Transcript - FindtheLight.org
Slide 1
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 2
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 3
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 4
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 5
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 6
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 7
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 8
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 9
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 10
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
E-MAIL
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 2
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 3
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 4
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 5
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 6
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 7
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 8
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 9
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
The end of this week’s
Weekly World Watch
WWW will be e-mailed to you each week.
Please forward the e-mail addresses of
others who may be interested.
I will include them in the list of recipients.
Comments and suggestions for improvement
are welcome.
Click here
(Move the mouse until the cursor appears.)
ANDY
To watch again, click here.
Slide 10
Andy Walton’s
Weekly World Watch
October 3 - 9, 2010
“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)
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.
Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.
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.
News
Photo
EVENT
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.
COMMENT
This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student.
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]).
BIBLE
QUOTE
This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred
is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.
Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.
(Book, chapter, and verse)
This Week’s Developments
October 3 - 9, 2010
• US given a month to rescue Middle East peace talks
• Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67 borders
• 'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
• Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
• Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry Israel
To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right
US given a month to rescue Middle East
peace talks
BBConline, October 8, 2010
EVENT
COMMENT
BIBLE
QUOTE
Arab League ministers have given the US one month to
rescue deadlocked Middle East peace talks.
The ministers, meeting in Libya, endorsed a decision by Palestinian leaders to stay
away unless Israel restores a ban on settlement building.
But the ministers said the US had to be given more time to break the impasse.
The direct talks, the first in almost two years, began in September but later stalled
when Israel refused to extend the building freeze.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting of Arab League
foreign ministers in the Libyan city of Sirte.
Afterwards Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who
chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of
President Abbas to stop the talks."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to extend the 10-month ban on
settlement building in the West Bank which expired on 26 September. Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas will not negotiate peace unless settlement building is stopped.
The meeting this week of Arab League ministers in Libya was to decide whether to
back his decision NOT to continue. They have given their backing and also a deadline
to America of ONE month to resolve the issue.
It is interesting this was an Arab League meeting held in Libya. In the verse below we
read the words “Libya” and “league” in the same sentence. It is speaking of a future
time when Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia (and all those in league with them) shall fall by the
sword. This will occur AFTER Israel has been invaded by these very nations. Libya and
Ethiopia are specifically mentioned as invading Israel with Russia.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, .. For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;.. it
shall be the time of the heathen. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and
Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. (Ezekiel 30:2,5)
Abbas may ask US recognition for state in 67
borders
Jerusalem Post, October 9, 2010
EVENT
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday told leaders
at the Arab League meeting in Libya that if peace talks remain stalled, he may ask the
US to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, Reuters reported.
Another option was to demand that the United Nations place the Palestinian
territories under an international mandate, AFP reported.
A Palestinian official quoted Abbas as saying, "What is the PA needed for if all these
alternatives fail?" Ma'an reported on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, senior Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdaineh said that an Arab League followup meeting would study unspecified "alternatives and ideas that were presented by
the president [Abbas]." It is likely these were the alternatives he spoke of.
COMMENT It is not difficult to see how there might one day be a unilateral dividing of God’s land.
Certainly if the peace talks collapse the United Nations may be asked to do this. The
Palestinians could declare a Palestinian State regardless of an agreement IF they had
America’s backing. Israel would never concede this though.
Joel 3 v 2 speaks of the land of being divided. We also read in Ezekiel 30 of a prophesy
to “the mountains of Israel”. The mountains of Israel run like a spine straight through
so-called West Bank. We read in verse 2 of that chapter of the enemy talking about
these very mountains. “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.”
Notice the enemy SAYS he has them but perhaps in reality he does not actually own
them. We also read in verse 3 that these very mountains “became the possession of
the rest of the nations”. We read that the people living there were “ravaged and
hounded on every side”. ALL nations may be involved in the parting of God’s land.
BIBLE
QUOTE
‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient
heights have become our possession”. Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became a
possession of the rest of the nations….”.
(Ezekiel 30:1-3 NIV)
'Al-Aqsa' being built for Ahmadinejad
Israelnews, October 5, 2010
EVENT
The Lebanese people will soon have an Al-Aqsa mosque of their own,
Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
The mosque, to be built a few hundred meters from the border with Israel, is being
constructed in honour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit.
Construction is nearing its end in the village of Maroun al-Ras, with the structure
being made to look exactly like its Jerusalem prototype – including the dome on top.
But there is one glaring difference: An Iranian flag, a tribute to its sponsor.
