Weekly World Watch - March 11-17, 2018: Global Events Through a Biblical Lens

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s March 11 - 17, 2018 “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 March 11 - 17, 2018 • Russia expels 23 British diplomats as row deepens • Russia outraged as UK blames Putin for poisoning • Russia UK relations more dangerous than Cold War • Putin criticised for Jewish 'election meddling' remark • Israel military drill simulates multi-front war with Russia  • Russian military tests nuclear-capable hypersonic missile To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right PRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

5. A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes….. Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means. This is a latter day Antiochus Epiphanes – Gog – Putin. Russia expels 23 British diplomats as row deepens Guardian, March 17, 2018 Moscow is to expel 23 UK diplomats and shut down the British Council in Russia amid increasing tensions over a nerve agent attack against a former double agent and his daughter on British soil. The Russian foreign ministry summoned the British ambassador on Saturday to inform him of the retaliatory action taken after the UK’s expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats. But the Russian Federation has gone a step further and has shut down all activities of the British Council, the cultural organisation which promotes greater understanding of the UK and the English language. The foreign ministry said it would also shut down a consulate in St Petersburg. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said in response the government had “anticipated a response of this kind and the National Security Council will meet early next week to consider next steps”. The UK has already briefed – perhaps as a deterrent to the Russians – that if Moscow escalated the row with its reprisals, the UK had ready a second phase of possible measures in place EVENT The use of a Russian manufactured nerve agent in Britain has turned into a major crisis. It is the first time a chemical weapon has been used in Europe since the Second World War. The nerve agent was used to try to kill a Russian double agent living in Britain. He (and his daughter) are in a critical state. The policeman who arrived on the scene is also seriously ill after being affected by the toxin. The UK gave Russia 48 hours to explain how this Russian nerve agent had ended up on the streets of Britain. Russia did not respond – however another Russian enemy of Putin was murdered in London just hours before the deadline was up. Putin is acting as God said he would. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 8:23+25 NKJV)

6. Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, The phrase “I will turn thee back” is better translated “I will return you” or “I will restore you” Russia outraged as UK blames Putin for poisoning France24, March 17, 2018 Britain provoked Russia's wrath on Friday by directly implicating Vladimir Putin in the poisoning attack on an ex-double agent, with the Kremlin saying the claims were "shocking and unforgivable". The war of words between Moscow and London over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy escalated as Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said his government's "quarrel" was with Putin rather than the Russian people. "We think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the UK, on the streets of Europe, for the first time since the Second World War," Johnson said in London. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded saying Johnson's claims violated all rules of diplomatic protocol. Linking Putin to the attack on Sergei Skripal, who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, "is nothing but shocking and unforgivable behaviour from the point of view of diplomacy", Peskov told Russian news agencies. EVENT COMMENT The war of words between Britain and Russia is increasing by the day. This crisis comes just a day before Putin is to be restored to power. Britain is calling on world powers not to phone Putin to congratulate him on his expected win tomorrow. This will antagonise Putin even more. This may seem a small thing but the Russian psyche is one that wants acknowledgement and respect. In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States on Thursday condemned the attack on Skripal. They said there was no alternative explanation than Russia was responsible. The Bible says that Putin / Gog will be restored to power and at some point after this he descends. Putin will be restored tomorrow – the descend will come next. BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:3-4)

7. Russia UK relations more dangerous than Cold War Telegraph, March 15, 2018 The Sergei Skripal affair has plunged the confrontation between Britain and Russia into a realm of “insanity” that is more dangerous than the Cold War, one of Vladimir Putin's foreign policy spokesmen has said. Evgenny Primakov Jr, a designated “trusted representative” of Mr Putin authorised to speak on behalf of his campaign during the Russian presidential election, called British allegations that Russia was involved in the attempted murder of Colonel Skripal “nonsense”. But in an exclusive interview, he warned that UK-Russian relations would struggle to recover from the current crisis and urged both sides to "make a step backwards and calm down a bit". In a significant intervention following some concern over the stance of US president Donald Trump, the White House stated: "The United States stands in solidarity with its closest ally, the United Kingdom.” The United States shares the United Kingdom's assessment that Russia is responsible for the reckless nerve agent attack on a British citizen. EVENT For over 10 years since the WWW began we have said that Daniel 11 v 40 is speaking about a push from the king of the south (UK / US) against the king of verse 36 – 39 of the same chapter. The king of v36-39 must exist at the time of the end because the king of the south pushes at him. It is an individual ruler who lives at the very time of the end. The last person described in Daniel before v36 is Antiochus Epiphanes the ancient king of the north. Therefore the king of v36-39 is the latter day king of the north. The same person described in Ezekiel 38 as Gog. All the evidence says that Putin IS Gog. If it isn't it someone exactly like him. The king of the south is Britain / USA. And we are told therefore that Britain PUSHES at Putin. This is exactly what we are seeing. COMMENT At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack [push / provoke] him [Gog]; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 11:40 NKJV)

