Prophecy in the news

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Chris Perver

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Updated
01/01/07

Quote: ""The Christian Zionist programme provides a world view where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism," said the declaration, accusing Christian Zionists of hurting hopes for Middle East peace. "We reject the teachings of Christian Zionism that facilitate and support these policies as they advance racial exclusivity and perpetual war," the declaration added.

Unbelievable. Since when did the teachings of Christian Zionism advance "perpetual war"? Clearly these church leaders must read their history books as often as they read their Bibles. For if they read their history books they would realize that every war Israel has fought within the past 60 years has been initiated by their enemies, not Christian Zionists. Israel's enemies don't want the Jews in a square inch of "Palestine", let alone talking about 1967 borders. If the Church leaders read their Bibles, they would also understand why every born again Christian should love Israel (but not at the expense of all peoples) and the role Israel must play in end time prophecy.

Romans 11:25-28
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.

Amazingly for Reuters, this article is actually quite fair, and put the Christian Zionist groups, who responded to the declaration, in a positive light...

Quote: ""We pray for peace. But we note with sadness that the present Palestinian government is totally dedicated to the destruction of Israel," the Christian Zionist groups said in their statement, referring to the governing Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The prospect of Middle East peace talks has looked even more unlikely since Hamas's election victory in January. The group is formally dedicated to destroying Israel. "The problem in the region is not as simple as the Jerusalem Declaration makes out," the Christian Zionists' statement said. Some Christian Zionists believe that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land will bring about the end of the world and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Some also believe Jews themselves will have to become Christians or perish. The Christian Zionist groups in Jerusalem said they had no "thirst for Armageddon" and do not base their theological position on "end time prophecy". They called for dialogue with the clerics behind the declaration that condemned them.

I thought the above quote from the article was extremely interesting, especially how "prophecy", "Armageddon" and similar phrases seem to be popping up more and more in the mainstream media. A sign of the times?

Source Reuters

Quote: ""Death of a President," shot in the form of a documentary examining the assassination, will use a blend of archival footage and computer-generated special effects to portray Bush in October 2007 arriving in Chicago during an anti-war rally. In the film, Bush is killed by a sniper, and the investigation quickly focuses on a Syrian-born man. It will air in October on Channel 4's More4 digital channel, as well as at the Toronto Film Festival in September. "It's a pointed political examination of what the war on terror is doing to the American body politic," said More4 boss Peter Dale at a press conference on Thursday. Promotional materials described the programme as "a thought-provoking critique of the contemporary U.S. political landscape."

For those who understand "liberalspeak", I'll translate for you. What Peter Dale just said was, "It's a hard hitting political assassination of that butcher President Bush". According to the British media, headed by the BBC, President Bush's war on terror is angering many Americans, and everyone else in the world. I was listening to a BBC anchorman just last night, interviewing a very rational-minded US diplomat involved in negotiations with President Ahmadinejad. The BBC interviewer couldn't do enough to paint Ahmadinejad in a positive light, while portraying the US as the aggressor. He literally said everyone else in the world doubted the US assertion that President Ahmadinejad's intends to develop nuclear weapons and is a threat to world peace. He stated that a recent poll showed most people in the world believed America was a greater threat to world peace. I couldn't believe the US diplomat managed to keep his cool, being asked such a question. Someone who was brought up just listening to the BBC news could have a very twisted view of the world. Praise God that He has shown us the truth through His Word...

Nehemiah 9:13,20 
Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

John 7:37-38
In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Source Reuters

Quote: "Russia's 24-satellite navigational and global positioning system, Glonass, will be fully deployed by 2010, the country's Defense Ministry said Wednesday. The ministry's press office said the development and use of Glonass was discussed in Moscow at a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and members of a government military commission. "In his introductory speech, Sergei Ivanov said Glonass was extremely important to the country's defense and its economic development, and was ranked among the strategically vital elements of the country's infrastructure," the office said.

Those who have been keeping up to date with the 2007-2010-2013 news briefings will realize that Russia isn't alone in their efforts to create their own satellite defence network. Europe also is aiming to launch its own satellite network called GMES network (Global Monitoring of Environment and Security), which will significantly boost the EU's ability to make war. The fact that these two power blocs are both aiming for 2010? Gog's getting ready for his big showdown with the Revived Roman Empire.

Source Russian News and Information Agency, Telegraph

My friend Tony sent me this link this morning of a recent speech made by President Ahmadinejad. The article is written by Ali Akbar Dareini of the Associated Press. President Ahmadinejad has publicly challenged President Bush to a televised debate on Iran's nuclear programme. The US has rebuffed his offer as a "diversion" intended to silence the legitimate concerns of the international community. What caught Tony's eye was the President's criticism of Israel, which he blamed for imposing dozens of wars on the Palestinian people and surrounding Islamic nations. 

Quote: ""The Zionist regime has deprived the Palestinian nation and other nations of the region of a single day of peace. In the past 60 years, it has imposed tens of wars on the Palestinian nation and others," he said Tuesday.

As Tony says, this is pure lies. But checking on the article in Yahoo and the Houston Chronicle, I cannot find Tony's quote anywhere, even though a Google search states it was in there at one time.

I eventually found some articles that still had the quote, the Gulf News, and the Hong Kong Standard, and the International Herald Tribune. It seems we in the West are succumbing to the rare condition called TBN'itis, where criticism of Islamic terror must be silenced no matter how just.

Source Yahoo, Houston Chronicle, Gulf News, Hong Kong Standard, International Herald Tribune.

Within 1500 days or four years, the world's oil production will have peaked, experts are predicting. With no major oil deposits being discovered and demands increasing as China's economy expands, it is expected by the year 2010 the world will have a serious crisis on its hands. It's not that oil will suddenly run dry, rather demands will outstrip the supply available, and the price of oil will rocket. The world has been brought up on a diet of cheap Middle East oil for years, and unless the world can switch their economies over to other energy sources, we could be facing a financial catastrophe. With current rates of consumption it is believed even if we found another "Saudi Arabia", it would last only 20 years.

Quote: ""Oil supply will peak in 2010-11 at around 92 to 94 million barrels a day," he said. "We have just 1500 days to peak. Collectively, we are still in denial."

