Update 976

On June 5, 2021, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Presence of Mind,” and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Friends.”

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.

You hate to listen to the news these days because it’s mostly bad news.  A good day in Chicago means that only ten people have been shot. Anti-Semitism is up tremendously since the conflict in Israel, with increasing attacks on Jewish people around the world. We should not think that we could not be next. In fact, the whole world will hate us.

Luke 6:22 says: “How blessed are you whenever people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because of the Son of Man!” (International Standard Version throughout). The reason is: We do not fit in.  A people willing to kill the unborn and turn their nose at obeying God will not tolerate righteous people within their midst because those who obey God make them look bad.

However, there will eventually be peace on earth without wars, conflicts and killings, when the glorious Kingdom of God will rule. Let us look at some encouraging Scriptures in regard to this.

Isaiah 2:2 tells us: “It will come about in the last days that the mountain that is the LORD’s Temple will be established as the highest of mountains, and will be raised above the hills; all the nations will stream to it.”

Isaiah 2:3 continues: “Many groups of people will come, commenting, ‘Come! Let’s go up to the Temple of the God of Jacob, that they may teach us his ways. Then let’s walk in his paths.’”

Isaiah 2:4 says: “He will judge between the nations, and will render verdicts for the benefit of many. ‘They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nations will not raise swords against nations, and they will not learn warfare anymore.’”

War and hatred are taught at a very young age, but in the future, peace and love will be taught instead, and killing and violence will be abolished.

Also note this setting:

Isaiah 11:6 reads:  “The wolf will live with the lamb; the leopard will lie down with the young goat. The calf and the lion will graze together, and a little child will lead them.”

This depicts an era of safety for children, where they are not abused or harmed in any way. Zechariah 8:5 elaborates: “The city parks will be filled with boys and girls. They will play in the city’s open parks.”

Again, these Scriptures picture a time of peace and safety for children and all of mankind.

Today, we read of children being shot in the streets, kidnapped and abused by evil people. All of this will change in the not too distant future, so we must not be discouraged by events going on, but look to the future when all the evils in this world will cease once and for all.

I recall a song sung by the Ambassador choir, titled: “It won’t be long now.” The time is much closer than when this song was sung in the seventies, and it cannot come soon enough.

by Norbert Link

We report on interesting developments regarding Russia and Belarus, as well as Ukraine; further attacks of Russian hackers against the USA; the potential departure of Benjamin Netanyahu (please see our new StandingWatch program in this regard, titled, “Israel’s Netanyahu Ousted?”) ; Germany’s admission of committing genocide in Namibia and the origin and true nature of Hitler’s Nazi party (the “NSDAP”); French resistance to additional funding of NATO; and the leak of classified information about the place and nature of US nuclear weapons in Europe and Turkey.

We continue with the invasion of millions of mice in Australia and American budget plans to raise the national debt to unparalleled astronomical proportions.

We address vaccine passport propaganda; the desire to vaccinate children; the curse of lockdowns and the resulting harm caused especially to children; and a new report asserting that the coronavirus was created in China through laboratory manipulations and that it was subsequently covered up by the Chinese government.

We speak on suppression of truth and deliberate lies by the mainstream media; the powerful abortion industry; a “rainbow index” for Christian churches and the schism within the Catholic Church; ongoing persecution of Christian Churches in Canada; and we conclude with the claim that Einstein had it all wrong.

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

Russia and Belarus

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 28:

“Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday for talks on closer economic ties…

“Belarusian authorities forced a Ryanair plane to land in the capital Minsk on Sunday. They arrested dissident journalist Raman Pratasevich who was on board the flight from Greece to Lithuania, which are both EU member states…

“The Kremlin chief also said he and Lukashenko were continuing to integrate their two countries closer together… Russia is Belarus’s closest ally. They have signed an agreement that calls for closer political, economic and military ties. The Belarus economy is in freefall after the EU froze assets and slapped visa bans on Lukashenko and 87 of the regime′s leaders… The EU barred Belarusian carriers from its airspace and advised European airlines to avoid flying over Belarus… European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for total regime change in Belarus…

“Analysts fear that a further escalation in EU sanctions might push Lukashenko even closer to Putin.”

NBC News added on May 28:

“The Kremlin has championed Belarus… Meanwhile, the head of NATO said it was hard to believe that Russia was not involved in Belarus’ plane ‘hijacking.’ ‘We know the very close relationship between Russia and Belarus,’ NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told the British broadcaster Sky News. ‘Therefore it’s hard to believe that the regime in Minsk could do something like this without any kind of coordination with Russia.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

“Minsk’s border agency has announced new rules that will make it nearly impossible to leave the country. As citizens attempt to flee Belarus, longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko appears to be closing all the exits.”

Belarus is also known as White Russia. Other White Russians live in Ukraine. Russians and White Russians will combine their efforts to become a challenge to Europe.

Germany Refuses to Help Ukraine militarily

The Associated Press wrote on June 1:

“Germany, along with France, has led Western diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-running conflict between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. But efforts toward a political settlement are stalled. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was quoted in an interview Tuesday with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Chancellor Angela Merkel has done a lot for Ukraine but ‘of course I had hoped for more from her’… ‘Germany can do more,’ he said, pointing to recent comments by opposition Green party leader Robert Habeck during a visit to Ukraine.

“Habeck said that ‘from my point of view, it is hard for us to deny Ukraine weapons for defense, for self-defense.’ His comments drew widespread criticism in Germany in an election year, not least from his own party, which has pacifist roots. ‘Germany has not given us military help, but it could do,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘Germany has great ships: speedboats, missile speedboats and patrol boats.’

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas firmly rejected the idea of weapons deliveries, while highlighting Germany’s support for Ukraine in diplomacy and in bilateral aid… Ukraine also strongly opposes the completion of a new Russian-built natural gas pipeline to Germany under the Baltic Sea.”

This will backfire for Germany. Soon, Ukraine will align with or be overtaken by Russia against continental Europe.

Russian Hackers Attack Again

CNN wrote on May 28:

“The hackers behind one of the worst data breaches ever to hit the US government have launched a new global cyberattack on more than 150 government agencies, think tanks and other organizations, according to Microsoft. The group, which Microsoft calls ‘Nobelium,’ targeted 3,000 email accounts at various organizations this week — most of which were in the United States… It believes the hackers are part of the same Russian group behind last year’s devastating attack on SolarWinds— a software vendor — that targeted at least nine US federal agencies and 100 companies.

