Update 934

On July 25, 2020, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Still the Same Day!” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Future, Fear, Focus, Faith.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

In this generation there is unrelenting pressure to conform to ways of thinking and acting which are absolutely wrong—ultimately, even deadly.

Step back and think about the sad and broken state of families. Once upon a time men and women married, stayed married and raised their children. Now, just living together makes what should be binding relationships nothing more than a temporary and disposable arrangement for the moment. This used to be called fornication, and, before God, it still is!

A direct outcome of this has led to killing of the unborn by people who just don’t want the “bother” of children. This wholesale slaughter of human life is supported by nations all over the earth through laws making abortion legal. This is still murder in the eyes of God!

Beyond the prevalence of divorce, family structure itself is under assault as marriage has been redefined. The vile behavior of perverted people now finds acceptance as being normal. However, God’s judgment is that “those who practice such things are deserving of death” (Romans 1:32).

Does anyone resist anything that is wrong? The standard has become to go along to get along. Thoughtless acceptance and even blind obedience define ever-growing elements of society. There is a reason. For, “even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28).

It might seem that there is nothing we can do, but there is! We can resist—personally, in our family life and in our obedience to God. Very few will do this. They are called the elect by Jesus (Matthew 24:22), and because of them, life on this planet will be saved!

If we are to be numbered among the elect, then we must resist all that is evil and do only what God commands of us:

“‘Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction’” (Malachi 4:4-6 English Standard Version).

by Norbert Link

We begin with interesting developments in Europe, identifying the leading nations on the continent as well as those countries that will possibly not fulfill a major role in the final European constellation and revival of the ancient Roman Empire. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Germany’s Dangerous Lead of Europe.” We also address serious threats from China and the ensuing confrontation between China and the West.

We focus on America’s potential role pertaining to Israel’s annexation of the West Bank and other areas; and the ongoing violent protests and other ridiculous developments regarding the attack on American culture and the “offensive” labels of products.   

We warn of the coming prophesied destruction of the US economy; the explosive nature of anticipated further lockdowns; the controversial and highly disputed “need” or wisdom to close schools in the fall; inconsistent medical “advice” as to the effectiveness of wearing masks; and the sometimes overlooked “curse of travel bans.”

We publish a report about developments in Australia and conclude with eye-opening excerpts from an interview with former national security advisor John Bolton regarding Trump’s rocky relationship with Germany.

Throughout this section, we have underlined pertinent statements in the quoted articles, for the convenience and quick overview of the reader.

The New European Trio?

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 17:

“The leaders of France, Italy and Germany urged ‘all foreign actors’ to stop interfering in Libya and to respect the UN arms embargo on the country. The trio hinted at sanctions as a way to enforce their position. Libya faces a ‘heightened risk of regional escalation,’ said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in a joint statement on Saturday…

“‘We are ready to consider the possible use of sanctions should breaches to the embargo at sea, on land or in the air continue,’ the leaders said in the statement… [It] marks a change in tone from Paris, Berlin and Rome. International observers worry that Libya fighting could escalate to the level of the Syrian civil war, with various regional players waging proxy wars through their factions on the ground.  Last month, German diplomacy veteran Wolfgang Ischinger said the EU should ‘threaten military intervention’ in Libya.”

Germany, Italy and France are becoming more and more the leading nations in an evolving prophesied core-Europe of ten nations or groups of nations. Note the next article as well.

Northern EU Countries (and Austria) vs. Germany, France (and Italy)

MSN wrote on Sunday, July 19:

“European Union leaders failed to unlock an agreement on a 750 billion-euro ($860 billion) response to the coronavirus pandemic after a second day of sparring in Brussels… A crucial late-night meeting including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron of France ended abruptly in a dispute over how much of the package should be disbursed as grants and how much as loans.

“Germany and France are insisting that at least 400 billion euros should be handouts and Rutte and four other fiscal hawks from northern Europe are pushing for a much lower figure… ‘Europe is being blackmailed’ by the hawks, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a statement released by his office. Italy may suggest the possibility of seeking an accord of just 26 nations, leaving out the Netherlands, which are at the forefront of opposition to the plan… [Most other EU countries, including Spain, but excluding the “hawks,” support the plan.]

“Rutte and his allies from Austria, Denmark and Sweden [as well as Finland] are trying to water down the handouts that the highly indebted South sees as critical for shoring up its finances…”

In addition to Austria (which is becoming more and more an antagonist to Germany and other leading European nations), the “four hawks” are, interestingly enough, all nations which are descendants of the ancient house of Israel.

The Guardian wrote on July 20:

“The Brussels summit… had been notably bad-tempered from day one. As tempers flared on Sunday night, Macron even accused Kurz of having a ‘bad attitude’ and not caring about the views of others after he had left the negotiating room to take a call. Asked to respond to Macron’s criticisms of his approach, Kurz said: ‘It’s understandable that some people, when they don’t get much sleep, have their nerves on edge…’”

Finally, a Deal was reached, but…

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 21:

“EU leaders agreed early Tuesday to an unprecedented €1.8 trillion ($2 trillion) aid and budget deal aimed at helping hard-hit bloc members recover from the economic fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The package includes a €750-billion fund to be sent as loans and grants, as well as a seven-year €1 trillion EU budget.

“European Council President Charles Michel tweeted a brief message minutes after leaders adopted the plan: ‘Deal!’ ‘We did it. Europe is strong, Europe is united. This is a good deal, this is a strong deal and most importantly this is the right deal for Europe right now,’ Michel said. ‘I believe this agreement will be seen as a pivotal moment for Europe’s journey.’

“The breakthrough comes after more than four days of wrangling, with talks often stretching into the early hours. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen thanked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for ‘steering’ negotiations towards a European solution… Merkel described the agreement as an ‘important signal,’ and said she was ‘very relieved’ that EU leaders were able to cooperate. It was good ‘that we pulled ourselves together in the end,’ she said.

“That sentiment was echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who called it a ‘historic day for Europe… There is no such thing as a perfect world, but we have made progress,’ said Macron.

“However, the European Parliament will still have to agree to the package… DW correspondent Marina Strauss said the deal had taken so long because the positions of each side had been so far apart, but that the result was monumental…

“The package includes the biggest-ever joint borrowing by the 27 members of the bloc, and an initiative to send tens of billions of euros to countries hardest hit by the virus — most notably heavily indebted Spain and Italy, which had both called for major financial assistance from the EU. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hailed ‘a Marshall Plan for Europe,’ that would see €140 billion sent to Spain over the next six years.

“Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that Italy was ‘satisfied’ with the results of the plan, which would see 28% of the total funds, or €209 billion directed towards Italy. That figure includes €81 billion in grants and €127 billion in loans… Greece will also receive €72 billion under the plan, in a move that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called a ‘national success.’…

“To meet the concerns of the so-called frugal four — the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Sweden — which see Italy and Spain as being too lax with public spending, the assistance includes a number of conditions and major strings attached…

“Negotiations were bogged down by major disagreements concerning grants, loans and whether economic and financial reforms should dictate access to the funds. The 27 member states had been largely divided into two camps. Germany and France spearheaded efforts to collectivize debt in order to raise much-needed funds for countries such as Italy and Spain, which bore the brunt of the pandemic in the EU.

“In the other camp, the frugal four, together with Finland had called for a strings-attached approach that would have made access to funds conditional on tough market reforms. That camp also support stringent measures that would have blocked funding for countries that did not adhere to EU rules on the rule of law.

“That could have jeopardized funding for countries such as Hungary and Poland who are the target of a European Commission investigation over rule of law violations.”

However, the real nature and underlying importance of this “deal” is described in the next article.

“They Lied”

Express wrote on July 22:

“EU leaders have betrayed their citizens with a coronavirus rescue package which commits countries in the north of the bloc to put their hands in their pockets to bail out those in the south, a former MEP has said, on the day the European Council signed off on the controversial deal. Hans-Olaf Henkel said the move broke historic promises made by European giants like Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schroder and claimed the justification for the measures was a ‘poor camouflage’ for the real intention – to create a United States of Europe…

“Mr Henkel told Express.co.uk: ‘I also regard this agreement as ‘historic’ but in a different way as pronounced by Merkel, Michel and von der Leyen…  ‘These grants are… a blatant violation of all promises made before: “Never ever would the membership in the EU or of euro currency force Germans to subsidise others!”… This promise made by Chancellors Kohl, Schroder and even Merkel was broken last night – by Merkel!… These gigantic debts… depend on the introduction of a new EU taxation system, a decision previously always blocked by Great Britain and for instance Germany.

“From now on, not only cities, regions and countries will tax EU citizens and EU companies, also Brussels will! The package’s justification being ‘Corona’ and ‘Solidarity’ is a poor camouflage of the true intent: to use the current corona crisis to move the EU ever closer to the United States of Europe under a socialist-green flag.’”

Ultimately, it will be an authoritarian dictatorial USE… with whatever label it may be described. But we should not forget that the Third Reich was ruled by NAZIS–national-socialist dictators.

Germany Wants a Strong Europe and Alliance with Russia against USA

Modern Diplomacy wrote on July 22:

“Germany’s presidency in the European Union, which began on July 1^st, may stimulate the EU into re-evaluating its role in world affairs and could encourage it to streamline relations with Russia. The key factor contributing to this is the traditionally productive trade, economic and energy cooperation between Moscow and Berlin, and the recent move towards a deterioration of Germany-US relations, a trend which is set to intensify as the November presidential elections in the US draw nearer. The two priorities pursued by incumbent President Donald Trump are the policy of protectionism and an aggressive promotion of his country’s financial and economic interests throughout the world…Both trends are at odds with Germany’s agenda…

“Germany’s Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr [said a few days ago that] Berlin is pursuing a whole range of priorities, including the strengthening of relations between the European Union and Russia… [It] will require the German leadership to take more action, both in defending the interests of ‘united Europe’, and in searching for diplomatic solutions to regional and global crises. In pursuit of this agenda, Berlin may face its key opponent – Washington. Not accidentally, the motto of German presidency in the EU is formulated in the spirit of Donald Trump’s election slogan: ‘Together we will make Europe strong again’. But it is the United States that is not interested in strong Europe, since it will limit the opportunities for the expansion of American products, capitals and interests.

“In the near future the EU can be expected to recreate the French-German alliance… Germany’s ability to succeed in addressing its agenda will depend on its readiness to become a kind of a ‘bridge’ between the East and the West. One of the factors that could signal such readiness is the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project… Germany’s ruling circles are confident that the ‘construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea will be completed despite the US sanctions’. However, the intensifying pressure from the United States will require Germany to demonstrate yet more stamina in defending both national and common European interests.”

Von der Leyen has declared that US sanctions regarding the pipeline violate international law.

The Threat from China

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote on July 18:

“China is now engaged in simultaneous diplomatic, military and trade disputes across Europe, Asia, America and Australia. At the centre of all these disputes is a China with territorial, technological and economic ambitions that are starting to match the size of its population and the weight of its history…

“In one 48-hour period this week, Beijing traded tit-for-tat sanctions with Washington, slammed primaries held by Hong Kong pro-democracy parties as illegal, accused Britain of being a US lackey for banning its flagship telecommunications provider Huawei, confronted the economic fallout from a border dispute with India and warned its citizens they could have their property seized in Australia as diplomatic relations between the two countries evaporate…

“Germany has taken a keen interest in Australia’s fraying diplomatic relationship with Beijing… as Europe hardens its position on China in response to its crackdown on Hong Kong, the historically liberal territory that for more than a century functioned as a conduit between East and West. Berlin, which has long maintained a China principle of ‘change through trade’ is now leading calls for the European Union to ‘take a strong stand’…

“Xu Xiaonian, an honorary professor at the China Europe International Business School,… doesn’t agree that confrontation… is inevitable… ‘In history we have a precedent. Germany under Otto von Bismarck successfully avoided confrontation with France and the UK. Why today we cannot do that?’ This is true but the analogy has a problem. Germany’s first chancellor also annexed Alsace-Lorraine. Two decades after his reign the world would be at war.”

The Bible shows that in the not-too-distant future, kings from the East, including nations such as Russia and China, will be involved in a nuclear war with Europe under German leadership.

Breaking with China

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 20:

“The United Kingdom has suspended its extradition treaty ‘immediately and indefinitely’ with Hong Kong… The move makes the UK the fourth country after Canada, Australia and the United States to suspend its extradition agreement with the partly autonomous Chinese city…

“Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday the UK was heading down the ‘wrong path’ and urged London to ‘avoid further damage to China-UK relations.’ Last week, Johnson ordered that Huawei technology be purged completely from the UK’s 5G network… The UK also announced last month it would open a special route to citizenship for up to 3 million eligible Hong Kong residents, a move Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming has described as a ‘gross interference’ in Chinese affairs.”

As the BBC explains on July 20:

“The extradition treaty means that, if someone in Hong Kong is suspected of a crime in the UK, then the British authorities can ask Hong Kong to hand them over to face justice – and vice versa. The UK fears the arrangement – which has been in place for more than 30 years – could see anyone it extradites to Hong Kong being sent on to China.”

In light of China’s dictatorial measures and habit of suppressing and persecuting minorities and opponents of the regime, that concern is surely well-founded.

British Army Could Be Wiped out in One Afternoon

Express wrote on July 23:

“RUSSIA could have wiped out the British Army’s only fighting unit in one afternoon, a shock report revealed after experts found the UK could have only deployed 5,000 to 10,000 war-ready troops.

