November 26 – December 2, 2017

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s November 26 – December 2, 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 November 26 – December 2, 2017 • Trump set to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital • 70 years later: UN marks vote on Israeli independence • Israel strikes Iranian military base near Damascus • Russia preparing for North Korea war as tensions rise • U.K.'s May visits Saudi Arabia to boost security ties • Putin crowns himself OPEC King 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. Trump set to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital Daily Telegraph, December 1, 2017 Donald Trump is likely to announce next week that the US will recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a move that upends 50 years of US Middle East policy and is likely to inflame relations with the Palestinians and America’s Arab allies. White House officials said Mr Trump would probably make the announcement in a speech on Wednesday but that a final decision had not yet been made. The status of Jerusalem has long been one of the most sensitive subjects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The city holds significance to Muslims across the world because it is home to the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. US presidents since Harry Truman have refused to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and said that its final status must be settled through negotiations. Securing US recognition of Jerusalem would be a major victory for Israel’s government. EVENT COMMENT We wait to see if these news reports are true and Trump does officially recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital next week. While Mr Trump may do this he is also expected to once again delay moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But even the announcement of recognition could be enough to spark conflict. It would put the US at odds with Britain and the EU who all say that Jerusalem’s status can only be determined through peace talks. We read in Zechariah 12 of Jerusalem becoming a cup of trembling to the people that live “round about” or as some versions say “nearby”. Jerusalem will become a burdensome stone for all people. Any person that burdens themselves with it will be cut to pieces. We know that time is coming – it maybe coming very soon… BIBLE QUOTE (Zechariah 12:2-3)

6. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 70 years later: UN marks vote on Israeli independence Israel National News, November 29, 2017 Israel’s Mission to the United Nations, in partnership with the World Jewish Congress, celebrated seventy years since the historic November 29, 1947 United Nations vote on Resolution 181 that called for the establishment of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel. The event, initiated by Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, took place in the Queens Museum which served as UN headquarters in 1947 when the vote took place. “Seventy years ago, in this very room, in these very seats where you are sitting today, the dream of the Jewish people of 2,000 years came true,” Ambassador Danon said at the celebration. “In 1897 Theodor Herzl dreamed of the impossible, in 1947 the Jewish people realized the impossible and today 2017, seventy years later, the modern State of Israel has made the impossible, possible,” the Ambassador continued. “From this day onward, for the next seventy years and beyond, Israel will continue to be a beacon of democracy, a powerhouse of innovation and a light unto the nations,” Ambassador Danon said in his address. EVENT On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two states, one Jewish, one Arab. It was a mistake! Instead of dividing the land they should have given it entirely to the Jews. By dividing the land in two has caused tension and conflict over the decades. In 1967 at the end of the 6 Day War, Israel regained the whole of the land of Israel as detailed in Numbers 34. But the world still says that the land (and Jerusalem) should be divided. God said differently. He says he would gather the Jews from all the nations into which they had been scattered - and he would give them the land of Israel. Despite the nations dividing the land God has given them the whole land. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 11:17 + Ezekiel 36:24)

7. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim [N.Israel], and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts. And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob [Israel] shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean. Israel strikes Iranian military base near Damascus Haartez, December 2, 2017 Israeli warplanes struck a military base near the Syrian capital of Damascus overnight Friday, Syrian state television has confirmed. According to pro-Assad news outlets, the target of the attack was an Iranian military base near the city of Al-Kiswa, located some 13 kilometres south of Damascus. Syria's air-defence system fired missiles at the Israeli aircraft, which reportedly launched the attack from Lebanese airspace, Sky News Arabia reported. Syrian state media has confirmed that an attack took place, and claimed that two Israeli missiles were intercepted by Syrian air defences. The report did not divulge further details as to the attack's target or of casualties sustained. The Syrian government has yet to comment. According to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an organization affiliated with the country's opposition, heavy explosions were heard in the Damascus area and electricity was cut off in several parts of the city. EVENT COMMENT Last month the BBC revealed a claim that Iran was building a permanent military base near the town that Israel struck last night. A series of satellite images showed construction at the location of the alleged base, which was made known to the BBC by a western intelligence source. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously warned that Israel would not allow Iran to establish any military presence in Syria. And so this morning we wake up to news that Israel has struck this military base. Israel is getting increasingly sucked into the Syrian conflict. There will be an initial conflict that does involve Israel and Syria before Russia descends. It will end with the total destruction of Damascus. Israel will be left weakened but will have removed the pricking briers. But into that void will come Russia, Iran, Turkey and Sudan. BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 17:3-4)

8. Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Russia preparing for North Korea war as tensions rise Newsweek, December 1, 2017 Russia is making preparations in case the diplomatic crisis around North Korea’s nuclear testing escalates into a fully fledged armed conflict, the head of Moscow’s Security Council said on Friday. North Korea and the U.S. have threatened each other with war over Pyongyang’s decision to defy international appeals and continue developing nuclear weapons. Russia and China, who have provided trade lifelines to a globally isolated regime in North Korea, have also opposed its weapons program but have been reluctant to back either side in the war posturing. Russia is nonetheless drafting plans for the scenario of a war breaking out once again on the Korean Peninsula, Nikolai Patrushev, the chairman of Russia’s Security Council, told state news agency RIA Novosti on Friday. Patrushev would not elaborate on the role Russia might play in such a conflict, but he suggested that Moscow would primarily watch out for itself. EVENT The missile launch at 3 A.M. Korean time Wednesday was dramatically different from the previous 22 launches that North Korea carried out this year. The Hwasong-15 missile rose 2,780 miles above the Earth, landing in the Sea of Japan after spending 53 minutes in the air. Experts show that this missile could achieve a range of anywhere between 10,000 and 13,000 kilometres if fired at a lower angle. There is no doubt now that Kim Jong Un’s has the ability to threaten the continental United States. Because of this Russia is now preparing for war. A new air defence missile system will go on combat duty next week to defend Moscow the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday. We see the nations preparing for war…. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Joel 3:9)

9. U.K.'s May visits Saudi Arabia to boost security ties Bloomberg, November 28, 2017 EVENT U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May travelled to the Middle East late on Tuesday for her second visit to Jordan and Saudi Arabia this year, as she seeks to strengthen defence ties with two allies seen as vital to the region’s security. On Wednesday, May will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for discussions about the ongoing conflict in Yemen, Saudi’s stand-off with Qatar, and the Gulf kingdom’s program of social reforms. The following day, she’ll meet with King Abdullah of Jordan and Prime Minister Hani Mulki in Amman to discuss how the U.K. can support the country’s economic resilience. “We need to ensure that we’re building stable partnerships to ensure our security, and there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s in Britain’s national interest to work with Jordan and Saudi Arabia,’’ May told reporters on the plane to Amman. “It’s in their security interests but also in ours. We want to help them to address regional challenges but also to put through the reforms that they have to ensure their long-term stability.’’ COMMENT By visiting the Middle East, Theresa May aims to show that even as Britain leaves the European Union it remains an influential country on the world stage, able to “forge a new and confident future,” she said. The visit comes at a tricky moment in Brexit negotiations, with May under pressure from the EU to make additional proposals both for Britain’s exit payment and the border with Ireland. Britain’s prime minister is looking to strengthen relationships around the world. Is it not amazing to see Tarshish (Britain) aligning itself so closely with Saudi Arabia? Ezekiel 38 written 2600 years ago said that Sheba and Dedan (Saudi Arabia) and the merchants of Tarshish would be allied as they oppose Russia, Iran etc. This alliance is developing before our eyes… BIBLE QUOTE Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?  (Ezekiel 38:13)

10. Putin crowns himself OPEC King Bloomberg, November 24, 2017 EVENT For more than half a century, Saudi Arabia’s oil minister could move markets with a few choice words about what OPEC may decide at its next meeting, generating millions if not billions of dollars of profit for insiders. Not anymore. While OPEC’s gatherings still influence prices, it’s not Saudi Arabia’s voice that matters most, but the voice of a non-member: Russia, specifically Vladimir Putin. Since engineering Russia’s pact with the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries to curb supplies a year ago, Putin has emerged as the group’s most influential player. As one senior OPEC official put it on condition of anonymity, the Russian leader is now “calling all the shots.” The Kremlin’s growing sway within the cartel reflects a foreign policy that’s designed to counter U.S. influence across the globe through a wide mix of economic, diplomatic, military and intelligence measures. That strategy, which is undergirded by Russia’s vast natural-resource wealth, appears to be working. COMMENT “Putin is now the world’s energy czar,” said Helima Croft, a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst who directs global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets LLC in New York. Putin is calling all the shots in the oil market. It is one reason why Putin staged a lavish welcome for the Saudi King back in October – the first official visit to Moscow by a ruling Saudi king - ever. The Bible says that Gog (Putin) will be drawn down into Israel because of spoil. In the last few years Israel has found enormous gas fields and this could well be the spoil that Putin wants. This year, Israel is in talks to export natural gas to Europe, with tentative plans to build an unprecedented, 2,200-km. subsea pipeline in the Med. And thou [Gog / Putin] 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 BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:11)

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.