February 21 - 27, 2016

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s February 21 - 27, 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 February 21 - 27, 2016 • Syria conflict: Temporary truce comes into effect • Obama warns Russia 'world is watching’ ceasefire • Up to 30,000 US troops needed for Syria safe zone • Saudi war games boost military ties with Muslim allies • UK's campaign to leave EU takes 4 percent point lead • Cyclone Winston: Southern hemisphere's worst ever storm To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right PRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

5. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts. And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean.. • Syria conflict: Temporary truce comes into effect BBC, February 27, 2016 The first major temporary truce in Syria's five-year civil war has come into effect. The "cessation of hostilities" began at midnight (22:00 GMT Friday) with early reports saying front lines were silent. UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said fighting had "calmed down" but one breach was being investigated. In the run-up to the deadline, US President Barack Obama warned the Syrian government and its ally Russia "the world will be watching”. The truce involves government and rebel forces, but not the so-called Islamic State group or the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed in Syria's civil war and millions more have been forced from their homes. A few hours after the deadline passed, a car bomb killed two people outside the government-held town of Salamiyeh, near Hama, Syrian state media reported. EVENT A temporary ceasefire has come into effect in Syria today. But there are three problems. Problem number one is that the proposed truce is only partial. It really only applies to one of the conflicts happening in Syria - that between the Syrian regime and its rebel opponents. It specifically excludes the campaign against so-called Islamic State and also that against the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra. Problem number two. The boundaries between these various conflicts in Syria are often vague and to varying degrees they overlap. Problem number three. There is the on-going situation of the Kurdish groups in northern Syria continuing to cause problems for Turkey. Syria is a quagmire of extreme violence with many warring factions. The Bible is clear that the nation of Syria will come to an end. Damascus will be utterly destroyed. We can say with certainty then that these peace talks will ultimately come to nothing. he COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 17:3-4)

6. and the king of the north [Russia] shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: • Obama warns Russia 'world is watching’ ceasefire Daily Telegraph, February 26, 2016 US president Barack Obama put the onus for upholding a ceasefire in Syria firmly on the regime and its Russian ally on Thursday, warning Moscow and Damascus that the "world will be watching.” Hours before the Saturday cessation of hostilities comes into force, Mr Obama huddled with his top national security advisors to plot the way forward and discuss the campaign against Islamic State. "Everybody knows what needs to happen," Mr Obama said, welcoming a partial ceasefire that has ravaged Syria for five years, killing 270,000 people and displacing more than half of the population. "All parties that are part of the cessation of activities need to end attacks, including aerial bombardment. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach areas under siege." "A lot of that is going to depend on whether the Syrian regime, Russia, and their allies live up to their commitments," he said in remarks at the State Department. "The coming days will be critical, and the world will be watching." EVENT Notice the comment – the coming days will be critical. And they are. This attempt to stop the violence and the bombing is to help move to the next stage which is peace talks. The peace talks failed a few weeks ago and now they are trying again to get to a position when all sides can sit down together. But even if they get to peace talks again the main issue is still Assad. America continues to insist that he must go as part of any peace deal. Russia continues to insist that this cannot be demanded. Syria has become a showdown between the two main world powers – Russia and America. Whose will is strongest? Who will backdown? Remarkably it is Russia that ultimately gets the upper hand over America. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 11:40-41)

7. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, Up to 30,000 US troops needed for Syria safe zone ABC News, February 24, 2016 Secretary of State John Kerry said it would take 15,000 to 30,000 ground troops to maintain a so called “safe zone” inside northern Syria, citing previously unheard estimates provided by the Pentagon. “Now are we ready to authorize that?” Kerry asked a Senate panel today. Although a ceasefire is planned for this coming Saturday, there are growing calls within Washington for a so-called "Plan-B": options for military action if the truce fails. Many Republicans, including Donald Trump, are calling for a "safe zone" in northern Syria to protect the increasing number of displaced people. Kerry said today that creating a safe zone isn't as simple as it sounds. In addition to controlling the airspace, Kerry said, a large troop presence would be required to shield the population from ISIS attacks on the ground. EVENT And so on the one hand there is a drive for peace talks and the cessation of violence. But on the other hand America is talking about the possibility of sending in troops if the talks fail. And it is not only America mulling this over. US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told lawmakers Thursday that Russia is “preoccupied” with its involvement in Syria and could soon take additional steps to bolster the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. “They are confronting the possibility, I think, or considering whether they're going to put more ground forces in,” he said during testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. So both sides look to be ready to put in ground troops if the ceasefire fails or potential peace talks fail. The Bible says the king of the south will push at Gog. The push is a provocation. It is possible the push comes in Syria itself at some point. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 11:40)