“Cybersecurity has been a major focus for the US government following the revelations that hackers had put malicious code into a tool published by SolarWinds. A ransomware attack that shut down one of America’s most important pieces of energy infrastructure — the Colonial Pipeline — earlier this month has only heightened the sense of alarm. That attack was carried out by a criminal group originating in Russia,  according to the FBI… the hackers were able to send out phishing emails that Microsoft said ‘looked authentic but included a link that, when clicked, inserted a malicious file’ that allowed the hackers to access computers through a backdoor.

“The latest disclosure shows how Russia has been undeterred by recent US efforts to hold the Kremlin accountable and bolster cybersecurity following the SolarWinds campaign, said James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert…  ‘The Russians have a campaign plan for massive attacks against US targets, for which they have no incentive to stop,’ Lewis said. ‘They aren’t afraid of the US response. They are testing the new administration.’”

Whether those hackers are working independently of the Russian government is extremely doubtful.

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 1:

“The Brazilian multinational] JBS, the world’s largest meat producer, has been forced to close a number of its plants around the world as the result of a cyberattack on its servers… JBS closed facilities in Australia on Monday and in the US and Canada on Tuesday. JBS, the largest beef producer in the US, slaughters, packages and sells roughly a quarter of all beef in the country…”

Breitbart added on June 1:

“…the White House said Tuesday that Russia was likely the origin of the cyberattack and has called on Moscow to punish the hackers responsible… The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter, and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals, the White House official added.”

Fox Business wrote on June 2:

“JBS…  has shuttered all of its US-based beef plants… The attack raised concerns of a potential meat shortage in the U.S. and several other countries impacted by the situation. It wasn’t immediately clear how the shutdown would affect meat prices.”

So quickly things can change.

Netanyahu Ousted?

On June 2, JTA reported the following:

“Benjamin Netanyahu will no longer be Israel’s prime minister, as his political opponents announced Wednesday night that they have formed a coalition that will replace him, pending a vote in Israel’s parliament.

“The new coalition, dubbed the ‘change bloc,’ is an ideologically broad alliance that spans the Israeli political right, center and left. For the first time in Israeli history, it will include an Arab-Israeli party, not as an external supporter of the government, but as a full member of the coalition. It comprises 61 lawmakers, the smallest possible majority in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset.

“The coalition was announced by Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, with less than an hour to go before his chance to form a governing coalition expired…

“For the first two years-plus of its term, the coalition will be led by Naftali Bennett, head of the right-wing Yamina party. Bennett will be Israel’s first Orthodox prime minister. Lapid will take over for the second half of the term. Netanyahu has led Israel for the past 12 years.

“The coalition includes eight parties in total that differ vastly on their vision for Israel, but agree on the need to end the Netanyahu era and the political crisis that has gripped Israel since 2019. Over the past two years, Israelis have voted in four elections whose results have been mostly inconclusive. Had Lapid failed to announce a coalition, Israel would have almost definitely held a fifth election later this year.

“The new Israeli government, most significantly, will be the first one since 2009 not led by Netanyahu, who is the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history. He was indicted on corruption charges in 2019 and his trial is ongoing, one of the main factors that led former right-wing allies of his, such as Bennett, to join his opponents.

“To agree to partner with each other, the incoming coalition’s eight parties had to overcome a range of disagreements over policy and ministerial positions. In addition to Yamina and Yesh Atid, the coalition will include the right-wing parties New Hope and Israel Beiteinu; the centrist Blue and White party; the left-wing Labor and Meretz parties; and the Arab-Israeli Raam party, which is Islamist.

“The new government is set to be approved in a Knesset vote sometime before June 14. Negotiations over its particulars, as well as efforts to undermine it, may continue until the vote takes place. The new coalition was announced on the same day that Isaac Herzog,  a former leader of Israel’s Labor party, was elected president of Israel, a largely ceremonial role.”

It was also reported that Netanyahu has no intention of resigning, and plans to lead the opposition while engaging in attacks against Yamina and intense efforts to break up the coalition along ideological lines. It has been stated that this new coalition cannot and will not succeed for long–if at all.

The Associated Press wrote on June 3:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents pushed Thursday for a quick parliament vote to formally end his lengthy rule, hoping to head off any last-minute attempts to derail their newly announced coalition government. The latest political maneuvering began just hours after opposition leader Yair Lapid and his main coalition partner, Naftali Bennett, declared they had reached a deal to form a new government and muster a majority in the 120-member Knesset, or parliament. 

“The coalition consists of eight parties from across the political spectrum with little in common except the shared goal of toppling Netanyahu after his record-setting 12 years in power. The alliance includes hard-liners previously allied with Netanyahu, as well as center-left parties and even an Arab faction — a first in Israeli politics. But the fragile coalition still faces a tough road ahead — it was not able to unseat the parliament speaker, a Netanyahu ally, later on Thursday and it remained unclear how events would play out over the next few days.

“Netanyahu lashed out at his foes on Thursday, signaling that he will continue to exert pressure on former allies who joined the coalition. ‘All members of Knesset who were elected with right-wing votes need to oppose this dangerous leftist government,’ he wrote on Twitter.

“Bennett, who is slated to become prime minister, has come under heavy pressure from Israeli hard-liners who accuse him of betrayal. He heads Yamina, a small right-wing party that appeals to religious, nationalist voters… In a televised interview, Bennett said he would never agree to freeze construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, which is seen by the Palestinians and much of the international community as a major obstacle to peace…

“The coalition has a razor-thin majority of 61 votes in parliament. On Thursday, it attempted to replace parliament speaker Yariv Levin, in order to speed up the vote on the new government. But the effort failed after Nir Orbach, a lawmaker from Yamina, refused to sign on, underscoring the fragility of the alliance. Levin can now use his position to delay the vote and give Netanyahu more time to sabotage the coalition.”

Germany Admits Genocide in Namibia

NPR wrote on May 28:

“Germany is formally recognizing that its killing of tens of thousands of people belonging to two ethnic groups more than a century ago in present-day Namibia was a genocide… From about 1884 to 1915, Germany occupied several territories in Africa. Its colony in German South West Africa, in what is now Namibia, was established to provide more territory for its people, a campaign called Lebensraum. At the time, German urban areas were overcrowded due to a population boom.

