Update 1026

On June 18, 2022, Brian Gale will present the sermonette, titled, “The Silver Suitcase,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Rumors, Fake News and the Truth.”

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.

The term famine is currently on everyone’s lips, today even more than ever before. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the entire face of the world and people are suffering from great anxiety. Due to the reciprocal sanctions which the world rulers are inflicting on each other, the tensions and problems among them and in the whole world are getting bigger and worse, until it will ultimately lead to a nuclear world war.

We know that these days we find ourselves in are the beginning of sorrows, and that these point, among other things, towards a coming great famine. The current trading and speculation with food on the stock markets are increasing more and more. Thus, the food prices keep rising more and more, and so will worldwide inflation. This refers not only to wheat and corn, but many other groceries are also affected as well, such as rice and soy, coffee and sugar, and many more other goods like raw oil, not to mention the constantly rising energy prices.

Der Tagesspiegel wrote on May 3, 2022: “We are heading for the greatest famine in human history.

“The farmers in Ukraine are producing much fewer resources, the infrastructure is destroyed, the ports are blocked. But the problems are much worse.

“The poorest countries have already been hit hard by the pandemic. On top of that, there is climate change with droughts in Africa and China. Because of lack of energy China is producing less fertilizer, and due to the blockade of the Black Sea, hardly any fertilizer is being exported from Russia and Belarus. Added to this are global logistics issues. Even if there was enough food, it doesn’t necessarily get to where it’s needed. The Russian invasion is deeply shaking the world food system. We fear that the number of hungry people will double in 2023 or 2024. If we have ten percent less artificial fertilizer than we need, up to 320 million people are robbed of their food base.”

In Austria, the city of Vienna posted the following statement on its platform:

“Waste on the one hand, hunger on the other.

“1.3 billion tons of food are thrown away each year or constitute losses along the value chain. For Europe, the authors estimate an annual loss per capita along the entire value chain of 280 to 300 kilograms. European and North American households throw away between 95 and 115 kilograms of food per year, especially fruit and vegetables, although a large proportion would still be edible. Add to those mountains of food that retailers discard.”

There is no way to realize by any stretch of the imagination the full extent of the scenario that is rolling toward humanity.

This leads to a crucial question for us. Will such news also raise fears and worries in us because of a coming famine?

Christ already warned us about this very scenario 2000 years ago: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:6-8).

The world simply ignores these statements, but it should be clear to us that these prophecies of God are being fulfilled today right before our eyes. If we heed the words of Christ and do what He commanded us to do, namely, to keep the laws of God from the heart, God the Father and Jesus Christ will be with us to help, sustain and protect us in these terrible times.

Let us remember the famine in Abram’s time, when he had to go to Egypt (Genesis 12:10). Isaac also fled from a famine (Genesis 26:1). When famine broke out in all lands by the time of Joseph, who was a righteous ruler directly under Pharaoh, God showed His power and saved the children of Israel from starvation (Genesis 41:53-57).

In Genesis 45:11, because of God’s power, Joseph was able to promise Jacob and his descendants to help them: “There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” When Israel was in the wilderness and had nothing to eat, God provided them with manna and quails (Exodus 16).

Many prophets experienced famines as well, such as Elijah and Elisha, but they were saved by God. And David wrote with full knowledge and conviction: “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread” (Psalm 37:25).

Christ once fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, and all were filled (Mark 6:30-44). On another occasion, he fed four thousand in the wilderness with seven loaves (Mark 8:1-9).

So why should God let us die in a famine today? Of course, there will be moments when we are tested, and it may be difficult for some. Paul experienced what it was like to be hungry. But as Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35). Paul was fully convinced that nothing could unsettle him or us!

Christ tells us what to focus on: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:31-34).

In the end, it doesn’t matter to us personally how much we speculate about food wastage in the world, or how much of it ends up in the trash, or how much the world’s population increases in the face of hunger, even though it is all very tragic. What is of the utmost importance for us is to realize that only God can and will help us in all future suffering and misery.

God trusts each one of us. And therefore, we must also trust Him to the fullest extent.

Initial translation from German: Daniel Blasinger

by Norbert Link

We begin with reports about the “House January 6 Select Committee” which has been described as biased, unethical and fraudulent. We also quote articles pointing out the truth behind wrong allegations of the Committee and the mass media. We also speak on increasing violence against pro-life groups and supporters and a proposed bi-partisan gun law; the danger of red flag gun laws; and Dr. Fauci’s sickness.

We speak on the perception that Joe Biden appears to be King Midas in reverse; the controversial actions of the Fed; address the perceived attempts of the Biden Administration to change the current status in Jerusalem; and point out that Israel may be preparing for war against Iran.

We address developments in and pertaining to Russia and Vladimir Putin; report on a horrible piece by Fox News and Nancy Pelosi’s support of drag queens; and conclude with articles on the Catholic Church (“the woman riding the beast”) and Europe’s divisive and provocative stance against the US Supreme Court on abortion.

