Update 951

On December 12, 2020, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (December 12, 2020),” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “What’s Right In Their Eyes.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

“I want to prove it for myself…” is something we all have thought, said or done. Being warned to not touch a hot stove does not always prevent us from getting burned. Unfortunately, good advice to not make dangerous mistakes may not be enough for us.

It certainly wasn’t for the nations of Israel and Judah:

“And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:15-16).

These nations proved what God had said would be the consequence for their disobedience. They chose sin and rebellion against God, all of which led to national captivity. Daniel wrote of this:

“We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster…” (Daniel 9:10-12).

And so it is, today! Great disaster is coming upon the whole world, and it will first focus on the modern descendants of Israel and Judah (prophetically spoken of in Jeremiah 30:7 as “‘the time of Jacob’s trouble’”).

We know these and many other similar biblical passages. They have been a motivating force in our lives. In recent decades, there were others who, for a while, believed God but then chose to ignore what they once knew. They have separated themselves from God—only to eventually learn firsthand the price of sin.

The world is not mindful of God or His laws, and with impunity people are unrestrained in following their own ways—defiant in their self-willed choices.

Jesus makes an epic comparison between the pre-Flood world and that of society just before His return to the earth by pointing out that people were and would be living separate from the Will of God (Compare Luke 17:26-30). His words are a warning for all who will listen.

When he was warned, Noah paid attention:

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7).

Here is a warning we in the Church of God must take to heart with all urgency and seriousness:

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues’” (Revelation 18:4).

If we are to be saved from the coming tribulation, now is the time to heed the warnings from God!

by Norbert Link

We begin with mounting evidence of voter fraud during the Presidential election and the desperate attempts by the left-wing mass media, as well as state courts, to suppress or deny the facts in an effort to declare Joe Biden as the next President. We also report on many lawsuits by the Trump legal team and others, all of which have been unsuccessful so far.. but this still could change. We publish an article from an Israeli news outlet pointing at the terrible consequences of a Biden Presidency, by just focusing on his contemplated choice of leaders within the Health Department and his proposed Coronavirus Taskforce.

We speak on side effects of coronavirus vaccinations. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, Should you get vaccinated against Coronavirus?” 

We also address the “cruel illogic” of new devastating lockdowns, including in California and Germany. Violence because of frustration and desperation has broken out, for instance in Los Angeles, and more might follow. Also, we report on Germany’s descent into a dictatorship.

We are reporting on a surprisingly strong verbal attack on Israel by a Saudi prince; and the increasingly hostile assaults between the UK and the EU, combined with the clear threat of military action.

We conclude with an eye-opening article regarding planned worldwide mind control and censorship by powerful “actors.” The attempt by the left-wing media to discredit the news agency publishing the article speaks for itself.

Regarding some of our articles in this issue, please watch our recent presentation, titled, “America in Crisis—Voter Fraud, Lockdowns and Harmful Vaccinations.”

Throughout this section, we have underlined pertinent statements in the quoted articles, for the convenience and quick overview of the reader.

“Biden Vote Fraud Claims Hit ONE MILLION in Five Key States”

Express wrote on December 5:

“An independent human rights organisation has claimed that it has identified more than a million instances of potential fraud in five key states in the US Presidential election to support legal challenges to the presumptive victory for Joe Biden.

“The Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society, which is a non-party political and [which is] not officially affiliated [with the] Trump campaign, has filed its latest motion in Arizona which Mr Biden won by just 10,477 votes… According to expert data analysis for the Amistad Project more than 200,000 illegal votes were potentially cast for Mr Biden in the state while 100,000 legal ballots were not counted… according to the independent Amistad Project, the data, compiled and analysed over the course of ‘weeks of rigorous investigation’, show that the total number of illegal ballots counted and legal ballots not counted likely exceeds 300,000 votes — 30 times more than the number of votes separating the presidential candidates.

“In five closely fought states, including Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania, where the Amistad Project is challenging reported results, it claims its investigators have identified over a million instances of potential fraud… The latest challenge follows the Amistad Project unveiling a number of whistleblowers last week who have signed legal documents saying they are willing to testify to instances of voter fraud and running fraudulent votes across state lines.”

According to the mass media, all of this is baseless and without any evidence. Really?

US Citizens In Israel Receiving Multiple Mail Ballots

 Israel 365 News reported on December 10:

 “US citizens living in Israel received multiple email ballots from Pennsylvania to vote in the presidential elections on Thursday, five weeks after election day.

 “Joshua Wander, a reporter for Israel365 News, was shocked when he opened his email on Thursday morning, December 10, and discovered three sets of email ballots to vote in the US presidential elections that were held on November 3… Wander, formerly a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania had applied to vote via email in Allegheny County but actually voted via mail-in paper ballot. Wander contacted five acquaintances who had also voted in that county via mail-in ballots and all had received multiple email ballots. Upon receipt of the email ballots, Wander submitted a request for an investigation by the Congressman, state councilman, county councilman, as well as several attorneys involved in election-related irregularities. ‘This makes it absolutely clear that there is a serious glitch in the system that must be explained,’ Wander said…

“Devorah… Freeland, a resident of Tsfat (Safed) Israel and a self-described ‘recovering attorney’, also received several sets of emails… ‘Receiving these emails, which are still coming in, just shows me that the Pennsylvania election officials don’t know what they’re doing,’ Freeland said. ‘There’s no rhyme or reason to this. It’s time-stamped today, weeks after the elections. They don’t know what their computer system is doing. How can they report election results if they don’t even know who or when they are sending out mail-in ballots?’…

“It is important to note that in pre-election polls, 70% of the 184,000 US citizens of voting age currently residing in Israel supported the reelection of President Trump. Only 17% of the US voters in Israel said they would support Joe Biden…

“Marc Zell, chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, was deeply concerned about the emails, noting that glitches in voting systems had serious implications. ‘The Pennsylvania presidential election has been fraught with irregularities, illegalities, and even fraud,’ Zell said. ‘This latest batch of email ballots is puzzling and worrisome. It highlights the inherent and systemic problems in Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting…’”

Courts Dismiss Voter Fraud Lawsuits… Here is Why

Fox News wrote on December 7:

“Attorney Sidney Powell suffered losses in two states Monday morning, with judges in both Michigan and Georgia ruling against her clients in lawsuits challenging the election results in those states. Both cases alleged widespread voter fraud and errors having to do with absentee ballots and vote counting. In the Michigan case, U.S. District Court Judge Linda Parker [who was nominated by President Obama] said that because the election has taken place and its results have been certified, it is too late to grant an injunction…

“Powell’s lawsuit called for decertification of the results, an injunction blocking state officials from sending the results to the Electoral College, an order to send certified results that name President Trump as the winner, an order for a manual recount for absentee ballots, and an order that votes that were tabulated by machines not be counted unless the machines were certified according to state and federal requirements. ‘If granted, the relief would disenfranchise the votes of the more than 5.5 million Michigan citizens who, with dignity, hope, and a promise of a voice, participated in the 2020 General Election,’ Parker wrote [Now, what a rationale and basis for a decision is THAT?]… Plaintiffs could have lodged their constitutional challenges much sooner than they did, and certainly not three weeks after Election Day and one week after certification of almost three million votes,’ Parker wrote… [It takes time to accumulate the evidence of voter fraud. Judge Parker should have known that.]

