Prophecy in the news
"Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book:
for the time is at hand." - Rev 22:10 

Quote: "Further offending some opponents, the parade is scheduled to take place on November 10, the anniversary of Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass), a pogrom against Jewish people, their homes, businesses and synagogues that took place in cities, towns and villages across Germany. Sattath said that the day was chosen because it was the first available Friday after the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. She noted that Kristallnacht is marked in Israel according to the Jewish calendar, which is marked on a different day.

Other protests have been organized, including one which will see hundreds of animals paraded through Jerusalem, following the same route as the homosexual march. 

Quote: "Ohad Bart, the representative of the Yesha Council's religious education institutions, told Ynet: "We want to hold a parade of beasts because these people's acts are beastly." According to Bart, there is no intention to confront the marchers but to do things in an organized way. "We want to explain to God that we are protesting the desecration of Jerusalem. It's a disgrace," said Bart. He added that "when they put a head's pig at the Temple Mount, the entire world went wild. And when they bring this abomination to the streets of the holy city, it is our duty to protest and call out and bless God's name."

It's ironic, isn't it? Homosexuals excuse their behaviour by pointing to similar behaviour in the animal kingdom (and it's true), and those protesting their behaviour also point to similar behaviour in the animal kingdom. 

Quote: "Nobody will explain to you that homosexuals can be found in every society since the dawn of history. That it is a phenomenon shared by both humans and animals. That it is simply part of nature, just like some of us are light-skinned and others are dark-skinned, or tall or short. Some people are attracted to members of their own gender. This is simply how it is, and twenty tons of self-hatred won't help here.

Looking at it humorously, dogs urinate in the streets, but I wouldn't recommend people follow their example. I guess that Scripture is true in Romans 1, that people worship and serve the creature more than the Creator. They also don't realize they are living in a fallen world, and behaviour like this is not God's intention. But bringing things into perspective, homosexual marches are the least of Israel's worries at the minute. If only more people (and Christians!) would realize how short the time is, and like Nineveh, get themselves right with God, perhaps things might be different.

Source YNet News, CNS News, YNet News, YNet News

Quote: ""The Middle East is going through a very crucial moment (and) in several directions," he told reporters as he headed home. Solana said he focused on “giving a push to the Palestinian-Israeli track", adding that "without solving that, there is very little chance" of making the Mideast more secure and stable.

Solana will return to the region for more talks late next month. The Zionist Organization of America slammed Solana over his recent comments that Hamas is not seeking to destroy Israel, only to liberate the Palestinians - this despite the Hamas charter calling for the destruction of Israel by Islam...

Quote: ""Given the published, known facts about Hamas and its activities, how does Javier Solana have the gall to say with a straight face that Hamas does not seek to destroy Israel but merely liberate Palestinians? Since Hamas sees the liberation of Palestinians as consisting of the elimination of Israel, that is a distinction without a difference. This is not only ZOA's interpretation -- it is what Hamas itself says. As its Charter clearly shows, Hamas is dedicated to nothing less than a genocidal war against the Jews. It can bring no stability except that of the grave. 

Source IranMania, ZOA

Quote: "According to another employee who witnessed the events, and who hid when he saw the insurgents approach, the insurgents questioned Ayad after seeing that his ID stated "Christian", asking if he was truly a "Christian sinner." Ayad replied "yes, I am Christian but I am not a sinner." The insurgents quickly said this is a "dirty Christian sinner!" Then they proceeded to each hold one limb, shouting "Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!" while beheading the boy.

The Bible states that during the tribulation period, many of the saints will be beheaded for their witness for Christ. Some Christians believe that since beheading is the preferred method of execution in Islam, that Christianity and Islam will collide during the tribulation period. It does seem that Islam is coming more to the fore in the Western world, and that is of course why the "Alliance of Civilizations" was proposed by Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero. But beheading is not unique to Islam. France invented the guillotine, Henry the 8th beheaded his wives and of course John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod. Although I do believe the rapture will come before the tribulation period, I do hope that I would also be faithful when called to suffer for Him.

Revelation 20:4 
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Source Assyrian International News Agency

Quote: ""The bottom line is this is an important research project to determine the feasibility of using certain transactions and events to discover and respond to terrorists before they act," he said. Aldridge said the database, which he called another "tool" in the war on terror, would look for telltale signs of suspicious consumer behaviour. Examples he cited were: sudden and large cash withdrawals, one-way air or rail travel, rental car transactions and purchases of firearms, chemicals or agents that could be used to produce biological or chemical weapons. It would also combine consumer information with visa records, passports, arrest records or reports of suspicious activity given to law enforcement or intelligence services.

This is the exact situation I predicted would occur. The Bible states that when the Mark of the Beast is brought in, no man will be able to buy or sell save he have the Mark (the implant), the name of the Beast, or the number of his name (possibly like a credit card number?). One of the prime reasons for bringing in the Mark will be to control consumer purchases. If the government can prevent unauthorized financial transactions by eliminating physical money and adopting a secure electronic monetary system, they can literally control who lives or dies - hopefully the terrorists of course. But such a system will only become effective once it becomes compulsory, and the Bible states that during the seven year tribulation period, the Antichrist will make the Mark compulsory.

Revelation 13:16-17
And he (Antichrist) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Source Fox News

Quote: "For the past six years European countries have been using RFID chips to identify pet animals. However, its use in humans has already been trialled in America, where the chips were implanted in 70 mentally-ill elderly people in order to track their movements. And earlier this year a security company in Ohio chipped two of its employees to allow them to enter a secure area. The glass-encased chips were planted in the recipients' upper right arms and 'read' by a device similar to a credit card reader. In their Report on the Surveillance Society, the authors now warn: "The call for everyone to be implanted is now being seriously debated." 

RFID chips are already being used in British passports, and Prime Minister Tony Blair hopes to launch a compulsory national identification card by the year 2010. The Labour government is already using satellite technology to spy on its citizens homes to calculate rates bills, and CCTV cameras are now monitoring virtually every car journey in the UK. George Orwell first contemplated the idea of compulsory microchip implants in his book "1984", published in 1949. 60 years later his own country is slowly becoming Brave New Britain. In 2002 Andy Rooney stated his belief that we need some sort of system for permanently identifying safe people, and if the UK government has its way, Britain may become the first country to attempt it.

Source Daily Mail, Bloomberg

Quote: ""It's being worked very hard at this very moment as we are talking a lot of people are working on this issue (a technocratic government)...we hope to see in not a very long period of time a possibility of that," Javier Solana told reporters in English after arriving in Jordan from Beirut. Talks on a coalition collapsed because rivals Hamas and Fatah could not agree on terms that might have led to an easing of a Western aid embargo, which is designed to push the militant Hamas to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept past accords. "We need a government of experts, a government of whatever you want to call it in which that government could operate as a government of unity if you want to call it, or experts or professional people whatever you want to call it," Solana said.

Call it what you will, but a Lotus with any other name would be as deadly. A puppet government that will recognize Israel's right to exist on behalf of two terrorist organizations will not put an end to violence from Hamas or Fatah. It will simply allow the international community to turn a blind eye to what is going on. In Northern Ireland, parties that signed up to the Good Friday agreement were white-washed by the governments, and attacks that continue to be carried out by the terrorist organizations are excused as being the work of "dissident elements" within the Republican or Loyalist factions. A similar situation may end up happening in the Gaza Strip, if a technocratic government is formed. But then the Bible states that the peace agreement confirmed by the Antichrist will fail catastrophically in the middle of the seven year period. 

Quote: ""I hope that in a very short time we will have a positive development" from the Palestinians on how president Mahmoud Abbas would like to move forward with the Palestinian government, he said late Saturday after talks in Amman with Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdel al-Katib... Solana, who has also visited Israel, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, said he planned to return to the Middle East late November or early December.  

So the race is still on for an agreement by the end of 2006. Whether this happens or not is another question entirely, but all eyes are on the Middle East. We could possibly be witnessing the lead up to the confirmation of a covenant of peace. If we were, would you be ready? Have you made a covenant of peace with God? For the Bible states that the only way we can obtain true peace with God is by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ... 

