Weekly World Watch: Russia accuses US of 'deadly provocations' in Syria

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s October 1 - 7, 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 October 1 - 7, 2017 • Russia accuses U.S. of 'deadly provocations' • Israel calls for US to be more active in Syria • Trump talks of 'calm before the storm' • U.S. approves sale of THAAD missiles to Saudi Arabia • Forcing migrants on nations will mean end of the EU • Las Vegas: 58 killed, more than 500 people injured To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right PRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

5. “Then at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the king of the north. The king of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood. • Russia accuses U.S. of 'deadly provocations' against Russian troops in Syria Reuters, October 4, 2017 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday accused the United States and its allies of orchestrating “deadly provocations” against Russian troops in Syria. Moscow has complained about what it has says are suspiciously friendly ties between U.S.-backed militias, U.S. special forces, and Islamic State in Syria and accused Washington of trying to slow the advance of the Syrian army. “There are a lot of questions to U.S.-led forces in Syria,” Lavrov told pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published on Wednesday. “Either they accidentally bomb Syrian troops after which Islamic State militants launch an offensive, or they get other terrorists to attack strategically important objects ... or they stage deadly provocations against our military servicemen.” Lavrov’s deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, said last week that the “two-faced policy” of the United States was to blame for the death of Russian Lieutenant-General Valery Asapov in Syria, something Washington flatly denied. EVENT Lavrov also said on Wednesday that the United States and the coalition it leads were “unwelcome guests” in Syria from the point of view of international law. We can see that the situation in Syria is far from being resolved. The Russian accusations this week against America are proof of this. A Russian general was killed last week and according to Russia the US is to blame. The Bible speaks of the king of the south pushing at the king of the north in Daniel 11:40. Gog is the man described in verses 36-39. The word “push” means to provoke militarily. In the Hebrew it literally means to gore. When Putin is provoked he then becomes the king of north sending his armies south. Interesting then that Russia accuses the US of ‘deadly provocations’! COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 11:40 NLT)

6. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them [ Russian army] ; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. • Israel calls for US to be more active in Syria RT, October 3, 2017 The Israeli defence minister has urged Washington to engage more in Syria, where President Bashar Assad "is winning." The official has asked for increased US involvement, saying Israel is struggling to deal with the "Russians, Iranians, and also the Turks and Hezbollah.” "We hope that the United States will be more active in the Syrian arena and in the Middle East in general,” Avigdor Lieberman said in an interview with Israel's Walla news on Tuesday. “In the northern arena, we are faced with the Russians, Iranians, and also the Turks and Hezbollah. The public does not know everything and it's a good thing, but it's an investment and an effort 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” The minister went on to express his apparently grave concerns that "in spite of everything, Assad is winning the battle." He also called the situation in Syria "one of the greatest absurdities." EVENT COMMENT Syria isn’t making headline news as much as it was 6 months ago. However the conflict there continues to rage. September was the deadliest month for civilians in 2017. The UN said this week that hospitals, ambulances, schools and displaced people escaping violence are being routinely targeted by airstrikes in Syria. And with this turmoil raging Israel is pleading for America to be more active in Syria. Israel is extremely concerned about Russia, Iran and Turkey all taking control in Syria. These are the very nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 as invading Israel together in the future. Surely this puts us in the very last days. We know that America is one of the young lions in Ezekiel 38 but they are powerless to stop Russia, Turkey and Iran invading. Israel will have to rely on God not America in the future. BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:5-6)

7. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. • In meeting with military, Trump talks of 'calm before the storm' Reuters, October 6, 2017 After discussing Iran and North Korea with U.S. military leaders on Thursday, President Donald Trump posed for a photo with them before dinner and declared the moment “the calm before the storm.”“You guys know what this represents?” Trump said after journalists gathered in the White House state dining room to photograph him and first lady Melania Trump with the uniformed military leaders and their spouses. “Maybe it’s the calm before the storm,” he said. What storm? “You’ll find out,” Trump told questioning reporters. Earlier in the evening, while seated with the top defence officials in the cabinet room, Trump talked about the threat from North Korea and preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. “In North Korea, our goal is denuclearization,” he said. “We cannot allow this dictatorship to threaten our nation or our allies with unimaginable loss of life. We will do what we must do to prevent that from happening. And it will be done, if necessary, believe me.” EVENT Donald Trump seems to run the presidency a little bit like a reality TV show. The bulk of Trump's experiences directly before running for president was as a reality TV star and producer. And, in that role, the goal is always to stoke drama, always do everything you can to keep people watching -- through the commercial, through the hour, through to next week's episode. Which is why he keeps leaving “cliff-hanger” comments. “You’ll find out”. The trouble is: The stakes of a reality TV show are roughly zero. The stakes of diplomacy with rogue nations pursuing nuclear weapons are incredibly high. Will North Korea and Iran think this is a real threat or just drama? What we do know is that a storm IS coming. The greatest time of trouble this world as ever seen… COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 12:1)

