Weekly World Watch - September 11-17, 2016: EU Crisis, Syria War, and Israel Military Aid Deal

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s September 11 - 17, 2016 “If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.” (Ezekiel 33:6, New International Version) PRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE To skip the introductory slides and go straight to this weeks developments click here.

2. What is a Weekly World Watch? The idea is simple. It is to look at current events and compare them to events spoken of in the Bible. . I hope to build up a picture of God’s hand working in the affairs of this world. God is bringing about a day when all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem to battle. At that time God will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, back to this earth. Jesus will then establish God’s kingdom on earth. This kingdom will last for ever. This is our hope and the reason we watch. The following six themes will appear repeatedly in WWW: • Israel: The continuing conflict in the Middle East and focus on Jerusalem. • Europe: Its developing union, both political and religious. • Russia: Its return to anti-Western ways as Bible prophecy’s “king of the north.” • The UK and the US: Bible prophecy’s “king of the south.” • Moral standards in decline and violence on the increase. • Increasing natural disasters: including earthquake, famine etc WWW presentations in PowerPoint can be ordered as audio/visual CDs by clicking here. Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.

3. BIBLE QUOTE What is in a Weekly World Watch? Each WWW looks at a few key developments that have happened during the past week. It is in no way meant to be exhaustive – just a look at those events I saw as significant from a Biblical point of view. Every WWW event slide has the following format. To reveal each block of text just left click your mouse or press the space bar. You control when it appears. News Photo This is straight from a news report that caught my eye because it looked significant from a Biblical perspective, usually that of prophecy. HEADLINE The source of the headline and the date are included. This is the reporter’s description of the event. It is always a direct quotation from the news report and reflects the understanding of the reporter and editors. EVENT This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student. The intention of the WWW is to offer brief Biblical perspectives without going into detail. If more detail is desired, please e-mail me: (andy@weeklyworldwatch.co.uk). Please note that these are personal thoughts and the aim is purely to stimulate Bible study. COMMENT This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context. Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version.(Book, chapter, and verse)

4. This Week’s Developments September 11 - 17, 2016 • EU facing "battle for survival" and "existential crisis" • Britain plans to block the creation of an 'EU army' • Syria war: US and Russia argue over truce • New Russian law targets “foreign religions” • Israel and Syria move closer to war • US approves record $38bn Israel military aid deal To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right PRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

5. The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. Iron = authoritarian rule (like the original Roman Empire) Clay = power of the people. Clay is symbolic of people. The EU wants authoritarian rule but it is undermined by democracy… • EU facing "battle for survival" and "existential crisis" Daily Telegraph, September 13, 2016 The European Union is facing an 'existential threat', its most senior official warned, as major splits emerge between East and West countries in the wake of Brexit. The east-west split in Warsaw came on the eve of today’s keynote "State of the Union" speech by Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, which aides had also hoped would provide a “big bang” moment to show that Europe could deliver for ordinary citizens. Instead, European capitals descended into a round of bitter mutual recrimination over the future direction of the continent. The European Union is in a "critical situation", the German chancellor said, as leaders met in Slovakia to discuss ways to regain trust after the UK's vote to leave the bloc. EVENT The EU is in a critical situation. That is according to Angela Merkel. French President Francois Hollande said: "Either we move in the direction of disintegration, of dilution, or we work together to inject new momentum, we relaunch the European project.” Eastern European states are blaming an authoritarian European Commission for Brexit and say that the EU must give up on its federalist dreams. So on the one hand you have France and Germany who say the answer is more integration and a superstate. On the other you have eastern European states saying federalism is the problem and it the dream is over. So what will happen next? The Bible is clear. There are two stages. Stage 1 is for the EU to divide. Nations are going to break away – like Britain has. But then comes stage 2. This is when the nations of the ancient Holy Roman Empire (10 of them) come together and to form the superstate that have always dreamed of. The divided kingdom are the feet in Daniel 2. The 10 kings (toes) are the beast of Rev 17. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 2:41)