Zechariah 9:9-11 
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King (Yeshua HaMashiach - Jesus Christ) cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his (Christ's) dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. As for thee (Jesus Christ) also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

Source Reuters, Yahoo

Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy travelled to Beirut yesterday to meet with high profile politicians and influential leaders over the continuing crisis in the Middle East. Solana is on a 6 day tour of the region in the hope of restarting the stalled peace process. Day 3 saw a visit to Lebanon to shore up Saniora's fragile government, which is being pressed hard by Hizbullah and Syria. David sent me an email of this article, but when I read his link, the section he highlighted for me - detailing a meeting between Solana and Catholic Cardinal Nasrallah, has been edited out. Here is the original text...

Quote: "The one-day visit to Beirut was to send a strong message to Syria and its Lebanese allies that Europe, which is providing the bulk of a 7,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force, wants to keep Saniora's moderate government in office. "We have real and important responsibilities in Lebanon," Solana said in Israel before heading to Lebanon. Behind closed doors EU officials were expected to voice concern over growing tensions between rival Lebanese factions, which threaten Saniora's fragile coalition.  Arriving late Friday in Beirut, Solana met with Lebanon's influential Maronite Catholic patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir. On Saturday Solana will confer with parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh as well as Saniora. Notably absent from Solana's agenda is pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.

Why this information has been removed, I have no idea. But clearly, the religious element of conflict is not off limits to Javier Solana. His visit comes as his former aid and current Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, met with 10 other European and Middle East leaders (Egypt, Greece, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Turkey, Algeria, France, Tunisia, and Libya as a special guest) to thrash out the Declaration of Alicante. Moratinos believes the roadmap to peace is fatally stalled, and a new broader agreement should negotiated between the European Union and the countries of the Middle East. The Declaration of Alicante will call for short term steps to be taken in order to kick-start the peace process again, including the publication of a Palestinian Constitution (let me guess, based on the National Reconciliation Document?)

Quote: "Citing a list of requirements for successful peace building, the declaration called for "the convening of an international conference, aimed at demonstrating political commitment to the renewed multilateral peace process as well as the active support from neighboring countries, regional organizations and third parties." Speaking at a news conference, Moratinos described the declaration as "Strong, committed and with ideas." "I can say with absolute conviction that you will see many of these proposals become reality. It is not just another proposal from a regional diplomatic meeting but rather something that will have an impact," he added.

It seems everyone in Europe is talking about peace in the Middle East. I'm starting to lose count of the number of peace initiatives Europe - and particularly Spain, has launched. Sooner or later an agreement will be drawn up, and confirmed by Europe's top man, in accordance with Daniel's prophecy.  

Source International Herald Tribune, YNet News

Quote: "Russia is sending a peacekeeping force to Lebanon, which will operate independently of the UNIFIL force currently stationed in the region, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Friday. Ivanov said that the Russian force would be sent in coordination with the Lebanese government.

Interestingly, speculation is rife in Russia about who will succeed President Putin in 2008. One of the potential candidates is Sergei Ivanov himself. I've often wondered how the international community could be so spineless as to not bother to repel a Russian/Islamic invasion of Israel. But if it turns out that the only military authority in the Middle East (at Israel's northern border) at the time of the invasion may be the UN, suddenly everything becomes clear. The Bible states that at the beginning or during the tribulation period, Russia and the Islamic states will launch a massive invasion of Israel from the north...

Ezekiel 38:15-16
And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

...and the only opposition that will be put up by the international community will be to question Russia, "Have you come to take spoil?". The only nation to respond will be Israel, and they will use rockets to destroy the Russian and Islamic hordes. 

Ezekiel 39:6 
And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

...possibly nuclear weapons...

Ezekiel 38:18-20 
And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

Source Jerusalem Post, Sign On SanDiego

Quote: "The European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said following a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Thursday that “the Palestinian people have suffered and suffered a lot, and it is time that the occupation that started in 1967 is over.” "That is the objective of the Road Map," he said, referring to an internationally drafted plan which seeks to create a Palestinian state living in peace alongside a secure Israel, but has been largely dormant since its inception in 2003.

Solana's choice of words are likely to irritate the Israelis, for Solana seems to imply here that its the "occupation" that is the cause of the suffering and not the cause of the "occupation". Israelis have also "suffered and suffered a lot", with the daily barrage of rockets and attempted suicide bombings. Solana also questioned whether or not Hamas' stated goal was the destruction of Israel.

Quote: "Pressed as to whether he was underestimating the fundamentalist religious imperative at the heart of the Hamas ideology, Solana said, "I cannot imagine that the religious imperative, the real religious imperative, can make anybody destroy another country... Therefore that is an abuse of religion... "I don't think the essence of Hamas is the destruction of Israel. The essence of Hamas is the liberation of the Palestinians," he added. "The liberation of their people, not the destruction of Israel."

It seems Solana is mistaken. The essence of Hamas is the liberation (by means of violence) of all Palestine - including Israel, which necessitates the destruction of the Jewish nation. I think the Hamas charter is clear...

Quote: "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it" (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory).

Source YNet News, Jerusalem Newswire, Jerusalem Post, MidEast Web

The High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, met with President Abbas of the Palestinian Liberation Organization today on day two of his six day tour of the Middle East. Solana urged the Palestinian terrorist organizations to press on towards forming a unity government that the European Union would be able to work with. Yesterday. He also stated that both Israel and the Palestinians have an obligation to fulfil stage one of the roadmap to peace, despite the stalled process and despite Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos calling for a completely new approach.  

Quote: "With the EU backing Abbas, Hamas has been forced to consider a role in a government that might recognise Israel, renounce violence and respect past peace agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. "Our objective is to see if the first steps toward movement have been made, to start the beginning of movement" toward a national unity coalition, the EU diplomat explained. "We'll see what we find and what analyses we can make first hand."

But Solana will have his work cut out for him, for as European leaders talk of peace, it seems Hamas and Fatah are intent on war. Rumours have surfaced that Fatah may be attempting to stage a coup in order to overthrow the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority, although President Abbas has denied these rumours. Civil war had threatened in the Gaza Strip earlier in the year, when members of Abbas' Fatah organization protested at Hamas-run offices over pay. Prime Minister Haniyeh had sent his 3000 strong army to dispel the protestors, killing a dozen people in the worst violence the region has seen for some time. Fatah terrorists have also previously threatened to kill Haniyeh, and sent a message to him last week by firing on his motorcade. Either by financial and political pressure from the EU, or by fightings from within, it seems the days of this Hamas government are numbered.

Source Today Online, Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem Post

Quote: "Solana's first stop will be in Jerusalem, where he will meet Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and other top political figures including Israel Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman. Reviving serious talks between the two sides will be a challenge. One former EU Mideast envoy, Miguel Angel Moratinos, suggested Tuesday that the international community's main blueprint for resolving the conflict, the road map, was fatally stalled. Moratinos, now Spain's foreign minister, told a parliamentary panel in Madrid that a new approach was needed and that any new negotiations should include Syria and take into account the Iranian nuclear dispute.

So it seems that just an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians is not enough to secure a lasting peace in the region. As the Bible states, a covenant must now be made with many nations, including Iran and Syria. Just before the breakout of the Israeli Hizbullah war, Solana was given a mandate by the leaders of the European Union to work towards a peace agreement in the Middle East...

Quote: ""The crisis in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon make extremely grave and worrisome bounds from hour to hour," the letter said. The two theatres of crisis "place the security and political equilibrium of the entire region in danger," it said. In the "two distinct crises," the EU. "has weight and credibility" that could be used toward finding solutions, Chirac said in the letter, dated Thursday and made public Friday. The letter noted that the president was reiterating a proposal made in June. He suggested that Solana, who visited Beirut last weekend and was currently in Cairo, work in conjunction with the United Nations to meet with all figures necessary to "very quickly make proposals to reach conditions for a global and lasting cease-fire in the region."