“Research by the Royal United Services Institute [in 2019] found that the [British] Army, as well as Nato allies, had a ‘critical shortage’ of artillery and ammunition. It concluded that it could not maintain a credible defence position… It added that Britain is ‘comprehensively outgunned and outranged’, leaving enemy artillery free to defeat UK units.

“The UK and other NATO forces not only have a limited number of artillery pieces, but also a shortage of munitions stockpiles and transportation… In response, the MoD said: ‘The UK does not stand alone but alongside its NATO allies, who work closely together across air, sea, land, nuclear and cyber to deter threats and respond to crises.’”

But what happens when Britain or the UK will stand alone… as prophesied?

USA Prepares for Military Confrontation with China

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 22:

“Washington is deploying its military forces throughout Asia for a potential confrontation with China. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said… that Washington would continue sending Navy ships into the region to challenge China’s expansionary policies. It should be noted that the U.S. has now officially rejected China’s claims of sovereignty in most of the South China Sea.

“Esper added that the US would continue selling arms to Taiwan so that it can defend itself against an increasingly belligerent China. Esper noted that based on China’s actions in Hong Kong, Taiwan has no reason to believe that Beijing will honor its commitments vis-a-vis the defunct ‘one country, two systems’ model. He then reaffirmed his country’s commitment to executing freedom of navigation exercises in both the Taiwan Strait as well as the South China Sea.”

Deutsche Welle reported on July 22 that “China condemned an order to close it[s] consulate in the US city of Houston as a ‘political provocation’ that will make diplomatic relations worse. Beijing has threatened retaliation for the surprise decision.”

Contrary to popular belief in Christian and Jewish circles, the Bible does not prophecy a major military confrontation between China and the USA, prior to Christ’s return. As mentioned above, the Bible DOES prophesy a major NUCLEAR war between China and Europe.

God Unhappy with America?

The Times of Israel wrote on July 17:

“Mike Evans, the evangelical writer… [with more] than 73 million followers [on Facebook], stated: ‘… people are terrified right now, that God is not happy with America… They’re looking at the riots, they’re looking at the plague of corona, and they’re worried, “Is God unhappy, is he cursing us?” They’re not sure, and they want God to bless them.’”

Americans are deeply concerned, and they should be. It is clear that God is NOT blessing this country right now. Mike Evans had another interesting take on America’s future role in the Middle East. Note the next article.

Annexation Resurrection?

JTA wrote on July 16:

“When I spoke to Mike Evans… he offered a bold prediction… ‘Before the election, I think President Trump’s going to come out and declare sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria, and the Jordan Valley and declare that the Bible is not illegal,’ Evans told me.

“… the Trump administration has gone quiet on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push to annex just parts of the West Bank. But Evans said Trump would go one better and say that the United States would recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the entire West Bank… Evans said, the president would learn that evangelicals needed annexation to get them to turn out in the numbers Trump needs to defeat Joe Biden in November.”

And he will defeat Biden. Will he then also begin to actively support the anticipated building of the third temple in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount?

Sending “Federal Troops” to Major Cities?

The Hill wrote on July 20:

“President Trump on Monday signaled he may order federal agents to be deployed to Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia and other major cities as he threatens to crack down further on unrest across the country…

“Trump cited heightened violence in Chicago and New York City, in particular, both of which have seen a rise in shootings in recent weeks. In the latter’s case, he blamed city and state officials for restricting police from taking a stronger response. ‘I’m going to do something – that, I can tell you,’ Trump said. ‘Because we’re not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these – Oakland is a mess. We’re not going to let this happen in our country…’

“Trump has for weeks threatened federal intervention in major cities as protests against police brutality and racial inequality persist in the wake of the death of George Floyd in late May. He has fixated in recent days on the situation in Portland, Ore., where demonstrations have continued for more than 50 days leading to the administration sending in federal law enforcement to respond.

“Democratic leaders and civil rights groups have condemned the Trump administration’s actions in Portland… Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) said Sunday the presence of federal law enforcement is leading to more violence in the city and called for their removal. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) has also called for federal officers to be removed from the city and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (D) sued federal agencies on Friday over the detention of protesters.

“But Trump on Monday argued that federal agents in Portland had done a ‘fantastic job’ and claimed the Democratic leaders in the cities he named were unwilling to act to deter further violence. ‘The governor and the mayor and the senators out there, they’re afraid of these people,’ Trump said…”

Truth be told, violent “demonstrations” and protests were consistently occurring in Portland, Oregon, for months BEFORE any federal agents arrived there. The charge that the presence of federal agents causes or increases violence is demonstrably false.

Federally Funded Smithsonian Institution Attacks Whites, American Culture and Christianity

PJ Media wrote on July 15:

“In June, while Americans were focused on the protests and riots that engulfed U.S. cities in the wake of the horrific police killing of George Floyd, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) released an online ‘teaching tool’… The page dedicated to ‘whiteness’ includes an infographic attributing various aspects of American culture to ‘whiteness’ or ‘white dominant culture.’ Among other things, this graphic suggests that the nuclear family, science, capitalism, and the Judeo-Christian tradition are forms of oppressive ‘whiteness’ that non-white people should reject as part of an oppressive system… [It focuses especially on] the Protestant work ethic, English common law, some aspects of capitalism, and Christianity… including the nuclear family, the husband as the breadwinner, and the wife as homemaker and subordinate to the husband…

“… the Smithsonian receives about two-thirds of its $1.2 billion annual budget from taxpayers… The federally-funded institution should be defending American culture, not demonizing [it].”

What horrific nonsense. You could not make that up. And the federal government supports those institutions financially? For more absolute ridiculousness, note the next article.

Trader Joe’s Jumps on “Political Correct” Band Wagon

The San Diego Union Tribune wrote on July 20:

“Trader Joe’s has responded to criticisms about its packaging by announcing that it is in the process of eliminating labels that use ethnic-sounding names intended to be humorous. The offending products bear such labels as Trader Ming’s for foods and condiments related to Chinese cuisine, Trader José’s for Mexican-style products and Trader Giotto’s for Italian-themed items…

“The attention on Trader Joe’s comes amid a nationwide reconsideration of branding that has accompanied the Black Lives Matter movement. Land O’Lakes has removed a Native American woman from its products. Meanwhile, the images of Black men and women on product lines such as Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s and Mrs. Butterworth are in for a makeover, if they survive at all. The Eskimo Pie name also is becoming history…”

Words fail…

Twitter Bans Jewish Star

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 22:

“Twitter’s battle against racism led them to block accounts incorporating the Jewish star… Twitter sent messages explaining the measure: ‘We have determined that this account violated the Twitter Rules. Specifically for: Violating our rules against posting hateful imagery. You may not use hateful images or symbols in your profile image or profile header. As a result, we have locked your account.’

