”

The Bible prophesies that Russia and China will unite, militarily, to form a mighty power bloc. Ultimately, it will find itself in opposition to Europe.

Terrorists in Germany?

On February 1, 2005, The Associated Press reported about the arrests of suspected terrorists in Germany: “In coordinated nationwide raids last month, police arrested 15 people on suspicion of belonging to an extremist network allegedly centered on Ulm and neighboring Neu Ulm… In the Jan. 12 raids, 700 police officers searched 60 mosques, homes and shops across Germany. Suspects included nationals of Germany, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Bulgaria; police said their activities included raising money, producing fake passports, and recruiting people for jihad, or holy war. The Ulm area operation focused on the mosque and an Islamic Information Center… The raids were part of a general crackdown on Islamic extremism in Germany that included the apprehension of three Ansar el Islam suspects alleged to have plotted to assassinate Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi when he visited Berlin in December, and the arrest of two others at the end of January on suspicion they belong to al-Qaida.”

Global Warming a Deadly Threat

AFP reported on February 2, 2005, about the widely underestimated deadly threats of global warming. The article pointed out that “Global warming will boost outbreaks of infectious disease, worsen shortages of water and food in vulnerable countries and create an army of climate refugees fleeing uninhabitable regions, a conference here was told.”

According to the article, “Global warming will also add significantly to Earth’s worrisome water problems. Already around 1.4 billion people live in water-stressed areas, a term defined as having less than 1,000 cubic metres (35,000 cubic feet) of water per person per year… Most of them live in southern and southwest Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. By the 2050s, water availability in these water-stressed regions — but also in parts of central, north and south America — may be further crimped because of changed rainfall patterns. Between 700 million and 2.8 billion people in such areas will be affected, depending on population growth and the pace of temperature rise… Between the 1970s — when temperatures first rose significantly — and the year 2000, climate change cost around 150,000 lives from malnutrition, diarrhoea, malaria and floods. That tally will ‘approximately double’ by 2020, mainly because of diarrhoea, which is propagated easily in floods, and hunger, [an expert] said.”

Germany’s Staggering Unemployment Rate

Bloomberg reported on February 2 about Germany’s unprecedented unemployment rate since WW II. The article stated: “German unemployment jumped to the highest since World War II as new rules added welfare recipients to the jobless register…The number of people out of work in January rose by 227,000 to 4.71 million in seasonally adjusted terms [However, as is pointed out below, the accurate figures seem to be much higher.]… Germany’s rising unemployment contrasts with the U.S., where the jobless rate probably remained unchanged at 5.4 percent in January as 200,000 jobs were created outside farming, a Bloomberg survey of 70 economists showed… In December, Germany had the second highest unemployment rate after Spain among the 12 countries that share the euro, at 10 percent on a comparable basis. The rate in France was 9.7 percent. In the U.K., the latest available comparable rate is 4.6 percent for October….

“‘Unemployment has grown steadily over the last three decades and then reunification came on top of that,’ [a German expert said.] ‘There is no silver bullet for the reduction of unemployment and if anybody claims this can be done quickly then that’s simply false.’ While the German economy resumed expansion in 2004 after three years, there’s been no corresponding growth in job numbers… Germany is losing 1,200 full-time jobs a day… Siemens AG, Germany’s largest engineering company, plans to shed about 700 jobs at its fixed-line networks unit in Munich and Berlin, the company said Jan. 28. T-Mobile International AG, Deutsche Telekom AG’s wireless unit, plans to eliminate as many as 1,200 jobs in Germany by the end of 2006 to cut costs.”

According to Bild Online, the reality of Germany’s unemployment figures is even much worse. In an article, dated February 2, 2005, the German tabloid writes: “In Germany, there are 6.5 million without work… And even that is not the whole truth. In addition to the 6.5 million, there is the ‘silent reserve,’… people who are not entitled to benefits and who therefore don’t even register with the government, as they could not find a job… An improvement is not in sight. The [government] has already announced increasing figures for February.”

In a strongly worded commentary to the German government, the tabloid wrote: “Do you even care for these people [who are without work]?… In our country, [employees of the government] are disconnecting electricity in private homes, as the unemployed cannot afford paying electricity bills. Thousands of Germans are living without light or heat. Do you know… how many Germans are freezing today?”

Historians will recall that the unprecedented unemployment rate in Germany after WW I, and the inability of the government to improve the situation, was one of the reasons why Hitler came to power.

The Next Pope

The Associated Press reported on February 2, 2005, that in light of the pope’s recent health crisis, speculations of a successor have been increased. The article pointed out: “After 26 years in the papacy, Pope John Paul II has outlived many of the men once considered possible successors. Should he die, there would be no clear favorite, making the question of papal succession as unpredictable as any in recent history…

“On the theory the cardinals may seek a transitional figure, one name that has emerged in Rome is Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a German who heads the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He’s 77 and has proposed retiring several times to John Paul, but the pope has turned him down. Ratzinger is favored by those who want assurances the conservative policies of John Paul – opposition to contraception, women priests and any loosening of mandatory celibacy for priests – won’t be relaxed, according to a prelate who closely follows the succession maneuvers.

“Another camp is touting Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras, who at 62 is seen as a dynamic churchman from Latin America. Other prominent names mentioned include Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Vatican-based Nigerian; Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina; Cardinal Godfried Danneels of Belgium; Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico; Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Austria and Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi of Italy [and] Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes… But Chicago Cardinal Francis George does disqualify one group – his fellow Americans. ‘An office like the papacy needs to be free. And to some extent, even the appearance of being in some sense captured by, as we say now, the world’s only superpower, would not be helpful to the mission of the church,’ he told reporters in Rome during a 2003 visit.”

God never promoted polygamy or intended that His followers should engage in that practice. Although the Old Testament records that several of the patriarchs practiced polygamy, it was never in accordance with God’s will and His intent for marriage. When a man took more than one wife, curses and punishment were the consequence.
Abraham sinned when he had sexual relationships with Sarah’s maid Hagar. This was not only a sin because he lacked faith in God that He could give him a son through his wife Sarah, who was barren, but he also sinned, because he was married to Sarah and therefore committed adultery with Sarah’s maid.

Even though Sarah had consented to this act, it did not in any way negate God’s law. And so, we read that Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham, “to be his wife” (Genesis 16:3), but when God speaks to and of Hagar, she is only referred to as Sarah’s maid (Genesis 16:8) or the bondwoman (Genesis 21:13). God never calls Hagar Abraham’s wife, but when God is referring to Sarah, He speaks of her consistently, even after the episode with Hagar, as Abraham’s wife (Genesis 17:15, 19; 18:9-10; 20:2, 7). In Genesis 21, it is recorded that Abraham sent Hagar away, as Hagar’s and Ishmael’s presence created problems for Sarah and Isaac. After the episode with Hagar, the Bible does not mention that Abraham had sexual relationships with any other women but Sarah, until Sarah’s death.

Isaac had only one wife – Rebecca. Although Isaac repeated Abraham’s mistake when he lied about his wife, by calling her his sister, he did not repeat the mistake of his father Abraham to try to produce offspring through Rebecca’s maid, but he waited on God to give him children through Rebecca, trusting in God that He would heal Rebecca who was barren (Genesis 25:21-22).

Jacob took more than one wife (Leah and Rachel), and he repeated the mistake of his grandfather Abraham and produced offspring through the maids of his wives, but he was unconverted at that time. His conversion apparently took place when he wrestled with God, as recorded in Genesis 32:22-32.

Israel’s first king, Saul, took more than one wife, and he thereby sinned, following the practices of the pagans all around him. He violated God’s specific command to Israel’s kings in Deuteronomy 17:17, not to “multiply wives for himself.”

David had more than one wife. We read of his wives Michal, Abigail, Bathsheba, and of other wives and concubines (2 Samuel 5:13). At least ten of his concubines (2 Samuel 15:16) are also called his wives in 2 Samuel 12:11. It seems to follow from 2 Samuel 19:5, that David had even more concubines and wives, than just the ten whom he left in Jerusalem, to guard his court, when he fled from his rebellious son Absalom. David followed the practice of Saul and other kings, to multiply wives, against God’s explicit commandment prohibiting such practice.

We read in 2 Samuel 20:3 that David no longer had any sexual relationships with his concubines, after they had been disgraced by his son Absalom. We also read that Michal was once his wife (1 Samuel 25:44), but ceased to be so, when she had become the wife of another, namely Paltiel. When that happened, the Bible calls Paltiel her husband (2 Samuel 3:15), and David was not supposed to take her back, when he had become king, under the law in effect at that time (compare Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Update #73 discusses the question whether or not this law is still in force and effect today). David probably did so for political reasons, so he could say that he was the husband of King Saul’s daughter. The Bible does not refer to Michal as David’s wife, after he had taken her back, but consistently refers to her as “Michal, Saul’s daughter” (2 Samuel 6:16, 20, 23).

David’s son Solomon took seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, transgressing thereby God’s commandments, and they turned away his heart. What Solomon did was “evil in the sight of the LORD” (1 Kings 11:6).

These Old Testament examples only prove to show that polygamy always has been wrong and against God’s law. This fact is clearly confirmed in the New Testament.

Christ explained, in Mark 10: 6-9, that God’s intent for marriage was a relationship between one man and one woman. The “TWO” (verse 8) were to become one flesh. We don’t read that the “three” or the “four” are to become one flesh.

Human marriage is a symbol of the spiritual marriage between Christ and His Church, as Ephesians 5:25-33 brings out. There, too, we read about the fact that “each one of you… so love his own wife as himself” (verse 33). We don’t read about a husband loving his own WIVES as himself.

Christ will only marry ONE wife – not many wives. It says in Revelation 19:7: “His wife has made herself ready.” It does not say: “His wives have made themselves ready.” Christ’s Church is a spiritual organism, consisting of all in whom God’s Spirit dwells. But it is ONE body (Colossians 1:18) – not several bodies.

We read in 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 that a minister or a deacon must only have one wife. But this does not mean that unordained Church members are permitted to have more than one wife. As we saw, God intends marriage to be a bond between one man and one woman. When addressing the requirements for ministers and deacons, Paul emphasizes God’s teaching, not to have more than one wife, as he emphasizes other character traits required of ministers and deacons (such as, to be “temperate,” “of good behavior,” “not violent,” “not greedy for money,” etc.). This does not mean that these are just requirements for ministers and deacons, and that other Church members don’t sin when they behave badly, or when they are violent or greedy for money.