Please view our new message, titled, “America’s Sexual Confusion and Its Unethical House Committee—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 11, 2022.”

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

Trump Slams House Committee

Newsmax wrote on June 10:

“Former President Donald Trump blasted the House Jan. 6 select committee for its biased, ‘negative’ prime-time hearing on Thursday night… The proceedings did not include any cross-examination or contradictory testimony. The former president railed against the committee’s members — Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans — for hiring former ABC executive James Goldston to help produce a one-sided show. ‘So the Unselect Committee of political HACKS refuses to play any of the many positive witnesses and statements, refuses to talk of the Election Fraud and Irregularities that took place on a massive scale, and decided to use a documentary maker from Fake News ABC to spin only negative footage. Our Country is in such trouble!’ Trump posted Thursday night…

“Trump on Friday morning slammed the committee for suggesting he supported protesters for chanting, ‘Hang [then-Vice President] Mike Pence!’ ‘I NEVER said, or even thought of saying, ‘Hang Mike Pence.’ This is either a made up story by somebody looking to become a star, or FAKE NEWS!” Trump posted… ‘The so-called “Rush on the Capitol” was not caused by me, it was caused by a Rigged and Stolen Election!’ Trump posted Friday morning.

“Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., was incorrect when she claimed then-President Trump ‘did not condemn the attack.’ Actually, Trump did condemn the violence in a video Twitter quickly blocked, along with an Oval Office address a week later. Cheney also used Trump’s words of ‘love in the air’ out of context as the committee showed protesters breaching the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump spoke those words about the Stop the Steal rally, not to describe the people breaching the Capitol.”

Trump DID Ask for National Guards Prior to January 6, 2021

TND wrote on June 9:

“A Capitol Police timeline of the days and weeks surrounding Jan. 6 shows former President Donald Trump’s Department of Defense (DOD) offered the National Guard’s assistance in the days leading up to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, validating claims from Trump administration officials that were said to be false by liberal fact-checkers…

“According to the timeline, a DOD official reached out to Capitol Police Deputy Chief Sean Gallagher four days before the attack on the U.S. Capitol to inquire about whether Capitol Police anticipated they would request National Guard troops be deployed to prepare for Jan. 6… Just hours after Gallagher’s rejection of DOD’s offer for troops, Capitol Police issued a new warning to its commanders and executives, as well as to the two congressionally appointed House and Senate Sergeants at Arms responsible for congressional security, the timeline shows… Within 24-hours of the new assessment’s circulation, then-chief of the Capitol Police Steve Sund changed course and began requesting permission to deploy National Guard troops from the House and Senate Sergeant at Arms – both of whom report to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer, respectively… Sund’s requests were denied…”

“Out of Desperation, Democrats Resurrect ‘Insurrection Theater’”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 13:

“This week, US gasoline prices hit an average of $5.00 per gallon, an all-time record. Officially, consumer price inflation hit 8.6 percent last month compared to last May. That is a four-decade high. In reality, though, inflation is much higher than that, as anyone who works for a living can affirm…

“The most recent polls have President Biden with a record low approval rate, and Democrats in Congress are bracing for a real beating in the mid-term elections in just under six months…

“With so much going wrong in areas Americans are most worried about, the Democrats have for some reason decided that the ticket to electoral success in November is to bring back ‘Insurrection Theater’ in the form of new hearings on the events of January 6, 2021… these hearings have had nothing to do with getting at the truth behind the events of January 6th and everything to do with trying to drum up more partisan anger and fear.

“What we won’t see in the hearings is any of the 14,000 unreleased hours of surveillance… We also won’t hear anything about how many of the ‘insurrectionists’ were actually government informers or even provocateurs. And we certainly won’t get any answers as to why the police actually seemed to be opening the doors and inviting the people inside.

“Maybe that’s because the January 6th Committee is a star chamber, where the only Republicans – the deeply unpopular Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger – have been hand-selected by Nancy Pelosi… Meanwhile, no one at all wants to talk about how the Fed, with the participation of Congress, is leading us to economic disaster.”

Committee Unethical, Unfair and Fraudulent

Newsmax wrote on June 10:

“Constitutional law expert Alan Dershowitz told Newsmax on Friday that the Jan. 6 committee’s public hearing on Thursday night was ‘’not a fair proceeding’ in that it was ‘’one-sided’ and ‘’unethical.” Take, for example, President Trump’s speech on Jan. 6,’ Dershowitz said… ‘He said at the end of the speech he wanted people to show their voices patriotically and peacefully. They doctored the tape… they edited those words out. If a prosecutor ever did that, they’d be disbarred. You can’t present part of the tape and deliberately omit the rest of the tape in order to mislead the audience, especially when the other side has no opportunity to cross-examine, no opportunity to present its own evidence… President Trump committed no crimes… Anybody who thinks that he did fails to understand the First Amendment.’