There are some that claim there is no such thing as "peak oil". Most notably the oil suppliers themselves. There are other energy sources available, and my uncle says that if farmers in Europe were paid to grow rape seed instead of leaving their fields empty, we could solve the oil crisis overnight. But it seems the world economies run on crude oil, and suppliers aren't too happy about the thought of losing their businesses to other energy sources. We've already seen how fragile the world's supply of oil is, when GazProm in Russia cut supplies to most of Europe over the price of oil last year. Javier Solana was directly involved in mediating between Russia and the Ukraine during that crisis. With most major deposits of oil located in the Middle East, and as global supplies start to ebb, perhaps the need to secure energy supplies will become one of the hooks in Gog's jaws that brings Russia against Israel in the latter days.

Ezekiel 38:13 
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?

In any case, the world is heading for a financial collapse, which will peak during the tribulation period.

Revelation 6:5-6
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 

Source Adelaide Now

Quote: "The Open House views the parade, which will take place a day before the eve of Rosh Hashana, as having "a central role in the ongoing struggle for the promotion of the freedom of expression, the rights of the (Gay and Lesbian) community in Jerusalem and the promotion of democratic and pluralistic values in and around the city. The parade has a great significance this year especially due to the unprecedented wave of incitement the Jerusalem community suffered from before and during the World Pride events." 

On the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashana is the beginning of the new year, and also marks the anniversary date on which it is believed God created the world. Following Rosh Hashana are the "Days of Awe", days of repentance during which every observant Jew will confess his or her sins they have committed. The thought is that if confession is made during this period, that God will repeal His judgement due to them for their sins on the day of Yom Kippur. 

Quote: "The first day of Tishrei is called "a day of shofar blasting" (Numbers 29:1). Our oral tradition tells us that this day marks the anniversary of the creation of the world. Hence it is the day when, every year, G-d "takes stock" of Creation, judging our actions. Thus, we call it Rosh Hashana, the "Head" of the Year; for just as the head directs the body, so too, G-d's judgment on Rosh Hashana directs the events of the coming year.  

After the "days of Awe" the official national day of repentance is observed, Yom Kippur or the day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. It was on the day of Atonement that the High Priest of Israel entered the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled the blood upon the mercy seat to cover the sins of the nation. This was a picture of the sacrifice Jesus Christ would make on the cross for our sins. And just one day before all these days are observed, hundreds of homosexuals will be prancing down the streets half naked and committing indecent acts in the sight of men. Horrific. The nation is facing threats from without such as Hizbullah and Iran, and threats from within such as Olmert and Peres. And instead of repenting from their wickedness and turning to God, they are increasing their abominations. As Moses said, it's not the sound of war in the camp, it's the sound of those that revel in sin. Will God be "taking stock" of what is happening in the midst of the city where He placed His name? If this incoming Jewish year witnesses the beginning of the seven year tribulation period, WorldPride had better start doing their repenting now. 

Ezekiel 18:30 
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Source YNet News, Ask the Rabbi

Quote: ""Our television ministry could be facing its own Armageddon of sorts," wrote Mark Levitt. "TBN committed to continuing our broadcasts only so long as we could furnish new programs that featured Zola. A high-level TBN executive suggested that Jeff's TV series on Isaiah would be satisfactory thereafter in terms of being neither too pro-Israel nor unduly anti-Arab. TBN, you see, is modifying its programming to be suitable for broadcast in Arab nations. Despite our best efforts to appease their programming directors, our last program on TBN will air on Monday, Aug. 28."

While offending other religions isn't our goal, I think that pandering to the Islamic world by suppressing views that might offend no matter how justifiable, is wrong. Where do you draw the line? Stating that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, according to the Qur'an, is an unforgivable sin. Will TBN suppress the Gospel for the sake of winning larger ratings? The Gospel is already being suppressed here. Most broadcasting on the Christian networks is Bible teaching for Christians, or the "prosperity gospel" message. We can't afford to suppress any more.

2nd Timothy 4:3 
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Source WorldNetDaily, WorldNetDaily

Quote: ""The time has come for European efforts to relaunch peace in the Middle East," he [Moratinos] said Friday after his EU counterparts met in Brussels with UN chief Kofi Annan. "Europeans are gaining more in credibility, in presence and engagement in the future of this region, which is our region," he said Saturday. Italy, which will be the the force's biggest contributor with up to 3,000 soldiers and which will take over its command next February from France, was hopeful that the commitment would mark a new era of EU influence in the region. "It's the first time that Europe assumes such a strong responsibility in the region and we hope there will be a change, not only for the stabilisation of the border between Israel and Lebanon, but also to push peace in the whole region" said Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema.

With all this talk of Europe's new peacekeeping role, you'd be forgiven for thinking the Europeans had single-handedly solved the entire Middle East situation overnight. The EU certainly has come a long way since the Rafah border agreement last year, in which the EU became the first 3rd Party permitted by Israel to be directly involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Now with a large EU presence on the ground, its only a matter of time before the EU decides to intervene in other areas in the Middle East, such as Gaza, Judea and Samaria. Gaza, as I reported a few days ago, is already being discussed by EU ministers. This may mean more EU troops in Sinai and the Golan, paving the way for President Olmert's desired "covenant of peace". All this is of course in accordance with Daniel's prophecy, that the Antichrist who shall confirm the covenant, shall be a European leader and shall command forces in the Middle East in an effort to keep the peace.

Daniel 9:26-27
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people (Romans) of the prince that shall come (Antichrist) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (AD 70); and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the (peace) covenant with many 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 Mail & Guardian, Yahoo

Quote: "An official source announced the completion of the heavy water plant, Saturday. According to the source, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to speak publicly to this effect later in the day, in order to declare formally that the plant is up and running.

Meanwhile, as the deadline for Iran's compliance with the UN Security Council resolution looms, there is still disagreement over exactly what course of action should be taken. Russia insists that the diplomatic option should continue as long as Iran was willing to talk, while the US is now seeking to bypass the UN and form its own coalition who will impose sanctions on Iran. The phrase, Nero fiddled while Rome burned, comes to mind. 

Source YNet News

Quote: "El Salvador will move its embassy in Israel from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday, in a move bound to upset Israel and please Arab nations. El Salvador would have been the only country in the world left with an embassy in Jerusalem after neighboring Costa Rica announced on Aug. 16 it would pull its diplomatic mission out of the city.

