Transcript Weekly World Watch

Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
January 19 - 25, 2014
“If the watchman sees the sword coming and
does not blow the trumpet to warn the people
and the sword comes and takes the life of one
of them, that man will be taken away because
of his sin, but I will hold the watchman
accountable for his blood.”
(Ezekiel 33:6, New International Version)
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To skip the introductory slides and go straight to this weeks developments click here.
What is a Weekly World Watch?
The idea is simple. It is to look at current events and compare them to
events spoken of in the Bible. .
I hope to build up a picture of God’s hand working in the affairs of this world.
God is bringing about a day when all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem
to battle. At that time God will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, back to
this earth. Jesus will then establish God’s kingdom on earth.
This kingdom will last for ever. This is our hope and the reason we watch.
The following six themes will appear repeatedly in WWW:
• Israel: The continuing conflict in the Middle East and focus on Jerusalem.
• Europe: Its developing union, both political and religious.
• Russia: Its return to anti-Western ways as Bible prophecy’s “king of the
north.”
• The UK and the US: Bible prophecy’s “king of the south.”
• Moral standards in decline and violence on the increase.
• Increasing natural disasters: including earthquake, famine etc
WWW presentations in PowerPoint can be ordered as audio/visual CDs by clicking here.
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What is in a Weekly World Watch?
Each WWW looks at a few key developments that have happened during the
past week. It is in no way meant to be exhaustive – just a look at those events
I saw as significant from a Biblical point of view.
Every WWW event slide has the following format. To reveal each block of text
just left click your mouse or press the space bar. You control when it appears.
HEADLINE
This is straight from a news report that caught my
eye because it looked significant from a Biblical
perspective, usually that of prophecy.
The source of the headline and the date are included.
EVENT
News
Photo
This is the reporter’s description of the event. It is always a direct
quotation from the news report and reflects the understanding of the
reporter and editors.
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
COMMENT The intention of the WWW is to offer brief Biblical perspectives without
going into detail. If more detail is desired, please e-mail me:
([email protected]). Please note that these are personal
thoughts and the aim is purely to stimulate Bible study.
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
BIBLE
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
QUOTE
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
January 19 - 25, 2014
• Palestinian leader turns to Putin for Palestinian state
• Russia preparing to develop Gaza gas field
• Unrest erupts across west of Ukraine
• Four bombs strike central Cairo
• Syrian 'peace talks’ are all part of the war
• Is our Sun falling silent?
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
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Palestinian leader turns to Putin for Palestinian state
Debkafile, January 24, 2014
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas launched his “diplomatic intifada”
against Israel Thursday, January 23, on his visit to Moscow. His meetings with
President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev marked his breakaway
from the US-led peace process with Israel, four months before it was due to expire, and
signaled his bid for Russian backing for a Palestinian state. The Palestinian leader’s
defection caught both Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Binyamin
unprepared – and surprised their intelligence agencies. Putin and Abbas almost
certainly planned in advance to drop their bombshell on the day both Kerry and
Netanyahu were otherwise engaged at two international events in Switzerland, Geneva
2 on Syria and the World Economic Forum. For Putin it was a chance to show the
international community that he was several steps ahead of the game on the three
hottest Middle East issues – Iran’s nuclear program, the Syrian civil conflict and the
Palestinian bid for statehood.
The Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas flew into Moscow this week on a four day visit.
During the visit he met the Russian President, Prime minister and Russian religious
leaders. He was seeking Russian involvement in the peace process. As the American
nine month peace process nears as end, Abbas is seeking help from Russia to
advance his cause of a Palestinian State. Russia, with its new Middle East influence is
only to happy to oblige. Amazingly the Bible foretold these exact circumstances.
In Ezekiel 38 we read that Gog (the Russian leader at the time of the end eg Putin) will
be VISITED! The original word “visited” means to be “sought after”. Abbas VISITED
Russia this week and sought their help in removing Israel from the land…
After many days thou [Gog / Russian leader / Putin] shalt be VISITED : in the latter years thou
shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people,
against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the
nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
(Ezekiel 13:1,10-11)
Russia preparing to develop Gaza gas field
AFP, January 23, 2014
EVENT
In a significant political and economic development, Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas met Jan. 23 with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The
meeting came as a prerequisite to officially sign an investment agreement aiming to
develop the Gaza offshore gas field in the Mediterranean Sea. It is only logical to
assume that this step will raise the ire of Israel. The latter does not appreciate the role
Russia plays in the region, especially since Israel has never come to an agreement
with Russia. AFP reported that there were talks of investing $1 billion to develop the
Palestinian gas field. Clearly taken aback by the news coming in fast from Moscow,
Israeli official sources said Thursday night they could not understand how the
Russians and Palestinians came to an agreement on Mediterranean waters off the
shores of Gaza, when the rights were already owned by British Gas.