..but on July 12th, instead of working towards a peace agreement, Israel soon found itself fighting a full scale proxy-war with Iran and Syria. After over a month of fighting it was hoped that all sides would be willing to seek a permanent solution to peace in the Middle East, but instead of a lasting cease-fire in the region, the United Nations was only able to secure a stalemate. As a result of the conflict Europe was able to send around 7000 troops into Lebanon, the largest European force mobilized since the Second World War. And as Solana revisits the Middle East to help broker a peace agreement, there is once again talk of war, this time from Syria and the Palestinians. Perhaps another war may finally bring all sides to the negotiating table, or else enable the EU to mount an invasion of the Middle East...

Daniel 11:41 
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 (Jordan). He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians [shall be] at his steps.

Source Jerusalem Post, EasyBourse, Jerusalem Post, YNet News

Quote: ""The Russian missile industry is capable of manufacturing anti-asteroid systems if necessary," he said. "So far, there are no techniques to use the existent space machinery for fighting asteroids."" The asteroid danger is not on the Federal Space Agency program. "If a method of suppressing this danger with space machinery is found, we will make such systems. Anyway, the missile industry can do that," he said. Asteroids are a problem to be tackled through international cooperation, Remishevsky said. “Research satellites, telescopes and land-based infrastructure of the Russian Academy of Sciences must supply information about the asteroid danger,” he said.

Scientists hope to have calculated the orbits of at least 90% of all asteroids with a diameter greater than 1 kilometre by the end of next year. In 2002, Nasa reported on several asteroids that passed between the earth and the moon, one even coming within 75,000 miles of the planet. But these asteroids were only detected days after they passed by earth. If there is an asteroid on a collision course with earth, and according to the Scriptures at least one will strike during the tribulation period, then there seems to be very little we can do about it.

Revelation 8:8-9
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Source Itar Tass, Space, Space

Quote: "Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos told a parliamentary panel that Europe has a historic opportunity to take the lead in pushing for new talks, and hinted that it was too late to revive the American-backed blueprint for peace known as the "road map." That initiative, launched in June 2003, envisioned a Palestinian state alongside Israel but stalled almost from the outset because neither side met their initial commitments. "It is necessary that this diplomatic initiative be led by the European Union, not with small, gradual steps but with a major initiative that has great scope," said Moratinos, a former EU envoy to the Middle East considered to have excellent contacts throughout the region. 

Spain is already highly involved in the peace process in the Middle East. The country has hosted the Barcelona Process for the last 10 years, a framework of support for any peace initiatives in the Middle East. This is also not the first time Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos has called on the EU to do more in the Middle East. In August this year Moratinos met with former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and the other Foreign Ministers of the European Union. He said, "The time has come for European efforts to relaunch peace in the Middle East. Europeans are gaining more in credibility, in presence and engagement in the future of this region, which is our region". His view, that Europe has an historic opportunity to make an impact in the Middle East - even according to some a "new found role" as a mediator between the Arab and Jewish nations, seems to be shared by many. And the Bible, as we have been saying for years, backs up this idea. I've made it clear since I started this website, that any American-backed plan for the Middle East will ultimately fail, and history has proven that statement to be true. Why? Because according to Daniel's prophecy, it will be a European who will confirm the covenant with many nations.

Daniel 9:26 
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah (Yeshua) be cut off (crucified), but not for himself: and the people (Romans) of the "prince that shall come" (Antichrist) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (Temple); and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Source Jerusalem Post, AOC, EuroMed

Quote: "Security officials here told WND there have been indications the past few weeks Syria is seeking to launch a provocation. Besides Assad's statements, the officials say state-run Syrian media have been broadcasting regular warlike messages unseen since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, in which Syria and Egypt launched invasions from the Golan and the Sinai desert. "The tone (in Syria) is one of preparing the public for a war," said a senior security official. He said any Syrian provocation would likely be coordinated with Iran. Tehran and Damascus, which both support Hizbullah, have signed several military pacts.

As we saw with the recent conflict with Hizbullah, it wouldn't take much to start a major confrontation with Syria. All Syria would need to do is to threaten the IDF forces in the region, possibly through a Syrian-affiliated terrorist organization operating in the area. Israel would then respond, and we could end up with a similar situation as we did three months ago. Even if Syria lost the battle, with Israeli morale at an all-time low they could achieve a significant political victory and force concessions on the Golan Heights. Perhaps a major Israeli Syrian war would provide a good excuse for Solana to implement his lasting regional peace agreement.  

Source YNet News, YNet News, EasyBourse

Quote: "At the secret meeting in London last month, which was hosted by veteran broadcaster Sue Lawley, BBC executives admitted the corporation is dominated by homosexuals and people from ethnic minorities, deliberately promotes multiculturalism, is anti-American, anti-countryside and more sensitive to the feelings of Muslims than Christians. One veteran BBC executive said: 'There was widespread acknowledgement that we may have gone too far in the direction of political correctness. 'Unfortunately, much of it is so deeply embedded in the BBC's culture, that it is very hard to change it.'

Many of you come from the US and know full well how the rest of the world views America. Some of you have even told me how your own news is very "Americanised", and you don't hear much about what goes on anywhere else. Unfortunately many people believe that just because we live in a free nation that everything they see on the national news must be accurate and present a full picture of what is happening in the world. As we've seen with Sudan and many other disasters, with Christian persecution in India, China, Indonesia and a dozen other countries, with the Bilderbergers and other New World Order organizations controlling world governments, and with the conflict in the Middle East, often the most important news is not reported. With the Scriptures we have an additional view to what is going on around us, which most people in the world today don't have. That's God's view, the most important. The Bible says God is no respecter of persons, we can guarantee His view is untainted by spin.  Let's keep applying the Scriptures to what we see going on around us, helping us to form a correct world view, and enabling us to see when His coming is near. 

Daniel 2:27-28
Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. 

Source ThisIsLondon

Quote: "Solana's likely departure has been the subject of speculation for the past two weeks in Brussels. One version, the report said, is that Solana learned during the Lebanon conflict that he couldn't effectively act on the EU's behalf without a clear mandate from member states. Solana also admitted recently the effort to get Iran stop its uranium enrichment had stalled although he had worked hard on it. Additionally, the deadlock on the passage of the EU constitution may mean he will not get the job as official EU foreign minister, said the report. A spokeswoman for Solana denied any rumors about his health, saying, "Mr. Solana's mandate expires in 2009 and his post is not available," she said. She also said her boss jogs every day before work.

Herb Peters at fulfilledprophecy.com reported on this a while back, and I am inclined to go along with his opinion that rumours are rumours. The fact that Solana is at loggerheads with the EU Foreign Ministers (especially the E3 - Britain, France and Germany), adds weight to the prophecy in Daniel of the Little Horn plucking up three of his fellow nations by the roots. It seems that this will be a battle that Solana, or whoever may take his place, will eventually win. And the fact that the EU Commission is working hard on adopting parts of the EU Constitution behind our backs, could just well provide Javier Solana with a new post of EU Foreign Minister before his term expires. 

Quote: "[From the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office] - We want Member States to remain in the driving seat on foreign policy and to retain control over CFSP. So we welcome the Convention text which makes it clear that the CFSP is conducted by the Member States, the European Council and the Council of Ministers. - We also support the new linkage between the CFSP, the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), EU trade policy and EU development policy, which would all be grouped under one Title of the new Treaty. This should improve the overall coherence of EU external action and make CFSP more operational and effective. - We support the aim of improving coherence between the Commission's and the Council's actions in external affairs. This will be helped in particular by the proposed creation of the post of 'European Foreign Minister', which would merge the current functions of the External Relations Commissioner (Chris Patten) and the CFSP High Representative, and the proposed establishment of an EU External Action Service (made up of Commission and Council Secretariat officials, and seconded diplomats from Member States). However, we are concerned about the lack of detail about the precise role of the proposed 'European Foreign Minister', including his/her exact status in the Commission, and believe that more work is needed in this area.

It's clear the UK and the EU are on a collision course. The UK, Germany and France want to retain control over the Common, Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), which Solana blames for hindering him in achieving a peace deal in the Middle East. The link between the posts of the CFSP, the European Security and Defence Policy (Solana is already the head of the European Defence Agency), the EU Trade policy and the EU Development policy, would give Solana's post of future EU Foreign Minister a lot more power and influence than he currently enjoys. And finally the merger of the posts of Benito Ferrero-Waldner and Javier Solana will give Europe the "one voice" Solana craves.