8. Putin criticised for Jewish 'election meddling' remark BBC, March 12, 2018 EVENT The Russian president faces a backlash after suggesting minority groups, including Jews, may be responsible for meddling in the 2016 US election. Vladimir Putin made the comments during a US TV interview with Megyn Kelly. US lawmakers and Jewish groups are among those criticising him. Some are publicly asking US President Donald Trump to push Mr Putin for a clarification on what he meant when questioning whether certain groups were actually Russian. Mr Putin was being asked during the NBC interview about charges of alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election after 13 nationals were charged by the US special counsel's office last month. ”I couldn't care less because they do not represent the government, I could not care less. They do not represent the interests of the Russian state," Mr Putin said. "Maybe they're not even Russians, but Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews, just with Russian citizenship. Even that needs to be checked. COMMENT There are some who say Putin cant be Gog because he is friendly to the Jews and in fact had Jewish neighbours when he grew up that he liked and respected. It is true Putin did grow up in very poor circumstances and did have Jewish neighbours. But this doesn’t mean that Putin is pro Jewish. Putin backs all the states that seek the destruction of Israel. Putin backs and supports Iran who publicly say they want to destroy Israel. Putin backs Assad who is technically a war with Israel. Putin also backs Northern Sudan who are also Shia Muslim and anti Israel. Putin has made military agreements recently with Turkey who are one of the leading voices now against Israel and Jerusalem. Nothing stops Putin getting his way. We know the major pull for Putin will be the spoils left after the initial inner ring war – the spoils of gas and oil. BIBLE QUOTE Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:  And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages [in Israel] ; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,  (Ezekiel 38:10-11)

9. Israel military drill simulates multi-front war with Russia  Haaretz, March 15, 2018 EVENT The army conducted an exercise this week which simulated a multi-front war in which Russia intervened to prevent Israel from attacking Syria. “Throughout the exercise, we examined various implications of the Russian presence” in Syria, a senior Israel Defence Forces officer said. “We practiced everything that could be coordinated with the Russians and also what couldn’t be, how we would operate without harming their interests in the region, and on the flip side, scenarios in which the Russians made trouble” – for instance, by sending a message that Israel was undermining their regional interests. The exercise involved the entire IDF top brass, as well as the headquarters staff of all the commands that would be involved in a fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon which later spread to other fronts. Nevertheless, it was strictly a command-level exercise, meaning it didn’t involve any troops in the field. The purpose of such exercises is to study various threat scenarios. This scenario is highly likely – hence Israel preparing for it. The scenario is this…. Israel decides to take far greater action in Syria to stop Iran / Hezbollah developing its military infrastructure. However unlike previous occasions this time Russia attempts to stop Israel from doing so. It does this because it sees Israel going against its own interests. So now Israel is up against Russia. So Israel is practicing on how they can still fulfil their aims without impacting Russia. We know a time is coming when Israel will be drawn into the Syria conflict. Damascus will be destroyed. Russia said this week that the US is planning to strike Syrian government buildings in Damascus. Everything is building for further conflict in Syria. COMMENT The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.  The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.  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.  BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 17:1-3)

10. Russian military tests nuclear-capable hypersonic missile VOA, March 12, 2018 EVENT The Russian military said it has conducted a successful test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile capable of sneaking through enemy defences. A video posted by the Defence Ministry Sunday showed a MiG-31 fighter jet launching a Kinzhal (Dagger) missile during a training flight. The ministry said the missile, which carried a conventional warhead, hit a practice target at a firing range in southern Russia. President Vladimir Putin named Kinzhal this month among the new nuclear weapons he said would bolster Russia's military capability and render the U.S. missile defence useless. Putin said Kinzhal flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound, has a range of more than 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) and can carry a nuclear or a conventional warhead. The military said it's capable of hitting both land targets and navy ships. Putin said the missile already had been put on combat duty with a unit of Russia's Southern Military District. COMMENT Russia has said it successfully launched a hypersonic missile described by Vladimir Putin as an ideal weapon when he unveiled new armaments earlier this month. Set to rousing, patriotic music, the video showed a missile detaching from the airborne plane and gliding across the sky, leaving a fiery trail. All of this is part of Russia’s preparation for the final conflict. Syria has given Russia the chance to prepare further - they have tested new military equipment and have managed to run a long range war for a number of years. The Bible says that Russia would prepare for war. In other words when Russia invades Israel it should be no surprise. God told us in advance that they would prepare in advance for this conflict. Surely the day is at hand. We also should prepare. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.  BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38::7)

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