“After settlers seized their land and cattle, ethnic Herero and Nama people launched a rebellion against their occupiers. German soldiers killed tens of thousands of them between 1904 and 1908. Survivors were forced into the desert and later placed in concentration camps… Many died of disease and starvation, some after being used for medical experiments. It’s estimated that 80% of the Indigenous populations of the Herero and Nama died during the genocide.”

What should also be noted is that Germany’s campaigns for Lebensraum and the establishment of horrible concentration camps predate Hitler by many years. Hitler did not invent these ideas; he “capitalized” on them. Something similar, but much more gruesome, is prophesied to happen again.

Some have also claimed that Hitler’s NSDAP (“National Socialist German Workers’ Party”) was in fact a national socialist party. The left-wing liberal media, such as the Washington Post, strongly condemned them for that assertion. However, that claim is absolutely true, as the name of the party already reveals. This was also very well-known in Germany at the time. To deny it today does not make it less true.

For instance, it was reported by the Jerusalem Post on May 29 that “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made another reference to the Holocaust Thursday, comparing Democrats to Nazis…  Nazis were the National Socialist Party, ‘just like the Democrats are now a national socialist party,’ said Greene at a Georgia rally… Greene, a firebrand ally of former President Donald Trump, was broadly denounced by her fellow Republicans on Tuesday for likening COVID-19 masks and vaccinations to the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews.”

Of course, she was condemned by Democrats, but also, sadly, by Republicans, who all seem to be (willfully) ignorant of the past.

France Resists More “Brain Dead” NATO Funding

Reuters wrote on May 28:

“A $20 billion plan to give NATO more flexibility in facing military threats, climate change and China’s rise has hit firm resistance from France, which fears the move could undermine its defence priorities… The EU has been working since December 2017 to develop more firepower independently of the United States, led by France, the EU’s remaining major military power after Britain left the bloc…

“Germany and other European allies, as well as Canada, also want to know what any extra money would be spent on…’Some Europeans are asking: do we build up NATO, or do we develop the EU’s defence capacity…?’, said a senior NATO diplomat. ‘Each euro can only be spent once.’”

Very soon, euros will be spent for Europe, not NATO.

Classified Information about Nuclear Weapons in Europe Leaked

Deutsche Welle reported on May 29:

“Troops on US bases in Europe housing nuclear weapons have been using publicly accessible online flashcard apps to remember long and complex security protocols, the investigative website Bellingcat revealed on Friday… The latest leaks… have gone so far as to identify the exact number and location of the weapons within the bases, including whether the vaults they are stored in are ‘hot’ — with live weapons — or ‘cold.’

“The author of the investigative piece… explained that the researchers were able to discover the flashcards belonging to the active soldiers by searching for certain terms known to be associated with nuclear bases. The result was the unearthing of several sets of flashcards revealing information about several bases around Europe, including in Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey… Bellingcat discovered flashcards dating back as far as 2013 and as recent as April 2021… This is yet one more warning that these weapons are not secure…”

So, what happens if they fall into the “wrong” hands?

Australia Invaded by Millions of Mice and other Problems

MSN wrote on May 28:

“Australian farmers could face a more than $775 million loss in crops from a plague of mice that are taking over their fields in New South Wales… To try to prevent the mice from devouring everything, the state government has ordered 1,320 gallons of bromadiolone, a banned poison, from India. Approval from a federal government regulator has yet to come, and there are concerns that other animals, such as wedge-tail eagles and family pets, might be exposed to the deadly poison…

“Vast tracts of land in Australia’s New South Wales state are being threatened by a mouse plague that the state government describes as ‘absolutely unprecedented.’…

“The plague is a cruel blow to farmers in Australia’s most populous state who have been battered by fires, floods and pandemic disruptions in recent years, only to face the new scourge of the introduced house mouse, or Mus musculus… The worst comes after dark, when millions of mice that had been hiding and dormant during the day become active.

“… the pandemic brought a labor drought. Fruit was left to rot on trees because foreign backpackers who provide the seasonal workforce were absent. Plagues seemingly appear from nowhere…”

The mouse plague is also causing mental problems for people having to live with thousands of mice continually.

We received the following report, dated May 29, from Paul Niehoff:

“Here in Victoria, we are under a lockdown again. We are limited to 5 km travel. One person in hotel quarantine in Adelaide caught Covid from a fellow inmate on his last day, day 14, before returning to Melbourne. So far he has indirectly infected 35 others and because a football game was an infection site, 15,000 people are in isolation at home. Yesterday 56,000 people were tested, some waiting up to 6 hours. When driving, we pass long queues waiting to be tested. The vaccination hot lines for appointments are crashing because of demand. We expect to be in lockdown for at least a week depending on whether the contact tracers can contact all the potential sufferers.  Even the army is helping to ensure that all who are supposed to be at home are isolating. There are a few demonstrations but the police greatly outnumber the protesters. So far no deaths but the government has a total elimination policy which can work only if outsiders are not allowed in or are correctly quarantined.”

God pronounced curses on the modern descendants of the ancient house of Israel—including the English-speaking nations of the “British Commonwealth” such as Australia—if they were to disobey Him, including devastating harvests and plagues caused by animals (Leviticus 26:20, 22; compare also Deuteronomy 28). But the Bible also predicts that worse things will happen to them.

Unparalleled American Debt

National Review wrote on May 28:

“President Biden’s budget request is projecting that the U.S. debt burden will reach its highest level in history this year, surpassing the previous record from World War II. In 2021, according to the Biden budget, the U.S. debt will reach 109.7 percent of GDP, which would blow past the previous record of 106.1 percent, just as the U.S. was coming out of World War II. It will then exceed the record every year over the next decade, reaching 117 percent of GDP by 2031.

“While it is true that Biden inherited a high debt level as a result of the pandemic and the continued flow of Baby Boomer retirements driving up entitlement spending, Biden’s spending binge is exacerbating the problem. He signed a $1.9 trillion ‘COVID relief’ bill in March, even though the pandemic was fizzling out and Congress had already spent $4.1 trillion on the pandemic. He is now proposing an additional $4 trillion in spending just this year.

“Overall, Biden’s budget sees $69.2 trillion worth of spending over the next decade… [For] the past several decades, both parties have steadily driven up the debt while ignoring our long-term challenges, and as we emerge from this crisis, Biden is throwing all caution to the wind… We’re now entering an era without precedent in American history…”

The proposed budget includes $6 trillion annual spending.  America will NEVER be able to repay its debt. As the Bible says: The borrower is servant to the lender.