Bulldozers and cranes have been working for months on the site, which will also
include a boardwalk and a lookout point from which Ahmadinejad plans to throw a
symbolic stone at Israel. The president will also inaugurate the mosque.
"It is unbelievable that Iranian money has made its way to the entrance of our home. It
is very worrying," says Shimon Biton, head of the council of Avivim, a town located
just a few hundred meters from the new mosque.
COMMENT This is quite incredible. A full sized replica of the Dome of the Rock complete with
golden dome has been built on the very border of Israel in Lebanon.
The only difference is the Iranian flag flying from its gilded roof. Iran’s president
Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon on Wednesday and go to this mosque. From there (on
a platform) he (and many others) will throw stones at Israel! Obviously a stone cannot
hurt Israel but it is a symbolic gesture of utter hatred and an act of defiance. This new
mosque built with Iranian money shows what he wants. He wants “possession of the
ancient high places”. There is none more ancient or more high than Mount Zion on
which the Dome of the Rock now sits and where Christ will build a temple on his return.
BIBLE
QUOTE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a
great people and a strong;.. A fire devoureth before them;
(Joel 2:1-3)
Stronger Hezbollah emboldened for fights ahead
The New York Times, October 6, 2010
EVENT
AITA AL SHAAB, Lebanon - It was from this shrub-ringed border town that Hezbollah
instigated its war with Israel in 2006, and supporters of the militant Shiite movement
sound almost disappointed that they have not fought since. “I was expecting the war
this summer,” said Faris Jamil, a municipal official and small-business owner. “It’s
late.” He has yet to finish rebuilding his three-story house, destroyed by an Israeli
bomb that year.
According to Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader, Hezbollah has increased its
missile stocks to 40,000, compared with 13,000 during the 2006 war; Israeli defence
officials do not dispute the estimate. (In 2006, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 missiles.)
Several independent Lebanese military analysts, who do not support Hezbollah, say
they have seen evidence that Hezbollah has armed, trained and expanded its forces
substantially enough to pose a major challenge to an invading Israeli force.
COMMENT The picture above is a billboard in Beirut which promotes a visit to Lebanon next week
by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, which is closely allied with Hezbollah.
An assessment released last month by Jeffrey White, a former Defence Intelligence
Agency official who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
said that a clash between Hezbollah and Israel was likely to be more destructive than
the 2006 conflict and that it could rapidly escalate to draw in Syria or Iran.
The Bible speaks of the inhabitants of Tyre (a city in Lebanon which is now a Hezbollah
stronghold) wanting to destroy Israel. The visit next week by the Iranian president to
support Hezbollah is an extreme provocation to Israel and it will be interesting to see
how they respond. It is possible that Assur refers to Iran in the verse below.
BIBLE
QUOTE
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: … They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and
consulted against thy hidden ones .They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. the Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them:
(Psalm 83:2-4,6)
Growing ties between Turkey, China, Iran worry
Israel
Haaretz, October 7, 2010
EVENT
Gomer = Galatia in modern day Turkey
The United States and Israel are watching with concern the
growing military cooperation among Turkey, China and Iran, especially following a
joint Turkish-Chinese air-force exercise last week.
Until two years ago Israel was Turkey's main partner for air combat training.
In 2001 the Turkish air force inaugurated a tactical air warfare centre in Konya with
Israel and the United States. Until 2008 the Israel Air Force was a frequent guest in
Turkey's sky and a regular participant in the country's big annual exercise, Anatolian
Eagle. In the wake of Operation Cast Lead and the subsequent deterioration of
bilateral relations Turkey last year revoked Israel's participation in the manoeuvres.
The United States decided not to take part in the exercise this year because of that
decision. A number of other NATO members followed suit.
Turkey replaced the Israel Air Force with its Chinese counterpart. China sent Sukhoi
SU-27 fighter aircraft and pilots to train with Turkey's F-16 fighters. In the past these
exercises were held in relatively openness, but last week they were held covertly, with
only a brief report appearing in the Turkish media after the exercise.
is mentioned in the Bible. Gomer and Togarmah BOTH refer to the territory of
COMMENT Turkey
modern day Turkey. There are those who believe that Gomer refers to Western Europe
but actually Ezekiel’s prophesy about the nations that will invade Israel describe the
actual lands that the people inhabited when he wrote the words. In other words if we
can find where ancient Gomer and ancient Togarmah were we will find the modern
enemies of Israel. Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Galatia: "For Gomer
founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."
BIBLE
QUOTE
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his
bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled
(Ezekiel 38:5-7)
unto thee THEE and THOU refer to Russia in these verses
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