On January 13, 2018, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Seek Righteousness and Be Courageous,” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “A Body that Cannot Survive.”

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

For our 11^th anniversary, my wife gave me a Bonsai tree. I have often admired Bonsais and the ability to craft and grow a tiny miniature tree. What I was not prepared for was the instruction sheet that came with this little tree. In order to keep this tree healthy, alive and growing, one has to do multiple things for it. It is not a get it and forget it type of plant. Nurturing, watering, plucking, replanting, growth wire, misting, and hibernating are just a few things that it needs.

This really reminded me of our Christian Way of Life. There are so many things that we have to be aware of as Christians, so that we stay alive spiritually. We come into our Christian life through a gift. That gift is God’s calling. He has known us for all eternity, and He also knew since then when He was going to call us and how He would call us. It was not a spur of the moment decision. God has called us because He knows that we can make it. Philippians 1:6 should be well known to us. God’s Will is to continue this good work in each of us to the very end.

Once we are called and we respond, we start to grow in this Way of Life. We keep our eyes on the prize of the Kingdom of God. Why else would we want to suffer so much through life’s trials?  If we didn’t have an end goal in mind, there would be no reason to endure.  I think that is why so many people walk away from the Truth in one way or another. They never truly understood or grasped the importance of our calling.

In Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; and Luke 13:18-19, Christ likens the Kingdom to a mustard seed that continues to grow into a massive tree. This is both in the sense of what the Kingdom will become, but also how we ought to view it in our lives as humans. If it is all important to us, we will continue to work towards it. Matthew 17:20 and Luke 17:5-6 show us that our faith, even if it is as the size of a mustard seed, will be able to accomplish great things, because we have also the faith of God and Christ living in us.

Leviticus 26:3-4 shows us that through obedience to the Truth, we will receive the things that we need to continue living. We will receive blessings from God. Blessings come in many ways, even ones that we don’t expect. Psalm, chapter 1, shows us that when we are obedient and meditate on God’s Ways until they become our Way of Life, then we shall prosper like a tree planted by a river.

With water and blessings also comes the need to be pruned. Romans 11:11-31 and Luke 13:6-9 show the amazing possibilities that come from our calling and that God is the one who directs and places people where He wants them. But we should not ignore the fact that God will and does prune where He needs to, so as to help His people. John 15:1-9 shows that we cannot wander off on our own, on some pointless tirade because we want to be right or think we know something that the ministry does not know. Christ’s very strong warning here is that we must stay in the Church; otherwise, we will wither and be thrown out.

Our goal is not that far out in front of us now. Let us make sure we stay on track in regard to this Way of Life. We need to make sure we have the proper goal(s) in front of us so that we stay focused. Like a tree that continues to grow with the right care, we too can continue to grow stronger in our faith and confidence that we are doing God’s Will and accomplishing what He has set out for us to accomplish.

by Norbert Link

We report on the continuing embarrassing domestic and international circus created and perpetrated by the Trump Administration, including President Trump’s Twitter war and his behavior in general which has caused some observers to question his memory and/or capability. We also speak on the ongoing debate regarding the protection of “Dreamers” and Jeff Sessions’ controversial conduct as Attorney General. We emphasize in this context the annulment of alliances and the forming of the United States of Europe under German and French leadership in an attempt to fill the gap caused by the USA. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America and Britain–Global Leaders No More!” 

At the same time, we notice a clear orientation of some European countries towards the far right, including Hungary, Poland and Austria, which will have an impact on the rest of Europe. We focus especially on developments and restrictive measures in Austria and Germany which cast a dark shadow on things to come.

We conclude with articles on Facebook restrictions; the bitcoin success; and the California flu outbreak which raises again some very uncomfortable questions regarding the faulty reasoning of “medical science.”

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

No More Alliance between Pakistan and USA

Breitbart wrote on January 5:

“Pakistan’s foreign ministry claimed to annul its alliance with the United States after the Trump administration reportedly suspended an estimated $1 billion in security aid for refusing to take decisive action against jihadists who are fighting American troops and their allies in Afghanistan…

“Pakistan has long rejected accusations from the United States, Afghanistan, and India that it supports terrorist groups in South Asia. The Afghanistan-Pakistan region is home to the ‘highest regional concentration’ of terrorist groups in the world, according to the U.S. military.

“In response to the Trump administration’s aid cuts, Pakistan’s opposition leader Imran Khan has urged Islamabad to expel some American diplomatic personnel and cut off supply routes for the U.S./NATO-led coalition forces as well as close its airspace to American troops.”

The Bible prophesies that Far Eastern nations, including Pakistan and India, will form an alliance in opposition to the West… especially Europe. Before and while this is happening, any collaboration with the USA will diminish and disappear. This is not only true for Far Eastern countries, but also for “allies” such as Europe. Please note our articles below on the coming United States of Europe under German leadership.

“Fire and Fury”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 5:

“‘Fire and Fury,’ the new tell-all book from journalist Michael Wolff about the chaotic, unhappy inner workings of the Donald Trump White House is full of juicy stories – betrayal, accusations of treason, infighting, and name-calling… Wolff… spent months conducting interviews and watching the routine inside the White House…

“The White House has dismissed Wolff’s book as ‘lies,’ and sent a letter to publisher Henry Holt & Co. to stop the book’s release. In response, the company brought forward the publication to Friday instead of next week. Wolff… has presented records of his interviews with both President Trump and several staffers, including former adviser Steve Bannon, as evidence that the stories presented in the book are true.

“On Friday, Wolff also jokingly thanked the president for increasing his book sales by trying to suppress it.”

Wollf has been accused of fabricating stories, changing names and dates and even resorting to lies to get access to the White House, but the most substantial accusations in his book, especially pertaining to Steve Bannon, have so far not been repudiated, except that Bannon apologized for his comments of treason by Donald Trump Jr., according to a report of Deutsche Welle on January 8:

“After accusing Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, of committing treason by meeting a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer, Bannon reversed his comments by reaffirming his support for the administration and praising Trump Jr as ‘both a patriot and a good man’… He [was also quoted in the book as saying] that a prosecutors’ probe into possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and the Kremlin would ‘crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.’ Despite backtracking, Bannon stopped short of denying the comments.”

Trump’s Twitter War Diminishes US Credibility

Star Tribune wrote on January 7:

“Countries are unsure whether to take his words as policy pronouncements or believe they can be safely ignored. If Trump’s threats are seen as hollow, what does that do to American credibility? In a series of Twitter posts on Saturday, Trump reacted to questions about his mental fitness by calling himself a ‘very stable genius.’ Even if there is a recognition that Trump’s tweets may be largely intended to let off steam or reassure his domestic base, there is an increasing sense that the credibility of the administration, and the presidency itself, is being eroded.

“While allies do not necessarily take his Twitter posts as policy pronouncements, they still create significant confusion, said Pierre Vimont, former French ambassador to Washington and former top aide to the European Union foreign policy chief. Even in areas where allies agree… ‘we have a hard time understanding the real policy line from Washington,’ Vimont said.”

President Trump’s posts on Twitter are most certainly unpresidential… but then, his followers don’t care a bit about that. But Trump’s tweets DO backfire… note our article below, titled, “Trump vs. Trump.”

Does Donald Trump Suffer from Dementia and/or Lack of Capability?

Daily Mail, January 9, 2018:

“United States President Donald Trump is being dragged on Twitter after he appeared to not know the words to the National Anthem during his appearance at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia. He appears to do pretty well in the beginning, but later his mouth appears to go awry. Twitter was quick to take Trump – who has been a vocal critic of football players who do not stand for the National Anthem – to task for appearing to mumble his way through it.

“But tweeters also wondered whether Trump’s botched Anthem singalong was more a sign of forgetfulness and early dementia. The public debate about Trump’s mental health has intensified in the face of author Michael Wolff’s assertion that he is increasingly forgetful.”

In an apparent attempt to counter allegations pertaining to Mr. Trump‘s mental instability, forgetfulness and dementia, USA Today reported on January 9 that “Trump and his top advisers sat down Tuesday with 25 members of Congress — 16 senators and nine representatives, 15 Republicans and 10 Democrats. And in an unusual move, the White House opened nearly an hour of the meeting to the press.” The meeting dealt with immigration issues and the passing of the spending bill by January 19 to prevent a government shutdown. The publically broadcast meeting was designed to show that Mr. Trump is in control.

The Washington Post wrote on January 9:

“He acted the part, listening intently and guiding the conversation with the control of a firm but open-minded executive… President Trump on Tuesday tried to show that he could do his job… Trump sought to definitively answer the question that has been nagging at him for the past week: Is the 71-year-old mentally fit to be commander in chief? And for the 55 minutes that the scene unfolded on television, the president demonstrated stability, although not necessarily capability. In trying to erase one set of queries (is he up for the job and a ‘very stable genius,’ as he claimed on Twitter?), he inadvertently opened another: What, exactly, is going to be in that immigration bill? On that, Trump left a cliffhanger.

“The former reality television star… offered captivating television drama, [but] he also muddled through the policy by seeming to endorse divergent positions… [Trump’s conduct] so alarmed House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) that he interjected himself… ‘Mr. President, you need to be clear, though,’ McCarthy said… Later, again attempting to nudge the president back on track to a more conservative plan, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) made a similar pitch for precision. ‘We have to be very clear, though,’ Perdue urged…”

For the Time Being… Dreamers Protected from Deportation

The Associated Press and Newsmax reported on January 10:

“A federal judge [of the 9^th Circuit] on Tuesday night temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation. U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiffs to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court.

“Alsup said lawyers in favor of DACA clearly demonstrated that the young immigrants ‘were likely to suffer serious, irreparable harm’ without court action. The judge also said the lawyers have a strong chance of succeeding at trial. DACA has protected about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. The program includes hundreds of thousands of college-age students.

“U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in September that the program would be phased out, saying former President Barack Obama had exceeded his authority when he implemented it in 2012. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice said the judge’s decision doesn’t change the fact that the program was an illegal circumvention of Congress, and it is within the agency’s power to end it…  ‘DACA covers a class of immigrants whose presence, seemingly all agree, pose the least, if any, threat and allows them to sign up for honest labor on the condition of continued good behavior,’ Alsup wrote in his decision… DACA recipients are commonly referred to as ‘dreamers,’ based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act…”

More Confusion as to Trump’s Position

The Week wrote on January 10:

“President Trump is being criticized by immigration hard-liners after signaling his flexibility Tuesday to work with Democrats on an immigration deal, including a solution for the 800,000 ‘DREAMers’ brought to the United States illegally as children. A frustrated Tucker Carlson wondered ‘what was the point of running for president’ on Fox News while Ann Coulter, the author of In Trump We Trust, called it the ‘lowest day of his presidency.’ Trump praised his own ‘performance’ at the bipartisan meeting, saying he ‘got great reviews’ and ‘I’m sure their [TV] ratings were fantastic.’ The president, however, called the court system ‘broken and unfair’ after a federal judge ruled the administration must continue accepting and processing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewal applications while lawsuits are pending.”

One should not forget that previously, repeated promises were made by the Trump Administration and also by Paul Ryan NOT to deport Dreamers. God hates those who give their word and don’t keep it. This does not exclude politicians in high places. Note the next article. On the other hand, conservatives pointed out that Trump had promised during his presidential campaign that Dreamers would never obtain amnesty or American citizenship.

Trump vs. Trump

The Washington Post wrote on January 10:

“Trump himself had expressed support for DACA on Twitter in September, just days after Department of Homeland Security officials rescinded it. ‘Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!’ the president wrote in a Sept. 14 tweet. Another read: ‘Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can’t, I will revisit this issue!…

“Those lines seemed to capture the program’s benefits in a nutshell, Alsup wrote in a 49-page order. ‘We seem to be in the unusual position wherein the ultimate authority over the agency, the Chief Executive, publicly favors the very program the agency has ended,’ the judge wrote. ‘For the reasons DACA was instituted and for the reasons tweeted by President Trump, this order finds that the public interest will be served by DACA’s continuation… The main, if not exclusive, rationale for ending DACA was its supposed illegality. But determining illegality is a quintessential role of the courts,’ Alsup wrote…

“[Alsup] noted that the plaintiffs had suggested the administration had terminated the program so it could be used as a bargaining chip to demand funding for a border wall. And again, he cited the president’s Twitter feed as evidence… The tweet in question, posted by Trump on Dec. 29, read: ‘The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc.’ Alsup granted a request by the plaintiffs to take ‘judicial notice’ of the tweet. Alsup’s order notwithstanding, Trump appeared to double down on the proposal Tuesday night, stubborn as ever. ‘Our country needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border,’ he tweeted, ‘which must be part of any DACA approval.’”

Trump To Bring About Extinction of Human Race?

Breitbart wrote on January 8:

“Yale professor and clinical psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee has warned that President Donald Trump may bring about the ‘extinction of the human species’ because of his mental instability. Lee, who has briefed members of congress on the president’s psychological state, insisted that her extreme prediction was ‘not hyperbole’ but ‘reality.’ Dr. Lee [told] Newsweek that the situation is so grave that ‘a public health emergency’ should be declared that would need to be ‘responded to as quickly as possible.’

“After a series of tweets from Trump that appeared to threaten North Korea with nuclear war, Lee was one of the hundreds of self-described mental health experts who issued a statement calling the President’s mental health into question after he responded to a challenge from North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un…

“Following on Trump’s assertions on social media of his mental stability and intelligence, Lee said that deflecting or projecting ‘are often concerning signs,’ and seemed to suggest that Trump could even be a candidate for forcible commitment…”

What a circus… It is remarkable that Breitbart under Executive Chairman Steve Bannon would publish a report like this. Subsequently, Bannon stepped down from Breitbart.

Newsmax reported on January 9:

“Breitbart News executive chairman Stephen Bannon is resigning — unable to quell a firestorm over his remarks in a new book disparaging President Donald Trump and his eldest son. The [news site] announced the exit on its website Tuesday afternoon. The New York Times reported the departure was forced by his former financial patron, Rebekah Mercer.”

Further Outrage Caused by Trump’s Vulgar Comments

The Week wrote on January 11, 2018:

“During a meeting with both Democratic and Republican senators on Thursday, President Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations as ‘s… countries’… Trump asked why they would want people from ‘all these s… countries’ coming to the United States. Trump…  said the U.S. should try to instead attract people from Norway and similar countries. In a statement, the White House did not dispute the remarks, merely saying Trump ‘will always fight for the American people’…

“Paul Altidor, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, [said] that he and the Haitian government ‘vehemently condemn’ President Trump’s comments on Haiti and other countries being s…’

“The Haitian government has formally summoned a U.S. official to explain the comments, Altidor said, and Haiti’s embassy in Washington, D.C., has heard from outraged Haitian-Americans demanding Trump apologize for what he said. ‘Haitians fought along U.S. soldiers in the Revolutionary War and we continue to be great contributors to American society,’ Altidor said.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 11:

“Previously, the Trump administration announced it would end a temporary residency program that allows nearly 60,000 Haitians to live in the US.”

Sessions’ Foolish Hypocritical Witch-Hunt

The Associated Press wrote on January 5:

“The Trump administration announced Thursday that it was ending an Obama-era policy to tread lightly on enforcing U.S. marijuana laws. The declaration renewed anxiety, confusion and uncertainty that has long shadowed the bright green leafy drug still forbidden under federal law but now legal in a majority of states as medicine and in a handful of those for recreational purposes…

“In 2013, President Barack Obama’s attorney general advised prosecutors not to waste money targeting pot growers and sellers that were abiding by state laws, but to go after flagrant violations such as trafficking across state lines or selling to minors…

“Advocates for the drug that is classified in federal law in the same category as heroin have argued that it has medicinal qualities and causes less harm than alcohol…

“Pot proponents along with some members of Congress, including Sessions’ fellow Republicans, roundly condemned the change in direction Thursday and said it was an intrusion upon the rights of states whose voters had approved use of the drug. ‘If … Congress allows the Department (of Justice) to crack down on individuals and state governments, it will be one of the biggest derelictions of duty I will have witnessed,’ said U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska…

“It was not clear how Thursday’s announcement might affect states where marijuana is legal for medical purposes. A congressional amendment blocks the Justice Department from interfering with medical marijuana programs in states where it is allowed. Justice officials said they would follow the law, but would not preclude the possibility of medical-marijuana related prosecutions…”

Such incredible hypocrisy by ALL involved parties supporting or at least not opposing Sessions on this issue.

AG Sessions’ Unconscionable “Guidance”… Congress MUST Act Now!

Newsmax and The Associated Press reported on January 7, 2018:

“Forty-six states — including Sessions’ home state of Alabama — have legalized some form of medical marijuana in recent years… Eight of those states also allow recreational marijuana… Among the guidance that Sessions rescinded was the so-called Ogden Memorandum of 2009 that instructed federal prosecutors not to pursue cases against medical marijuana patients and distributors who complied with state laws…

“Georgia state Rep. Allen Peake, a Republican who sponsored a bill in his state’s legislature that legalized possession of medical marijuana in 2015, denounced the move. ‘I’m very disappointed in Jeff Session’s actions,’ Peake said Friday in a telephone interview. ‘He will be hurting the grandfather with Alzheimer’s, the soccer mom with breast cancer, the college student with Crohn’s disease, the young child with seizures — these are the people that will be impacted by this action by the attorney general.’

“[Some] legal protection… for medical marijuana growers, processors, sellers and users is a temporary measure sponsored by Republican California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Democratic Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice from using government funds to target them. Rohrabacher, in a conference call with reporters and four other members of Congress, said Sessions’ move should galvanize national support for marijuana legalization…

“Many politicians, including Republicans, have cast Session’s move as an infringement on states’ rights. Only Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas do not allow any access to marijuana…

“Georgia’s General Assembly passed that state’s medical marijuana law in 2015. Called Haleigh’s Hope Act, it was named for a girl who was suffering from hundreds of seizures a day… ‘This is as bipartisan an issue as you can get,’ [Peake] said. ‘Cancer doesn’t ask if you’re a Republican or a Democrat. There are people of all races and creeds who benefit from medical cannabis, so that’s why it’s so crucial that Congress get together and take action.’

“The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment that restricts U.S. attorneys from taking legal action against people who use medical marijuana or produce it was maintained in a last short-term funding bill passed by Congress. But that funding bill expires on Jan. 19… Rohrabacher said a better, more permanent solution is a bill he submitted last year that amends the Controlled Substances Act so it doesn’t apply to people who produce, possess or deliver marijuana in compliance with state marijuana laws… New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has also introduced a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level.”

The amendments and repeal of the ridiculous federal restrictions of medical marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act are long overdue, but because of the incredible influence of the money-grabbing pharmaceutical industry, Congress has so far refused, in a cowardly political fashion, to do what is right. But ironically, Sessions’ foolish action and the uproar it created, coupled with the double-talk of the White House, might cause a desired change.

Time for Sessions to Resign

The Week wrote on January 7:

“Attorney General Jeff Sessions has come under broad criticism for his performance at the Justice Department in general and specifically his decision, reported Thursday, to do away with an Obama-era policy permitting states to legalize marijuana without federal meddling.