The teaching of the Old and New Testament is clear and consistent: It is not the Will of God that a man should have more than one wife.

A new StandingWatch program will be recorded on Friday, and should be on the Web shortly. It will be titled, “The Last Days of Pompeii.”

On Saturday, January 29, 2005, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Predestination and the Book of Life.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Do we sometimes get discouraged or have feelings of disappointment because we may think that there does not seem to be enough spectacular growth in the Church of God, which is a spiritual organism? What we have to realize is that growth can be measured in more than one way. It can be measured by focusing on “numbers” — as far as quantity of members and coworkers is concerned — and it can be measured by focusing on increase of spiritual understanding and better conduct (2 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:15) — as far as quality of living is concerned. Which, do you suppose, is more important in God’s eyes?

We may want to compare the growth of the Church with the foundation of a building. When it is strong, one can build on it. However, God must lay the foundation.

When David faced Goliath, it seemed to the human eye like an impossible task to defeat him. Goliath was a giant, close to nine feet tall, and David was just a teenager — he would be termed in our day as a “little runt” by comparison. Yet, this young man who did not have the impressive stature of Goliath, brought God’s enemy down. He did it with God’s help, not relying on his own strength. However, if they were taking bets at that time, you can imagine where the money would have been placed; yet, it did not turn out the way most people thought. The champion of the Philistines went down hard and with finality. You can read the entire account in 1 Samuel 17.

You can also read an interesting account in the seventh chapter of the book of Judges, in regard to God accomplishing a lot with Gideon and a small group of his supporters. God reduced the manpower down to 300 soldiers. With that small “army,” Gideon was able to overcome humanly insurmountable odds, because God was on his side. From a human point of view, it would have seemed to be an impossible task. You may recall, too, that Mr. Armstrong and his wife kept the Feast of Tabernacles, by themselves, for seven years, before God added anyone to the Church. Seven stands for completeness. The foundation had to be laid first.

After Christ’s death and resurrection, only 120 people were willing, at first, to follow Christ totally and completely (Acts 1:15). Prior to Christ’s death, there were many who had followed Him, but only up to a point. In fact, not every one of His disciples was willing to grow, by accepting more spiritual knowledge. When Christ tried to expand the spiritual horizon of His disciples, many refused to embrace His teaching and ceased to walk with Him any longer (John 6:60-66). At that time, the group of believers DECREASED in quantity, but those who stayed were willing and ready to INCREASE in quality (John 6:67-68).

We firmly believe that in God’s due time, He will add more people to Christ’s body — the Church — as He sees fit. In the meantime, let us ensure that we grow in the quality of our relationship with God. We must never despise the day of small things (Zechariah 4:10). In the end, God can and will accomplish growth in every respect (Isaiah 55:10-11).

President Bush and the Foreign Press

On January 21, 2005, csmonitor.com reported about the overwhelmingly negative reaction of the foreign press to President Bush’s second inaugural speech. The article pointed out:

“… So when Mr. Bush made it clear on Thursday that he was not about to ‘turn back from his doctrine of taking pre-emptive action, in the interests of American security (or, as he would put it, American freedom)’ as the BBC characterized his speech, there was little room for [the] noted British understatement in the headline of the Beeb’s stellar roundup – ‘World press electrified by Bush vision.’ ‘Hold on to your hats, this may be the most ambitious presidency ever.’ That’s the message from one Israeli paper [Haaretz] after President George W. Bush’s inauguration – a message echoed across the world’s press. For China’s press his speech raises the question whether Washington will head further down a ‘unilateral’ path in foreign relations. One Polish paper heralds the speech as the dawn of a conservative revolution, while in Germany and Turkey there’s a bleak forecast for the new Bush era.”

The article continued: “Iraq was never mentioned by name, yet its recent history resonated when Bush applied Abraham Lincoln’s words: ‘those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it’ to his own phrase ‘the rulers of outlaw regimes.’ This was too much for The Toronto Star which called such language ‘unabashedly aggressive.’… The BBC viewed such words as ‘warning bells… ringing in foreign capitals such as Tehran and Damascus.'”

Der Spiegel Online editorialized last week, that no matter what President Bush tries to do, it always seems to backfire and invite criticism. Even though he is right on many issues, according to the magazine, it seems he can’t get many foreign supporters for any of them.

This is a remarkable observation, but why would this be the case? The answer becomes clear in light of Biblical prophecy for the United States of America. Speaking to the modern house of Israel (Ephraim and Manasseh, i.e., the GB and USA ), Isaiah states: “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: ‘I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me. The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider… The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it… When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:2-3, 5-6, 15).

Japan Shows Its Muscles

As The International Herald Tribune reported on January 22, 2005, “Japan is once more going from strength to strength, and this time not just on the economic front. Militarily, diplomatically and in terms of cultural influence and general global activism, Japan is transforming itself, and at speed – not merely into a ‘normal’ country, but into a formidable player across a wide front. Militarily, the Japanese have embarked on a huge upgrade of their overall power-projection capabilities, reinforced by a big expansion of intelligence resources and of their already large satellite program.”

The article continued to explain: “In effect, this is a farewell to the old ‘Yoshida doctrine,’ which based security strictly on national self-defense. Instead, it ushers in a new phase of ‘equal partnership’ defense arrangements, especially with the United States, with interlocking ground, air and maritime forces at an unprecedented level of interoperability and intimacy… In short, Japan is re-emerging as a major military power both in East Asia and globally.”

These developments are highly remarkable, as Japan, according to Biblical prophecy, will play a strong military role in an upcoming conflict between Europe and Asia.

Weather Chaos in Midwest and Europe

On January 22, 2005, itemonline.com stated: “Hundreds of airline flights were canceled Saturday and fleets of road plows were warmed up as a paralyzing snowstorm barreled out of the Midwest and spread across the Northeast with a potential for up to 20 inches of snow driven by 50 mph wind. Storm warnings were posted from Wisconsin to New England, where the National Weather Service posted blizzard warnings in effect through Sunday.”

The Boston Globe reported on January 27, 2005, that “The dazzling oceanside setting that makes Cape Cod a tourist destination contributed yesterday to another furious onslaught of snow that fell from Falmouth to Provincetown, as Massachusetts endured a winter storm that helped set a record for the highest monthly snowfall in 113 years.”

Bild Online reported on January 27, 2005, about chaotic weather conditions in Europe, with snowstorms and blizzards in Majorca and Algiers, and snow and frozen roads in Sicily. Bild Online stated: “Majorca encountered the biggest snowstorm for 100 years… The weather conditions in Algeria have not been as bad since the 50’s… In Germany, temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius [in some areas].”

USA vs. GB vs. Iran?

In a remarkable development, showing potential disharmony between the United States of America and Great Britain over the issue of Iran, “JACK STRAW [Great Britain’s foreign minister] has drawn up a dossier putting the case against a military attack on Iran amid fears that President George W Bush’s administration may seek Britain’s backing for a new conflict,” according to The Sunday Times of January 23, 2005.

The article explained: “Straw and his officials fear that hawks in Washington will talk the American president into a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, just as they persuaded him to go to war in Iraq… The document says a peaceful solution led by Britain, France and Germany is ‘in the best interests of Iran and the international community.’ It refers to ‘safeguarding Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear technology’… The approach contrasts with the government’s two Iraq dossiers, which were trumpeted to make the case for war… Fears in London of an attack were fuelled when Dick Cheney, the American vice-president, said that Iran was ‘top of the list’ as a trouble spot for the administration. Rice said it was an ‘outpost of tyranny’… The message that the British government wants no part in another war in the Middle East will be reinforced by Tony Blair when he meets Bush in Brussels next month and at an Anglo-American summit in Washington after the British general election, which is expected in May.”

The article continued: “In a YouGov poll for The Sunday Times today, 65% of [the] people said that Britain should not support American military action against Iran, compared with 16% who were in favour. However, a consensus is emerging among the ‘neoconservative’ hawks in Washington who are close to Bush that European-led diplomacy with Iran is failing to produce results. A prominent Washington defence hawk said: ‘At some point the Americans are going to turn to the Europeans and say: “The goal is disarmament but all we are getting is arms control. It’s time for a bigger stick.”‘”

This developing disagreement over Iran MIGHT be one of several contributing factors to the prophesied disharmony between the United States of America and Great Britain in the near future. Isaiah 9:21 states: “Manasseh [modern USA] shall devour Ephraim [modern GB], and Ephraim Manasseh, Together they shall be against Judah.”

USA’s Astronomical Budget Deficit!

Bloomberg.com reported on January 24, 2005, that “Germany and France said the drop in the dollar has unfairly punished European economies and called for coordinated action by the U.S., Asia and Europe to stem the currency’s decline. German Finance Minister Hans Eichel and his French counterpart, Herve Gaymard, said the U.S. current account and budget deficits were the chief causes of the euro’s 34 percent rise against the dollar the past three years.”

In addition, The Associated Press reported on January 26, 2005, that “China has lost faith in the stability of the U.S. dollar and its first priority is to broaden the exchange rate for its currency from the dollar to a more flexible basket of currencies, a top Chinese economist said Wednesday.”

It was also reported by Bloomberg.com that “The U.S. must attract about $1.8 billion of investment a day from overseas to fill the current-account gap and maintain the value of the dollar, based on Bloomberg calculations. The shortfall increased to a record $164.7 billion in the third quarter… The federal budget deficit widened to a record $412.3 billion in the year ended on Sept. 30.”

It is evident that this cannot go on much longer. It should be obvious that the USA is facing an UNAVOIDABLE terrible economic disaster in the near future. This is true, even though it was announced during a press conference on Wednesday, January 26, 2005, that the Bush administration will propose to Congress how to cut the deficit in half, while, at the same time, asking for another 80 billion dollars (!) to be spent in Iraq. It should be clear, however, that these ideas will not help in the long run.

The situation in at least parts of Iraq can only be described, objectively, as chaotic. Elections are scheduled for Sunday, but due to violent attacks by Iraqi “insurgents,” some, if not many, of the Iraqi people will not vote. The most recent U.S. helicopter crash in Iraq, killing all 31 marines on board, which was apparently due to mechanical failure, is another indication that the U.S. endeavors in Iraq are simply not blessed. Most Americans would agree with this assessment, stating, according to published opinion polls, that the Iraq war was a failure.

