Weekly World Watch: May 7-13, 2017

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s May 7 - 13, 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 May 7 - 13, 2017 • No one can defeat our military, Putin tells parade • Abbas: Moscow must be part of peace process • Russian monitors for Syrian Golan - not Iranians • US risks backlash for its growing role in Syrian conflict • Turkey slams 'occupation' of Jerusalem, angers Israel • Pope Francis to canonise two children at Portugal's Fatima shrine To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right PRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

5. You[Gog / Russian leader] and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals. You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign Lord. And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the Lord. No one can defeat our military, Putin tells Red Square masses The Times, May 10, 2017 President Putin asserted yesterday that there was no country that could defeat Russia as new tanks and other modern weaponry rolled across Red Square to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of victory in the Second World War. Among the 114 military vehicles on display were new Tor and Pantsir missile launchers that are being deployed to the Arctic to strengthen Russia’s presence there as it seeks ownership of huge reserves of offshore oil and gas. The Arctic hardware was painted in white, grey and black camouflage, with an image of a roaring bear on the front of each launcher. Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles and T-14 tanks also joined the parade. Mr Putin said that there “is no, there was no, and there will be no force that can conquer our people”. During the Second World, he said, Russians had “fought to the death”. EVENT This week Russia showed off its military might during a Victory Day parade in Moscow. Putin declared "the armed forces of Russia are capable of repelling any potential aggression". ` But unusually thick cloud cover over Moscow forced the cancellation of a flyover of military aircraft and display teams! Even with a small intervention (like thicker cloud than normal) God is able to disrupt the military plans of man. When Putin says that no force can conquer his military he is of course totally wrong in that belief. The Bible tells us that his military WILL be defeated. They will be defeated by God himself. In Ezekiel 38 we read in verse 18 these words – and this is God speaking - “When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over!” God goes on to describe the total destruction of Russia’s army. We are told in the next chapter that it will take 7 months to bury the dead. This is the fate of this army that “cannot be defeated”…. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 39:4-6 NLT)

6. After many days thou [[Gog] shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. • Abbas: Moscow must be part of peace process The Times of Israel, May 11, 2017 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Sochi resort in Western Russia on Thursday, and said that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be “impossible” without the participation of Moscow in the peace process. “It is impossible to solve the Palestinian issue without Russia’s meaningful participation in the peace process. That is what we have been emphasizing at all international meetings,” Abbas said in his meeting with Putin, according to the official Russian State news agency Tass. Putin said Russia “will continue to give its full support to the resumption of direct dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis.”“The peaceful coexistence of the two states — Palestine and Israel — is an indispensable condition to ensure genuine security and stability in this region,” Putin said. EVENT The Palestinian leader flew to Moscow this week to seek Putin’s personal support and help in bringing about peace between the Palestinians and Israel. In fact he said without Moscow’s involvement peace would be impossible. Abbas also reiterated that he is still willing to participate in a three-way summit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Moscow. During the meeting Abbas and Putin participated via video link in an inauguration ceremony of a Russian-sponsored $40 million cultural and economic centre in Bethlehem. The centre is named after Putin! The reason all this is so fascinating is that Ezekiel 38 says that Gog (the Russian leader) will be “visited”. This word in the Hebrew means “sought after” or “summoned” or “be made overseer”. Abbas this week did visit Gog (Putin). He sought his help, he summoned him to take part in the peace process and asked him to oversee it. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:8)

7. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence! I will go to those formerly desolate cities that are now filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. • Russian monitors for Syrian Golan - not Iranians Debkafile, May 11, 2017 Moscow this week responded to Israel's concerns about posting Iranian and Turkish officers on its borders to monitor the potential "de-escalation" zones Russia is proposing for Syria. In respect of those concerns, debkafile's military and intelligence sources reveal that Russia agreed in high-level contacts in the last few days to replace them with Russian military officers in the Mt. Hermon region and the areas where Israeli, Lebanese and Syrian borders meet. The proposal also calls for the expansion of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which supervises the cease-fire between Israel and Syria on the Golan. The Russian military are preparing to establish four ceasefire safe zones in Syria. The southernmost would be located along Syria's borders with Israel and Jordan. The issue came up during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's talks with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington on May 11, and a day earlier, in a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.  EVENT Last week we reported on Russia’s new “de-escalation” zones in Syria. These zones were going to be controlled by Iranian and Turkish forces. The trouble is one of the zones is in the area of the Golan Heights – the highly sensitive area that borders northern Israel. There was no way Israel would tolerate Iranian officials in this area. Russia (according to Debkafile) has taken Israel’s concerns into account and will use its own Russian officers in the Golan de-escalation zone instead of Iranian officers. But what this means of course is that Russian military personnel will be right up against Israel’s border. Russia is moving ever closer to Israel… COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:10-12 NLT)

8. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you. • US risks backlash for its growing role in Syrian conflict Associated Press, May 10, 2017 With the Trump administration's decision to supply Syria's Kurdish fighters with heavier weapons, U.S. troops inside Syria are in the crossfire between Turkey, a powerful NATO ally, and the Kurdish fighters that Ankara deems as terrorists. In only a few months under President Donald Trump, the U.S. has almost doubled the number of troops in northern Syria, taking a highly visible role that also risks a backlash from militants such as the Islamic State group and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, and even pro-Turkey Syrian fighters angered by the U.S. move to arm the Kurds. Tuesday's decision to arm the Kurds is a public rebuff to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a week before he meets Trump in Washington. For months, Erdogan has been trying to convince the U.S. to cut off its support for the Kurds and partner instead with Turkey-backed fighters to liberate the Islamic State group stronghold of Raqqa. EVENT COMMENT On the 9th May, Washington announced that it has decided to directly arm the Kurdish-dominated People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria. America has therefore inserted itself even further into one of the region’s oldest and bloodiest conflicts: the 33-year-long fight between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is the mother organisation of the YPG. This decision to provide arms directly further elevates the PKK’s Syrian branch’s status. By doing so the US risks a deep, immediate rift with Turkey, who of course is a member of NATO. And so we see the US and Turkey on different sides in the Syria conflict. The Bible says clearly that Turkey will be allied to Russia when Gog invades Israel. Therefore there must be a rift between the US and Turkey at the time of the end… BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:5 NLT)

9. Turkey slams 'occupation' of Jerusalem, angers Israel Associated Press, May 8, 2017 EVENT Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Muslims to stand up for the Palestinian cause, saying each day that Jerusalem remains under "occupation" is an insult to them. His words drew strong criticism from Israel. Speaking in Istanbul on Monday, Erdogan also compared Israeli actions against Palestinians to those of South Africa under Apartheid and said the United States must drop plans to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. They were Erdogan's harshest words against Israel since the two countries reconciled last year and restored diplomatic ties to ambassadorial level. The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Erdogan of "systematically" violating human rights and said he "should not preach morality.” The ministry's spokesman Emmanuel Nashon said "Israel consistently protects total freedom of worship for Jews, Muslims and Christians." Not only do we expect to see a rift between Turkey and America but we would also expect to see a rift between Turkey and Israel. After all if Turkey is to one day invade Israel (with Russia) we could surely assume a breakdown in relations before that happens. The Turkish President has recently given himself (through a referendum) many more powers. He is now a very powerful leader and as we know the more power a leader has the more he is willing to become extreme. His words this week calling on Muslims to made a stand for the Palestinian cause and also his condemnation of Israel occupying Jerusalem are therefore significant. We know that one day all nations will be gathered against Jerusalem to battle. The comments by Erdogan this week are part of that story. We know that at some point Jerusalem will be the epicentre of world war. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (Zechariah 14:2-3)

10. Pope Francis to canonise two children at Portugal's Fatima shrine BBC, May 13, 2017 EVENT Pope Francis is to make two shepherd children saints at the Fatima shrine complex in Portugal on Saturday. It is 100 years since the two - and a third child - reported seeing the Virgin Mary while tending sheep. The third is also on the way to sainthood. The Pope arrived at a military airbase north of Lisbon on Friday and later greeted pilgrims in Fatima. More than a million are expected. The Church attaches great value to their visions, as Mary is believed to have revealed truths to help mankind. The Church says the first vision came on 13 May 1917. In a video message to the people of Portugal, the Pope said he was going to present himself to Mary "and I need to feel you close, physically and spiritually, so that we are one heart and one mind". Why does the Pope worship Mary? Why does he pray to her? Well firstly he believes that Mary is in heaven and is therefore alive and can hear him. We know this is not the case. See John 3:13. But why would he pray to Mary even if she was in heaven? The answer to that is to do with the false doctrine of the Trinity. Rome says that Jesus is God the Son. God himself became a son who died on the cross. But then if Jesus is God this makes Mary the Mother of God. And if Mary is the Mother of God she must herself be worthy of worship. She herself is a god. If she is a god then she must be perfect and must have been born herself miraculously. Their doctrine of the immaculate conception is nothing to do with the virgin birth but their belief Mary herself was born in a miraculous way. But this false worship of Mary - the Queen of heaven – all has it roots in Babel. In fact the Old Testament talks about this false worship – 100’s of years before Mary was born! This false religion will be destroyed by Christ when he returns. COMMENT No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods! Am I the one they are hurting?” asks the Lord. “Most of all, they hurt themselves, to their own shame.” BIBLE QUOTE (Jeremiah 7:18-19 NLT)

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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.