Revelation 13:5 
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Source United Press International, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Global Policy

Quote: ""The efforts to stabilize Israel’s fraudulent regime have failed. Believe me, soon this regime will be no longer," Ahmadinejad continued, "The Zionist regime was established in the heart of Islamic territory for one purpose - to pose a threat to the region through constant attacks and killings." "This regime has lost its way of existence. Today, there is no reason left for it to remain, and it is about to disappear," the Iranian president concluded.

The Iranian President also warned other nations that supported Israel, including the European Union, that they could be harmed if Islamic anger at Israel boiled over.

Quote: ""You should believe that this regime (Israel) cannot last and has no more benefit to you. What benefit have you got in supporting this regime, except the hatred of the nations?" he said in a speech broadcast on state radio. "We have advised the Europeans that the Americans are far away, but you are the neighbours of the nations in this region. We inform you that the nations are like an ocean that is welling up, and if a storm begins, the dimensions will not stay limited to Palestine, and you may get hurt," he said.

Ahmadinejad's warning to Europe comes as the EU gives the UN the green light to proceed with sanctions on Iran. Ayatollah Khameini had previously stated that Iran would harm US interests worldwide should the country face sanctions over its nuclear programme. The Jews believe that whoever denies the fact of the holocaust will be the ones to carry out the next one. That is why holocaust denial is treated so seriously in countries such as Germany. The Bible states in Ezekiel 38-39 that Iran will be one of the nations that will invade Israel during the Gog Magog war. With Islamic anger against Israel continuing to grow, I am wondering just when this Islamic "storm" will begin...

Ezekiel 38:9 
Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

Source YNet News, Bloomberg, Reuters

Quote: ""Jesus was very inspiring for our inner health, but we don't need to take his naive remarks about money seriously. He didn't study economics, obviously," said a Mr. De Rijke, the chairman of the foundation, in a news release obtained by ANS. After all, no serious Christian takes such texts literally, he said. "What if all Christians stopped being anxious, for example, and started expecting everything from God? Or gave their possessions to the poor, for that matter. Our economy would be lost," he said. "The truth is quite the contrary: a strong economy and a healthy work ethic is a gift from God," he said.

There are over 3000 people groups in the world that currently do not have the Scriptures in their own language, and we Western Christians who have been so privileged to possess the Scriptures for at least the last 400 years in our own tongue, defile it by changing the truth of God into a lie? Will God not judge us for this?

Jeremiah 36:27-30
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.

Revelation 22:19 
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.

Source WorldNetDaily

Quote: ""They viewed 7/7 as just the beginning," one unnamed senior source was quoted as telling the newspaper, referring to the July 7, 2005 suicide bombings on London's transport system. "Al Qaeda sees the UK as a massive opportunity to cause loss of life and embarrassment to the authorities." A second anonymous source agreed: "Britain is sitting at the receiving end of an al Qaeda campaign."

This news comes as tensions are increasing in the UK between Muslims and other groups over the displaying of religious symbols. Just a few weeks ago, an employee of British Airways was told to remove a small crucifix she wore around her neck, while British Airways permit the wearing of the Hijab, and British Midlands even enforce all female flight attendants - regardless of religious persuasion, to wear a full Islamic veil when travelling to Saudi Arabia. Home Secretary Jack Straw came under intense criticism recently, when he said he asks Muslim women to remove their veils before speaking to them in his office. An Islamic school in Britain, which has been forced by the government to accept some non-Islamic pupils, enforces all pupils to wear headscarves. And a teacher was also recently suspended for refusing to remove her veil while teaching children in class. So much for "multicultural Britain". British society seems to be becoming more intolerant of any form of religion whether Islamic or Christian, and if this trend continues, it looks like we will be facing yet more attacks similar to the July 7th bombings.

Source Reuters, BBC, Daily Mail, BBC

It's yet another gimmick by VeriChip Corporation, aimed at improving public relations and gaining acceptance in the medical profession for their human implant technology. VeriChip are occupying a stand at this year's medical convention in Las Vegas, where they will be implanting "dozens" of health care professionals with their RFID product. 

Quote: "All this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center, health care professionals are having the chips surgically implanted. Not everyone is ready to have a micro chip in their body, and the people who run the company called Verichip understand that some people are afraid that the technology could be used to track their behavior, or turn them into some sort of futuristic computer controlled being. "That's complete Sci-Fi," said Marc Poulshock, Verichip. "There's no GPS on it at all."

VeriChip have so far found the US market a tough nut to crack. Only fifty individuals have so far received a VeriChip in their right arms, and around half a dozen hospitals have volunteered for VeriMed trials. There is still much public concern over the possible infringement of civil liberties, and of course the "Mark of the Beast" connotations. Thus we have VeriChip carrying out continual PR exercises in the mainstream media, in order to promote their product and counter public distrust of this technology. As usual, the big emphasis is on public safety. In an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes in 2002, Andy Rooney made a very worrying statement...

Quote: "Even famous curmudgeon Andy Rooney is pro-chip. ''We need some system for permanently identifying safe people,'' Rooney said in a 60 Minutes commentary on CBS. "Most of us are never going to blow anything up, and there's got to be something better than one of [those] photo IDs - a tattoo somewhere, maybe. "I wouldn't mind having something planted permanently in my arm that would identify me.''

Friends, this no doubt is what will eventually happen. The security situation will grow so bad that governments will presume that the only way to route out potential terrorists is to "permanently identify safe people". Those who don't comply with the system will be deemed a threat to national security and they will become social outcasts, jailed or even executed. The Bible states that during the tribulation period, the Antichrist will issue a decree that all should be required to receive a mark in their right hand or forehead. Many will blindly accept such a system, perhaps because its the socially acceptable thing to do. And for that you may be able to thank VeriChip's PR campaign.

Source KVBC, Cybertime

Quote: "The EU foreign ministers reiterated calls that Hamas form a unity government with Abbas' Fatah party, and called on "all Palestinian factions to end their internal strife" and resume coalition talks. "We are ready to normalize relations as soon as there is a government we can work with," said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

I think the international community is keen to get some sort of agreement implemented before the end of the year. If an agreement is not reached soon, it seems the chances of a full scale Middle East war next year will be greatly increased.

Daniel 9:27 
And he (Antichrist) shall confirm the covenant with many (nations) for one week (seven years): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Source International Herald Tribune

Quote: "The spokesman, Abu Ubaida, said that his organization has the weapons it needs to withstand the Israeli arsenal: "We have the tools and ammunition to deal with the Zionist enemy and it is our right to have all the weapons means to defend our people in light of the enemy's intention to hurt civilians and innocents. We have a right to any arms we can get." He added that Hamas is ready for the challenge that Israel poses, should it decide to open an all-out front. "We are ready willing and able," said Abu Ubaida, "we have completed our preparations to teach the Zionist enemy a lesson that he, with Allah's help, will never forget. This attack will become a nightmare that will haunt the Zionists everywhere. Your failure in Gaza will repeat itself, but this time the lesson will be much harder. Our fighters are already lying in wait to ambush the enemy. If the enemy thinks that invading Gaza and confronting Hamas is a simple thing, then he is living in an illusion."

Other intelligence reports have also revealed Syria may also be planning for the eventuality of war with Israel in the immediate future. Brigadier-General Yossi Beyditz stated in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, that Syrian activity in the Golan Heights has not returned to normal since the end of fighting between Israel and Hizbullah. 

Quote: ""The Syrian army is not deployed in its routine form. Since the war in Lebanon, Assad has not returned his forces to the same positions they were holding before the war. However, their deployment indicates only a defensive positioning, waiting for Israel to attack, and not for any offensive purpose," Beyditz said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad had stated his country was ready to make peace with Israel, but if no peace came within six months there would be war. Assad has also promised financial incentives for Syrians who are willing to buy up property in the Golan Heights. And finally, US intelligence experts are predicting if the current stalemate over Iran's nuclear programme continues, the West will need to be contemplating some sort of pre-emptive strike around March 2007.