“Among Sessions’ critics are Republican lawmakers including Sen. Cory Gardner (Colo.), who slammed Sessions’ pot policy on the Senate floor, and Reps. Mark Meadows (N.C.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio), who published an op-ed Friday calling for him to resign because ‘he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world.’ Sessions is ‘really on borrowed time,’ Republican strategist Brian Darling told The Hill.”

United States of Europe a Worthwhile Goal

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 8:

“European Commissioner Günther Oettinger, 64, says in an interview with DER SPIEGEL that a United States of Europe is a worthwhile goal…

“Oettinger [said:] ‘… Konrad Adenauer also spoke of the United States of Europe as did, much earlier, Victor Hugo. What they meant is more relevant than ever: There are challenges that we Europeans can only meet together — controlling migration, for example, and making research more effective, and our militaries… As bad as Brexit is, it has brought Europeans together to a certain degree…

“Austria’s new government has earned a chance. There is nothing in their coalition agreement that is inconsistent with European law and the rule of law… The completion of the economic and currency union is an urgent task that we should complete before European elections in spring 2019…'”

The establishment of the United States of Europe is just a matter of time. The comment that nothing in the Austrian coalition agreement violates European law is a startling and at the same time frightening admission. Note our articles below on Austria.

“The American Void—Time for Germany to Learn to Lead”

Der Spiegel wrote on January 5:

“The liberal world order that the United States spent seven decades building is disintegrating. The U.S…. is withdrawing from the global stage on three different fronts: militarily, morally and a key leader of the international community…

“In recent years, Germany has shown a greater willingness to take on the responsibility commensurate with a country that is the most economically powerful and populous in Europe… Looking ahead… Germany will have to lead. But where to?…

“The new global situation will… mean a departure from the good Germany. When principles collide with pragmatism, when values clash with interests, Berlin will be forced to make difficult decisions…

“German foreign policy experts are still debating how radically the estrangement between the U.S. and Europe has become. Atlanticists are calling for optimism, even though Trump, so far, has served to affirm the worries of the pessimists. They continue to cling to the illusion that, Trump aside, trans-Atlantic relations are actually still entirely intact. They see the U.S. president as a painful, but temporary illness. They believe that once America returns to health, the status quo will return to trans-Atlantic relations.

“The problem with that view, however, is that America’s retreat from its role as a shaper of global politics began before Trump — and it won’t end with his departure, either…”

France to Counter Trump in China

The New York Times wrote on January 9:

“President Emmanuel Macron of France, during a three-day visit to China this week, has worked at every turn to win over China’s leaders, hoping to reinvigorate ties between the two countries as they grapple with the strident nationalism of President Trump. Mr. Macron and President Xi Jinping, during meetings this week, articulated a vision sharply at odds with Mr. Trump’s worldview. They spoke of a need for free trade and rallied against protectionism.

“They embraced multilateralism and praised institutions like the United Nations. And they emphasized the importance of working together to combat climate change, as the United States backs away from global efforts to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Mr. Macron… repeated one of his favorite jabs at Mr. Trump, saying it was time to ‘make our planet great again.’… Analysts said Mr. Macron was positioning himself as a reliable ally of China at a time when… [t]he United States, under Mr. Trump, is withdrawing from the world stage…”

The “Liberal” EU and the Right-Wing Visegrad Group

The Guardian wrote on January 6:

“… the EU’s biggest challenge in 2018… comes from within. It has been slowly emerging along the bloc’s central and eastern flanks since the so-called Visegrád Group of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic acceded in 2004…

“Front and centre in this fight is Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s prime minister, who… has called for the defence of Europe’s ‘Christian culture’ against ‘Muslim invasion’…

“Orbán now claims a new friend in the almost but not quite neo-fascist coalition that won power in Austria at the close of 2017. But it is Poland, under the ugly tutelage of the authoritarian Law and Justice party, that has emerged as his closest ally…

“Speaking alongside Orbán in Budapest last week, Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s prime minister, predicted a ‘year of great battles’ against western Europe’s multicultural and integrationist values…”

The strong far-right position of the Visegrad Group and Austria will not lead to a disintegration of an united Europe, but rather, it will influence the entirety of Europe and especially core European nations to move further towards the right.

Turkey vs. the EU

The Telegraph wrote on January 5:

“[The] EU must end [its] ‘hypocrisy’ of letting Turkey think it can become [a] fully-fledged member says… President Emmanuel Macron of France [said], who added that progress on the application was not possible given human rights concerns. Mr Macron’s remarks came during a tense press conference with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as the French leader warned against flouting the rule of law and freedom of expression while his counterpart accused some writers and journalists of acting as ‘the gardeners’ of terrorism.

“During the exchange, the authoritarian Turkish leader, who ordered the arrest of up to 55,000 security force members, judges, academics, journalists and activists in the wake of the 2016 failed coup, said his country was ‘exhausted’ after 54 years in the ‘antichambre’ of the EU… But Mr Macron said that political developments in Turkey were effectively blocking its EU accession bid…

“Ankara was hoping to warm frosty relations with Europe during Mr Erdogan’s trip, but the talks were overshadowed by concerns over Turkey’s huge post-coup crackdown and the arrest of journalists. Over 140,000 people have been sacked or suspended, accused of links to the movement run by US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Ankara of orchestrating the attempted coup…

“Mr Macron suggested that the pair should work towards a ‘partnership’ rather than full membership to ensure that ‘Turkey remains anchored in Europe’… [a]fter signing multi-billion euro trade agreements… The talks came as Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called for a fresh start in his country’s rocky relationship with Germany, holding out the prospect of closer economic cooperation if ties improved…”

Muslim Turkey will never become a member of the “Christian” EU, but a partnership, as suggested by Macron, is very likely, due to a mutually developing antagonism toward the state of Israel.

German Military Recruits More and More Minors

Deutsche Welle reported on January 9:

“The German government has admitted that the Bundeswehr is recruiting more minors than ever before as it continues its complex transition from a conscription-based to a volunteer military… the Defense Ministry said that some 2,128 under-18s had been recruited as volunteers into the military in 2017, including 448 young women. Ninety of the 2,128 recruits were still underage at the end of their six-month trial period. That represented a continuing increase, with the number of underage recruits more than tripling since 2011… when Germany ended conscription.

“Left party Bundestag member Evrim Sommer… used the opportunity to condemn the trend… ‘Young people should not be used as cannon fodder in the Bundeswehr as soon as they come of age. As long as Germany recruits minors for military purposes, it cannot credibly criticize other countries. The German government is endangering its own efforts towards an international ban on the use of child soldiers.’

“… in a 2014 report on Germany, the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) noted that, ‘Some advertising campaigns for the armed forces specifically target children, and representatives of the armed forces are sometimes present within the school context, speaking with pupils and organizing activities.’

“… The Bundeswehr is not allowed to advertise recruitment drives directly to minors, though that does not stop military officers giving talks in high schools, something else that is criticized by peace campaigners… ‘The Bundeswehr does all it can to make itself attractive to young people,’ said [Wolf-Christian Ramm, spokesman for the children’s rights group Terre des Hommes International Federation]. ‘They have videos on YouTube and ads that talk about all the fun of joining the military, and compare it to playing an adventure game. That’s a part of the problem too. That hides the fact that military service is dangerous and can be deadly.’”

The same terrible and ungodly praxis of trying to make the military attractive to children and teens is also used in many other “civilized” Western countries, including the USA.

Dangerous New German Law Leads to Suppression of Opinion

The Local wrote on January 5:

“On January 1st the Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (network enforcement act) came into force. Germans are furiously debating whether it is a necessary tool against hate speech or a form of censorship…

“The Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz was formulated by the German government last year in response to a rising tide of hate speech on the web. It obligates social media companies to delete offensive posts within 24 hours of them being reported, with the companies facing huge fines if they fail to comply. But days after it came into force, the legislation has had hefty criticism.

“The AfD have labelled it ‘censorship legislation’ after two of their MPs had their accounts on Twitter blocked. Party deputy leader Beatrix von Storch was unable to tweet for twelve hours after she attacked Cologne police for sending a New Year’s greeting in Arabic on Twitter… Her colleague, MP Jens Maier, also fell foul of the law after he described former tennis star Boris Becker’s son Noah as a ‘little half-negro’ on the social media platform. Becker has since indicated that he will take legal action over the tweet, which he describes as racist.

“AfD leader Alexander Gauland responded to the blockades by saying that ‘private individuals, in this case Twitter employees, should not be taking over the work of judges.’

“It is not just the far-right who have been hit by the legislation, though. Satirical magazine Titanic was banned from using Twitter for two days after it parodied von Storch by using the phrase ‘barbarian hordes’ in a tweet. Even after the satirical magazine was allowed back onto the platform on Friday, three tweets remained blocked for readers in Germany.

“Twitter has so far rejected requests from the media to clarify its deletion policy. In the deleted tweets, the company says that the content is unavailable ‘due to local law.’ Dietmar Wolff, head of the Association of German Print Media (BDZV) complained of the law that it was encouraging social media companies ‘to decide when in doubt against freedom of expression.’…

“Justice Minister Heiko Maas, who was largely responsible for bringing the law onto the books, came to its defence on Thursday. Speaking to Bild, he argued that the law would prevent calls to murder, hate speech and Holocaust denial, all of which he claimed were attacks on other people’s freedom of expression. But the law also faced criticism from inside the government. Christian Social Union (CSU) deputy Dorothee Bär said it had ‘led to chaos’ since it came into force. ‘Nobody knows why things are being deleted,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t help anyone if certain views can no longer be expressed because a company decides that they are not acceptable.'”

These are indeed dangerous and frightening developments. If that new censorship law can be used to justify deleting comments at whim, then it is clearly illegal, and the laughable opinion of Germany’s highly controversial Justice Minister is blatantly wrong. After all, Germany is not a dictatorship … so far…

Austria Wants to “Restore Order” by “Locking Away” Migrants

Daily Mail wrote on January 5:

“Migrants in Austria will be held in disused barracks and subjected to curfews in order to restore ‘order’, under proposals announced by the country’s far-right deputy leader. Heinz-Christian Strache said that the plan should be introduced amongst a raft of drastic measures, such as taking money and mobile phones from new arrivals, to combat Europe’s ‘open’ migration policy…

“Mr Strache, who has repeatedly batted away accusations of fascism despite his party being founded by former Nazis, wants the government to usurp charities to take control of asylum issues. Under the plan, he said that asylum seekers in Austria could be sent to live in ‘underutilised’ barracks and told to return to the building at a specified time every evening. ‘Order is needed, as long as there is an open asylum procedure,’ he said, announcing the plan.

“But the call provoked fury from rival politicians who said that the policy amounted to internment whereby migrants are ‘locked away’ and denied the chance to ‘stand on their own two feet’…  The FPO has been given control of Austria’s interior, defence and foreign ministries under the coalition agreement with new chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the world’s youngest elected leader…

“Despite raising eyebrows across Europe with the decision to enter an agreement with the FPO, Mr Kurz has vowed to commit to hard-line election promises on migration and asylum. In a 182-page coalition agreement, the two parties said they would take money from new asylum seekers which would be used to cover the initial costs of care. Mobile phones belonging to migrants would also be seized so that that data contained on the devices could be used to determine their identity and route into Europe. The measures also outline how benefits and payments offered to new arrivals will be cut, while they will be barred from accessing many social services during their first five years.”

National Post wrote on January 6:

“Strache back-pedalled from his remarks in a press conference with the chancellor yesterday, suggesting Kurz may have exerted pressure behind closed doors. ‘Housing refugees in barracks is currently not an issue,’ a subdued Strache said. ‘There are currently no plans for mass accommodation.’”

However, the other measures mentioned above are still “on the table,” as part of the coalition agreement, which is telling in light of comments quoted earlier herein that nothing in that coalition agreement violates European law.

Facebook Removes Christian Website for Upholding Biblical Teaching

Christian Headlines reported on January 9:

“Facebook has removed the Christian ministry ‘Warriors for Christ’ page, saying the page violated community standards on bullying and hate speech. Warriors for Christ, a West Virginia-based ministry, are a group that opposes any sinful behavior. Its Facebook page had more than 225,000 followers. Its administrators frequently post memes that criticize LGBT rights and abortions, among other topics. Videos from Pastor Rich Penkoski are also posted on the page.

“The page was first taken down on Dec. 29. The page was reinstated after an online petition called for Facebook to reverse its decision. The page was then again removed last Friday.

“Penkoski told The Christian Post that the group’s Christian beliefs are being ‘censored.’ ‘We can’t even use the term “LGBT” in any context whatsoever or else it immediately gets flagged and banned. If we type those four letters out in our page, it gets removed,’ Penkoski said. He said that only 3 percent of their 3,000 posts referred to LGBT issues. The organization’s focus is counseling, he added. ‘Yet, homosexuality is the focus that everyone keeps talking about with us. We talk about abortion. We talk about adultery. We talk about fornication… When Facebook pulled our page [for the first time], we were actually counseling with a young woman who was suicidal.’

“The second time the page was pulled, Penkoski said he did not receive an explanation and was told the decision could not be appealed. ‘Your Page “Warriors for Christ” has been removed for violating our Terms of Use. A Facebook Page is a distinct presence used solely for business or promotional purposes. Among other things, Pages that are hateful, threatening or obscene are not allowed,’ the email reads. ‘We also take down Pages that attack an individual or group, or that are set up by an unauthorized individual. If your Page was removed for any of the above reasons, it will not be reinstated. Continued misuse of Facebook’s features could result in the permanent loss of your account.’

“Facebook did not comment, but instead pointed to their policies on hate speech and bullying, which says bullying or harassment is not tolerated and pages that ‘attack’ people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender and gender identity will be removed.”

Woe unto those who call evil good and good evil.

J.P. Morgan Regrets Calling Bitcoin a Fraud

CNBC wrote on January 9:

“J.P. Morgan Chase CEO said he regrets calling bitcoin a fraud. ‘The blockchain is real,’ Dimon tells Fox Business. Dimon remains concerned about how ‘governments are going to feel about bitcoin when it gets really big….

“The price of bitcoin declined 1.4 percent to $14,760 Tuesday…The digital currency is up more than 1,500 percent in the past 12 months.”

California Flu Outbreak

The Los Angeles Times wrote on January 9:

“California health officials said Tuesday that the state’s flu season could turn out to be one of the nastiest the state has seen in a long time… Most people in California and nationwide are catching a strain of influenza A known as H3N2, which tends to be deadlier than other strains. H3N2 was the culprit in Australia’s most recent flu season, which led to record numbers of sick people as well as the nickname ‘Aussie flu.’

“… officials are recommending a flu shot for everyone over 6 months old. Experts say the flu shot may only be 30% effective this year, but can reduce the severity of symptoms for people who still get the flu. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take effect. Among the 27 Californians under 65 who have died from the flu, 30% had been vaccinated against the flu…”

We must be allowed to ask whether these vaccinations actually CAUSE flu sickness, rather than preventing it. How can 30% of vaccinated persons catch the flu, if such vaccinations are so important and successful and designed to prevent flu sickness? And what about the nonsensical allegation that it takes two weeks for the flu shot to become effective? By then, the flu has passed in most cases, while the poison of the vaccinations remains in the body. Clearly, medical science has it all backwards.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

If so, who will and who will not be at that place; where is it; and how can one get there?

In the previous Q&A, we discussed God’s promise of protection for some Church members at a special place on earth during the times of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. In this Q&A, we will address additional pertinent questions on this subject, including how God’s people might get to the place of safety; who will be those who will be protected; and who will belong to those who won’t be protected at the place of safety.

How Will God’s People Get to the Place of Safety?

We read in Jeremiah 4:6 that God’s people are to “Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction.”

Isaiah 26:20–21 states: “Come, My people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.”

These passages seem to imply some active conduct on the part of those who are to receive God’s protection. They are to “take” refuge; and they are to “hide” themselves without delay.

As we saw in the previous Q&A, Revelation 12:14-16 pictures the flight of a particular group of people. Christ compares the time preceding His coming with the time of Noah (Matthew 24:37–39), and as God protected Noah and his family in the ark—here on earth—so He will protect His people on this earth in the way that HE has chosen. God delivered Lot by leading him out of Sodom and providing a place of refuge for him at a particular location. Early Christians escaped from Jerusalem and fled to the city of Pella, just before the Romans invaded and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (compare Eusebius in his Church History; and Josephus, Bellum Judaicum, Book VI, chapter 3, section 3). In all of these cases, active conduct was required—Noah had to go into the ark; Lot had to leave Sodom; and the early Christians had to walk to Pella.

On the other hand, some Scriptures might imply God’s supernatural intervention, as well as transfer of human beings from one place to another location here on earth. In Luke 17:37, Christ is addressing the general time of His return (verses 24, 30), stating that at that time, “‘…two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left. And they answered and said to Him, ‘Where, Lord?’ So He said to them, ‘Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together’” (verses 36-37).

The word “body” is translated from the Greek word soma, which refers many times to the “body of Christ”—the Church of God (compare Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23).

Although Christ is describing events leading up to His return, the fact that some will be taken, and some may be left behind, could be a reference to the short time span of 3 ½ years JUST PRIOR to His Second Coming, when His Church will stay in a place of safety here on earth, to be PROTECTED from the terrible things to come. God’s protection is many times associated with eagles, or eagle’s wings. God will give His Church, often pictured as a “woman” or “virgin,” “two wings of a GREAT EAGLE, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time [3 1/2 years], from the presence of the serpent [Satan the devil]” (Revelation 12:14).

In similar ways, God protected ancient Israel when they left Egypt. Please note Exodus 19:4: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on EAGLES’ WINGS and brought you to Myself.” We know that God compares Himself and His loyal angels with eagles. Certain angels are described as having characteristics of eagles (Ezekiel 1:10; 10:14; Revelation 4:7). When God told Israel that He brought them out of Egypt on eagles’ wings and “bore them and carried them” (Isaiah 63:9), He signified His supernatural involvement and protection (compare Deuteronomy 32:10-12; see also Psalm 91:4 and Psalm 17:8).

It is therefore possible that Christ was addressing, in Luke 17:37, a SUPERNATURAL PROTECTION of God’s Church, through ANGELIC involvement, here ON THIS EARTH, just PRIOR to His Second Coming. Those who qualify for such a protection will be “taken” away from dangerous surroundings, while others, who are not considered worthy, will be left behind.  We are NOT told HOW, exactly, God will bring those whom He considers worthy to the place of safety. Ancient Israel left Egypt BY FOOT. Similarly, we read that Christ asks us to pray that our FLIGHT would not happen in winter or on the Sabbath (Matthew 24:20). This seems to indicate that SOME will go to the place of safety “by foot” or by means of physical transportation. But even then, supernatural protection during this “flight” will be guaranteed, in the same way as God protected ancient Israel on their exodus out of Egypt.

At other times, God protected human beings by SUPERNATURALLY TRANSPORTING them–or “taking them”–to another place on this earth. Acts 8:38-40 describes a supernatural transport of Philipp to another place here on earth. We also read that Enoch and Elijah were supernaturally transported to another place on earth.