Past Israeli Prime Ministers have stated that Jerusalem will remain the eternal capital of Israel, that was until this new breed of Israeli politician was born. Both Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have revealed their plans to ditch Jerusalem, of which the Psalms state, every Jew should count their chief joy. Peres, who was educated by the Jesuits, is willing to hand Jerusalem over to the Vatican. The Catholic Church wants to place a Pope in Jerusalem in order to present an "unbroken" line of Pope's from Peter to the return of Christ. Olmert, on the other hand, has already stated he is willing to hand over predominantly Arab areas of Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority, effectively dividing the city in two. I believe the decision of these two nations shows us that every nation on earth has now been forced to take sides in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in preparation for what is to come in the tribulation period.

Daniel 11:39 
Thus shall he (Antichrist) do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. 

Zechariah 14:2-3
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Source YNet News

Quote: ""The idea of sending UN troops to the Gaza Strip is currently being aired. But I think that if things go well in Lebanon, a similar positive process could also begin in the Gaza Strip: the release of [kidnapped soldier Gilad] Shalit, a Palestinian unity government that meets the criteria set by the international community, and the presence of a UN force to bolster the Palestinian government."

This is of course the exact situation many of us have been predicting. An increased European presence in the Middle East will eventually bring about a situation where a "covenant of peace" can be signed with many nations. That peace agreement, which will be confirmed for seven years, is prophesied to fail catastrophically in the middle of that period. Due to that fact, along with Scriptures in Daniel describing the Antichrist's forces occupying many countries in the region, this peace agreement will only become possible through peacekeeping forces occupying many Middle East countries. Lebanon has become the first of those countries. Syria, Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Gaza could follow. And according to D'Alema, increased European involvement in the Middle East peace process is on the cards, in accordance with Biblical prophecy...

Quote: ""Success would be the active presence of international and European diplomacy in the region, a presence that has been missing for many years. Europe has not counted for too much in the Middle East, and Israel has always related to it suspiciously. The Arabs thought that Europe hands out money, but for the important things, one must turn to the Americans. If, with the assistance of a UN and European presence, a positive process begins in Lebanon - the country is stabilized and the fundamentalist threat is removed from Israel's borders - that will show people in Israel that the international community can be efficient, that Europe can be efficient. Such a process would prove to Israel that it can ensure its security better through the politics of peace than through war. The main problem is that in Israeli politics, peace and security are two different, often contradictory things."

Daniel 11:41-43
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. 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.

Quote: "Russian Vice-Premier Sergei Ivanov said Friday that Russia will continue to pursue a political resolution of the dispute over Iran's nuclear program and that it is too early to consider imposing sanctions, news agencies reported. "Talk about sanctions is premature and inexpedient, to say the least," Ivanov said in the Far Eastern city of Magadan, according to the news agency ITAR-Tass. "In any case, Russia will keep pressing for a political and diplomatic settlement coupled with full and strict observance of all non-proliferation regimes."

And with these countries incapable of agreement, Ahmadinejad knows he is free to continue to threaten Israel with nuclear annihilation. Israel's former national security advisor has stated that if President Ahmadinejad ever became Iran's supreme decision maker, replacing Ayatollah al Khameini, he would probably be willing to sacrifice half of Iran if he could achieve the destruction of the Jewish state. Giora Eiland says that the United States has three basic options, but none of them are desirable. One, to give up on the diplomatic process completely and isolate Iran, just like North Korea. Two, accept Iran's nuclear status, but bribe the nation to suspend nuclear activity for a couple of years. Three, carry out a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. But time is running out. According to Eiland, we only have months before Iran goes nuclear.

Quote: "The third option, said Eiland, was a military operation - born of the sense that the diplomatic process would not work and that there could be no compromise with an axis-of-evil power. However, internal political realities and public opinion in the US were not conducive to this, he said, nor was international support readily available. Furthermore, said Eiland, "this would be action that would have to be taken within months. If not, and if Iran continues enrichment, it will complete the research and development stage and have a proven ability which it can then duplicate at numerous sites. And at that point it could not be stopped by military action. Six months or 12 months from now would be too late, he said.

Source YNet News, Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem Post

Quote: "A senior official in Teheran said Wednesday that in the next few days, a "surprise" was expected regarding Iran's nuclear program, Al-Jazeera reported. Teheran's apparent refusal to suspend uranium enrichment set the stage for a showdown at the UN Security Council later this month.

Iranian politicians had previously promised retaliatory attacks against Israel and Western targets if economic sanctions were placed against the country for failure to halt its nuclear programme. So far, China and Russia have blocked the threat of sanctions, but if Iran still refuses to comply with the UN Security Council by August 31st, I doubt very much the international community could just stand back do nothing. If Iran is planning an announcement regarding progress on its nuclear programme, doing it just days or hours before the Security Council convenes could throw the entire UN into disarray. If that progress is anything along the lines of what some have been expecting, i.e. the "nuclear birth" of Iran, the international community would be forced to accept the fact that Iran had joined the nuclear club for better or for worse. 

Quote: "The Iranian news service Al-Borz, which is known to have access to sources in the Iranian government, predicted that on the first anniversary of Iranian President Ahmadinejad's government, in late August 2006, Ahmadinejad is expected to announce what the news service called Iran's "nuclear birth." In addition, an August 23, 2006 article about Iran's reply to the incentives proposal, that was posted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry-affiliated website www.tehrantimes.com, implied that Iran's nuclear technology had already reached the point of no return: "... If the West is seeking to impede Iran's nuclear industry, it should realize that Iran has passed this stage."(1)

With backing from China and Russia the Security Council would be incapable of enforcing sanctions, and would be forced to do damage-limitation - possibly agreeing to allow Iran to pursue its nuclear ambitions with certain guarantees in return. Israel would then be faced with an impossible situation, a country now possessing a nuclear capability that is actively seeking its destruction.

Source Jerusalem Post, JudeoScope

Quote: ""The Iranians know the world will do nothing," he said. "This is similar to the world's attempts to appease Hitler in the 1930s - they are trying to feed the beast." He said there was a need to understand that "when push comes to shove," Israel would have to be prepared to "slow down" the Iranian nuclear threat by itself.

The Israelis believe the US will be incapable of intervening in Iran. They are overstretched in Afghanistan and Iraq, and due to international constraints on the US to abide by the failed "diplomatic" process, any military action against Iran might only be carried out by the summer of 2008. That is far too late to impede President Ahmadinejad's efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon, as some intelligence analysts believe Iran may only be weeks from making an announcement on significant nuclear progress.