Quote: "If Iran continues to make progress toward nuclear weapons capability, despite heavy international pressure, a surgical military strike against one of its key facilities-such as the uranium-enrichment plant in Natanz or the uranium-conversion facility in Isfahan-would become more politically feasible. Analysts at the Eurasia Group, an international consulting firm, predict that surgical strikes are likely "by the [United States] or Israel during the first quarter of 2007."

Someone once said, "beware the ides of March". Friends, all is not looking well for Israel next year. Hamas and Syria are just waiting for Israel to make the first move. The Israelis have said they will not let Iran have a nuclear weapon and face a second holocaust. If Israel decides enough is enough, they may well find they will have Syria and the Palestinians to deal with too. Couple that with events in Pyongyang. Would Israel then consider using a tactical nuke on Damascus, if it felt significantly threatened by its Islamic neighbours?

Source YNet News, Israel Today, RAW STORY

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is meeting with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya tomorrow to discuss a range of issues affecting the region. On the agenda will be the escalating crisis in neighbouring Sudan, along with Iraq, Lebanon, the issue of the new Palestinian unity government and increased ties between the two countries. Libya, at least to me, seems an unlikely country to become embroiled in the peace process in the Middle East. But Gaddafi is a strong supporter of the Hamas terror government, and has officially pledged his support for the organization, along with all the other nations in Gog's alliance (Russia, Turkey, Iran and Sudan). Libya is mentioned by name as one of the nations that fight against Israel in the war of Ezekiel 38-39. Clearly the "Palestinian cause" still weighs heavily on Gaddafi's mind.

Source ADNKronos International

Quote: "Jamal Ismail is the journalist who received the message. He formerly worked for al-Jazeera. He told the News of Pakistan that he received a phone call Oct. 5 from Afghani. "Afghani said he was speaking from somewhere in Kandahar province," reported Ismail. "In it, he advised Muslim residents of America to get out to escape harm because the U.S. could face big attacks in the month of Ramadan." Ismail said it was the first time Afghani, who is head of the pro-Taliban cleric's consultative council and former ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, had ever sent such a message. "Afghanis didn't say that it was a dream," recalled Ismail. "It appeared that he strongly believed that America was going to face punishment at the hands of Allah."

Several US intelligence analysts have stated they believe Al-Qaida may have already smuggled at least two nuclear devices across the Mexican border. Al-Qaida also published a list of major American cities they were planning to target, all of which included large Jewish populations. 

Source WorldNetDaily

A new project called Optag, run by Dr Paul Brennan, an electrical engineer at University College London, is aiming to revolutionize security at airports. Optag consists of an RFID wristband worn by airline passengers awaiting flights, which will broadcast the location of the wearer to security officials anywhere within the airport. Trials are currently underway in Hungary, but it is hoped if these are a success, the project would be adopted by other airports across Europe within the next two years.

Quote: "Brennan said Optag has been designed to improve airport security, with the ability to track the movement of suspicious passengers and bar them from entering restricted areas. The ability to locate individuals could also aid airports in an evacuation situation, he said, and in finding lost children and passengers who are late to the departure gate. Optag is unique from its RFID predecessors - standard RFID devices only have a range of a few centimetres but Optag has a range of 10 to 20 metres and can be located within a radius of one metre, Brennan said. 

A few months ago I commented on another scheme called Teragate, which is also aiming to revolutionize security at airports and other high security installations. While there are claims RFID is secure due to the fact that the devices are passive (only broadcasting information when scanned), it has been shown that given a large enough scanner it is possible to scan RFID chips up to 70 feet away, and possibly more. Not to mention RFID cloning, which has already been demonstrated. This not only presents a significant security threat to those who chose to wear/implant the chips, but also a significant civil liberties threat for those who fear that government will abuse the technology. Not only is it against God's law to make cuttings and piercing in our bodies (Leviticus 19:28), the Bible has given us a clear warning against having any sort of identifying mark implanted in our bodies signifying ownership to another other than Jesus Christ. With RFID, we are just a few steps away from the Mark of the Beast. 

Source Silicon

A report published a few days ago has revealed some customers are willing to pay for their groceries at their local supermarket via "Mark of the Beast" technology. Eight percent of teenagers and five percent of adults were willing to have an RFID chip implanted under their skin, rather than carrying around cash or credit cards. 

Quote: "Around 8 per cent of 13 to 19-year-olds were open to the idea of microchip implants while 16 per cent wanted trolleys to be fitted with SatNav systems. This compared to just 5 per cent and 12 per cent respectively for adults asked the same questions.

These figures are terrifying, nevertheless expected. I believe pressure from the big food retailers, with their desire for more secure transactions and money saving initiatives, will push RFID on the consumer public within the next few years. Where I live we already have barcodes laced with RFID chips. It's only a matter of time before someone has a really "good" idea, and decides to issue RFID embedded loyalty cards to their customers, or eventually accept payment via RFID microchips. The fact that the retailers are now investigating the possibility of this, with reports like this one, shows they are weighing up whether their efforts will pay of and if the public is still hostile to "big brother" technology. 

Revelation 13:16 
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Source Daily Mail

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has stated his desire for greater Russian involvement in the Middle East. His comments come shortly before Olmert is due to travel to Moscow to celebrate 15 years of diplomatic with the Russian Federation. Olmert, it seems, desperately needs positive Russian influence in the Islamic world in order to help achieve peace in the region.

Quote: "In an interview with the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS, Olmert noted that as a global superpower and a dominant player in Middle East politics, Russia "could apply all of its considerable influence" to helping resolve the decades-old Israeli-Arab conflict. Olmert said he intends to "appeal to President [Vladimir] Putin for Russia to more actively pursue such a policy in the region." The interview will be broadcast on Russian state television prior to Olmert's visit.

But Olmert may not have to do too much persuading during his visit. Earlier in the year Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov floated the idea of holding a new international peace summit to help solve the situation in the Middle East. President Putin also made a similar suggestion last year. Ariel Sharon received a promise from Putin that Russia would never do anything to harm Israel, and Putin says that promise also applies to him. But I wonder how long Russian patience would bear up under an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. According to retired US Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, such an attack could be on the cards for no later than the Autumn of 2007. 

Ezekiel 38:14-16
Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

Source All Headline News, YNet News

Quote: ""It is an act which we condemn and protest against most vigorously," Mr Solana told the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday (11 October), following Monday's nuclear test in North Korea near the border with China. He said that the nuclear test "is a threat to the region and constitutes a hostile act to security and stability to the whole world," adding it "could lead to further consequences in accelerating the arms race around the world."

Unless the UN shows some teeth and acts against North Korea, which has continually lied and deceived the world in regard to its nuclear programme, other nations that feel threatened by North Korea may feel the need to arm themselves. Such is the case with Saudi Arabia and Egypt which have stated their desires to acquire nuclear weapons to defend themselves against Iran - or Israel.

Quote: "Top Egyptian officials agree that the current situation is unstable. In their opinion, the choice ahead is rather simple: either Israel gives up its nukes or the Arab nations will become nuclear powers - the former being unlikely, the later seemingly unavoidable. "The Middle East cannot have one nuclear state. It may live with two nuclear states, but certainly not one," said Amro Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister. President Mubarak himself has warned the world of this gloomy reality. "We have a nuclear reactor at Inshas, and we have very capable experts. If the time comes when we need nuclear weapons, we will not hesitate," he told the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat, in October 1998.

Ahmadinejad, on the other hand, will be watching very closely how North Korea deals with the UN, and no doubt will be taking notes. And this is where just "talking" to men such as Kim Jong II and President Ahmadinejad and  has got the world today. Some people think Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong II are mad men. I don't think so, they are highly intelligent people. But they are evil men and must be restrained. If we don't do it now, things will get worse before they get better.

Jeremiah 25:30-33
Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come [even] to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

Source EUObserver, OhmyNews

Quote: "The kidnapping was reported only by the El Tareek, the sole Arabic Christian newspaper in the Middle East. It said that the abductors wanted the girl, a student at Saida Nafesa High School in El Mahala Al Kobra, to reject Christ and embrace Islam. 