In speaking of Enoch, the Bible records that he “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24), and “he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). Because of this and because of the rebellious society in which Enoch lived, God “took” him away, so that he “should not see death” (Hebrews 11:5, Authorized Version). God “translated” or transported him to another place on earth, in order to spare him from the second death. John 8:51 confirms that if we keep God’s Word, we shall “never see death” — the second death, that is, as it is appointed to men once to die the first death (Hebrews 9:27). In addition, God might have transported him to another place on earth to protect him from physical death at that time. We do know for certain, based on the biblical teaching and evidence, that Enoch did die at a relatively young age for his day and that he did not ascend to heaven! Paul also said in Hebrews 11:5 that Enoch was “not found.” This does not mean that he lived on forever. Moses died, and God buried him at a secret place, and he was not found, and “no one knows his grave to this day” (Deuteronomy 34:6).

Regarding Elijah, we read, in 2 Kings 2:1, 11, that Elijah was taken up “into heaven by a whirlwind.” We also read that the disciples understood that Elijah did not go to the third heaven, as they were concerned that “the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley” (verse 16). In fact, God transported Elijah to another place here on this earth, where Elijah continued to live until his death. He wrote a letter and had it delivered to King Jehoram, AFTER he “went to (the first) heaven,” as Jehoram became king right at the time of Elijah’s disappearance (2 Kings 1:17; 3:1). 2 Chronicles 21:12-15 gives us the contents of the letter, referring to the evil deeds of King Jehoram that he had committed after Elijah had been taken away and transported through the air to another place here on earth. Elijah was transferred, supernaturally, to another place here on earth.

Another description of a supernatural transport from one place to another location on this earth could perhaps be found in Ezekiel 3:10-16.

So, it appears that in the end time, some might, in some way, “physically” flee towards a place of safety, while others may be taken or transported supernaturally. In any event, they all will have angelic protection. Luke 17:37 seems to imply that eagles or angels will be gathered together to protect Christ’s body (soma in Greek)–the Church. We might also consider this possibility: As Satan will assemble the kings and nations of this earth at a place called “Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16), from where they will march to Jerusalem to fight Christ there (Zechariah 14:1-4; Joel 3:2), could it be that God’s Church will assemble at or supernaturally brought to a certain place to move from there, with supernatural angelic protection, to the place of safety? Satan’s conduct would then just be a diabolical counterfeit to God’s plan regarding His Church.

But, this does not mean that Christ will return before the Great Tribulation and take His Church to a place of safety here on earth, where He will dwell with His Church during the time of the Great Tribulation. This teaching is without any biblical support; in fact, Christ warns against such teaching, when He says in Matthew 24:26-27: “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out… For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” His return will be clear and obvious and visible for all alive. Revelation 1:7 says: “Behold, He is coming with clouds, AND EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM.”

Jesus said in Matthew 24:19-22:

“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies IN THOSE DAYS. And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For THEN there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until THIS TIME, no, nor ever shall be. And unless THOSE DAYS were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake THOSE DAYS will be shortened…”

Even though some commentaries state that Jesus’ sayings were restricted to the time of 69 A.D. and 70 A.D., when true Christians fled to the city of Pella before the Romans invaded and destroyed Jerusalem, it is clear from the context that those events, even though constituting a forerunner, did not describe the final fulfillment of the prophesied events. There was no “Great Tribulation” at the time of 70 A.D.–worse than it ever had been or will be–nor did those events precede “the end of the age”–this present civilization–and “the coming of Christ” (compare verses 29-30).

It is true that Christ specifically addressed first “THOSE who are in Judea,” telling them to “flee to the mountains” (verse 16). But then, His statement is all-encompassing, stating in verse 20: “And pray that YOUR flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”

Travelling in winter can be very uncomfortable and dangerous. It would most certainly not be easy “in those days” to have to flee “in winter.” Remember, Christ said in Matthew 24:19: “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies in THOSE days.”

In addition, Christ asked us to pray that our flight may not be on the Sabbath. At the time of the end, the Satan-induced governments of this world and followers of “orthodox Christianity” will have begun a thorough persecution of all those who keep the Sabbath. We read that Satan will influence the governments of this world to persecute those who will be fleeing to a place of safety here on earth (compare Revelation 12:14-16). Those who keep the Sabbath and have probably already been under surveillance by the governments, will be in danger of additional persecution, and the governments might step in to prevent their flight. If that were to happen on the Sabbath, one can easily see how difficult, even mentally and spiritually, the conditions would be for the continuation of the flight.

We read that Christ’s true disciples will be hated by all nations in those days (Matthew 24:9). This would include hatred by professing Christians, because true Christians won’t accept the pagan concepts and worship which have become part of orthodox Christianity. This would also include hatred by Jews, because true Christians won’t accept Jewish traditions and fairy tales, and they will confess Jesus Christ as the ONLY Savior of the world, which concept the Jews (as well as the Arabs and other non-Christian religions) universally reject. True disciples will become the target of worldwide persecution from every corner, and fleeing on the Sabbath would contribute to additional hostilities.

Where Is the Place of Safety?

The Bible might give some indication as to how God’s people who are worthy of protection will reach the place of safety, but it is useless to prepare for it in a physical way or contemplate where it might be and how to get there, as God will “work out the specifics.” First of all, the Bible does not clearly reveal where the place of safety will be. We are only told that it is in the wilderness and that it is a secret place where some will be hidden, which might indicate a somewhat isolated location which will not be surrounded by many people. And even though it may be possible that the place of safety will be somewhere in the Middle East, we cannot be sure about this.

Most importantly, we should not try to prepare physically for our “flight,” by saving money for the purpose of buying plane tickets to an airport close to the [assumed] particular place; or preparing some survival kit. All of this would be manifesting a totally wrong priority. We are to prepare spiritually to be counted worthy to be protected at the place of safety, because if we are not counted worthy or if God should decide for other reasons that we are not to be at the place of safety, then all our efforts for our physical preparation would be futile anyhow.

Who Will Not Be Protected?

The fifth seal in the book of Revelation describes the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:9-11). It refers to a future martyrdom of the saints. It undoubtedly includes many (but not necessarily all) who are converted members, but who have allowed themselves to slip, become lukewarm and embrace the spirit of compromise, pride and self-sufficiency. We also saw in a previous Q&A that the 144,000 and the great multitude will suffer during the beginning years of the Great Tribulation, without receiving protection at the place of safety, but God will save or deliver them from the seven last plagues during the Day of the Lord.

We read in Revelation 12:17 that some will not be protected at the place of safety even though they “keep” God’s commandments and “have” the testimony or the words or teachings of Christ. They will profess Christ and claim to be His true most dedicated followers, but they will not really be willing to live God’s Word from the heart and with uncompromising and unwavering determination and conviction.

The Elberfelder Bible comments that the word for “keep” can either convey the meaning of “to preserve” or “to do.” It does not have to mean both. God told the Israelites through Moses to “keep” and “do” the commandments (compare Deuteronomy 4:6. Authorized Version). The Elberfelder Bible translates: “to preserve and do them.” Generally speaking, the scribes and Pharisees “preserved” or “kept” the Law of God, but they most certainly did not “do” it (compare Matthew 23:1-3).

The Greek word for “keep” is tereo, and it includes the meaning of “watch over, preserve, keep, watch” (W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). The passage in Revelation 12:17 could then be understood to say that they persevered or “watched” or “watched over” the commandments, but they were not really doing them. They called themselves Christians, but were not really conquered and led by God’s Holy Spirit.

In addition, it is obvious that even some very dedicated and zealous Christians will not be protected at the place of safety. God has decreed that some will have an important responsibility to fulfill during the Great Tribulation. This is self-evident for the two witnesses. We are told in Scripture that during that future time of Jerusalem’s occupation, “two witnesses” will prophesy for 1260 days or 3 1/2 years (compare Revelation 11:3). This will apparently happen at the same time when certain Church members will be at a “place of safety” here on earth to be protected from the beast and the false prophet (compare Revelation 12:14). The time frame for the testimony of the two witnesses of 1260 days or 3 ½ years corresponds with “a time and times and half a time” or 3 1/2 years in Revelation 12:14, describing how long Church members will be at the place of safety (Please remember that one year has 360 days according to the Hebrew calendar, and that the term “time” means “year”, compare Daniel 4:16).

God will give the two witnesses great powers during the time of their preaching (verses 5-6), but at the end, He will allow them to be killed and to be dead for 3 ½ days (verses 7-9).  Following that event, God will resurrect them to eternal life (verses 11-12), together with all the other saints who have died in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The two witnesses will not be at the place of safety. It is not inconceivable that other converted members who would “normally” be worthy of protection at the place of safety, will assist and work with the two witnesses. These true Christians will not be at the place of safety either–and some, if not many of them, might likewise have to endure martyrdom–not necessarily because of any character flaws, but because they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake and God’s glory (compare Revelation 6:9-11; John 21:17-19; Acts 5:40-41; 1 Peter 4:12-19).

Even though the Bible speaks only of the two witnesses, many times, God’s prophets did not act alone, but they were accompanied and supported by other disciples or followers. This is true for Moses and Aaron (we might think of Joshua, as well as the elders of Israel or the Levites etc.); John the Baptist; and even Jesus Christ, as well as, of course, the original apostles. In the case of Elijah and Elisha, we find a few references to their disciples or “apprentices” in 2 Kings 2:5; 4:38; 6:1; and 9:1.

Who Will Be Protected?

King Solomon indicates in Proverbs 14:26 that young children and teenagers of those Church members who are counted worthy will be protected in the coming times of trial: “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge” (Authorized Version). As the Ryrie Study Bible points out correctly, “his children” refers “the children of the one who fears the Lord.” The New International Version translates: “He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.”

Since children or teenagers would not be converted and would not have received the Holy Spirit, they would not be “worthy” per se, but God promises their protection because of the “worthiness” of their parents or parent. It is also not inconceivable that well-meaning adults could be protected, who are not yet converted, but who understand and accept God’s calling and promises, as God looks at the heart and does not judge as man judges. During the time of the Exodus, not only Israelites were departing from Egyptian slavery, but also a mixed multitude (Exodus 12:38; Numbers 11:4).

One might ask, why would God consider “unconverted” people worthy of protection at the place of safety, while He would not protect certain converted, but lukewarm members. The answer is that God looks at the heart, and He expects more from converted members than from those who may not yet be converted. It is interesting to see how enthusiastic and zealous, as well as teachable, prospective members can be, who are being introduced to the Truth, while at the same time, certain converted members in God’s Church who have been in the Church for many years, might have lost their original zeal and their first love and their humility, having allowed themselves to slip and to become proud, ending up as being neither hot nor cold.

In conclusion, God will provide for some a place of safety on this earth for the purpose of physical protection during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. Even though we are asked to watch always and pray that we are to be counted worthy to escape the terrible times which are ahead of us and to be protected at that special place of refuge and shelter, it is up to God as to who will be at that place. In many cases, God will not count some worthy enough to be allowed to be there; in other cases, God may have important duties and responsibilities assigned to them which would prevent them from being at the place of safety. However, it is critical to realize that our ultimate goal is to become worthy to be accepted by Christ when He returns, not only to be protected from physical harm at the place of safety. Rather than concentrating on the thought that we have to be among those for whom God will provide a physical and temporary place of safety, we ought to concentrate on qualifying to be able to enter the eternal Kingdom of God at Christ’s Coming (Matthew 25:34).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A Tech Team meeting was conducted via SKYPE last Sunday morning (January 7, 2018). Hosted by Eric Rank, podcast reports, video production and advertising were among some of the topics discussed along with details for the German live services broadcast.

“America and Britain–Global Leaders No More!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

“In 2017, Trump relinquished America’s 70-year role as global leader”; “The largest trend today is the decline of American influence”; “American leadership has reached its end”; “America’s power and global influence have plummeted like a stone”; “The United States is withdrawing from the world stage”; “The incredible shrinking Britain”; “Brexit has taken its toll on Britain’s foreign policy”; “The UK presence has been barely noticeable.” These quotes from several news articles show the declining role of the USA and the UK on the world scene. But who will fill the power vacuum? Some point at Russia and China. But the real future world leader is rising somewhere else.

“Schutz vor der großen Trübsal, Teil 1,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Protection from the Great Tribulation, Part 1.”

“Are You Counterfeit?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The ability to differentiate between godly truth and the lies that permeate today’s religion requires spiritual insight. Even the greatest can succumb to the subtle hypocrisies that Satan deceives with. We must stand with vigilance to protect this precious truth.

“God’s Deliverance,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Impossible—Overwhelming—Hopeless! Have you ever faced life feeling what these words express? And they might apply if we were without God in this world! But God is with us—if we are righteous. Still, we will face problems.

On January 6, 2018, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Are You Counterfeit?”, and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “God’s Deliverance.”

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

While the term “suicide bomber” describes acts of terrorism in our daily news, there is an inescapable parallel to those who teach and practice false doctrines.

Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the doctrine, that is, the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (compare Matthew 16:5-12). In Matthew 23, Jesus severely criticized the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy, saying, “‘…For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in’”(Matthew 23:13).

Their doctrines were “‘the commandments of men’” (Matthew 15:9). Those who followed them could not and did not enter the path of eternal life! In fact, they all paid the ultimate penalty for their sinful conduct—they died (Romans 6:23).

The apostle Paul addressed Christians in his writings, warning very specifically of the dire problems which would arise—things which we now face:

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times SOME WILL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1; also, compare Jude 17-18).

These evil spirits seek to drag mankind, but especially the begotten children of God, into their own hopeless fate! They seek to destroy humanity! They have embraced the rebellion of Satan the Devil, the powerful spirit ruler and god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4) who is able to deceive the whole world (1 John 5:19). His goal is to destroy anyone he can (1 Peter 5:8).

These are adversaries of Christians—indeed, a kind of spiritual suicide bomber! Their “bombs” are false doctrines and rebellion against God! Our zone of safety is the Truth of God—it is the FAITH, “which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

If we depart from the faith to follow seemingly appealing compromised understandings of the Word of God, then we will destroy ourselves unless we repent—that is, unless we have not already gone too far in rejecting God’s Truth! And not only could we be jeopardizing our own salvation, but we may very well pull our family and friends into the same miserable fate!

Among Paul’s admonitions is this encouraging and critical challenge—something we must do:

“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27).

We begin with the downfall of America; its withdrawal from the world scene; and its decline of its worldwide influence; while powers such as Russia, China and Europe are preparing to fill the gap. We also report on serious fact finding results on many of President Trump’s statements, and an ugly battle between Trump and his former key advisor, Steve Bannen, as well as a highly objectionable directive by controversial Attorney General Jeff Sessions regarding marihuana, which allegedly breaks his own promise and that of President Trump (even though the White House denies the latter in a typical political doubletalk fashion.)

Russia’s policy of duplicity can also be seen in their support for dictator and mass murderer Assad of Syria and for the war-mongering nuclear state of North Korea, while the world is watching ongoing demonstrations in Iran.

We continue focusing on Europe’s dramatic move to the far right and the far left and troublesome anti-Semitic movements; as well as governmental anti-Jewish activities, such as in France; divisions between American Jews and Israel; and prospects for Germany’s future in 2018.

We conclude with an eye-opening article on the ongoing downfall of Great Britain.

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

American Withdrawal

The Inquirer/Daily News wrote on December 29:

“In 2017, Donald ‘America First’ Trump relinquished America’s 70-year role as global leader, a post already diminished by his two predecessors. Nowhere is the U.S. withdrawal more evident than in the Middle East.

“Even in Israel, whose government lauds Trump for his strong support and recognition of Jerusalem as its capital, the president’s erratic behavior stirs caution. Trump’s admirers and detractors have both reached the same conclusion: The Mideast is entering a new era where Washington is no longer the major player. And as the United States pulls back, Russia and Iran rush in (along with Turkey and even China). Their interests are in conflict with America’s – and guarantee future problems for Washington…

“Israelis, Arabs, Kurds – all are trying to calculate how to operate in a new era where the United States is no longer the main player to turn to in a dicey region…”

The Decline of American Influence

The Washington Post wrote on December 28:

“… the largest trend today is the decline of American influence. Not the decline of American power… but a decline of its desire and capacity to use that power to shape the world… this erosion of U.S. global leadership is already causing other countries to adjust…

“This month, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel declared that ‘the most important changes affecting our Western world and, indeed, the world as a whole’ stem from ‘the United States’ current withdrawal under Trump from its role as a reliable guarantor of Western-influenced multilateralism.’ That shift, he noted, ‘is accelerating the transformation of the global order . . . and the risk of trade wars, arms races and armed conflicts is increasing.’

“For Europe, Gabriel argued, the situation is almost existential. Since the end of World War II, he said, ‘Europe had been an American project in the United States’ clearly understood interests. However, the current U.S. administration now perceives Europe in a very distanced way, regarding previous partners as competitors and sometimes even as at the very least economic opponents.’ He urged Europe to take its fate into its own hands and decouple itself from U.S. foreign policy.

“Consider also the speech in June by Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, in which she thanked the United States for its seven-decade-long stewardship of the international system and strongly implied that, under the Trump administration, American leadership of that system had reached its end…”

The Bible has predicted that the time would come when America would lose the pride of its power.

The American Empire Is Crumbling

The Week wrote on December 29:

“America’s power and global influence have plummeted like a stone during the Trump presidency… In the years after the Second World War, America constructed what amounted to a globe-spanning empire… Western Europe in particular, which was a smoking crater after the war, was rebuilt quickly under the astoundingly generous Marshall Plan…

“The American imperial framework consisted of the overwhelming strength of the U.S. military… the U.S. dollar as global reserve currency and U.S. Treasury bonds as key global asset; and most importantly, the mostly-accurate perception among Western powers that sheltering under the American security umbrella was a good deal…

“Now… Western powers are dealing with the shocking possibility that America is best considered an enemy. In his first foreign policy tour, while cozying up to the brutal Saudi monarchy, Trump offended Western European leaders for no reason, especially Angela Merkel, who said afterwards that ‘[t]he era in which we could rely completely on others are gone, at least partially.’ Trump also badly cracked the U.K. alliance simply by impulsively retweeting a British fascist, stoking fury across the country…

“The likeliest… nations to fill some of the power vacuum are Germany and France…”

 The downfall of America has long been prophesied in the Bible. Please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Trump On Track to Exceed 2,000 False or Misleading Claims

National Post wrote on January 3:

“With just 18 days before President Donald Trump completes his first year as president, he is now on track to exceed 2,000 false or misleading claims, according to our database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president. As of Monday, the total stood at 1,950 claims in 347 days, or an average of 5.6 claims a day.

“… There are now more than 60 claims that he has repeated three or more times. The president’s impromptu 30-minute interview with the New York Times over the holidays, in which he made at least 24 false or misleading claims, included many statements that we have previously fact-checked…

“Trump… repeatedly takes credit for events or business decisions that happened before he took the oath of office — or had even been elected. Sixty-one times, he has touted that he secured business investments and job announcements that had been previously announced and could easily be found with a Google search. With the successful push in Congress to pass a tax plan, two of Trump’s favourite talking points about taxes — that the tax plan will be the biggest tax cut in U.S. history and that the United States is one of the highest—taxed nations — have rapidly moved up the list. Trump repeated the falsehood about having the biggest tax cut 53 times, even though Treasury Department data shows it would rank eighth. And 58 times Trump has claimed that the United States pays the highest corporate taxes (25 times) or that it is one of the highest-taxed nations (33 times). The latter is false; the former is misleading, as the effective U.S. corporate tax rate (what companies end up paying after deductions and benefits) ends up being lower than the statutory tax rate.