COMMENT Now this really is amazing…. On the visit to Russia this week Abbas discussed with
Russia a deal concerning gas fields that lie off the Gaza Strip! Russian natural gas
company Gazprom is planning to produce 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas at the
site, according to Russian news agency ITAR-TASS. The Russian engineering firm
Technopromexport was also considering an oil development project in Ramallah in the
West Bank, according to the same report. There are two massively significant things
here. Firstly the Palestinian Authority is not a state so is not empowered to establish
Special Economic Zones in the Med. Russia appears to not be concerned with this and
is treating the PA as a state. Secondly Russia is considering stepping into the West
Bank and developing oil there. Ezekiel 38 speaks of Russia coming down to Israel to
take a spoil. The oil and gas finds are pulling Russia down – they cannot resist….
BIBLE
QUOTE
thou [Gog / Russian leader] shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land
of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without
walls, and having neither bars nor gates…To take a spoil, and to take a prey;
(Ezekiel 38:10-12)
Unrest erupts across west of Ukraine
Daily Telegraph, January 23, 2014
EVENT
Thick black smoke from burning tires engulfed parts of downtown Kiev as an
ultimatum issued by the opposition to the president to call early elections or face
street rage was set to expire with no sign of a compromise on Thursday. They
demanded that Yanukovych dismiss the government, call early elections and scrap
harsh anti-protest legislation that triggered the violence. The largely peaceful protest
against Yanukovych's decision to shun the EU and turn toward Moscow in November
descended into violence Sunday when demonstrators, angered by the passage of
repressive laws intended to stifle the protest, marched on official buildings.
For days protesters hurled fire bombs and stones at police, which retaliated with stun
grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets. The Wednesday deaths of two protesters —
the first fatalities in more than two months of protests — fueled fears of more violence.
COMMENT We are very interested in the Ukraine. Why? Because we are told in Ezekiel 38 that
Gog is of the land of Magog, chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal. Magog according to
ancient historian Josephus was where the Scythians lived. Maps show that the
Scythians lived in Southern Russia and Ukraine. See map above. Instead of Scythia
read Magog. You can see that Scythia covered mainly southern Russia but also
extended to cover much of Ukraine. The violence in the Ukraine is due to half the
country wanting to come under Russian influence and half wanting to come under
Europe’s influence. Russia is winning this tug of war by doing gas deals and putting
massive pressure on the Ukraine government. Russia sees Ukraine as its satellite
nation. In fact is main military port on the Black Sea is actually in the Ukraine at
Sevastopol. We know Russia will come with many ships – they are based in Magog!
BIBLE
QUOTE
The king of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade
various lands and sweep through them like a flood. He will enter the glorious land of Israel,[h] and
many nations will fall
(Daniel 11:41 NLT)
Four bombs strike central Cairo
Daily Telegraph, January 23, 2014
Cairo was struck by four blasts including a suicide car bomb on Friday morning, leaving
six dead and prompting fears of a descent into prolonged Islamist terror.
Angry crowds gathered at the scene of the first explosion, outside the main police
headquarters in the city's Downtown, and attacked foreign journalists trying to report on
the scene. They chanted anti-Islamist slogans, including "The people call for the
execution of the [Muslim] Brotherhood”. The bombers struck despite a security
crackdown in advance of protests expected on Saturday to mark the third anniversary
of the start of the January 25 revolution in 2011, which led to the downfall of exPresident Hosni Mubarak 18 days later. The first explosion happened shortly before
6.30am, and was loud enough to send shock waves through homes two miles away.
Witnesses at the scene said that at least three corpses were immediately taken to the
nearby Ahmed Maher hospital, along with scores of injuries.