More Propaganda—Vaccine Passports and Vaccinations of Children

Axios wrote on May 28:

“Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday told ABC… that the U.S. is ‘taking a very close look’ at the possibility of requiring vaccine passports for international travel… A DHS spokesperson later on Friday clarified Mayorkas’ comments, saying that there will be no ‘federal mandate’ for vaccine passports in the U.S…

“The European Union and some Asian governments are developing coronavirus vaccine passports that people can access using phone apps in order to ‘help kickstart international travel…’Vaccine passports have become a controversial topic in the country, with several Republican-led states banning state government and some private business from requiring them.

“A recent survey by the COVID States Project revealed that 62% [of] people in the U.S. support government-imposed vaccine mandates, while only 27.5% said they support businesses using vaccine passports.”

The Associated Press added on May 28:

“The Danish government on Friday presented its digital coronavirus passport enabling people to travel abroad or, in Denmark, go to the hairdresser, a tattoo parlor, dine inside a restaurant or wherever else it is needed. ‘The corona passport we present today can be used from July 1 when you can travel within the EU,’ said Finance Minister Nicolai Vammen. Some 20% of Denmark’s population of 6 million have been fully vaccinated…”

Greece also announced that its Covid passport system will be up and running before July 1. The coronavirus passport propaganda, combined with the restrictions of liberty and freedom for the unvaccinated, is simply sickening. For instance, California Governor Newsom offers $1.5 million in a lottery for vaccinated residents.  In addition, $116 million in prizes and incentives are being offered for the vaccinated.  Other states engage in similar highly questionable practices.

NBC News reported on May 28:

“Fully vaccinated children and teens in camp this summer can return to normal activities — without masks or physical distancing — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday… But the advice is somewhat murky for [outdoor activities of] children who will not be vaccinated, a group of kids who will likely make up the majority of typical summer campers. There is no Covid-19 vaccine available for kids under age 12… For indoor activities, the guidance is much more clear: The CDC ‘strongly encourages’ masks for anyone over age 2 who remains unvaccinated.”

These are horrible guidelines, bordering on child abuse. In Germany, the most popular tabloid, Bild, is accusing the government and the media of having harmed millions of children, physically and mentally, through their unscientific lockdown and social distancing measures, and apologizes to parents and their children for these restrictions, because, they say, the government refuses to do so (Bild Online, May 27).

Radical Increase of Kid Suicide Due to Lockdowns

Life Site News wrote on May 26:

“A prominent Canadian hospital and kids’ group have said an ‘emergency response’ is needed from the premiers of provinces to deal with the rapid decline of kids’ mental health, which the organizations say has taken a drastic turn for the worse due to COVID-19 lockdowns. ‘We’re calling for an urgent meeting of Canada’s First Ministers to take immediate action to address this crisis facing the 8 million kids in our country,’ reads a press release, published last week by the Children First Canada group.

“‘Across Canada, COVID-19 has led to devastating effects on the mental and physical health of kids. School closures, the lack of access to sports and recreational programs, and social isolation have led to devasting effects on the health and well-being of kids. The urgency to support children and youth has never been greater…’

“Children First Canada said that according to Children’s Healthcare Canada, there has been a 100 percent increase in youth suicide attempts, while McMaster Children’s Hospital reported a staggering 200 percent increase.”

Oregon Objects…

week.com wrote on May 25:

“On May 18, Gov. Kate Brown offered Oregon businesses a choice not available anywhere else in the nation: They could allow vaccinated patrons not to wear their masks—after checking vaccine cards at the door. Two weeks later, the verdict is clear: a resounding thumbs down. Not a single major retailer or venue in the Portland metro area has taken Brown up on the offer. Business owners don’t want to ask for proof. ‘I just don’t believe that it’s a private citizen’s responsibility to ask another private citizen anything to do with their health,’ says Rep. Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles), who owns Maupin’s Stoves & Spas, which sells wood stoves, hot tubs and barbecues. ‘Most people believe that they’ve got that right to privacy. You’re putting that frontline worker in a really awkward spot with some people that are very passionate on both extremes of this issue.’

“In all, 31 states no longer require anyone to wear a mask indoors, if they ever did. Four states still require masks for everyone. But Oregon appears to be the outlier among the 15 remaining states that require masks indoors only for the unvaccinated. In the other 14 states, masking up is based on an honor system. That’s what federal officials proposed, too. Only Oregon required businesses to card people.

“A May 25 letter signed by 10 national business associations to top Biden administration officials called Oregon’s requirement for shops to check vaccine cards ‘alarming.’ The letter’s signatories ranged from the National Grocers Association to the National Association of Truck Stop Operators…

“The governor isn’t willing to change course quite yet, but officials in her office admit checking vaccine cards wasn’t a popular idea… Masks, of course, have become a political wedge issue. Vaccines, too. The underlying culture war made asking for proof of vaccination to remove a mask particularly difficult…”

However, with Oregon’s left wing radical policies, one wonders what the governor is going to do next.

Coronavirus Created through Laboratory Manipulation?

Daily Mail reported on May 28:

“In a new 22-page scientific paper… Norwegian scientist Dr. Birger Sørensen and British Professor Angus Dalgleish concluded ‘SARS-Coronavirus-2 has no credible natural ancestor’ and that it is ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that the virus was created through ‘laboratory manipulation.’

“The study, due to be published in the scientific journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics Discovery, is set to make waves among the scientific community, as the majority of experts have until recently staunchly denied the origins of COVID-19 were anything other than a natural infection leaping from animals to humans. While analyzing COVID-19 samples last year in an attempt to create a vaccine, Dalgleish and Sørensen claim they discovered ‘unique fingerprints’ in the virus that they say could only have arisen from manipulation in a laboratory.

“They said they tried to publish their findings but were rejected by major scientific journals which were at the time resolute that the virus jumped naturally from bats or other animals to humans.”

The Daily Mail published this opinion piece on May 28:

“The liberal media have finally conceded that COVID-19 may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory – after a year spent ridiculing the suggestion… most mainstream media disputed the claims, dismissing them outright or even decrying them as racist.

