Weekly World Watch: December 24-30, 2017

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s December 24 - 30, 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 December 24 - 30, 2017 • Iran recognises Jerusalem as Palestinian capital city • 10 nations may recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital • Egypt, Sudan relations at new low with Erdogan's visit • Russian opposition leader barred from elections • Pope laments 'winds of war' blowing around the world • From Trump to Jerusalem: The year that was 2017 To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right PRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

5. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. Iran recognises Jerusalem as Palestinian capital city Newsweek, December 27, 2017 In a symbolic pushback to President Donald Trump’s declaration on the status of Jerusalem, Iranian lawmakers on Wednesday voted to recognize the contested city as the capital of the Palestinians. The Iranian parliament voted in favour of a bill that recognized the city as the Palestinian capital, or the capital of the “State of Palestine,” the entity recognized by the United Nations as a member state. Of 290 lawmakers, 207 voted in favour of the bill. Ali Larijani, speaker of the Parliament of Iran, said that the bill’s timing was “important,” given Trump’s December 6 announcement that he had ordered the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, upending decades of U.S. foreign policy in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “It comes in response to the recent U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in hopes of dealing a blow to Muslims,” he said, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu. EVENT COMMENT When the UN on the 29th December 1947 voted to create a new state in Palestine called Israel they specifically said that Jerusalem should be an international city. For 70 years every single nation on earth (apart from Israel) has held to that line – until the 6th December 2017 when Donald Trump said the USA view Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. From that moment on everything changed. When we look back as to when the time of trouble began it will surely be dated from 6th December 2017. When the Titanic hit the iceberg it didn’t sink instantly. In fact many continued eating and drinking unware of the damage that had been done. But slowly from that point on nothing could save that ship. It was a mathematical certainty Titanic would founder. Trump has driven the ship of the kingdom of men straight into the iceberg of Jerusalem – the kingdom of men will fail. BIBLE QUOTE (Zechariah 12:2)

6. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter….. For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. 10 nations may recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital RT, December 26, 2017 Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely has told a radio station that 10 more countries are considering recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital following earlier declarations by Guatemala and the US. Speaking to Kan Bet public radio, Hotovely said the 10 states are following the lead of Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, who declared on Sunday that his country’s embassy would be moved to Jerusalem. The Central American nation and six other states voted with the US and Israel, in contrast to the rest of the UN General Assembly which last week voted 128-9 to condemn the US decision to recognize Jerusalem. The other six were Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo. Hotovely did not name any of the 10 countries, but said many had a strong Christian tradition. Philippines, the Czech Republic and Romania abstained from the UNGA vote last week, but have entertained the possibility of joining Guatemala and the United States, supporting the move to Jerusalem. EVENT Earlier this week, Guatemala announced plans to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, following the controversial US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The president of Guatemala is Jimmy Morales, a former television comedian and an evangelical Christian. Like Trump he had no experience of government before he was elected in 2015. Like Trump many see him trying to appease his political base with this move and also trying to keep financial aid coming through from the USA. In other words the status of Jerusalem is being used to further political careers / agendas. Behind the scenes Trump’s administration will be pushing hard to get weaker nations to follow his move. Honduras might be next. The status of Jerusalem is polarising positions… COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 34:8)

7. Persia, Cush[c] and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you. [c] Cush is ancient Kush the area we now know as Sudan or North Sudan. The very nation mentioned in this article! Egypt, Sudan relations at new low with Erdogan's visit Associated Press, December 28, 2017 Egypt's pro-government media on Thursday vilified neighbouring Sudan over its expanding ties with Turkey and Qatar, saying the three are conspiring against Egypt. While the government has publicly remained silent, Egyptian media seized on a visit to Sudan earlier this week by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a meeting in Khartoum between the chiefs of staff of Sudan, Turkey and Qatar, and renewed efforts by Khartoum to revive a longtime border dispute with Egypt. Tensions between Egypt and Sudan, which are bound by the Nile River and historic ties, often play out in the media, with the two governments keeping their distance. The latest row could deepen a rift between Egypt and Sudan over a massive dam being built by Ethiopia that Cairo views as a threat to its share of the Nile, which provides nearly all of Egypt's water. EVENT COMMENT Why should this be an interesting headline from a Biblical perspective? First of all Sudan is mentioned in Ezekiel 38. The AV translates the name “Cush” as Ethiopia. But Cush isn’t really Ethiopia. Cush at the time of Ezekiel corresponds almost exactly to Sudan. Or to be even more accurate North Sudan. Sudan split into two nations in 2011. From 1070 BC to AD350 the area we now know as North Sudan was called the Kingdom of Kush. North Sudan is mainly Islamic. South Sudan is mainly Christian. So Cush (North Sudan) is aligning to Turkey. Turkey is also mentioned in Ezekiel 38 as Togarmah. Both nations are allied to Gog (Putin). Egypt however is mentioned in the parallel chapter Daniel 11. We read that the king of the north (Russia and its allies) overrun Israel AND Egypt. Therefore we expect that North Sudan and Egypt are on opposite sides of the conflict. Therefore this headline is interesting! The Bible is true. BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:5 NIV)