Quote: "Meanwhile, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported Wednesday that the Iranian news service Al-Borz, which it said is known to have access to sources in the Iranian government, predicted that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would announce what the news service called Iran's "nuclear birth" on the first anniversary of his government later this month.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: ""In one of the most appalling displays of gross disregard for the safety of young children, the San Diego City School system allowed a number of small children to march inside of the San Diego Gay Pride parade under the banner of one of its schools," he said. That, despite the fact, "that these children were brought into the midst of a number of businesses promoting pornography and nearly nude men and women in graphic sexualised demonstrations."

And of course, although the Gay Pride march which was scheduled to being on August 20th in Jerusalem was cancelled due to the fighting, the week-long festivities went ahead. That was despite protests from Christians, Jews and Muslims, who stated the event was an affront to the religious sensibilities of the residents of the city. Some Rabbis have stated that they believe the outbreak of the conflict with Hizbullah, which occurred on the same week the WorldPride leaders convened to decide the location of the march, was permitted by God to punish Israel for their immorality. Last year, a Gay Pride march scheduled for Jerusalem was cancelled due to the Gaza disengagement. My friend James is also of the opinion that Israel's "defeat" in Lebanon could have something to do with this Homosexual event.

Quote: ""When God’s presence is in the camp, nothing can happen to the Jewish people," Brody stated. "But If the Jewish people bring impurity into the camp of Israel, this chases away God's presence." Brody contends the "removal of God's presence" led to the recent violence here, but he said he still feels the Jewish state is being protected. 

Revelation 11:8 
And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Source WorldNetDaily, SDCCS, WorldNetDaily

VeriChip Corporation, manufacturers of the VeriChip, are seeking a contract with the United States government which could see 1.4 million service men and women implanted with a radio identification tag. The company is currently in discussions with the Pentagon regarding the proposal. If it is adopted, an RFID chip would be inserted in the right arm or hand of willing individuals - according to the report, and could eventually replace the metal "dog tags" currently worn by US soldiers. The CEO of VeriChip recently caused controversy after suggesting the US immigration problem could be solved by implanting immigrants with RFID microchips, who could then be traced if they went missing.

Quote: "VeriChip Corp, based in Delray Beach, Fla., and described by the D.C. Examiner as "one of the most aggressive marketers of radio frequency identification chips," is hoping to convince the Pentagon to allow them to insert the chips, known as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips under the skin of the right arms of U.S. servicemen and servicewomen to enable them to scan an arm and obtain that person’s identity and medical history. The chips would replace the legendary metal dog tags that have been worn by U.S. military personnel since 1906. The device is usually implanted above the triceps area of an individual’s right arm, but can also by implanted in the hand if scanned at the proper frequency. The VeriChip responds with a unique 16-digit number, which can correlate the user to information stored on a database for identity verification, medical records access and other uses. The insertion procedure is performed under local anaesthetic, and once inserted it is invisible to the naked eye

Yesterday the US government started officially printing RFID-enabled US passports, despite concerns that RFID tags could be read at large distances (tests prove as far as 70 feet, with the aid of a large scanner), and duplicated.

Quote: "Two weeks after the potential dangers of RFID chips embedded in passports were demonstrated at a security conference, German chip manufacturer Infineon has been given the nod by the US Government to supply millions of chips for US passports. RFID passports hold personal information that can be scanned and read and viewed on a computer screen and the Infineon based system is expected to be installed on millions of US passports.

With a global identification system capable of tracking the movements of people across borders, along with RFID in supermarkets eliminating the need for cash, all the necessary technology will soon be in place, allowing the implementation the Mark of the Beast which shall be issued by the Antichrist during the tribulation period.

Revelation 13:16-17 
And he (Antichrist) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark (incision) 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 News Max, IT Wire

Quote: "A statement on GSP's website, signed by company president Gabriel Comanescu, said the Iranian action was a "flagrant breach of all the international rules". It said that since Monday, Iranian military helicopters and ships had been "trying to intimidate the Romanian crew aboard the rig". Then early on Tuesday "an Iranian military cutter boat opened fire against the Orizont rig, in the stern crane" and Iranian troops occupied the rig, the statement said. "We do not know if anyone is hurt," it added.

It's not clear why Iran attacked the rig, but President Ahmadinejad had promised a multi-faceted response by 3:30pm today, to the Six Nation nuclear incentive package presented by Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy on 06/06/06. Romania is scheduled to join the European Union on January 1st, 2007. Iran's nuclear negotiator, Larijani, is expected to hand a written response to the six world powers, rejecting Javier Solana's incentive package, in an attempt to drag the process out in order to buy Ahmadinejad more time to develop nuclear weapons.

Quote: "Ali Larijani, chief nuclear negotiator, will hand Iran's written response to foreign ambassadors in Tehran at 4 p.m. (1:30 p.m. British time) at the Supreme National Security Council, which handles the nuclear file, a senior Iranian nuclear official said. Tensions rose further as diplomats close to the U.N. nuclear watchdog said its inspectors were denied access to an underground site under construction where Iran plans industrial- scale production of enriched uranium. A senior diplomat said blocking inspectors this way could be a violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty since the U.N. inspectors have a right to verify design information during the construction of a nuclear facility.

Source BBC, EurActiv, Reuters

Quote: ""We are liable to face an Iranian missile attack. The Iranians have said very clearly that if they come under attack, their primary target would be Israel," Rafi Eitan, a member of the decision-making inner cabinet, told Israel Radio. Iran could fire missiles at the Jewish state "therefore we must prepare for what could come, and prepare the entire country for a missile strike attack, to prepare all the civilian systems so they are ready for this," Eitan said.

Ahmadinejad is continuing to up the war-anti, making more threatening statements, not only against Israel, but also the US and Britain. In his speech, he slammed both countries for conspiring to attack Lebanon, for preventing a cease-fire and for abetting the crimes of the "Zionist regime". He stated that the US and Britain were not worthy of being members of the UN Security Council, and warned both countries that they would be forced to bow before the might of Iran. 

Quote: "If you want to have good relations with the Iranian people in the future, you should acknowledge the right and the might of the Iranian people, and you should bow and surrender to the might of the Iranian people. If you do not accept this, the Iranian people will force you to bow and surrender.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong II is also sabre-rattling again, warning the US it will consider a pre-emptive strike on the south, due a joint US-South Korean military exercise that is currently being conducted by the two nations. North Korea recently test-fired around 8-10 missiles earlier in the year, including a long range missile capable of reaching the continental US, drawing immediate worldwide condemnation and the threat of sanctions against the isolated communist state.