“Parker concluded by accusing the plaintiffs of attempting to sow doubt among the public when it comes to democratic institutions. ‘[T]his lawsuit seems to be less about achieving the relief Plaintiffs seek—as much of that relief is beyond the power of this Court— and more about the impact of their allegations on People’s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government,’ Parker said.

“In stark contrast to Parker’s 36-page order, the federal judge in the Georgia case ruled from the bench, speaking directly to the parties. While Parker merely denied a request for an injunction in the Michigan case, Judge Timothy Batten dismissed the Georgia case.”

Based on the information provided above, the rationale for the decision by Judge Parker seems to be highly questionable, and the judge seems to have been highly biased. But it is apparently another effort to gloss over the many affidavits of voter fraud in an attempt to just restore the “trust” of the American public in a functioning democracy… but this trust has been irreparably destroyed BY THE MASSIVE EVIDENCE of voter fraud and corruption.  

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Texas Lawsuit

The Palmieri Rreport wrote on December 8:

“[The] U.S. Supreme Court will hear Texas’ lawsuit against Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin over potential voter fraud. The case was added to the Supreme Court docket today…

“In a novel legal strike, the state of Texas has asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the election results in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia, arguing officials in those four battleground states violated the Constitution by making changes to how ballots were cast and counted without legislative approval.

“The lawsuit filed late Monday night by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the justices to issue a temporary restraining order preventing the states ‘from taking action to certify presidential electors or to have such electors take any official action including without limitation participating in the electoral college.’

“The suit argues that changes made by the state’s governors, secretaries of states and election supervisors were ‘inconsistent with relevant state laws and were made by non-legislative entities, without any consent by the state legislatures. The acts of these officials thus directly violated the Constitution.’”

To the question of standing, it was pointed out that Texas would be affected and harmed, as would be the entire country, if Joe Biden would become the President due to voter fraud in those named states.  

Breitbart added on December 9:

“Tuesday during an appearance on FNC’s ‘Hannity,’ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton elaborated on the merits of a lawsuit his state of Texas has against Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, claiming those states violated the election guidelines set by the U.S. Constitution in the 2020 election. Paxton also noted that when a state sues another state, or in this case, multiple states, the case goes directly to the U.S. Supreme Court as the court of jurisdiction.”

Fox News reported on December 10:

 “Missouri and five other states on Thursday threw their support even further behind the Texas lawsuit aiming to prevent Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin’s electors from casting their electoral votes by asking the Supreme Court  to let them join the Texas suit. Missouri on Wednesday led a group of 17 states in filing a brief that supported the Texas lawsuit, which alleges that the four key swing states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden violated the Constitution by having their judicial and executive branches make changes to their presidential elections rather than their legislatures. But the Thursday filing led by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, which also includes Arkansas, Utah, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina, would make those states parties before the court in the case rather than just outside voices weighing in. President Trump’s campaign did the same on Wednesday.”

 The eighteen states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia. It is now up to the Supreme Court to decide what is going to happen next.

CNN wrote on December 10:

“First the court would have to allow Paxton to file the suit. Then the court would have to block certification of the Electoral College vote, determine that the four states had allowed massive amounts of ‘illegal’ votes, have the states revisit their vote counts and then resubmit the numbers. The court could also, Trump’s filing suggests, let state legislatures determine who wins each state or throw the entire election to the US House of Representatives, where each state delegation would have one vote — and since Republican delegations outnumber Democratic delegations, Trump would win… The Supreme Court is going through standard procedural protocols, placing the case on its docket. Each of the four states responded Thursday afternoon. The court could act after those filings [have arrived] or wait until Texas files a brief replying to the arguments made by the battleground states… They do ‘meet’ Friday for their regular conference, now held over the phone… it will take five justices to agree to allow Paxton to file his suit…”

Of course, the fact that the Supreme Court accepted to take the case and asked the sued states to respond to the allegations in the lawsuit does not mean that they will make a correct decision. No court so far has been willing to even acknowledge the evidence of massive voter fraud unparalleled in the recorded history of the USA. Also note the next article.

Supreme Court Rejects Pennsylvania Lawsuit

The Week wrote on December 8:

“The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a request from Pennsylvania Republicans, including Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), to block the state from certifying its presidential election results… It’s not exactly clear what each individual justice thought of the plaintiffs’ final brief, but there were no public dissents, and the decision to reject it — which was revealed via a one-line order — reportedly took just 34 minutes to make, indicating there was little drama.”

As npr “explains”:

“The lawsuit was brought by Republican Rep. Mike Kelly, who argued a 2019 state law authorizing universal mail-in voting is unconstitutional [the allegation being, the expansive vote-by-mail law is unconstitutional because it required a constitutional amendment to authorize its provisions] and that all ballots cast by mail in the general election in Pennsylvania should be thrown out… Kelly, along with several others, filed the lawsuit on Nov. 21 and requested Pennsylvania either reject the more than 2.5 million ballots cast by mail or allow state lawmakers to select presidential electors. Republicans control Pennsylvania’s Legislature.”

It’s hard to keep track of all the pending lawsuits and those which are still to come, but here is an interesting article in this regard, as published by Newsmax on December 8:

 “President Donald Trump’s legal team is reportedly moving full steam ahead with courtroom election challenges that are now expected to continue into January. Tuesday marked the ‘safe harbor’ deadline, historically accepted as the date by which all state-level election challenges — such as recounts and audits — are supposed to be completed. But Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, representing Trump in his bid to overturn the election results, said the courts will look at challenges into next month, well past that deadline…

“‘Justice [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg recognized in Bush v. Gore that the date of ‘ultimate significance’ is Jan. 6, when Congress counts and certifies the votes of the Electoral College,’ they said in a statement… ‘The only fixed day in the U.S. Constitution is the inauguration of the president on Jan. 20 at noon.’…”

“Biden Officially Secures Electoral College Majority after California Certifies Votes”

CBS News wrote on December 5:

“California certified its presidential election Friday and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for President-elect Biden, officially handing him the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House… with 279 electors… That’s just over the 270 threshold for victory.

