Andy Walton’s Weekly World Watch

1. Andy Walton’s Weekly World Watch July 16 - 22 2006 “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. Please email me with any thoughts, questions or anything I may have missed! On last page there is a red button – if you click it an email will open up pre addressed to me so you can send an email comments etc

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 July 8 - 15 2006 • Iran blamed as Lebanon battle broadens • Biggest evacuation since Dunkirk • Terror in Tyre • Israel poised to invade Lebanon • Interesting quotes in relation to the conflict • Huge tsunami slams into Java TO PRINT ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SLIDES JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE ON EACH SLIDE

5. Iran blamed as battle broadens Headline Iran blamed as Lebanon battle broadens Headline Daily Telegraph July 16 Event Iran was thrust to the forefront of widening conflict in the Middle East last night when Israel and America blamed it for supplying the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah with sophisticated weapons to fight a proxy war against the Jewish state. Israeli intelligence claimed that 100 Iranian Revolutionary Guards were in Lebanon helping Hezbollah, and that their weapons would enable Hezbollah to strike with devastating force at Israel's armed forces and civilian population as far south as the capital, Tel Aviv. Comment Iran has repeatedly threatened to “harm western interests” in the Middle East during its ‘nuclear’ talks with European officials. A senior European source said that the last threat was made on July 11, the eve of Hizbollah’s provocative attack and kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers. We note from the article above that 100 Iranian Revolutionary Guards are in Lebanon helping Hizbollah, according to the Israelis. Israel also estimates that Hizbollah have in the region of 13,000 missiles! Many are long range that can hit Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. They have not been used yet in the conflict but Israel is certain that when the ground war begins they will be used. The Bible talks of the kings of the Medes being stirred up. My encyclopaedia states that the Medes were an Aryan people living in present day Iran. The Bible talks of the Medes invading Babylon (modern day Iraq). They may well do - on the way to Israel Bible Quote Isaiah 13 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. See also Jeremiah 51:11

6. 'Biggest evacuation since Dunkirk' Headline 'Biggest evacuation since Dunkirk' Headline Daily Telegraph July 18 Event The Royal Navy is preparing for "the biggest evacuation since Dunkirk" to rescue British nationals and Commonwealth citizens from Lebanon, MPs were told yesterday. Comment A picture speaks a 1000 words. As I stared at this picture the verse below suddenly came into my mind. Here we have before us “ships of Tarshish” (Britain) going to Cyprus (Chittim) rescuing people from Lebanon (where the city of Tyre is!). Could the verse below have a latter day fulfilment? Could Tyre refer to modern Tyre? Could the ships of Tarshish mentioned here be modern British ships? We know Chittim is Cyprus. The next slide looks in more detail. Bible Quote Isaiah 23 1 ¶ The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5190816.stm

7. Terror in Tyre Lebanese soldiers lay out coffins in a mass grave in Tyre Headline Terror in Tyre Article Daily Telegraph July 22 Event The scale of Lebanon's agony was marked in black numbers daubed on a hospital wall in the southern city of Tyre yesterday counting from 1 up to 74, each one representing a civilian killed by Israel's assault. The numbers were painted by nurses at the Tyre General Hospital as they tried to make sense of the hellish confusion inside a refrigerated meat lorry pressed into service as a makeshift mortuary. For the first 10 days of Israeli attacks, the dead of Tyre and its district had been stockpiled here as air strikes made it too dangerous for them to be given a normal burial. But with more bodies arriving all the time, the hospital authorities decided to make space by emptying the lorry. Comment The city of Tyre is a stronghold for Hizbollah – hence the ferocious attacks on the city by Israel. Could the references to Tyre in the scriptures be linked to the current situation? It is more likely than you may first think. The verse below, in an obvious latter day reference, remarkably links the Philistines (Palestinians) and the inhabitants of Tyre (Hizbollah!) as people who want to destroy Israel!! So the burden of Tyre mentioned in Isaiah 23:1 may also refer to modern Tyre. Therefore the ships of Tarshish may indeed howl (wail) from their position at Chittim (Cyprus) for things they may soon witness in Tyre. The end is very near…. Bible Quote Psalm 83 4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: 7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