Source WorldNetDaily

Uri Ariel of the National Union party in the Israeli Knesset is preparing plans to build a Jewish synagogue on the Temple Mount, with permission of the Jordanian Islamic Waqf and the Sanhedrin. Currently no Jew or Christian is permitted to wear religious symbols, carry Bibles or even pray on the Temple Mount, for fear of inciting the wrath of the Islamic Waqf who administer the mount. Observant Jews have pointed out that these restrictions were never decreed by the Israeli courts, and are an unwritten rule imposed by the Israeli police. The Temple Mount Faithful group, who regularly organize marches around the site in support of opening it up for Jewish worship, have on numerous occasions attempted to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple, without success. The Jewish Sanhedrin, formed a few years ago after over 1600 years of diaspora, have also announced plans to investigate the exact site on which Herod's Temple stood, in preparation for the rebuilding of the Third Temple. The exact site has been disputed by Jewish scholars, but it is believed could be constructed without removing the mosque.

Quote: "The synagogue would be build upon the Temple Mount, but in an area that is indisputably not within the areas that require immersion and other preparations, according to Jewish law. Ariel says that the synagogue would not change the Muslim status quo on the mount, which is home to the Al-Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. “This is not a new idea,” Ariel stressed, “it has been brought up and considered countless times since the [1967] Six Day War [during which the Temple Mount was liberated from Jordanian occupation –ed.].” The plan will be submitted to the Jerusalem municipality and the Committee for Design and Construction for approval. Ariel says that every aspect of the plan will be submitted to leading Torah scholars for approval.

Because the synagogue will not be built, God willing, on ground on which the Temple once stood, and therefore would not require cleansing by the priests, animals sacrifices could not be carried out. In order for the Temple Mount to be cleansed, a pure red heifer (Numbers 19) needs to be sacrificed. A red heifer was born in Israel a few years ago, but was discovered to have imperfections, namely white hairs in her tail. Once a heifer of suitable quality is born and sacrificed, the Temple Mount can be cleansed and the sacrifices can be resumed. This coming Temple will of course be the one that the Antichrist subsequently defiles in the middle of the 7 year tribulation period. 

Jewish scholars have long wondered why, according to Numbers 19, that the man who sacrifices the red heifer, which is used to cleanse those who are defiled, becomes defiled himself in the slaying of the animal. This reminds us of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His sacrifice upon the cross, was made sin for us. Not that Christ became defiled, but that He bore our defilement in His own body on the tree.

2nd Corinthians 5:21 
For He (God the Father) hath made Him (Jesus Christ) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 

Source Arutz7

Quote: ""Hamas is not required, Hamas is not required to recognize Israel. ... It is not required of Hamas, nor of Fatah, nor of the Popular Front (for the Liberation of Palestine) to recognize Israel," Abbas told the pan-Arab Al-Arabiya satellite television network last week according to a translation by the Israel-based Palestinian Media Watch monitor group.

Abbas has said Palestinian recognition of Israel will only go so far as political organizations with whom they have to do business with, but Hamas, Fatah and the Palestinian Liberation Organization will never recognize Israel's right to exist. The state of Qatar is attempting to mediate between Hamas and Fatah, in order to form a national unity government. Hamas has promised to look at the Qatari proposal, but so far no agreement has been reached.

Quote: "Under the plan, Hamas would agree to form a unity government that will accept “the international resolutions and agreements signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization” - including those that recognize Israel, which Hamas has so far refused to do. The plan also calls for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the U.S.-backed Quartet peace plan, and an end to violence between the Palestinians and Israel. The Qataris also are suggesting the Palestinian factions should reactivate the PLO - dormant since the early 1990s - to carry out any peace negotiations with Israel, apparently as a way to allow Hamas to remain in the government while avoiding any direct dealing with Israel.

Source WorldNetDaily, SignOnSanDiego

Quote: "The US Geological Survey said it had detected a 4.2 magnitude quake in North Korea, while a South Korean official said a 3.5 magnitude seismic tremor had been detected in north Hamgyong province, in the north-east. South Korea's Yonhap news agency is reporting that the test took place in Gilju in Hamgyong province at 1036 (0136 GMT). A top Russian military officer said it was "100%" certain that an underground nuclear explosion had taken place.

The Scriptures seem to indicate there will be a nuclear exchange during the tribulation period. Earlier last month I commented on how Israel may be considering a pre-emptive nuclear strike against their enemies. The descriptions in the verses below, with the nations who shall fight against Jerusalem (battle of Armageddon) becoming dust, and Israelis trampling the dust under their feet, along with enemy soldiers literally consuming away before they have a chance to fall down dead, parallels the effects of a nuclear explosion. Some think the verse in Zechariah could also be a literal disease that God will send to afflict the enemies of Israel when He returns.

Zechariah 14:12 
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Malachi 4:1-3 
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble (dust): and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

Source BBC

A new oil reserve has been discovered in the Dead Sea area of Israel, according to the national oil company Genco. Although the amount of oil in the area is considered to be small, roughly 4-6 million barrels, it is expected more wells could be dug which may provide Israel with commercial quantities of oil. The operation in the Dead Sea was started around 10 years ago, but was put on hold after it was deemed uneconomical. Now due to global oil prices on the increase, companies have been forced to look for oil in other places. 

Quote: "Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer said it was "just the beginning" and that is was vital to find out whether the oil field was commercially viable or not. "It is an encouraging sign," he said. "We are checking the entire area and we are opening the whole region for drilling. We will give our full support to any company that wants to try."

Some Christians have been saying for a number of years that Israel will one day discover it is sitting on a vast quantity of oil, which could shift the strategic balance in the Middle East. One Christian man is even searching the Scriptures for clues on where to start digging. 

Quote: "Brown, pointing to the Bible he says he always carries with him, referred to several biblical passages he is certain indicate where to find petroleum. He stressed that two passages, detailing God's blessings to each of biblical patriarch Jacob's 12 sons, are very specific: * "Let Asher be blessed... and let him dip his foot in oil." - Deuteronomy 33:24 * "Joseph is a fruitful bough by a well ... blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that couches beneath shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head." - Genesis 49: 22-26

The Bible states that God's plan for Israel is that they would be the head of the nations and not the tail, that they would lend to many nations and not borrow (Deuteronomy 28). While the desert literally blossoms for the Israelis, it seems the Arabs have always possessed most of the oil wealth in the world. If significant quantities of oil is found in Israel, perhaps this could help Israel become the head of the nations once again.

Source Jerusalem Post, WorldNetDaily, Ask Elm 

Javier Solana, the High Representative of the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy attended a meeting of world leaders in London today to discuss the ongoing crisis with Iran. During the summit, Solana stated he hoped there could be renewed dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians, and cautioned that the two sides weren't making enough progress.

Quote: "European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Friday that there is need for a new initiative to bring peace in the Middle East. The Palestinians and Israelis are not acting seriously to apply the principles of the Road Map, Solana said, and the two sides should renew contacts aimed at restarting the peace process.

It really does seem like things are flagging in regards to peace in the Middle East. A few months ago, following the Israeli-Hizbullah war, events were moving very fast, and it seemed that some sort of deal would be done before the end of the year. Now I'm not so sure. Still, efforts are underway with the Palestinians to try and form some sort of unity government. Today Prime Minister Haniyeh signalled to President Abbas to resume talks on the unity government, after a week of fighting between the two terrorist organizations that has seen a dozen killed and a civil war threatening. Prime Minister Haniyeh earlier offered to implement a Hudna (truce) with Israel in return for the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank, but still resolutely refused to recognize Israel's right to exist.

Quote: ""Mr. President come to Gaza. Come to Gaza to resume dialogue ... and announce a unity government," Haniyeh said in an impassioned speech to tens of thousands of Hamas supporters inside the Gaza's Strip's largest stadium. But Haniyeh vowed no government in which the militant Hamas movement served would recognize Israel, a stance that is a non-starter for Abbas and Western nations. At one stage Haniyeh appeared to faint as aides rushed to help him into a chair. Haniyeh, who like many Muslims is fasting for the holy month of Ramadan, later resumed his speech. "I urge the leadership of Fatah and Hamas to hold an urgent meeting, tonight, in my presence, to put an end to the internal strife. (But) we will not recognize Israel," Haniyeh said.  