“Edward B. Foley, a law professor at Ohio State University [said:] ‘It is a legal milestone and the first milestone that has that status… Everything prior to that was premised on what we call projections.’

“The electors named Friday will meet December 14, along with counterparts in each state, to formally vote for the next president… Results of the Electoral College vote are due to be received, and typically approved, by Congress on January 6… lawmakers can object to accepting the electors’ votes…

“The Democratic-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate would both vote separately to resolve any disputes. One already has arisen from Pennsylvania, where 75 Republican lawmakers signed a statement on Friday urging Congress to block the state’s electoral votes from being cast for Mr. Biden…

“The last remaining move to block the election would be the… effort to vote down the electors in Congress. This tactic has been tried — a handful of congressional Democrats in 2000, 2004 and 2016 objected to officially making both George W. Bush and Mr. Trump president. But the numbers were not enough to block the two men from taking office.”

No More Fraud?

Breitbart reported on December 9:

“Google-owned video platform YouTube has announced plans to remove any content that questions Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 U.S. presidential election despite the fact that legal challenges involving multiple states continue… In the blog post, YouTube writes [on December 9]:

“‘Yesterday was the safe harbor deadline for the U.S. Presidential election and enough states have certified their election results to determine a President-elect. Given that, we will start removing any piece of content uploaded today (or anytime after) that misleads people by alleging that widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, in line with our approach towards historical U.S. Presidential elections. For example, we will remove videos claiming that a Presidential candidate won the election due to widespread software glitches or counting errors. We will begin enforcing this policy today, and will ramp up in the weeks to come…’”

The Ron Paul Institute added on December 10:

“[YouTube] used the end of the ‘safe harbor’ period for counting votes to justify censor those with lingering doubts or those who want to post explanations of why the count remains suspicious, including presumable an array of members of Congress who have called for investigations. For free speech advocates, the move is a raw example of corporate censorship but Democrats and many liberals applauded the action… It appears that Big Brother is now being embraced as a protector of truth.

“… some polls show up to 90 percent of Republicans believe that election was not fair and honest. Roughly half of the country voted for President Donald Trump and many of them hold this view. The best way to address such views is to expose them to debate and challenge. That is the value of free speech. Otherwise, you end up on a slippery slope of censorship of any views that you deem harmful or misleading.

“This action notably occurs just weeks after companies blocked discussion of the Hunter Biden story. It was only after the election that the CEOs then said it was a mistake.  Biden is now under federal investigation and the laptop and its disturbing emails now appear to be legitimate… We are watching free speech drain away to the applause of those eager for less freedom.”

What Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services Would Look Like

Israel 365 News wrote on December 7:

“Joe Biden announced his choice to head the Department of Health… His choice, the current California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, has plenty of experience prosecuting journalists who uncover ugly truths about the abortion industry. In this respect, the appointee will feel right at home running the branch of the federal government in charge of the task force tasked with battling the COVID pandemic which is dominated by advocates for abortion and euthanasia… as a career lawyer and politician, he does not, in fact, have any previous experience in the area of health or medicine…

“In 2015, David Daleiden, an undercover journalist and anti-abortion activist, released videos showing footage of Planned Parenthood officials discussing fees for human fetal tissue and organs… In 2017, Becerra filed 15 felony charges against Daleiden. Less than one month later, Superior Court Judge Christopher Hite dismissed fourteen of the charges, with leave to amend, on the grounds that they were legally insufficient. Less than two weeks later, Becerra refiled those charges and they are still active. Daleiden is still in a legal battle, fighting the felony charges, and is appealing a civil suit filed by Planned Parenthood in excess of two million dollars.

“In April 2016, Kamala Harris, then the California Attorney General, order[ed] the Department of Justice [to serve] a search warrant on Daleiden, [to raid] his apartment [and to seize] multiple computers, hard drives, documents, cell phones and other matters collected in his research on Planned Parenthood… Both Becerra and Harris were accused of having a conflict of interest in pursuing the prosecution of Daleiden as they both have a long history of receiving contributions and support from Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion organizations…

“In legal circles, Becerra is known as ‘the man who sued Trump more than anyone else’ having brought over 100 cases against the president as the California attorney general. If Biden is declared the winner of the presidential election, Becerra will have to be approved by the senate.

“If Biden does become president and Becerra is approved as the head the Department of Health and Human Services, the people tasked with saving the country from the pandemic will be of an interesting breed, having more in common in their approach to ending human life than in saving it. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, one of the 13 members of [Biden’s] coronavirus task force, authored a book on medical ethics titled The Ends of Human Life in which he advocated for doctors engaging in passive euthanasia…

“Dr. Emanuel is not an outlier in Biden’s coronavirus task force. One of the chairmen is Dr. David Kessler, a former FDA commissioner. He is… an advocate for physician-assisted suicide.

“It should also be noted that another task force appointee, Dr. Vivek Murthy who, when he served as the Surgeon General from 2014 until 2017, advocated for stricter laws enforcing vaccination of children. In an interview with CNN, he said he was ‘concerned’ that vaccine exemptions for religious and other reasons ‘in some states is too permissive.’”

This is truly APPALLING!!! Another Catholic priest just stated that Biden, who is proudly proclaiming to be a “Catholic,” should not receive communion based on his stance on abortion and other life-ending measures.

“Side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine means ‘your body responded the way it’s supposed to,’ experts say”

USA Today wrote on December 4:

“Americans will likely experience at least one side effect from the COVID-19 vaccine, but doctors say that’s normal and you should still get vaccinated. In Moderna’s Phase 3 trials, [the] company said the most common side effects were fatigue, muscle soreness and aches, joint pain, headache, and pain, redness or swelling at the injection site. More than half of Moderna’s study participants had side effects from the vaccine in Phase 1 trials…

“… Physicians emphasize that these side effects are not just normal but also a sign that the body is reacting properly to the vaccine.

“Dr. Melanie Swift, an occupational medicine physician helping lead the COVID-19 vaccination plan at the Mayo Clinic, said it’s important to educate Americans about the vaccines’ side effects or it may deter people from getting the second dose…  ‘It’s important to take both doses or that first dose was all for nothing.’… If someone is going to have a bad reaction to a vaccine, it is likely to occur in the first six weeks after vaccination, according to medical experts. But experts still don’t know the long-term effects of the COVID-19 vaccines and won’t know until after the trials are completed and researchers monitor participants in the real world for years after…

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has numerous national monitoring systems in place to track reportable adverse events from vaccines. However, the agency added another layer of safety monitoring for the COVID-19 vaccine: V-SAFE. It’s a new smartphone-based, post-vaccination health checker for essential workers who receive the COVID-19 vaccine. For those who enroll, the program will use texting messaging and web surveys to check in with people for health problems following vaccination… Text messages and emails will be sent daily for the first week post vaccination and then weekly thereafter for six weeks. The agency will not only ask about side effects and possible adverse events, but it will also ask about COVID-19 infection to better understand effectiveness and how long vaccine protection may last.”