“Twitter instructed them that if they delete the ‘hateful imagery’, i.e. the Star of David, the account may be unlocked… One of the definitions for ‘Hateful Images’ is ‘symbols historically associated with hate groups.’”

Appalling indeed!

Twitter “Apologizes”

 JTA added on July 23:

 “Twitter acknowledged that it accidentally closed the accounts of some users for posting the Star of David… The Star of David in the profile pictures of the locked accounts ranged from artistic images to the yellow stars worn by Jews during the Holocaust… 

“Twitter stated… that using a yellow Star of David like those worn by Jews in the Holocaust in order to target Jewish people is a violation of its Hateful Conduct Policy… Twitter addressed the closed accounts this way: ‘While the majority of cases were correctly actioned, some accounts highlighted recently were mistakes and have now been restored.’”

Still VERY strange and troublesome!

Before the Explosion…?

The Week wrote on July 17:

“… there’s some worse thing looming just around the corner… [People are] oblivious to the doom about to strike… The anxiety comes from having lived through two major and massive unforeseen events taking place in quick succession over the past six months — first, the coronavirus spreading across and shutting down the world; second, the video of George Floyd’s death at the hands of the Minneapolis police sparking massive, weeks-long protests across the country and precipitating a moral revolution in American civil society.

“… many millions are now in long-term unemployment, with bankruptcies up and evictions and foreclosures bound to spike… it’s hard to see how this doesn’t start a cascade of terrible economic consequences… Opening public schools is enormously important — for the health of the economy and the well-being and future prospects of both children and their parents, most of whom need to work during the day and so can’t (and are unqualified to) step in to serve as full-time homeschooling teachers…

“What kind of social, economic, and political disruptions are we likely to see as it happens?… imagine a nation in which the ranks of the unemployed grow every week for months on end… and then the economy really starts to tank, with waves of bankruptcies and layoffs, a flood of evictions leading to a huge increase in homelessness, a bigger wave of urban crime than we’ve already seen, foreclosures that push banks to the brink and erase the equity of homeowners, and a belated stock market crash that wipes out the retirement funds of half the country.

“Tick, tick, boom. What would the explosion look like?… I spend an awful lot of time dreading it.”

Yes, America’s explosion will come… and it will be so much worse than anticipated. America’s economic ship is indeed on a collision course with a huge iceberg and en route to the abyss. There is no recovery, avoidance or escape in sight. The next article shows that many Californians are seeing this… and business owners are fed up with governmental restrictions which destroy their livelihood.

Californians Refuse to Shut Down Again

The San Diego Union Tribune wrote on July 17:

“Shawn Gilbert is not shutting down. Not again, after losing tens of thousands of dollars during the first government-mandated closure of his University Heights gym, Boulevard Fitness… Now, with 25 years under his belt in the fitness industry, he’s at his limit with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest order to shut down gyms again, barely a month after he reopened…

“He’s not alone in that decision. At least two gyms in North County remained open Thursday… these businesses and others — from salons to churches — push back against county and state regulations meant to slow the spread of COVID-19… A collection of San Diego gyms… have banded together to fight what they perceive as an unfair mandate that unreasonably singles out their businesses. Several of the gym owners have consulted the same attorney, and they plan to sue if officials try to shut them down…

“Gilbert said he was denied help from multiple lenders, not qualifying for a dime of assistance from the government-backed Payroll Protection Program loan, nor the Economic Injury Disaster Loan — two programs meant to keep small business owners alive during closures…

“Hair salons — businesses also ordered to shut down this week for the second time — are getting more vocal about their own resistance movement. A federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of hairstylists and salon owners against Newsom in May, alleging the governor had unfairly kept them closed. The lawsuit represented over 500,000 licensees via the Professional Beauty Federation of California…

“In a very public blog post, Jeremy McGarity, a pastor at Skyline Church in Rancho San Diego, explained in no uncertain terms why the church would not be complying with the state’s new mandates… In his post, McGarity said that other churches have also decided to stay open…

“‘The government has called cigarettes and alcohol essential while considering a fitness center that builds your mental health and immune system unessential,’ Gilbert said. ‘That makes zero sense to people in California.’… For example, Big 5 Sporting Goods, a national retailer, sells guns and therefore deemed itself essential. But Play It Again Sports in Pacific Beach, a small franchise business in direct competition to Big 5, had to shut down…”

Man’s governments are simply UNABLE and INCOMPETENT to deal with a crisis effectively. They only make matters far worse.

California’s Schools Remain Closed

The Hill wrote on July 17:

“80 percent of the state’s schools cannot reopen in the fall. Those counties include Orange County, where the education board just this week approved reopening without masks or social distancing.

“Masks are also required for teachers and students in third grade and above in [the 20 percent of the state’s schools that are allowed, but are not required, to] reopen… Additional requirements include physical distancing, symptom checks, hand-washing stations and increased sanitation.

“Newsom clarified that the new guidance is a ‘mandate’ for both public and private schools in the state…”

Masks and social distancing for school kids is a horrible idea which is extremely DAMAGING to the health and welfare of the children.

No Spread of Virus in Schools

Bloomberg wrote on July 18:

“Scientists behind a Nordic study have found that keeping primary schools open during the coronavirus pandemic may not have had much bearing on contagion rates. There was no measurable difference in the number of coronavirus cases among children in Sweden, where schools were left open, compared with neighboring Finland, where schools were shut, according to the findings… Sweden avoided a proper lockdown, while Finland imposed tougher social distancing.

“Indicative data show there is no difference in the overall incidence of the laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases in children aged 1 to 19 years in the two countries; contact tracings in primary schools in Finland found hardly any evidence of children infecting others, according to the working paper by the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. What’s more, there’s no increased risk for teachers, according to a Swedish comparison of cases among daycare and primary school staff, compared with risk levels in other professions.

“It’s not the first time researchers have raised questions about the merits of shutting schools during the pandemic. A French study last month found that school children don’t appear to transmit Covid-19 to peers or teachers. That investigation established that kids seemed to show fewer symptoms than adults, and to be less contagious…

“After two months of remote learning, Finnish children returned to school in May, and national infection rates have continued to decline since then…”

Why is it that so little is being published in the propaganda-driven mass media about THESE kinds of scientific findings?

The Trump Lockdown Folly

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 17:

“If the truth be told, … the Trump Lockdown Folly [by not firing Dr. Fauci] ranks among the greatest blunders ever committed by a US President. That’s because even at this late date nearly four months into the resulting economic disaster: there is no evidence that asymptomatic persons are transmitters of the virus, there is powerful statistical evidence that 95 percent of the population can cope with the disease and recover if they do become infected.