Source Reuters, Jerusalem Post, Reuters

Quote: "Six rabbis were sent by Israel's Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Shlomo Amar, in conjunction with Shavei Israel to begin converting the Bnei Menashe. The rabbis met with hundreds of tribal members, testing their knowledge of Judaism and assessing their conviction, converting 216 individuals – over 90 percent of those who were interviewed. The candidates rejected were told to continue to study Jewish tradition for reassessment upon an upcoming second trip by the rabbis, when the rabbinic figures will meet with hundreds more Bnei Menashe members. "The rabbis were incredibly impressed with the Bnei Menashe," said Freund. "They saw for themselves that the group is very serious and should be integrated into the Jewish nation. That they are a blessing to the state of Israel."

I was encouraged today to think that, like these B'nai Menashes, we Christians also have a special claim to the land of Israel. Not because we were descendants of Abraham, or because our forefathers were Jews, but we have been grafted into God's vine, and made partakers of the covenants of promise through the death and resurrection of Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:12-13
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Source WorldNetDaily

Quote: ""The Foreign Ministry is aware of attempts by Muslim extremist groups to carry out attacks on Israeli representatives and Jewish communities throughout the world and is taking all the necessary steps in order to prevent them," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told Army Radio on Friday. Regev's statement came after a report emerged that the kidnap and murder of dozens of Czech Jews was prevented by the nation's intelligence establishment.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "Speaking to the Iranian parliament on Sunday, Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki told deputies that Teheran was committed to bolstering an international Islamic embargo against the Jewish state. "Imposing sanctions on Israeli companies or firms in association with the illegal Zionist regime's interests is a legal responsibility and duty", Mottaki said, according to a report by the state-run Iranian news agency IRNA. According to the report, which also appears on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website, Mottaki presented parliamentarians with several booklets that had recently been published by his Ministry in an attempt to single out corporations with whom Iran and Muslims worldwide should have no commercial or economic dealings.

Yes, you would be forgiven for thinking you were living in 1938. For many Jews this may be a painful reminder of what happened in Germany in the years before the outbreak of the Second World War, in which Jews were stripped of their rights to run businesses, and culminated in Kristallnacht (the night of breaking glass), when Jewish families were attacked, synagogues burned and businesses destroyed. The Jews have a saying about the holocaust, "Never again", but at present no leader seems prepared to stand up against Ahmadinejad, and say "Enough is enough".

Source Jerusalem Post, Bloomberg, Jerusalem Post

Quote: "Intelligence sources estimated the army would reach operational capacity, and be capable of confronting the IDF as soon as the coming summer, if the flow of arms, military experts, and money into the Gaza Strip was not stopped. The army did not only have defensive capabilities against the IDF, but offensive capabilities that would allow it to launch long-range missiles towards settlements within the Green Line, and to infiltrate Israel through hidden tunnels.

Last Sunday the Hamas terror army was deployed to deal with Fatah protesters demonstrating over wages. The fighting that ensued resulted in the deaths of around eight men, including two teenagers. President Abbas has called on the US to send Fatah more weapons in order to gain the upper hand on Hamas. In May of this year President Bush sent such a shipment of weapons to the Gaza Strip, with the approval of the Israeli government, to help equip Abbas' personal "security force" and protect him from assassination attempts. But according to a senior official in Fatah, these weapons ended up being used in terrorist attacks against Israelis.

Quote: "Abu Yousuf told WND the US and Israel facilitated the May transfer of weapons to his Force 17 unit "for its own political purposes. We are not concerned with the reasons. The weapons will not be used against our brothers, only (against) Israelis." Sources close to the Al Aqsa Brigades told WND the American assault rifles were used in three separate anti-Israel shooting attacks in June. One attack killed a 35-year-old Israeli Arab on a major West Bank highway on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Israeli security officials say the shooters likely mistook the victim for a Jew. The second attack, which occurred June 13 on the same highway, lightly wounded an Israeli. In the third attack, the Al Aqsa Brigades on June 19 on a West Bank highway ambushed a bus carrying Israeli school girls. The bus was armored. The school girls escaped unharmed.

Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh warned Abbas today that unless an agreement is reached over the Palestinian unity government soon, they would pursue other "options"...

Quote: ""We remind the president that we have open options to deal with the ongoing crisis, but we prefer the national option, which is in harmony with our national unity," Hamas said. The group also accused Abbas of "dictating" new conditions that have sabotaged efforts to reach a deal.

Source YNet News, YNet News, Jerusalem Post

Quote: ""Even as you read this, persecuted Christians are gathering names and addresses from their communities with a single request, 'Please send Bibles,'" a description of the program announces. "Names and addresses are being collected from China to Colombia, and from Cuba to the Middle East and are being submitted to The Voice of the Martyrs to be included." The program works this way: volunteers in free nations sign up to receive five or more New Testaments per month, in the appropriate language, with all the needed packing and postage to mail them directly to a Christian in a restricted nation.

When I was with Angela last fortnight in Portrush, her church held an international day for foreign students at Coleraine University. There were over 90 Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese people at the event. We had games and Chinese food laid on for everyone, and Stevie did a talk at the end. It was fantastic and it helped open my eyes to the need of these dear Chinese people. Here in Northern Ireland we have so many Bibles, and so many versions, and the nation has turned its back on God. But in China people are crying out for God's Word. I feel we should be doing something to help them.

Matthew 25:40 
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.

Source WorldNetDaily

Quote: ""The base of our Fatah movement keeps dreaming of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jaffa and Akko," said Abu Ahmed, Fatah member and leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip. "There is no change in our position. Abbas recognizes Israel because of pressure that the Zionists and the Americans are exercising on him. We understand this is part of his obligations and political calculations."... "It is the PLO, which is a separate entity, that recognized Israel, and this was a step, a tactical step that had as its goal to bring the resistance and the revolution closer to the lands of Palestine," Abu Ahmed said.

Talks between President Abbas and Prime Minister Haniyeh ended without agreement last month, after Hamas once again refused to recognize Israel's right to exist - a precondition that was set down by the UN Security Council earlier in the year. World leaders had hoped the Prisoners' Document, which they claimed implicitly recognized Israel's right to exist (which was a big lie for you and me), would have brought Hamas in from the cold. So far Hamas hasn't budged. The 18 point plan also calls for the "right of return" for Palestinians displaced after the 1948 war of independence to return to Israel, which many Palestinians and Israelis believe would spell political annihilation for the Jewish state. 

Psalm 83:4-5 
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:

Source YNet News

Quote: ""If the countries of the international community countries would have acted, we could have cancelled the Iranian danger. The great fear is that the Iranian nuclear capabilities would be used for terror. All world leaders should unite in order to stop Iran," he said. Referring to the proposal that France will enrich the Iranian uranium, the vice premier said: "This is a cover up, this is not a solution." "The Security Council set a deadline for an answer from the Iranians. The Iranians failed to meet it, but the negotiations continue. If you don’t say what you want, it's okay, but if you say what you want and it is not met, this weakens your power," Peres added.

Peres' condemnation of the international community came as President Ahmadinejad gave the go ahead for tourists to start visiting his nuclear facilities. Ahmadinejad says this measure will prove to the West that Iran isn't developing nuclear weapons, but a more likely scenario is that the Iranian President wants to bolster public opinion against the US, and at the same time obtain a few hundred foreign nationals for human shields to make an Israeli or US pre-emptive strike more difficult. 

Quote: "The state news agency IRNA reported Wednesday that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has given permission for tourists to visit nuclear sites as proof that Iran's atomic activities are peaceful. "Foreign tourists can visit Iranian nuclear sites, after Dr. Ahmadinejad issued an authorization ordering this organization to study ways to do so," the head of Iran's Tourism and Cultural Heritage Organization Esfandyar Rahim Mashaii said. "This authorization has been issued since the Iranian nuclear activities are peaceful," he told the agency.

Source YNet News, YNet News

Last month satellite images from the US increased fears North Korea was planning a nuclear test. Yesterday Kim Jong II came clean and announced to the world that the communist state is indeed planning to carry out a nuclear test in the near future. The move drew immediate worldwide condemnation. It is believed North Korea possesses nuclear weapons, but a test could trigger a nuclear arms race in the region. Japan warned North Korea that a nuclear test would be considered an unforgivable action, and South Korea put its armed forces on high alert. Earlier in the year North Korea tested several long range missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which landed in waters close to Japan.