If all of this is not reason to be greatly concerned, what is?

CNBC wrote on December 8:

“One Pfizer trial participant told CNBC that after the second shot, he woke up with chills, shaking so hard he cracked a tooth. ‘It hurt to even just lay in my bed sheet,’ he said.”

The Daily Mail wrote on December 9:

“There are fears over how safe Pfizer’s COVID vaccine is after two British healthcare workers who were among the first in the world to receive it on Tuesday went into anaphylactic shock hours later, prompting British authorities to tell anyone with a ‘severe’ allergy to food or medicine not to get it [to be more precise, the advice is against vaccinating anyone with a history of significant allergic reactions to medicines, food or vaccines]… In America, that applies to at least 200,000 people who have food allergies and many more who have drug allergies.”

The Jerusalem Post reported on December 9 that two participants died. It also stated: “At the same time, the FDA said that currently there is not enough research to guarantee the vaccine’s safety for immunocompromized groups, pregnant women and children.”

RT added on December 9:

“Four trial participants who received the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine experienced facial paralysis, according to the Food and Drug Administration… Bell’s palsy, a form of temporary facial paralysis, was reported by four participants during phase 3 trials… The condition resembles a stroke, with most sufferers watching helplessly as one side of their face droops and their muscles go limp. In some rare situations, both sides of the face may become paralyzed…”

For much more information on potential side effects and moral issues, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, Should you get vaccinated against Coronavirus?” 

Gov. Newsom’s New Lockdown in California

The Guardian wrote on December 7:

“More than 23 million people in southern California have been placed under the harshest lockdowns in the US, as Covid-19 cases hit record levels in the country’s most populous state. The restrictions require people to stay at home and minimise contact with other households. They came into effect at 11.59pm local time on Sunday (0659 GMT) and will remain in place for at least three weeks, covering the Christmas holiday. All retail stores can stay open, although at 20% capacity, along with outside spaces such as parks and beaches, but restaurants, bars, hair and nail salons and tattoo shops are required to close…

“The new shutdowns were a gut-wrenching move for small businesses…”

SFGate wrote on December 5:

“Many Bay Area small businesses barely survived the first shutdown in March, only to go under during the summer when California’s watch list system imposed another round of mandated closures… People want evidence their businesses are actually contributing to the spread of the virus. This question came up during Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Thursday press conference announcing the new stay-at-home framework, but he was highly evasive… The lack of data and transparency is infuriating for so many… With no federal help on the way just before the holidays, people are scared they may close for good… To say that people are incensed with California’s leaders would be an understatement…”

RV Business wrote on December 5:

“Californians will see sharp new limits on public gatherings and shopping under a new statewide order issued today by Gov. Gavin Newsom… parks and other campgrounds in five regions of the state will be prohibited from accommodating overnight guests… For at least 21 days, the rules will limit many activities in areas facing critical care shortages that could last through the holidays…

“Affected communities will be required to close personal service businesses including hair and nail salons, playgrounds, amusement parks, bars and movie theaters. Restaurants will be required to return to take-out service only. Hotels may not rent rooms to tourists, although essential travelers can be accommodated.”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on December 7:

“The cruel illogic of this latest round of Covid lockdowns has infuriated more and more Americans and exposed the corruption and hypocrisy of the ‘leaders.’ While outdoor dining is being forcibly shut down in places like California – with no ‘science’ to back the move up – indoor shopping at big-box stores continues unabated. Small restaurants are going under by the thousands while the powerful and well-connected are reaping record profits. America is being pushed to the breaking point by hypocrite ‘do as I say not as I do’ governors like California’s Gavin Newsom and many more.”

All of this is INSANE! The California government is DESTROYING the lives and businesses of thousands upon thousands of people. In doing so, they are following the lead of Satan the Devil who is called the “destroyer” in the Bible.

LA County’s Abuse of Power

Politico wrote on December 8:

“A judge on Tuesday issued a blistering rebuke to Los Angeles County public health officials… saying an indefinite ban on outdoor dining announced late last month was ‘unsupported by any findings’ and an abuse of emergency powers… The tentative ruling to block the indefinite ban won’t have immediate practical consequences for Los Angeles-area restaurants, as the county is now under a temporary stay-home order… But it marks a symbolic and legal victory for those challenging the emergency powers flexed by state and local officials — and a rare setback for public health authorities…

“The judge’s 73-page assessment found that the county failed to justify its decision to shutter outdoor dining or perform a required risk-benefit analysis about the restriction. Outbreak data provided to the court, [the judge] wrote, showed that cases traced back to bars and restaurants accounted for just 3.1 percent of the non-residential outbreak locations, ‘the vast majority of which were chain/fast food type restaurants’ and almost exclusively involved employees rather than customers.”

The Los Angeles Times Newsletter added on December 9:

“A judge has limited Los Angeles County’s outdoor dining ban to three weeks, even as a state order will keep the restriction in place past Christmas, according to a tentative decision announced Tuesday. Once the ban expires — on Dec. 16 — county public health officials must conduct a risk-benefit analysis to extend the closures, according to the judge’s ruling.”

How the Rich Get Richer

ABC 7 News wrote on December 9:

“At least eight companies partially owned by Gov. Gavin Newsom collectively received millions of dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program, according to an ABC7 analysis. While data released by the Small Business Administration earlier this year showed the PlumpJack Group received up to $350,000 worth of PPP loans, newly-released data by the SBA indicated PlumpJack businesses – including wineries, bars, and restaurants – received more than eight times that amount at nearly $3 million altogether….

“Gov. Newsom is not affiliated with the operations of the companies as his interests are in a blind trust. However, he is listed as the founder on the website and his sister Hilary Newsom is listed as the company’s President and Partner. According to the governor’s 2019 Statement of Economic Interest, Newsom does have an ownership interest in eight companies affiliated with PlumpJack that received PPP funding… the governor’s 2018 tax returns show he and his wife made $1.2 million from wages and investments – a majority of which stems from his ventures in wine and hospitality.

“The PlumpJack Group will have two to five years to apply for loan forgiveness if they choose to do so. This means the company may not have to pay back these loans… If companies don’t seek forgiveness of the loan, they have to pay it back – but these companies still benefit. ‘They were able to benefit from this extremely low interest rate the government was providing,’ said Danielle Brian, the Executive Director of Project on Government Oversight. ‘These are one percent loans…it’s essentially free money for them.’”