“… Because Donald Trump’s side had no opportunity to present its case, Dershowitz said the committee had a ‘special ethical obligation not to cheat, not to defraud the viewers, and that’s exactly what the Democrats, with their two Republicans, did yesterday… People would take seriously a nonpartisan, non-biased commission… But nobody should take seriously this one-sided basketball game in which only one team is allowed to shoot for the basket, and the other team is not even allowed to defend.’”

Enough said. Everybody should be able to see that this Committee is nothing but a sham and a farce.

Increasing Violence Against Pro-Life Groups

The Washington Examiner wrote on June 10:

“Law enforcement officials arrested and charged a man last week with the ‘attempted murder’ of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh… This assassination attempt was not a spur-of-the-moment crime of passion… The assassination attempt is part of a growing string of acts of violence, intimidation, and domestic terrorism targeting pro-life groups and conservative public figures following the Supreme Court leak…

“A crisis pregnancy center in Asheville, North Carolina, for example, was vandalized on June 7. The building was splashed with red paint, the windows were smashed, and the vandals spray-painted a message on the building that read, ‘If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you!’

“On June 6, a Christian pregnancy center in Buffalo, New York, was firebombed. The office was destroyed. The attackers left a message scrawled near the building. It read, ‘If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.’

“On June 3, a pregnancy crisis center in Washington, D.C., was vandalized. The front door was splashed with red paint and a message reading ‘Jane Says Revenge’ was spray-painted on the side of the building — ‘Jane’ presumably being a reference to the ‘Jane Roe’ in Roe v. Wade. For context, the Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center is a faith-based nonprofit organization. It does not refer or perform abortions.

“On May 27, a crisis pregnancy center in Lynnwood, Washington, was vandalized. The attackers spray-painted the message: ‘If abortion isn’t safe, you aren’t either.

“On around May 20, a pro-life billboard in Portland, Oregon, was defaced with pro-abortion messages that read ‘Abort the Supreme Court’ and ‘My body, my choice.

“On May 14, a crisis pregnancy center in Frederick, Maryland, was vandalized with pro-abortion graffiti.

“On May 13, a crisis pregnancy center in Reisterstown, Maryland, was vandalized. Messages left behind included, ‘You’re anti-choice,’ ‘Not pro-life,’ and ‘If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.’

“On May 8, activists attacked a Right to Life office in Keizer, Oregon, with Molotov cocktails. In that same time period, a crisis pregnancy center in Denton, Texas, was vandalized. The attackers left messages painted on the building that read ‘Forced birth is murder’ and ‘Not a clinic.’ A crisis pregnancy center in Madison, Wisconsin, was also attacked on May 8. It was firebombed, and the assailants left threatening messages scribbled on the property, including ‘If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.’…

“On May 7, a Roman Catholic church in Fort Collins, Colorado, was vandalized, its doors and windows smashed. ‘My body, my choice’ was written on the church’s entrance doors.

“On May 6, a Roman Catholic church in Armada, Michigan, was vandalized with messages that include ‘666’ and ‘F-g Republicans dead.’

“On May 5, a crisis pregnancy center in Portland, Oregon, had its windows smashed. The perpetrators left behind a note that read, ‘F*** [crisis pregnancy centers].’

“On May 3, a pregnancy center in Illinois was razed, causing roughly $250,000 in damages. The center provided diapers and baby supplies to struggling mothers.

“Also, on May 3, a Roman Catholic church in Boulder, Colorado, was vandalized. The perpetrators splashed paint on a statue of the Virgin Mary and spray-painted messages all over the church, including ones that read ‘My body, my choice’ and ‘Keep your religion off our bodies.’

“Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three is a trend. More than a dozen is a coordinated campaign whose message is: You are next.”

It really appears that all or many of these attacks are coordinated.

Fauci Sick With Corona

Webmd.com reported on June 15:

“Anthony Fauci, MD, the chief medical officer to the White House, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday… Fauci, who is fully vaccinated and has received his second booster dose, is experiencing mild symptoms and will isolate at home…”

Anybody should be able to see the fraudulent claims in support of Big Pharma, uttered by Fauci in the past,  that you don’t get corona if you are vaccinated, while totally ignoring or downplaying natural immunity.

Proposed Bi-Partisan Gun Law

Newsmax wrote on June 11:

“President Joe Biden says he will sign an agreement on a framework for a firearms safety bill proposed by a bipartisan group of senators… The plan includes support for state ‘red flag’ laws that would keep guns from potentially dangerous people, tougher criminal background checks for firearms buyers under 21 and a crackdown on ‘straw purchases’ by people buying firearms for others who could not pass a background check… the framework is far less ambitious than proposals offered by Biden and other Democrats for banning semi-automatic, assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines or at least raising the minimum age to buy those from 18 to 21.

“… While the deal represents a significant breakthrough, it does not ensure that legislation will be passed, as lawmakers still must hammer out legislative language that can secure enough votes to get through both the Senate and House of Representatives, each narrowly controlled by Democrats… But Sunday’s announcement still marks the furthest that talks on a gun measure have advanced in Congress since 2013, following a Connecticut school massacre, when gun control legislation failed on the Senate floor… The group that agreed to the framework included 10 Republicans, nine Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats.