“When Donald Trump, on May 1, 2020, said he had ‘a high degree of confidence’ that the virus escaped from a lab, the New York Times, CNN, [The Washington Post] and NPR were quick to mock his comments. CNN, which by the end of the Trump administration was brazen in its hostility to the president and his advisors, was almost gleeful in its mockery of the idea that the virus could have come from a laboratory… Some outlets, such as the Huffington Post, even branded any suggestion the virus could have stemmed from a lab as a ‘toxic conspiracy theory.’

“Few were able to suggest that COVID-19 could have stemmed from a research facility without backlash but that didn’t stop some media, including the Daily Mail, from questioning the narrative…”

Whatever the truth, to suppress and ridicule these findings, because they do not fit in their imagined paradigm, only shows how manipulative, dishonest and propagandistic the mass media and scientific journals are. The suppression of true facts by scientists—many of them being agnostics or atheists–regarding the false narrative of the Evolution theory is a prime example.  

The Sun added on May 29:

“… the scientists place blame squarely on the same Chinese lab researchers in Wuhan for attempting to cover their tracks. There was ‘deliberate destruction, concealment or contamination of data’ in Chinese labs and ‘Chinese scientists who wished to share their knowledge have not been able to do so or have disappeared,’ according to the paper…”

Censorship Galore

Breitbart reported on May 28:

“YouTube, the Google-owned video platform, blocked a news clip of a mother in Georgia objecting to mask mandates for children, according to reports from Grabien Media founder Tom Elliott. Grabien is a popular video clipping service that provides news clips and other material to media outlets. Its founder, Tom Elliott, slammed YouTube for censoring his clip…

“The clip shows a woman condemning local elected officials in Georgia for continuing mask mandates for children. ‘Forcing 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9-year-old little children to cover their noses and their mouths, where they breathe, for 7 hours a day, every day for the last nine months, for a virus that you know doesn’t affect them, that is not in their best interest,’ says the mother…

“‘Parents are allowed to express opinions over whether their children should be forced into wearing masks. Parents’ perspectives are a valid part of the public debate. This mother does not represent herself as a doctor or medical expert,’ Elliott [said]. ‘Incidentally the WHO agrees with this mother that there is currently no scientific basis for compelling all children to wear masks indoors/outdoors as a measure to stop the spread of Covid. So YouTube’s “medical misinformation” claim is entirely false.’

“Elliott said that he appealed YouTube’s decision through the platform’s official channels, but his appeal was rejected… Breitbart News reached out to Google, which owns YouTube, for comment. Google did not respond with any statement on the record at the time of publication.”

How far are the mass media and their outlets willing to go to suppress any opinions which are not in harmony with their agenda? Note the next article.

Deliberate Lies by CNN

Newsmax wrote on May 28:

“Legal scholar Alan Dershowitz told Newsmax… on Friday that his lawsuit against CNN for defamation is ‘not about me, it’s about misleading thousands and thousands of people.’ CNN filed an unsuccessful motion to dismiss the suit…

“[Dershowitz explained:] ‘I said the president could be impeached if he committed crimes … they doctored the tape to make me say the president couldn’t be impeached even if he committed unlawful or illegal conduct. ‘They simply distorted my words, the judge looked at it, he said, “No, they don’t get the benefit of the fair-reporting privilege … their reporting was unfair.” They didn’t accurately reflect what I said, and I’m gonna be able to prove it made a deliberate, willful, malicious decision from the top down to doctor my tape in order to make me say exactly the opposite of what I said.’”

“‘…we will be able to depose Jeffrey Zucker, the head of CNN, we’ll be able to depose those who made the decision to edit the tape…’”

Incredible… but not surprising…

Trump to Return in August?

Mediaite wrote on June 1:

“Former President Donald Trump is telling people that he expects to get reinstated in the White House by August, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. Haberman shared this rather stunning detail in response to a CNN segment from Donie O’Sullivan.  The video features a number of QAnon followers lauding a Myanmar-style coup of the U.S. government to replace President Joe Biden with Trump. Haberman wrote, ‘Trump has been telling a number of people he’s in contact with that he expects he will be reinstated by August’ with an important parenthetical caveat that states ‘(no that isn’t how it works but simply sharing the information).’

“Her comments do not come in a vacuum either. A number of Trump toadies have made similar comments before and during the QAnon conference that was held in Dallas, Texas over the weekend.

“Former National Security Advisor to Trump Michael Flynn… appeared to argue on behalf of a Myanmar-style coup during the QAnon conference… Sidney Powell also stated during the QAnon conference that Trump should be reinstated as president. Why? Because according to the former Trump attorney there was ‘abject fraud and obtaining a coup of the United States of America.’…

“Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow and massive advertiser on Fox News prime time… insisted with Steven Bannon last week that ‘Donald Trump will be back in office in August,’ vowing to file a lawsuit that will confirm evidence of voter fraud during the 2020 election. So Flynn, Powell, and Lindell are all advocating some sort of reinsertion of Trump into office, though there is no Constitutional way for that to happen. And according to the reliably well-sourced Haberman, Trump himself is promoting the idea that he will be back in office by late summer.”

Due to the inconsistent and contradictory statements in the article itself, unless this is “fake news” and short of a violent insurrection and civil war, this could not happen. Still, CNN covered it in great detail, obviously fearing that a return of Trump might happen in the future.

Abortion Industry Condemns New Texas Law

Live Action wrote on May 26:

“The abortion industry is coming out swinging against the recently passed heartbeat bill in Texas. Under the new law… elective abortions are not allowed after a preborn child’s heartbeat can be detected. And abortion activists are wasting no time condemning it.

“The Biden administration attacked the new law in a press conference, in which White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reminded Americans of Biden’s unwavering support for abortion. ‘This is the most restrictive measure yet in the nation, and the most restrictive, recent assault on women’s fundamental rights under Roe v. Wade and critical rights continue to come under weathering and extreme attack around the country,’ Psaki said. “But certainly the president supports and believes we should codify Roe v. Wade. And that is his view regardless of these backward-looking steps that are being taken… by states.’…

“Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson responded to the bill…  calling it ‘diabolical’ and vowing to fight back…

“Despite the hysterics from the abortion industry, polling found that 49% of Texas voters support a ban on abortions after six weeks, about the time an embryonic heartbeat can be detected. A third of Texans would also support an outright ban on abortion if Roe v. Wade was overturned. Research has found that the heart begins to beat as early as 16 days after fertilization. What is actually… ‘diabolical’ is abortion itself, which exists solely to kill an innocent human being in an extremely violent manner.”

America’s Catholic President supports what God condemns.