Incredible and shameful. And that occurs, while millions of small businesses are forced to go under…

How We Are Destroying Our People

The Los Angeles Times wrote on December 8:

“Dino Ferraro texted friends from a concrete bench next to the Huntington Beach Pier on Monday as he tried to sort out his worries. He has mounting bills — more than $100,000 from back rent owed for his two restaurants… He spent thousands of dollars deep-cleaning and disinfecting both businesses, three times each in the past months, he said, along with complying ‘with every demand required.’ Now, like thousands of other restaurants in much of California, he began Monday with a new set of restrictions, including a suspension of outdoor dining, which had been a lifeline for his business…

“The timing of the state’s latest [stay-at-home] order is the newest blow, in a year full of them…   Ferraro, who grew up helping his mother make pizza and lasagna, says he is not just concerned about himself. He said he had 58 employees and that meant ‘58 families are getting fed — how can we think of layoffs?’”

The Washington Post wrote on December 7:

“Millions of Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic have fallen thousands of dollars behind on rent and utility bills, a warning sign that people are running out of money for basic needs. Nearly 12 million renters will owe an average of $5,850 in back rent and utilities by January… Economists say the data underscores the deepening financial disaster for many families as the pandemic continues to [correctly: as governmental restrictions] shut off work opportunities…

“‘The tidal wave is coming. It’s going to be really horrible for people,’ said Charlie Harak, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center… Nashville mother Nikki Cornwell is $4,000 behind on rent and fears she will be evicted right after Christmas. Her water was shut off on Monday. Her landlord filed the paperwork already, and her court date is set for Jan. 5 — just after the federal eviction moratorium is set to expire…

“Economics warn low-income families won’t be able to suddenly pay back three to six months of rent at once… Shelbie Selewski is $2,100 behind on rent and utilities after losing her job as a medical receptionist in Macomb County, Mich. Her landlord has taped eviction papers to her door three times, and her electricity was shut off in September — on her son’s third day of virtual kindergarten. She begged friends and relatives for help to get the electricity back on, but bills are piling up again…”

A Matter of Survival

7 San Diego wrote on December 9:

“A day after new state shutdown orders went into effect, many small businesses are refusing to comply with the orders and are defiantly staying open for business… with customers expressing support for… defying the shutdown order… Meanwhile, the Escondido Police Department released a statement regarding enforcement… ‘Businesses that refuse to comply with the health orders are subject to citations, which may result in fines.  The county public health department has also been issuing cease-and-desist orders to businesses failing to comply throughout the county.’”

Shameful and appalling indeed.

Playground Closure Infuriates Parents

The Los Angeles Times Newsletter reported on December 10:

“L.A. County’s playground closures had infuriated and confounded many parents. Why, they asked, were outdoor playgrounds closed when indoor malls remained open and filled with shoppers? What made swing sets and monkey bars more dangerous than tennis courts, golf courses, beaches, skate parks and hiking trails, which all remained open? And after months of Zoom school and not seeing friends, hadn’t kids suffered enough?… Following outcry from parents and some legislators, the state has reversed course on closing playgrounds as part of its regional stay-at-home order. Los Angeles County — which had closed outdoor public playgrounds prior to the state’s order — will also follow the state’s lead and allow playgrounds to reopen.”

Violent Clashes in LA

The Los Angeles Times Newsletter wrote on December 6:

“The new order… will further pummel the California economy and many small businesses…  Los Angeles police clashed with protesters outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s official residence on Sunday, leading to one arrest and a skirmish with baton-wielding officers that several elected officials later denounced as police brutality and a violation of demonstrators’ free speech rights.”

A foretaste of what is to come in the USA?

Germany’s Deceitful Restrictions

Reuters wrote on December 7:

“German leaders came out on Monday in favour of stricter measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus… Chancellor Angela Merkel told party colleagues that existing lockdown measures – with bars and restaurants closed and shops admitting limited numbers – were too little to get the virus under control…

“Markus Soeder, premier of the southern state of Bavaria… said he was certain regional and national leaders would agree tighter measures before Christmas. They had previously agreed not to revisit lockdown rules before Jan. 10…

“Meanwhile, some states are going further on their own initiative: Rhineland-Palatinate banned takeaway sales of mulled wine… From Wednesday, Bavaria will allow people to leave home only for essential reasons, while evening curfews are planned for hotspots with the highest infection rates.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 7:

“Germany has been under a partial lockdown since November 2 that was supposed to last one month. It was extended to January 10, following a meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of the 16 federal states…”

And while the German government keeps on lying to the German people, who are in many cases gullible enough to believe the lies and the “explanations” by power-hungry and well-fed governmental officials (what else is new?), millions of lives are being destroyed, and millions of euros are pouring into governmental suitcases from fines for violations of corona “restrictions.”

How to Destroy Opposing Views

Deutsche Welle reported on December 9:

“The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the German state of Baden-Württemberg on Wednesday declared that it will begin to surveil a Querdenker, or ‘lateral thinking,’ group opposed to coronavirus-related restrictions.  The state office responsible for domestic security, formally classified the group as an object of observation as the group has been ‘infiltrated by extremists.’… The ‘lateral thinking’ movement has been responsible for organizing some of the largest demonstrations against coronavirus restrictions, including a protest in Leipzig last month, which saw over 20,000 attendees.

“The founder of the group is Stuttgart-based entrepreneur Michael Ballweg… ‘We are a peaceful movement and not a political party,’ he told the dpa news agency…

“At a meeting of federal and state ministers on Thursday, politicians are set to focus on groups such as the Querdenker movement. According to the draft resolution, ministers will look at ‘the attempted influence on the formation of opinion in society through disinformation of foreign powers and through conspiracy theories used by extremists,’ as such views ‘could develop into a tendency toward radicalization and new extremism.’ The aim of the meeting is to figure out ways to combat the ‘negative effects and possible threats to the free democratic basic order – especially against the background of the current pandemic in connection with conspiracy theories.’”

Reuters added on December 9:

“‘Legitimate protest against coronavirus restrictions is increasingly making way for a general hate against state and politics,’ Baden-Wuerttemberg’s Interior Minister Thomas Strobl said, without specifying how many people were being observed. Strobl accused the movement of spreading false claims to incite hate against the state, making ‘absurd comparisons’ with the Nazis, and downplaying the Holocaust…

“‘Querdenken 711’ representatives… have in the past rejected accusations of extremism. Last month, police fired water cannon and pepper spray to scatter thousands of protesters in Berlin angry about coronavirus restrictions.”

Germany’s descent into a dictatorship is only too obvious.