“The United States has the highest rate of firearms deaths among the world’s wealthy nations. But it is a country where many cherish gun rights and its Constitution’s Second Amendment protects the right to ‘keep and bear arms’…”

To quote General Douglas MacArthur: “It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh” (Radio Broadcast, September 2, 1945).

The Danger of Red Flag Gun Laws

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 15:

“… at a time when red flag gun laws (which authorize government officials to seize guns from individuals viewed as a danger to themselves or others) are gaining traction as a legislative means by which to allow police to remove guns from people suspected of being threats, it wouldn’t take much for police to be given the green light to enter a home without a warrant in order to seize lawfully-possessed firearms based on concerns that the guns might pose a danger. Frankly, a person wouldn’t even need to own a gun to be subjected to such a home invasion….

“As The Washington Post reports, these red flag gun laws ‘allow a family member, roommate, beau, law enforcement officer or any type of medical professional to file a petition [with a court] asking that a person’s home be temporarily cleared of firearms. It doesn’t require a mental-health diagnosis or an arrest.’ … Where the problem arises is when you put the power to determine who is a potential danger in the hands of government agencies, the courts and the police…. Red flag gun laws merely push us that much closer towards a suspect society where everyone is potentially guilty of some crime or another and must be preemptively rendered harmless…. No matter how well-intentioned, red flag gun laws will put a target on the back of every American whether or not they own a weapon.”

Joe Biden… King Midas in Reverse

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 11:

“US President Joe Biden, along with leaders from 19 Latin American countries, unveiled a new plan to tackle migration in the Americas…

“The signatories of the deal include the three major Central American countries that play an outsized role in migration, namely, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras; together known as the Northern Triangle. Mexico, which plays a key role in curbing illegal migration at the US-Mexico border, also signed the pact…

“The Central American countries’ cooperation was deemed essential because their leaders boycotted the southern Californian gathering over Biden’s decision to exclude three countries the US considers autocratic, namely Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The leaders’ boycott, most notably involving Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, dealt a big blow to the event, even as US officials tried to downplay it.

“In the end, despite Biden’s assurances of the significance of the migration pact, only 20 countries signed it, several fewer than the number attending the summit…

“The administration is also seeking to counter growing Chinese influence in the region as Beijing develops stronger economic ties with several Latin American countries like Brazil and Argentina.”

According to a new poll, most Americans believe that Biden is purposefully trying to sabotage the economy and deliberately allowing gas prices to rise to allegedly force consumers to use less fossil fuel and to buy electric cars instead. Whether this is true or not, there can be no doubt that Biden is largely responsible for the high gas prices. As Breitbart correctly pointed out on June 10, “he attacked American energy independence on day one by nixing the Keystone Pipeline and continued the trend by rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and canceling oil and gas leases.” He also “issued a 60-day halt on all new oil and gas leases and drilling permits on federal lands and waters… directed federal agencies to eliminate all supports for fossil fuels [and] imposed new regulations on oil and gas and methane emissions.”

The New York Post wrote on June 12: “Food prices will keep climbing – with no end in sight — as inflation continues to take hold of the US economy, some of the nation’s leading food suppliers and restaurant chains said.”

Fed’s Aggressive Rate Hikes Raise Likelihood of a Recession

The Associated Press wrote on June 16:

“A worse-than-expected inflation report for May — consumer prices rocketed up 8.6% from a year earlier, the biggest jump since 1981 — helped spur the Fed to raise its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of point Wednesday. Not since 1994 has the central bank raised its key rate by that much all at once. And until Friday’s nasty inflation report, traders and economists had expected a rate hike of just half a percentage point Wednesday. What’s more, several more hikes are coming…

“Each rate hike means higher borrowing costs for consumers and businesses. And each time would-be borrowers find loan rates prohibitively expensive, the resulting drop in spending weakens confidence, job growth and overall economic vigor… Indeed, since 1955 every time inflation ran hotter than 4% and unemployment fell below 5%, the economy has tumbled into recession within two years… The U.S. jobless rate is now 3.6%, and inflation has topped 8% every month since March… And there’s another byproduct of Fed rate hikes: The dollar will likely rise as investors buy U.S. Treasuries to capitalize on higher yields. A rising dollar hurts U.S. companies and the economy by making American products costlier and harder to sell overseas…”

Food Shortage Worries Mount

 Zero Hedge wrote on June 16:

 “Pennsylvania farmers are being ‘crushed’ by the record cost of diesel – so much so, that questions about a food crisis are starting to loom…  The situation looks as though it will continue to push food prices higher, after the government reported that food prices in May were 10.1% higher than last year…

“The PA average for diesel is now $6.19 per gallon, up about 75% from a year ago… One farmer who works on about 3,500 acres burns through about 2,000 gallons of diesel per month… said. ‘If the farmers cannot get crops out of the ground, then there is not food on the shelves.’”