6. the ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. They will all agree to give him their power and authority. Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”The 10 kings = new Holy Roman Empire • Britain plans to block the creation of an 'EU army' The Times, September 16, 2016 Map of the original Holy Roman Empire The European Union needs its own army to help address the problem that it is not “taken entirely seriously” as an international force, the president of the European commission has said. Jean-Claude Juncker said such a move would help the EU to persuade Russia that it was serious about defending its values in the face of the threat posed by Moscow. However, his proposal was immediately rejected by the British government, which said that there was “no prospect” of the UK agreeing to the creation of an EU army. Sir Michael Fallon, defence secretary of Britain, told The Times newspaper on Saturday that the UK will veto measures for the creation of an EU army that looks to rival NATO in its armed forces capability. EVENT COMMENT France and Germany especially want an EU superstate. And if you have a superstate you need an army. This is why they are pushing towards creating one. Eventually they want one government that will control one army. Britain (who is leaving the EU) clearly doesn’t want to be part of this. But neither do some of the eastern European states. The Bible says that there will be a resurrected Holy Roman Empire that emerges from a “bottomless pit” and this superstate will make war on Christ AND the saints. Clearly then this superstate attacks AFTER the judgement has taken place. It must be the case that this resurrected Holy Roman Empire has an army. Therefore these proposals to create an EU army are significant. So the kingdom (iron and clay) in Daniel 2 must be divided…but then out of the division (and possibly after Christ has returned) the new superstate emerges. The EU will break apart and from the ashes will arise a new HRE. BIBLE QUOTE (Revelation 17:12-14)

7. Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord of hosts. And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-hadad Ben-hadad is the title of the ruler of Syria. Currently the ruler is Assad. Syria war: US and Russia argue over truce BBC, September 16, 2016 There are signs of growing tensions between the US and Russia over Syria - four days after a ceasefire came into effect in the country. Moscow warned it could resume air strikes on "moderate" rebel groups unless Washington did more to distance them from extremists. In turn, the US voiced concern about delays in providing humanitarian aid to Aleppo and other besieged areas. Truce breaches by Syrian troops and rebel groups have also been reported. On Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the crisis in a telephone call. Mr Kerry warned Moscow that US-Russian joint military planning would not happen until humanitarian aid began to arrive. Meanwhile, a Russian foreign ministry statement said Mr Lavrov had urged Mr Kerry to "fulfil its promise faster" in separating the moderate opposition from extremists. EVENT COMMENT On Friday there was supposed to be an urgent UN Security Council meeting where Russia and America would present their joint agreement over Syria. The meeting was abruptly cancelled amid disagreements between the two nations over the deal. Russia accused the United States of refusing to share documents. The United States has been reluctant to release the details, citing security concerns for some US-backed groups fighting in Syria. We can see the huge distrust between Russia and the US being played out here. Will they become allies over the situation in Syria? The Bible’s answer is no. The Bible says that the King of the north and king of the south are to be enemies not allies. It also says that Syria will come to an end as a nation. This is the direction of events to come… BIBLE QUOTE (Jeremiah 49:26-27)

8. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant This is speaking of the latter day king of the north – Putin.. • New Russian law targets “foreign religions” Newsweek, September 15, 2016 EVENT On a recent Sunday morning, Donald Ossewaarde, a Baptist preacher from the United States, hosted an informal Bible study group at his home in Oryol, a small city 225 miles south of Moscow. Most of the dozen or so people who attended had been coming to Ossewaarde’s weekly gatherings for years, and they were looking forward to an hour of Christian song, prayer and discussion. But as the lesson began, three police officers walked into Ossewaarde’s house. They waited silently until the lesson was over, then started questioning everyone, and they eventually insisted that Ossewaarde and his wife, Ruth, accompany them to the local police station. At a hastily arranged court hearing just hours after his arrest, a judge found Ossewaarde guilty of illegal missionary work and fined him 40,000 rubles (about $600). COMMENT We reported back in July that Putin had signed a new Russian law that cracked down on all religions apart from the Russian state religion – the Russian Orthodox Church. This church is a powerful ally of Putin and he uses the guise of religion to further his cause. But what is this new law and what does it say? It mandates that people share their religious beliefs only at state-registered places of worship. So unless your home is registered as a place of worship you cannot invite anyone to read the Bible with you. Hence the arrest this week of the Baptist preacher. You cannot tell anyone about your faith either, at work forinstance, because you cannot share your faith at any place other than a state register place of worship. Putin as we know is a latter day Antiochus Epiphanes who is described in detail in Daniel 8. Antiochus Epiphanes stopped the Jews from following their faith. Putin is following in his footsteps and showing his true colours as he begins to persecute Bible readers and Bible believers… BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 8:24-25 NLT)