Quote: "In its official media, North Korea said the drills were "an undisguised military threat and blackmail against the DPRK (North Korea) and a war action". The drills were a violation of the truce that ended the 1950-1953 Korean War, it said. "The Korean Peoples' Army side, therefore, reserves the right to undertake a pre-emptive action for self-defence against the enemy at a crucial time it deems necessary to defend itself," the North's KCNA news agency cited an army spokesman as saying.

Source Reuters, LittleGreenFootballs, Reuters

Quote: ""The international community must now designate the leadership of this international force, give it robust rules of engagement and deploy it as quickly as possible to secure the peace," Bush told a news conference in Washington.

Italy is of course where the Treaty of Rome was signed some 50 years ago, which effectively brought into being the European Union. The fact that Italy may now lead a peacekeeping force in the Middle East is particularly significant, considering the Antichrist as the head of the Revived Roman Empire, is prophesied to overrun many Middle Eastern countries, and attempt to bring about a covenant of peace for 7 years. This is what many Christians including myself have been saying for years would happen, and finally its starting to come to pass. 

Daniel 11:39 
Thus shall he (Antichrist) do in the most strong holds with a strange god (God of forces), whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.  

Source YNet News

While there is open talk of war from Lebanon's Druze leader Jumblatt, and Syria and Iran seem to be preparing for some sort of conflict with Israel and the US, voices within Israel are calling once again for the nation to make peace with their enemies. Neither Lebanon, Syria or Iran recognize Israel's right to exist. As far as I know, only Egypt and Jordan have actually signed peace agreements with Israel. But in spite of this, Israeli politicians still believe peace is possible if only they could give up more land. In 1967 several Muslim nations launched an unprovoked attack with the goal of wiping out the nation of Israel. In response to that threat Israel decided to occupy the Golan Heights, in order to prevent Syria from firing rockets into the country. But now Israeli Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter is suggesting Israel could give back the Golan Heights in exchange for a full peace agreement with a country that since 1948 has refused to recognize Israel.

Quote: ""Syria is a very significant country for us in regards to the texture of life in the region," the minister said. "I think that a process of discussions with Syria is legitimate. If it turns out that there is someone to talk to, I think that the idea is very suitable. Israel can initiate it. Ultimately, initiatives of this kind are of a third party – and there is an abundance of third parties in the world. If a third party approaches us, we must reply in the positive."

And again, no prizes for guessing who that third party will be. The EU already has agreements with Syria and Israel with the European Neighbourhood Policy, along with many other Middle Eastern nations. The EU is in the perfect position to exploit that agreement and bring "peace" to the region. And our friend Javier Solana, the High Representative of the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy, is as we speak working on such a peace initiative. This was posted by Constance Cumbey on Fulfilled Prophecy, as well as on her own weblog. Three Arab countries, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, are all pressing for a new peace agreement to be implemented with Israel, with the goal to ending instability in the region. All these countries are concerned that the situation in Lebanon could deteriorate unless something is done quickly, and that Iranian and Syrian influence will increase unless some sort of peace accord can be signed.

Quote: "In meetings with Israeli and Lebanese officials last weekend, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana spoke of the need to consolidate the Lebanon cease-fire, then work toward a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement. Solana's "feeling is that we now need a big push, otherwise we shall see more fires breaking out in the future," a European Union official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make statements to the press.

Source YNet News, The Hindu

Speculation is continuing over what will take place on August 22nd, in regards to Iran's nuclear programme. Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy, presented Ahmadinejad on 06/06/06, with what was supposed to be an offer he couldn't refuse. Europe offered to build light water nuclear reactors and supply them with nuclear fuel, hand over advanced US nuclear technology and guarantee Iran's security, if they would comply with the UN resolution calling for Iran to halt its Uranium conversion programme. Iran has been defiant over this issue, and although Javier Solana stated he would only wait weeks for a response, President Ahmadinejad stated he would only give his answer on August 22nd. All this has led to speculation on what Iran is planning for this significant date. Some are wondering if Ahmadinejad is planning to unleash a devastating attack on Israel, lighting up the night sky with some sort of weapon, in a repeat of what happened in the story of Mohammed's journey to heaven.

Quote: "DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources report that information rated “highly credible” has reached US undercover agencies of a secret report presented to Iran’s supreme ruler Ali Khamenei by Abdollah Shabhazi, one of the heads of the Supreme National Security Council. He claims to expose a mega-terror plot against Jerusalem scheduled for August 22, which aims at killing large numbers of Jews, Arabs and Christians. This atrocity will reportedly arm the United States and Israel with the pretext for hitting Iran’s nuclear installations, as well its capital, Tehran, and other big cities. Shabhazi says the US and Israel need to launch a military campaign to restore the deterrent strength they lost in the Lebanon war. The massive attack will reportedly focus on the Old City of Jerusalem and its eastern suburbs. The Iranian report claims that the plotters, who are not identified, are eager to recreate the divine white light whish spread over Jerusalem in the year 632. It does not rule out the use of a non-conventional weapon.

I don't know what's going through Ahmadinejad's mind, but I would be inclined to believe the second scenario is probably more likely than the first, although I have no doubt that Ahmadinejad wants to hasten the coming of the Mahdi by starting a nuclear war. Iran does believe Israel is currently at its weakest, due to the fact they could not halt the barrage of rockets fired by Hizbullah from southern Lebanon. But to strike Israel now I believe would be premature. Ahmadinejad would risk the destruction of his nuclear programme, and the wrath of Israel and the US if he carried out an unprovoked attack. I believe Ahmadinejad will probably, if anything, make some sort of announcement of more progress on the nuclear issue, reject Europe's bribes, and play the process out as long as he can. If America and Israel then decide to carry out a pre-emptive strike, which I think would be necessary, Iran can then claim self defence in any future attack on Israel.  

Quote: "In addition to Bernard Lewis’s hypothesis, speculation is rife in Washington about what Iran has in store for next Tuesday. Tehran may announce success in producing enriched uranium of a higher grade, meaning it is no more than six months away from a weapons-grade capability. While providing justification for UN Security Council sanctions, Tehran prefers to believe that this announcement will be its passport for admission to the world’s nuclear club and its attendant privileges, including the right to enrich uranium independently.