Biden to Roll Back Jerusalem Embassy Move

The Washington Free Beacon wrote on June 10:

“The State Department confirmed… that a new Office of Palestinian Affairs will be established in Jerusalem and act independently of the U.S. ambassador to Israel’s office there. The formation of a separate diplomatic office… could violate the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which mandated that a single U.S. embassy be established in the holy city. The State Department also confirmed that it is working to go even further—opening an official Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem wholly independent of the U.S. embassy in Israel…. That would set the stage for Jerusalem to once again be viewed by the United States as divided between Israeli and Palestinian territories.

“Former U.S. diplomats… said the Biden administration is trying to undermine former president Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which eliminated a formal distinction between West and East Jerusalem.”

America, under Biden, becomes more and more an antagonistic enemy of Israel.

Israel Prepares for War With Iran

Israel Today wrote on June 12:

“Both the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Air Force (IAF) are now actively preparing for a major confrontation with Iran and the bombing of nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic… On Thursday, it was announced that IAF engineers have succeeded in designing a system that eliminates the need to refuel its F-35 Adir stealth fighter jet mid-mission. The F-35 is a radar-invisible warplane that reportedly will be used in a future massive IAF air strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities…

“That such a bombardment could now become a reality was also shown by a massive air exercise by IAF aircraft over the Mediterranean one and a half weeks ago. Hundreds of IAF aircraft took part in this exercise, and the government in Jerusalem said the exercise was intended to simulate a multiple-front war with Iran…”

The Bible prophesies that Israel will suffer defeat in a coming military confrontation—in addition and PRIOR TO the Great Tribulation.

Israel and Iran: Five Minutes to Armageddon?

The Hill published the following article on June 16:

“The Pentagon fully realizes that time is not on Israel’s side, nor that of the U.S. and its allies. In March, now-retired Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, then commander of U.S. Central Command, testified in a Senate hearing that Iran has ‘3,000 ballistic missiles,’ including variants capable of reaching Tel Aviv, while assessing Tehran’s nuclear ‘breakout’ is now measured in ‘weeks,’ not ‘months.’ 

“Israel concurs. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett acknowledged on June 12 Iran is ‘dangerously close to getting their hands on nuclear weapons.’ Earlier, Jerusalem — in an atypical disclosure for Israel — declared it has sufficiently extended the range of its U.S.-supplied Lockheed Martin F-351 Adir stealth fighter-bombers to complete any missions tasked to them in Iran. Israel’s message to the ayatollahs was loud and clear: Israel can reach deep inside Iran and exit Iranian air-space unseen…

“If forced to attack Iran’s nuclear program, Israel’s primary target would be destroying the centrifuges enriching HEU in Natanz, Fordow, and elsewhere — all of which are buried deep underground. It is the only military means by which Jerusalem could avert Tehran from reaching the 90 percent HEU enrichment level. Numerous tertiary targets also would need to be eliminated. Iran Watch lists 38 known nuclear-related sites in total.

“Jerusalem’s planning must anticipate Hezbollah, Hamas and other Tehran-backed militias aggressively responding in kind if Israel launches a raid into Iran. In all likelihood, before Israel’s air forces could return to Israeli airspace, massive volleys of rocket fire would be hitting the country from Lebanon, Gaza and Syria — and possibly even from Iran itself. Striking Iran’s nuclear facilities would be only the beginning, not the end, of a hot war between Israel and Iran.

“Prepared or not, Israel and Washington both appear to be out of time — Iran’s threat is substantial, and it is only intensifying… Measured in Doomsday Clock terms, it is five minutes to midnight in Jerusalem and Tehran — and in Megiddo, the historical biblical site of Armageddon in Israel.”

Spineless Congress Has Been Abrogating Powers to Allow for Dictatorship

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 14:

“The US Constitution explicitly gives Congress, not the president, the authority to determine if the republic should go to war. Unfortunately, that fundamental point is now little more than a quaint historical footnote. Congress has issued no declarations of war since the early 1940s, when it did so against Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and other Axis powers. Yet the United States has launched more than a dozen significant ‘presidential wars’ since then. Moreover, that pace shows little sign of slowing.

“… When Harry Truman sent more than 200,000 US troops to intervene in the conflict that had erupted on the Korean Peninsula, he showed no inclination whatever to seek a declaration of war from Congress… Later presidents likewise ignored Congress and acted entirely on their own alleged authority (Johnson in the Dominican Republic, Reagan in Lebanon and Grenada, Obama in Libya). In one case (Clinton in Kosovo), a president even disregarded the legislative branch’s refusal  to give approval for military action. More often, though, White House occupants preferred supportive, ‘blank check’ congressional resolutions (Johnson in Vietnam, the the elder Bush in the Persian Gulf, and Bush the younger in Afghanistan and Iraq).

