US-Russia Relations: A New Cold War?

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s October 8 - 21, 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 8 - 21, 2017 • US-Russia: comparable to ‘dark days of Cold War’ • Saudi Arabia & Israel support Trump’s view on Iran • Netanyahu: Israel won't tolerate Iran presence in Syria • Russia to take control of major Kurdish oil pipeline • US, Israel to exit UNESCO over its anti-Israel bias • California wildfires are officially the worst in its history 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. • US-Russia relations comparable to ‘dark days of Cold War’ – former defence secretary RT, October 9, 2017 Former US Defence Secretary William Perry has warned that relations between the US and Russia have entered a “new Cold War,” and that current global conditions could lead to nuclear conflict. Speaking at the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe in Paris on Monday, Perry asked rhetorically: "Have we forgotten the Cuban missile crisis?”“We are beginning a new Cold War, with the worst possible outcome a nuclear war between the US and Russia. Relations today between the US and Russia are comparable to the dark days of the Cold War. How could we have let that happen?” he said, according to a forum press release. Perry warned that an escalation of the current global situation could have major consequences in a matter of hours, specifically noting the possibility for escalation between the US and Russia, India and Pakistan, or North and South Korea. “We could have the same number of casualties as all of World War II, only these would happen in six hours instead of six years,” he said, as quoted by the Times of Israel. EVENT Over the last few years the relationship between Russia and the West (especially the US) has dramatically deteriorated. On Thursday this week President Vladimir Putin launched one of his most stinging critiques of U.S. foreign policy, listing what he called some of the biggest betrayals in U.S.-Russia relations. He also said these are the darkest days of U.S – Russia relations. The Bible is clear that there is a king of the north (Russia) versus king of the south (US / UK / Saudi Arabia) conflict at the time of the end. As we see the tension building (despite Trump’s promise to reverse it) we know the end is at hand. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 11:40 NLT)

6. A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. Elam and Media are areas of modern Iran • Saudi Arabia & Israel support Trump’s view on Iran Jerusalem Post, October 15, 2017 Saudi Arabia’s reaction to US President Donald Trump’s more confrontational posture toward Tehran was strikingly similar to Israel’s, highlighting the two countries’ common desire for a more determined American effort to counter Iranian influence in the region. On Saturday, King Salman telephoned Trump to voice support for his “firm strategy” against “Iranian aggression and its [Iran’s] support for terrorism in the region,” the Saudi Press Agency reported. “The king praised the Trump administration, which recognizes the magnitude of these challenges and threats and the need for concerted efforts on terrorism and extremism and its primary sponsor, Iran.” That followed an announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Friday that praised Trump for the same reasons and said the US president “has created an opportunity to fix this bad deal, to roll back Iran’s aggression and to confront its criminal support of terrorism.” EVENT COMMENT Not only is there tension between Russia and the US, there is also growing tension between Iran and the US. Last week President Trump said Iran was violating the nuclear accord and he has threatened to withdraw the US from the deal. Russia and Europe who were party to the Iran deal have said they will stick by it and they disagree with Trump’s stance. Iran's supreme leader, on Wednesday called Trump "foul-mouthed" and someone who "pretends to be an idiot.” However on the other side of the coin, Israel and Saudi Arabia totally back Trump’s view of the Iran deal. Again we can see how the nations are lining up exactly as prophesied. Russia and Iran on the one side. Israel, US and Saudi Arabia on the other. The Iran deal is possibly spoken about in Isaiah 21 as a treacherous dealer who deals treacherously. BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 21:2)

7. Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: The nations pour in AFTER Damascus is destroyed. See start of chapter. • Netanyahu: Israel won't tolerate Iran presence in Syria Associated Press, October 17, 2017 Israel's prime minister warned Tuesday that he will not tolerate an Iranian military presence in neighbouring Syria. Benjamin Netanyahu said his meeting with visiting Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday focused mostly on Iran's efforts to establish a presence next door, where both Tehran and Moscow have provided crucial support to President Bashar Assad's forces. "Iran has to understand that Israel will not allow this," Netanyahu said. The meeting comes a day after Israel destroyed a Russian-made, anti-aircraft missile launcher that took aim at its planes. Israel has largely stayed out of the fighting in Syria but has carried out dozens of airstrikes on alleged weapons convoys bound for the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group. Israel fears Iran will plant itself on the country's doorstep by establishing a Shiite "corridor," with land links from Iran to Lebanon, allowing the movement of fighters and weapons across the region. At the heart of those fears is Hezbollah, which fought Israel in 2006. EVENT We have been reporting over the last month how Israel is voicing its concerns about Iran in Syria. This week the warning came again from the Israeli prime minister. This is yet another meeting with Russian officials cautioning them of consequences if Iran continues to expand its influence in Syria. On Monday morning Israeli jets attacked a Syrian government anti-aircraft missile launcher after it fired on its aircraft patrolling in Lebanese air space. An Israeli military spokesman said it was the first time Israeli aircraft had been targeted by Syrian forces while flying over Lebanon since the Syrian war began. We know that there is a conflict between Israel and Syria. The Bible says Damascus will come to an end first and then Russia invades. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 17:12)