“We also track the president’s flip-flops on our list, as they are so glaring. He spent the 2016 campaign telling supporters that the unemployment rate was really 42 percent and the official statistics were phony; now, on 46 occasions he has hailed the lowest unemployment rate in 17 years. It was already very low when he was elected — 4.6 percent, the lowest in a decade — so his failure to acknowledge that is misleading…”

Trump: “Steve Bannon Has Lost His Mind”

 The Telegraph wrote on January 3:

“Donald Trump has publicly disowned Steve Bannon as the pair fell out spectacularly over a new book revealing embarrassing details about the White House. The US president said Mr Bannon, who ran Mr Trump’s election campaign and advised him in office, ‘has nothing to do with me or my presidency’. Mr Trump claimed his former chief strategist had ‘lost his mind’ and ‘rarely’ met him one-on-one before leaving the White House last August.

“The president also accused Mr Bannon of leaking ‘false information’ to ‘make himself seem far more important than he was’. The comments, issued through a rare statement in the president’s name, complete a remarkable break down in trust between the two men most credited with Mr Trump’s presidential win… He is also quoted as saying Mr Trump repeatedly tried to meet Vladimir Putin but that the Russian president ‘couldn’t give a… about him’… The comments threatened to challenge Mr Trump’s claim that the Russian investigation is a ‘witch hunt’ and baseless…

“On Wednesday afternoon, the White House entered all-out rebuttal modes as they attacked Mr Bannon – quoted at length in the piece – and the book itself…”

Bannen also revealed some very intimate details about Trump’s private life. Trump responded by saying that “Steve was a staffer who worked for me after I had already won the nomination by defeating seventeen candidates.” However, that Steve Bannon had a very important and some say, decisive role in the White House cannot be denied. That he would stay on amicable terms with Donald Trump after his departure was not to be expected. After leaving the White House, Bannon returned to Breitbart News as chairman and the host of the radio show Breitbart News Daily on Sirius/XM Patriot. Further ugly confrontations between Trump and Bannen will follow, even though Newsmax wrote on January 4:

“Steve Bannon responded to President Donald Trump’s blistering assault by calling the president ‘a great man’ and saying, ‘I support him day in and day out.’… Trump’s legal team issued a ‘cease and desist’ to Bannon; and the White House tore into Bannon as well, saying the president was ‘disgusted.'”

Jeff Sessions’ “Extremist Anti-Marijuana Crusade” Breaks His Alleged Promise

CNN reported on January 4:

“Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday rescinded a trio of memos from the Obama administration that had adopted a policy of non-interference with marijuana-friendly state laws.

“The move essentially shifts federal policy from the hands-off approach adopted under the previous administration to unleashing federal prosecutors across the country to decide individually how to prioritize resources to crack down on pot possession, distribution and cultivation of the drug in states where it is legal.

“While many states have decriminalized or legalized marijuana use, the drug is still illegal under federal law, creating a conflict between federal and state law. Thursday’s announcement is a major decision for an attorney general who has regularly decried marijuana use as dangerous.

“In a written statement Thursday, Sessions called the shift a ‘return to the rule of law’ but he did not go as far as some advocates had feared he might, stopping short of explicitly directing more prosecutions, resources or other efforts to take down the industry as a whole…

“Sessions’ shift at the Justice Department comes days after marijuana became officially legal under laws in California, the largest state. Voters in California approved the measure in November 2016, but the legal, commercial sale of marijuana under state law just went into effect with the new year.

“A majority of states allow the use of medical marijuana and eight, including the entire West Coast and the District of Columbia, allow recreational use…

“The immediate reaction to Thursday’s news from the marijuana industry and some members of Congress was alarm. Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican, tweeted that the issue ‘must be left up to the states,’ ran counter to what he had been previously told by Sessions and threatened to hold up confirmation of DOJ nominees.

“Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden from Oregon, where marijuana is also legal, similarly blasted the move. ‘Trump promised to let states set their own marijuana policies. Now he’s breaking that promise so Jeff Sessions can pursue his extremist anti-marijuana crusade. Once again the Trump administration is doubling down on protecting states’ rights only when they believe the state is right,’ Wyden said in a statement.

“One issue that may be potentially litigated is how the new memo affects medical versus recreational marijuana use. Congress voted in its last session to extend a spending provision known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, which blocks the Justice Department from using federal funds to impede the implementation of state medical marijuana laws.

“Sessions’ new memo does not explicitly set forth how prosecutors should treat medical marijuana…”

The New York Times added on January 4:

“The White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, maintained that President Trump was not going back on a campaign promise to refrain from using federal authority to shut down sales of recreational marijuana in states where they were legal. The Justice Department move, she said, “simply gives prosecutors the tools to take on large-scale distributors and enforce federal law. The president’s position hasn’t changed, but he does strongly believe that we have to enforce federal law.”

This typical political doubletalk by the White House reveals nothing and unsuccessfully attempts to satisfy everybody, while it satisfies nobody. Highly controversial Attorney General Sessions’ position regarding medical marijuana is unconscionable and wrong. The position of the federal government in regard to medical marijuana has been widely held as being entirely hypocritical. Litigation is to be expected.

The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals already found in August of 2016 in a landmark decision that you cannot be prosecuted in federal court if you comply with state law regarding the use of medical marijuana. In this light, Sessions’ memo, which does not distinguish between medical and recreational marijuana, might very well be considered by the court system as being unlawful and unconstitutional, even though one never knows what the US Supreme Court might decide.

Russia Continues to Support Assad

Reuters reported on December 29:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad in a new year’s greeting that Russia will continue supporting Syria’s efforts to defend its sovereignty, the Kremlin said on Saturday…

“Putin stressed that Russia would ‘continue to render every assistance to Syria in the protection of state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, in the promotion of a political settlement process, as well as in efforts to restore the national economy,’ the Kremlin said.”

The much praised collaboration between Putin and Trump pertaining to Syria does not to seem to have any validity.

Russia and Turkey Sign Troublesome Missile Deal

Reuters wrote on December 29:

“Turkey and Russia have signed an accord regarding the supply of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles to Turkey…

“The S-400 accord, reportedly worth some $2.5 billion, has caused concern in the West because Turkey is a member of NATO and the system cannot be integrated into NATO’s military architecture.”

This is mainly directed against the USA… as the Bible predicts terrible hatred of many Turks against America and the state of Israel.

Russia and China Continue to Support North Korea

Reuters wrote on December 29:

“Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea…  The sales of oil or oil products from Russia, the world’s second biggest oil exporter and a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, breach U.N. sanctions…

“The transfers in October and November indicate that smuggling from Russia to North Korea has evolved to loading cargoes at sea since Reuters reported in September that North Korean ships were sailing directly from Russia to their homeland…

“The latest report came as China, responding on Friday to criticism from President Donald Trump, denied it had illicitly shipped oil products to North Korea.

“North Korea relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning. It also requires oil for its intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear program that the United States says threatens the peace in Asia…

“In September, Reuters reported that at least eight North Korean ships that left Russia loaded with fuel this year headed for their homeland despite declaring other destinations, a ploy that U.S. officials say is often used to undermine sanctions.”

The UN sanctions against North Korea seem to be a farce when it comes to China and Russia.. .even through both powers DENY having any involvement of providing North Korea with oil.

North Korea Continues to Prepare for “Pre-Emptive Nuclear Attacks” against USA

Bloomberg wrote on December 30:

“North Korea promised on Saturday to continue preparing ‘pre-emptive attacks with nuclear force’ in the face of U.S. ‘blackmail’… ‘Do not expect any change in its policy,’ the state’s official media arm [said]…”

“KCNA said the regime has been working toward ‘bolstering the capabilities for self-defense and pre-emptive attacks with nuclear force,’ in response to ongoing ‘nuclear threat and blackmail and war drills’ by the U.S.

“North Korea has tested missiles at least 16 times in 2017, and threatened the use of a hydrogen bomb small enough to fit on a missile. More than one North Korean missile flew into the air space of neighboring Japan, and new models of rocket have flown to heights that some military analysts predict could reach the mainland U.S…”

One should not underestimate the desires of North Korea’s crazy dictator. It seems the entire country is being held captive by strong demonic influences.

Turmoil in Iran

The Associated Press reported on December 31:

“A wave of spontaneous protests over Iran’s weak economy swept into Tehran on Saturday, with college students and others chanting against the government just hours after hard-liners held their own rally in support of the Islamic Republic’s clerical establishment. The demonstrations appear to be the largest to strike the Islamic Republic since the protests that followed the country’s disputed 2009 presidential election. Thousands already have taken to the streets of cities across Iran, beginning at first on Thursday in Mashhad, the country’s second-largest city and a holy site for Shiite pilgrims…

“Trump tweeted out support for the protests Saturday. ‘The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran’s people are what their leaders fear the most….’ he tweeted. ‘Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching!’

“It’s unclear what effect Trump’s support would have. Iranians already are largely skeptical of him over his refusal to re-certify the nuclear deal and Iran being included in his travel bans…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 3:

“The elite branch of Iran’s military has hailed ‘the end of sedition’ as it embarks on a crackdown against anti-government protests. The country’s supreme leader blames foreign agents for the unrest that killed 21 people.

“Iran’s Revolutionary Guard promised ‘very serious penalties’ for protestors on Wednesday, the same day it declared the ‘end of the conspiracy’ after a week of unrest rocked the country… The government crackdown and blackout of certain social media channels resulted in the protests dwindling down to several thousand according to Jafari…”

Iranians are deeply divided as to their government’s stance towards the West. Dictatorial measures will only “work” for so long.

Europe’s Move Towards the Far Right and the Far Left

JTA wrote on December 22:

“… a closer examination suggests that 2017… has been a watershed year for the continent’s far-right and far-left movements. They have had unprecedented successes in a series of elections thanks to discontent, economic anxiety, nationalistic sentiment and xenophobia.

“The first upset came in March, when the Dutch anti-Islam Party for Freedom for the first time since its creation in 2006 became the country’s second largest, with 13 percent of the vote…  In December, the Austrian Freedom Party, founded by a former SS officer in the 1950s, for the second time in its history joined the coalition government after garnering 26 percent of the vote in elections two months earlier…  In September, the populist Alternative for Germany entered parliament for the first time with its best electoral result ever: 12.6 percent of the vote in the federal election. And in Bulgaria, the far-right Volya party entered parliament for the first time in elections that also saw the successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party double its voters to become the country’s second-largest.

“But the real shocker came this spring in the two rounds of the presidential election in France, which is home to both Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim populations. In May, France’s National Front achieved its best electoral result ever when 34 percent of voters cast their votes for the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the presidential election won by Emmanuel Macron… Like nearly all of Europe’s far-right and anti-Muslim parties, the National Front has formally distanced itself from supporters and members who espouse anti-Semitism. But such declarations were generally met with suspicion by Jewish community leaders… In France, where wartime collaboration with the Nazis is still the subject of acrimonious debate, the gains of the far right and far left were widely seen as signs of the breaching of conventions held in place after World War II and the growing polarization in society.

“… the National Front is believed to enjoy the backing of 13.5 percent of Jewish voters… In the Netherlands, Party of Freedom leader Geert Wilders polled 10 percent among Jewish voters despite his party’s support for a ban on the ritual slaughter of animals… Many blame the revival of far-right parties in countries where bitter memories of Nazism had kept such movements at bay on leaders who admitted into the European Union at least 2 million refugees from the Middle East since 2015. Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the European Conference of Rabbis, said the far-right renaissance in Europe ‘is a counterreaction’ to the pro-refugee policies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who took the lead in welcoming the immigrants… The rise of the far-right Freedom Party to power in Austria ‘is a backlash against Merkel’s policy,’ Goldschmidt said…

“Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Croatia have moved to close their borders to newcomers in open defiance of Brussels’ decision to welcome them… Fears of Muslim immigration this year were a main theme at one of the largest nationalist rallies in the recent history of Central Europe: On Nov. 11, some 60,000 people attended a march in Warsaw that featured anti-Muslim banners and anti-Semitic chants. In nearby Hungary, the rightist government placed the immigration issue squarely at the center of a campaign against the Jewish and pro-immigration billionaire George Soros, which some critics said had anti-Semitic overtones.”

Boycotting Austria?

The EUObserver wrote on December 29:

“France’s former foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, has called on the EU to boycott Austria’s upcoming six-month presidency of the Council of the EU as well as Austrian ministers belonging to the country’s far-right coalition party… ‘These are the heirs of Nazism that have come to power in the new Austrian government,’ Kouchner wrote in a letter published in French daily Le Monde on Thursday (28 December).

“The letter was co-signed by Benjamin Abtan, the founder of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement, and Beate and Serge Klarsfeld, founders of the Sons and Daughters of Jewish Deportees from France group. They said that other EU leaders have met the rise to power of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) in Austria with ‘silence and a guilty apathy’, and that they were ‘concerned’ about the party’s ‘ideology of hatred’… A boycott of the Austrian presidency would mean a de facto standstill of the European legislative machine for six months.”

There will be no boycott of Austria in Europe.

Division between American Jews and Israel

JTA wrote on December 20:

“This hasn’t been a good year for Israel and American Jews. The two poles of world Jewry, each boasting about half of the globe’s total Jews, have never quite seen eye to eye on everything from religion to politics. But this year — particularly the last six months — has seen those disagreements balloon into public spats over the future of the Jewish people and Jewish values…

“American Jewish leaders say Israel takes their support for granted, paying no heed to demands for recognition or religious pluralism. Israeli leaders, meanwhile, wish American Jews would defer to the political, military and diplomatic realities that constrain the country…

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu really likes President Trump. Most American Jews do not. Perhaps more than anything else, that division has animated the ideological split between Israel and American Jews… Trump… maintains high approval ratings among Israelis as a whole — certainly higher than his predecessor, Barack Obama, whom American Jews supported in droves…

“The majority of American Jews… favor a Palestinian state, which neither Trump nor Netanyahu embraces wholeheartedly… A September poll showed that 77 percent of American Jews viewed Trump unfavorably… A June survey by the Pew Research Center on America’s image abroad found that some 81 percent of Israelis held a positive view of the United States under Trump.”

France Singling out Jews for Tax Evasion Allegations

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 30:

“In Paris’s 12th arrondissement, on Bercy Street by the banks of the River Seine, on the 13th floor of the Ministry of Finance is France’s tax authority headquarters… Under the radar, a secret department has been created with the sole purpose of handling tax evasion by French Jews…

“Tax authorities do not usually establish departments targeting a specific nationality or religion…”

This is rather revealing!

Jews Under Threat in Germany

Breitbart wrote on December 30:

“Former president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany Charlotte Knobloch claims that Jews are increasingly under threat in public and may require police protection to lead a normal life without harassment and violence.  Ms Knobloch, who is now the President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, said that Jews are increasingly under threat, Die Welt reports. ‘Aggressive anti-Semitism, from verbal hostility on the Internet and in the analogue world to desecration and destruction to physical attacks are commonplace in Germany,’ she said. ‘Jewish life can only take place in public under police protection and the strictest security precautions, or it must be completely cancelled for security reasons,’ Knobloch added.

“The Jewish leader spoke about several recent anti-semitic cases including the vandalism of a Menorah in the city of Heilbronn, and the cancellation of a public Menorah lighting in Mülheim/Ruhr due to security issues. ‘Anti-Semitism is strengthening on the right and the left, in the Muslim community and also in the middle of society…’

“Many have blamed the influx of Muslim migrants under Chancellor Angela Merkel for the growth in anti-Semitic incidents. Fashion mogul Karl Lagerfeld blamed Ms Merkel directly earlier this year, saying: ‘One cannot – even if there are decades between them – kill millions of Jews and then bring millions of their worst enemies in their place.’

“In a survey of Jews in Germany, many said that most of the violent attacks they experienced came from Muslims, while far-right and far-left attacks were mostly limited to verbal harassment or harassment online. After U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would be moving the U.S. Israeli embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing the city as the capital of Israel, Germany saw anti-Semitic protests which were denounced by the Chancellor and her government. Despite the opposition to the protests, some, like German police union head Rainer Wendt, slammed Merkel. ‘The same politicians who continue this immigration and deportation drama by illegally allowing in more and more foreigners from the most anti-Semitic region of the world and not even deporting the offenders among them, then proclaim that they are doing everything against anti-Semitism,’ Wendt observed.”

Is history repeating itself, as it was experienced in Europe under Hitler and Mussolini?

What’s In Store for Germany in 2018?

The Local wrote on December 29:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel has still yet to successfully form a coalition government, even though federal elections took place three months ago. With pressure mounting and her popularity waning, Merkel will have to go back to the political negotiating table with her opponents and form a government in 2018…

“Germany’s economic upswing is expected to continue… Of 48 industry associations, two-thirds will continue to see production expansion in 2018. Economic growth has been taking place for ten years…

“Real estate prices in major German cities will increase… Construction of new properties will keep housing prices in check, despite the demand for hundreds of thousands of flats.

“Mutterschutz (maternity leave) benefits will be extended to students, interns and even high school pupils, with financial assistance kicking in six weeks before birth and eight weeks afterwards…

“Lower Saxony is set to get an additional national holiday, most likely on Reformation Day, which was a nationwide public holiday in commemoration of Martin Luther’s 500th birthday in 2017…

“Starting on March 20th, there will be free streaming for users of Netflix, Sky Go or Maxdome – thanks to a change in the European Parliament’s rules that previously barred free streaming. This means that when on holidays in France or Spain, for instance, you’ll be allowed a limited amount of free streaming with your online subscription services.”

Extended maternity leave benefits for high school students? But what can we expect when considering the liberal sex “education” classes in Germany’s schools?

The Incredible Shrinking Britain

Politico wrote on January 3, 2018:

“A few recent events illustrate how Brexit has taken its toll on Britain’s foreign policy. In June, the U.K. lost a humiliating U.N. General Assembly vote over the Chagos Islands. London had tried to block an effort by Mauritius to refer a dispute over the islands to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In a stone-cold move that would have been unthinkable 18 months ago, several EU and NATO partners chose to abstain, rather than support the U.K. Then in late November, the U.K. failed to secure a second term for its judge serving in the ICJ, losing against a challenger from India. Having deemed it ‘impractical’ to exercise its veto against a coalition of developing countries, the U.K. found itself without a seat on the court for the first time since it was set up in 1945.

“Such incidents are superficial compared to the bigger picture: For power summitry that really matters — like the G7 — the U.K. presence has been barely noticeable since its domestic conundrums started to pile up. One sherpa present at the 2016 Ise-Shima summit, just before the Brexit referendum, recalled that ‘no one took notice whenever the U.K. raised an issue, and just simply changed the topic.’ Silent treatment is cruel, even in the clubhouse of power-alphas.

“The truth is that Britain’s strategic importance has been waning with an exponential half-life, even before Brexit… Brexit will seriously erode the U.K.’s public finances… Brexit could very well be the country’s worst geo-economic miscalculation to date. The U.K.’s global role springs from its close relationships with continental Europe (from which it is abdicating) and the White House. The declining affinity between the U.K. and the U.S. in recent years has proven the limits of Britain’s influence over a range of issues, from a transatlantic trade pact to intervention in Syria. And the era of America First makes it unlikely it will return anytime soon…”

The truth is, Britain “won’t return” at all to an important and influential position on the world scene prior to Christ’s return…

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

If so, who will and who will not be at that place; where is it; and how can one get there?