9. Israel and Syria move closer to war Washington Times, September 13, 2016 EVENT With Russian assistance, the Syrian Army under the control of Bashar Assad has become more capable and brazen. Over the last few days Syria fired two SA-2 surface to air missiles against Israeli aircraft that have operated freely in Syrian airspace for some time due to Assad’s weakened condition during the Syrian Civil War. Israel routinely destroys weapons shipments into Syria that it fears will be a threat to the Jewish State. The IDF also routinely retaliates against artillery rounds or rockets fired from Syria that land on Israeli soil. However, one thing is already clear: The firing of two S-200 surface-to-air missiles in the Golan region was not a coincidence. The Syrian army released an official statement on the incident. This is the first known instance of Assad’s army retaliating to Israeli military activity in Syrian territory since the country’s civil war began some five-and-a-half years ago, reports the Jerusalem Post. There is a significance to this aggressive act. It means Syria is feeling stronger. COMMENT It is highly unusual for Syria to fire on Israeli warplanes. This week Syria claims to have shot at Israeli planes twice. In fact it said it had shot one down – but this was denied by Israel. It shows that Assad is feeling confident as Russia firmly backs the Syrian president. Arab media report that Russia has given Assad’s forces a green light to shoot down Israeli aircraft while they are conducting strikes in Syria. The missiles shot this week apparently were shot with Russia’s agreement and full consent. This could be part of the geopolitics being played out between the superpowers. Russia wants a deal with the US over Syria. The US is very wary and doesn’t trust Russia. So Russia allows Syria to shoot at Israel’s planes. In effect saying this could get much worse if you don’t do a deal. The Bible says it will get much worse in Syria. Damascus will end. All that remains of Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory,” declares the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “In that day Israel’s glory will grow dim; its robust body will waste away. The whole land will look like a grainfield Israel will be drawn into the conflict raging in Syria. This passage shows this… BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 17:3-4)

10. What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. Egypt is symbolic of the world. • US approves record $38bn Israel military aid deal BBC, September 14, 2016 EVENT The US has agreed a military aid package for Israel worth $38bn (£28bn) over the next 10 years, officials say, the largest such deal in US history. The previous pact, set to expire in 2018, saw Israel get $3.1bn annually. The new agreement follows 10 months of behind-the-scenes talks and will be signed on Wednesday. Pro-Palestinian groups criticised the deal, saying it rewards Israel despite the ongoing construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. A pro-Israel lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, said the deal would send a "strong message of deterrence" to Israel's enemies. Last month, the White House warned that the construction of settlements posed a "serious and growing threat to the viability of a two-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. COMMENT A brief statement issued by the US state department on Tuesday said the new memorandum of understanding with Israel on security assistance, running from 2019 until 2028, constituted "the single largest pledge of bilateral military assistance in US history". The agreement also includes an undertaking that Israel will eventually only use the money to buy products from the US defence industry, rather than its own. Israel at this time does not trust in God. Modern Israel (like ancient Judah) trusts in military might. Read the verse below. This is exactly what is happening here. Israel is depending on the strength of human armies. But we know that Russia and its allies will overcome Israel’s defences. At that time Israel will be forced to turn to God and Christ. BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 31:1-2 NLT)

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12. Weekly World Watch The end of this week’s WWW will be e-mailed to you each week. If you think others may find the WWW helpful please direct them to the website www.weeklyworldwatch.co.uk They can register on the site PLEASE NOTE: The Weekly World Watch is written and sent by myself – it is my take on events and I accept that on occasions I will miss significant events and also misinterpret them as well. However I will endeavour to be faithful to the scriptures and hope that it will be of benefit to both of us. Please take a look at this excellent Christadelphian Prophecy website Just click the image To watch again, click here.