Andy Walton’s Weekly World Watch

1. June 15 - 21 2008 Andy Walton’sWeekly World Watch “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

2. What is this world watch all about? I decided each week to look at key events that had happened in that week and look at them with the Bible in hand. I hope to build up a picture of Gods hand working in the affairs of this world bringing about that day when all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem to battle which will be brought to end when the Lord Jesus Christ physically returns from heaven to set up Gods kingdom. The key areas which will crop up time and again will be • Israel – Middle East the growing conflict • Europe – the developing union / political and religious • Russia – continued turning back to anti west ways • The development of King of South – US & UK • Declining moral standards and increasing violence. A number of Bible Presentations have been produced and can be ordered by . The presentations are audio / visual powerpoint CD’s. Move your mouse around to get the arrow and click the green link. Clicking here

3. Weekly Developments These are just a few of the events that have caught my eye in the previous week. It is in no way meant to be exhaustive – just a look at those events I saw as significant from a Bible viewpoint. Headlines These are always headlines printed in the newspaper – the date is always given and which paper. Normally the Daily Telegraph. (DT) Event This is usually the newspapers take on the events that have happened. It will always be a direct quote from the newspaper. Comment This is my take on why it is interesting from a Bible point of view. The idea of this weekly world watch is to give a quick Biblical perspective without going into detail. If more detail is needed please email me. Bible Quote 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.

4. Weekly Developments June 15 - 21 2008 • Israelis 'rehearse Iran attack' • Oil price surge over Israeli air drill • Olmert hails peace talks progress • US flooding ruins crops • Czech threat looms for EU treaty • Global stock and credit crash alert TO PRINT ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SLIDES JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE ON EACH SLIDE

5. Israelis 'rehearse Iran attack' Headline Israelis 'rehearse Iran attack‘ Headline BBConline June 20 2008 Event Israel has carried out an exercise that appears to have been a rehearsal for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, US officials have told the New York Times. More than 100 Israeli fighter jets took part in manoeuvres over the eastern Mediterranean and over Greece in the first week of June, US officials said. Iran insists its programme is peaceful, but Israel sees Iran's development of the technology as a serious threat. The Israeli exercise, it seems, was designed to send a message to Tehran that Israel has the power and will to attack if it thought Iran was close to getting a nuclear weapon, the BBC's Jeremy Bowen reports. Comment Two weeks ago in the WWW, we reported that top Israeli officials had threatened to attack Iran if they continued with their nuclear arms program. What no one knew was that Israel in that very week was carrying out an exercise involving 100 fighter jets to practice such an attack. Most commentators now say that it is too late for President Bush to cobble together a US led attack on Iran in his last 7 months. However, an Israeli led attack is something that would not need domestic American support. Israel would need Washington’s approval though as their fighter planes would have to fly through Iraqi airspace. Even if Israel does attack Iran, one thing is certain. Iran will survive. Persia (modern day Iran) joins with Gog in Ezekiel 38 to attack Israel. There are prophesies about Elam (south western Iran) that could have a latter day fulfilment. Jeremiah 49:34-39 speaks of Elam begin dismayed and evil coming on them. Elam is the very area where most of the military nuclear targets are that would be hit in a strike. Bible Quote Jeremiah 49 35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. 36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven an Israeli strike could possibly fulfil these verses

6. Oil price surge over Israeli air drill Headline Oil price surge over apparent Israeli air drill for Iran attack Headline Debkafile June 21 2008 Event DEBKAfile’s military sources report that an oil price surge of 5 percent to $135.92 was triggered by the report leaked by US government officials of an Israeli air force drill over Greece for an apparent strike against Iran, Friday, June 20. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a war alert in the Revolutionary Guards and armed forces, with the Israeli and US Gulf forces following suit. Tehran made no immediate comment, while Iranian leaders were reported puzzled by the Bush administration’s motives in leaking the report to the New York Times. The most extreme reaction came from the UN nuclear watchdog’s director Mohamad ElBaradei, who threatened to resign if there was a military strike on Iran, warning such an attack would turn the region into a “fireball.” Comment This week Iran’s ambassador to Syria said that Iran would pass on its “experience with nuclear power to Syria”. This “earthshattering statement” (as the Israeli press called it), has possibly come about because of Syrian peace talks with Israel. It is interesting that the next day US officials told the world about the Israeli rehearsal for an attack on Iran. These events bring us closer to the following scenario. Israel finally decides enough is enough and launches an attack on Iranian nuclear bases. This causes oil prices to rocket (the article shows that even a rumour of an attack can put prices up 5%!). The UN nuclear watchdog’s director resigns. The region is in turmoil. Who would the world blame? ISRAEL. Almost all governments are nervous at the moment with rising fuel and food prices. Riots have been breaking out around the world. A scapegoat is needed. Israel would fit the bill. All nations would soon be sucked into war – for everything the world holds dear is at stake. Bible Quote Joel 3 2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel. 3 And they have cast lots for my people; cast lots = retribution