We have written much about the place of safety. In this new series, we will present information which we already provided in the past, while adding additional thoughts and explanations in an attempt to answer follow-up questions.

Protection During the Day of the Lord

In our two previous Q&As, we addressed 144,000 Israelites and a great multitude of Gentile nations, as mentioned in Revelation 7, and explained that following the beginning of the Great Tribulation, which is Satan’s wrath, God will pour out the plagues of His wrath during a time referred to as the Day of the Lord. We showed that God will protect at that time many of those who will have experienced and survived the trials of the Great Tribulation, including the 144,000 and the great multitude. However, there is no indication that God will bring those survivors to a special place of safety; rather, He will protect them wherever they will be at that time.

Persecution BEFORE the Great Tribulation

On the other hand, we will explain that the Bible clearly shows that there WILL BE a special place of safety, here on earth, which God will provide for some members of His Church throughout the time of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. But before we address this important issue, we must clarify that even those who WILL BE protected DURING the Great Tribulation may have to suffer persecution BEFORE the Great Tribulation begins. The Great Tribulation is described as the fifth seal in the book of Revelation. The first four seals describe the four horsemen of the Apocalypse which will have already begun to ride PRIOR to the Great Tribulation, and the combination of religious deception and “holy” wars will cause much suffering.

Many passages tell us about future persecution, apart from the general declaration that everyone who wants to live godly will encounter and suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus said in John 15:20: “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” Matthew 10:16-26 tells us about future persecution, and Luke 11:47-52 speaks about past and future persecution of God’s prophets and saints in very vivid terms.

We should always remember that no trial will come upon us that will be too difficult for us to bear, and that God will show us the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). We have to be willing to accept God’s Will for us, whatever that Will might be.

Protection During the Great Tribulation at the Place of Safety

Jesus Christ warned His end-time disciples of the Great Tribulation, which will be so terrible that nothing like it ever happened before and will ever happen again (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1). At the same time, Christ challenged us to watch and pray always to be counted worthy to escape or be protected from the Great Tribulation. We read in Luke 21:34–36: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Christ tells us in Revelation 3:10: “Because you have kept My command to persevere (to have patience), I also will keep you from the hour of trial [tribulation] which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” The Moffat translation renders this passage as follows: “I will keep you safe through the hour of trial.” The Living Bible interprets: “I will protect you from the time of Great Tribulation and temptation.”

The book of Zephaniah also reveals God’s special protection for some of His people during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. The name “Zephaniah” means, “Whom the LORD has hidden.” Zephaniah 2:3 says: “Seek the LORD, all you meek [humble] of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’S anger.” God challenges all of us to become worthy so that we may belong to those who will be hidden or protected at a special secret place on the Day of the Lord.

King David was inspired to write in Psalm 31:20: “You shall hide them in the secret place of your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues.”

Joel 3:14–16 reads: “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness. The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter his voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.’”

This hidden and secret place of refuge, shelter and protection is more clearly described in the book of Revelation, promising the end-time Church of God her place in the wilderness—on this earth—prepared by God, a place where she will be nourished for 3 ½ years and protected from Satan the devil. Compare this with Isaiah 33:16, describing the righteous person (verse 15) as dwelling “on high; His place of defense [or refuge, shelter or protection] will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.”

Revelation 12:13-17 reads:

“Now when the dragon (Satan the devil, Revelation 12:9) saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child (Jesus Christ). But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness TO HER PLACE [New International Version: “to the place prepared for her in the desert”], where she is nourished [Living Bible: “cared for and protected”; Amplified Bible: “where she is to be kept safe and fed”] FOR A TIME AND TIMES AND HALF A TIME [Living Bible: “for three and a half years”], from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

We understand that the woman is, first of all, symbolic for Eve (Genesis 3:15); then for the Old Testament Church which would evolve from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Jacob’s TWELVE sons, and which would become known as the Church of Israel in the wilderness; then for Mary, the mother of Christ; and—subsequent to Christ’s ascension—for the New Testament Church of God (compare Matthew 25:1; Ephesians 5:22–32; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Galatians 4: 26).

While the woman is on her way to the place of safety, Satan will try to persecute her by spewing water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman. This might perhaps allude to an army or to a military force (compare Daniel 9:26; Jeremiah 47:2–3). It might also allude to false brethren whom Satan may bring into God’s Church to deceive and confuse God’s true people (2 Peter 2:1; Jude 4-5, 11; 2 Samuel 22:5). Many times, “waters” just refer to many people (Revelation 17:1, 15). The earth will open its mouth to help the woman, as God opened up the earth to swallow up Korah and his rebellious friends and supporters (compare Numbers 16:31–32). All of this will happen on earth. Satan will proceed to persecute others within the Church who will not be at the place of safety here on earth.

No Protection in Heaven

Some Bible commentaries conclude from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and especially from the words “shall be caught up… in the clouds,” that those in Christ will be secretly transported to heaven, to be protected there during the time of the Great Tribulation, and then later return visibly–together with Christ–to rule the world. The assumption is that Jesus will first come secretly for His disciples or saints by “rapturing” them to heaven where they will be protected during the time of the Great Tribulation which will ravage the earth.

However, the idea of a secret rapture of the saints was entirely unknown to Christians before the sixteenth century when it was first mentioned as a very vague concept. In 1830, men claimed divine inspiration, stating that the Holy Spirit had revealed to them that the last days had come; that Christ was about to return; that He would first “rapture” the believers who were ready, at a secret coming; and that He would come again in manifest power after the Great Tribulation.

The Bible does not teach a secret rapture. Rather, God’s Word reveals that Christ will return ONCE, NOT TWICE (Hebrews 9:28). He will come openly, not in secret (Matthew 24:21-31; Revelation 1:7; Acts 1:10-11), and He will END the Great Tribulation at the time of His Coming by establishing the Kingdom of God here on earth (Revelation 11:15-18). Mark 13:24-27 specifically states: “But in those days, AFTER that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. THEN they will SEE the Son of Man COMING in the clouds with great power and glory. And THEN [not before then] He will send His angels, and GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT…”

Christ will come at the time of the LAST TRUMPET when His elect will be resurrected from the dead or changed to immortality (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52). There can only be ONE last trumpet, which means, there can only be ONE return of Christ. The Bible speaks about the last trumpet as the SEVENTH trumpet. In the book of Revelation, we read that seven angels will blow seven trumpets, but that at the time of the seventh trumpet—logically the last one—“the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). The seven angels blow the seven last trumpets AFTER the Great Tribulation has begun—in fact, when the seventh angel blows the seventh or last trumpet, the Great Tribulation will have ENDED. Christ returns to shorten the time of the Great Tribulation, lest all human beings on the earth would die (compare Matthew 24:21-22).

The idea of a rapture to heaven—secret or otherwise—is nowhere taught in Scripture. But God does offer us His protection at a place of safety HERE ON EARTH, if we prove ourselves worthy to receive it. The FACT that Christ’s Church will be protected here on EARTH proves that His Church will not be at that time in heaven—nor, that it was transferred to heaven before the Great Tribulation by means of a “secret rapture.”

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (December 2017) has been written and mailed to our subscribers. In this letter, Kalon Mitchell points out the importance of how we are to be using our time to let our light shine as examples of God’s Way of Life. This letter is also posted.

“Die 144.000 und die große Schar in Offenbarung 7,” is the title of this week’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The 144,000 and the Great Multitude in Revelation 7.”

“Friend, Friendship and Trust,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Are you trustworthy? Are we trustworthy at all? Can someone rely on us when it comes to confidential information that should not be passed on?

“The Girdle of Truth,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are told in Ephesians 6,14, to have our waist girded with truth. This admonition includes two important aspects for our fight with Satan, which we will examine in this sermon: What is truth, and how can we wear the truth as a girdle?

On December 30, 2017, Christoph Sperzel will present the sermonette, titled, “Friends, Friendship  and Trust,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “The Girdle of Truth.”

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

In the context of maintaining physical strength and conditioning or mental acuity, the phrase “use it or lose it” is commonly applied. If muscles aren’t used, the body is designed in such a way that those muscles lose strength. If our minds aren’t engaged in active thought, memory is lost, and rebuilding our understanding becomes more difficult. The basic principle is simple — if we do not actively put effort into keeping what we have worked to obtain, we will lose it.

This principle applies to our spiritual growth and understanding as well. The job of a Christian is to learn about the Truth, to become converted in the way in which life is lived, and to overcome sin. There will always be more work for a Christian in this regard, until he or she becomes perfected at the time of Christ’s return. Along the way in the journey, milestones will be reached, successes will be experienced, understanding will be obtained, and battles against sin will be won. However, these achievements are fleeting unless effort is continually applied to the maintenance of those successes. If we do not use the understanding that we have obtained, and exercise our proven ability to overcome sin, we will fall backwards and begin losing the spiritual ground we have gained.

The topic of endurance is mentioned in several biblical writings to the early Church for this very reason (compare 1 Corinthians 4:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Timothy 2:3; 2 Timothy 2:12; Hebrews 10:36; Hebrews 12:2). The race of a Christian takes a lifetime to run, and if one begins to lose focus, and ceases to apply effort, he or she will not win the race and will fail to win the prize. Likewise, even when effort is applied in pursuing a direction that is unsupported by the Truth, the result is loss of understanding. With such loss also inevitably comes the loss of the promised full reward (2 John 8), and in extreme cases, salvation (Hebrews 2:1-3). To become converted, only to halt pursuing Christian growth results in failure. We must remember that conversion and baptism are just the beginning of a lifelong transformation that never ends.

The key to avoiding the dire outcome of a neglected conversion is simple. It takes work. By continually working to improve our understanding, and by application improve our way of life, we are destined to succeed. Jesus Christ provides us with this promise, “‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened’” (Luke 11:9-10). The point that we need to understand is that growth is provided to those who ask for it and actively seek it out. With diligence, our efforts to learn and apply the Truth will be rewarded (compare Hebrews 11:6).

If we are fortunate enough to be blessed with godly understanding in this day and age, then we are obligated to do something with this gift. We must remember that the Truth is powerful and provided for our use! We are urged to take advantage of it, using it to direct our spiritual growth. But the Truth will only work for us if we do our part and work to accept and apply it. The parable of the sower informs us that there are many ways in which the Truth can be received, but only one way that leads to success (compare Matthew 13:18-23). We have an active role to play in receiving and using the Truth. If we want to bear fruit that is pleasing to God, then we must never end our efforts to grow in our spiritual development.

by Norbert Link

We begin with several articles about the origin and history of Christmas and the incredible attempts to justify the celebration of this pagan festival and its unbiblical customs.  In this context and for further revealing information, please view our new StandingWatch program, “Christmas Is Pagan…So What?”

We report on developments in Germany where Angela Merkel is still viewed as the “Queen of Europe”; and discuss Austria’s unique and special role, which is described as “a small republic heir to a great multinational Empire, a natural bridge between East and West, with a political culture… it will be able to make a difference.”

We continue with focusing on the divided view point of Christians and governmental leaders regarding the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital which is largely due to the recognition or rejection of biblical prophecies regarding the return of Christ; and the adversarial relationship between UNESCO and Israel and the USA, which will contribute to America’s and Israel’s worldwide isolation. Please view our most recent StandingWatch program in this regard, titled, “The Fight for Jerusalem.”

We conclude with North Korea’s response of revenge to the UN’s “declaration of war” against the Pyongyang regime; and a deeply disturbing article on access to water.

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

When Christmas Made History

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 24:

“There is virtually no evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was born on December 25th. The date was… already celebrated by other major [pagan] religions as the supposed day of winter solstice. One of these religions was the Roman Sol Invictus cult, officially set up by Roman Emperor Aurelian on December 25th 274 AD…

“The mighty Frankish King Charlemagne united much of Europe under his banner even before being crowned emperor in 800 AD. On Christmas that year, Pope Leo III named him ‘emperor of the Romans,’ marking the legendary leader as a successor to ancient Roman caesars. Charlemagne’s rule ushered in an age of… Christian expansion…

“The US civil war ended with the defeat of the southern Confederation in 1865. On December 24th of the same year, a group of confederate veterans met in Tennessee to establish a secret society dubbed the Ku Klux Klan. The infamous organization uses violence in the name of alleged white superiority…”

December 24 and 25 have nothing to do with the birth of Christ, but it is interesting that important famous and infamous historic events took place on these days; showing that the god of this world is the real ruler and originator of Christmas who is busy to work out some of his schemes on these very days. It is well-known that, especially in the Western world, Christmas is high season for insane and unaffordable spending; suicide; drunkenness and other abusive behavior; as well as broken relationships.

The History of the Christmas Tree

The Week wrote on December 24:

“As with many Christmas traditions, its roots go back to pagan times. Some Northern European pagans believed that the sun was a god and that he went through a yearly period of ill health in winter. They put up evergreen boughs on the winter solstice, around Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year — the evergreens reminding them of all the greenery that would grow again when the sun god regained his strength and spring arrived. Ancient Egyptians followed a similar tradition, adorning their homes with green palm fronds to mark the return of Ra, a hawk-headed god who wore the sun as a blazing crown. And ancient Romans used fir trees to decorate their temples during Saturnalia, a winter festival in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture…

“The Eastern European cities of Tallinn and Riga both claim to have hosted the first Christmas tree: Tallinn in 1441, Riga in 1510… Around the same time, medieval Germans were incorporating evergreens into their own Christmastime rituals, via the ‘Paradise Tree’: an apple-adorned fir… Christmas trees didn’t make it into the home until Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant Reformation…

“Legend has it that as George Washington was crossing the Delaware River on Dec. 25, 1776, Hessian mercenaries fighting for the British were busy decorating trees and getting drunk. Suffice to say, they were in no state to fight the ensuing battle, and lost…”

In fact, Christmas trees are even much older than that. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah strongly condemns their use in Jeremiah 10.

Crazy Justifications of Christmas Lies

The Week, December 21:

“Christmas is a magical time of year, especially for children…  many parents worry about whether they should encourage their children’s belief in the physical reality of Santa, about the potential impact of lying to them and what to do when their children realize they’ve been duped…

“Research in the field of developmental psychology suggests that such fantastical beliefs are not actually harmful, but are associated with a number of positive developmental outcomes… With age, a child’s thinking develops to the point where they start to notice Santa does magical things that physical objects can’t…

“If you choose to extend your child’s belief in Santa, and your child realizes you have deceived them, how will they respond?… it is highly unlikely a single lie will cause irreparable damage. Children are also discovering the truth about Santa at around the same time they are starting to understand that some lies, like Santa lies, are told with good intentions… It might be a good idea to give modest gifts from Santa and save the big ones for parents, because no matter what your family income, every child deserves to feel loved by Santa on Christmas morning.”

This ridiculous article was written by an assistant professor of psychology. It shows how ungodly this world is… and due to their wrong education and false premises, psychologists belong on the top of the list of deceived and deceiving “experts.”

Angela Merkel Still the Queen of Europe

Politico wrote on December 21:

“… it’s too soon to count out the veteran chancellor, the EU’s longest-serving leader, who’s been in office since 2005. Merkel is likely to bounce back in 2018 with a new government committed to moving European integration forward in partnership with Emmanuel Macron…

“SPD leader Martin Schulz has identified reviving the European Union as the urgent priority that justifies reversing his party’s decision to go into opposition… The former European Parliament president convinced his comrades to explore a renewed coalition with the conservatives by brandishing the goal of a ‘United States of Europe.’… Schulz’s message was in tune with the German political and business establishment…

“Older German politicians recall how conservatives Wolfgang Schäuble and Karl Lamers took ambitious proposals to Paris in 1994 for a ‘core Europe,’ allowing what would become the eurozone to move ahead faster in integration… Merkel has made clear she believes she finally has a French partner with whom she can work on strengthening the eurozone, boosting European defense and reforming EU migration and asylum policies…

“People who have talked to Merkel say she was reluctant to run for a fourth term and only resolved to do so after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency, raising fears of a leadership vacuum in the Western world. Those worries have proved well founded. With America no longer dependably committed to free trade, multilateral governance or economic cooperation, and Britain durably sidelined by Brexit, the chancellor is the last experienced Western stateswoman capable of calm, steady leadership in a dangerous world.

“In the European Union… only Merkel can call the shots and strike a balance between North and South, East and West, left and right. ‘She is still the queen of Europe,’ said an EU diplomat… ‘If you want to get something done, you go to her.’”

Even though Angela Merkel’s reputation within the German public has diminished drastically (half of those asked in a recent poll prefer that she resigns before the end of her next term), Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz would prove to be an interesting leadership team, especially when it comes to the future of Europe. Note the next article.

Martin Schulz… Gone and Back?

The EUObserver wrote on December 27:

“For a few brief weeks in early 2017, it appeared Martin Schulz was set to make one of the most dramatic political career trajectories in recent EU history – from president of the European Parliament to German chancellor, and de facto the most powerful leader on the continent. But it wasn’t to be. After a few weeks on the campaign trail for his Social Democratic Party (SPD), the ‘Schulz Effect’ turned out to be the ‘Schulz Bubble’. That bubble duly burst, and by the end of 2017, Schulz had taken his party to their worst result in 70 years. It was a bitter comedown for the man who only a few years previously was accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the EU…

“Schulz battled on as party leader of the SPD, and – in a bizarre twist – may now find himself in 2018 returning to the centre-stage as German foreign minister, or one of the other senior posts in Angela Merkel’s cabinet in another ‘Grand Coalition’. That is because of the dramatic and unexpected collapse, in November, of the so-called ‘Jamaica’ coalition being negotiated between the victorious CDU of Merkel, and its sister Christian Social Union party from Bavaria, the Greens, and the liberal pro-market FDP.

“Despite an earlier pledge that his SPD would be returning to opposition to lick its wounds, Schulz will now begin formal talks in early January with the woman who defeated him in September, and if coalition negotiations are successful, will take the foreign ministry or one of the other top jobs in Berlin in early 2018.

“A remarkable return… For Schulz, hopeful and then humiliated at the ballot box in September, his political career resembles nothing less than a (badly-burnt) phoenix arising from the ashes.”

Austria Hope for a United Europe?

The EUObserver wrote on December 21:

“[Austrian Chancellor Sebastian] Kurz’s vision of the EU future seems more conducive to continental unity than most alternatives on offer… the young leader pledged to support a strong Union… He explained that this would mean stronger integration in strategic fields such as foreign policy, defence and a new asylum system… He also defended a euro governance based on rigorous fiscal rules…

“Kurz’ sober and moderate Europeanism makes him an ideal advocate of the European project…

“Austria is in many ways special. A small republic heir to a great multinational Empire, a natural bridge between East and West, with a political culture… it will be able to make a difference.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 24:

“The Austrian chancellor has urged the EU to consider establishing ‘safe areas’ in refugees’ countries of origin [rather than redistributing them in European countries]. But in a controversial twist, he said Brussels should organize it and ‘back it militarily.’”