Saudi Prince Attacks Israel

The Times of Israel wrote on December 6:

“A Saudi prince and former senior government official on Sunday launched a blistering attack against Israel, describing the Jewish state as a belligerent and apartheid-practicing occupier, and saying that peace will remain elusive until the creation of a Palestinian state along 1967 lines. ‘Israeli governments have arrested thousands of the inhabitants of the lands they are colonizing and incarcerated them in concentration camps under the flimsiest of security accusations — young and old, women and men who are rotting there without recourse or justice,’ said Turki al-Faisal al Saud, the former head of the kingdom’s intelligence service… ‘They’re demolishing homes as they wish, and they assassinate whomever they want to. And yet, the Israeli Knesset passed a law that defines the citizenship of Israel as exclusively Jewish, denying the non-Jewish inhabitants of Israel equal rights under the law. What kind of democracy is that?’ He also lamented Israel’s construction of the West Bank security barrier, which he called the ‘apartheid wall.’…

“Al-Faisal led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as the kingdom’s ambassador to the United States and United Kingdom. Although he currently does not hold any official position, his stance is seen as closely mirroring that of King Salman. In contrast, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has signaled greater willingness to quietly engage with Israel to counter their common enemy, Iran, and boost foreign investment in the kingdom…

“Saudi Arabia has insisted that any normalization between it and Israel can only happen alongside a lasting peace deal involving a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…”

This means, then, there will not be lasting peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

No Deal Most Likely

The Daily Mail wrote on December 10:

“Boris Johnson has warned there is now a ‘strong possibility’ of the UK and the EU parting ways on December 31 without a trade deal in place. The Prime Minister said this evening he is stepping up British preparations for a chaotic split from Brussels at the end of the ‘standstill’ post-Brexit transition period.”

The Sun added on December 10:

“No Deal is now the most likely outcome of Brexit trade talks as Brussels wants to keep the UK as its twin, Boris Johnson warned last night.”

Is the UK Threatening Europe with War?

Express wrote on December 7:

“Boris Johnson has sent a warning to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron after France threw the Brexit talks into chaos by hardening the EU’s fishing demands at the last minute. In response, Environment Secretary George Eustice announced that the capacity of the Royal Navy fisheries protection fleet has been increased to police British waters. He said that this increase will ‘stop EU boats coming in to fish’… in case an agreement is not reached with the EU.

“Mr Eustice said: ‘Yes, we have taken on two additional vessels to supplement the work that the Royal Navy do to increase capacity. It’s also the case the Navy have just put forward three new off-shore patrol vessels and have decided not to decommission the old ones at this point so there are some reserve capacity to draw on.’

“He said: ‘There are certain things we’ve been clear from the start that we cannot compromise on and that is our sovereignty as a nation, our ability to control our own laws, our ability to control access to our waters.’”

This could be a prelude for worse developments to come.

German DW Attacks the UK

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 6:

“Some things uttered by politicians are so stupid they leave you speechless… the British government seems awkwardly obsessed with the possibility of boasting about some sort of coronavirus vaccine success. For those unaware of what is actually going on: German scientists (of Turkish background) working at a German firm in cooperation with the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer developed the vaccine using a pioneering approach. Their research was financed from a number of sources, including the EU — and the UK had absolutely nothing to do with any of it.

“The whole incident seems quite childish and is perhaps best ignored. Still, it touched a nerve… The desire to leave the EU seems to have now given way to a new neurosis, one in which Brexiteers crown themselves with others’ laurels and constantly pound their chests in an attempt to sell the UK as a ‘global leader’ — no matter the topic. This type of propaganda tends to be rather embarrassing but seeking to instrumentalize the coronavirus pandemic is simply beyond the pale… The Stone Age nationalism born of Brexit has nothing to do with [cooperation with the EU].”

And so, there will be no cooperation between the EU and the UK on any given topic. The hostility between these two powers will increase.

Planned: Worldwide Censorship and Mind Control

Distributed News wrote on December 2:

“An all-powerful global government has already formed, and they have already made their plans public. They plan to use covid-19 lock downs and public health orders to strip people of their individual rights, to forfeit private property ownership, and to submit sovereign countries to a one world economy that is complete with heightened data collection and surveillance of human beings with vaccine passports and a wealth redistribution system that quashes the American dream and submits everyone to an ‘equitable’ future replete with controlled markets, a digital currency, and central bank economic controls. This will admittedly be accomplished through a sophisticated brainwashing initiative launched by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the United Nations (UN) and Big Tech…

“They openly admit they want to use governments, researchers, businesses and influencers to promote their communist system… Big Tech censorship, which accelerated over the past four years, is only the first part of the deception — a period of elimination — where free thought, free market ideas, independent journalism and scientific advancement are restricted. Any information that gets in their way will be labeled as ‘misinformation’ and will be mocked and blocked. The next phase of thought control will include overt manipulation, a coordinated attempt to convince people in influential positions to promote a new ‘sustainable’ world economy, where people have no privacy or consent in what is mandated regarding their body. The system they want everyone to accept will require bodily submission to the public health orthodoxy, coupled with a more invasive surveillance state.

“The UN and WEF have partnered to launch the #PledgetoPause initiative. UN communications director Melissa Fleming called the program ‘the first global behavior change campaign on misinformation.’ Multiple NGOs backed by George Soros and all the Big Tech companies are on board. The program has already weeded out and removed online content that challenges their agendas. Now their goal is to ‘mobilize experts and researchers, government, influencers, civil society, businesses, regulators and the media to block out any “wrong information” regarding covid-19 vaccines, lock downs, economic controls, masks, social distancing, gathering restrictions,’ etc. The initiative has already coordinated with a left-wing activist group called Purpose. This group strives to promote the LGBT movement and has recently launched attacks on Poland’s pro-family laws and culture, while eliminating any dissent through online censorship. The initiative has also partnered with Google and the Gates Foundation to eliminate any open discussion about vaccines, informed consent, individual rights, medical privacy, vaccine injury, etc.”

Of course, this world is already a prisoner and victim of mind control, brainwashing and censorship, due to the fact that Satan the Devil rules mankind. But if one needed any confirmation as to the veracity of Distributed News, then listen to the irresponsible attempts of “mediabiasfactcheck” to discredit them and other outlets:

“Overall, we rate Distributed News an extreme right biased Tin-Foil Hat Conspiracy website that also publishes pseudoscience. This source is associated with Natural News, which is one of the most discredited sources on the internet.”

