October 26 – November 1, 2008

1. Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s October 26 – November 1, 2008 “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 October 26 – November 1, 2008 • US accused of 'terrorist aggression' after Syria raid • Russia feels chill winds of the global downturn • Libya leader to discuss hosting Russian base • US shuts Damascus embassy amid rising tensions • 300 feared dead in Pakistan quake • Pottery may be clue to Bible’s King David To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right

5. Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail. US accused of 'terrorist aggression' after Syria raid Daily Telegraph, October 29, 2008 Syria has denounced America's "terrorist aggression" after a US raid on its territory killed eight people including three children. The attack by helicopter-borne troops was swiftly followed by another cross border strike into Pakistan. "We are taking matters into our own hands,“ an official said. The Syrian raid coincided with an official visit to London by Walid Al-Muallem, the country's foreign minister. His presence had been intended to signal a gradual thaw in relations between Britain and Syria. After holding talks with David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Muallem condemned the American operation. All of the casualties had been civilians, he said, and the strike had taken place in daylight. "This means it was not a mistake. This means it was deliberate," said Mr Muallem. "We consider this criminal and terrorist aggression and we put the responsibility on the American government. They need to investigate and return back to us with a result and an explanation." A US official later confirmed the attack, saying US forces in Iraq had staged a "successful" raid into Syria against foreign fighters. EVENT America is losing patience with Syria as fast as it is losing soldiers in Iraq. Syria has allowed high ranking Al Qaeda operatives to smuggle arms into Iraq. This is the first time America has attacked Syria. Russia and Iran both condemned the attack. The Bush administration has had Syria in its crosshairs for a long time now. This attack could even be seen as a shot across Russia’s bow who have been increasing its ties with Syria lately. There will come a day when great destruction comes on Syria. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Jeremiah 49:24)

6. 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, …… To take a spoil Russia feels chill winds of the global downturn Daily Telegraph, October 27, 2008 If America and the rest of the West is feeling a chill right now, then Russia is positively freezing. Faced with its worst financial crisis since the rouble crash of 1998, the Russian government has adopted a policy of denial, at least for its domestic audience. Media outlets have been banned from using words like "crisis" and "collapse" or from showing pictures of queues forming outside banks, some of which have banned depositors from withdrawing their money. Inflation has soared to 15 percent and already supermarket shelves have started to empty. Banks have begun to fail despite a $200 million rescue package. Even more worryingly, the fall in oil prices could mean that Russia will struggle to stem a slowdown in its economic growth. The Kremlin needs an average oil prices above $70 a barrel to balance its 2009 budget. On Friday, Russia's Urals blend of crude stood close to $60, below which the Russian central bank may no longer be able to defend the rouble. Russia has already spent nearly eight per cent of its reserves trying to prop up the rapidly falling currency. EVENT Russia’s main wealth in recent years has come from the soaring price of oil and gas. It peaked at almost $150 a barrel. The price is now down to around $60 a barrel. As the article above says – Russia needs at least $70 a barrel to balance its books. What it needs more than anything right now is a hike in the oil price. With a worldwide recession looming (and in fact underway) the demand for oil will drop. With lower demand the price will fall, and this is what has been happening in recent weeks. Suppose you desperately need the oil price to increase. What options are there to ensure this happens? One way would be to create a crisis in the Middle East. War in that area would certainly increase oil prices globally. It would create a spoil for Russia! COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:10-12)

7. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: …and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. Libya leader to discuss hosting Russian base Reuters, October 31, 2008 Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, starting his first visit to post- Soviet Russia on Friday, will discuss opening a Russian naval base in Libya to counterbalance U.S. interests in the region, a paper reported. Gaddafi, who last visited then Soviet Russia in 1985, is expected to discuss purchases of Russian arms and energy cooperation during his three-day visit. The business daily Kommersant, quoting a source involved in preparing Gaddafi's visit, said "the colonel has saved the good news for his visit which will mollify the Kremlin's resentment" at a lack of deals with post-sanctions Libya. "During these talks the colonel intends to raise the issue of opening a base for Russia's navy in the Libyan port of Benghazi," the paper wrote. "In line with the Libyan leader's plan, Russia's military presence will become a guarantee of non-aggression from the United States which, despite numerous conciliatory gestures, is not in a hurry to embrace Colonel Gaddafi." EVENT Libya is mentioned in the Bible. It is sometimes translated as Phut. This is because the actual Hebrew word is “phut”. According to Strong’s concordance it refers to a nation and people of northern Africa – hence the translation from Phut to Libya. The Libyans are often mentioned in the same verse as the Ethiopians. They appear to act together in times of war. In Ezekiel 38 we read of Ethiopia and Libya being with with Russia at the time Israel is attacked. In Daniel 11:43 we read of the Ethiopians and the Libyans being at king of the north’s (Russia’s) steps as he invades Israel. Therefore when we read of Libya meeting with Russia and discussing opening a Russian naval base we see prophecy being fulfilled. They are working together! COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:4 / Daniel 11:43)

8. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria. And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin US shuts Damascus embassy amid rising tensions BBConline, October 30, 2008 Thousands of people have marched through Damascus in protest at an alleged US raid on a village that Syria says killed eight people. Many at the government-backed demonstration carried banners, shouted anti-US slogans and waved pictures of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Riot police surrounded the US embassy in Damascus, which American officials closed blaming security fears. The Syrian government has demanded that Washington apologise for the incident. The US state department and the White House have refused to confirm the alleged attack. The protesters, including many civil servants and students, converged on the central Youssef al-Azmi square. Closing the Damascus embassy on Thursday, American officials cited "violence and significant damage to US facilities and other embassies" in past demonstrations. EVENT America cited “increased security risk and rising tensions,” for closing its embassy in Syria. Debkafile, (military analysts in Israel) said the following this week in relation to the attack. “DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Syrian government expects more US attacks after Sunday's US raid in the north which left 8 people dead. A spokesman in Damascus announced Wednesday night, October 30, that if US strikes are repeated, Syria will break off security cooperation not only with the US but also with Iraq on their common border. The situation is explosive enough to lead to a Syrian declaration of war if Iraqi forces hit terrorist bases on its soil.” They went on to say that it is possible that Israel will strike against Hezbollah's arms smuggling routes using as a precedent the US attack this week. Israel may come into direct conflict with Syria at some point before Russia invades. These events move us closer to this. COMMENT BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 17:3-4)

9. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 300 feared dead in Pakistan quake BBConline, October 31, 2008 Officials say they fear that up to 300 people have been killed in an earthquake in Pakistan's south-west Balochistan province. Up to 50,000 people are thought to be homeless following the 6.4 magnitude tremor on Wednesday. Since the quake, there have been many aftershocks, frightening people in villages and towns across a wide area. Rescuers are still scrambling to reach thousands of survivors who have spent two cold nights in the open. EVENT COMMENT We perhaps get used to hearing about earthquakes. Jesus says that there will be earthquakes in various places. But there have always been earthquakes some might say so why is this something to look for? Well interestingly earthquakes are on the increase! The graph shows the number of earthquakes between 1970 and 2005. In 1970 there were 3680 earthquakes. This figure steadily increased and in 1980 there were 4689 earthquakes. By 1990 this had increased to 6255. In the year 2000 there were 9563. In 2005 it increased to 15,770! All this information comes from US Geological Survey website that monitors worldwide earthquakes. On top of this we see famines and diseases (pestilence) around the world as well. We have no excuse when Christ returns to have fallen asleep – let us watch! BIBLE QUOTE (Luke 21:11 NIV)

10. When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. Pottery may be clue to Bible’s King David Daily Telegraph, October 31, 2008 A 3,000 year old scrap of pottery has been hailed as the first archaeological evidence the biblical King David did exist. The tiny shard was unearthed at the site where the Bible says the shepherd boy David killed the giant Goliath. It is said to feature the oldest-ever Hebrew inscription, predating the famous Dead Sea Scrolls by at least 850 years. Researchers have not yet been able to decipher the full text of its five lines but they have translated the words for "king", "judge", and "slave," suggesting it was written by a trained scribe in the king's court. The lead archaeologist says the shard and the fortress-city in which it was uncovered are rare evidence of the biblical kingdom of David. In Christian and Jewish tradition David became a great king of the Jews and founder of Jerusalem. The experts said the latest finds suggested the area was home to a powerful civilisation rather than a small tribe of little importance. "This is the revolutionary aspect in our excavations," Yosef Garfinkel, the lead archaeologist in the case and a professor at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, told the Daily Telegraph. "It is the first time in Israel that you have a fortified city from the kingdom of David. This has never been found before." EVENT COMMENT We know King David was once king of Israel about 1000 years before Christ was born. He was chosen by God to be king and he established Jerusalem as its capital. God promised that one day a descendant of David would have a kingdom that would last forever. This descendant would sit on David’s throne and rule in righteousness from Jerusalem. Luke 1:32 makes clear this is Jesus. He WILL rule from Jerusalem. BIBLE QUOTE (2 Samuel 7:12 NIV)

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.