April 26 – May 2, 2009

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s April 26 – May 2, 2009 “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) 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). 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 April 26 – May 2, 2009 • Israel’s control of Mt. Zion in danger • UN: Freeze Jerusalem demolitions • Israel warns European critics • Report warns: Israel is now an ‘Obstacle to Obama' • World at imminent risk of swine flu pandemic • Pupils aged 11 to learn about gay sex To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right

5. For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. Zion is becoming a controversy! Israel’s control of Mt. Zion in danger Israel National News, April 26, 2009 Ten-year-long negotiations between Israel and the Vatican appear to be drawing to a close, with concerns rising that Israel will cede control of the building housing King David’s Tomb in Jerusalem. The two states have been negotiating a treaty since March 1999 on matters having to do with Church-owned or Church-claimed property in Israel. Among the most significant issue under negotiations is the Vatican’s demand for the Last Supper room, located on the second floor of the ancient Mt. Zion building that also houses the tombs of Kings David, Solomon, and Hezekiah. In addition, the Vatican is claiming areas around Lake Kinneret, as well as in Caesaria and Jerusalem. The director of the yeshiva explained that if the Catholic Church receives control of the area, just a few hundred yards from the Temple Mount, it will turn it into "the international centrefor Catholics all around the world, and if the pope just gives the word, Christians will be flocking over here en masse." EVENT Rome is very interested in Jerusalem. Why? Well Rome has said for centuries that IT is NEW JERUSALEM. This claim was substantiated by the fact that the Jews were scattered around the world and Jerusalem was “trodden down” of the Gentiles. HOWEVER – all this changed when (after almost 2000 years) Israel was re-established as a nation in 1948 and then gained complete control of Jerusalem in 1967. During the debate in 1947 concerning the creation of Israel the Vatican wanted Jerusalem internationalised. In 1948 when Jerusalem was split down the middle they dropped this demand. In 1967 when Israel captured the whole of Jerusalem it renewed its insistence it should be internationalised. In 1994 it dropped this stance again and backed the Palestinians call that East Jerusalem should be their capital. As long as Israel is not in control of all of Jerusalem, the Pope can continue to say that Rome is New Jerusalem and the new kingdom of God on earth. We see their continued focus on God’s city! COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 34:8)

6. He [Jesus] shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. UN: Freeze Jerusalem demolitions BBConline, May 1, 2009 The UN has asked Israel to freeze all pending demolition orders in East Jerusalem and to do more to provide for the housing needs of Palestinians. Almost a third of all Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem have been built without a permit, says a UN report. This puts 60,000 Palestinians at risk of having their houses demolished by Israeli authorities. The office of the mayor of Jerusalem, Mayor Nir Barkat, disputed the figures given in the UN report. But Mr Barkat admitted that there was a planning crisis in all of Jerusalem that "affects Jews, Christians and Muslims alike”. A spokesman said, a master plan for the city would be announced in the coming weeks. EVENT On the previous side we saw how the Vatican is getting close to a deal with Israel over “holy” parts of Jerusalem. We also have seen this week the United Nations speaking up over Jerusalem. As far as the UN is concerned Jerusalem is NOT a united city. It is a city of 2 parts. East and West. This is because when Israel was recreated in 1948 the UN partitioned the city. In 1967, however (in the 6 day war), Israel captured East Jerusalem and from that time on has had complete sovereign control over the city. 1967 was the first time in 1897 years that the Jews not only controlled Jerusalem but also the exact land as detailed by God in Numbers 32 as the land he was giving them. God has said repeatedly that he would give them “the land” again. Jesus said the Jews would control Jerusalem again. The UN care nothing for what God says though. There is only one master plan for the city that will work - God’s plan – that has Jesus as king. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Luke 1:32)

7. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Israel warns European critics BBConline, April 30, 2009 Israel has told the European Union to stop criticising Benjamin Netanyahu's government or risk being excluded from future Middle East peace negotiations. A foreign ministry official called EU envoys in Israel after a commissioner in Brussels suggested freezing a move to upgrade EU-Israeli relations. The commissioner said Netanyahu should commit to talks with the Palestinians. The warning comes ahead of the first European trip by Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's new foreign minister. Israeli media say the warnings have been issued by the deputy director for European affairs at the Israeli foreign ministry, Rafi Barak. "We want the European Union to be a partner but it is important to hold a mature and discreet dialogue and not to resort to public declarations," Rafi Barak reportedly told diplomats, according to a report in Haaretz. He concluded by "warning" that Europe's influence in the area would be undermined. "Israel is asking Europe to lower the tone and conduct a discreet dialogue," Rafi Barak is quoted saying. "However, if these declarations continue, Europe will not be able to be part of the diplomatic process." EVENT Europe is the beast mentioned in Revelation 17. It is the development of the 4th beast in Daniel 7. The beast has a woman riding it. The woman is the false religion of Rome. The beast is the political side, the woman the religious. In effect the woman steers the beast in the direction she wants it to go. This is why the political side of Europe tends to reflect the goals of the woman. Rome as we have said wants to weaken Israel’s claim on the land and Jerusalem. Europe (politically) has similar goals. The EU commission Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that a planned upgrade of bilateral relations would not be implemented until Netanyahu commits to the peace talks with the Palestinians. What Europe wants is for Israel to concede land and also East Jerusalem. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Revelation 17:3)