Christians Divided on Trump’s Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

The Los Angeles Times wrote on December 24:

“The divide between evangelicals and other Christian denominations reflects two views of Jerusalem — one traditional and political, the other literal and theological. The key to understanding this rift is the evangelical belief in what is necessary to pave the way for the second coming of Jesus…

“Hours before the declaration on Dec. 6, Jerusalem’s Orthodox Christian patriarchs and heads of local churches sent Trump a letter predicting that ‘such steps will yield increased hatred, conflict, violence and suffering in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, moving us farther from the goal of unity and deeper toward destructive division.’…

“When Vice President Mike Pence announced that he would be visiting Israel — a visit that was later postponed — many members of the local Christian clergy said they would refuse to meet with him…  evangelical Christians constitute less than one-tenth of 1% of the population of Israel… [about] 2% of the country’s population… belong to… Orthodox and Catholic denominations…”

The  New York Post added on December 24:

“Pope Francis called for a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during his traditional Christmas Day speech in a stinging rebuke to President Trump who inflamed tensions in the region by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel…

“It’s the second time that the pontiff has criticized Trump’s decision on Jerusalem. Earlier in December, he noted that the Holy City is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims and called for its identity to remain unchanged.”

The Daily Mail wrote on December 24:

“The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas Day sermon to reflect on the terrorist atrocities and deceitfulness of ‘populist leaders’ witnessed in 2017… The Archbishop this year publicly spoke out against Mr Trump when he shared videos from far-right group Britain First via Twitter.”

Anti-Semitic Iran Opposes Israel and Hypocritical UN Remains Silent

Daily Wire wrote on December 27:

“On Wednesday, the government of possibly the most anti-Semitic government on earth shocked the world by announcing that Jerusalem will never be the capital of Israel and the Jewish people… the government of Iran passed a bill declaring Jerusalem forever as the capital of the non-existent country ‘Palestine’… Predictably, there were 207 ‘yes’ votes and no abstentions or opposition.

“Despite the fact that Iran declared Jerusalem the capital of ‘Palestine,’ the United Nations somehow missed the opportunity to pass, let alone offer, a resolution condemning the announcement. Last week, of course, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.”

Turkey and Europe vs. the USA and Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 28:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed hope for good relations with the European Union and Germany, after a year of tense relations between Berlin and Ankara… ‘We don’t have a problem with Germany, the Netherlands or Belgium. It’s exactly the opposite, the leaders of those countries are old friends of mine,’ Erdogan said…

“‘On the issue of Jerusalem, I wanted support from them; they are on the same page as we are,’ Erdogan said, referring to opposition to US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize the contested holy city as the capital of Israel. He said he called German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently to thank him…

“‘Now some other necessary steps need to be taken. In this context, a Palestinian state should be recognized,’ he said. ‘Some countries will recognize a Palestinian state; a number of EU states would immediately recognize Palestine.’”

The Bible shows that Turkey will work with Europe and many Arab nations against the USA and the state of Israel.

Moving Embassies to Jerusalem?

The Jewish Press wrote on December 24:

“Liviu Dragnea, leader of Romania’s Social Democratic Party and President of the Chamber of Deputies, announced last week: ‘We have to take the United States as an example and move our embassy in Israel… All the central institutions in Israel are in Jerusalem, ambassadors and embassy staff are going from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I think we should seriously consider moving the Romanian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.’…

“Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN after Trump’s declaration that ‘many countries are ready to move their embassy to Jerusalem,’ including Romania. The Czech Republic and the Philippines have announced their intent to move their embassies to Jerusalem.”

Newsmax reported on December 24 that “Guatemala President Jimmy Morales announced on Sunday that his country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.”

Israel Withdraws from UNESCO

The Jewish Press wrote on December 24:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Friday to submit his official letter of withdrawal to the organization. Israel joins the United States in its withdrawal from UNESCO. The U.S. gave its notice in October, and plans to leave the organization at the end of next year in accordance with the rules of the organization… Israel… will end its membership at the end of 2018 as well… the decision was made due to the attempts by UNESCO to ‘disconnect Jewish history from the land of Israel.’

“… the prime minister’s decision to pull Israel from UNESCO also came as a show of support for the United States… Nevertheless, the withdrawal letter will also contain a proviso that allows Israel to rescind its decision, should UNESCO revise its conduct and change its behavior and attitude towards Israel before the end of 2018.”

UN Sanctions “Act of War” against North Korea?

The Telegraph wrote on December 24:

“North Korea warned on Sunday that the latest round of United Nations sanctions were tantamount to an act of war and complete economic blockade… Sunday’s statement was the culmination of the latest round of warmongering rhetoric between Pyongyang and Washington after US Defence Secretary James Mattis cautioned on Friday that ‘storm clouds are gathering’ over the Korean peninsula…

“The UN security council unanimously voted to step up its sanctions against North Korea on Friday in retaliation against its most recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in November 29, which it claimed was capable of carrying a nuclear weapon to the US mainland… The US-drafted restrictions seek to ban nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea… The resolution also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year, and threatens to reduce the quantity even further if Pyongyang carries out another nuclear or ICBM test…

“The pariah regime continued that its nuclear weapons were a ‘self-defensive deterrence’ to counter America’s ‘blackmail and hostile moves’ and that those who voted for sanctions would face revenge… The White House has ‘dramatically’ stepped up preparation for a military solution in recent months amid fears diplomacy is not working… Meanwhile, American troops based in South Korea have been told to remain alert and report suspicious individuals…”

Water Not Free

The Alternative News Network wrote on December 27:

“Is water a free and basic human right, or should all the water on the planet belong to major corporations and be treated as a product? Should the poor who cannot afford to pay these said corporations suffer from starvation due to their lack of financial wealth? According to the former CEO and now Chairman of the largest food product manufacturer in the world (Nestle), corporations should own every drop of water on the planet — and you’re not getting any unless you pay up…

“This is a company that actually goes into struggling rural areas and extracts the groundwater for their bottled water products, completely destroying the water supply of the area without any compensation…

“As reported on by Corporate Watch, Nestle and former CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe have a long history of disregarding public health and abusing the environment to take part in the profit of an astounding $35 billion in annual profit from water bottle sales alone. The report states: ‘Nestlé production of mineral water involves the abuse of vulnerable water resources. In the Serra da Mantiqueira region of Brazil, home to the ‘circuit of waters’ park whose groundwater has a high mineral content and medicinal properties, over-pumping has resulted in depletion and long-term damage.’ Nestle has also come under fire over the assertion that they are actually conducting business with massive slavery rings…

“Nestlé… has done nothing for more than one billion people worldwide who have no access to drinking water. It, instead, has a proven track record of exploiting labor, destroying the environment, engaging in human rights violations, and of course of making big profits. Consider this:

“Brabeck chairs the 2030 Water Resources Group, a collaborative effort between business (includes PepsiCo and the Coca-Cola Company), government and other organizations that looks for ‘practical solutions’ to address water scarcity. PepsiCo, the Coca-Cola Company and Nestle rake in a combined $110 billion a year selling bottled water worldwide… Nestlé controls one-third of the US market and sells 70 different brand names for which it draws water from 75 springs located all over the country…”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Will it consist of people who have already died? Will they be part of the 144,000? Will they go to heaven before Christ’s return?

In the previous Q&A, we discussed the question, “Do the 144,000, mentioned in Revelation 7, describe spiritual Israelites prior to the Great Tribulation including those who have already died?”

We explained that Revelation 7:1-8 describes 144,000 Israelites who will be sealed after the beginning of the Great Tribulation to be protected from the plagues of the Day of the Lord. In addition, Revelation 7:9-10, 13-17 continues to describe a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, who came out of the Great Tribulation.

Many ideas exist as to who the great multitude describes. Some claim that the great multitude is identical with the 144,000, or that the 144,000 are part of the great multitude. Some claim that the multitude consists of all Gentile Christians from the beginning of the creation of man, and that the number is innumerable as it is not yet determined. Some claim that the great multitude will be in heaven after the beginning of the Great Tribulation, but before the Day of the Lord begins.

Halley’s Bible Handbook gives a most confusing picture of these different concepts, saying:

“The ‘144,000’ of verse 4, and the ‘Great Multitude,’ of verse 9, seem to be two different groups. One is the Elect of Israel. The other is from All Nations. With one group the scene was on Earth. With the other the scene is in Heaven. One group was sealed against a Coming Tribulation. With the other group, the Tribulation is Past. Yet they may be One and the Same group, under different aspects…”

Just about all of these comments are incorrect. For instance, when relating to the 144,000, we saw in the previous Q&A that they will be sealed BEFORE the Day of the Lord begins… meaning that they too had to go through and experience the beginning of the Great Tribulation. As for the remaining comments quoted above, the only correct assessment is that two different groups are described, as we will explain (even though that assessment is questioned in the last sentence of the quoted paragraph above by the same commentary.)

First of all, let us note the time setting as to when the 144,000 and the great multitude are described. It clearly relates to protection from the Day of the Lord (Revelation 6:17). The question is asked there: “For the great day of His wrath is come, and who is able to STAND?” In describing the great multitude, we read in Revelation 7:9 that they STAND before the throne of God and the Lamb. In Luke 21:36, Christ admonishes us to “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to STAND before the Son of Man.” Even though the great multitude won’t be worthy to escape the Great Tribulation, as we will see, they WILL BE counted worthy to escape and be protected from the plagues of the Day of the Lord, and to STAND before the Son of Man—the Lamb—and the throne of God.

Therefore, the great multitude does not consist of or include people who died prior to the beginning of the Day of the Lord.

What is meant with the term, “great multitude which no one could number”? Does this mean, as some say, that the number is not yet determined and that therefore no one, not even God, could tell us the exact number of the great multitude?

We say the following in chapter 9 of our free booklet, Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation:

“After that event [of sealing 144,000 Israelites], John sees a great multitude which ‘no one could number,’ from ‘all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues,’ standing before the Lamb with white garments (Revelation 7:9). They ‘came out of the great tribulation…and washed their robes and made them white’ (Revelation 7:14)… the great multitude had to go through the Great Tribulation, but they will be protected—together with the 144,000—from the plagues of the Day of the Lord.”

We read in Hebrews 12:22-24 that in prayer to God, we come to the heavenly Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the “innumerable company of angels,” the general assembly and church of the first-begotten registered in heaven, and to the spirits of the just men made perfect.

Now note the following excerpts from our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”:

“Man has no comprehension of how many angels exist. The revealed number is indeed mind-boggling. In Revelation 5:11, the number of angels that had assembled before the throne of God is given as ‘…ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’ Hebrews 12:22 goes even further: ‘But you have come to… an innumerable company of angels.’ The Greek word for ‘innumerable’ is ‘anarithmethos,’ literally meaning, ‘unnumbered’ or ‘without number.’ Certainly God knows how many angels He created but for man, angels are ‘without number.’”

The Greek word in Revelation 7:9 is arithmeo, where it is said that no one can number (arithmeo) the great multitude. This expression conveys the same meaning as in Hebrews 12:22, where we read about the “innumerable” (Greek: anarithmetos) company of angels—which is the opposite or the negative to something that you can number (compare W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words:  “arithmeo to number”). The same Greek word arithmeo is also used in Matthew 10:30 and Luke 12:7 (“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered”).

The term “innumerable” (in Greek, anarithmetos) is also used in Hebrews 11:12: “Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.” A similar expression is found in Revelation 20:8: “[Satan] will go out and deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number (Greek, arithmos) is as the sand of the sea.”

Even though it may be difficult for man to number all the descendants of Abraham, it is most certainly not difficult for God. The point is, the “innumerable” multitude of Abraham’s offspring is not innumerable for God.

We also find a reference to an innumerable multitude in Luke 12:1, saying that at the time of Christ’s first coming, “an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another.” However, the Greek word here is murias. It is also used in Hebrews 12:22, when referring to the “company” of angels. Vine’s defines it as “a myriad, of vast numbers.” Therefore, the “innumerable company of angels” in Hebrews 12:22 describes a myriad of angels which man would not be able to count if they manifested themselves to the human eye, as man could not count the sand of the sea or the hair on his head… but we understand that God can and DOES most certainly count and number them all.

What Revelation 7:9 describes is the fact that John saw in a vision a huge multitude of people—too many for him to count or to number.

Continuing with Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation:

“Strauss comments on pages 175–178: ‘The number … is beyond all counting, as far as man is concerned. The exact number is known to God (2 Timothy 2:19)… John saw ‘palms in their hands’ ([Revelation 7,] verse 9)… the palms may be in celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles… palm branches express the joy of complete deliverance (John 12:12–13). They are celebrating the triumph of having been brought through the awful period of tribulation…’”

When comparing the number (Greek arithmos, Revelation 7:4) of the 144,000 sealed Israelites with the great and “innumerable” multitude of Gentile nations, we must conclude that their number will far exceed 144,000. This would be in conformity with Paul’s statement in Romans 11:25, where we read: “… blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”  We find today a fulfillment of this phenomenon: While many members of “Gentile nations” respond, to an extent, to the gospel which is being proclaimed by the Church of God, stiff-necked and stubborn Americans, Brits, Canadians and other English-speaking peoples continue in their blindness and unwillingness to react to the message of God.

Something similar happened in Paul’s days, when he had to say: “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). This is not to say that Paul ceased preaching to the Israelites, and God’s end-time Church will not cease either in preaching to the modern peoples of the Houses of Israel and Judah, but we have to conclude that a greater spiritual harvest from Gentile nations than from Israelite nations is prophesied in these very last days, just prior to the Day of the Lord. This fact might also be revealed in a prophecy for the end-time in Revelation 10:11 where an angel gives John a little book to swallow, stating: “And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy AGAIN BEFORE many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (Authorized Version). The Greek word for “before” is epi and can also mean, “in the presence of.” Compare Mark 13:9 (“before rulers and kings”); 1 Timothy 6:13 (“before Pilate”). This might indicate that even in the end times, the gospel would first be preached “in the presence of” or to Israelite nations, but then again with strength and power to the Gentile nations.

Some claim that the 144,000 are identical with or part of the great multitude, but this is clearly not the case.

We say in our free booklet, Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation:

“In considering the Biblical revelation regarding the 144,000 and the great multitude, we can see the following: … The ‘great multitude’ is not a part of the 144,000, but it is a separate group of peoples… The ‘great multitude,’ which ‘no one can number,’ consists ‘of ALL [other, that is, non-Israelite] nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues.’ …”

Some commentaries understand that there is a clear distinction between the 144,000 and the great multitude. For instance, J.H. Blunt, The Annotated Bible, says:

“These [the great multitude] are clearly distinguished from the preceding body by being called an innumerable multitude, whereas the others are definitely described as being an hundred and forty and four thousand in number; and also by the statement that they are ‘of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,’ whereas the others are ‘of all the tribes of the children of Israel’ [verse 4].”

In addition, some commentaries understand that the great multitude will come out of the THE Great Tribulation—not only some trials in general:

The Wycliffe Bible Commentary states: “The other multitude is of a universal nature—certainly not confined to Israel… These… are they… that have come out of great tribulation…The great tribulation can be none other than that referred to in the Olivet Discourse (Mt 24:9,21,29).”

The Nelson Study Bible states:

“This vast majority has come out of the great tribulation, referring to the ‘hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world’ (3:10)… the great tribulation, predicted in Dan. 12:1, will be of an intensity ‘such as has not been since the beginning of the world unto this time, no, nor ever shall be’ (Matt. 24:21).”

The Ryrie Study Bible adds:

“This multitude is composed of many racial and geographic groups who will be redeemed during the tribulation period (vs. 14). In these difficult days, many will find Christ as Savior.”

Will the great multitude find protection after the beginning of the Great Tribulation and before the Day of the Lord and if so, how?

We state the following in our free booklet, Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation:

“The ‘great multitude’ had to go through the Great Tribulation as well. They will not be at a place of safety, to be protected from the Great Tribulation. Revelation 7:14 reads: ‘These are the ones who COME OUT OF the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’

“Today, neither the 144,000 nor the great multitude have turned to God. But they will—when they remember the message of the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is being preached today, and which will continue to be preached by God’s Church (compare Matthew 24:14; 28:18–20), combined with the activities of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:1–6), the martyrdom of some of the saints (Revelation 6:9–11; 12:13–17) and the sufferings of national Israelites and Jews during the Great Tribulation, and the heavenly signs… When the 144,000 and the great multitude turn to God, become converted and receive the Holy Spirit, they will be protected from the plagues of the Day of the Lord. Their conversion is still in the future. It will take place after they have experienced the fiery trial of the Great Tribulation.”

We also say this in our Q&A, “Will God’s people be protected from the terrible times to come?” 

“It appears that the 144,000 and the great multitude will consist mainly of people who will come to conversion during the trials of the Great Tribulation. Especially addressing the great multitude, for example, we read in Revelation 7:14: ‘These are the ones who COME OUT OF the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ We also read in Jeremiah 30:7 that later on, the modern descendants of the house of Jacob or Israel [the 144,000] will be saved OUT OF the Day of the Lord. [To clarify, Jeremiah 30:7 does not convey that the 144,000 will only be saved “out of” the plagues of the Day of the Lord, after they had been punished by them. The New American Bible translates: “How mighty is that day—none like it! A time of distress for Jacob, though he shall be saved from it.” Similar the New Jerusalem Bible, and Tanakh says: “… he shall be delivered from it.” Still clearer the Revised English Bible: “How awful is that day: when has there been its like? A time of anguish for Jacob, yet he will come through it safely.”]

“In addition, it is possible that some who will be protected during the time of God’s great wrath will include converted members in God’s Church (commonly referred to as those belonging to the lukewarm ‘Laodicea’ group in Revelation 3:14-22) who were not found worthy enough to be protected at the place of safety from the Great Tribulation, but who worked on their conversion with fear and trembling and who overcame their nature, Satan and society IN and DURING the Great Tribulation. They survived these terrible times and will be declared worthy to be protected from God’s wrath during the Day of the Lord.”

Some claim that the 144,000 and the great multitude will be in heaven to be protected from the Day of the Lord and/or to celebrate the marriage supper with the Lamb. However, this is an erroneous conclusion.

We address this question in our Q&A, “Where will the marriage supper between Christ and His Church be held?”

“Some have suggested that Revelation 14 [addressing 144,000 firstfruits] speaks of a marriage supper in heaven. However, Revelation 14 does not mention a marriage supper. It states that the Lamb and 144,000 of those ‘who were redeemed from the earth’ stand on Mount Zion (verse 1), and that they are ‘without fault before the throne of God’ (verse 5)… Even today, we appear daily ‘before’ God’s throne in heaven, through prayer…

“[Another] Scripture quoted to support the speculation that the marriage supper takes place in heaven is Revelation 7:9-17… We are told that a great multitude of all nations stands before the throne and before the Lamb. This is clearly another vision — such as the vision of dead souls under God’s altar that cry out with a loud voice (Revelation 6:9-11). Still, even when analyzing carefully the text of the vision in Revelation 7, we find that the described event does not occur in heaven. Revelation 7:14 says that the saints ‘washed their robes and made them white.’ Verse 15 says, ‘Therefore they ARE before the throne of God, and SERVE Him day and night in His temple.’ This cannot be happening in heaven, as the last part of the verse says that God ‘WILL dwell among them.’ If this passage described a situation in heaven, God would ALREADY dwell among them. [In addition, God the Father will only dwell among them and all of His (by then) immortal Spirit-born sons and daughters when He comes down from a new heaven to a new earth, long AFTER the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment, compare Revelation 21:1-3].