7. Headline Olmert hails peace talks progress Headline BBConline June 19 2008 Event Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has insisted that his government's peace talks with the Palestinian Authority are making progress. In an interview with the BBC Arabic service, he said serious progress had been made on issues such as the borders of a future Palestinian state. He said Israel was ready to compromise dramatically on territorial issues but that the process had to be "two-way". He said that his agenda was "to make peace with the Arab people". "I want to make peace with Palestinians, I want to make peace with the Syrians, I want to make peace with Lebanon," he said. Comment At the same time the signs of conflict grow, so does the talk of peace! Israel knows that they would be condemned if any strike on Iran went wrong so they have to appear that they want peace. Notice the huge emphasis on peace in Ehud Olmert’s speech this week. Mr Olmert was speaking on the day a truce came into effect between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip. The Jerusalem Post reported that this “truce” was only a “temporary lull before the storm.” No one really imagines that this truce is a real breakthrough to a lasting peace between Israel and Hamas. Hamas has never backed down on its core reason for existence – that is, Israel should be destroyed. The Bible makes very clear that BEFORE the great destruction there WILL be talk of peace. The Bible does not say when there IS peace but when they SAY (talk/advise) peace. Israel is now talking peace with all its neighbours. See 1 Thessalonians 5:3. The Bible also tells us that the leaders of Israel will seduce the Jewish people saying peace. But God himself says there will be NO PEACE. See the verse below… Bible Quote Ezekiel 13 10 ¶ Because, even because they [Israel’s leaders] have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace Olmert hails peace talks progress

8. Headline US flooding ruins crops and threatens global food prices Headline BBConline June 21 2008 Event Disastrous flooding in the US cornbelt this week will be felt worldwide in higher food prices, farmers have warned. The floods, which began at the end of May, have killed 24 people and caused damage estimated at billions of dollars. They have also dashed hopes of a bumper harvest in the Midwest. Donnie Miller, who has farmed in Iowa for three decades, said he had never known such a disastrous year. Ever since the Iowa River, a tributary of the Mississippi, flooded three weeks ago, much of his 1,400-acre maize and soya bean farm near Solon has been waterlogged. "If the floods don't go away, nothing will get planted and it's getting very late," said Mr Miller, who now estimates his maize harvest will be down 50 per cent on last year. Comment Corn prices have jumped by a quarter this month alone and are up 90% over the year. The sharp price rise has stoked fears about food price inflation. Supply worries have been compounded by rising demand. Corn is not only a staple food for humans, it is also the main ingredient in cattle feed. One farmer said “Stocks are going down to the lowest possible level. As farmers say, we’re down to sweeping the bin – literally”. And so in these final days of Egypt we see food failing. The first time corn is mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 27:28. (The word “corn” can mean cereal or grain.) Isaac blesses Jacob (Israel) and says that God will give him plenty of corn. He goes on to say that if a nation blesses Israel then that nation will be blessed. If they curse however, they will be cursed. America is reaping these curses and their own corn (grain) is failing. Why? Because they have pushed Israel into dividing God’s land. Bible Quote Genesis 27 28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: US flooding ruins crops

9. Czech threat looms for EU treaty Headline Czech threat looms for EU treaty Headline BBConline June 20 2008 Event EU leaders have admitted that the Czech Republic may not be able to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, which has already been rejected by the Irish. The declaration from their summit in Brussels notes that the Czech process is on hold due to legal difficulties. But they said ratification would continue elsewhere, and ruled out renegotiation of the treaty. But British PM Gordon Brown said the UK could not definitively ratify it until a court ruled on a legal challenge. It followed a warning from a judge in the case that ratification should be delayed until the ruling was in. The treaty passed through British parliament this week, but has still to complete formal ratification. Mr Brown said the judge's intervention would not affect the process, which would not have been completed until after the court judgement anyway. Comment Revelation 17 is a vision given to John about a woman sitting on a beast. The question is. Is John viewing this from his position in the late first century. Or is he viewing these events as if he had been transported forward in time. I.e. as if he were viewing the events as they are happening in our day (but in a vision). It seems from the first verse that John is being transported forward in time. “Come hither” the angel says. And in verse 2 John is “carried away”. He is then shown the final vision, the final stage of the beast. If this is the case then phrases such as “received no kingdom as yet” are written as if viewed from the present. When John states they received no kingdom as yet he is not saying that one day they will receive a kingdom. He is saying they want one but haven’t got one at the time he saw the vision. This means therefore they never will, Christ intervenes. Bible Quote Revelation 17 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. The empire (kingdom) they long for remains out of their grasp.

10. Global stock and credit crash alert Headline RBS issues global stock and credit crash alert Headline Daily Telegraph June 19 2008 Event The Royal Bank of Scotland has advised clients to brace for a full-fledged crash in global stock and credit markets over the next three months as inflation paralyses the major central banks. "A very nasty period is soon to be upon us - be prepared," said Bob Janjuah, the bank's credit strategist. A report by the bank's research team warns that the S&P 500 index of Wall Street equities is likely to fall by more than 300 points to around 1050 by September as "all the chickens come home to roost" from the excesses of the global boom, with contagion spreading across Europe and emerging markets. Such a slide on world bourses would amount to one of the worst bear markets over the last century. Comment As the report says above “all the chickens are coming home to roost”. Much of the world has lived to excess and a time is fast approaching when all that mankind holds dear (wealth, mammon etc) will be swept away. Man has always worshipped gold and silver and the things which he has created. We should take note of the verse below. God is not like gold or silver. He is not like something made by man. He wants us to put our trust in HIM not in the things we make. There will come a day, (one that God himself has appointed), when chickens really will come home to roost. For there is a specific date on His calendar when he will judge the world. He has chosen a man to do it. That man is Jesus Christ. Bible Quote Acts 17 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained Christ will judge the world.

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