“Discredited,” because Natural News is highly critical of the so-called “accepted”” science by Dr. Fauci and others regarding governmental restrictions and “safe” and “harmless” vaccinations! Distributed News also published quite a few articles regarding voter fraud and irregularities during the Presidential election, which have all been verified or collaborated, as far as we can tell, by other sources. Not everything which the above-quoted article alleges might be provable, but there is enough there to raise much more than just a few eyebrows.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

In the previous parts of this series, we discussed many concepts taught by the Roman Catholic church, related to their doctrine of indulgences. We saw that indulgences are required, according to Catholic tradition and theology, to ensure that help and assistance is given in Purgatory (a place that doesn’t exist and has no validity from Scripture), so that humans can go to Heaven (which Scripture clearly shows is not the place for the dead, nor is Hell, as commonly understood in orthodox Christianity!)  We also pointed out that the idea of indulgences applies in different ways: It addresses those who are in “Purgatory” and for whom prayers and “indulgences” are given by the living or the “saints in Heaven”, so that they can be freed from Purgatory; and it can apply to people in this life who give indulgences (for themselves and others) so that they do not have to suffer in Purgatory (or Hell) for as long as they otherwise would have to.

We also discussed the concept of partial indulgences (removing part of the “temporal” punishment due to sin), and of plenary indulgences (removing all temporal punishment due to sin).

Let us look at a further explanation in the following Catholic website: https://douglasbeaumont.com/2019/04/01/indulgences-explained/

“Indulgences are not ‘Get Out of Hell Free’ cards, nor can one gain enough indulgences to earn entrance to Heaven. Rather, indulgences have to do with avoiding the sufferings of Purgatory for temporal sins prior to entering Heaven. Scripture supports the theology of indulgences in seed form, even though (like many doctrines) it is not stated as such. Finally, the Church has clarified the requirements for – and rewards of – indulgences throughout its history and tradition. By understanding this teaching more clearly, the animosity generated by 500 year-old misunderstandings can be avoided.”

In this short summary, we can glean the following information:

Entrance to Heaven, as we have proved, is not the reward of the saved. As Purgatory is a false supposition, avoiding the sufferings there “for temporal sins prior to entering Heaven” is a non-starter. Scripture does NOT support any theology of indulgences in any form. The requirements and rewards of indulgences are a figment of man’s imagination with no Scriptural basis whatsoever. As this teaching is not supported by Scripture, any “misunderstandings” are just not applicable.

For those dead and in Purgatory, as is believed,  it reduces the time spent there before entering Heaven. As we have proved previously, neither Purgatory nor people going to Heaven are biblical concepts, but as Catholics believe in these, they believe that they can pray for the dead and have an effect on the time they will spend in Purgatory.

A vital part of understanding is that an indulgence, if it was true (which it is not), would also negate for those alive, the sowing and reaping principle which we have already reviewed but is worth reiterating: We read in Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” In such circumstances, how would we ever learn lessons that God has in store for us?

Let us review the example of king David when considering the false concept of indulgences for the living. David became guilty of a terrible crime by committing adultery with Bathsheba and then having her husband, Uriah, killed. We can learn about this in 2 Samuel 12 where we read the story given by Nathan the prophet and king David’s confession (verses 13-14). There were consequences to David’s action and the child died.  The sowing and reaping principle was shown to be in action very quickly.  Cause and effect cannot be negated just because someone undertakes some action. Had the child lived, it could have been misconstrued that it was perfectly fine to commit such an appalling action with no consequences, as David was the king and a man after God’s own heart, and that God condoned such outrageous behaviour. Of course, God did not, and the reaping and sowing principle remained intact and is still applicable today in spite of Catholic indulgences giving a different and wrong impression of what can happen. In fact, David was punished further in that he would have wars until the end of his life, and in that he was humiliated publicly by the actions of his rebellious son Absalom who slept with David’s concubines in plain sight of the people.

We read in Leviticus 26 the promise of blessing and retribution, and in Deuteronomy 28, blessings on obedience and curses on disobedience are listed, showing that blessings would be given for living God’s Way, and curses for actions if they were disobedient. There is no hint that indulgences, or anything similar, would negate any wrong behaviour by the children of Israel. It was cause and effect; it was sowing and reaping. As we explained, sincere repentance of a person or a nation can avoid punishment and can lead to God’s supernatural intervention to diminish or abolish a certain effect, but “indulgences”—prayers for one’s self or others without any true repentance—cannot do that. And even with true repentance, some effects will still take place, as we saw in the case of David who truly repented and was sorry for his crimes, but they were so egregious that God would not abolish the effects and the punishment. No amount of indulgences could have changed that. Another example is Moses who sinned against God by dishonouring Him before the people, and God told him that because of that, Moses would not be able to enter the Promised Land. Moses pleaded repeatedly with God for a change of His mind, but God did not abolish the punishment.

In 1 Corinthians 10 we read about Old Testament examples showing that we are not to follow that wrong way and that “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (verse 11).  Ecclesiastes 8:11 advises: “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Some may be encouraged to sin if they see others doing wrong if they feel that there will no punishment for the evil committed. Without question, sowing and reaping is a principle that is fully operational and indulgences to mitigate their effect are unbiblical and unworkable.

There is no Scriptural evidence about indulgences being available or that someone, in this case, the Pope, could make them available as and when he thinks it is appropriate. It is all founded on a lie and, unfortunately, so many are “taken in” by such pronouncements.

As you will recall, this series of Q&As came as a result of the following quote from one of our Updates:

“Pope Francis invited everyone to receive the ‘Pardon of Assisi’, which can be obtained from the evening of 1 August until midnight on 2 August… ‘It is a plenary indulgence that may be received by partaking of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist and visiting a parish or Franciscan church, reciting the Creed, the Lord’s prayer and praying for the Pope and his intentions,’ the Pope pointed out. He recalled that the indulgence can even be obtained for a deceased person…

“The ‘Pardon of Assisi’ dates back to 1216, when Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and angels appeared before St. Francis. The apparition took place in the tiny Portiuncula, the chapel Francis had built in the Italian town of Assisi. When Jesus asked him [what] he desired for the salvation of souls, St. Francis asked for God to grant a plenary indulgence for all those who enter the chapel. The indulgence was later extended to anyone who visits a parish or Franciscan church on 1 August or 2 August.”

Our comment was: “This is so blasphemous and idolatrous”.

We have endeavoured to cover the original question with other inter-related doctrines and beliefs. We know that at the end of this current age, a great false church will exercise much power.

We have shown in this series that we don’t have an immortal soul; that the soul is the person; that the spirit in man goes back to God at death but that it does not have any consciousness when the person dies; that people don’t go to Purgatory, Heaven or Hell when they die; and that indulgences are simply a plan concocted in the mind of man under Satanic influence.

