Andy Walton

Slide 1:Andy Walton�s Weekly World Watch

�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 May 4 - 10 2008

Slide 2:What is this world watch all about?

I decided each week to look at key events that had happened in that week and look at them with the Bible in hand. I hope to build up a picture of Gods hand working in the affairs of this world bringing about that day when all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem to battle which will be brought to end when the Lord Jesus Christ physically returns from heaven to set up Gods kingdom. The key areas which will crop up time and again will be Israel � Middle East the growing conflict Europe � the developing union / political and religious Russia � continued turning back to anti west ways The development of King of South � US & UK Declining moral standards and increasing violence. A number of Bible Presentations have been produced and can be ordered by . The presentations are audio / visual powerpoint CD�s. Move your mouse around to get the arrow and click the green link. Clicking here

Slide 3:Weekly Developments These are just a few of the events that have caught my eye in the previous week. It is in no way meant to be exhaustive � just a look at those events I saw as significant from a Bible viewpoint. Headlines These are always headlines printed in the newspaper � the date is always given and which paper. Normally the Daily Telegraph. (DT) Event This is usually the newspapers take on the events that have happened. It will always be a direct quote from the newspaper. Comment This is my take on why it is interesting from a Bible point of view. The idea of this weekly world watch is to give a quick Biblical perspective without going into detail. If more detail is needed please email me. Bible Quote This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.

Slide 4:Weekly Developments

Medvedev becomes Russia�s leader Moscow�s V-day parade Israel at 60: Internal promise, external threats Olmert and Abbas 'make progress� Israel: Lebanon turmoil may spread A cyclone and a volcano May 4 - 10 2008 TO PRINT ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SLIDES JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE ON EACH SLIDE

Slide 5:Medvedev becomes Russia�s leader

Headline Medvedev becomes Russia's leader Headline BBConline May 7 2008 Event Dmitry Medvedev has promised to extend Russia's civil and economic freedoms after being sworn in as new president. Mr Medvedev took over from Vladimir Putin, becoming Russia's third leader since the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Within hours, Mr Medvedev, 42, nominated Mr Putin, his mentor, as prime minister. Comment Putin has stepped down a President of Russia and has become its prime minister. But has he lost his power? Who is really ruling Russia? A question in today�s newspaper! Almost every news report say that in fact Putin is still Russia�s most powerful man. The Daily Telegraph reports as follows� �The indications so far are that power has shifted from the Kremlin to parliament, where Mr Putin�s party, United Russia, has a majority of two thirds�. Putin has kept his power and will control Medvedev. Does the Bible indicate such a situation in Russia at the time of the end? Someone with power that is technically not his. Well in the verse below we read of a latter day Antiochus Epiphanes (ancient king of the north who attacked Israel). We find out in Ezekiel 38 that the latter day king of the north is Russian . In the verse below we read of a man mighty in power but it is NOT his own power. Could this describe the situation we now see. A man with power but not his own? We know that this man exists at the very end of time because in verse 25 of Daniel 8 it says that �he will stand up against the Prince of princes�. This is a clear reference to Jesus when he has returned. In the previous verse we are told he �shall destroy the mighty and holy people� � the Jews. We know from Daniel 11 that the latter day king of the north will destroy the Jewish people when he invades Israel. Bible Quote Daniel 8 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

Slide 6:Headline Moscow�s V-day parade Headline The Daily Telegraph May 10 2008 Event Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's new president, delivered a coded rebuke to the West yesterday as Russia paraded its nuclear missiles through Red Square in a show of force not seen since Soviet times. Thousands of Russians thronged the centre of Moscow to wallow in nostalgia for their superpower past as tanks rumbled through the streets. On a day designed to send an unmistakably bellicose message to the West, Mr Medvedev launched a veiled attack on the United States, suggesting that its "irresponsible" foreign policy could lead to world war. Comment Nuclear bombers, nuclear missiles, tanks, fighter jets and 8000 goose stepping troops. It was a scene from the Cold War. It happened Thursday this week in Moscow just two days after Medvedev was inaugurated as Russia�s president. It was designed to evoke the Soviet Union's past might and Russia's military resurgence. It is interesting that in his first speech (which sounded as though Putin had written it!) he mentioned how current foreign policies could lead to �world war�. The Bible speaks of Russia being �turned back� before it invades Israel. This parade is a throwback to the old Soviet times during the Cold War. Which foreign leader did Medvedev first contact after his inauguration? On the Kremlin�s website it shows the diary of the Russian President. There you can see that the very first contact Medvedev made was to the President and Prime Minister of ISRAEL! He sent a message to them which said he wanted to �maintain close and constructive cooperation with you in the interests of achieving comprehensive peace and security�. Russia is interested in Israel. Russia wants domination of the Middle East and therefore it wants to dominate Israel. For a short time Russia will. Bible Quote Ezekiel 39 2 And I will turn thee back,�.. and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel

Moscow�s V-day parade

Slide 7:Headline Israel at 60: Internal promise, external threats Headline BICOM May 5 2008 Event Israel at 60 is a society poised between ongoing internal economic and social achievement, and the persistence of external threat. Public opinion research in Israel shows a striking reflection of this reality in the opinions of Israelis. There is a very clear distinction between a sense of optimism regarding how Israelis view their own lives, and a much gloomier sense regarding the general situation faced by Israel. There is a clear contradiction between an underlying optimism and confidence expressed by Israelis regarding their own and their country's situation, and a very real sense of looming threat. 38% of Israeli adults believe Israel to be under �serious threat of destruction.' And yet 84% of Israeli adults were convinced that Israel will continue to exist despite the problems and crises. Comment Today is Saturday 10th May. On the Jewish calendar it is the 5th Iyar. The 5th Iyar was the actual date of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. On our calendar back then it was the 14th May. Over the last 60 years Israel has prospered economically and has become militarily confident. It has had the support of the world�s only super power both financially and militarily as well. But as the report above says the confidence is tapered with gloom. They live under the constant threat of destruction. It is difficult to imagine confidence and at the same time see a looming threat. But that is the present dichotomy. God said repeatedly that he would re-establish Israel in their land. See Ezekiel 11:17, 36:11, 34:13 etc. He says they would live �over confidently� and in unbelief. See verse below. To read a full article on the current situation please Bible Quote Ezekiel 38 8 in the latter years thou [Russia] shalt come.. against the mountains of Israel..: they shall dwell safely all of them. Safely = confidently

Israel at 60: Internal promise, external threats Click Here

Slide 8:Headline Olmert and Abbas 'make progress� Headline BBConline May 5 2008 Event Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli PM Ehud Olmert have met in Jerusalem for a new round of talks - their third meeting in a month. Officials said there was progress on the issues of the borders of a future Palestinian state and security arrangements in the West Bank. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has just ended a visit to the region. Ms Rice said she still hoped for a peace deal before President George W Bush leaves office in January. Mr Bush is visiting Israel later this month to take part in ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Israeli state. Comment According to reports the differences are narrowing between the Palestinians and the Israelis. "We have made significant progress on the two issues of outlining the borders of the future Palestinian state and the security arrangements between Israel and the Palestinian state," a senior Israeli official said. The whole world is pushing Israel to a 2 state solution. Dividing the land, the capital city and the people. Without a Bible in hand we might well say this idea makes sense. Surely 2 states living side by side in the same land would bring peace. But we know with Bible in hand that it will NOT bring peace. It will bring destruction. Why? Because it is GOD�S LAND. Israel is there because God has placed them there. It is not for them to divide it. In the verse below God says he will gather all nations to Israel because they have �parted my land�. The word �parted� means �divided�. He says in verse 4 �What have you to do with me Tyre and coasts of Palestine� These are the current strongholds of Hamas and Hezbollah who want to destroy Israel! Bible Quote Joel 3 2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

Olmert and Abbas 'make progress�

Slide 9:Headline Israel: Lebanon turmoil may spread Headline Daily Telegraph May 10 2008 Event Israel has claimed that Iran was behind the terror group Hizbollah's armed struggle with the Lebanese government and warned that the conflict could spill into a wider Middle East crisis. Hizbollah fighters spread virtually unopposed across west Beirut districts loyal to the pro-Western government. After a night of firefights, the mainly Sunni Muslim residents of the capital's west woke to find Shia Hizbollah fighters patrolling the streets. The main compounds of country's two senior political leaders were besieged in a dramatic demonstration of the shift in power. Comment Four days of street battles in Lebanon's capital this week have left at least 24 dead. Lebanon's cabinet has said the seizure of most of western Beirut by the Shia group Hezbollah was "a bloody coup". Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, pointed to Hezbollah's links with Iran's Islamic regime. He said: "It is a new chapter of the battle led by Iran to control all of the Middle East." Lebanon has been on the fringes, and at times at the heart, of the Middle East conflict surrounding the creation of Israel. Syria and Iran control the terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon. In 2006 they fought Israel to a standstill . It appears from the Bible that Lebanon is �hewn down� at the time of the end. See verse below. In Isaiah 2:12-17 God speaks of the judgement of the world. Lebanon is specifically mentioned in this context. The ancient capital of this land was Tyre. It is a city today controlled by Hezbollah. We have already quoted this city in Joel 3:4 where God says to Tyre �What have you to do with me�. Let us watch this land. Bible Quote Isaiah 33 9 The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

Israel: Lebanon turmoil may spread

Slide 10:Headline Chilean volcano erupts after 2,000 years of silence Headline The Times May 4 2008 Event It had lain dormant for thousands of years but Chaiten, the snow capped volcano in Chile�s Patagonian region, burst back into life, forcing 4,500 people to flee their homes on Friday. Comment This astonishing picture shows the Chaiten volcano erupting during storms in the middle of the night. As clouds of toxic ash and dust tower into the sky, they ionise the air, generating an explosive electrical storm. We read in the verse below that before the day of the Lord comes we will see fire and vapour of smoke. Headline Cyclone Nargis Reportedly Leaves 100,000 Dead Headline World News May 5 2008 Event Cyclone Nargis has reportedly left 100,000 dead in Myanmar, according to reports on Wednesday. Media in Myanmar, also known as Burma, reported that nearly 23,000 people died when Cyclone Nargis left the country's Irrawaddy delta on Saturday and more than 42,000 others were missing. Comment Jesus said that he would return when �upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring�. Luke 21:25. The cyclone in Burma caused a huge tidal wave 12ft high. More deaths were caused by the wave than the storm itself a government minister said. 10,000 died in one coastal town alone. Jesus is coming� Bible Quote Acts 2 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke

A cyclone and a volcano

Slide 11:THE END WORLD WATCH WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU EACH WEEK. PLEASE LET ME KNOW OF ANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED. PLEASE SEND ME THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS AND I WILL PUT THEM ON THE REGULAR WEEKLY EMAIL ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS OR COMMENTS WELCOME.

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