Rainbow Index of Christian Churches—Schism in Catholic Church

Life Site News wrote on May 26:

 “The first ‘Rainbow Index of Churches in Europe in 2020’ (RICE 2020) that ranks Christian church groups in Europe by their ‘LGBTI inclusivity’ was released in April.

“‘The Rainbow Index of Churches in Europe uses 47 indicators of LGBTI ‘inclusivity,’ including the following:

“‘The Bible is not used as a normative instrument for defining gender roles and is not interpreted as a condemnation of LGBTI people or of LGBTI lived desires, sexualities, and identities.

“‘The church officiates ‘same-sex marriages’ and/or holds a blessing ceremony for same-sex couples.

“‘Transgender persons receive a special blessing when they present their new name and/or identity in church.

“‘Cis-hetero women and openly LGBTI people are admitted in seminary (institute for ministerial education and formation).The church supports the adoption and raising of children by LGBTI couples.

“‘The liturgical language in prayer or worship books is sensitive to gender issues and sexual orientation.

“These indicators were measured by a questionnaire used to assess the LGBTI ‘inclusivity’ of a variety of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches, which were then ranked according to their index score…

“Leading the list of churches for their ‘inclusivity’ scores are the Metropolitan Community Church in Finland (the majority of whose members are LGBT), the Church of Sweden, and the Protestant Church in Switzerland. Notably, despite Catholic Church teaching acknowledging the grave immorality of homosexual acts, the Roman Catholic Church in Germany ranks fairly high on the church ranking list, with an index score of 25 out of 47.

“The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, ‘Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity (Cf. Genesis 19:1-29; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:10; 1 Timothy 1:10), tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’…  They are contrary to the natural law… Under no circumstances can they be approved.’…

“The Catholic Church in Germany earned half a point for ‘ordination of female/LGBTI clergy,’ half a point for ‘celibacy not required for LGBTI,’ and another half a point for ‘no support of “traditional” family associations.’ It remains to be seen whether their index score will be ‘upgraded’ after taking into account the recent widespread offering of public blessings to homosexual couples by Catholic priests in Germany, who are enabled by their bishops.

“… The German bishops’ defiance of Catholic Church teaching is one of the main reasons clergy like Cardinal Raymond Burke consider Germany to be in schism ‘that is real if not declared.’ The blessings of homosexual couples by German priests were carried out in open defiance of Church doctrine and the Vatican’s recent ban on same-sex blessings…  The Code of Canon law defines schism as ‘the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.’

“The Roman Catholic Church in Malta, Austria, France, and Italy all rank after Germany… The Roman Catholic Church in Poland falls at the bottom of both the Roman Catholic Church list and the overall church list, with an index score of 1 out of 47. In response to the strong pro-family stances of ‘some EU countries, notably Poland and Hungary,’ the European Parliament declared the European Union an ‘LGBTIQ Freedom Zone’ on March 11… In November, the European Commission announced that it wants to make ‘hate speech’ and ‘hate crimes’ EU crimes in 2021 and impose mutual recognition of ‘rainbow families’ across the European Union by 2022.

“EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced during the State of the Union address  at the European Parliament, ‘LGBTQI-free zones are humanity-free zones. And they have no place in our Union,’ she said in reference to resolutions in Poland to protect the family and children from gender ideology.”

Sodom and Gomorrah…

Canadian Persecution of Churches Continues

Global News wrote on May 31:

“Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas on Monday ordered $66,000 in new fines and costs against the Church of God and two of its leaders after he ruled they have continued to defy a court order to avoid gatherings despite the provincial stay-at-home order. Earlier this year, Thomas had ordered the Church of God to stop holding indoor gatherings that exceed provincial limits. On April 30, Thomas had found the church had defied his orders after he viewed a number of Sunday services that were streamed online by the church. On May 14, the church, along with two of its pastors, were dealt more than $100,000 in fines, with the church ordered to be locked up until the province allows for indoor church gatherings at 30 per cent capacity. The church returned to court on Monday for a second contempt ruling after it was accused of having defied Thomas’ order soon after being handed down the fines. In the three Sundays since the fines were handed down, Aylmer police have laid charges for outdoor services held at the church on May 16, May 23 and May 30,  all of which were streamed online by the church…

“The church’s lawyer, Lisa Bildy, reiterated a number of arguments she had made in previous hearings. This included referring to COVID-19 restrictions as ‘destructive to liberal democracy’… Bildy added that the ‘burden of all of this enforcement has fallen to the church without any evidence whatsoever that their continuing to meet has caused any outbreaks or illness, let alone death, over the last year.’..

“Thomas issued the following fines after ruling the church was again in contempt: $35,000 from the Church of God; $20,000 from pastor Henry Hildebrandt; $6,000 from assistant pastor Peter Wall; $5,000 in legal costs… All fines are to be paid immediately.”

What is occurring in Canada, with the aid of a corrupt legal system, is shameful and ungodly.

Black Matter and Einstein’s Error?

Business Insider reported on May 29:

“Astronomers have created the most comprehensive map yet of all the dark matter in the universe. That’s no easy feat, considering dark matter is invisible. Scientists know this shadowy cousin of regular matter exists, though, because its strong gravitational forces can pull entire galaxies together. Based on observations of its influence, astronomers estimate that dark matter makes up one-quarter of the universe.

“The new map is the product of years of work by a group of 400 scientists from seven countries, known as the Dark Energy Survey (DES). They pointed the Victor M. Blanco Telescope in Chile skyward to peek at millions of galaxies bound together by dark matter. The distribution of those galaxies, and the ways in which light from them reaches Earth, can inform astronomers about how much dark matter sits between those galaxies and our planet.

“In a series of studies published this week, the team showed that the universe is peppered with giant clusters of galaxies bunched together — regions where dark matter, too, is densely packed. But their map, which covers about one-eighth of the sky as seen from Earth, also documents patches of the universe that are nearly devoid of both dark matter and galaxies. These cluttered and empty areas appear to be connected by interstellar gas in a cosmic web.

“According to [Niall] Jeffrey, a cosmologist at University College London, the new findings suggest that gravity may not work the same way in these voids as it does on Earth, which would mean the standard laws of physics do not apply… According to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, gravity should have caused chunks of matter in the universe to clump up in a predictable way after the Big Bang some 13 billion years ago.