Further, “Catholic Answers” opines as follows:

“Catholics… recognize that the true ‘rule of faith’—as expressed in the Bible itself—is Scripture plus apostolic tradition, as manifested in the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church, to which were entrusted the oral teachings of Jesus and the apostles, along with the authority to interpret Scripture correctly.’  We read in https://amazingdiscoveries.org/ : ‘The fact that Scripture and Tradition belong together accounts for two rules that direct the way the Church approaches God’s revelation. The first of these rules is stated very simply by Vatican II in these words: It follows from what has been said that the Church does not draw its knowledge of all that God has revealed from holy Scripture alone. That is why both (Tradition and Scripture) must be accepted and respected with equal affection and honour. Secondly, the unbreakable bond between Scripture and Tradition accounts for the fact that for Catholics, Tradition is the context within which the Scriptures are interpreted, just as Tradition itself has to be understood and lived with reference to Scripture.”

This further shows they believe that “Tradition” is on a par with the Bible which is ridiculous, but such an approach certainly enables them to inculcate into their religious system non-biblical beliefs.

In the last Q&A, we quoted Christ’s condemnation that we worship Him in vain when we teach traditions and as doctrines the commandments or concepts of men (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:9), while at the same time rejecting God’s Word and His commandments.

Let us finish this series quoting from our booklet “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”. In chapter 20, “The Fall of Babylon the Great – Revelation 18,” we state:

“While in Revelation 17 the religious nature of the last resurrection of the Roman Empire is vividly depicted, Revelation 18 focuses more, but not exclusively, on the economic nature of that last resurrection.

“Let us quote again these interesting comments by the Ryrie Study Bible, in their annotation to Revelation 17:5: ‘In chapter 17 Babylon represents the false religious system that will center in Rome… In chapter 18 it represents more the political and commercial aspect of the revived Roman Empire…Thus the term stands both for a city and for a system (religious and commercial) related to the city (much like “Wall Street,” which is both a place and a system).’…

“God warns His people not to participate in this Babylonian system, by accepting the mark of the beast and becoming RICH thereby (compare Revelation 18:3–4…) Its merchandise even included ‘the bodies and souls of men’ (Revelation 18:13). Also in it, the blood of the saints was found (Revelation 18:24), and through its false teachings and sorcery all the nations were deceived (Revelation 18:3, 23).

“Lehman Strauss comments on modern Babylon’s wealth and religious persecution, as follows: ‘The wealth of the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations combined adds up to many billions of dollars (p. 298)… The unscriptural doctrines of purgatory, the last rites, and masses for the dead have brought untold wealth into the treasury (p. 310)… Sir Robert Anderson, of Scotland Yard fame, estimated that Rome was guilty of the death of 50,000,000 Christians (p. 299)… She will be judged because of the untold number of victims whom she slaughtered in the inquisition and in St. Bartholomew’s Massacre. She must pay for those shocking murders and for the many bloody persecutions which followed (p. 314)’ [and which still will occur in the near future].

“God will destroy the modern city of Babylon (Revelation 18:10, 16, 18, 19, 21) ‘in one day’ and ‘in one hour’ (Revelation 18:8, 10, 17). God will totally wipe out that city, as well as the religious, economic, political and military system it represents, to become a habitation and prison for demons (Revelation 18:2).

“The warning and the lesson for God’s people is very clear: ‘Come out of her, My people,’ God says. Have nothing to do with her. Be and stay separate, and don’t touch what is unclean. Don’t participate in other men’s sins. There are always some who think that they need to remain within an apostate religious system and perhaps try to ‘reform’ it. It never works—and it is against God’s specific instructions!

“We will observe, very shortly, the final revival of the ancient Roman Empire in Europe. A most powerful world-ruling Empire will emerge, attempting to impose its religious and military ‘values’ on everybody. As we know these things, we ought to take very seriously Christ’s warning in Luke 21:34–36: ‘But TAKE HEED to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to ESCAPE all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man [at His return].’”

It will serve as a fitting conclusion to repeat what we said at the very beginning of this series, namely:

This series on indulgences and underlying concepts is focusing on just one example to show how incredibly unbiblical certain Roman Catholic teachings are. It is so sad that millions upon millions of people believe these ideas without even realizing the absolute absurdity contained in them. Very soon, the Roman Catholic Church, which is described in the Book of Revelation as a fallen church which has rejected God’s Truth, will impose the “mark of the beast” on people readily willing to accept it. This will be the culmination of satanic blasphemy. Protestants have for a long time identified the Catholic Church as the “Babylon” of the book of Revelation, without fully realizing that they are thereby including themselves in that description, as the fallen church is depicted as the “mother church” which has “daughter churches” or “harlot daughters.”

We have much more information on that famous mark of the beast. If you are interested, please read our free booklets, “Europe on Prophecy,” “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”; “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire,” and “Obeying God Rather Than Men.”

The purpose of this series has been to speak out for the Truth. We are not fighting against flesh and blood or any human organization, but against Satan, the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air, who has found an easy target in Roman Catholic and Protestant concepts which are really nothing else but pagan ideas which have been given a “Christian” mantle.

Satan has deceived the whole world, which does not know that it is deceived—for otherwise, it would not be deceived anymore. But God has opened your eyes and ears if you have read this series with understanding. Then, God expects your response in turning to Him with your whole heart and embracing His Word, while leaving behind the false ideas, concepts, doctrines and traditions of men.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (December 2020) has been written and posted with copies being sent to those on our mailing list. In this letter, Pastor Brian Gale points to the quest for power by so many in society, but notes that many have corrupted and abused power once it is attained. In addition, he draws a contrast to the spiritual power the people of God will receive in the Kingdom of God.

Should You Get Vaccinated Against Coronavirus?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

This must be your decision, based on your individual circumstances and conviction. But your decision should require proper investigation, inquiry and knowledge; it should be an informed decision and not just based on emotion. This program will discuss much of what has been reported about the vaccines and their morality, safety and side effects… and again, you must ascertain for yourself, as best as you can, as to whether those reports are factual or not.

“Muss sich ein Christ alles gefallen lassen?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Does a Christian Have to Put Up with Everything?”

“Sodom und Gomorra,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Manuel Mueller, is now posted. Title in English: “Sodom and Gomorrah.”

“America in Crisis—Voter Fraud, Lockdowns and Harmful Vaccinations,” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The evidence of voter fraud in the last Presidential election is mounting, while the mass media is unwilling to admit this fact, thereby “damaging trust in America’s democracy.” Lockdowns are on the rise again, even though it has been claimed that they do not work… and that they destroy the physical and spiritual wellbeing of many thousands of people. The new COVID-19 vaccines will produce side-effects which some medical experts declare as being normal, while others call the vaccines a crime against humanity, as they will allegedly cause genetic defects, due to genetic manipulation.  We are also speaking about the assassination of Iran’s leading scientist and discuss why this happened now… and who might have been behind it.

“That Which is Certain,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In these times of uncertainty, it is difficult to predict what exactly will occur and how much time we in fact have left.  However, God is very clear about what He promises and what will certainly come to pass in the near future, which is why it is vital that we remain close to God.