“The passage conveys, however, that those of the great multitude, who had to go through the Great Tribulation to become spiritually clean, will from that time on serve God daily in His temple — the Church, a spiritual organism, the bride of Christ. We are today the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 2:21). But we are not in heaven.”

The conclusion that the great multitude is not pictured as being in heaven, is shared by The New Unger’s Bible Handbook, stating:

“They are apparently unglorified people on the earth, envisioned as ‘saved’ and therefore seen ‘before the throne and in front of the Lamb… they have experienced unparalleled suffering in the Great Tribulation… having been brought to salvation by the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom…”

In conclusion, the great multitude consists of people from all nations who will be ALIVE when the Great Tribulation begins. They will come to conversion during the Great Tribulation and before the Day of the Lord. They will be protected from the plagues of the wrath of God and they will become worthy to STAND before the Son of Man, when He appears. Sadly, they will have to suffer much before they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, obtain forgiveness of their sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Those who hear God’s message today should respond at once to be spared from the terrible times to come upon this world in a VERY few years from now.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Fight for Jerusalem,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Also, Mr. Link presents a German AufPostenStehen program, “Der Kampf um Jerusalem,”—which covers the same topic. Here is a summary:

The UN Security Council condemned the USA and President Trump for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  Subsequently, the UN General Assembly, with the support of some US “allies,” declared the US declaration “null and void.” But a few countries opposed that totally inappropriate UN vote, while others abstained or chose to be absent. The US stated that they will take names of those countries that voted in favor of the UN resolution. This program will do just that and identify the major countries within the UN opposing or supporting the USA and Israel; and we point out why this is important in the light of biblical prophecy.

“Wie man (k)ein Pharisäer ist!” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link.

Title in English: “How (Not) To Be a Pharisee.”

“Are You Happy,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What is our answer when we are being asked this question? Let´s look deeply into ourselves. Is our answer “yes”, is it “no” or even “maybe”? Do we say “I don’t know” or even “I’m not sure”?

“The Battle for Your Mind,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Our minds are one of our most important assets. We are constantly under siege from all sides. How can we ensure that we protect our minds from the many unseen dangers that we fight against? Where can we turn when our minds cannot find a solution, a way out?  The importance of our minds is clearly outlined in the Bible and how to lean on and turn to God so that we do not fail.

On December 23, 2017, Christoph Sperzel will present the sermonette, titled, “Are You Happy?” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “The Battle for Your Mind.”

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

(Español: La Navidad es pagana… ¿y qué?)

“Every year again” (“Alle Jahre wieder”) is a famous German Christmas song, stating that the Christ Child descends to earth once every year to enter each house with His blessing.  As a child, I heard and even sang this song without thinking much about it. As I grew older and began to learn more about the TRUTH, I realized how utterly deceptive this song is. But most people never come to this understanding, following blindly the annual customs of Christmas and their wrong and, quite frankly, blasphemous teachings. Where I live, I am surrounded by houses with Christmas decorations (notwithstanding some notable exceptions), and when I sometimes go after dark on my daily walk with my little dog, I’m regularly reminded of Circus Circus in Las Vegas. It’s utterly ridiculous, but this is the world we are living in today.

Years ago, I saw a TV program with an odd-looking “preacher” (smoking a pipe and wearing a cowboy hat) who spoke of the unbiblical Christmas customs. He proved for over an hour that Christmas was thoroughly pagan, but then concluded that it does not matter and that Christians should keep it anyhow. I was reminded of this program when I noticed the following article which was published by Forbes on December 15, 2017, titled, “Why is Christmas pagan…?”

Here are some mind-blowing excerpts:

“Paganism… isn’t something to fear and it is bigotry to act like it is. Christmas is a holiday that has evolved due [to] the passage of time and the influence of various cultures as Christmas has entered their lives. Each of those cultures has enriched the holiday, giving us more traditions with which to celebrate it…

“For the ancient Romans, that holiday was called Saturnalia, named for the god Saturn. Saturnalia was celebrated by feasts, the giving of gifts… The ancient historian, Livy, tells us that Saturnalia began in 497 BC. Modern historians believe it probably started earlier than that. So, at least half a millennia after the origin of Saturnalia, Jesus Christ was born… It would be a few centuries until early church leaders decided it was a day to… commemorate. It would also be a few centuries until they decided to pick a day for that celebration, because the gospels do not tell us on what day he was born…

“On December 25th, 274 AD, the Emperor Aurelian consecrated the temple of Sol Invictus, creating a holiday called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti – the birthday of the Sun – officially elevating the Sun to the highest position among the gods… Around 350 AD, Pope Julius I officially declared December 25th to mark the birth of Christ. There was no evidence that was the actual day of birth… there’s no rule that says a day of celebration has to coincide with the actual date of origin…

“So, in Rome in the fourth century, there were three big holidays being celebrated on December 25—Saturnalia, Dies Natalis Sol Invictus, and the Dies Natalis of the Christ. It’s only natural that elements from these celebrations would cross-pollinate each other…

“As… Christianity grew, the people that celebrated those holidays would take their traditions to new areas… and [as they] introduced Christmas to the native Germanic peoples, the practices of Christmas were influenced by the practices of those peoples for their winter solstice holidays. Over time, traditions like the Yule log, mistletoe, tree decorating, and evergreen wreaths were absorbed and became thought of as Christmas traditions. The Saxons, the Vikings, the Victorians, and the capitalists have all added traditions to the rich tapestry of the holiday we all call Christmas… Pagan contributions are not something to fear…”

Have you ever read such ignorant nonsense? Christmas is pagan, but so what? It’s not to be avoided, but rather, it enriches our Christian walk of life! Sadly, for many who want to be part of the “crowd,” it makes sense. It gives them justification for being like a dead fish floating downstream… if they even care.

Well, God cares, and He tells us this in Deuteronomy 12:28-31:

“Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods…”

As true Christians, we must NOT follow the pagan ideas and religious practices of other nations and people around us. If we do, it will not go well with us and our children.

by Norbert Link

We begin with articles about America’s veto to a draft resolution of the UN Security Council on the status of Jerusalem and the subsequent (totally inappropriate) condemnation of the USA by the UN General Assembly; comments by the Trump Administration regarding the Western Wall; the new American security strategy; and the new American tax reform; all of which show the prophesied ongoing isolation of the USA on the world scene.

We also speak on the war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen (as well as Iran by extension).

We focus at length on developments in Germany and Austria and the country’s perceived place within the EU in light of the new government which includes important ministerial positions of far-right FPO party members; as well as international reactions to the new Austrian government.

We speak on perceived military threats from Russia; an overwhelming victory of Catalonian separatists against the government of Spain; and we conclude with an interesting article about bitcoin which becomes more and more the focus of worried attention by banks and the worldwide economy.

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

USA Vetoes U.N. Security Council’s Draft Resolution on Status of Jerusalem

Reuters wrote on December 18:

“The United States was further isolated on Monday over President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital when it blocked a United Nations Security Council call for the declaration to be withdrawn. The remaining 14 council members voted in favour of the Egyptian-drafted resolution, which… expressed ‘deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem.’ ‘What we witnessed here in the Security Council is an insult. It won’t be forgotten,’ U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said after the vote, adding that it was the first veto cast by the United States in more than six years…

“The U.N. draft resolution affirmed ‘that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council…

“Trump also plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. The draft U.N. resolution had called upon all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Haley and Trump for the veto in a video clip posted on his Facebook page…

“Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said the Palestinians would seek a rare emergency special session of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Trump’s decision. Under a 1950 resolution, an emergency special session can be called for the General Assembly to consider a matter ‘with a view to making appropriate recommendations to members for collective measures’ if the Security Council fails to act. Only 10 such sessions have been convened, and the last time the General Assembly met in such a session was in 2009 on Israeli actions in occupied Palestinian territories. Any outcome of such a session is non-binding, but carries political weight.”

CNN wrote on December 18:

“Palestinian leaders slammed the US decision, citing it as further proof the White House could no longer play an impartial role in any Israeli-Palestinian peace process… Expecting the US veto, the Palestinians immediately changed their focus from the Security Council to the United Nations General Assembly, where each member has one vote and no country — not even the United States — can veto a resolution…

“Speaking in favor of the resolution before the vote, France and the United Kingdom insisted the final status of Jerusalem should only be determined in negotiations… The proposed resolution comes almost exactly one year after UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which criticized Israel for the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, calling them ‘a flagrant violation under international law.’ In the vote, taken in the waning days of the Obama administration, 14 of the 15 Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution; the United States abstained, allowing it to pass.

“At the beginning of her speech, Haley made clear the results would be different if the vote were taken again. ‘Given the chance to vote again on Resolution 2334, I can say with complete confidence that the United States would vote no,’ said Haley, slamming the resolution as a hindrance to the exact peace process it was intended to advance…

“‘We will take legal, political and diplomatic action against Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem,’ Abbas said on Monday… In addition, Abbas signed 22 agreements and treaties in a move to solidify Palestinian standing in international affairs…”

The current 15 members of the UN Security Council are:

The five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA.

The current ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly are:

Bolivia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay.

Not much was to be expected from most of these member states, except perhaps, under “normal” circumstances, the UK and some of America’s European allies.

US Will Take Names of Those Voting against It in UN General Assembly

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 20:

“The UN General Assembly will vote on a measure that would require the US to rescind its decision regarding Jerusalem. US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut aid to countries that support the resolution… ‘All these nations that take our money and then vote against us at the Security Council and they vote against us potentially at the Assembly,’ Trump said at the White House. ‘They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us. Well, we’re watching those votes… Let them vote against us. We’ll save a lot. We don’t care,’ he concluded.

“The remarks follow a stern warning delivered by US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday, who threatened to ‘take the names’ of countries that vote in favor of the draft resolution rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital… Turkey and Yemen requested the emergency session on behalf of the Arab group of countries and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation.”

U.N. General Assembly Condemns USA

The Associated Press wrote on December 21:

“The U.N. General Assembly has voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions to declare President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital ‘null and void.’ Thursday’s vote, while a victory for the Palestinians, was significantly lower than its supporters had hoped for… It is noteworthy that 21 countries were absent.

“In that sense, it was a victory for the United States, with Trump’s threat to cut off U.S. funding to countries that oppose his decision having an impact.”

Deutsche Welle added on December 21:

“The United States and Israel were joined by Guatemala, Honduras and Togo [as well as small islands, namely Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau] in opposing the measure. Washington’s North American neighbors Canada and Mexico abstained [as well as Australia, the Philippines, Panama, Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina and South Sudan] along with several eastern European countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic [Croatia, Hungary] and Romania. Alongside many Middle Eastern countries, much of western Europe supported the measure, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Spain…

“Israeli Prime Minister Banjamin Netanyahu… slammed the UN as a ‘house of lies.’… Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that the vote showed the ‘illegality’ of Trump’s Jerusalem move…”

CBS News added:

“In the end, major U.S. aid recipients including Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and South Africa supported the resolution. The absent countries included Kenya, which was the fifth-largest recipient of U.S. aid last year, Georgia and Ukraine, all of which have close U.S. ties.”

Breitbart reported on December 21:

“The leader of the populist Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) and new Austrian Vice-chancellor, Heinz Christian Strache, has also expressed a desire to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem. As early as July Mr Strache called for the international community to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, saying it would be ‘absurd’ not to.”

In the end, Austria voted FOR the resolution, following Germany’s lead. Note below many more articles about Heinz Christian Strache.

Trump Administration: Western Wall Will Be Part of Israel

JTA wrote on December 15:

“The Trump administration said it cannot envision an outcome in which the Western Wall [in eastern Jerusalem] is not part of Israel — the first signal by any U.S. administration that it recognizes a claim to Jerusalem outside the 1967 lines… Israel captured eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City, in the 1967 Six-Day War…”

JTA wrote on December 18:

“The Western Wall is the outer wall and the largest remnant of the Second Temple, which was destroyed by Rome in 70 C.E. during the Jewish wars. Since 135 C.E. — the launch of the Jewish exile in the wake of the failed Bar Kochba revolt — Jews have directed prayers from wherever they are toward the destroyed Temple. There are indications throughout the Dark and Middle Ages of Jewish worship at the Wall, but the Encyclopedia Judaica dates permanent worship at the site to the early 1500s, probably a result of an influx of Jewish refugees from Spain into the city. Depictions of pious Jews praying at the site were a cliche by the late 19th century.

“Jordan’s almost absolute ban on Jewish worship at the Western Wall during its 1949-1967 occupation of Jerusalem became a sore point for Diaspora Jews, as well as for Israelis… Israel extended administrative control to eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City, within a month or so of the Six-Day War. It declared the ‘complete and unified Jerusalem’ the capital of Israel in a 1980 law that was amended in 2000 to define borders that included the Old City; the law refers to the ‘Holy Places’ as being under Israeli protection…

“The wall abuts the Temple Mount — the holiest site in Judaism, and the third holiest in Islam. Muslims believe its Al Aqsa mosque is where Muhammad ascended into heaven in his Night Journey… ‘For the United States to take this position formally is obviously a significant departure from previous policies,’ said Yousef Munayyer, the director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. ‘It has huge implications. There has been no formal American position on the holy sites that gave sovereignty to either party.’”

The control of the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, as well as the building of a third temple will become the cataclysm which will ignite the powder keg in the Middle East.

New National Security Strategy of the USA

Fox News wrote on December 18:

“President Trump on Monday unveiled a national security strategy that enshrines his ‘America First’ approach into U.S. policy, stressing American strength and economic security and putting rivals like China and Russia on notice. ‘America is in the game and America is going to win,’ Trump said, making clear that the United States will stand up for itself even if that means acting unilaterally or alienating others on issues such as trade, climate change and immigration…

“Trump, who released his 68-page national security strategy ahead of his speech, said he is making good on campaign pledges that he promised would ‘revitalize the American economy, rebuild our military, defend our borders, protect our sovereignty and advance our values.’ Trump’s national security strategy, a document mandated by Congress, is based on four principles: protecting the homeland by restricting immigration, pressuring trading partners, building up the military and otherwise increasing U.S. influence globally…

“‘China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity,’ the strategy document says. ‘They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence.’ The strategy accuses the two nations of ‘developing advanced weapons and capabilities that could threaten our critical infrastructure and our command and control architecture.’”

President Trump also said this (quoted from the transcript of his speech, as published by Al Jazeera News):

“We have withdrawn the United States from job-killing deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the very expensive and unfair Paris Climate Accord. And on our trip to Asia last month, I announced that we will no longer tolerate trading abuse. We have established strict new vetting procedures to keep terrorists out of the United States, and our vetting is getting tougher each month. To counter Iran and block its path to a nuclear weapon, … I declined to certify the Iran Deal to Congress…

“In Afghanistan, our troops are no longer undermined by artificial timelines, and we no longer tell our enemies of our plans… And we have made clear to Pakistan that while we desire continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory. And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help.

“Our efforts to strengthen the NATO Alliance set the stage for significant increases in member contributions, with tens of billions of dollars more pouring in because I would not allow member states to be delinquent in the payment while we guarantee their safety and are willing to fight wars for them.  We have made clear that countries that are immensely wealthy should reimburse the United States for the cost of defending them. This is a major departure from the past, but a fair and necessary one – necessary for our country, necessary for our taxpayer, necessary for our own thought process.”

The “affected” NATO countries, including Germany, already declared that there will be no way that they will reimburse the USA for anything. This will further continued alienation.

Largest US Tax Overhaul in More Than Three Decades

Bloomberg wrote on December 20:

“After a year of infighting, frustration and failure, President Donald Trump and his Republicans finally have something to celebrate. The Senate early this morning passed the largest U.S. tax overhaul in more than three decades with barely a vote to spare, bringing Trump to the brink of his first big legislative win…

“The legislation — passed before Christmas, as Trump urged just two months earlier — quiets questions about the fractious party’s ability to govern. The measure’s repeal of the Obamacare insurance mandate also helps salve the wounds from Republican struggles to repeal the broader law earlier this year.

“But the celebration may be short-lived. Congress must quickly pass a spending bill by Friday to avoid a holiday government shutdown. The new year will bring more spending showdowns, Russia probe revelations and a midterm election in which the Democrats are increasingly favored to take back at least one house of Congress. The tax bill, with most of its benefits going to corporations and the rich, will provide ample fodder for the campaigns ahead.”

Subsequently, the US House of Representatives approved another short-term funding bill until January 19, 2018 to keep the federal government running.

Europe Worried About Trump’s Tax Reform

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 19:

“European finance ministers are worried. They say the US’s big tax reform bill contains measures that would unfairly disadvantage European business and contravene global fair-taxation rules…

“Last week, the finance ministers of Europe’s five biggest economies — Germany, France, the UK, Spain and Italy — wrote an anxious letter to their American colleague, US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin, and copied it to all senior Republican politicians in the Congress and Senate. The letter’s thrust: The draft US tax bill would… represent a thinly disguised form of trade war. ‘The United States is Europe’s single most important trade and investment partner,’ the finance ministers wrote… A day later, a similar letter was sent to Mnuchin by the European Commission’s four most senior economic officials and made many of the same points. The two letters didn’t get much of an answer — at least not a public one…

“Are the criticisms from Europe justified? In a word: Yes…  The US… proposes to play unfairly by taxing profits that have already been taxed in Europe…”

Whatever is happening in the USA these days causes opposition in foreign countries, especially in Europe.

The Trump “Tax-Cut” Will Complicate the Tax System

The Week wrote on December 18:

“You’ll be able to file your taxes on a postcard. That was the sales pitch the Republican Party made when it started out on tax reform. The whole idea was to make the tax code simpler and fairer. Now the House and Senate have hashed out a final compromise bill… So how did they do at living up to their promise? Not good.

“Jammed through at incredible speed, with virtually no public hearings or debate, the tax bill is a complete mess of glitches, opaque wording, and complications. Despite the bill’s rapid-fire pace, a group of tax experts was able to survey the tax code changes and compile at least some of the major problems. Not only will the Republicans’ tax bill increase the ways the wealthy and connected can game the tax code and avoid paying their fair share — it will likely make the tax system vastly more complicated, not less…”

Saudi Arabia vs. Yemen and Iran

The Sun wrote on December 19:

“A MISSILE fired at Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh was shot down moments before it hit a royal palace today… The Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information tweeted: ‘Coalition forces confirm intercepting an Iranian-Houthi missile targeting south of Riyadh.’…

“[A previous] November 4 attack triggered the tightening of a longstanding Saudi-led blockade of Yemen – already on the verge of famine. Saudi Arabia angrily accused its arch foe Iran of supplying the missile to the rebels, a charge Tehran strongly denied.

“On Thursday, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley presented what she called ‘undeniable’ evidence that last month’s missile was ‘made in Iran’. A brutal civil war has been raging in Yemen for over two years and the conflict has claimed over 16,000 lives. A military alliance led by Saudi Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes against the Houthi movement, which now controls much of Yemen.”