Still, all we can do it wait and see...

Source Debka

Quote: "According to him, "What we know about this enemy up until now is that it is insane. Therefore we must always be prepared in the face of this insane enemy." General Salehi added that Israel was taken by surprise by Hizbullah's response: "The enemy went mad, made erroneous calculations and attacked Lebanon. Of course, it received a decisive blow from Hizbullah when it was surprised by Hizbullah's capabilities. There are two options: either this revolting enemy learned a lesson, or it didn't." 

I read a few days ago that Prime Minister Olmert had decided to postpone his disengagement plan for the West Bank, after the ceasefire took effect and it was clear that this was no time to be dealing with internal issues when there is a very real external threat to the nation. The thought then occurred to me why Israel has supposedly lost the war with Hizbullah. In Israel's past wars, God granted Israel amazing victories when the odds were stacked against them. Not this time. What has changed? I believe former Prime Minister Sharon's decision to disengage from Gaza, and the current Prime Minister's intentions to disengage from Judea and Samaria are what could have prevented Israel from gaining a decisive victory. In every other war land was gained, not given back. Why would God bless a nation with victory, when they are walking contrary to His Word and in opposition to His promises?

Source YNet News, Boston Globe

Quote: "A senior military official told ABC News that a U.S. intelligence agency has recently observed "suspicious vehicle movement" at a suspected North Korean test site. The activity includes the unloading of large reels of cable outside P'unggye-yok, an underground facility in northeast North Korea. Cables can be used in nuclear testing to connect an underground test site to outside observation equipment. The intelligence was brought to the attention of the White House last week.

This news of course comes only four days away from the Iranian President's promised response to the Six-Nation "incentive package", presented to Ahmadinejad by Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy. What that response will be is anyone's guess, but the date August 22nd holds an extreme religious significance for Muslims. It is the anniversary of the date the Muslim warrior Saladin conquered Jerusalem. It is also celebrated in Islam as the date Mohammed ascended to heaven. With Hizbullah's recent self-declared "victory" in Lebanon and Iranian confidence at an all time high, will Ahmadinejad's promise that "Israel had pushed the button of its own destruction" come to pass?

Source ABC News

Quote: "[Abbas adviser Nimr] Hamad said Abbas hopes to form a national unity government based on a document drafted by Palestinian militants calling for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, an implicit recognition of Israel's right to exist. Hamas officials approved the document in June.

The document has been claimed by many news organizations to contain an implicit recognition of Israel's right to exist, but this was flatly denied by Ismael Haniyeh after the BBC and other media outlets started advising their viewers to read between the lines. In actual fact this document is one more stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of Israel's destruction. 

Meanwhile, France seems to be getting cold feet about the prospect of sending a peacekeeping force to Lebanon. 12 EU member states have so far signalled their readiness to send troops to the region, but news reports that France who was meant to be heading the peacekeeping operation would only be willing to send a dozen officers and 200 military engineers may mean Javier Solana will have his work cut out for him. As High Representative of the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy, any EU force in Lebanon will come under his direct command. But with prospects of an "agreement" in the south of Israel as well as in the north, perhaps this may turn out to be Solana's hour of glory. Bring on the "covenant of peace".

Quote: "The Palestinians hope that the formation of a unity government that represents all Palestinian factions would lead the international community, and particularly the European Union, to renew its financial support to the PA. The matter has already been discussed between Abbas and European envoy Javier Solana.

Source Washington Post, YNet News, Monsters and Critics

Three airliners touched down in Israel yesterday, carrying Jewish immigrants who have chosen to make Eretz Yisrael their home. This marks a new record for the number of Jews making Aliyah from the West. With the current conflict in the Middle East pressing heavily on their minds, and Hizbullah rockets remaining a prominent threat, Jewish people continue to travel to the land of their fathers, fulfilling centuries old prophecies that the Lord would bring them back.

Quote: ""You shall inherit the land and you shall settle it," Rabbi Fass told the crowd of new arrivals. “The moment you step off the plane you inherit the product of many years of sacrifice, blood and tears. Now you must settle the land, loving and embracing it." The Re-Engagement war and the days-old cease-fire were on many arrivals’ minds and the decision to come despite the difficult situation was a prominent theme in the welcome speeches by dignitaries. The president of El Al said that some of the pilots who flew the new immigrants to their new home were flying fighter jets in Lebanon just days ago. 

Isaiah 43:5-7 
Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; [Even] every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Ezekiel 37:12 
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

Source Arutz 7

Just a few days after the US alerted the British government to an imminent attack that would have seen around 10 airliners bombed out of the sky by Islamic extremists, the UK is urging Europe to boost its anti-terrorism activities, including biometric scanning and genetic profiling at airports. It is believed that the way we travel could be affected permanently by the recent events in London, with hand luggage severely restricted due to the nature of the threat we are now facing. British Home Secretary John Reid hopes to make the internet a hostile place for terrorists, by banning sites that encourage people to carry out attacks or provide information on explosives. He also believes the UK can teach Islamic Imams how to prevent "radicalisation" of their followers. No idea how they are going to do that, but they haven't made a great start with the Finsbury Park mosque in London, in which was found explosives and guns, and from which the radical cleric Abu Hamza urged his followers to kill in the name of Islam.

Quote: ""European nations may begin blocking Internet sites, fingerprinting or iris-scanning airline passengers and begin training Muslim preachers to fight radicalism, as part of new efforts to combat terrorism, ministers said here. Ministers from Finland, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia and France met in London on Wednesday with British Home Secretary John Reid in a bid to increase cooperation and information sharing between European countries. Afterward, in a press conference, members of the meeting laid out several directives that at their root signalled a shift in direction for the European Union, which has been loathe to limit individual freedoms or try to impose one set of values on all citizens.

While I believe the protection of life is paramount, it seems the UK government may have also received a major boost to their electronic ID card initiative through this current crisis. The Labour government plans to make it compulsory for every person in the UK to own an identity card that contains an embedded RFID chip by the year 2010. Before the last election, the government sold their cards as the answer to illegal immigration which was then uppermost on the public's mind. When that fear dissipated, the "stick" changed to fraud. But the government was forced to admit they had probably oversold the advantages of the identity card system, stating it would not have prevented the London bombings. With Islamic extremism now affecting how we travel in a major way, it seems the only means of ensuring the safety of the public is to keep tabs on everyone, and in order to do that you need some sort of compulsory identification scheme. 