Iraq Before Elections

On January 26, 2005, Zenit published an interesting interview with Chaldean Bishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk (Iraq). He clearly favors elections and warns against an early withdrawal of the American troops from Iraq (President Bush just stated that he cannot foresee that American troops will withdraw from Iraq within a year, according to Bild Online, dated January 27, 2005). Bishop Sako stated in the interview:

“The elections are something immense and new. Nothing of the kind has happened in the past 50 years: first because of clashes and revolts, then due to 35 years of dictatorship. There has never been freedom of expression. But now, anything is possible: If there are people and parties arguing and clashing, that is because they are free to do so. Now, Iraqis must learn to discuss in a civil manner. But the people of Iraq have never been trained for coexistence; they have always lived in the midst of violence: three wars, a dictatorship, 13 years of embargo. This is why freedom is not used in a responsible way and problems arise… There are, of course, people who are frightened by threats, but I say that achieving normality has its condition, and this condition is the election process…

“The media is a big problem in Iraq: a lot of lies and provocations are being written and broadcast. It’s enough to think of al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya that are misinforming a great deal, in what amounts to utter fanaticism, which even Iraqi Muslim leaders themselves have condemned. These television broadcasters are continuously trying to spark violence against the Americans and even against Iraqis… But if the Americans leave Iraq today, there will be civil war between Kurds, Arabs, Sunnis, Shiites, Muslims, Christians… The U.S. must stay on until Iraqis can take command of the nation. For the moment, they can’t do this, the necessary structures are not yet in place.”

Swastika a “Harmless” Good Luck Charm?

On January 20, 2005, www.news.bbc.co.uk and Der Spiegel Online reported about the Hindu reaction to German MEPs call “for a Europe-wide ban of the symbol [swastika] after Prince Harry wore it on a fancy dress costume.” According to the articles, “Hindu Forum spokesman Ramesh Kallidai said the swastika had been a Hindu good luck charm for centuries.” He described it as “the second most sacred symbol in the Hindu tradition which has been used for 5,000 years to ward off evil.”

The articles explained that “Displaying the swastika is illegal in Germany. However… a similar ban in the UK would have an adverse affect on Hindus who regarded a swastika in much the same way as a Christian viewed a cross.”

The articles also pointed out the fact that “The Hindu swastika faces to the right, unlike the one adopted by the Nazis which faces to the left.”

To understand the German concern in this entire matter, we need to look at the recent origin and purpose of Hitler’s swastika.

Klaus P. Fischer explains in his outstanding work, “Nazi Germany — A New History,” on page 38, Hitler’s relationship with Georg Lanz von Liebenfels (1874-1954), “a man who gave Hitler many of his racial ideas.” Liebenfels “disseminated his racial ideas in his periodical Ostara, a magazine usually adorned with a swastika on its front page.” Liebenfels was “a former Cistercian monk in the Heiligenkreuz monastery… Liebenfels also gathered like-minded cultists in a ruined castle in upper Austria at Werfenstein. Here he hoisted a swastika and chanted magical incantations to the Teutonic spirits… Hitler actually met Liebenfels on one occasion, asking him for some back issues of Ostara. In fact, the swastika symbol, the racial theory of history, the Holy Grail of Aryan purity, the extermination of apelike humans (Tiermenschen) — all these mental aberrations were prefabricated for Hitler by Liebenfels.”

Fischer continues to state, on pages 129-130:

“Hitler placed great emphasis on the need for symbols and myths in party organization. As early as August 1920, he approved the swastika as the party’s prime symbol… [T]he swastika had been used by a variety of voelkisch groups and paramilitary organizations, but as a symbol it dates back to ancient times [For instance, the ancient Assyrians used the swastika as well]. In Sanskrit the word swastika originally meant ‘good luck,’ and in the pictorial records of various religions… the swastika denoted an object of veneration. The final swastika emblem, although approved by Hitler, was not Hitler’s idea but came from a design by Dr. Friedrich Krohn… Hitler approved this design except for one modification–namely, that the arms of the swastika extended in right rather than in left angels. He later explained the symbolic meaning of this design by saying that ‘in the red we see the social idea of the movement, in the white the national idea, in the swastika the mission of the fight for the victory of the Aryan man, and at the same time also the victory of the idea of creative work which in itself is and always will be anti-Semitic.'”

Auschwitz Remembered

BBC News reported on January 27, 2005: “Holocaust survivors and world leaders have held an emotional ceremony in Poland, 60 years after the liberation of the Nazis’ Auschwitz death camp… ‘It seems as if we can still hear the dead crying out,’ Israeli President Moshe Katsav told the crowd. The Nazi regime murdered six million Jews and many others during what became known as the Holocaust. Auschwitz, the largest of the Nazi camps, where 1.1 million people died, was liberated by the advancing Soviet army on 27 January 1945. Expressing fears over a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Europe, Mr Katsav questioned whether the memory of the Holocaust had lost its power to deter attacks and insults against Jews…

“Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the crowd. But German President Horst Koehler remained silent, in recognition of Germany’s role as perpetrator of the Holocaust. Touring the camp with survivors before the ceremony, he said: ‘We have the duty to ensure that something like this never happens again – and we Germans in particular.’… Other world figures at the ceremony included US Vice-President Dick Cheney and UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. In the nearby Polish city of Krakow, before the ceremony in Auschwitz, Mr Putin spoke out against anti-Semitism and admitted that it was a problem in his country… French President Jacques Chirac, opening an exhibit in honour of French victims, said his country must bear its responsibility for the deportation of Jews from Nazi-occupied France. In the German capital, Berlin, parliament held a special ceremony including an address by a German-Jewish camp survivor, Arno Lustiger, and the readings of poems by a man murdered in Auschwitz.”

The Bible distinguishes between the house of Israel (also referred to as the lost ten tribes) and the house of Judah, or the Jews. At the time of Paul, the house of Judah was politically composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and part of Levi. A careful study of Paul’s writings reveals that he uses the term “Jew” many times as a SUMMARY TERM, which also includes all the tribes of the house of Israel; for instance, Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), Simeon, Levi, and Reuben.

We read, in Acts 21:39, that “Paul said, I am a man which am a JEW of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia.” However, in Romans 11:1, Paul explained: “I also am an ISRAELITE, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” Notice that Paul called himself a Jew and an “Israelite” — a descendant of ancient Israel or Jacob — and not just a Jew.

Acts 9:15 shows Paul’s 3-fold mission; i.e., to bear Christ’s name before GENTILES, kings and the children of ISRAEL. Here, the Bible makes a distinction between Gentiles and the children of ISRAEL — not just Gentiles and Jews. This passage shows that the children of ISRAEL are NOT Gentiles.

In Matthew 10:5-6, the same distinction is made. We read, in the Authorized Version: “These twelve [apostles] Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” The twelve were forbidden, at that time, to spread the gospel among the Gentiles, but they were to preach it to the house of ISRAEL — not just the tribe of Judah, commonly referred to as “Jews.” Again, we see from this passage that the children of ISRAEL (not just the Jews) are NOT Gentiles.

James defined the children of Israel in his letter as “the twelve tribes of ISRAEL.” The TWELVE tribes include not just the Jews, but ALL of the tribes of Israel (compare Revelation 7:4-8). James 1:1 says: “James a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the TWELVE TRIBES which are scattered abroad.”

As was mentioned, the term “Jew” in Paul’s writings is, many times, a summary term for all from the house of Israel and Judah. As we saw, Paul says he is a Jew and an Israelite; Christ says that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22), but Paul writes in Romans 9:3-5: “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my BRETHREN, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are ISRAELITES, to whom pertain the adoption [better: sonship], the glory, the COVENANTS, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises, of whom are the fathers [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob] and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came…”

Although the tribe of Judah is included here, the passage goes beyond the Jews and includes ALL tribes of the house of Israel. Many commentaries do not understand this distinction and equate Jews with Israelites, as if all of the tribes of Israel are “Jews.” This is, however, untrue. The Jews are ONE tribe of Israel. So, it is correct that all Jews are Israelites, but not all Israelites are Jews, and none of them are “Gentiles.” The law and the covenants were given to ISRAEL, not just the tribe of Judah (compare, too, Ephesians 2:12, speaking about the GENTILES who were formerly aliens from the commonwealth of ISRAEL, and strangers from the covenants of promise). The promises were made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the “fathers” — the forefathers of all of Israel, not just the tribe of Judah.

As “Jew” in Paul’s writings is many times a summary term for all the tribes of Israel, the term “Greek” is many times a summary term for all Gentile nations. Please note that Paul, many times, uses the terms “Greek” and “Gentile,” interchangeably. In Romans 1:16, Paul speaks about Jews and Greeks, but in Romans 2:9-10 (in the AV), in the same context, he speaks about Jews and Gentiles. (Compare, too, Romans 9:24.) At times, there might be a distinction between “Greeks” and other “Gentiles,” but at other times, the term “Greek” is all-encompassing. The Ryrie Study Bible explains in a footnote to Romans 1:14: “‘Greeks’ — Those who spoke Greek and who had adopted Hellenistic culture, in contrast to ‘Barbarians,’ who had not. However, in v. 16 ‘Greek’ means ‘Gentile.'”

In passing, we are not addressing here the additional aspect of “spiritual” Jews, that is, true Christians (compare Romans 2:28-29). It might be noteworthy, that even in that regard, the Church is referred to, in Galatians 6:16, as the “ISRAEL of God.”

The letter to the Galatians says much about Jew and Gentile. One key passage is Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Here the contrast between nationalities (ethnic), between slave and free (social) and between male and female (sexual) is drawn. The first one covering nationality is restricted to either “Jew” or “Greek”–REPRESENTATIVES of either Israelites or Gentiles. Especially considering that rulership arises from the Jews, the term “Jews” is used here as a summary term for all the tribes of Israel, represented by the RULING tribe. “Greeks” served as representatives of all other nations.

When Paul speaks in his writings about “Jews,” he is addressing, many times, all of the tribes of Israel. He did not mean to imply that everyone, who is not a descendant of the tribe of Judah, is a “Greek” or a “Gentile.” Today, the descendants of the house of Israel can be found in the United States of America, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe. They are not “Gentiles,” but of the house of Israel. This is important to understand, if one wants to comprehend what is prophesied about their future. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

A new StandingWatch program was placed on the Web, titled, “Are you a Peacemaker?”

Our new booklet on Military Service and War, Jury Duty and Governmental Elections has entered the second stage of the review cycle.

On Saturday, January 22, 2005, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Who You Are!”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Why is there so much confusion in the world, when it comes to understanding the Bible? Why is even God’s Church sometimes not immune from misinterpretations and wrong ideas about certain aspects of God’s Word?