“America’s would-be emperors indeed have been bold in expanding US power throughout the international arena and making a mockery of the Constitution in the process… The failure of Congress to halt brazenly unconstitutional presidential wars… has been the most graphic example of such dereliction of duty. A more subtle manifestation, though, has been the passage of vacuous, open-ended congressional resolutions. Such measures authorize the use of force against a designated US adversary, but give the president unrestricted discretion to decide if or when that step is necessary…

“Congressional attitudes about two volatile arenas that could lead to dangerous military entanglements for the United States – Ukraine and Taiwan – are the latest examples of an unhealthy deference to the White House and an avoidance of responsibility…  There also is a pervasive absence of congressional willingness to rein-in President Biden as he deepens US involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war…

“Abdication serves an important political purpose, because it enables Congress to avoid responsibility for issues of war and peace, life and death. If a presidential military intervention goes well, legislators can climb aboard and portray themselves as enthusiastic supporters of the venture. If the war goes badly, they can disown it and even criticize it as the ultimate in presidential folly – especially if the occupant of the Oval Office is from the opposition party. Such abdication of the congressional war power, however, constitutes a profile in cowardice. It also has been a major factor in the proliferation of ill-conceived, often disastrous, US military interventions…”

A similar development in Europe would certainly allow for the immediate rise of the Beast, as described in the Book of Revelation.

China Threatens USA Over Taiwan

Aljazeera wrote on June 10:

“China will ‘not hesitate to start a war’ and ‘smash to smithereens’ any Taiwan independence efforts, its defence minister warned his US counterpart in the pair’s first face-to-face talks.

“‘If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will definitely not hesitate to start a war no matter the cost,’ Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said during a meeting with Lloyd Austin on Friday, [continuing that China will] ‘resolutely uphold the unification of the motherland’ [saying that] ‘Taiwan is China’s Taiwan’…

“The United States is Taiwan’s most important international supporter and arms supplier, a source of constant friction between Washington and Beijing…”

BBC News added on June 11:

“China and Taiwan were divided during a civil war in the 1940s, but Beijing insists the island will be reclaimed at some point, by force if necessary… Only a few countries recognise Taiwan. Most recognise the Chinese government in Beijing instead. The US has no official ties with Taiwan but does have a law which requires it to provide the island with the means to defend itself.”

Biden recently said that the USA will itself defend Taiwan militarily.. .a claim which was subsequently disputed and “clarified” by the White House.

Fear of Nuclear War

Newsweek wrote on June 7:

“Russian state TV… has warned that if NATO keeps supporting Ukraine in President Vladimir Putin’s war, there will be a ‘massive nuclear strike’ that will see only ‘mutants’ survive…. Solovyov, who has close ties with Putin and has been called ‘Putin’s voice,’ was speaking on Russia-1…

“[He] said that the world is ‘descending into bloody pages of world history… Because if NATO decides they can place whatever they want at our borders, they’ll be sending more and more of American weapons to Ukraine, Ukraine will fire and end up hitting one of our nuclear power plants, and here we go.’ Solovyov said the ‘process’ then will ‘quickly become uncontrollable.’”

Nuclear war between Russia and Europe will occur… but not yet.

Putin’s Plans for Europe?

Fox News wrote on June 12:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to force the West to end its sanctions by causing a widespread famine, Yale historian Timothy Snyder argues. [He] pointed to Russia’s ongoing blockade of Ukrainian grain, which shows no signs of stopping. Ukraine is a major global producer of grain, supplying mainly Middle Eastern and Asian countries.

“Snyder argues that Putin’s plan is not only to destabilize Ukraine by cutting off exports but also destabilize the European Union by generating ‘refugees from North Africa and the Middle East, areas usually fed by Ukraine.’ ‘When the food riots begin, and as starvation spreads, Russian propaganda will blame Ukraine, and call for Russia’s territorial gains in Ukraine to be recognized, and for all sanctions to be lifted,’ Snyder concluded…

“Russia is currently holding a blockade on Ukraine’s port of Odessa, causing a backlog of roughly 20 million tons of grain.”

These proposed concepts are not without merit.

Putin—the Modern Peter the Great?

Metro.co.uk wrote on June 10:

“Vladimir Putin has compared himself to Russian tyrant Peter the Great, drawing parallels between what he portrayed as their twin historic quests to reconquer Russian lands. After months of denials that the Kremlin has been driven by imperial ambitions with the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian president appeared to offer the clearest glimpse yet of his true goals.

“Speaking on the 350^th anniversary of the tsar’s birth, he said: ‘Peter the Great waged the Great Northern War for 21 years. It would seem that he was at war with Sweden, he took something from them. He did not take anything from them, he returned (what was Russia’s). Apparently, it also fell to us to return (what is Russia’s) and strengthen (the country). And if we proceed from the fact that these basic values form the basis of our existence, we will certainly succeed in solving the tasks that we face.’

“Putin’s words will also be seen as a thinly-veiled threat to the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which fear being occupied once the war in Ukraine is over. Sweden and Finland have also been moved to apply for NATO membership in response to the invasion…

“Peter the Great, an autocratic moderniser admired by liberal and conservative Russians alike, gave his name to a new capital, St Petersburg – Putin’s hometown – that he ordered built on land he conquered from Sweden. Prior to Putin’s visit to the exhibition, state television aired a documentary praising the tyrant as a tough military leader, greatly expanding territory at the expense of Sweden and the Ottoman Empire.