As my friend Adam reminds me, I said it will take a crisis to bring this in (the Mark of the Beast). The public won't accept their "civil liberties" being infringed for no reason. While we may have nothing to fear from the Mark of the Beast at the present (it is the Antichrist who will bring it in), those that are saved during the tribulation period will eventually have to face that reality. 

Source International Herald Tribune

A professor of Florida State University has published a new study on climate change, which he believes proves there is a direct link between global warming and increasing hurricane activity. Last year the United States was hit by a record-breaking number of hurricanes, including four Category 5 hurricanes which caused extensive damage and loss of life. According to the research of James Elsner, as long as world continues to heat up we can expect more frequent and more deadly storms.

Quote: "Elsner looked at 135 years of records to examine the statistical connection between Atlantic sea surface temperatures and air temperatures near the sea surface, and then compared them to records of hurricane intensities. Atlantic hurricanes draw their energy from the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. He found that average air temperatures during hurricane season between June and November were useful in predicting sea surface temperatures, but not the other way around. "It appears that atmospheric warming comes before sea warming," he said, indicating that hurricane damage will be likely to continue increasing because of greenhouse warming.

And according to a research team at Bristol University, the earth's atmosphere will continue to heat up. The team, lead by Dr. Marko Scholze, studied 52 different models of climate change over a period of 200 years. They concluded that even if we cut carbon emissions immediately, many parts of the world will face a greater risk of natural disasters, such as drought, forest fires, water shortages and flooding. Last year the European continent experienced terrible forest fires in the east, while experiencing torrential downpours in the west, all at the same time. 

Quote: "The results also suggest that should temperatures climb more than 3°C, land carbon sinks such as soils, forests, and frozen landscapes could release their stored carbon, initiating a positive feedback loop that would increase atmospheric carbon dioxide producing further warming. The research indicates that the "tipping point" where plants to net producers of carbon dioxide could arrive by the middle of this century. 

I find it hard to understand how people can continue on in their lives without God, when the whole world is heading for a complete disaster. With wars and rumours of wars, natural disasters, global pestilences and earthquakes in various places, men's hearts will be literally failing for fear of these things that are coming upon the earth. But rather than heeding the warning and turning to the One who created heaven and earth, they blaspheme the Lord that died to save them. 

Proverbs 1:24-30
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

Ezekiel 18:31 
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Source Reuters, Monga Bay

Quote: "Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah reportedly reached a deal allowing Hizbullah to keep its weapons but refrain from exhibiting them in public. Israeli officials called the arrangement a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which passed over the weekend and was approved on Sunday by the cabinet. "The resolution is clear that Hizbullah needs to be removed from the border area, embargoed and dismantled," the official said. "If the resolution is not implemented, we will have to take action to prevent the rearming of Hizbullah. I don't think backtracking will serve any useful purpose. There has to be pressure on Hizbullah to disarm or there will have to be another round."

Yesterday a senior officer in the IDF also expressed concern that Hizbullah terrorists could be drafted into the Lebanese army, increasing fears that Israel could come under attack from terrorists still operating in the south. Secretary General Kofi Annan has confirmed the UN will not be responsible for disarming Hizbullah, and that the UN peacekeeping force could take months to reach full capacity. This may mean Israeli forces could face a prolonged stay in southern Lebanon, while Hizbullah, under the noses of the UN and the Lebanese army, rebuilds its forces.

Quote: "Annan angered Israeli officials when he told Channel 2 on Tuesday that "dismantling Hizbullah is not the direct mandate of the UN," which could only help Lebanon disarm the organization. Annan upset officials further when he said that deploying international forces in Lebanon would take "weeks or months," and not days as expected.

Source Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem Post

Quote: "He added: "The missiles shot by Hizbullah into Israel had a range of 70 kilometers and managed to turn Israel into a 'ghost country.' If the United States is considering attacking us, it must take into account the Iranian Shihab-3 missiles, whose range is 2,000 kilometers, and can hit the center of Tel Aviv."

Meanwhile Mike Wallace, host of the US "60 Minutes" show, got more than he bargained for when he interviewed President Ahmadinejad last week. Mike Wallace came out of retirement specially for the interview and waited over an hour just for the man to turn up. He was promised 30 minutes by Iran, but the conversation continued for around an hour and a half. Mike described Ahmadinejad as a very smart and attractive man. While I would agree with that statement - even Satan has a certain deceptive allure about him, I cannot warm to the fact that the President has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel, and continues to defy the world with his nuclear weapons programme.

Quote: ""I hereby declare that this sinister regime [Israel] is the banner of Satan. It is the banner of the Great Satan," Ahmadinejad is seen saying in a speech broadcast by the Iranian News Channel (IRINN) on August 2. "From the southernmost point in South America to the easternmost point in Asia, all the people are shouting a single cry. With placards in their hands and clenched fists, they shout: 'Death to Israel.'"

So once again a fanatical Islamic leader who believes its his job to herald the apocalypse by starting a nuclear war with Israel is portrayed in the West as a much misunderstood, benevolent dictator (where have I heard that phrase before?). I wonder if Mike Wallace had been interviewing Hitler, what his first impressions would have been.

Source YNet News, Macon Daily, Arutz 7

Quote: "Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country is prepared for any war that may break out with Israel , adding that he is convinced that the chances for peace have decreased and that "the Golan Heights will be liberated by Syria." In a special interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Osboa, Assad said "if Israel launches a war against Syria, it will pay a heavy price." He said Syria has been following Israel closely, particularly after former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came to power.

Meanwhile, there seems to be confusion over who exactly is going to take Hizbullah's rockets off them. Yesterday, the Lebanese ambassador to the United Nations stated Hizbullah would not be disarmed "by force", but would voluntarily leave the area south of the Litani river. But now the French commander of UNIFIL, Major-General Alain Pellegrini, has stated he doesn't intend to move against the terrorist organization.

Quote: "Dealing with Hizbullah, Pellegrini said, was an internal Lebanese matter, and the 15,000 UN troops to be deployed under his command would not get involved. It was up to Lebanon, he said, to deploy its army in the south and deal with the Hizbullah presence.

The UN passed a resolution that a terrorist group responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Israelis must be disarmed, but they won't be the ones to do it? Looks like Hizbullah, courtesy of Lebanon and the UN, will be permitted to hang on to their murder weapons.