The simple answer is that God must reveal His truth to us — but we must be His followers; that is, we must be willing, humble participants. We must replace our own human wisdom with the knowledge of God. We must give up our own ideas, speculations and concepts, and let God teach us His unalterable truth.

A most important key to gaining true Biblical understanding is to let the Bible interpret the Bible. Rather than trying to force our own human ideas upon a Scripture, we must follow God’s instructions to search all the Scriptures and to add “here a little, there a little” (Isaiah 28:10), until a full and clear picture emerges.

Let us take the concept of the gospel as an example. There are perhaps as many ideas as to what the gospel is, as there are Christian churches, all claiming to be part of the Body of Christ. If one were to only look at all the Scriptures on this topic of the gospel, there would be no need for confusion.

The gospel is most and foremost defined as “the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Matthew 4:23; Mark 1:14-15). As there is only ONE gospel (Galatians 1:6-10), any other designation and description of the gospel must be looked upon as describing certain aspects and characteristics of the one and only gospel — that of the Kingdom of God. Far too many look at these descriptions as alternate or additional gospels. One famous evangelist once told Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong (who died 19 years ago, on January 16, 1986): “You are doing a great work proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom of God, while I am doing a great work proclaiming the gospel of grace.”

However, the gospel of grace (compare Acts 20:24) is just a description as how to enter God’s Kingdom. It is by grace — God offers to us entrance into His Kingdom through grace or unmerited pardon.

The gospel of the Kingdom of God is also the gospel of Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1; Romans 1:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; compare Romans 1:9), and of God the Father (Romans 1:1) — as it is Their message (gospel just meaning good news), which They proclaim to man. It is a glorious gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4 (Authorized Version); compare 1 Timothy 1:11), and when we identify with it, it has become “our” gospel (2 Corinthians 4:3; compare Romans 2:16). It is an eternal or everlasting gospel (Revelation 14:6), proclaiming the everlasting truth that man can obtain eternal life. It is a gospel or good news of peace (Ephesians 6:15), as God’s Kingdom will establish peace on earth. This very same gospel of the Kingdom of God was proclaimed to Abraham (Galatians 3:8). It is the gospel of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13), because when we enter the Kingdom of God, as born again members of the Family of God, we have obtained our eternal and ultimate salvation.

Rather than teaching different gospels, the gospel of the Kingdom of God can be described in many different ways, but all these descriptions only contribute to the essence of the one true gospel (For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.”)

When we study the Bible, we must submit to God and His wisdom. We must follow God’s directives to search all the Scriptures and to read them, “here a little, there a little,” until we can see clearly the all-encompassing truth on a given matter.

It is a joy, reassuring and very rewarding to do so — as long as we do it right.

President Bush’s Second Inaugural Address

As The Associated Press reported on January 20, 2005, “President Bush sought in his second inaugural speech to define his new term as a fight for freedom in every nation with the ‘ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.’ At home, he urged a divided nation to find the unity it had felt after the Sept. 11 attacks… Yet seeking to soften an image sometimes seen as aggressive around the world, Bush said America does not want to impose ‘our own style of government on the unwilling.’ And while he led the nation into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq during his first term, he said that spreading freedom is not ‘primarily the task of arms.’… [President Bush] sought to reassure U.S. allies that America did not want to stand alone in the fight for freedom. ‘All the allies of the United States can know: We honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help,’ Bush said. ‘Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom’s enemies.'”

President Bush’s statements to the allies of the United States have to be seen as a direct response to mounting fears, especially in Europe, that Mr. Bush will continue, what has been perceived by many Europeans, as an American course of action without regard for the concerns, desires and wishes of friends and allies.

In that respect, Mr. Bush’s statements in his second inaugural speech were reminiscent of his first inaugural address in January of 2001, although subsequent events created the perception in many parts around the world that President Bush did not deliver, at least in respect to America’s allies, what he had stated at that time. In his first inaugural speech, President Bush had said:

“The enemies of liberty and our country should make no mistake, America remains engaged in the world, by history and by choice, shaping a balance of power that favors freedom. We will defend our allies and our interests. We will show purpose without arrogance.”

Many hope that President Bush’s words in his second inaugural address will be followed by action. But widespread fear and skepticism remain — especially in Europe. Der Spiegel Online reported on January 20, 2005, that according to a poll conducted by the BBC in 21 countries, 60 percent fear that under President Bush’s leadership, peace and world security will be threatened. 58 percent believe that the world will become more dangerous under President Bush. Only the majority in India, Poland and the Philippines believes that President Bush’s policy will make the world safer.

In particular, when asked whether President Bush will have a positive or a negative impact on world peace within the next four years, 77 percent of Germans answered, “negative,” while only 14 percent answered, “positive.” In France, the results were very similar (75 percent say, “negative,” 13 percent say, “positive”). In Great Britain, 69 percent believe that his impact will be negative, while 29 percent state that it will be positive. The strongest disapproval rate was received in Turkey where only 6 percent believe that Mr. Bush will have a positive impact on the world’s security and peace, while 82 percent believe that his impact will be negative. This may be somewhat surprising to some observers, as the United States is strongly advocating EU membership of Turkey, while many Europeans are opposed to it and US involvement in the matter.

Prophecy clearly shows that the United States of America will lose, ultimately, most support in the world. Friends and allies will turn out to become America’s enemies. For more information on this important Biblical revelation, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Israel Member of EU?

UPI reported on January 11, 2005, that “Israel could be a future member of the European Union, a top EU official suggested Tuesday. Germany’s [Guenter] Verheugen, vice-president of the European Commission in Brussels…, claimed, in the long-term, he would ‘not even rule out monetary union,’ in which Israel would adopt the euro as its currency… Verheugen said he could ‘imagine Israel being widely integrated into the European economic structures’ and ‘being a full participant in the internal market.’ Two years ago… Verheugen caused a stir by first raising the possibility of a special relationship between Israel and the EU, and spoke of ‘a single market from Oslo to Jerusalem.'”

This kind of wishful thinking notwithstanding, Bible prophecy strongly indicates that Israel will not become a member of the EU, as the EU will be at odds with the state of Israel. Instead, the EU, under German leadership, will form an alliance with certain Arab nations AGAINST Israel.

The Apocalypse and the Catholic Church

WorldNetDaily reported on January 12, 2005: “Pope John Paul II commented on the Apocalypse, saying that the increase in violence and injustice in the world is the work of a furious Satan who doesn’t have ‘much time left’ and ultimately will be defeated.” The article quoted the pope as follows: “Satan, the original adversary, who accused our brothers in the heavenly court, has now been cast down from heaven and therefore no longer has great power. He knows he has not much time left because history is about to see a radical turning point in freedom from evil and therefore he is reacting full of great fury.”

These comments are highly remarkable. It is indeed correct that Satan and his demons know that they have but a very short time, as Revelation 12:12 and James 2:19 indicate. We also read in Romans 16:20: “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.”

Death Toll in Indonesia

According to a report published by www.news-leader.com, “An official document posted here says that nearly 210,000 people in Indonesia are dead or missing from the Dec. 26 tsunami, a death toll that appears to be far higher than officials have reported publicly. Rescue workers think even that number may be low. The Indonesia toll would bring the total of dead and missing from the tidal surge across the Indian Ocean to nearly 272,000, ranking the tsunami as the fifth or sixth deadliest natural disaster in about 250 years.”

The article continued: “The new death toll came as Indonesian officials restricted the movements of foreign relief workers, U.N. employees and journalists in devastated north Sumatra, the Indonesian island that took the brunt of the tsunami’s force, and said foreign military units would be allowed to work in the country for only a limited time. Indonesia’s vice president told the United States and other nations that have sent troops to deliver relief that their forces won’t be permitted to remain in Sumatra longer than three months, and should leave as soon as their work is completed. The blunt comments seemed to end what had been tacit Indonesian acceptance of a foreign presence in an area that has been off limits to foreigners for years.”

A New King of Israel?

The Jerusalem Post reported the following on January 12, 2005:

“According to a group of 71 Jewish scholars who met this week in the Old City of Jerusalem in the form of a modern-day Sanhedrin – a duplicate of the religious tribunal which convened during the time of the Second Temple – a coronation day is growing closer… For the past several years a group called the Monarchists has conducted extensive research into the lineage of several families in an effort to discover who has the closest bloodline to the biblical King David – a requirement for any future Jewish king. Rabbi Yosef Dayan from Psagot, known for his recent threats to place a death curse on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, is said to be a leading candidate to become the ‘king of Israel.’ ‘Dayan has the best lineage to King David,’ several members of the Sanhedrin told The Jerusalem Post.” The article continued:

“Some of the other ideas discussed at the Sanhedrin meeting included the construction of an altar on the Temple Mount to be used for the Passover Offering during the upcoming holiday. One of the ideas, members said, is to climb the Mount and build the altar within minutes and sacrifice the lamb before security forces can stop them… Participants also discussed [Baruch] Ben-Yosef’s idea [a leading Sanhedrin member] of reinstating the Sanhedrin’s authority to announce Rosh Hodesh, the beginning of the new lunar month. ‘It is very important to reinstate the Sanhedrin’s authority to announce the month, because it will force people to understand that God gave us the power to control the calendar and our own destiny,’ Ben-Yosef said.”

School Forced to Continue Teaching Lies

The Associated Press reported on January 13, 2005, that “A federal judge Thursday ordered a suburban Atlanta school system to remove stickers from its high school biology textbooks that call evolution ‘a theory, not a fact,’ saying the disclaimers are an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. ‘By denigrating evolution, the school board appears to be endorsing the well-known prevailing alternative theory, creationism or variations thereof, even though the sticker does not specifically reference any alternative theories,” [the] U.S. District Judge… said.”

By hiding behind the misinterpreted mantle of “separation between Church and state,” school children are not permitted to even question the unscientific theory of evolution. What a travesty in a country claiming to be “educated.” And how true are God’s words about our modern societies (compare 1 Corinthians 1:20-21): “… Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through [their human] wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached (that is, in the eyes of the so-called “educated” establishment) to save those who believe” (the truth — and not falsehoods like evolution!).

An Asian Century?

As “timesofindia” reported on January 14, 2005, “The rise of China and India as global players is heralding an Asian Century in place of a receding American Century, a US intelligence report said on Thursday. In a far reaching projection, the CIA-commissioned report compared the rise of the two Asian giants to the advent of a united Germany in the 19th century and a powerful United States in the 20th century, and said the event will transform the world’s geopolitical landscape, with impacts potentially as dramatic as those in the previous two centuries.”