“Yet, the twin pillars of Fauci’s… scheme assumes the very opposite: Namely, that healthy Americans must be put under house arrest because they are silent spreaders and killers of their fellow citizens; and that the disease is so virulent that its #1 enemy—the powerful immune system of every healthy American—cannot be trusted to do its job if the virus is permitted to follow its natural course of contagion and eventual herd immunity….

“WHO’s COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, recently explained that transmission of the virus from asymptomatic patients appears to be very rare… In a constitutional democracy, where the liberties and properties of citizens are protected by law, you need overwhelming proof of an existential threat to society before ordering mass house arrests…”

Even though this folly is repeated all over the world, it does not suddenly become sound and sane. And in the process, the world is destroying itself.

Death Toll from Coronavirus Questioned

Breitbart reported on July 22:

“Nearly one-third of Americans do not believe the coronavirus death toll is as high as reported, an Axios/Ipsos poll released Tuesday revealed. The survey, conducted July 17-20, 2020,… found that Americans are growing skeptical over the number of reported coronavirus-related deaths… the number of those who believe it is less has increased by eight percent since May.

“Republicans remain far more skeptical of the coronavirus death toll, with 58 percent saying it is ‘less’… A majority of Democrats, 61 percent, believe the death toll is higher… The growing skepticism coincides with reports of errors in reporting positive cases, as was recently seen in Connecticut and Florida.”

No Outbreak in South Dakota

Breitbart wrote on July 17:

“The spike of coronavirus that was supposed to come as a result of President Donald Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore on July 3 never came according to Gov. Kristi Noem… During an interview with Fox News Channel’s ‘Fox & Friends,’ Noem said there were decreases COVID-19 metrics in her state…

“‘I think what we did here in South Dakota is really remarkable because we gave people their freedom. We let the businesses stay open. We let people go to work. We told them to be smart. And we also asked them to be personally responsible, and we’re seeing the benefits of that each and every day in South Dakota.’…

“When asked for what advice she would give to other governors around the country, Noem urged them not to ‘lay down mandates… Let [the people] make decisions that are right for their families.’”

Good advice! Will governors in other states, such as California or New York, heed it? Hardly!

Wearing a Mask?

Newsmax wrote on July 20:

 “Surgeon General Jerome Adams is pleading with Americans to wear a mask to help curb the spread of coronavirus. During a Monday appearance on ‘Fox & Friends,’ the country’s top doctor said he was wrong to say face masks weren’t necessary during the initial outbreak of the virus… During the early days of the pandemic, Adams said masks were ineffective and possibly even dangerous. He said face coverings provide a false sense of security and can cause people to touch their faces even more.

“Now, he said his position has changed…  ‘Once we realized that the science was different for this virus, we changed our recommendations.’”

 Not so. Dr. Fauci also originally recommended AGAINST wearing masks, with exactly the same rationale as given by Adams. Subsequently, he changed his recommendations as well. When asked about his earlier advice against wearing masks, he said that he wanted to discourage the public from wearing masks because there were not enough masks for the medical personnel.

The Hill wrote on July 20:

“[Fauci] also acknowledged that masks were initially not recommended to the general public so that first responders wouldn’t feel the strain of a shortage of PPE. He explained that public health experts ‘were concerned the public health community, and many people were saying this, were concerned that it was at a time when personal protective equipment, including the N95 masks and the surgical masks, were in very short supply.’… Fauci continued to say that they wanted to give as many masks as possible to front line workers and emergency personnel.”

This stunning admission only leads to three (or four) possible conclusions: Either, he purposefully lied about the effectiveness of wearing masks, or he was ignorant about the real nature of the pandemic, or he is ignorant about it now, or all of the above. The real question is, Why should he be listened to now, since his views “changed” and might have been dishonest, and they are by no means uncontested by other doctors and scientists?

On July 22, CBS reported:

“President Trump changed his rhetoric on wearing masks in a press conference Tuesday, saying that ‘they have an impact.’… Mr. Trump urged Americans to wear a mask in the briefing. He largely resisted wearing a mask in public for months and downplayed their importance but tweeted a picture of himself wearing one on Monday.”

Following the recommendations of his political and medical advisers, he made a 180-degree turn around regarding the wearing of masks, obviously with a view to the November elections.

Bill Gates on Vaccines and School Closures

The Sun wrote on July 23:

“Bill Gates… warned it could take an ‘unbelievably big number’ of doses to beat the virus. He said: ‘None of the vaccines at this point appear like they’ll work with a single dose… [He continued:] there will be ‘a lot of uncertainty’ about the vaccine… Gates also described the closures of schools as the ‘biggest cost’ of the pandemic after deaths as he said classes likely won’t be all back until fall 2021…

“Asked whether Facebook should do more to remove the conspiracy theories, he said: ‘They are willing to take down anti-vaxxer posts. But you don’t want to suppress normal dialogue.’”

Gates should define “normal dialogue.” The ones who oppose vaccines obviously don’t fall into that category. Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday it is unlikely the coronavirus will ever be eradicated.

The Curse of Travel Bans

Forbes wrote on July 19:

“A labyrinth of travel restrictions and border closures have added a daunting layer of complexity to long-distance relationships… This despite the fact that these couples are willing to get screened for the virus before they travel and remain in quarantine with their partners after they arrive.

“Like everyone else, unmarried couples living apart—in two different countries—worry about the impact of the virus on their health, work, and everyday lives. But this angst is compounded by lengthy and painful separations, as well as uncertainties about where and when they’ll see each other again…

“Corsi Crumpler, 28, a silversmith in Wichita Falls, Texas, owns a small jewelry company… Corsi last saw her fiancé, Sean Donovan, 29, for five days in March… ‘We met at a pub in Dublin in 2018 and the rest is history,’ she says. The couple face time, talk by phone, and text multiple times a day but can’t shake the trauma of their separation… ‘Our  K-1 Visa (a non-immigrant visa for a fiancé/fiancée) ceased to make progress because the embassies and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shut down—without word about when they might reopen,’ she says. ‘Sean can’t come to the States because Ireland is on the U.S. travel ban list… ‘The US Embassy in Dublin told us that Sean might qualify for a “humanitarian waiver” to visit me,’ she says. ‘So we went through all the paperwork and purchased air tickets (required to prove his intent to return). After a week-long runaround complying with document requests, they turned us down two days later (via email) and chalked it up to a misunderstanding.’ Adding to the disappointment: A few days later, Corsi learned that more than 1000 foreign athletes and their families/significant others were granted travel ban waivers to enter the U.S…

“You might call Dylan Greene, 27, and Gugulethu Duma, 29, citizens of the world. The couple—both of them composers, musicians and teachers—met as international fellows at a program called Onebeat… Dylan is Canadian. Gugu, who is from South Africa, has been living in Trondheim, Norway completing a master’s degree. Since COVID hit, she has been in Berlin. They last saw each other in February in Brooklyn, New York. Since then, they video call or phone each other multiple times a day, and text, share art and watch movies… Gugu is not permitted to travel to the U.S. from Germany and she’s unable to return to South Africa because its borders are shut. Dylan hasn’t been able to get to Germany. He’s had five flights cancelled despite providing evidence of negative COVID tests, doctors’ notes testifying to his need to be with her, and proof of their residence…

“A petition on Change.org (also with the hashtag #LoveIsEssential) asks governmental authorities to lift travel bans and reunite couples. It has already garnered more than 17K signatures… Couples fear that a second wave of the virus may extend the length of time that border restrictions are in place so they hope to compel governments to act before then. Their message: We deserve to be recognized as ‘essential’ travelers rather than tourists…”

This article, and the next one, shows the perhaps somewhat unintended terrible consequences of travel bans which, nevertheless, DESTROY the lives of people in many different irresponsible ways.

