June 1 - 7, 2014

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s June 1 - 7, 2014 “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 June 1 - 7, 2014 • Palestinian unity government sworn in • Peres, Abbas to attend Vatican prayer event Sunday • Assad allies hail his election 'victory’ • Obama condemns Russian 'dark tactics' in Ukraine • Russian fighter intercepted US Air Force plane • Russian image has deteriorated – BBC poll To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right PRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

5. Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up? They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones. “Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.”The Palestinians (Philistia) are mentioned in verse 7 Palestinian unity government sworn in Daily Telegraph, June 2, 2014 EVENT President Mahmoud Abbas swore in a Palestinian unity government on Monday under a reconciliation deal with Hamas Islamists that led Israel to freeze U.S.-brokered peace talks with the Western-backed leader. Mr Abbas, who heads the mainstream Fatah movement, has said the 17-member cabinet would be comprised of unaffiliated ministers and that it would strive to pursue peace, despite Hamas's refusal to accept co-existence with Israel. Ministers in the new administration took the oath of office in a ceremony in Ramallah, the Palestinian seat of government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Three ministers from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip were denied entry to the West Bank by Israel. "Today and after announcing the government of national unity we declare the end of division that caused catastrophic harm to our cause," Mr Abbas said. Hamas has run the Gaza Strip since seizing the territory from Fatah in in 2007. For 7 years Hamas has run the Gaza Strip and Fatah have run the West Bank. Hamas was (still is) seen as a terrorist organisation. But suddenly Hamas and Fatah have formed a unity government. Why now? The answer is because the peace process is dead. Fatah have been negotiating peace with Israel via the Americans for years. It has come to nothing. And so with no prospect of peace it was time for the Palestinians to unite. So why would they want to do this? There is only one answer. To prepare for conflict. If peace is dead only conflict remains. The Palestinians will not accept the status quo. Israel has responded to this new government by announcing over 1000 more homes being built in the West Bank. America has condemned this – but is also unable to work closely now with Fatah. We are approaching the time that Psalm 83 details when peoples who live around Israel rise up to try to destroy the Jewish people.. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Psalm 83:2-5 NLT)

6. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Peres, Abbas to attend Vatican prayer event Sunday Times of Israel, June 6, 2014 EVENT President Shimon Peres will head to the Vatican on Sunday to participate in an interfaith peace prayer event at the invitation of Pope Francis. Francis issued the invitation to Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit last week to Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority. According to a statement released by Peres’s spokesperson, Abbas, Peres, and Francis will be joined by Jewish, Christian and Islamic religious leaders. The event will feature readings about peace by the clergy from the Tanach, the New Testament and the Quran. Francis will then read religious verses with Peres and Abbas, which the three will have selected for the ceremony. Israel’s delegation, which the Chief Rabbinate helped to select, will include members of the local Jewish, Druze and Muslim communities. It is because the peace process has failed that the Pope has decided he needs to intervene. It is a desperate attempt to avoid conflict. On his visit to Israel last week Pope Francis invited the heads of Israel and the Palestinians for a prayer meeting at the Vatican. It has become a bigger event with religious leaders from all main faiths attending. The pope said lasting peace would require the "acknowledgement by all of the right of two states to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.” This prayer meeting will be an historic event. There cannot have been many times when all faiths have been gathered to the Vatican for prayer about Israel. And who is heading the meeting – the Pope! The word Catholic means “Universal” and this is why Rome sees herself as the “Mother Church”. All other religions are her offspring. The Bible describes the false religion of Rome as a harlot woman with the word “mother” on her head. The prayer meeting may lead to sudden destruction not peace. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Revelation 17:4-5)

7. “Look, the city of Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins. The towns of Aroer will be deserted. Flocks will graze in the streets and lie down undisturbed, with no one to chase them away. The fortified towns of Israel will also be destroyed, and the royal power of Damascus will end. All that remains of Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory,” Assad allies hail his election 'victory’ Daily Telegraph, June 5, 2014 President Bashar al-Assad’s “victory” in Syria’s election was attacked in the capitals of the West yesterday but welcomed in Moscow, Tehran and other centres of the growing anti-Western alliance. Mr Assad was said to have won 88.7 per cent of the vote on a turn-out of 73.4 per cent, according to the election commission, surprisingly high since half the country is out of the regime’s control. In addition to the millions of people living behind rebel lines and with no access to the polling stations, an estimated three million people are refugees outside the country, many in places that did not allow an expatriate vote. Britain said that following the vote it would increase its support to the “moderate opposition”. William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said: “Assad lacked legitimacy before this election, and he lacks it afterwards. This election bore no relation to genuine democracy.” John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said the election was a "great big zero”. EVENT It seems incredible that after over 3 years of civil war in Syria, Bashar al-Assad is still in power. Over 160,000 have been killed and millions displaced. It is interesting to note the nations that have welcomed Assad’s election “victory”. Russia, Iran and China have all expressed support for Assad following the voting that took place this week. Russia and Iran are mentioned as being allied in Ezekiel 38. Russia is Magog, Meshech and Tubal. Iran is Persia. In Ezekiel 38 there is no mention at all of Syria. There is no territory in the list of nations that includes Syria. Persia is modern day Iran. It may include some of Iraq - but it doesn't’ include Syria. So why is Syria not mentioned in Ezekiel 38? Surely Israel’s arch enemy would be included in the conflict? The answer is that Syria is removed from being a nation BEFORE Gog invades Israel… he COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 17:1-3 NLT)