This report is interesting in light of the fact that in the very end, an army from Asia, which will be fighting a mighty European power bloc, is described as “two hundred million” (Revelation 9:16). Only the combined manpower of many Asian nations, including China, India, Japan, and Russia, could produce such a mighty army. This battle between Europe and Asia is also described in the book of Daniel. We read, in Daniel 11:44-45, that a future European leader will be troubled by “news from the east and the north…; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many… yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.”

Europe Won’t Break Up

On January 17, 2005, “scotlandonsunday” reported about a CIA forecast, warning that Europe may break up within 15 years “unless it radically reforms its ailing welfare systems.” We know from Biblical prophecy, of course, that Europe will NOT break up, but that it will become the greatest power bloc on the globe. In light of this understanding, the following comments from the CIA report are startling:

“The report predicts that America’s relationships with Europe will be ‘dramatically altered’ over the next 15 years, in a move away from post-Second World War institutions. Nato could disappear and be replaced by increased EU action. The EU, rather than Nato, will increasingly become the primary institution for Europe, and the role Europeans shape for themselves on the world stage is most likely to be projected through it,’ the report adds.”

Fire in Australia

According to www.news.com.au, dated January 15, 2005, “Scientists believe 500,000 Australian homes are at high risk of being destroyed by fire because of their proximity to the bush. They said 334,000 homes within 80m of the bush had a 60 per cent chance of burning down if the nearby grass or trees caught fire. And another 155,000 homes in the next 50m were in serious danger. The predictions came days after the most devastating Australian bushfire since 1983, in which nine people died, including four children, in South Australia.”

Hitler and Pope Pius XII

Reuters reported on January 15, 2005, that “Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler gave one of his generals a direct order to kidnap Pope Pius XII during World War [II]…Two but the officer did not obey, Italy’s leading Roman Catholic newspaper reported Saturday…. [According to the report] Hitler feared the Pope would be an obstacle to his plans for global domination and because the dictator wanted to eventually abolish Christianity and impose National Socialism as a sort of new global religion.”

The article also pointed out that “Church officials accumulat[e] evidence to back efforts to have Pius eventually made a saint. But the reports of Hitler’s contempt for Pius have contrasted with other versions by historians and authors who have depicted Pius as being pro-German and have accused him of intentionally turning a blind eye to the Holocaust.”

These reported incidents could very well serve as a type or forerunner in respect to what is clearly prophesied to happen. The Bible predicts, in the 17th chapter of the book of Revelation, that at one time in the near future, a military power and a religious power will work together, but that in the end, the political power will turn against and fight the religious power. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

While the current practices of the Church of God have been shaped by both national laws and customs regarding the conducting of both weddings and funerals, the ultimate basis is firmly established in Scripture. These significant events of a Christian’s life are of great importance in the plan which God has established for all of mankind.

The joining together of a man and woman in marriage is a holy ordinance of God. This can be seen from numerous Scriptures. Marriage was established by God from the beginning of mankind’s existence on the earth. From Genesis 1:27-28, we see that God created male and female humans. In Genesis 2:20-25, it is further explained that the man and the woman were to be joined together, and the woman is specifically designated as the man’s wife. Further confirmation is given that it was God Who established marriage: “‘Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate'” (Mark 10:9; compare, too, Matthew 19:1-9). It is of particular significance that in the previous verses, Jesus explained that Moses was allowed, because of the hardness of the people’s hearts, to grant divorces for different reasons. Christ added, however, that this was not so in the beginning, and that Christians are only permitted to divorce in very limited circumstances. One reason for divorce was established in the record of the Church of God as noted in the letter from Paul to the Church at Corinth–that is, when an unbeliever is no longer pleased to dwell with the believer, and departs from his or her marriage obligations (compare 1 Corinthians 7:12, 15).

God hates divorce. Note this powerful rebuke from God to those who question why God is not blessing them: “…Because the LORD has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife BY COVENANT” (Malachi 2:14). In Proverbs 2:17, we read that the immoral woman “forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the COVENANT OF HER GOD.”

We understand that “…God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:28). More details are given concerning these appointments and their purpose in Ephesians 4:11-16, as well as in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 4:6-7; 5:17; and Hebrews 13:7. In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus gives us an example of the Church of God being administered. Decisions must be made on a variety of issues by applying the Word of God and seeking God’s Will through prayer. That is a part of the administration of the Church that God has given to His ministry.

Note the example found in 1 Corinthians 6:1-6. Paul strongly rebukes the members for taking matters against one another to the world (“the unrighteous… who are least esteemed by the church”– verses 1 and 4). Rather, he shows that “a wise man” should be able to judge these problems in the Church (verse 5). Why? We in the Church of God are bound by the laws of God, and they take precedence over the laws of man, if there is a conflict. For us, the issue is a matter of submitting, first and foremost, to God’s Will.

Marriage laws vary from society to society. In fact, in some nations marriages are not recognized by governmental authorities when merely and solely performed by a minister. However, for members of the Church of God–while we are to respect the laws of the land in which we live–marriage is governed by the greater laws of God. In countries, where only civil marriages are recognized by the government, Church members have asked a minister of God to officiate, in addition, over the marriage ceremony in a religious setting. During the ceremony, the minister emphasizes the purpose of marriage, and that the couple is entering into a life-long COVENANT with God. He also places his hands on the couple, while asking God in prayer to sanctify the marriage and to set aside the couple for the holy purpose of the marriage relationship. (That God’s minister lays hands on the couple is highly significant: The Biblical procedure of laying on of hands is done for “sanctification,” that is, for the purpose of setting the person or persons aside for a holy purpose.)

A minister of God’s Church, today, officiates in many duties associated with the Biblical command to both preach the good news of God’s Kingdom and to serve the Church of God. We have the examples of Jesus Christ and of those who faithfully followed Him as recorded in God’s Word. Jesus Christ, while here on the earth, specifically and ceremonially blessed little children: “And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them (!), and blessed them” (Mark 10:16). We now follow this example by setting aside a time at the Feast of Tabernacles each year to bless little children. This, then, has become a “custom” or “tradition” of the Church.

In the time of Jesus, the Jews had many customs or traditions as a part of their worship. However, Jesus, time and again, rejected the wrong aspects that had arisen: “He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?'” (Matthew 15:3).

Not all tradition is, of itself, bad–as we can see concerning the burial of Jesus Christ: “Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury” (John 19:40). Reading the full account of this occurrence as recorded in John 19, we note that the burial of that day was different from that of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob (Israel). Furthermore, Jacob was embalmed (Genesis 50:2). His son, Joseph, officiated in this burial, which included taking his father’s body back to the promised land (compare Genesis 50:1-10, 14). A period of great mourning was observed. Likewise, we find other Biblical examples of ceremonial burials in the Bible in which customs of the day were observed (Moses: Deuteronomy 34:5-8; Samuel: 1 Samuel 25:1; David: 1 Kings 2:10; John the Baptist: Matthew 14;11-13).

For members of the Church of God, death is to be viewed in light of God’s truth (compare 1 Corinthians 15). We also read: “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). In a very true sense, Paul–through inspiration from God–established the basis for members to deal with death. For those not called to the truth of God, this knowledge is either completely missing, or it is interwoven with false and deceptive teachings about one who dies going to heaven or purgatory, limbo or hell.

Because of the understanding God has revealed to His Church, it has been a long standing practice for the elders of the Church to officiate over matters such as marriage between those who are part of the Church of God, as well as burials. However, depending on the particular situation, a minister may also conduct a memorial or burial service for non-members.

Burials are performed as a service to family and friends of the deceased when one in the faith dies and is put in a place of rest, awaiting the return of Jesus Christ to establish His Kingdom on the earth. This is, of course, a time of trial for the family and friends, due to the loss of fellowship for a time. The purpose of the service is to give comfort and hope in reminding family and friends of the fact that the very next thought the deceased will experience will occur when he or she comes forth from the grave. His or her first awareness will be the glorious, spiritual body which God will give to all His faithful children.

One distinction exists between wedding ceremonies and services performed in relation to burials and anointings for healings. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 that we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Therefore, the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the USA, the Global Church of God in England, and the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada, will only officiate over a marriage between a man and woman, if both are baptized in the faith, and have received God’s Spirit. This rule does not apply, however, relative to funerals and anointing for healing.

Anointing for healing of both Church members and non-members, ordinations of deacons and deaconesses or elders (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5-9), and baptisms are instances where God’s ministers administer or officiate. In ALL of these cases, the Biblical procedure of laying on of hands is practiced (compare James 5:14; Luke 4:40 regarding healing; Acts 6:6; 2 Timothy 1:6 regarding ordinations; and Acts 8:17; 19:6 regarding baptisms). This is all done by the ministry because God has established this procedure for His Church: “‘For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts'” (Malachi 2:7).

It is an awesome responsibility to stand as representatives of God and Jesus Christ in matters such as these. Likewise, less we look upon the administration of God’s Church lightly, let us also consider the warning of Hebrews 5:4 concerning what God has ordained: “And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.”

On Saturday, January 15, 2005, Norbert Link will give the sermon, concluding his series on the Life of David.

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

You and I, in one way or another, have a relationship with everyone. It may lie at the farthest possible reaches, and it might be classified along the lines of simply, “our fellow human beings.”

It is remarkable that in times of great disaster, our differences don’t seem so important. Our focus moves beyond issues of politics, of religion, of skin color or of the many other barriers our civilization has erected.

Consider, as well, the Biblical truth that the ruler of this world is identified as Satan (compare John 12:31; 16:11). Satan is also “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). As “ruler” and as “god” of the earth, Satan has established a relationship with mankind that is based on lies, and his record is one of being a murderer (compare John 8:44).

Satan–even as his name implies–is an adversary to God and Jesus Christ along with all who obey God: “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the ACCUSER of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down'” (Revelation 12:10).

We know that Satan has not yet been removed, and we understand that each one of us has been accused by Satan before God’s throne. We fall short; we make mistakes; and, we do commit sin–even after our baptism! (compare 1 John 1:5-10; 2:1-2).

In the passages cited from the first letter of John, we also find this remarkable assurance that if we “walk in the light” and “confess our sins,” we can be forgiven and cleansed from sin. Note what 1 John 2:1 states: “…And if anyone sins, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

Other Scriptures confirm the help we can receive when we are accused: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). This additional statement is found in the letter of Hebrews: “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God FOR US” (Hebrews 9:24).