“International Students Can Study in the U.S. this Fall — If They Can Get Here”

NPR wrote on July 19:

“Due to the pandemic, many international students who are starting a graduate program or their freshman year… face a series of hurdles — travel restrictions, limited flights and closed U.S. consulate offices — that make it incredibly difficult to start the fall semester at U.S. colleges. That’s despite a reprieve last week, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreed to allow international students to stay in the country even if their schools opted for online-only learning in the fall.

“The biggest hurdle for students… is acquiring a student visa. U.S. consulate offices, where students go for an in-person interview, are closed — it’s unclear when they’ll reopen… travel restrictions will make it difficult…to make [their] way to the U.S. The State Department has currently barred travelers coming directly from China…

“Students come to the U.S. from all over the world, but China and India send the most. In 2019, there were more than 350,000 Chinese international students in U.S. colleges and universities. And because they often pay full-tuition, that translates to big money for schools: international students studying in the U.S. contributed $41 billion during the 2018-2019 academic year…

“Colleges are bracing for the possibility that their students won’t make it to campus… In the worst case scenario, that means the U.S. would admit the lowest level of new international students since just after World War II… The Trump administration said last week that students coming from Europe are exempt from the current travel ban to the U.S., but it’s unclear the impact that will have on enrollment, given that no European country is represented on the top 10 list of origin countries for international students…

“With weeks left before the first day of school, there are few options for international students trying to enter the U.S…. Ultimately it may be the case that an in-person fall is a fallacy for all students, not just an impossible feat for those living abroad. More and more colleges have scaled back or reversed their decision to hold in-person classes… “

Apart from the terrible situation which foreign students find themselves in, the economic loss to the USA is mind-blowing.

Pleading for Opening Transatlantic Flights

Skift wrote on July 22:

“American Airlines and United Airlines, along with Iberia Airlines’ owner International Airlines Group and Lufthansa Group, want regulators to permit more American and Europeans to travel on transatlantic flights, arguing they need more customers on these routes for their businesses to recover. ‘Given the unquestioned importance of transatlantic air travel to the global economy as well as to the economic recovery of our businesses, we believe it is critical to find a way to re-open air services between the U.S. and Europe,’ the CEOs of the four companies wrote in a joint letter to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

“All four airline groups fly across the Atlantic now, serving major routes like New York to Frankfurt, Dallas/Fort Worth to Madrid, and Washington D.C. to Zurich. The problem is the customer pool is tiny, with American and European regulators placing strict limits on who can fly. Most flights are [filled] with dual citizens, or customers who are transiting in European airports, or passengers exempt from the ban, such as health care workers, and diplomats. It is easier for Americans to visit the United Kingdom, though they must quarantine for two weeks upon arrival. The United States maintains similar restrictions on which travelers can enter from Europe. It first instituted the restrictions in March, during Europe’s first wave.

“While the letter is addressed to U.S. and European leaders, this issue is probably stickier in Europe, because it has fewer cases, per capita, than the United States. Europeans have said they’re concerned about the rising number of U.S. Covid-19 cases, and they’re fearful that an influx of Americans would lead to more cases. In their letter, the four CEOs acknowledge the Covid-19 problem, but said regulators could mitigate it by creating a joint U.S.-EU testing program… ‘A coordinated COVID-19 testing program could be key to providing confidence to permit services to resume without quarantine requirements or other entry restrictions.’”

News from Australia

We received the following report from Australian Elder Paul Niehoff:

“In Melbourne face masks will become compulsory on Thursday morning for everybody over 12 years of age who leaves their home except for running, attending school or going into a bank. The border with New South Wales will be tightened. The FDA and FTC have sent out over 280 letters to companies who recommend any non-approved treatment, drug or otherwise, for Covid-19 even when it is used successfully in other countries or by various doctors in the US. The letter includes the final statement as shown here:

‘‘It is unlawful under the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 41 et seq., to advertise that a product can prevent, treat, or cure human disease unless you possess competent and reliable scientific evidence, including, when appropriate, well-controlled human clinical studies, substantiating that the claims are true at the time they are made. For COVID-19, no such study is currently known to exist for the products identified above. Thus, any Coronavirus-related prevention or treatment claims regarding such products are not supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. You must immediately cease making all such claims… Within 48 hours, please send a message to James E. Elliott… describing the specific actions you have taken to address the FTC’s concerns…’

“The local money changers have closed due to lack of business. Our bank has sent us a letter telling us that they will no longer provide international cheques but we must use electronic transfers.”

Interview with John Bolton on Trump and Merkel

On July 17, Der Spiegel published an interview with John Bolton who served as Trump’s national security advisor from 2018 to 2019. We are quoting relevant excerpts from that interview, as they relate to the relationship between Trump and Germany, especially Merkel:

“DER SPIEGEL:  Mr. Bolton, Donald Trump had already begun firing barbs at German Chancellor Angela Merkel back when he was still one of many Republican candidates for president. Merkel’s refugee policies, he said at the time, had been a ‘disaster for Germany.’… is Trump rather obsessed with the German chancellor?

“Bolton: … with Merkel, it’s kind of complicated – the president’s father was German, so that might have something to do with it. But there are also political reasons. U.S.-EU trade relations have been a major source of controversy between the U.S. and Germany. Then there is the issue of support for NATO and the agreement that each member state would spend 2 percent of GDP on defense, which Germany is behind on…

“DER SPIEGEL:  Ever since Trump moved into the White House, the German government has been concerned that he might introduce punitive tariffs on German automobiles. Thus far, though, he has not followed through on his threats. Is the issue off the table?

“Bolton: It’s never off the table. Trump likes tariffs, and it’s something he can do without Congressional approval…

“DER SPIEGEL: Another dispute between the United States and Germany is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Is this really about serious concerns that Germany and Europe could grow overly dependent on Russia? Or is it more about business and American hopes to sell American natural gas to Europe?