“In recent years, Putin’s interest in Russian history has loomed ever larger in his public appearances. In April 2020, as Russia entered its first coronavirus lockdown, he compared the pandemic to ninth century Turkic nomadic invasions of medieval Russia. In July 2021, the Kremlin published a long essay by Putin in which he argued that Russia and Ukraine were one nation, artificially divided… Putin blamed Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union, for creating Ukraine on what Putin said was historically Russian territory.”

And so, Russia and Ukraine WILL somehow unite again.

Poland’s President Likens Russia’s Putin To Adolf Hitler

International Business Times wrote on June 10:

“Poland’s President Andrzej Duda recently blasted the leaders of France and Germany for having one-on-one phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he likened to Nazi’s Adolf Hitler.  Speaking in an interview with German newspaper Bild, Duda said holding talks with Putin only legitimized the war crimes committed by Russian leaders currently invading Ukraine. He later argued that no world leader held talks with Hitler when he invaded Poland in 1939, an event that triggered the start of World War II.  ‘I’m amazed at all the talks that are being held with Putin at the moment… These talks are useless,” Duda said…

“President Duda’s interview comes after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron held one-on-one phone calls with Putin. Macron, in particular, drew backlash after he argued that Russia must not be humiliated over the invasion and said it was vital for Putin to have a way out of his ‘fundamental error.’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later blasted Macron’s remarks…”

Duda has a point.

The Week wrote in response to Macron’s and Scholz’s position on June 11:

“French President Emmanuel Macron, who fancies himself a Putin whisperer, warned again last week that ‘we must not humiliate Russia.’ Instead, we must reward Putin’s pitiless efforts to erase a peaceful, democratic neighbor from the map by awarding him a nice chunk as a consolation prize: the Donbas and southern Ukraine along the Black Sea. Henry Kissinger… has joined Macron in urging Ukrainian concessions. So has The New York Times editorial board, which recently advised Ukraine it will need to make ‘painful territorial decisions’ in exchange for peace. On the isolationist right, America Firsters from Sen. Rand Paul to Tucker Carlson to Donald Trump have denounced U.S. military aid to Kyiv as a waste of money for a fight that is not ours.

“It is… not realistic to believe any concessions will end Putin’s messianic ambitions to absorb Ukraine into ‘holy Russia.’ A deeply cynical, KGB-trained liar, he will happily violate any treaty naïve ‘realists’ force Ukraine to sign. If there is a brief peace, Putin will use it to rebuild his battered army and reinvade until Kyiv succumbs… It’s critically important to prove Putin wrong, even if he finds it humiliating.”

Putin’s ambitions and real goal should be obvious by now.

Medical Emergency for Putin

The Sun wrote on June 10:

“VLADIMIR Putin was given ‘urgent medical assistance’ earlier this week after being struck down by a ‘sharp sickness’, according to Kremlin insiders. Russia’s president has reportedly been ordered by his doctors not to make any ‘lengthy’ public appearances. [He] is said to have fallen ill while talking to his military chiefs and suffered ‘sharp sickness, weakness and dizziness’ as he got up from his desk after a 90-minute virtual session.

“The claims appeared on the General SVR channel on the messaging app Telegram, which is purportedly run by a Kremlin insider… However, the 69-year-old did make a now-rare public appearance in Moscow this Thursday as he addressed young Russian entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists. At an event marking the 350th anniversary of the birth of Peter the Great, Putin bizarrely bragged that he was following in the former Russian tsar’s footsteps with his war in Ukraine [see article above]…

“The General SVR channel has made repeated claims in the past about Putin’s alleged medical problems, including cancer and Parkinson’s disease. These claims, which the channel says are based on inside intelligence, are impossible to verify, but come amid swirling rumours in the West about the Russian president’s health.

“Recent pictures have shown Putin looking frailer with a puffy face, while critics say he has been gripping the side of desks during public appearances to hide his tremors.”

Putin will stay in office until his “purpose” has been fulfilled.

Pope Francis’ Incoherent Proclamations

The Daily Mail wrote on June 14:

“Pope Francis said… Russian troops were brutal, cruel and ferocious, while praising the bravery of Ukrainian soldiers…  He also said the situation was not black and white and that the war was ‘perhaps in some way provoked’ by NATO…’

“Francis said the on-going war in Ukraine, along with other conflicts around the globe, means ‘World War III has been declared’ and therefore the human race has seen three world wars in a century. This, he said, is a ‘calamity’ for humanity….”

Apart from other questionable comments by the Pope, his idea that we are experiencing World War III right now is utter nonsense, and it totally belittles and plays down events which will take place when a REAL World War III is going to occur, which would indeed lead to the extinction of the human race if Christ would not return to stop this madness.