Again, we find this assurance of help when Satan does bring his accusations against us: “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US” (Romans 8:33-34).

Knowing the truth of these things, we, ourselves, must be the more careful to not follow Satan. It is far too easy to fall prey to an attitude of accusation. If we look, we can find fault with each other. We can write-off the world as condemned; we can dismiss family members as unconverted; and we can easily disrupt our relationships within the body of Christ–His Church–through finding fault in another’s weaknesses.

Rather than standing in the role of accuser, we have the opportunity and the strict responsibility to be intercessors through prayer. We, too, can come before the throne of God through Jesus Christ to ask for God’s help and not for His condemnation.

Think about our relationships and consider our role as messengers of the LORD of hosts (Malachi 2:7) and ambassadors of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), and be reminded of how we can help one another: “…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

Bad Weather in California

The Associated Press reported on Sunday, January 9, and Tuesday, January 11, 2005, about unprecedented bad weather conditions in California. The articles pointed out:

“Areas of the Sierra Nevada, famous for paralyzing amounts of snowfall, have been hit with a dumping like they haven’t seen in generations, with steep drifts stranding an Amtrak train, knocking out the Reno airport and shutting down major highways across the mountains… Storms also have caused flooding in Southern California and Arizona, deadly avalanches in Utah and ice damage and flooding in the Ohio Valley… Rain lashed water-logged Southern California again Tuesday, hampering efforts to find survivors buried by a mud slide in a coastal community and prompting hundreds to flee a mountain town before a rain-swollen lake spills over a dam. The succession of storms that have brought heavy snow to the mountains of Northern California and astonishing amounts of rain to the south was blamed for the deaths of at least 12 people. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that downtown Los Angeles had recorded its wettest 15 consecutive days on record, with a total of 17 inches of rain falling in the period ending Monday… In La Conchita, a small community on a spit of land between the hills south of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean, a massive mudslide Monday killed three people [later upgraded to ten], injured eight and left 21 unaccounted for.”

Bad Weather in Europe

As ABCNews reported on January 9, 2005, “Eight people have been killed, more than 1,000 homes flooded and almost 200,000 others left without power as violent storms swept through northern Europe, bringing hurricane force winds and violent rain. Denmark, southern Sweden and the British Isles bore the brunt of the conditions, with 100 people forced to spend the night on a ferry after it ran aground in south-west Scotland.”

The Scotsman reported on Wednesday, January 12, 2005: “Two people were dead and 60,000 homes without power last night as hurricane-force winds caused chaos throughout large parts of Scotland, bringing destruction across the country. Wind speeds of 124mph were recorded in the Western Isles as the most damaging storms for more than a decade swept in from the Atlantic.”

EU’s Trade Partners

The EUobserver reported on January 10, 2005, that the “EU has leap-frogged the US and Japan to become China’s biggest trade partner, according to Chinese media… In the year up to November, trade volumes between the EU and China reached 159.3 billion dollars — up 34.7 percent on the same period in 2003. The UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy are the main trading partners…, accounting for 72 percent of Europe’s trade with Beijing.”

AFP reported on January 11, 2005, that “The European Union (EU) is to resume talks with Iran on a trade and cooperation accord this week, following Tehran’s suspension of uranium enrichment activities, the European Commission said.”

EU’s Military

While the EU becomes more and more an economic power bloc, it is still lagging far behind the United States in its military development. That, at least, is the opinion of Nicholas Burns, Washington’s ambassador to the Alliance. According to an article, published by the EUobserver on January 10, 2005, “Mr Burns said that while the US spends 420bn dollars per year on defence, the rest of the NATO members combined (24 European countries plus Canada) spend less than half that amount. The Ambassador said the gap is ‘worrisome’ but reserved praise for some countries such as the UK, France, Norway and Denmark for their defence spending and capabilities and the Czech Republic for specialising in biological and chemical decontamination… Calling it ‘our biggest problem’, Mr Burns also criticised European countries for having large reserves of troops but with such a small percentage that are actually deployable. Only 3-5% of European forces can be ‘deployed beyond European national borders.’ This contrasts with up to 75% on the US side. ‘This is truly a problem of a huge dimension that Europe must grapple with’, said the ambassador.”

These interesting comments show that Europe has not yet reached the point where it can be considered as superior or even equal to American military forces. However, the Bible prophesies that it will reach that point in time. It is perhaps ironic that the United States is pushing Europe to spend more and more money for an effective military, which, once established, will ultimately be used AGAINST the United States, as Biblical prophecy clearly reveals. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Islamic Extremists in Europe

The Associated Press reported on Saturday, January 8, 2005, that “Islamic extremists accused of plotting to kill Iraq’s prime minister in Germany are smuggling battle-hardened fighters from Iraq to Europe, raising a potential new terrorist threat on the continent, according to German officials.” The article continued: “About 100 Ansar al-Islam supporters are in Germany alone, officials say. Mullah Krekar, the group’s spiritual head, has lived for years as a refugee in Norway, and investigators believe that the group has also recruited volunteers in Italy and Britain. Estimates of its total membership range between about 500 and 1,000.”

The Associated Press reported on January 12, 2005, that “Police arrested 14 people during raids of apartments and mosques in five German states Wednesday in a crackdown on an Islamic extremist organization suspected of aiding terrorists, authorities said… The suspects are alleged to have raised money through smuggling and producing false papers to ‘pursue their ideological goals,’ the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. They ‘equipped people with false documents, making possible illegal residency in the country and outside, and supported other like-minded groups,’ the statement said. ‘In addition, they are accused of spreading their beliefs in racial hatred and recruiting people for “jihad”,’ the statement said, using an Islamic word often interpreted as meaning ‘holy war.'”

Election of Palestinian Authority President

The Associated Press reported on Monday, January 10, 2005, about world leaders’ reactions to “the election of Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian Authority president, saying it showed Palestinians want to reform their government and find a negotiated solution with Israel.”

The article stated in particular (emphasis added): “German Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER said his country and other European nations would do everything possible to help Abbas create an ‘independent, viable and democratic’ Palestinian state. ‘I trust that the Palestinian people will follow the path you have chosen of renouncing violence and carrying out comprehensive reforms,’ Schroeder wrote in a telegram to Abbas, whom he invited to visit Germany. Russian President Vladimir PUTIN also sent a message to the Palestinian leader, looking forward to cooperation on achieving ‘a just Palestinian-Israeli settlement on the basis of the “road map” (peace plan) and resolutions of the UN Security Council’… President BUSH said he would welcome Abbas to the White House, extending an invitation he refused to offer to the late Yasser Arafat… Abbas, who has spoken out against violence, is widely seen as a pragmatist committed to resuming peace talks with Israel, although he faces the TOUGH TASK of reining in POWERFUL ARMED groups.

“British Foreign Secretary Jack STRAW congratulated Abbas after the landslide victory in the vote to replace Arafat… ‘The challenge now is for the new president to use his mandate to lay the foundations for a new Palestinian state,’ [he said]… European Commission President Jose Manuel BARROSO said the election of the pragmatic Palestinian ‘adds to the credibility of the peace process.’… Austria’s foreign minister, Ursula PLASSNIK, called Abbas’ election ‘an encouraging step toward peace’ in the Middle East.’ … ‘Japan will work actively to support the Palestinian Authority’s efforts at peace,’ Prime Minister Junichiro KOIZUMI said… Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong QUAN said Monday that… ‘China is happy about the smooth election. We accept the choice made by the Palestinian people and sincerely hope that the newly elected leader will lead the Palestinian people to the early achievement of their goal of establishing their own state,’ he said.”

World leaders express their hope for peace in the Middle East, coupled with the idea of a Palestinian state. One hotly debated issue is whether the city of Jerusalem will have to belong to that new Palestinian state — a Palestinian demand which is totally unacceptable to Israel. The Bible prophesies that there will be no permanent peace in that part of the world, until Jesus Christ returns.

As if to confirm the foregoing observation, Reuters reported on January 12, 2005: “Palestinian militants killed a Jewish settler and wounded three soldiers in a Gaza ambush on Wednesday, challenging new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’s quest for a cease-fire to help him talk peace with Israel… Wednesday’s killings threatened a relapse into what has been an intractable cycle of violence that, unless quickly checked, could stall fresh internationally backed momentum toward Middle East peace negotiations, frozen since 2000.” The AFP added: “Four Palestinian militants and an Israeli settler were killed in a rash of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, puncturing the optimism that has greeted the election of a new Palestinian leader.”

Japan’s Missile Defense

Yahoo.com reported on January 9, 2005, that “Japan has decided to use its missile defense system solely to intercept ballistic missiles targeting Japan, not missiles that pass over Japan and target other countries including the United States… The government has decided to limit the scope of interception by the missile defense system, to be deployed in fiscal 2007, because intercepting missiles that are targeted at other countries would be construed as collective self-defense [which would be prohibited by the Japanese Constitution]… Political analysts say, however, that Japan will likely be hard-pressed by the United States, which is expected to show discontent over the decision.”

The United States and Germany

The Houston Chronicle reported on its Webpage on January 8, 2005, that “The United States and Germany view the world in vastly different ways, but a February meeting between President Bush and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is expected to bolster a trans-Atlantic relationship strained by the Iraq war.”

The article continued:

“The get-together is not expected to resolve divisions over Iraq, environmental protection and the U.S. refusal to join the International Criminal Court, which prosecutes war crimes. But diplomats and analysts say the meeting is a signal that Washington and Berlin remain partners in a world of terrorism and changing strategic alliances… Berlin’s strong opposition to the war and its insistence not to commit troops to Iraq have agitated a Bush administration desperate to strengthen coalition forces in a show of international solidarity… European analysts say Bush needs to re-engage the continent at a time when the European Union is expanding and Moscow is feeling isolated. But German media are wondering what Schroeder can expect from talks with a U.S. president who largely ignores Europe and acts unilaterally…

“Bush and Schroeder are not political soul mates; their relationship is one of forced congeniality. Officials in their administrations haven’t helped much. A Schroeder official once compared Bush to Adolf Hitler, and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld referred to Germany as old Europe… Despite differences with Washington, Germany remains wary of aspirations by Paris to counterbalance the United States with a stronger European partnership. Yet Schroeder has broadened his international endeavors and in recent months simultaneously courted Washington and Moscow. The German media reported that the chancellor, perhaps in a gamble that could hurt him with the United States, was strengthening ties with Putin.