“Bolton: It’s a combination of both. He talked about imposing sanctions all the time, but he never has. I think it would have stopped the pipeline. And it’s not finished yet. It may yet be stopped. It is strategically damaging to Europe and the United States.

“DER SPIEGEL: There is a famous image from the G-7 Summit in Canada in April 2018. It shows Merkel leaning on a table with Trump facing her, his arms crossed and looking unhappy. You are standing right next to him. Can you remember what you were talking about?

“Bolton: Yeah, it wasn’t comfortable. In my recollection, it wasn’t Chancellor Merkel speaking with Trump at that moment, I think it was President Macron. But that’s just an historical detail. To me, it demonstrates two things. One, why I don’t like these communiqués at G-7 and G-20 meetings… Number two, in this instance, by forcing Trump literally as well as figuratively into a corner, they made him very unhappy with the whole process. Not long after that picture was taken, when we were back on Air Force One, Trump withdrew his approval for the communiqué. It was the first time that had ever happened…

“DER SPIEGEL: Will Germany and the rest of Europe have to be responsible for their own national security and defense in the future?

“Bolton:… The problem with the European Union is that there’s a lot of rhetoric about strong security policies, but not a lot of follow through. You hear European leaders saying over and over again: ‘We’ll defend ourselves.’ If people aren’t careful, there will be others in America, like Trump, who say: ‘Fine, go ahead.’…

“DER SPIEGEL: Is there a chance that Trump will win the election in November?

“Bolton: Absolutely. He’s way behind now – in large part, because of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic consequences. But the polls in 2016 showed him behind as well. There was a universal consensus on Election Day, including in Trump campaign headquarters, that he was going to lose. In my view, we should never underestimate the ability of the Democratic Party to blow an election.”

In the light of biblical prophecy, we are repeating our long-standing conviction that Trump is going to be re-elected. The relationship between the USA and Germany, as well as the rest of continental Europe, will not improve.  

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

To answer this question, we will begin by concentrating briefly on the fact that the Jews rejected Jesus when He was on earth, and Judaism has continued with that rejection up until the present time. We will also give ample proof that Jesus did exist although some still question that fact.

Some Jews at the time that Jesus was on earth did believe in Him. In our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People,” we read on page 60 the following under the heading “Some Jews Believed in Christ”:

“Some Jews believed what Paul taught, as noted in Acts 17:1–4: ‘Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.’”

We also continue to state on pages 60-61, under the heading, “Most Jews Did Not Believe”:

“Most Jews rejected what Paul taught: ‘On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles”… But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region’ (Acts 13:44–46, 50).

“Later in his ministry, being a prisoner, Paul was taken to Rome. Nonetheless, he was still able to teach those who came to him. Among those were leaders of the Jews in Rome (Acts 28:17), and Paul spoke to them: ‘So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved’ (Acts 28:23–24).”

Continuing on pages 61 -62 under the heading, “Why the Rejection?”:

“Paul explained why most of the Jews rejected Jesus, using the analogy of the veil that Moses had to place over his face, due to the glory of his countenance, following his presence before God: ‘But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away’ (2 Corinthians 3:14–16).

“Paul made it clear that the rulers killed Jesus because they did not understand the wisdom of God, as written in 1 Corinthians 2:7–8: ‘But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.’

“Christ confirmed this fact, praying to God the Father to forgive His murderers, because ‘they do not know what they do’ (Luke 23:34).

“On the other hand, it is true that the Pharisees had some knowledge about the person of Christ. Nicodemus, one of the Pharisees, came to Christ by night and told Him: ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him’ (John 3:2).

“Still, most Pharisees rejected Him because they were envious and did not want to lose their positions in the community (Matthew 27:18; John 11:48). They even accused Him of casting out demons through the power of Satan, which caused Christ to give them a stern warning, since they knew better (Matthew 12:22–32).

“The apostle Peter boldly preached to the Jews about Christ, showing again that the Jews were ‘ignorant’ as to who Christ was:

“‘The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses… Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled’ (Acts 3:13–15, 17–18).

“The people did not really understand who Christ was. Christ asked His disciples: ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ The disciples answered: ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or some of the prophets.’ When Jesus asked them: ‘But who do you say that I am?’, Peter answered: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Christ responded that this revelation had to come from God the Father; otherwise, he would not have understood this either (compare Matthew 16:13–17).”

We read in John 1:10-11: “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.   He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”  Since that time, this rejection of Jesus as the Messiah has been the approach of most Jews down through the last 2,000 years.

On the website https://jewsforjesus.org/answers/why-do-most-jews-not-believe-in-jesus/ we read the following:

“Religious reasons most Jews do not believe in Jesus.

“Rabbis, religious leaders and religious followers will respond to this question that Jesus cannot be the Messiah because he did not fulfill the job requirements.

“Judaism does not believe that Jesus was the Messiah because He did not fulfill any messianic prophecies. ‘Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore’ (Isaiah 2:4).’ Far from establishing world peace, Jesus himself said he came to divide ‘father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother’ (Luke 12:53, ESV). In fact, there has been more bloodshed in the name of Jesus rather than peace. How can anyone argue that Jesus is the promised Messiah according to the Jewish Scriptures?”

It is indeed true that there has been violence down through the ages, but this cannot be justified by quoting the above-mentioned passage in Luke 12. There, Christ did not advocate any violence against others, but He pointed out that His Word—the Truth—is a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17; and Revelation 1:16) which will divide truth from error and cause those who do not believe to persecute those who do.

The quoted website explains this quite succinctly:

“These many atrocities and this tragic legacy are a stain on those who call themselves Christians and identify with those who claim to share the same faith. However, we must ask ourselves, is any of this what Jesus taught his followers to do? Is there a single New Testament writer who advocated violence and called for injury to the Jews? Jesus himself declared, ‘all who take the sword will perish by the sword’ (Matthew 26:52, ESV). Contrary to the early church fathers, Paul declared that God has not rejected the Jews. ‘Has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite’ (Romans 11:1, ESV). It is clear that this tragic legacy of those who identify themselves with Jesus does not follow the instructions of Jesus or the New Testament writers.”

Today, Judaism rejects Jesus as the Messiah but some Jews claim that they accept Him.

The Jewish Virtual Library estimates that there are 14,707,400 Jews worldwide and the jewsforjesus website states that “Statistics of how many Jews embrace Jesus range wildly from 1.7 million Jewish adults to 175,000 Messianic Jews in the US.  Some have argued that these figures represent Jews who are assimilated, disaffected, and otherwise uneducated in Judaism. However, the historical record would disagree. Some who embraced Jesus are among the most educated in Judaism such as Israel Zolle, the chief rabbi of Rome during World War II; Isaac Lichtenstein, district rabbi of Tapio-Szele in Hungary, who after 35 years serving his synagogue, at age 60, publicly declared to his congregation he discovered Yeshua is the Messiah; and Leopold Cohn, the Grand Rabbi of Austria-Hungary. Even today, there are Jews with different degrees of educations and observance, courageous enough to explore whether Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah in spite of the dictates of traditions and religious authorities.”

