Weekly World Watch: June 17-24, 2017

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s June 17 - 24, 2017 “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 June 17 - 24, 2017 • Israel would go 'all-out' if war breaks out again • Russia issues warning after US coalition downs jet • Russia: NATO's drills near its borders raise concern • Turkey rejects Gulf states' demands over Qatar base • EU army inevitable, says senior German official • Record 65.6 million people displaced worldwide To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right PRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

5. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; CLICK HERE to watch a YouTube video about the different stages Israel would go 'all-out' if war breaks out again Reuters, June 21, 2017 Israel would use all its strength from the start in any new war with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the chief of the Israeli air force said on Wednesday, sending a firm warning a decade after their last conflict. At the annual Herzliya security conference near Tel Aviv, Major-General Amir Eshel said qualitative and quantitative improvements in the air force since the 2006 Lebanon war meant it could carry out in just two or three days the same number of bombings it mounted in those 34 days of fighting. "If war breaks out in the north, we have to open with all our strength from the start," he said, pointing to the likelihood of international pressure for a quick ceasefire before Israel can achieve all its strategic goals. Israeli politicians and generals have spoken often of an intention to hit hard in Lebanon if war breaks out, in an apparent bid to deter Hezbollah. EVENT COMMENT There has been a lot of talk this week about a possible war between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel said on Tuesday that it would use all its strength very quickly if a war started. On Wednesday a senior IDF commander said that Israel can now strike Hezbollah “with four to five times” the bombing power it deployed during the last conflict over a decade ago. On Friday Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said that a future war waged by Israel against Syria or Lebanon could draw thousands of fighters from countries including Iran and Iraq. His comments indicated that the same array of Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias - but not countries - currently fighting in Syria. Zechariah 12 says that there will an initial war between Israel and surrounding peoples (not nations). Psalm 83 tells you who the peoples (tribes) are. Amongst them are the “inhabitants of Tyre” – Hezbollah’s main stronghold is in modern day Tyre! BIBLE QUOTE (Psalm 83:4-7)

6. Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail. How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy! 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. • Russia issues warning after US coalition downs jet BBC, June 19, 2017 Russia has warned the US-led coalition fighting in Syria that it will view its aircraft as targets, after the US shot down a Syrian military plane on Sunday. The coalition said the Syrian Su-22 had bombed US-backed fighters battling so-called Islamic State in Raqqa province. Russia, the Syrian government's main ally, also said it was halting communications with the US aimed at preventing such incidents. The White House says it retains the right to self-defence in Syria. Spokesman Sean Spicer said it was important to keep lines of communication open with Russia. It comes at a time when the US-led coalition and the fighters it is supporting on the ground attempt to oust IS militants from the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the "caliphate" they proclaimed in 2014. EVENT COMMENT The threat of direct Russian-American confrontation in Syria escalated on Monday after Moscow said it would treat any plane from the US-led coalition flying west of the Euphrates river as a potential target. This clearly increased tensions yet again between the king of the south (US/UK) and the king of the north (Russia). America responded to Russia’s threats of escalation by shooting down an Iranian-made drone in Syria on Tuesday. A US military official said that an F-15 Strike Eagle jet destroyed the Shahed 129 drone around 12:30am local time northeast of the At-Tanf garrison, which is close to the Jordanian border. Russia then accused America of "complicity with terrorism”. Where is all this leading? It is leading to conflict. The total destruction of Damascus and the end of the nation of Syria. That time may be close. BIBLE QUOTE (Jeremiah 49:24-26)

7. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. • Russia: NATO's drills near its borders raise concern Associated Press, June 21, 2017 Russia's defence minister said on Wednesday the security situation near the nation's borders has worsened because of NATO's activities. Sergei Shoigu, speaking on a trip to Russia's westernmost Kaliningrad region, pointed at the alliance's exercise in the Baltics as an example of NATO's growing presence in the area. Shoigu added that the large-scale drills reflect NATO's "anti-Russian course.” He said the military will form 20 new units along its western frontiers by the year's end. Later this year, Russia and Belarus will hold the West-2017 war games. Russian state TV showed footage of a NATO F-16 fighter jet shadowing Shoigu's plane as it was approaching Kaliningrad. A Russian Su-27 fighter then edged in between the minister's plane and the NATO jet to ward it off. Later on Wednesday, Russia news agencies reported that several NATO fighter jets were escorting Shoigu's plane over the Baltic Sea as he was returning from Kaliningrad to Moscow but did not try to get close to it. EVENT As well as tension over Syria there is tension on Europe’s eastern border with Russia. Russia has accused NATO of provocation as they conduct large scale military drills. On Tuesday this week a Nato fighter jet approached a Russian plane carrying the defence minister but was chased away by a Russian escort jet, Russian media say. They say the incident happened in international airspace over the Baltic when Sergei Shoigu was flying to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Nato says it tracked three Russian jets as they did not identify themselves. It says the Nato jet was not chased away. Dozens of similar incidents have been reported in the past few years. We see the East West divide as detailed out for us in Daniel 2 in the legs. The division remains to this day. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 2:31-33)

8. Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. • Turkey rejects Gulf states' demands over Qatar base Associated Press, June 23, 2017 Turkey has rejected a key demand by several Arab states involved in a major dispute with Qatar, saying Ankara has no plans to shut down its military base in the small Gulf country. The demand that Turkey pull out its forces was one of a steep list of ultimatums from Saudi Arabia and others who have cut ties with Doha that they say must be fulfilled within the next 10 days. Qatar has confirmed receiving the 13-point list of demands on Thursday from Kuwait, which is mediating the dispute, but has not yet commented on them. The list says Turkey's military base in Qatar must be closed immediately, and insists that Doha also shutter broadcaster Al-Jazeera, cut back diplomatic relations with Iran and sever all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. Turkish defence minister Fikri Isik said that the Turkish base aims to train Qatari soldiers and increase the tiny Persian Gulf nation's security. EVENT COMMENT The crisis over Qatar deepened this week. Gulf Arab states led by Saudi Arabia have accused the tiny kingdom of Qatar of siding too much with Iran and Hezbollah and Hamas. They have given an ultimatum of just 10 days for Qatar to come into line. There is a whole list of things that Qatar must do. One of which is shutting down the news channel Al-Jazeera. But another demand is for Turkey to remove its base from Qatar. This is a very interesting demand by the Gulf Arab nations. Turkey is of course allied to to Russia in Ezekiel 38. Turkey is Togarmah. Therefore Turkey is part of the king of the north confederacy. Saudi Arabia is Sheba in Ezekiel 38 and part of the king of the south. Isn't is amazing then that the king of the south is saying that the military base of the king of the north needs to go! Bible prophecy is coming together. BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:6)

9. EU army inevitable, says senior German official BBC, June 15, 2017 EVENT One of Germany’s most senior defence officials has become the latest to add his voice to calls for a European army. Hans-Peter Bartels, Germany’s national defence commissioner, on Monday called for Nato’s EU members to organise their militaries into a single force. “In the end, there will be a European army,” he said. His comments, on the same day Brexit talks formally began, are a sign the rest of the EU is preparing to press ahead with further defence integration. Britain has repeatedly blocked plans for an integrated European defence policy, but other member states have warned it cannot expect to have a say in the issue post-Brexit. There have been growing calls for a single European defence policy in the wake of Donald Trump’s comments that Nato is “obsolete”. At a Nato summit last month President Trump publicly lectured European leaders on the need to pay more towards the cost of their defence. COMMENT France and Germany have led calls for a European army. The Netherlands and Germany have already merged some units, while the Czech Republic and Romania have expressed interest. Also this week EU leaders agreed a weapons fund, shared financing for battle groups and agreed on a coalition of the willing to conduct more missions abroad. A senior diplomat said the proposals were so popular at the European Council meeting that the plan was agreed after just “five minutes” of discussion. The move will also allow EU nations to push for joint military action without the agreement of all members. We know that there will be a resurrected Holy Roman Empire which make war against Christ and the saints. Surely this move towards an army is a step in this direction. The Holy Roman Empire will soon emerge. BIBLE QUOTE And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. …These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:12+14)

10. Record 65.6 million people displaced worldwide BBC, June 19, 2017 EVENT A record 65.6 million people are either refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced across the globe, the UN refugee agency said. The estimated figure for the end of 2016 is an increase of 300,000 on 2015, according to its annual report. It is a smaller increase than 2014-15, when the figure rose by five million. But the UN high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi said it was still a disheartening failure of international diplomacy. "The world seems to have become unable to make peace," Mr Grandi said. "So you will see old conflicts that continue to linger, and new conflicts erupting, and both produce displacement… forced displacement is a symbol for wars that never end.” In 2016, some 340,000 people fled the violence in South Sudan into neighbouring Uganda. That was more than any other country - even more than the 200,000 people estimated to have fled Syria. There are 65.6 million displaced people in the world - more people than live in the UK. Of these: 22.5 million are refugees. 40.3 million are displaced in their own country. 2.8 million are seeking asylum. Where do the refugees come from? Syria: 5.5 million. Afghanistan: 2.5 million. South Sudan: 1.4 million. These refugees are destabilising the world as poorer countries are struggling to cope with such large influxes of people. The refugees have been created due to internal wars. This isn't nation fighting nation as much as revolution and turmoil inside the nation. This is exactly what Jesus said would happen. He said multitudes would rise up against multitudes (revolutions) and then nation against nation. So internal revolution leads to war between nations. We have seen this happen in Syria. COMMENT For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. The Greek word for Nation = multitudes The word for kingdom = nations BIBLE QUOTE (Mark 13:8)

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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. To watch again please click the green arrow To watch again, click here.