“Schroeder’s re-election in 2002 was mainly attributed to his opposition to the Iraq war. Many Germans now want reconciliation over Iraq and improved relations with America… Bush faces his own domestic pressures. Some conservative supporters of the president want to continue punishing Germany over Iraq. This comes as the United States is closing military bases in Germany and moving them east — an indication that Western Europe is less strategically important for fighting the global threats that arose after the Cold War. Germans also are concerned that U.S. foreign policy may veer more isolationist once Condoleezza Rice replaces Colin L. Powell as secretary of state.”

International Governmental Help for Asia

Bloomberg News Special Report published on January 6, 2005, “a list of aid pledged by governments as of 6 p.m. Hong Kong time today to countries affected by the Dec. 26 Asian earthquake and tsunami, which left more than 155,000 people dead or missing. The information is drawn primarily from foreign ministry Web sites and official news agencies. Israel, Luxembourg and Pakistan didn’t announce the value of aid they’re providing in the form of supplies and human resources. Donations by companies and individuals aren’t included.”

The published list is set forth below. When studying the same, it is amazing that Germany and Japan have pledged the highest amounts — exceeding, as of January 6, the U.S. pledge by $338 million and $150 million, respectively. It is also noteworthy that the governments of rich Arab nations have pledged, in comparison, little or nothing, although many of the people who died in Asia were Muslim.

Country/Entity Pledged Amount

Germany $688 million
Japan $500 million
U.S. $350 million
Norway $164 million
U.K. $94 million
Italy $93 million
Canada $93 million**
Sweden $75 million
Denmark $75 million
Spain $66 million
France $65 million
China $60 million
South Korea $50 million
Taiwan $50 million
Australia $46 million***
EU $41 million
Netherlands $36 million
Saudi Arabia $30 million
Switzerland $23 million
U.A.E $20 million
Belgium $16 million
Singapore $15 million
Ireland $13 million
Portugal $11 million
Kuwait $10 million
Czech Republic $9.4 million
Luxembourg $6.6 million
New Zealand $7 million
Finland $6 million
Greece $4 million
Hong Kong $4 million
Turkey $1.3 million
Hungary $1.2 million
Vietnam $450,000
Poland $323,000
Latvia $190,150
North Korea $150,000
Lithuania $134,080
Estonia $42,325

**Includes donations from the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario.

***Australia will provide Indonesia with a further A$1 billion ($765 million) in grants and loans over five years, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

Spectacular Crime Unsettles Northern Ireland

On January 7, 2005, The Daily Telegraph reported that “The Provisional IRA is ‘responsible’ for the £26.5 million Ulster bank raid.” That crime was committed at the Northern Bank in Belfast last month. It has been described as a “violent and brutal crime which has national and international implications… with victims suffering from trauma. Families of staff were kidnapped and abandoned in the run-up to the raid.” The amount taken during the raid was £26.5 million.

The newspaper reported that “the Northern Bank intends to replace its entire current series of notes in a bid to thwart the gang in the ‘largest theft ever of waste paper’. Don Price, chief executive, ordered the unprecedented move which it is understood will involve the withdrawal of up to £300 million in paper currency after talks with police chiefs. All existing £10, £20, £50 and £100 notes will be replaced with new ones, a process which will cost £5 million. It will take eight weeks before the new notes are in circulation. A statement confirmed: ‘All new notes will be of the same design as the old ones, but will be printed in a different colour, feature a new Northern Bank logo and bear new prefixes to their serial numbers.’ More than half of the missing millions included brand-new notes which could be detected immediately, but the drastic decision to carry out a total re-issue is aimed at preventing used notes filtering into the Northern Ireland economy.”

These drastic actions might ensure that, in this case, the particular crime will not pay — but at what price will this be accomplished! Only when the Kingdom of God is established here on this earth, can we truly say that there won’t be a successful future for criminals and their crimes.

China’s Population Explosion

The Associated Press reported on January 7 about China’s dilemma with its population explosion. The article introduced this dilemma, as follows:

“Greeted by national television coverage of his first bath, a boy born Thursday was declared China’s 1.3 billionth citizen in a blaze of publicity to promote the government’s controversial ‘one child’ birth limits.” The article continued:

“The government says that without the policy, China would have at least 200 million more mouths to feed, straining farm, water and other resources. But critics say the plan has led to forced abortions and other abuses. Foreign experts say China’s true population could be hundreds of millions above 1.3 billion because many rural families have unreported children. The one-child limit is also frequently ignored by urban couples who can afford the fines or are desperate for a son to carry on the family name and care for them in old age. Couples who have unsanctioned children can face heavy fines, the loss of jobs and forced sterilization. But government spokesmen deny that women are coerced into having abortions, saying forced abortions aren’t sanctioned and officials who carry them out can be punished.”

China’s Growing Navy

The International Harald Tribune published an article on December 31, 2004, stating that “China’s Growing Navy Worries [the] U.S.” The article pointed out:

“Ever since the U.S. Marine Corps defeated Japanese forces here 60 years ago, the Marianas have been widely considered an American lake. Now, the United States may have to get used to sharing the western Pacific with China, the world’s rising naval power. According to military analysts, China is rapidly expanding its [navy]. ‘China is embarking on a $10 billion submarine acquisition and upgrade program and is buying destroyers and frigates and equipping them with modern antiship cruise missiles.’… The rise of China’s navy is watched with apprehension in the Pacific, where, down through the centuries, the islands have long been playthings for the world’s maritime powers: Spanish, American, British, French, German and Japanese.”

The article concluded: “‘The Chinese influence in the Pacific islands will be very, very big, bigger than Japan’s today,’ Hiroshi Nakajima, executive director of the Pacific Society, an academic group, predicted in a recent interview here. Eventually, Nakajima said, ‘Chinese interests and the American interest will clash.'”

Mexico Advises How to Illegally Enter the USA

The following incredible report was published by www.wnd.com and reprinted by WorldNetDaily on January 2, 2005:

“The government of Mexico is raising eyebrows with a new comic book offering advice on how to cross the border into the U.S. illegally. Called ‘The Guide for the Mexican Migrant,’ the 32-page book published by Mexico’s Foreign Ministry uses simple language to offer information on safety, legal rights and living unobtrusively in America…. Illustrations depict illegal wading into a river, trying to evade U.S. Border Patrol and crouching near a hole in a border fence. Immigrants are also shown hiking through the desert with rock formations similar to those in Arizona and being caught by an American agent…. The Mexican consul general of Phoenix, Carlos Flores Vizcarra, said the reality is many migrants will try to cross the border illegally, and the book appears to be a means of protection.”

Iraq

As AFP reported on January 12, 2005, “Public support [in Great Britain] for the war in Iraq has fallen to a record low, with only 29 percent of Britons believing that it was the right thing to do… For the first time, more supporters of the governing Labour Party think that the war was the wrong thing to do, by 44 percent to 37 percent… The survey also found that women are more hostile to the war than men while men are more concerned than women that elections should go ahead.”

In a related article, AFP stated on January 12, 2005, that “Iraqi leaders acknowledged that parts of the country remain too dangerous to conduct the election, while the US military has reportedly ended a long and fruitless hunt for weapons of mass destruction… As the clock ticked down to polling day on January 30, fears of internal Iraqi political strife mounted, as a top Shiite party vowed to cleanse the security forces of ex-Baathists and Allawi’s Iraqi National Accord party cried foul over the alleged use of religion by Shiite political candidates.”

Prince Harry’s Bad Taste

The Associated Press reported on January 13, 2005, that “Jewish groups and lawmakers criticized Prince Harry on Thursday for wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party, with one group urging him to visit the Auschwitz death camp, despite an apology from the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II. The 20-year-old prince apologized Wednesday in a statement after a British newspaper printed a picture of him wearing the uniform with a swastika armband while clutching a cigarette and a drink at a party on Saturday… The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles expressed outrage and urged Prince Harry to travel to Poland later this month to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp… The queen will commemorate the Holocaust and 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by inviting survivors of the Nazi death camps and British World War II veterans who liberated them to a reception at St. James’ Palace… A former Buckingham Palace spokesman said he believed Prince Charles was too easy on his sons. ‘I’m sorry, the Prince of Wales, he’s a humanitarian and he does some terrific work, but I don’t think he has … the right discipline over his children, particularly Prince Harry,’ Dickie Arbiter told Sky News TV.”

This possibility exists. In fact, several Scriptures suggest this to be the case.

For instance, we read in 2 Peter 3:12 that we are to be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” — the return of Christ. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (“Strong’s”) defines the Greek word, “speudo,” (under #4692), translated as “hastening,” as “to ‘speed’…, urge on…; by impl. to await eagerly; (make, with) haste unto.”

Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible (“Young’s”) defines the word as, “to hasten,” or, “urge on.” The same Greek word is used, for instance, in Luke 19:5-6 and Acts 22:18 (translated as, “make haste”). In Acts 20:16, it is translated as “(he) hasted” and in Luke 2:16, it is translated as, “(they came) with haste.” Of course, to await or to anticipate eagerly Christ’s return has been the role of every Christian in all ages. Jesus instructed all Christians concerning prayer to ask: “‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven'” (Matthew 6:10). Paul stated about the return of Christ that we should be even more diligent concerning our fellowship as a Church, “…and so much the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). These statements affect all Christians in the Church leading up to Christ’s return.

At the same time, it cannot be denied that passages such as 2 Peter 3:12 or Hebrews 10:25 gain an additional strong meaning for the end-time generation of the Church. In fact, Paul says that all has been written for us, as an example, “upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (compare 1 Corinthians 10:11).

2 Peter 3:12 talks especially to end-time Christians. The literal Greek translation of 2 Peter 3:12 reads, according to The Englishman’s Greek New Testament…, An Interlinear Literal Translation: “…expecting and hastening the coming of the day of God by reason of which [the] heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and [the] elements burning with heat shall melt…” The term “hastening” (as used in the New King James Bible) is therefore a correct rendition. The New English Bible says: “look eagerly for the coming of the day of God and work to hasten it on.” The New Testament in Modern Speech, by Richard Francis Weymouth (“Weymouth”), says: “expecting and helping to hasten the coming of…”

The German Elberfelder Bible says, “beschleunigen.” This German word can mean, “hastening,” and it can also mean, “accelerate.” In this context, we might consider Isaiah 62:7, which says, in the Authorized Version: “And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

How we could possibly hasten (or delay) Christ’s return — to an extent — can be seen in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Although the time frame here encompasses the entire plan of God, it is apparent from the context that the end-time generation is especially addressed here. The context is Christ’s coming, as verses 3-4 make very clear: “…scoffers will come IN THE LAST DAYS… and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’…”

According to 2 Peter 3:9, God may delay Christ’s coming, if Church members, whom God wants to be in His Kingdom, are not ready, due to a lack of serious repentance, . The Ryrie Study Bible points out: “To believers, Peter now says that the seeming delay of Christ’s return is for the purpose of allowing more people to repent.”

