December 20 - 26 , 2015

“If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because

of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.”

(Ezekiel 33:6, New International Version)

Weekly World Watch

Andy Walton’s

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What is a Weekly World Watch?

• Israel: The continuing conflict in the Middle East and focus on Jerusalem.

• Europe: Its developing union, both political and religious.

• Russia: Its return to anti-Western ways as Bible prophecy’s “king of the north.”

• The UK and the US: Bible prophecy’s “king of the south.”

• Moral standards in decline and violence on the increase.

WWW presentations in PowerPoint can be ordered as audio/visual CDs by clicking here. Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.

The idea is simple. It is to look at current events and compare them to events spoken of in the Bible. .

I hope to build up a picture of God’s hand working in the affairs of this world. God is bringing about a day when all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem to battle. At that time God will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, back to this earth. Jesus will then establish God’s kingdom on earth.

This kingdom will last for ever. This is our hope and the reason we watch.

• Increasing natural disasters: including earthquake, famine etc

The following six themes will appear repeatedly in WWW:

HEADLINE

EVENT

COMMENT

News Photo

The source of the headline and the date are included.

Each WWW looks at a few key developments that have happened during the past week. It is in no way meant to be exhaustive – just a look at those events I saw as significant from a Biblical point of view.

What is in a Weekly World Watch?

BIBLEQUOTE

This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context. Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version. (Book, chapter, and verse)

This is straight from a news report that caught my eye because it looked significant from a Biblical perspective, usually that of prophecy.

Every WWW event slide has the following format. To reveal each block of text just left click your mouse or press the space bar. You control when it appears.

This is the reporter’s description of the event. It is always a direct quotation from the news report and reflects the understanding of the reporter and editors.

This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student. The intention of the WWW is to offer brief Biblical perspectives without going into detail. If more detail is desired, please e-mail me: (andy@weeklyworldwatch.co.uk). Please note that these are personal thoughts and the aim is purely to stimulate Bible study.

This Week’s Developments

To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper rightPRESS SPACE BAR TO CONTINUE

• Hezbollah field commander killed in Israeli air raid

• Syrian rebel leader 'killed in air strike near Damascus'

• Israel launches 'revolutionary' air defence system

• Russia kills 200 civilians with air strikes on Syria

• Russia, Armenia unite air defences in the Caucasus

December 20 - 26, 2015

• Warmest December: how worrying world’s weather?

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Hezbollah field commander killed in Israeli air raid

In the chaos of the Syrian conflict, Hezbollah military commander Samir Kantar was assassinated on December 20 in an Israeli air strike south of Damascus. Hezbollah has vowed to respond. Samir Kantar, a Hezbollah commander with a long history of terrorist and militant involvement, was killed in an air strike in the government-held district of Jaramana, Damascus. While Israel has neither officially confirmed nor denied involvement, in response to allegations that the country was responsible for Kantar’s death, Israeli government minister Yuval Steinitz sarcastically joked: "It is possible that the Finnish intelligence service acted here and did a good job", noting that "if something happened to him, I think that no civilised person can be sorry."

Daily Telegraph, December 22, 2015

EVENT

COMMENT

Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’“ On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.

BIBLEQUOTE

(Zechariah 12:5-6 NIV)

Nine years ago in 2006 Hezbollah and Israel fought a destructive war that ended in stalemate between the two sides. Since that time there has been relative quiet between them. This is because both sides adhere to tacit “rules of the game” that intend to prevent any unintended escalation. However during 2015 Hezbollah has been working with Iran in Syria to establish a military infrastructure in the Golan. Samir Kantar the commander killed this week by an Israeli airstrike was a key figure in Hezbollah.

Mr Nasrallah the head of Hezbollah has promised a response against Israel at a time and place of his choosing. He said: "It is our right to retaliate for his assassination in the place, time and way we see appropriate.” Experts believe they will do so and it will probably be a guerrilla style attack against Israeli positions near the border.