8. And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. Report warns: Israel is now an ‘Obstacle to Obama' Israel National News, April 29, 2009 According to a classified intelligence assessment handed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Barack Obama and his senior advisors wish to “incrementally diminish U.S. strategic cooperation with Israel.” A report in World Tribune quoted an Israeli source familiar with the intelligence assessment who said that "Obama wants to make friends with our worst enemies and [those who were] until now the worst enemies of the United States. Under this policy,” the source added, “we are more than irrelevant. We have become an obstacle.” According to the report, which has not been corroborated by news sources other than World Tribune, Israeli sources said the U.S. Administration would reject Israel’s intelligence opinions on Iran and Syria while advancing the Obama plan to reconcile with the two states, although both were listed as state sponsors of terrorism by the U.S. State Department. The Israeli intelligence document reportedly predicted that Obama would maintain his policy of appeasing Iran and Syria through 2010. It determined that Obama is convinced that appeasing Iran and Syria would make a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan possible. EVENT Israel’s greatest ally in the last few decades has been America. They have stood by and protected Israel. However the days of this almost unconditional support are drawing to an end. Israel is now seen as more the problem than the solution. Obama wants to get Arab / Muslim nations on side. Eg Syria, Iran. Israel’s greatest enemies are Syria and Iran. Therefore Obama is “incrementally diminishing cooperation with Israel”. It is this exact situation we expect when Gog invades. Israel alone – friendless. Tarshish (UK) and the young lions (USA) not fighting Israel - but not protecting! COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Jeremiah 4:30)

9. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. World at imminent risk of swine flu pandemic as WHO raises threat level Daily Telegraph, April 30, 2009 The world is at imminent risk of a pandemic from swine flu, the World Health Organisation warned as it raised the threat awareness level to 5 out of 6. Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO director-general, made the announcement in Geneva on Wednesday night and said all countries should now activate their swine flu pandemic plans. Raising the threat to level 5 means that there is sustained human to human spread in at least two countries and that people who have not visited Mexico have fallen ill and passed on the virus. On Thursday Switzerland and Peru also confirmed cases of swine flu. Responding to the increased threat Robert Madelin, Director General for Health and Consumer Protection at the European Commission, said: "In 200 days we will have a vaccine for this influenza." "Nobody has died yet in Europe but that will happen," he added. "The question is not will we see deaths but how many. Hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands?" EVENT The UK’s national health service has ordered 32 million masks as fears grow that swine flu could become a pandemic. Israel is amongst those nations now that have confirmed cases of H1N1. Swine in the Bible are regarded as the most unclean and the most abhorred of all animals. See Leviticus 11:7, Isaiah 65:4. When Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificed a pig in the Jewish Temple it was an abomination of the worst kind. It cannot be a coincidence in these godless last days that mankind is affected by a pig disease. The world has become unclean an abomination in God’s sight. But remember that we are all UNCLEAN. We all need the forgiveness of sin. Only Christ’s sacrifice can atone for sin – through belief and baptism COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 64:6)

10. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Pupils aged 11 to learn about gay sex The Times, April 28, 2009 Compulsory sex and relationships lessons for 11-year-old children are to include classroom discussions on gay unions and civil partnerships. Secondary pupils will learn about contraception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), while primary school children will learn about their bodies and friendships, a review of sex education has concluded. The review was ordered in October after ministers announced that sex and relationships education (SRE) lessons should be made compulsory to help primary and secondary pupils to “navigate the complexities of modern life” and to ensure that children learnt their sex education from the classroom, not the playground. EVENT This headline is almost to disgusting to put in a WWW, but on reflection I felt it needed to go in. We know (because Christ said so in Luke 17:29) that before he returns the world will be like Sodom and Gomorrah. The sin of Sodom was certainly homosexuality. Read Genesis 19 in any modern version and you will see this clearly. How has the world got to this state? How can only a few decades ago homosexuality be illegal and now it is to be taught as acceptable to young children. It has it roots in human rights. Human rights are all about humans having the right to do whatever they want to – as long as they don’t injure anyone else. Article 4 of the declaration of the rights of man says exactly this. This declaration was put together during the French Revolution in 1789! Amazingly the Bible said this would happen. Revelation 16 speaks of froglike spirits coming out of a beast. If you would like to watch a talk about this click here and order Pharaoh, Frogs & Freedom which explains more. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Luke 21:29)

11. Weekly World Watch The end of this week’s WWW will be e-mailed to you each week. Please forward the e-mail addresses of others who may be interested. I will include them in the list of recipients. Comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome. E-MAIL ANDY Click here (Move the mouse until the cursor appears.) To watch again, click here.