Some feel that the precise moment of Christ’s return has been fixed for thousands of years — as the Father “knows” the exact moment of Christ’s Second Coming. They say that according to Christ’s words, the Father knew at least 2,000 years ago, when exactly He would send back His Son: “But of that day and hour no one KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only (Matthew 24:36).” (Mark 13:32 adds that not even the Son of God — Jesus Christ — knows that exact time.)

However, in light of the fact that Christ’s return can be delayed or accelerated, it is very doubtful that God the Father “knew” the exact day and hour of Christ’s return for thousands of years. As we will explain, what Christ is actually saying in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 is that it is within the Father’s authority to decide when the moment of Christ’s return has come, but that moment is indeed conditioned upon certain events.

We need to read Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 together with Acts 1:6-7, which says: “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time [return to] restore the kingdom to Israel?’ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 do not say, in connection with Acts 1:7, that the exact time of Christ’s return and the restoration of the Kingdom of God was already fixed more than 2,000 years ago. Rather, it is within God the Father’s authority to decide when to send Christ. Has He already made that decision? Had He decided already 2,000 years ago, when Christ spoke those words, when exactly He would send Christ back to this earth? One might say, God knows everything, but there are certain things that God does not want to know. For instance, God does not want to know whether we will sin tomorrow — He did not want to know, when He called us into His truth, whether we will make it into His Kingdom, or whether we will commit the unpardonable sin. In the same way, it is doubtful, that God had already decided 2,000 or 6,000 years ago, when exactly (up to the second!!!) He would send Christ back, as His decision when to do so depends on some factors.

Both Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 only SEEM to say, at first sight, that the Father “knows,” but that no one else, including Christ Himself, “knows.” However, the Greek word for “knows” is, according to Strong’s, No. 1492, a primary verb, used only in certain past tenses; it is a proposition for “see” (lit. or fig.), and it can mean, by implication, but only when used in the perfect, to “know.” It can also mean, “be aware, behold, CONSIDER, BE SURE, TELL, UNDERSTAND, WISH.”

We should also note that, according to the two passages in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, man, angels and Christ do not know, but only My Father. There is NO VERB here, following “My Father,” so it must be added.

In Acts 1:7, the word for “know” is a DIFFERENT Greek word, see Strong’s #1097. In any event, that passage in Acts 1:7 does not say that God “knows.” It only says that it is not for Christ’s disciples to “know.” In regard to the Father, it is stated that He has “put this” in His own power or authority. Reading Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 together with Acts 1:7, it is apparent that the words which need to be supplied in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 would have to be those showing God’s AUTHORITY to set the date.

Therefore, a possible rendering of Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 would be:

“But of that day and hour no one knows [“understands,” “can be sure”], not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father [“is sure,” “understands,” in the sense of: “decides”].”

The Bible does not say that the Father already decided thousands of years ago, when exactly to send back the Son. If He had, HOW COULD Christ NOT have known? Some claim that Christ knows now — while He did not know 2,000 years ago — but Christ’s statements refer to the time of His return. Christ’s whole point was that He does not know or is sure of it (as He does not make the decision); hence, it is useless for man to try to figure it out.

We do not find anywhere in the Bible that the time of Christ’s return has been fixed thousands of years ago. Some have pointed to 2 Peter 3:8, claiming that God allotted man exactly 6,000 years to rule this earth, and that exactly after 6,000 years, Christ will return. However, that is not what 2 Peter 3:8 conveys. The Scripture reads: “… with the Lord one day is AS a thousand years, and a thousand years AS one day.”

This Scripture does not provide us with a fixed date. The Greek word for “as” is “hos,” and it can also be translated as “about.” (Compare Young’s, under “about.”) In fact, the Authorized Version translates this word 14 times as “about.” For instance, the word “hos” is correctly translated as “about” in passages such as Mark 8:9; Luke 2:37; 8:42; and John 1:39.

Strong’s points out, under #5613, that the Greek word “hos” is “… very variously used, as follows: about, … (according) as (it had been, it were)…, even as (like)…”

2 Peter 3:8 seems to convey that in the eyes of God one day is ABOUT 1,000 years — not necessarily exactly so.

We might also notice Revelation 10:6. The Authorized Version says that there should be “time no longer.” The New King James Bible says, “… there should be delay no longer.” The Ryrie Study Bible comments: “Lit. there will be no more delay.” So say the Nelson Study Bible, the American Standard Version, Weymouth, as well as the Elberfelder Bible (“Frist, Aufschub”) and the Menge Bible (“Verzug”).

The Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, by W.E. Vine, states, on page 333, under “season,” that the Greek word for “time” or “delay,” i.e., “chronos,” must be translated in Revelation 10:6 as “delay.” Vine continues to point out that this is “an important rendering for the understanding of the passage (the word being akin to chronizo, to take time, to linger, delay, Matt 24:48; Luke 12:45).”

Under “delay,” Vine states, regarding “chronizo”: “from chronos, time, lit. means to while away time, i.e. by way of lingering, tarrying, delaying; ‘delayeth,’ Matt. 24:48; Luke 12:45; ‘tarried,’ Matt 25:5; ‘tarried so long,’ Luke 1:21; ‘will (not) tarry,’ Heb. 10:37.”

Since Revelation 10:6 says that there will be no more delay, it shows that there HAD BEEN delay before.

Ezekiel 12:25, 28 is another Scripture which supports the concept of a delay prior to Christ’s return. It reads: “For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will NO MORE be postponed… None of My words will be postponed ANY MORE…” This passage seems to say that at one point, God’s words or prophecies were postponed or delayed; but that the time will come, when they won’t be postponed or delayed any longer. This would be similar to the passage in Revelation 10:6, which says that there won’t be any longer “time” or “delay.”

The Church of God has felt, based on this passage and other Scriptures, that God had held back or delayed certain events to take place in the 1970’s and early 80’s. Also, from what we are seeing now in the world, it APPEARS that God is speeding up events to reach their climax soon (compare Matthew 24: 32-35) — BUT NOBODY CAN BE CERTAIN OF THIS, OR KNOW FOR SURE.

Some claim that the day and hour of Christ’s return have been fixed for thousands of years, by referring to Revelation 9:15: “So the four angels, who had been prepared for the HOUR and the DAY and MONTH and YEAR, were released to kill a third of mankind.” However, Revelation 9:15 talks about the time when the angels will be released to kill a third of mankind — it does not talk about the exact time of Christ’s return. This passage does not even say that the exact time of the angels’ actions had been predetermined thousands of years ago — it only says that when the exact time has come for God to intervene, He will command the angels to act.

Some prophecies are conditional — they are conditioned upon whether man repents. Although it is not very likely that the USA or Great Britain will repent, it IS possible. If they do — or if enough people repent — God may hold back the destruction of the USA and Great Britain. It appears that God would not have destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, if He would have found ten righteous, although He said to Abraham earlier that He would destroy it. Something similar COULD BE possible for modern America and Great Britain, as well as other nations. The Scripture in Jeremiah 18:7-11 supports this conclusion. It says that God will relent of the evil which He intended to bring on a nation, if that nation repents. God had Jonah proclaim that in forty days, Nineveh would be destroyed. This SOUNDED like an unconditional prophecy, but it was not, as God did not do it, when Nineveh repented. However, as the book of Nahum shows, Nineveh was destroyed later. The book of Jonah contains a classic case of a DELAYED prophecy. There are also passages in the book of Joel which leave it open as to whether or not God will start the Day of the Lord at a certain time, depending on man’s reaction and repentance (compare Joel 2:12-14). Although unconditional prophecy will not “fail,” time given for certain events to take their full course may. It says that God will CUT SHORT His work (Romans 9:28).

One thing IS certain, however: God’s patience is not limitless, as the parable in Luke 13:6-9 shows. Christ had just warned His audience that they would perish, if they did not repent (verses 1-5). He continued to present a parable about a tree that had not shown fruits for three years. The tree is granted a fourth and last year, to either produce fruit, or to be cut down after that time. This parable implies that God does set a time limit for a Church member to repent and produce fruit. Christ warned in John 15:2, 5: “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away… If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” God has allotted to His Church — and mankind as a whole — a certain amount of time to repent. But there will come the moment when God WILL decide to send Christ back. God will not wait forever for everyone in the Church — and in the world — to repent. As in the times of Jeremiah, the time will come when God will not hear anymore prayers for the people of the world; when He will not tolerate any further delay; and when He will cut short His work (compare Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11). That is the reason why we read in Isaiah 46:13 (Authorized Version): “I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.”

While the fulfillment of God’s prophecies may tarry for a while, the time will come when there will be no more delay or postponement. We read in Habakkuk 2:2-3: “… Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. THOUGH IT TARRIES [for a while, due to God’s longsuffering and patience toward us in the Church], wait for it; Because it will surely come, IT WILL NOT TARRY [once God has decreed the exact time when to send His Son back and to end man’s rule on earth].”

In conclusion, a word of caution and warning: There is a great danger involved with the concept of trying to figure out, exactly, when Christ returns. The one problem is that if people think that God delays Christ’s coming, believing He is still afar off, they may begin to become slack in their Christian lives (compare Matthew 24:48-50). On the other hand, the belief that Christ’s coming is just around the corner can create a sense of fatalism, especially in younger people, who may say, “Why should I think of getting a career, as everything will be over soon?” As we have said before, we must live as if we still had a whole lifetime ahead of us, with long-term goals. At the same time, we need to always be ready spiritually for Christ’s return, and we must continue to watch world events, leading to the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

A new member letter was sent out this week. In it, Norbert Link discusses our awesome future, which can give us encouragement in the face of trials and suffering. One reader in Great Britain already commented, as follows: “Complimenting you on the latest letter regarding the ever-increasing suffering in the world and the need to KNOW that God is taking care of us–if we endure. It is so important not to lose faith to have the hope and certainty of our future.” You can find the letter on the Web soon.

Two new StandingWatch programs were recorded, titled, “They Shall Live Again,” and “Ghosts of Departed Ones?”