The Bible says that Israel will get drawn into the Syrian conflict at the time Damascus falls. The Bible also says that before Russia descends there will be an initial first round

of conflict between Israel and her immediate neighbours. Is this the spark?…

Israel launches 'revolutionary' air defence system

Israel has successfully tested its new air defence system which can intercept short and medium-range rockets outside of the country’s borders. The so-called ‘David’s Sling’ system, developed in a joint US-Israeli project, successfully passed the fourth round of testing on Monday in the Negev desert and is expected to be operationalised in the first quarter of 2016. “In trials, the system’s capabilities were tested in a number of scenarios that simulate the threats it was designed to deal with,” Israel’s defence ministry said.“The missiles were successfully fired, and carried out all of the flight stages, destroying the targets as planned.” Shlomo Hess, the programme manager of Rafael Advanced Air Defence systems, a leading Israeli defence technology company which was also behind the development of the Iron Dome system, said: "It’s very rare to achieve all the goals in such a complex test series … against long-range targets with heavy warheads capable of sustaining very big collateral damage."

Daily Telegraph, December 22, 2015

EVENT

COMMENT

You have eaten the fruit of lies— trusting in your military might, believing that great armies could make your nation safe. Now the terrors of war will rise among your people. All your fortifications will fall,Note how on the previous slide it is the clans of JUDAH that the nations attack

David’s Sling – also known as the Magic Wand – is designed to bolster current Israeli anti-missile defences, supplementing its other systems. “This is the first time technology of this kind has been used. It is on the verge of science fiction”, one unnamed Rafael official told Jerusalem Post.In the Old Testament we find that Israel (northern kingdom) trusted in idols. The southern kingdom of Judah trusted in military might. The northern kingdom was brought to an end by the Assyrians and the people were dispersed never to return as a nation. The southern kingdom of Judah was invaded by the Babylonians. But they returned and re-established the nation. The current nation has returned in the spirit of Judah.

BIBLEQUOTE (Hosea 10:13-14 NLT)

A prominent rebel leader was killed in an air strike near the Syrian capital on Friday, a monitoring group and rebel sources said, in what was seen as a major blow to the opposition fighting to wrest control of the country from the government.Zahran Alloush, the head of the powerful Islamist faction Jaysh al-Islam (Islam Army), was reported to have been killed when warplanes fired missiles at the headquarters of one of the group’s headquarters in Al-Marj area in the rebel-held eastern Ghouta region.According to the monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), Alloush was in a high-level meeting with five commanders and eight personnel when the attack happened. Hours after Alloush was killed, leading members of Jaish al-Islam elected Abu Himam al-Buwaydani as a replacement, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.

Daily Telegraph, December 25, 2015

EVENT

COMMENT

Listen! The armies of many nations roar like the roaring of the sea. Hear the thunder of the mighty forces as they rush forward like thundering waves. But though they thunder like breakers on a beach, God will silence them, and they will run away. They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind, like a tumbleweed whirling before a storm.

BIBLEQUOTE

A few days after Israel killed a leading figure in Hezbollah another airstrike took place - this time killing a leading figure in one of the Syrian rebel groups who want to overthrow Assad. There is much speculation that this attack was carried out by Russia – although Russia denies this. The rebel leader killed was head of a group called Jaish al-Islam. Jaish al-Islam is the dominant force in the Damascus suburbs and is backed by Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia wants Assad overthrown. Last week we reported how Saudi Arabia is further strengthening its arming of rebels and has created a bloc of nations (mainly Sunni Muslim) with the continued aim of removing Assad. We can see that despite the peace talks planned in January that the situation in Syria just gets worse and worse. We know with Bible in hand that terrible destruction is coming on Syria. It will cause the nation to fail entirely. Into the void that is left Russia will descend…

Syrian rebel leader 'killed in air strike near Damascus'

(Isaiah 17:12-13)

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Russia kills 200 civilians with air strikes on Syria

Shortly after 8.30 on a Sunday morning, Russian jets took off from an air base near Syria’s Mediterranean coast. Less than 30 minutes later, they fired three missiles into a crowded market, killing 49 people. A new report by Amnesty International lays bare the scale of the suffering caused by Russia’s campaign on behalf of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. The human rights group documented the deaths of 200 civilians in 25 Russian air strikes in the space of two months. Mosques, hospitals and schools have all fallen victim to the Kremlin's warplanes, which have also used illegal cluster munitions. Amnesty suggested that Russia "may have lied to cover up civilian damage to a mosque from one air strike and a field hospital in another”. One of the bloodiest incidents took place on Nov 29 when a market in the rebel-held town of Ariha was hit.