“But according to Jeffrey… Einstein’s theory may have missed the mark to some degree… ‘it may mean there’s something wrong with Einstein’s theory of general relativity, one of the great pillars of physics.’”

Without even attempting to utter an opinion on the “matter,” it is always astonishing to see how much – or how little – scientists seem to know about the origin of the universe and how it functions. Even seemingly established “theories” are coming under scrutiny. The biblical revelation, that it was GOD who created and designed the universe “in the beginning”, and that Christ sustains and upholds it by His mighty word, is dismissed outright.

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.

Jesus Christ made the following startling comment in John 5:37:

“And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.”

He also said this in John 6:46:

“Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.”

The Apostle John added the following in John 1:18:

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

He added in 1 John 4:12: “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”

The Apostle Paul, likewise, confirmed in 1 Timothy 6:13-16:

“I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Jesus Christ… that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He [God] will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.”

At the same time, we find different accounts about a voice from heaven or out of a cloud, speaking about Jesus Christ as “My beloved Son.”

Referring to the account of Christ’s baptism through John the Baptist, Matthew 3:17 says: “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

Another account can be found in John 12:28-29, shortly before His betrayal:

“[Christ prayed:] ‘Father, glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’ Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to Him.’ Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.’”

Also, when Christ and some of His disciples were on the Mount of Transfiguration, Matthew 17:5 records: “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’”

Peter would later reflect on that experience in 2 Peter 1:17-18: “For He [Jesus] received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”

There exist quite a few attempts to explain this apparent inconsistency and contradiction.

One argument is that Jesus just talked to the Jews at His time, when He said in John 5:37 that they had never heard the voice of God. But His statement follows His baptism, when a voice was heard by those Jews (cp. John 1:29-34). This rules out the possibility that Jesus was limiting His comments to the Jews at His time.

Other explanations attempt to spiritualize Christ’s statements.

Jamieson Fausset and Brown say:  “[They] never recognized Him in this character. The words are ‘designedly mysterious, like many others which our Lord uttered’… “

This explanation is clearly wrong, as Christ emphasized that they had not heard God’s voice nor seen His form… this has nothing to do with a recognition “in this character.” There is nothing “designedly mysterious” about it.

The Matthew Poole’s Commentary offers this somewhat adventurous concept:

“Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape; you have no knowledge of him, nor any acquaintance with him. It is expounded… Ye have not his word abiding in you: for though indeed God appeared to the Jews in no shape or similitude; yet they (that is, their forefathers) had heard his voice [Deuteronomy 4:12], speaking out of the midst of the fire… God, being an incorporeal Being, hath no such organs of speech as we have, by which we declare our minds unto others; but God had formed an audible voice, by which he revealed his will unto the Jews; so as it could only be said of the Jews of that generation and their forefathers, from the time of giving the law, that they had not heard his voice; for, Exodus 20:19, they then desired that Moses might speak to them, and that God would speak no more immediately. Accordingly, he did by the prophets speak to them…”

Even though God is a spiritual being, consisting of Spirit, that does not mean that He does not have form and shape, nor, that He does not have a “voice” with which to communicate. We read about communication between God and His angels, or even with Satan.  When He speaks, then it is His voice, and it is not just the formation or creation of an audible voice which otherwise does not exist. The idea is also based, in part, on the false concept that God does not have a voice or form and shape, and that that is the reason why people could not have heard His voice or seen His form. Only confused “theologians” could come up with such a nonsense.

A third explanation is advanced by Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, as follows:

“Jesus does not here deny that God had ‘appeared’ in this manner, but he says they had not seen – that is, had not ‘paid attention to,’ or ‘regarded,’ the appearance of God. He had manifested himself, but they disregarded it, and, in particular, they had disregarded his manifestations in attestation of the Messiah. As the word ‘hear’ means to obey, to listen to, so the word ‘see’ means ‘to pay attention to, to regard’…”

Again, this explanation overlooks the fact that we read, for instance, in John 1:18, that “NO ONE has seen God AT ANY TIME” (compare too 1 John 4:12). Surely, righteous people like Abraham, Moses, David and all the ancient prophets “paid attention to” or “regarded” the words of God and the “attestations” of the Messiah (cp. 1 Peter 1:10-12).

None of these “explanations” are correct; still, as The Pulpit Commentary confirms, “Doubtless the voice of Jehovah had been heard (Exodus 20:19…), the face of Jehovah had been seen (Genesis 32:30; Exodus 24:10; Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 5:4, 24). Isaiah saw the glory of… the Lord (cp. John 12:41) and Ezekiel likewise by the river of Chebar (Ezekiel 3:23).”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible comes closer to the Truth, by pointing out an important aspect that is being overlooked by most commentaries:

“… ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape; for the voices that were heard, and the forms that were seen under the Old Testament dispensation, from the first of this kind in Eden’s garden, to the incarnation of Christ, which are ascribed to God, or to a divine person, were either by the ministry of angels, or they were voices uttered by the Son of God, or forms assumed by him, who often appeared in an human form, as a prelude of his incarnation; so that it was unusual, and wonderful, and remarkable, that the Father should bear a testimony to the sonship of Christ by a voice from heaven; and which therefore ought to be attended to, and received as a sufficient and valid testimony.”

At least, the commentary seems to acknowledge that the voice people heard in Old Testament times might have been the voice of Jesus Christ—not of the Father—even though some of the other remarks miss the point.

When Christ and the New Testament writers said that no one has seen God or His form and that people had not heard His voice, the reference is to God the FATHER. On the other hand, people DID hear the voice and see the form of the GLORIFIED Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Christ was the God of the Old Testament who communicated and dealt with the people.

Philippians 2:5–7 reads: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of GOD, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, TAKING THE FORM OF A BONDSERVANT, and coming IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN.”

Notice, too, John 1:1–3: “In the beginning was the WORD [Note that Christ is still referred to as the “Word of God,” for instance in Revelation 19:13], and the Word was with God, AND THE WORD WAS GOD. He was in the beginning with God [that means there were two God beings—Christ, the “Word of God,” and God the FATHER]. All things were made through Him [the Word, Jesus Christ, compare Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:1–2], and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

John 17:5 adds these words of Christ, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Earlier, Jesus had this to say while instructing His disciples: “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father” (John 16:28).