8. 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; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; • Russia to take control of major Kurdish oil pipeline Reuters, October 19, 2017 Russian energy major Rosneft has agreed to take control of the main oil pipeline in Iraq's Kurdistan, further boosting its role as the main international investor in the semi-autonomous region. The move is an apparent part of a broader strategy by President Vladimir Putin to ratchet up Moscow's political and economic influence in the Middle East. It came amid the crisis in Kurdistan's relations with the central government in Baghdad, which erupted after the region held an independence referendum last month. Rosneft said its share in the project may total as much as 60 percent, while the current pipeline operator KAR Group will retain 40 percent. Sources familiar with the deal said Rosneft's investment in the project was seen totalling about $1.8 billion. EVENT Events in Iraq are interesting in relation to the recent Kurdish referendum. Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani’s decision to hold an independence referendum, despite furious Iraqi and regional objections, has backfired spectacularly. The Kurds’ overwhelming endorsement of independence has pressured Baghdad to reassert its control. Which it has done. Turkey, Iran and Syria were deeply concerned about the vote fanning similar sentiment among their own Kurdish populations. They have the power to completely besiege the landlocked region economically. And into this new maelstrom in the Middle East comes Russia – taking advantage of the turmoil. As the report above says, Russia has taken control of the main oil pipeline in Iraq’s Kurdistan. Putin is grabbing economic influence in the region. This is exactly what the Bible says that Putin does in relation to Israel. Following the initial conflict between Israel and Hezbollah / Syria….Russia then comes down to take a spoil… COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:10-11)

9. US, Israel to exit UNESCO over its anti-Israel bias Associated Press, October 12, 2017 EVENT The United States announced Thursday it is pulling out of the U.N.'s educational, scientific and cultural agency because of what Washington sees as its anti-Israel bias and a need for "fundamental reform" in the agency. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel plans to follow suit. While the Trump administration had been preparing for a likely withdrawal from UNESCO for months, the timing of the State Department's statement was unexpected. The Paris-based agency's executive board is in the midst of choosing a new chief — with Qatar's Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari leading the heated election heading into Friday's final vote. Outgoing Director-General Irina Bokova expressed "profound regret" at the U.S. decision and tried to defend UNESCO's reputation. The organization is best known for its World Heritage program to protect cultural sites and traditions, but also works to improve education for girls, promote understanding of the Holocaust's horrors, and to defend media freedom. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is based in Paris. Its declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reform. It’s strapline is “Building peace in the minds of men and women.” Exactly one year ago UNESCO voted to say that there was no connection between Temple Mount and Judaism. At the time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the vote stating: “The theatre of the absurd continues at the UN.” This week the US withdrew from UNESCO citing anti-Israel bias. The UN itself is totally anti-Israel. The Bible says that Israel will be treated in this way by the nations of the world. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: (Deuteronomy 28:65-66)

10. California wildfires are officially the worst in its history Telegraph, October 14, 2017 EVENT A fifth day of desperate fire fighting in California wine country brought a glimmer of hope on Friday as crews battling the flames reported their first progress toward containing the massive blazes, and hundreds more firefighters poured in to join the effort. The scale of the disaster also became clearer as authorities said the fires had chased an estimated 90,000 people from their homes and destroyed at least 5,700 homes and businesses. The death toll rose to 36, making this the deadliest and most destructive series of wildfires in California history. In all, 17 large fires still burned across the northern part of the state, with more than 9,000 firefighters attacking the flames using air tankers, helicopters and more than 1,000 fire engines. It is not just California suffering wildfires on an unprecedented scale. A wave of wildfires in central and north Portugal which started at the weekend has killed at least 31 people, civil defence authorities say. Dozens of the 145 fires still raging are considered serious, a spokeswoman said. The fires in Portugal and the remnants of hurricane Ophelia caused the skies in Britain to turn a deep orange colour and the sun looked red. Many people thought it looked like the end of the world, or the apocalypse. What we are seeing of course are wonders in the heavens above and signs in the earth beneath; blood, fire and billows of smoke. See Acts 2:19. The only previous judgement of the world was with water at the time of the flood. The final judgement of the world is with fire. God is warning us with the current signs and wonders of what is soon to come on a massive scale. COMMENT Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. BIBLE QUOTE (2 Peter 3:6-7)

11. Weekly World Watch YouTube Videos

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.