Quote: "European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana reacted with dismay Tuesday to North Korea's announcement that it will conduct a nuclear test. "That is always bad news," Solana told reporters. He declined to discuss the issue further, saying he had only just heard the reports during a meeting of EU defense ministers in a Finland ski resort.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "In scenes reminiscent of the Lebanese civil war in the 70's and 80's, the confrontation quickly turned into street gun battles, with both sides using automatic rifles, pistols and hand-propelled grenades. At least three of the casualties were identified as innocent passers-by, including 15-year-old Hassan Abu al-Hatel.

Terrorists from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which is affiliated with President Abbas' Fatah movement, have threatened to murder all of Hamas' leaders, including Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh himself. Haniyeh had ordered his 3000 strong terrorist force to break up the protests yesterday resulting in the violence, and only backed down after Egypt ordered Haniyeh to withdraw his army. This news comes as Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party published a new report claiming that Hamas has smuggled over 1300 tonnes of weaponry across the Gaza-Egyptian border, in preparation for a new conflict with Israel. Hamas is also receiving help from Hizbullah to import long range Iranian rockets, and being given training in warfare tactics. 

Quote: "The report, drafted by Fatah's General Security Services and obtained by WND, stated Hamas has smuggled from the Egyptian Sinai desert between several hundred and 1,300 tons of advanced rockets; anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles; rocket propelled grenades; raw explosives; rifles; ammunition; and other heavy weaponry.

Last week Yuval Diskin, the head of Israel's Shin Bet intelligence service, accused Egypt of deliberating ignoring Palestinian smuggling taking place on the border, and refusing to act on information supplied by Israel about known smugglers.

Quote: "In one incident, a Hamas convoy of 15 jeeps crossed one day and returned laden with arms and explosives. According to Shin Bet data already at that time, 3,000 rifles, 1.5 million bullets, 150-200 rocket propelled grenades and hundreds of kilograms of explosives had been smuggled in (Jerusalem Post, September 22, 2005).

And today, an newspaper affiliated with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini claimed that the fighting in Gaza is a Zionist and Western "plot" to overthrow the Hamas government. 

Quote: ""The satanic partnership between the West and the Zionist regime exposes the hypocritical and deceitful protectors of democracy and those who lie on behalf of human rights groups in Europe and the United States," the article said. The Iranian newspaper claimed that the Palestinians will be "subject to savage attacks by the Zionists due to the fact that they voted for Hamas and the resistance in the last elections and not for the faction supported by the Zionists and the West. "This proves that in order to exercise its rights the Palestinian nation must liberate the territories occupied by the Zionists; resistance is the only way," the article said.

Even though Iran and Hamas adhere to different traditions of Islam, Iran being comprised of mainly Shiite Muslims and most of the Middle East following the Sunni Muslim branch, one thing clearly unites both groups - a common hatred of Israel. With Syrian talk of war, Hamas making preparations, Hizbullah at large, Iran inciting hatred of Israel and Egypt unwilling to intervene, it may only be a matter of time before a second wider war breaks out in the region.

Source Jerusalem Post, YNet News, ZOA, YNet News

Quote: "In an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais, the Syrian president said: "Our vision regarding peace stated that no more than two years should pass since we set out for the Madrid conference (and until the negotiations are completed)... if we want to renew talks from the same point we stopped, then the talks need six months."

President Assad, in line with Biblical prophecy, also called on Europe to become involved in the Middle East peace process.

Quote: "In the interview, Assad also said the United States "was not a fair co-sponsor" of the stalled Mideast peace process and called on Europe to take an active role. "Regrettably there is not another international power that can replace it (the US), and at the same time, the United States should not be alone, and here is where Europe's role comes in," he said.

Source YNet News, Jerusalem Post

For years robots have been used in Northern Ireland to make safe car bombs, and have proved very effective and saved many lives. Americans are now using robots to search caves in Afghanistan, and recently a robot saved the lives of US soldiers when it detonated a roadside bomb in Iraq. But if iRobot has its way, future wars may be fought with robots leading the way, hopefully saving many lives. iRobot has developed several models, which are small enough to be carried in backpacks, and can be operated by remote control via a laptop.

Quote: "Urban warfare is dirty business, as the Army's experience in Fallujah, Iraq, shows. Soldiers piling into narrow doorways are particularly vulnerable to gunfire, and snipers are hard to spot once their shots begin echoing throughout apartment blocks. But soldiers in the future, the Army hopes, will be able to pull SUGVs [Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle] from their backpacks and drop the robots through the windows of buildings where enemies may be hiding.

My friend Olli-Pekka noted a distinct similarity between the above quotation (and this video), and a passage in Joel 2, which describes the army that will fight (I take it against Israel) in the day of the Lord. 

Joel 2:7-9
They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 

Source Wired

Quote: "Abbas has so far declined to exercise his authority to fire Haniyeh and dissolve the government. But pressure is building within his party for him to take bold steps to end the political crisis following his apparent failure to organize a so-called national unity government.

This document was publicly lauded by the European Union as the answer to the current impasse in the Middle East peace process. News organizations worldwide subsequently promoted the plan as implicitly recognizing Israel, despite no such wording being mentioned in the 18 point plan. News organizations encouraged their readers to read between the lines, and it was left up to Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh himself to set the record straight. Will this Prisoners' document, which many are saying could be the basis for a new peace agreement in the Middle East, bring peace to Israel. Not according to Khalid Nufel, a member of the Palestinian National Council. It will instead end fighting between Palestinian terrorist groups, and provide a base for a united front against Israeli "aggression".

Quote: "The member of Palestinian National Council added that Hamas should consider regional and international situation to prevent weakening Palestinians' rights and principles. Asked about the ways in which the Palestinians can counter Israeli threats, he said that they should form the national unity government and adopt a unified stance to face Israeli aggression, noting, individual and group actions are considered inefficient. According to the official, the national unity government will accelerate the achievement of victory [i.e. destruction of Israel - Ed.] and uphold national solidarity. Pointing to national unity as an essential factor in confronting Israeli aggression, he stated that the Palestinians should maintain solidarity to overcome Israel's threats in view of its firm decision to continue attacks on innocent people.

"Victory" meaning in the words of Yasser Arafat, driving the Israelis into the sea. This document, if adopted, and if Israel is pressed into recognizing a future Palestinian unity government, will constitute a covenant of death with Israel's enemies. 

Source Washington Post, Islamic Republic News Agency

US intelligence analysts are warning President Bush that it looks increasingly likely the world will have to accept nuclear-armed Iran. Experts say that US knowledge on nuclear installations within the country are sketchy at best, and even if they were given orders to strike it wouldn't be 100% effective. This would only achieve a short term delay in the nuclear programme, and you could be sure the Iranians would make the most of any collateral damage caused during an attack. Analysts say that any achievement in delaying Iran's nuclear ambitions may be negated by Iran's threat to increase oil prices and bankrupt the West, and increase the threat of Islamic terrorism in the Middle East. 

Quote: "The biggest deterrent might come from the Israelis, not the Americans. Israeli defence sources are increasingly convinced that it will fall to them to stop a nuclear Iran. In their view Iran should not be allowed to get to the "point of no return" where it has the know-how to build a bomb. "The Israelis are going to have to make a decision earlier than we do," Clawson said. "That's a real problem for us."

So the West is once again afraid to confront the biggest threat faced by the free world since Hitler in World War II. In the end, it will be up to Israel to face Iran alone. Iran would probably not be interested in attacking the West with a nuclear bomb. Only Israel has the incentive to do something about Iran before it is too late... they have the President's promise of nuclear annihilation. 

P.S. Been feeling very spiritually tested this past week. Sunday School started again properly today and it went very well. But this past few days, each day that I was preparing for the class, I've been under terrible mental attacks, which I did not initiate but found it very difficult to break from. The Bible states that no temptation has taken us apart from that which is common to man, but God provides a way of escape (1st Cor 10:13). So you don't need to email me about this, but I appreciate your prayers, as I know many of you do pray for me, and I appreciate that very much. Thanks. 

Source Times Online