Germany Still Looking for a Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 20:

“Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats have agreed to start talks on forming a government on January 7. The exploratory talks should end by January 12… The results of the exploratory talks will then be discussed within each their parliamentary parties and among the parties’ respective boards and Merkel’s CDU…

“Last Friday, Schulz announced that the parties had agreed to start preliminary talks although the SPD carefully noted that it wanted to keep open the possibility of a softer ‘cooperative coalition,’ while the CDU is mainly interested in forming a grand coalition… To date, the longest Germany has gone without a ruling government coalition was the 86 days that the CDU, CSU and SPD needed to agree to a grand coalition under Merkel’s leadership in 2013. The current talks have now surpassed that record.”

Key Positions for FPO in Austria’s New Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 16:

“People’s Party (OVP) leader Sebastian Kurz will become the next chancellor and coalition partner Freedom Party (FPO) head Heinz-Christian Strache [successor to the late Joerg Haider] will become vice-chancellor in the new Austrian government. Strache will also be minister for sports and public servants. Five other ministries go to Strache’s Freedom Party. They include the key interior, defense and foreign ministries.

“Kurz’s People’s Party will have seven ministers and one deputy. They include the finance, economy and justice ministries.”

Austria’s New Government Sworn In

The Huffington Post wrote on December 18:

“Austria’s new coalition government was sworn in on Monday, which includes members from the far-right Freedom Party for the first time in more than a decade… European countries met the ascendance of the new coalition with caution.

“… Austria’s president, Alexander Van der Bellen, announced his approval of the new coalition on Saturday after being promised that the new leaders would take on ‘a pro-European direction.’ ‘Sebastian Kurz and Heinz-Christian Strache have assured me that Austria is and will remain a strong country in the heart of Europe and that it will play an active role in the future shaping of the E.U.,’ Van der Bellen said…

“When Austria’s far-right Freedom Party entered government in the year 2000, there was an international backlash and harsh warnings from the country’s closest allies. The European Union imposed several months of sanctions on Austria, and Israel recalled its ambassador in protest. At the time, European governments believed an openly xenophobic party that was founded in the 1950s by a former Nazi SS officer and embraced nationalist views needed to be collectively isolated and contained. But in the years since, Europe has radically changed how it sees the far right… there are none of the same warnings from the EU today…”

Deepening Relationship with Germany

Deutsche Welle added on December 18:

“Austria’s new right-of-center coalition government wants to further deepen relations with Germany, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Monday before he assumed office. ‘Many personal, economic, political and cultural ties bind us to Germany,’ [he] told Germany’s Bild newspaper…

“As foreign minister, Kurz frequently criticized Berlin over immigration policy, and FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache once called German Chancellor Angela Merkel ‘the most dangerous woman in Europe.’… While Vienna’s incoming government encountered mixed responses in Germany, Merkel’s conservative Bavarian allies, the CSU, have been positive. ‘With Sebastian Kurz, Bavaria and Germany have one more ally in Europe,’ Alexander Dobrindt, the head of the CSU’s parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, told Die Welt newspaper…”

Maintaining its Distance

The Jewish Press wrote on December 18:

“The State of Israel is maintaining its distance in dealing with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) in Austria’s new coalition government, according to a statement issued by the government on Monday (Dec 18.)…

“The European Jewish Congress (EJC) expressed ‘grave concern’ over reports of the new coalition. ‘The FPÖ has a long history of anti-Semitism and xenophobia and we are concerned about the fact that they will control government ministries in the new Austrian government,’ said Dr. Moshe Kantor, president of the EJC. ‘However, we hope that rather than as expected — that the Freedom Party will have an undue influence on the direction of the government led by the People’s Party — the Chancellor and his party will be able to discipline the intolerant elements within the FPÖ.’”

Historically, Hitler was not taken seriously either and his initial declarations of friendship and cooperation with the Jews were readily and naively believed… so much so that initially, Jewish bankers supported him and his party.

Friendlier Ties with Russia

The EUObserver wrote on December 18:

“Kurz’s coalition wants to see friendlier relations with Russia, and says that EU sanctions are a source of unwelcome tension.

“Tusk wrote a letter to Kurz on Monday, saying he trusts the Austrian government will continue to play a constructive and pro-European role in the European Union. Austria is the latest country to add to the sceptical chorus within the EU about the effectiveness of Russian sanctions…”

Friendlier ties with Russia will be very temporary, if at all. Note the next article.

Russia Practiced Full-Scale Invasion of Europe

The Sun wrote on December 20:

“RUSSIA has practised a full-scale mock invasion of the West that includes capturing Baltic states, bombing Germany and invading neutral countries, it has been revealed. The terrifying war drills were carried out in September and featured troops, artillery, tanks, missile attacks and naval and air force raids. At the time, Putin claimed the exercises were for anti-terror purposes and were purely defensive in nature. However, [Bild Online] reported that the drills were a dry-run for a ‘shock campaign’ against Western European NATO countries…

“Over two days, Russian fighter jets also flew mock sorties through the Baltic and North Seas, swooping down onto the edges of Germany and the Netherlands. These were designed to be a practice run for destroying high-value targets such as power reactors, airports and other forces, including naval battalions, practised invading neutral Finland, as well as Sweden, Norway and Poland…

“General Petr Pavel, head of NATO’s military committee, warned in September: ‘All together, what we see is a serious preparation for big war… when we look it in the big picture, we have to be worried, because Russia was not transparent.’”

The Bible tells us that Europe will be so worried in the future because of rumors from the East, that they will attack countries such as Russia and China.

Catalonia: Separatist Groups Win Absolute Majority

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 21:

“[O]usted regional President Carles Puigdemont was set to regain power in Catalonia after his… party captured 34 seats. Together with the 36 seats of the two other pro-independence parties, the separatists are headed for an absolute majority in the 135-seat regional parliament…

“Speaking from exile in Brussels, Puigdemont called the election a victory for the ‘Catalan Republic’ as well as a ‘slap in the face’ to Spanish Prime MinisterMariano Rajoy…

“Catalan National Assembly Vice President Agusti Alcoberro… demanded the release of imprisoned secessionist politicians and ‘the restitution of the government,’ sacked by Madrid…

“The pro-independence forces garnering an absolute majority could be a significant blow to the government of Prime Minister Rajoy [In fact, it is a total disaster for the Spanish government.]… The vote on Thursday had been ordered by Rajoy in the aftermath of a highly contested independence referendum on October 1 and a subsequent unilateral declaration of independence, both of which were ruled unconstitutional. The central government in Madrid also sacked Puigdemont’s regional government and took direct control of the region…

“Deposed regional President Puigdemont campaigned for his pro-independence… party from Brussels, where he had fled to avoid imprisonment by the Spanish authorities. Other pro-independence leaders currently in jail in Spain… campaigned… through letters, social media and prison-time phone calls.”

The question is, what will be Spain’s next move, since previous actions backfired terribly.

Bitcoin Threat to Banks and Worldwide Economy?

The Independent wrote on December 14:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes banks are going the way of the dinosaur, and bitcoin may be the meteor that brings about its extinction. The head of state appeared on a youtube video posted December 12 where he ponders in Hebrew ‘Is the fate of banks that they will eventually disappear? Yes. The answer is yes.’ He continued: ‘Does it need to happen tomorrow? And do we need to do it through Bitcoin? That’s a question mark.’

“The 70-second video shows Netanyahu discussing the function of banks, which he says act as middlemen and to protect their customers by offsetting risks and preventing theft… ‘The truth behind what I just said is what’s propelling bitcoin upwards,’ Netanyahu concluded.”

Express added on December 18:

“Independent research analyst Ronnie Moas predicted over the summer that the value in Bitcoin would reach as high as $5,000 (£3,738) when the digital currency was trading at just $2,600 (£1,943). Since then, Bitcoin has surged to $20,000 (£13,582) in value as of Monday, according to prices tracked on Coinbase.

“Now, Mr Moas, the founder of Standpoint research, claims the growth will shoot above $300,000 (£224,280) and become the ‘most valuable currency in the world’. He told CNBC: ‘Bitcoin is already up 500 per cent since I recommended it in the beginning of July, and I’m looking for another 500 per cent move from here. His claims are based on the idea that since only 21million Bitcoin can ever exist, increasing demand for the digital currency will naturally drive its price up, he said.

“Mr Moas said: ‘I don’t know how much gold there is in the ground, but I know how much bitcoin there is, and in two years there will be 300 million people in the world trying to get their hands on a few million bitcoin. ‘This mind-blogging supply and demand imbalance is what is going to drive the higher price.’… [a] study by Anglia Ruskin University, Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University released on Friday said Bitcoin could pose a threat to [and could have a “knock-out effect” on] to the financial stability of traditional currencies and markets.”

These developments are not surprising in light of the incompetency, untrustworthiness, unproductivity and deceptive conduct of many banks.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

When considering carefully what the Bible says about the 144,000, we find that they cannot refer to spiritual Israelites who have lived and died prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. When the book of Revelation begins to describe the time of the terrible DAY OF THE LORD to strike, an angel appears holding back the four winds (Revelation 7:1-3), which are the first four trumpet plagues (Revelation 8:7-12) of the Day of the Lord, until the 144,000 are sealed. We should also note, even though this is not the topic of this Q&A, that in addition to the sealing of 144,000, a great multitude of ALL NATIONS will turn to God and His protection, BEFORE the plagues of the Day of the Lord begin. The innumerable multitude shall have COME OUT of THE Great Tribulation (Revelation 7:14) to be protected during the Day of the Lord.

In chapter 9 of our free booklet, The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation, we state the following:

“In verse 1 of Revelation 7 we find that the Day of the Lord—the time of terrible plagues—is to be delayed temporarily UNTIL 144,000 servants of God have been sealed. According to the sequence of prophesied events, this sealing is yet IN THE FUTURE. It will occur AFTER THE COMING GREAT TRIBULATION AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE HEAVENLY SIGNS, but just BEFORE THE PLAGUES of God’s judgments are poured out.

“Next, notice Jesus’ own explanation of the 144,000. They are 144,000 of the TRIBES OF ISRAEL, 12,000 of each tribe. The tribe of Dan is not mentioned—perhaps because they went to idolatry anciently, and will thus have to WAIT for God’s salvation (Genesis 49:1, 18). The 144,000 are to be given SPECIAL PROTECTION DURING THE DAY OF THE LORD…”

From this it follows that the 144,000 cannot include those who have already died prior to the beginning of the Day of the Lord. Those who have died do not need to be sealed to receive any special physical protection during the plagues of the Day of the Lord, as they are already “protected” in the grave (compare Isaiah 57:1-2). Clearly, the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7 are those who will be alive and receive protection from God’s wrath during the time span of approximately one year prior to Christ’s return. [For the approximate equation of the DAY of the Lord with one YEAR, please notice Isaiah 63:4; 61:2; 34:8).]

However, there is no indication that the 144,000 will be protected at a special place, and the Bible does not say that they will be brought to a place of safety where some Church members will have arrived approximately 2 ½ years earlier to receive protection from the Great Tribulation (Revelation 12:14; 3:10; Luke 21:36).

Considering the lack of protection during the Day of the Lord, as pertaining to the tribe of Dan, it is also interesting that, according to some early tradition, as mentioned by James Hastings, Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, under “Antichrist”, the man of sin of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 will come from the tribe of Dan. Even though we are not vouching for the accuracy of the tradition, here are some comments:

“Antichrist [the false prophet] is to come from the tribe of Dan… He shall appear in Jerusalem as a mighty ruler… assemble the armies of the world around him, perform signs and wonders, and demand Divine worship… The Jews shall believe on him, and he will rebuild the Temple.”

In regard to the events of sealing 144,000, a similar description of protection from God’s wrath and punishment can also be found in Ezekiel 9:4-11. Protection from God’s plagues is emphasized as well in Revelation 9:4. Note that the reference to those who are sealed for protection is in connection with the time of the seventh seal—the Day of the Lord (compare Revelation 8:1).

We continued to say the following in our above-mentioned booklet:

“In considering the Biblical revelation regarding the 144,000…, we can see the following:

“1) None of the 144,000 have already been sealed.

“2) The 144,000 will be sealed in the future, AFTER the [beginning of the] Great Tribulation.

“3) The 144,000 will be sealed in order to be protected from the plagues of the Day of the Lord.

“4) The 144,000 are physical Israelites that will be alive at the time of their sealing.

“5) 12,000 of each tribe of Israel will be sealed. Since the tribe of Dan is omitted…, the tribe of Joseph is represented through Joseph and through his son Manasseh (Revelation 7:6, 8).

“6) Since the 144,000 will be sealed AFTER the [beginning of the] Great Tribulation, they will have to go THROUGH [parts of] the Great Tribulation. There is no indication in the Bible that they will be protected from the Great Tribulation at a place of safety…”

“Today… the 144,000 have [not yet] turned to God. But they will—when they remember the message of the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is being preached today, and which will continue to be preached by God’s Church (compare Matthew 24:14; 28:18–20), combined with the activities of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:1–6), the martyrdom of some of the saints (Revelation 6:9–11; 12:13–17) and the sufferings of national Israelites and Jews during the Great Tribulation, and the heavenly signs.

“When the 144,000 find themselves in the midst of the Great Tribulation, they will reflect on their lives and the situation they are in, and will come to their senses. THEN they will repent—not before then! Speaking of the modern houses of Israel and Judah, we read a remarkable prophecy in Deuteronomy 30:1–3, 6, and 8. This prophecy refers to ‘the latter days’ (Deuteronomy 31:29) and might also include a description of the conversion of the 144,000:

“‘Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you RETURN to the Lord your God (i.e., REPENT) and OBEY His voice, according to ALL that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul (describing CONVERSION), that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity (which will be experienced by the modern houses of Israel and Judah during the time of the Great Tribulation)… And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, THAT YOU MAY LIVE (that is, that you might be PROTECTED from the PLAGUES of the Day of the Lord)… And you will again obey the voice of the LORD and do all His commandments which I command you today.’

“When the 144,000 and the great multitude turn to God, become converted and receive the Holy Spirit, they will be protected from the plagues of the Day of the Lord. Their conversion is still in the future. It will take place after they have experienced the fiery trial of the Great Tribulation.”

Lehman Strauss, The Book of Revelation, makes the following comments on pages 171–173 regarding the 144,000:

“Judgment is suspended till 144,000… are sealed… If language means anything, these sealed ones are literal Israelites… The 144,000 are sealed with ‘the seal of the living God.’ The seal is the mark of divine possession, protection, and preservation.”

We also find a reference to 144,000 in chapter 14 of the book of Revelation. The time setting is after Christ’s return. We explain in chapter 17 of our free booklet on the Mysteries of the Book of Revelation that the 144,000 in Revelation 14 might perhaps be the same group of 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7. Most commentaries suggest this, but we cannot be totally certain, stating this: “Although it appears possible or even probable that the two groups of 144,000 in Revelation 7 and 14 are identical, we need to wait for God’s clear revelation to us as to who, exactly, the 144,000 in Revelation 14 will be.”

Herbert Armstrong wrote the following in The Key to the Book of Revelation, seemingly equating without further explanation the 144,000 in Revelation 7 with the group in Revelation 14:

“The 144,000 are 12,000 from each of the literal tribes of Israel. They are sealed by the Holy Spirit, IN their foreheads, and it is the FATHER’S NAME that is sealed there (Rev. 14:1). THE TIME OF THIS SEALING, THEN, IS YET FUTURE — AFTER THE TRIBULATION, AFTER THE HEAVENLY SIGNS…”

The Life Application Bible adds:

“God’s seal is placed on the foreheads of his servants. This seal is the exact opposite to the mark of the beast… in [Revelation] 13:16. These two… place the people in two distinct categories—those owned by God and those owned by Satan.”

The 144,000 will have to go through the Great Tribulation, but when they come to conversion, they will receive protection from the plagues of the Day of the Lord. It does not appear that the 144,000 will originally be part of God’s end-time Church of the Laodiceans, mentioned in Revelation 3:14. Church members of Laodicea will likewise not be counted worthy by God to be brought to the place of safety.  But they will already be part of God’s Church prior to the Great Tribulation, even though they have become lukewarm. They will be tested in the Great Tribulation with the hope that they will renew their former zeal. Many of them will be killed during this time. Those who survive and find genuine repentance before the Day of the Lord by rededicating themselves to God and using God’s Spirit powerfully will undoubtedly be protected from these plagues as well.

But it seems that the 144,000 will only receive God’s Holy Spirit and become converted during the time of the Great Tribulation; they will not become converted prior to that time but only later, when the Holy Spirit seals them on their foreheads. From this it follows that they were not part of God’s Church prior to that time, but they will become spiritual Israelites during that time; in other words, prior to or at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the 144,000 do NOT describe the Church of God; neither does the number of 144,000 comprise the end-time Church of God prior to or at the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

All of this shows that the Church of God will continue preaching the gospel powerfully in all the word, leading to mass conversions in the future, prior to Christ’s return. Sadly, many could be spared from the terrible times to come, if they were to turn to God now with all their heart, soul and mind. But this is not happening for the vast majority of those who WILL turn to God later, but only after some horrible and unspeakable suffering, persecution and martyrdom.

While the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation describe individuals who will come out of the world to follow the Truth, the opposite will also take place. In fact and paradoxically, the Bible even prophecies that in the future, prior to Christ’s return, true Church members will fall away from the Truth, because they did not receive the love of the Truth and did not believe the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:10, 12). Because of lawlessness, the love of God within them will grow cold (Matthew 24:12), and they will become an easy target for Satan’s ministers (2 Corinthians 11:14-15) who will deceive them through their lying signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 11; Matthew 24:11, 24). Hopefully, their falling away will not be permanent and they will come again to “repentance so that they may know the truth,” and that they “may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

But most of them will have to go through the Great Tribulation and may even have to experience some of the terrible plagues of the Day of the Lord. What insanity and shortsightedness of those who understood the Truth, but threw it away to follow doctrines of demons and engage in demonic practices. Their future looks grim. All of us had better make sure that this will not be our future, and if God has given us understanding of the Truth and bestowed on us the gift of His Holy Spirit, we had better treat it as a very costly and precious treasure which we must never lose or neglect.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

We are pleased to welcome Christoph and Monique Sperzel and their daughter Delayla from Germany. The Sperzels serve in the Church in Germany as deacon and deaconess, and they are currently visiting in San Diego.

“Christmas Is Pagan…So What?” is the tile of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Also, Mr. Link presents a German AufPostenStehen program, “Weihnachten ist heidnisch…na und?”—which covers the same topic. Here is a summary:

Do you know the pagan origin of Christmas and its customs? If so, does it make a difference whether you keep it or not? If you don’t care, consider that God does!

“Zuvor muss der Abfall Kommen!” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: The Falling Away Comes First.

“The Falling Away Comes First,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians that a prophesied falling away from the Truth will occur at approximately the same time when the man of sin will be manifested on the world scene. Are there other Scriptures in the Old and the New Testament revealing to us that a major falling away will occur just prior to Christ’s return? Why will people become so deceived, and what can we do to prevent this from happening to us?

“Above and Beyond,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. The sermon discusses how are we doing in our efforts to live God’s way of life.