It is clear from these estimates that the vast majority of Jewish people do not accept Jesus as the Messiah (or even claim that they do), and that is the view of the Judaic faith.

This information gives us the basis to review the reasons WHY the great majority of the Jews dismiss Jesus as the Saviour of mankind. To look at what Jews believe today, we will quote from the website www.jewfaq.org/mashiach.htm as follows:

“The idea of mashiach (messiah) is an ancient one in Judaism. The Jewish idea of mashiach is a great human leader like King David, not a savior. There is much speculation about when the mashiach will come. The Bible identifies several tasks that the mashiach will accomplish. Jews do not believe in Jesus because he did not accomplish these tasks.”

The article continues:

“Jews do not believe that Jesus was the mashiach. [According to their reasoning, even “assuming”] that he existed, and assuming that the Christian scriptures are accurate in describing him (both matters that are debatable [in the eyes of the Jews]), [the Jews believe that] he simply did not fulfill the mission of the mashiach as it is described in the biblical passages cited above. Jesus did not do any of the things that the scriptures said the messiah would do.”

Let us break in here to answer the absurd statement about the fact that Jesus’ existence is questionable. (We will address the absurdity of questioning the accuracy of the Christian Scriptures in the next instalment).  In our booklet “Jesus Christ – A Great Mystery!” this question is immediately addressed under the heading, “Did Jesus Exist?”, beginning on page 1, and below is a brief extract (we recommend, however, to read the entire chapter in our booklet, proving beyond doubt the existence of Jesus):

“Is there any historical proof that a person called Jesus Christ ever existed? Although it is sometimes claimed by atheists and agnostics that the very person of Jesus was an invention by early writers, very few educated people down through history have doubted the existence of Christ. There are more than 1,000 works of literature that were written very early in Church history affirming the existence of Christ, and much of it was written by pagans or Jews—people who acknowledged His existence, but denied that He was, indeed, the Son of God.

“H.G. Wells wrote in ‘Outline of History’: ‘…one is obliged to say, “Here was a man. This part of the tale could not have been invented.”’ Will Durant, professor of philosophy, and a non-Christian, wrote extensively about Christ’s existence and His effect on society in ‘The Story of Civilization.’ The Encyclopedia Britannica refers to Christ more than 20,000 times—more than Socrates, Aristotle, Buddha, Napoleon, Confucius, Mohammed, or Shakespeare. It says in one instance: ‘These independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus, which was disputed for the first time and on inadequate grounds by the end of the 18th, during the 19th, and at the beginning of the 20th centuries.’

“John Singleton Copley, also known as Lord Lyndhurst, one of the greatest legal minds in British history, once commented in this way on the existence of Christ, His death, and His resurrection: ‘I know pretty well what evidence is: and I tell you, such evidence as that for the resurrection has never broken down yet.’ Also, Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Darling, once said: ‘no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true.’

“Consider also this brief synopsis of many other non-Biblical sources attesting to the historical authenticity of Jesus Christ:

“The Huleatt fragments were written in AD 50 and contain the quote from Matthew 26:7–15, referring to Christ’s anointing with oil.

“Tatian, the Syrian, wrote in AD 170 that, ‘God was born in the form of a man’ (Address to the Greeks 21).

“Melito of Sardis wrote in AD 177 about the baptism of Christ and His miracles (Fragment in Anastasius of Sinai’s The Guide 13).

“Thallus, a Samaritan historian, wrote in AD 52 about the darkness that occurred at the crucifixion of Christ.

“Mara Bar-Serapion wrote in AD 73 to his son about the death of Socrates, Pythagoras and Jesus.

“Cornelius Tacitus wrote in AD 112 or AD 115 in his Annal (15.14) that ‘Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberias.’

“Lucian of Samostasa (AD 115–200) wrote about Christ as ‘the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world.’

“Phlegon wrote in his ‘Chronicles’ in AD 140 about the ability of Jesus to foresee future events.

“In addition, Christian authors such as Clement of Rome [AD 30–101], Ignatius [martyred in AD 117], a writer naming himself Barnabas [in the Epistle of Barnabas, written between AD 70 and 135], and Justyn Martyr [AD 100–165] wrote about Christ and His followers.

“The Jewish Talmud contains several references to Jesus Christ. It states on one occasion, ‘On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged’ (The Babylonian Talmud, vol. iii, Sanhedrin 43a, p. 281). Another quote states, ‘Our rabbis taught: Yeshu had five disciples—Mattai [i.e. Matthew], Nakkai, Netzer, Buni and Yodah’ (from Sanhedrin 43a). Other sources talk about Christians who were following Christ (compare, Aristides, Apology 16 [AD 140]; Pliny the Younger [AD 112]; and Suetonius [AD 120]).”

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (July 2020) has been posted and sent to those on our mailing list. In this letter, Dave Harris appeals to us to remember our calling and to stay faithful to God and Jesus Christ—knowing that judgment is now on us to be obedient to God.

“Germany’s Dangerous Lead of Europe,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Germany, France and Italy become more and more the leaders of Europe. Especially Germany’s lead is not good news for America and Britain, as well as some other European nations. We will present numerous examples of Germany’s hardening stance, broken promises and its zeal for a strong Europe. We also present some of John Bolton’s views which he shares with Donald Trump’s viewpoints regarding a militarization of Europe and a deteriorating relationship between the USA and Germany.

“Gottes Rache am Tier des modernen Babylons,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “God’s Revenge on the Beast of Modern Babylon”

A German Trailer for our new German booklet, “Man muss Gott mehr gehorchen als den Menschen“ (in English: “Obeying God Rather than Men”) has been produced by Michael Link. It is viewable on YouTube and on our German homepage.

“Der gute Kampf,” the sermonette presented in Germany last Sabbath by Mike Richter, is now posted. The title in English: “The Good Fight.”

“Contrasting Cities,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In this sermonette, we will consider what God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have in store with the blessed city of life: the New Jerusalem. This is in contrast to what man is capable of, when reviewing, for example, CHAZ and later CHOP in Seattle. In the best case, humans can strive to do good—but only the Father and His Son are able to deliver the city of love and light that we crave.

“The Proximity of Outrage,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Righteous anger is a godly trait and not all outrage should be considered sin.  The degree to which our anger is the manifestation of the old self or of the new creation determines whether or not we are falling into sin.  By not allowing this society’s violence  to influence us, we can walk in the light of truth while growing ever closer to God.

The YouTube channel for the Church of the Eternal God presents past videos for StandingWatch programs along with sermonettes, sermons and promotional videos. These are also available on our website: www.eternalgod.org.