Daily Telegraph, December 23, 2015

EVENT

COMMENT

Then at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the king of the north. The king of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will enter the glorious land of Israel

BIBLEQUOTE

America has stopped flying manned air-support missions for rebels in northern Syria due to Russia’s expansion of air defence systems there. Earlier this month, Moscow deployed an SA-17 advanced air defence BUK system near the area and began “painting” U.S. planes, targeting them with radar in what U.S. officials said was a direct and dangerous provocation. The Pentagon has halted all manned flights. With U.S. planes out of the way, Russia has stepped up its own airstrikes along the Turkey-Syria border, and the Obama administration has accused it of targeting the rebel groups the U.S. was supporting, not the Islamic State. But with the increased Russian bombing has come even more civilian casualties. The only answer nations have for the world’s issues is for even more conflict, more destruction, more death. Russia is getting ever more involved in Syria. We can see how America and Russia could come into conflict in Syria – the king of the south will push at the king of the north.

(Daniel 11:40 NLT)

Russia, Armenia unite air defences in the Caucasus

Russia and Armenia have signed a collective security deal on a united regional air defence system in the Caucasus. Moscow is currently working on a similar system with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The air defence agreement between Russia and Armenia has been signed by the heads of defence of the two countries, Sergey Shoigu and Seyran Ohanyan. In 2013 Moscow signed a deal on a joint regional air defence system with Kazakhstan. Russian and Belarusian systems have already been unified.At the same time, Russia has handed over an S-300 air defence system to Kazakhstan. According to Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, “this is a great - if not the key - contribution to the unified air defence system that has already been put in place.” Currently Armenia hosts a Russian military base equipped with S-300 air defence complexes and MiG-29 interceptor fighter jets.

RT, December 23, 2015

EVENT

COMMENT

the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

BIBLEQUOTE

(Ezekiel 38:6-7)

Armenia is strategically very important. Armenia is a nation, and was part of the former Soviet republic, in the mountainous Caucasus region straddling Asia and Europe.When Russia descends with it millions of troops into the Middle East it must come through the Caucasus region. Having such a close ally next to the region is of vital importance to Russia. Hence this united regional defence air defence system.Armenia is also interesting from a Biblical point of view. Togarmah that we have identified as eastern Turkey also stretched at the time of Ezekiel into Armenia itself.Strong's says the Togarmah was probably Armenian. We therefore are watching Gog prepare all the nations that will eventually invade Israel with it at the time of the end.The preparation is surely coming to an end – the conflict may soon begin…

Warmest December: how worrying world’s weather?

December temperatures in London have been warmer than July’s. Scotland is balmier than Barcelona. Artificial snow covers European ski slopes. Africa faces its worst food crisis in a generation as floods and droughts strike vulnerable countries. With unusual weather from Britain to Australia, scientists are blaming climate change – but also the natural phenomenon called El Niño, which is raising temperatures and disrupting weather patterns. A double whammy then, but how disturbed should we be as the records tumble? According to the UK Met Office, the exceptional warmth in Britain and northern continental Europe is linked to the strongest El Niño ever recorded. The cyclical event, named after the birth of Christ because it traditionally occurs in Latin America around Christmas, sees temperatures in the equatorial Pacific rise several degrees. The consequences in years like this are dramatic. Monsoons and trade winds are disrupted, leading to cyclones, droughts, floods and food shortages across the world.

Guardian, December 24, 2015

EVENT

COMMENT

There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

BIBLEQUOTE

(Psalm 72:16-17)

El Nino means the boy child and refers apparently to Jesus Christ as the El Nino effect happens around Christmas time in South America. El Nino occurs when temperatures in the Pacific Ocean rise due to a change in the normal wind direction, which causes extreme weather patterns across the world. While it is a naturally occurring event, scientists believe that greenhouse gases and subsequent global warming are intensifying its effects, as the number of El Nino events has increased noticeably in the last few decades. We long for the time when Jesus Christ (the man) will return physically from heaven. He will restore creation’s balance and repair the earth.

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and also misinterpret them as well. However I will endeavour to be faithful to the scriptures and hope that it will be of benefit to both of us.

Weekly World Watch

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