The Bible reveals that Christ was the Personage within the Family of God who actually dealt directly with mankind. God the Father created everything, including man, through Jesus Christ. Christ talked with Abraham (John 8:56-58). He was the God being who led Israel out of Egypt (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). It was Christ who was tried by disobedient Israel (verse 9). And, most importantly, it was the Spirit of CHRIST which dwelled in the prophets of old, as 1 Peter 1:10-11 clearly proves: “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST [WHICH] WAS IN THEM was indicating when [it] testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.”

These passages are clear and speak for themselves. The biblical testimony is unequivocal: Jesus Christ was GOD before He came to this earth!

One of the purposes for Christ’s first coming was to reveal the EXISTENCE of God the Father.

John 1:18 tells us: “No one has ever seen God [the Father]. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (New Revised Standard Version). Notice the rendering of this passage in the New American Bible: “No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.”

In our free booklet, “God is a Family,” we said this under the headline, “Jesus Came to Reveal the Father”:

“The Jews at the time of Christ did not know—and most still don’t know today—that God is a Family, presently consisting of two God beings. Christ came to REVEAL the Father to them (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22). The Jews thought they knew the Father, not realizing that the God of the Old Testament, who directly worked with and dealt with Israel, was Jesus Christ—not God the Father.

“We have already read in John 1:18 that ‘no one has seen God at any time.’ John 5:37 confirms that ‘you have neither heard His [the Father’s] voice at any time, nor seen His form.’ Again, we read in John 6:46: ‘Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God,’ that is, Jesus Christ. Finally, 1 John 4:12 repeats, ‘No one has seen God at any time.’

“Still, we have read that God did appear to the ancient Israelites. They did hear His voice many times. Some even saw the form of God, to an extent, in His glorified state (compare Genesis 32:30; Exodus 33:11, 17–23; 34:6–8; Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 34:10; Isaiah 6:1–10; Ezekiel 1:26–28; 3:23; 8:4).

“According to Biblical testimony, some did see ‘God’ in Old Testament times, and they did hear His voice.  On the other hand, Christ and the apostles taught that no human has ever seen… ‘God.’ Since God does not contradict Himself in His Word, He is obviously talking about two different personages here. Indeed, the Bible clarifies that no one has ever seen God the Father (compare again John 5:37; 6:46). But some did see ‘God’—that is, the second being in the God Family—Jesus Christ, in His glorified state.

“The Bible confirms that it was Jesus Christ who appeared to people and spoke with them in Old Testament times (compare John 8:56–58; 1 Corinthians 10:4, 9).”

It is true, of course, that righteous people in the Old Testament, such as Abraham, Moses, David and the prophets, knew about the Father, but this is not true for the overwhelming majority, nor for the Jews living at the time of Jesus. For instance, Acts 3:13 states that the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His servant Jesus.” Abraham, Isaac and Jacob understood that their God was the Father, who would later glorify Jesus Christ, the Son.

Still, Christ, as the Son of God, had to come to reveal the Father, even though the Old Testament clearly revealed His existence. References to “the Father” in the Old Testament can be found in Isaiah 63:16; Malachi 1:6; 2:10; 2 Samuel 7:13–14; 1 Chronicles 22:10; and Deuteronomy 32:6.

In those passages, Christ—the “Word” or Spokesman for the Father—communicated to the people the words of the Father. When the Bible speaks of the “Father,” it normally refers strictly and exclusively to the highest God being in the God Family.

However, the Jews were under the misimpression that they were worshipping “the Father.” They did not understand that the God being functioning as the Messenger or Spokesperson of the Father and the God Family, who had been dealing directly with the ancients, was actually Jesus Christ. (Compare Christ’s words in John 8:54, “It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.”)

We have explained that Jesus’ words that no one has seen the form of God and that people did not hear the voice of God refer to God the Father, as people did see the form of the Son of God—Jesus Christ (compare again Numbers 12:8), and they did hear His voice. It was Christ who communicated and spoke the words of the Father. This makes sense for Old Testament passages, but what about the fact that people heard a voice from heaven about Jesus Christ when Christ was here on earth? This voice could not have been the voice of Christ.

Nor could it have been the voice of the Father, because we read later that people did NOT hear the voice of God (the Father) at any time. It is also quite ridiculous to assume that God the Father just formed an audible voice for the occasion, which He otherwise does not have.

In his comments, Gill had referred to the possibility of angels ministering to the people.

Already in Old Testament times, we read that an angel spoke on behalf of God, voicing the command of God. We read in Zechariah 6:5-8 (Authorized Version):

“5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. 7 And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. 8 Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.”Even though an angel speaks to Zechariah, it says that “my spirit” has been quieted—an obvious reference to God’s Holy Spirit. So, the angel is communicating God’s words to the prophet, but it appears as if God spoke directly to Zechariah.

In the New Testament, we read the angelic message, “the true sayings of God” (Revelation 19:9-10), coming from God the Father and Jesus Christ, in Revelation 22:8-16 (Authorized Version):

“8 And I John saw these things, and heard [them]. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See [thou do it] not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. 10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.”

In the passage above, we see that the message of the angel contains the direct words of Jesus Christ, but it is the angel who communicates these words to John. In fact, the message is from God the Father, given to Christ who gave it to the angel to communicate to John (Revelation 1:1). In the same way, an angel communicated the words of the Father to the people when the voice of the angel said: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Israel’s Netanyahu Ousted?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

It was reported that Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer Israel’s prime minister, as political opponents from eight greatly diverse parties announced Wednesday that they had formed a coalition that would replace him, pending a simple majority vote in Israel’s parliament to be held on or about June 14. However, if only one member does not support the coalition, it will fall apart, and Netanyahu is trying hard to break up the coalition along ideological lines. What does this all mean for the future of the state of Israel?

“Hat jemand Gottes Stimme gehört und seine Gestalt gesehen?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Did Anyone Hear God’s Voice and See His Form?”

“Grundbedürfnisse,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Johann Schell, is now posted. The title in English: “Basic Needs.”

“Eine Zeit für alles,” the sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Michael Link, is now posted. Title in English: “A Time For Everything.”

“Your Relationship With God Is What?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We all have relationships that we consider important and we work hard to make them work. How much do we consider our most important relationship, that with God and Christ? What does the Bible show us in regards to our relationship with them both?

“Will Christ return twice? Will there be a secret rapture?” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We know that Christ will return, but do we know when and in what manner?  Why did Christ tell us to watch? Can His return be accelerated or delayed? Have the beginning of sorrows already commenced? What is the origin of the “secret rapture” concept? What does the Bible say?