Source YNet News, Jerusalem Post

Quote: ""In the coming days we'll be able to tell whether Sharon responds to the medicine he's given," Rothstein said. "If he responds, we'll go back to the situation we were facing before. If he doesn't respond to the treatment, the situation can deteriorate and get to a system collapse." The hospital director noted that Sharon's sons, Gilad and Omri, are being updated constantly despite performing reserve military service at this time.

As I have said many times before, I personally believe Sharon's condition was a judgement from God. But that doesn't mean I don't have sympathy for the man. In Isaiah 29 God states that He will distress Ariel, the city where David lived. But the Lord's description of Ariel's "distress" seems to bear a remarkable similarity to that of Ariel Sharon's current condition. Shortly after Ariel Sharon suffered his stroke, there were conflicting reports on whether his speech was affected or not. The following verses, if they can be applied to the former Israeli Prime Minister, would seem to me to indicate that this judgement was from God.

Isaiah 29:2-4 
Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel. And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

Isaiah 29:9-10
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

Isaiah 29:16-17
Surely your turning of things upside down (disengagement?) shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

This from my friend David. He's done a bit of studying into the Hebrew roots of the word "Ariel", and come up with a few other significances in relation to the former Israeli Prime Minister...

Quote: "H0740 'Ari'el -- pronounced: ar-ee-ale' the same as 739; Ariel, a symbolical name for Jerusalem, also the name of an Israelite: KJV -- Ariel. See Hebrew No. 739 

H0739 'ariy'el -- pronounced: ar-ee-ale' or 'arilel ar-ee-ale' from 738 and 410; lion of God; i.e. heroic: KJV -- lionlike men. See Hebrew No. 738 See Hebrew No. 410

H0352 'ayil -- pronounced: ah'-yil from the same as 193; properly, strength; hence, anything strong; specifically a chief (politically); also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or other strong tree: KJV -- mighty (man), lintel, oak, post, ram, tree. See Hebrew No. 193 <H0193>

Ariel Sharon is of course not the only one to have a prophetically significant name. The current Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, as I have stated before, also has an interesting name in light of Bible prophecy. Shimon means "to hearken or to listen", while Peres means "to divide". 

H8095 shim'én shim-one' From H8085; hearing; Shimon, one of Jacob’s sons, also the tribe descendant from him: - Simeon.

H6537 peras per-as' (Chaldee); corresponding to H6536; to split up: - divide, [U-] pharsin.

Or in other words, "Hearkening to the division". Myself and some others believe Shimon Peres could possibly end up overseeing the division of the land of Israel, which Prime Minister Olmert has promised to complete by 2010, and which the Antichrist will implement according to Scripture.

Daniel 11:39 
Thus shall he (Antichrist) do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

Source YNet News

Quote: "The diplomat added that the 15,000 Lebanese soldiers to be dispatched to south Lebanon to help keep the peace alongside a similarly-sized international UN force "are not going to use force" to disarm the Hezbollah militia which has been battling Israel. "Hezbollah will just leave the area as armed elements as I understand it, and the Lebanese army will take over the whole region along with the United Nations forces," he said

Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy, has stated that a peacekeeping force could be deployed in Lebanon within 10 days.

Quote: "The U.N. Security Council resolution agreed by Israel and Lebanon authorises up to 15,000 international troops and the U.N.'s Middle East envoy has estimated they could begin deployment in 10 days. "I would like to see people beginning to deploy by the end of the week, early next week -- elements of the force, the headquarters," said Solana.

Source Jerusalem Post, Times of India, Reuters

The world will face killer storms on a more frequent basis than we're currently experiencing. That's according to meteorologists who are studying changing weather patterns. The storm that hit China last week, killing hundreds and causing widespread devastation, was the biggest one in 50 years. But in the not-too-distant future, University of Cape Town climatology professor Bruce Hewitson says storms like this one could occur every 10 years.

Quote: ""A lot of energy built up in the atmosphere during this period and hot air was pushed south. During winter much of that energy returned and was expended in the recent extreme winter storms. "This is typically what one can expect from global warming and as it continues we can expect these extreme storms to get worse. "International experts agree that more-extreme weather conditions can be expected elsewhere in the world.

Our weather in Northern Ireland has been very extreme lately compared to the norm, particularly this year. We've had weeks of very hot weather followed by days of constant rain and violent thunderstorms. Around 10-20 years ago, we used to experience very cold winters and hot summers. As a child I remember we used to get snow nearly every year, and we watched the icicles forming on the eves of the roof. Now our winters are very mild and our summers are cool. We rarely get snow and it when it does come, its usually in April, not December. The last time I saw an icicle was around 15 years ago. But we're thankful we don't have to face any hurricanes or typhoons. 

As my friend Adam says, men are getting better at predicting the weather, but when it comes to the signs of the times, that's a different story. The Lord said that as it was in the days of Noah, so also would it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man (Luke 17:26). Noah tried to warn the people of the impending judgement that would soon engulf the world. Sadly, according to the Scriptures, men were caught up in the legitimate things of this life, until the day the flood came and took them all away. Remember September 11th, which has been described by many as "the day the world changed". On September 10th, very few people knew what was about to happen. The destruction came suddenly and unexpectedly. Likewise, Paul states that the Day of the Lord will overtake the unbelievers as a "thief in the night", 1st Thessalonians 5:2. The Lord through His Word has been warning man for centuries on what is about to take place. On the judgement day you will not be able to say you never heard. Like those in Noah's day, you have refused to flee to Christ for refuge from the coming storm. Like those in Lot's day, you have scoffed at the thought God could judge this world that He created. There is still time to repent, but there won't always be.

Revelation 10:5-6 
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Source IOL

The families of the two IDF soldiers that were kidnapped by Hizbullah terrorists one month ago have criticized Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, after he admitted that Israel could not make the release of the two young men a conditional part of the ceasefire. That was of course one of the original goals of the operation in southern Lebanon. If all goes according to plan, Israeli and Hizbullah guns should fall silent on Monday morning, but still the fighting rages. Over 230 rockets have landed in Israel Sunday, killing one man and wounding several. This brings the total number of rockets fired by Hizbullah during the conflict to around 3600. The Israeli Prime Minister agreed to the UN resolution this morning, but has stated it could take several weeks before the fighting would