8. This is what the Lord says: “Look! A great army coming from the north! A great nation is rising against you from far-off lands. They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like a roaring sea as they ride forward on horses. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, beautiful Jerusalem Obama condemns Russian 'dark tactics' in Ukraine BBC News, June 4, 2014 US President Barack Obama has condemned Russian "aggression" in Ukraine. Speaking in Warsaw to mark 25 years since the fall of communism in Poland, he hailed Polish democracy as a beacon for neighbouring Ukraine. "How can we allow the dark tactics of the 20th Century to define the 21st?" he said. Earlier Mr Obama met Ukraine President-elect Petro Poroshenko, and pledged support for plans to restore peace to the country. Mr Obama called Mr Poroshenko a "wise selection" to lead Ukraine, and said the nation could become a vibrant, thriving democracy if the world community stood behind it. Mr Poroshenko, a billionaire sweet manufacturer, was elected in May. Mr Obama pledged $5m (£3m) of military assistance to Kiev including body armour and night-vision goggles. The aid follows $18m promised since early March for food, clothes, radios and other equipment. EVENT he COMMENT Near the end of the second world war Russia pushed Germany out of Poland. However Stalin insisted that Poland established a communistic government. Poland remained under the grip of Russia behind the “iron curtain” until 1989. This is why Obama wanted to make a key speech on Ukraine from Poland. He sees what happened in Poland as a model for what should happen in Ukraine. In other words the people should be allowed to have the government they want and not one imposed on them by Russia. Obama said, "We will not accept Russia's occupation of Crimea or its violations of Ukraine's sovereignty.”“Poland was invaded and conquered, carved up and occupied," he said. "But those days are over.” But those says are not over. The Russian bear is growling again and is not content to sit by and watch the West move ever closer to its borders. Russia is asserting itself – it is this spirit that will bring Russia down to Israel & beyond. BIBLE QUOTE (Jeremiah 6:22-23 NLT)

9. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. Russian fighter intercepted US Air Force plane BBC News, June 4, 2014 A Russian jet flew within 100ft (30m) of a US Air Force plane over international waters near Japan in April, US officials have said. The incident on 23 April involved a Russian SU-27 Flanker fighter and a US intelligence-gathering RC-135U. The US plane was flying a routine mission in international airspace over the Sea of Okhotsk, officials said. The incident came amid tension between the US and Russia over Russia's involvement in Ukraine. "The SU-27 approached the RC-135 and crossed the nose of the US aircraft," Lt Col Myles Caggins III told the BBC. The Russian aircraft manoeuvred aggressively and exposed its belly to the American pilots to demonstrate it was armed with air-to-air missiles, Defence News and CNN reported. US and Russian defence officials are said to have later discussed the incident. EVENT COMMENT There are a growing number of incidents where Russia is antagonising American and British forces. Earlier in April, another Russian fighter jet made repeated low-altitude passes over US Navy destroyer Donald Cook in the Black Sea. Fighter jets were scrambled after two Russian military aircraft were spotted approaching UK airspace, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said. The tension therefore is high between Britain and America on the one side and Russia on the other. It was also reported this week that Britain has offered Nato an armoured battle group including up to 25 tanks to join exercises in Poland as a show of force against Vladimir Putin. The deployment would see as many as 1,000 British soldiers join Nato forces for war games across the border from Ukraine later this year. We are seeing the king of the south and king of the north sparring on the fault lines of Europe. The sparring will lead to war…. BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 11:40-42)

10. I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city. Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. Russian image has deteriorated – BBC poll BBC News, June 4, 2014 People's views of Russia have strongly deteriorated since last year, according to the latest 24-country poll for the BBC World Service. The poll, which was mostly conducted before the crisis in Crimea, showed people were more negative about Russia in the past year than they had been at any time since the poll began in 2005. It also found that views of the US and the EU had worsened. But Germany has kept its position as the most positively viewed country. Iran and North Korea attracted the most negative ratings. The Country Ratings Poll of 24 nations was conducted by GlobeScan/Pipa. EVENT It is no surprise, surely, to see Russia’s image as nation to be so low at this time. Many people are shocked at how Russia has acted in invading another country without any real provocation. We would also not be surprised at Iran and North Korea coming at the top of the list of nations that people view negatively. These are oppressive states with open hostility to the world in general. They also seek the demise of America and “the West”. But now look again at the table…. The article did not mention this but Israel is seen more negatively than Russia and only just behind Iran and North Korea! It is shocking to see how people view Israel. We know Israel are not following God correctly and in faith but equally they are not calling for the destruction of other nations. They are not supporting terrorism. It is no wonder that ALL nations of the world one day will gather against Jerusalem to battle when Israel is seen in such a negative light… COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Zechariah 14:2-3 NLT)

11. 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. Please take a look at this excellent Christadelphian Prophecy website Just click the image To watch again, click here.