8. Israel poised to invade Lebanon Headline Israel poised to invade Lebanon Headline Daily Telegraph July 22 Event Israel called up several thousand reserve soldiers and massed infantry and tank units on the Lebanese border last night, signalling an imminent large-scale invasion. As horns sounded the start of the Jewish Sabbath across Israel at sunset, tanks, troops, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers lined up on stretches of a two-lane highway in northern Israel.Lt Gen Dan Halutz, the chief of staff, prepared Israelis for a limited invasion to destroy Hizbollah positions which have remained intact despite 10 days of bombs and rockets. Comment Total war is at hand. Israel (military analysts predict) will invade Lebanon within days. They are fighting on 2 fronts – Gaza and Lebanon. They are already feeling the pinch from troop numbers. Some soldiers currently in jail for “minor” crimes have been released to join the front lines. Hizbollah has far more sophisticated weapons and are fighting far more ferociously than Israel expected. Let us put in perspective where we are. In June 1967 Israel pushed forward and captured the whole land promised to them by God in Numbers 34. They captured Jerusalem at the same time. They did it in 6 days. Jesus says (in the parable of the fig tree) that from the “pushing forward” i.e. 1967, a generation will NOT pass away until ALL is fulfilled. A generation is 40 years. We are therefore at the very end of this time period with these incredible (long looked for) events beginning very suddenly to happen. They MUST precede the coming of our Lord from heaven to judge the earth Bible Quote Luke 21 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 32 This generation shall not pass away,……

9. Condoleezza Rice: 'Syria knows what it needs to do and Hizbollah is the source of the problem' Quotes in relation to the conflict Headline US warning as search for peace begins Headline Daily Telegraph July 22 Event Washington took charge of Middle Eastern diplomacy last night while insisting it would not call for a ceasefire and that disarming Hizbollah was the key to resolving the crisis. For more than a week America has courted charges of being too close to Israel by failing to rush into peace-making or shuttle diplomacy. President George W Bush and his senior officials have made no attempt to sugar coat their belief that the crisis is the fault of Hizbollah and Hamas and that they support the Israeli government's desire to bring them to heel. Yesterday Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, defended this record. She described the crisis as "the birth pangs of a new Middle East" as she unveiled plans for a whirlwind tour of the region starting tomorrow. Comment Condoleeza Rice described the crisis as “the birth pangs of a new Middle East”. This is an interesting quote as we know these events certainly are the birth pangs of a new Middle East. Not the new Middle East Miss Rice is looking for - but the new Middle East and the new world ruled over by Jesus. The Bible talks of the world in travail as when a woman gives birth at the time Jesus returns. Another interesting quote this week was from Lebanon’s Prime Minister. He said “I can say that the GATES of hell have been opened on Lebanon.” The Bible says in Zechariah 11:1 –“Open thy doors (often translated GATES!) O Lebanon, that FIRE may devour thy cedars”. The gates / doors of Lebanon are being opened. Bible Quote 1 Thessalonians 5 3 then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

10. Huge tsunami slams into Java Headline Huge tsunami slams into Java Headline Daily Telegraph July 18 Event An undersea earthquake sent a tsunami crashing into the Indonesian island of Java yesterday, killing at least 86 [over 500 now] people and flattening homes and beach huts in resorts and villages along its south coast. Scores of people were missing last night and the toll was expected to rise after areas of the densely populated shore were destroyed by waves several yards high. Thousands fled to higher ground and were afraid to return home until after the shock waves ceased. Comment On the same day, in the same newspaper, was the headline “Etna awakes with storm of fire and lava”. “Mount Etna the largest active volcano in Europe, threw fire and rocks more than 800 ft into the air yesterday. Even though the eruption has continued for three days, scientists say it had lost little of its force.” The temperature of the earth is causing problems as well. The UK has just recorded its hottest day on record for July. 4000 firemen battled raging fires in California this week as it too experienced record temperatures. So we have sea and waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for fear, earthquake and signs in the sun (soaring temperatures) all in one week. Add all this to the situation in Israel and we can see how near we are to the end and our redemption. Bible Quote Luke 21 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

11. THE END WORLD WATCH WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU EACH WEEK. PLEASE LET ME KNOW OF ANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED. PLEASE SEND ME THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS AND I WILL PUT THEM ON THE REGULAR WEEKLY EMAIL ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS OR COMMENTS WELCOME. EMAIL ANDY Click Here Move your cursor around until it appears To watch again click here