COMMENT Isaiah 19 speaks of the events we are witnessing right now in Egypt. Egyptian fighting
Egyptian. Isaiah 19 is not plucked out of context and applied to modern day events.
Isaiah 19 is part of a series of 10 chapters in Isaiah that are specifically about the last
days. They deal with 10 burdens (or tribulations) that affect 10 nations at the time of the
end. Some of the nations mentioned in these 10 tribulations are Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Iran,
Israel, Palestinians etc. Each nation has its own identified problem that affects not only
the nation itself but also the surrounding nations as well. They are tribulations for the
world. To find out more about these tribulations and how they applied during 2013
watch a YouTube video produced by the WWW team. CLICK HERE to watch…
EVENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
I will make Egyptian fight against Egyptian— brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor,
city against city, province against province The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will confuse their
plans.
(Isaiah 19:2 NLT)
Syrian 'peace talks’ are all part of the war
Daily Telegraph comment, January 21, 2014
EVENT
So that’s it. There were, we now know, secret talks with the Iranians to bring them to the
Syrian peace table but they failed. The war is not over. Iranian troops, active across
Syria as “advisers”, will continue to fight; their proxies will continue to die. Without
Tehran, the only government that has power over the Assad regime, there is no hope of
peace, and the talks may as well not take place. These aren’t peace talks; they wouldn’t
have led to peace with or without the Iranians; when the two Syrian sides hold their first
face-to-face meeting, supposedly on Friday, they will not even come close to discussing
concessions that might end the conflict. In fact, the peace talks have every sign of being
a reversal of the Roman formula, is vis pacem, para bellum – if you seek peace,
prepare for war. Both sides and their sponsors are using the “peace” talks to declare
new war goals and seek fresh backing. They are a military advertising campaign.
COMMENT There are peace talks but no sign of peace. As the comment above in the Daily
Telegraph says - there is no chance of peace in Syria. It is leading to even greater
conflict and war. UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who held talks with both sides on Friday,
said they all understood that the conference was trying to "save Syria”. So will they
bring peace? Will they save Syria? The Bible says NO. There is cataclysmic and
unprecedented destruction coming on Syria. This week there was clear evidence
presented that Syria has systematically tortured and executed about 11,000 detainees
since the start of the uprising. It is horrific – but there is worse – much worse to come.
We do not know when it will come. But it will. It is while people are talking about peace
and safety we have to be even more watchful as it is when least expected that
destruction comes. Damascus - the oldest inhabited city on earth will cease to exist…
BIBLE
QUOTE
That famous city, a city of joy, will be forsaken! Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her
soldiers will all be killed,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “And I will set fire to the walls of
Damascus that will burn up the palaces of Ben-hadad.
(Jeremiah 49:25-27)
Is our Sun falling silent?
BBConline, January 18, 2014
EVENT
"I've been a solar physicist for 30 years, and I've never seen anything quite like this,"
says Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
in Oxfordshire. He shows me recent footage captured by spacecraft that have their
sights trained on our star. The Sun is revealed in exquisite detail, but its face is
strangely featureless. "If you want to go back to see when the Sun was this inactive...
you've got to go back about 100 years," he says. This solar lull is baffling scientists,
because right now the Sun should be awash with activity. It has reached its solar
maximum, the point in its 11-year cycle where activity is at a peak. This giant ball of
plasma should be peppered with sunspots, exploding with flares and spewing out
huge clouds of charged particles into space in the form of coronal mass ejections.
COMMENT Jesus said there would be signs in the sun, moon and stars. Upon the earth distress of
nations with perplexity. The sea and waves roaring. These things are both physical and
literal. But also symbolic and spiritual. In other words we have seen the literal sea and
waves roaring with incredible tsunamis. But we have also seen revolution and war as
people symbolically crash against each other like violent waves. The Bible refers to
people fighting like waves in a storm. We even use the phrase nowadays a “sea of
people”. We have reports this week about the sun acting very strangely. Scientists say
that the drop off in the sun’s activity is happening surprisingly quickly. They are now
watching closely to see if it will continue to plummet. "It could mean a very, very
inactive star, it would feel like the Sun is asleep.” says Dr Lucie Green, from University
College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory. The decline in activity is the
fastest that has been seen in 10,000 years. What does this mean? It’s another sign….
BIBLE
QUOTE
I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The
sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
(Joel 2:3—32 NIV)
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