8. Russian opposition leader barred from elections Daily Telegraph, December 25, 2017 EVENT Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been thwarted in his bid to challenge President Vladimir Putin in the 2018 elections after he an electoral commission ruled him ineligible to stand. The Central Election Commission (CEC) refused to register Mr Navalny as candidate in the 2018 presidential race, citing his criminal conviction in a controversial embezzlement case, which, according to Russian laws, precludes him from running for public office. Mr Navalny has dismissed the conviction as politically motivated. Twelve members of the Commission out of 13 voted against registering Mr Navalny’s candidacy, in a ruling that came just a day after he was endorsed by more than 15,000 people. Mr Navalny, who was present at the vote, argued that his conviction was overturned by the European Court of Human Rights earlier this year. He added that he represents “a huge number of voters,” and not allowing him run will “exclude millions of people out of this election.” COMMENT Putin will not tolerate opposition to his rule. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is a fierce critic of Putin but on Monday he was barred from running in next year’s presidential election after officials ruled he was ineligible to take part due to a suspended prison sentence he says was trumped up. Polls show Putin, 65, who has dominated Russia’s political landscape for the last 17 years, is on course to be comfortably re-elected, making him eligible to serve another six years until 2024, when he turns 72. The Bible says that Gog will be a man of intrigue, a master of deception, a man of arrogance. He succeeds in all he does and will one day cause a shocking amount of destruction. Gog is the Russian ruler and is currently Putin… BIBLE QUOTE a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. (Daniel 8:23-25 NLT)

9. Pope laments 'winds of war' blowing around the world Associated Press, December 25, 2017 EVENT Lamenting "the winds of war" blowing around the world, Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Monday called for a two-state solution to find peace in the Middle East and prayed that confrontation can be overcome on the Korean Peninsula. The pope took particular aim at areas of global tension where President Donald Trump is playing a critical role. Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has ignited new violence in the Middle East, while confrontation with North Korea over its nuclear tests has escalated tensions in Asia. "The winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline," the pope said. He asked for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and prayed "that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders." COMMENT The Pope is right on this point – the winds of war are indeed blowing around the world. What he is unaware of is that he is part of that wind. As the supreme head of the false religion of Babylon the Pope is at heart anti Israel, anti God’s kingdom and anti Christ. Catholicism teaches that Rome is the New Jerusalem. It is the seat of the universal Church where the head of that Church “the Holy Father” the Pope sits. For millennia it looked to many as if Jerusalem had come to an end and that Rome was indeed the seat of the Church. But suddenly after 1897 years (in 1967) Jerusalem was once again controlled by the Jews. The Pope will stop at nothing to ensure Jerusalem is divided or internationalised to stop it being a united city under the Jewish people. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. The Papacy teaches the Rome is New Jerusalem and Eternal City. But Jerusalem is the eternal city and it has everlasting foundations. Rome will be completely destroyed. BIBLE QUOTE (Hebrews 11:10 NLT)

10. From Trump to Jerusalem: The year that was 2017 Aljazeera, December 27, 2017 EVENT As the year 2017 draws to a close, few following the events of the past 12 months would wager with certainty on how the coming year will unfold. It was a year defined by unpredictability and the breaking of long-established convention, most frequently in the form of the 45th US president, Donald Trump. First on the agenda was the move to ban visitors from seven majority-Muslim states from entering the US. Then Trump refused to re-certify Iran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the landmark deal between world powers and Tehran to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for limited sanctions relief. Under Trump, tensions have also worsened on the Korean Peninsula, as a war of words between the US leader and North Korea's Kim Jong-un threatens to spill over into armed conflict between two nuclear-armed states. Trump ensured he would dominate towards the year's end with his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the city. COMMENT There is no doubt that President Trump is upsetting the delicate balance of international relations. For 70 years the world has not witnessed a world war. But Trump is destabilising the established order of things. We know that God himself puts in power the right person at the right time to bring about His will. Trump has been placed there – not because he is a godly, righteous man (for he is neither) – but because he will play his part in bringing all nations to judgement at Jerusalem. The status quo had to be broken. The diplomatic dance had to end. We pray that this coming year may see our Lord’s return. The nations are lined up, the pieces are in place and the fuse has been lit by Trump – let us look up, our redemption draws near. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” BIBLE QUOTE (Luke 21:26-28 NLT)

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.