8. Sheba, and Dedan, 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? • U.S. approves sale of THAAD missiles to Saudi Arabia National Post, September 29, 2017 The US government has approved the sale to Saudi Arabia of its advanced Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) missile defence system. The State Department said the $15bn (£11.5bn) deal furthered US national security and foreign policy interests. It would boost Saudi and Gulf security against Iranian and other regional threats, the state department added. The announcement comes a day after Saudi Arabia agreed to buy air defence systems from Russia. The deal would not alter the military balance in the region, the Pentagon's Defence Security Co-operation Agency said. Thaad systems are being deployed in South Korea to protect against a possible missile attack from North Korea. But many South Koreans have objected, fearing it would become a target and endanger the lives of those who live near its launch sites. China also voiced opposition to the system, saying it would affect the regional security balance. EVENT COMMENT Donald Trump has also made it abundantly clear that he is completely in tune with the Saudi view of Iran as the biggest threat in the region - which is a key rationale behind this new Saudi spending spree. He wants to bolster Saudi Arabia defences to counteract the threats from Iran. This ties in exactly with Bible prophecy. Again in Ezekiel 38 we read that Sheba and Dedan are allied to Tarshish and young lions. Sheba and Dedan are Saudi Arabia and Gulf states. Tarshish is Britain and the young lions her off spring. Ie USA, Canada, Australia etc. Therefore Trump helping Saudi Arabia in this way is exactly what we would expect. Interestingly the king of Saudi Arabia visited Moscow this week on an historic visit. There is a lot of talk about the dawn of new ties. But with Bible in hand we know this will come to nothing… BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:13)

9. ‘Forcing migrants on nations will mean end of the EU’: Polish President Breibart, October 6, 2017 EVENT Brussels’ insistence on ordering European Union (EU) nations to accept third world migrants could lead to the bloc’s break-up, Poland’s president Andrzej Duda has warned. The EU principle of unity, Duda told a press conference Thursday, “must come down to the fact that we work together … we do not try to force other states to act against their own interests and against the interests of their people.”“Therefore, we don’t agree to being dictated to, with regards to the quota system and forcing migrants to move to Poland, against our people’s will,” he stressed, speaking after talks with Bulgarian president Rumen Radev. Duda added that Poland and Bulgaria share the “same and unequivocal” position on how Europe should deal with the migrant crisis, stating both countries believe the bloc should protect its borders, and provide aid to refugees close to their homelands. There is talk once again about the EU breaking up. There are two main reasons. Firstly the immigration quota system. Secondly the Catalonia crisis in Spain. The immigration crisis is about the EU allowing free movement of people within their borders. The EU is a Babel project. It is about bringing the nations together despite the differences in language. God divided the nations at the time of Babel – the EU wants to reverse this. The referendum in Spain was about Catalonia becoming its own state. This threatens the spirit of EU integration even more than Brexit many commentators have said. The Bible speaks of a divided Europe when Christ returns. A Europe made up of iron and clay. The iron represents the strength of rule under the Roman Empire. But the clay represents humanism – democracy etc. The two don’t mix as we can see! COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix. “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed (Daniel 2:43-44)

10. Las Vegas shooting: Death toll rises to 58 with more than 500 people injured in massacre Independent, October 3, 2017 EVENT At least 58 people have been killed in the Las Vegas mass shooting, with 515 people injured, according to police. The number may have increased to 59 in the few minutes it took Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo to brief reporters. “As the hours go by, that number continues to increase," Mr Lombardo said. The night before, a Nevada resident had opened fire on a concert near Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Mr Lombardo said the shooter used a hammer-like device to break open the window of his 32nd-story room and rain gunfire on the concert-goers. Police believe he was armed with at least 10 weapons. The man identified as the shooter, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, killed himself after the shooting, police said. America is the world’s most armed nation. It is unbelievable but in the US there are around 300,000,000 guns in the hands of private citizens! Over one and half million Americans were killed or injured by guns between 2001 and 2015. Between 2004 and 2014, the domestic US production of guns increased by 192 percent (from 3,099,025 to 9,050,626). But the politicians say that more guns do not lead to more deaths! America’s love affair with the gun also translates in foreign policy. Over 1.45 million guns were given by the US government to armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2001 and 2015. Without doubt some of these guns ended up with ISIS. In the years before God judged mankind at the time of Noah we are told the world was full of violence. Jesus says that before mankind is judged the second time the world would be as it was in the days of Noah. We are living in those days right now. COMMENT The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. BIBLE QUOTE (Genesis 6:11-13)

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