8. Sheba, and Dedan, {Saudi and gulf states] and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? • Saudi war games boost military ties with Muslim allies Reuters, February 22, 2016 EVENT The Middle East's largest ever war games are now underway and will boost military cooperation between the 20 Muslim nations taking part, host country Saudi Arabia said on Monday, as it seeks to check the growing influence of arch rival Iran. The Northern Thunder exercises, which began on Feb. 14 and will run until March 10, involve more than 150,000 troops from the Gulf Arab nations plus Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Sudan and Senegal. "The council of ministers ... expressed the hope that these exercises achieve what was defined as their goals in exchanging expertise and raising the level of military coordination," Saudi Arabia's cabinet said in a statement. The statement also praised "the levels of preparedness and administrative and supply capabilities" shown by the nations participating in Northern Thunder exercises.. Saudi Arabia is contributing the bulk of the troops in these war games It is increasingly worried by the reduced regional role of its key ally, the United States. The US has had to distance itself to some extent from Saudi Arabia in order to do the Iranian deal a few months ago. Because of this Saudi Arabia who previously was content to rely on America is now seeking to build alternative military alliances as a counterweight to Iran. We have not really thought of Saudi Arabia as being much more than a base for America and the UK in terms of Bible prophecy’s king of the south. It is becoming clear though that Saudi Arabia is much more than just a land south of Israel. It is a power in its own right and is currently squaring off against Russia over oil production. Ezekiel 38 puts Saudi Arabia as first on the list of nations that oppose Russia. It is now building a stronger military alliance with other nations that also come under “Sheba and Dedan”. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:13)

9. And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. To understand the 70 years and how London is modern day Tyre CLICK HERE to watch a YouTube presentation on the Role of Britain in Bible prophecy. • UK's campaign to leave EU takes 4 percent point lead Reuters, February 26, 2016 The campaign to take Britain out of the European Union in a June 23 referendum has taken a 4 percentage-point lead, according to an online survey taken by the ORB pollster for The Independent newspaper published on Friday. The poll, carried out on Feb. 24-25, showed support for the "out" campaign had risen to 52 percent from 48 percent a month ago, while support for the "in" campaign had fallen to 48 percent from 52 percent a month ago. "Since last month we have seen a shift in opinion towards Brexit," Johnny Heald, managing director of ORB International, said. Britain's sterling currency fell to a seven year-low against the U.S. dollar on Friday, hurt by concerns about the country's possible exit from the EU as well as contrasting outlooks for economic growth in Britain and the United States. EVENT he COMMENT Britain will hold a referendum on June 23rd 2016 on whether to stay in the European Union or to leave it. In the poll taken this week there is slightly more support to leave than to stay. There are many arguments and debates in the UK news about the fors and againsts but it comes down to one thing in reality for those wanting to stay in. Money. Jobs. Wealth. Britain’s involvement in the EU has been about making more money. The UK has been willing to sacrifice much in terms of sovereign powers to be more wealthy. The Bible talks about Britain as a latter day Tyre. It actually says Britain would earn money by committing fornication with the kingdoms of the world. In other words Britain’s moral standards would be thrown to the wind in order to be wealthy. This is exactly what has happened. But there is judgement coming on Britain (as well as other nations) for being proud, puffed up. The wealth that Britain had trusted in will become worthless. There is great judgement coming. Read Isaiah 2:12-21. BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 23:17)

10. And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: • Cyclone Winston: Southern hemisphere's worst ever storm Reuters, February 25, 2016 Tens of thousands of Fijians remain homeless and living in evacuation shelters in the aftermath of a devastating cyclone at the weekend, officials said on Thursday, as aid began trickling in to the outer reaches of the South Pacific archipelago. The death toll from Cyclone Winston, the worst storm ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, remained at 42 but officials at Fiji's National Disaster Management Office fear that figure will rise. Officials from the disaster agency estimate that 35,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centres, some of which are damaged and running short of food and other supplies. Some 900,000 people live in the archipelago of more than 300 islands. Aid agencies said supplies were being delivered but the scale of the damage to infrastructure, particularly jetties and communications equipment, was making it hard to reach remote communities where help was most needed EVENT Winston not only was the first Category 5 tropical cyclone on record to hit Fiji, but last Saturday afternoon it became the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the Southern Hemisphere with maximum winds which peaked at 185 mph. New Scientist put it like this… “The records just keep tumbling. This year is predicted to be the warmest ever recorded, and with global temperatures in January shooting up by the largest margin on record, we’re certainly on track. This record warmth is a result of global warming with an added boost from a strong El Niño, which spreads warm waters across the surface of the Pacific. These extra warm waters fuelled tropical cyclone Winston, which struck Fiji at the weekend.” We continue to see incredible wonders in the earth below and heavens above. All signs we are close to Christ’s return. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Acts 2:19-20)

11. Weekly World Watch YouTube Videos

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.