Meaningless Sanctions Against Russia

Newsmax wrote on June 13:

“Russia is making a killing from oil exports despite an embargo from the United States and most of Europe, and it is easily using the profits to finance its ongoing invasion of Ukraine…  Oil exports were 45% of Russia’s overall revenue in 2021… and it still made enough in the first 100 days of the Ukraine invasion to more than replenish what it had spent on the war…

“Despite the number of countries that have stopped receiving Russian oil imports, oil prices have risen by about 60%… so Russia’s discount on price still gives it higher revenues over a year ago. Europe has been struggling to free itself of Russian energy as it simultaneously sends Ukraine military aid to fight off the Russian invasion. Greater efforts are being made, though slowly.

“Still, China remains Russia’s largest fossil fuel importer, while Japan is its top importer of coal… And Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia will be exempted from a ban on Russian oil that goes into effect later this year.

“India has increased its purchases of Russian oil, making Russia its top supplier over Saudi Arabia, which had previously held the No. 1 spot… And Sri Lanka has indicated it is open to buying Russia’s oil, its prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, told the AP.”

As Biden has strongly, but foolishly pronounced that the sanctions were not meant to deter Russia from fighting in Ukraine, what then are the sanctions supposed to accomplish? Regardless, as we can see from the article, they accomplish NOTHING.

Fox News Promoting Transgenderism

Breitbart wrote on June 10:

“Fox News promoted the story of a transgender child who switched genders at five years old as part of the network’s ‘LGBTQ+ Pride Month’ special on Friday. On an episode of America’s Newsroom, Fox News reporter Bryan Llenas highlighted the story of Ryland Whittington, a young girl whose family embraced her transgender transition to male when she was five years old. Whittington hopes going public about her story will encourage other families to accept their transgender children…

“Llenas described Whittington as ‘a typical southern Californian teenager,’ during the segment’s introduction. According to her mother, Hillary Whittington, Ryland told her parents that she was a boy before she could even speak… Despite the Whittington family’s ‘conservative faith,’ Whittington’s mother believes God ‘created Ryland just the way “he” is.’… At the segment’s conclusion, Llenas praised the Whittington family for being public about transgender issues in today’s political climate. He also commended the family for displaying ‘extraordinary courage.’…”

This is truly incredible, coming from a supposedly conservative network.

Newsmax wrote on June 11:

“Shortly after the Fox report aired, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro slammed Fox for airing the pro-transgender segment as a ‘complete betrayal.’ ‘Every element of this [Fox News] video is propagandistic, dangerous garbage,’ Shapiro said. ‘The report states that this biologically female child was choosing her gender before she could speak. That is madness.’…

“Likewise, Daily Wire host Michael Knowles knocked Fox News for spotlighting a controversial issue that goes against the beliefs of its Christian viewers… And Knowles’ colleague at the Daily Wire, Matt Walsh, [tweeted:] ‘’The poor kid is 14 now with a permanently altered body, condemned to live forever with an identity imposed as a small child. It is horrifying, evil, and sick. And it is what Fox chose to promote…

“The pro-transgender story on Ryland is not new for Fox News, which has been undergoing a transitioning of sorts itself as it moves away from its more traditional base of viewers. In March Fox announced it had hired, Caitlyn Jenner as top political Contributor for the network. Caitlyn, former Olympic athlete and TV star Bruce Jenner, had never been a commentator on politics before she ran for California governor as part of the 2021 recall effort. Jenner received just 1 percent of the recall vote.

“Fox News CEO Suzanne heralded [Jenner’s] appointment as part of the network’s LGBTQ+ outreach… noting the star was ‘the most famous transgender woman in the world.’ ‘She is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community and her illustrious career spans a variety of fields that will be a tremendous asset for our audience.’”

Fox News… Disney… when is this “madness” going to stop?

Pelosi Proud of Drag Queens

Daily Wire wrote on June 11:

“Pelosi called it ‘an honor’ to make a guest appearance on the most recent episode of the drag queen show ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’… [She said:] ‘I was inspired by the contestants because they know their power’… During her appearance, Pelosi told the contestants she was proud of them and thanked them ‘for the joy and beauty [they] bring to the world… Your freedom of expression of yourselves in drag is what America is all about,’ the House speaker added. ‘I say that all the time to my friends in drag.’…

“Pelosi’s appearance on the ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ comes as many parents and politicians across the country voice their anger over drag-themed events being targeted toward children.

“The appearance wasn’t Pelosi’s first on a drag queen show. She was also on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ in 2018.”

And so speaks and acts a practicing Catholic who was recently prohibited by some bishops from taking the communion, due to her stance on abortion, while others [including the pope] had no problem with allowing her to partake of the Eucharist. All of this is so shameful and disgusting.  

Europe Condemns US Supreme Court Over Abortion Issue

Breitbart wrote on June 11:

“In a preemptive strike before the American Supreme Court has even had a chance to rule on the legal future of abortion, globalists in the European Union’s so-called parliament passed a measure on Thursday by a margin of 364 to 154 (37 abstentions) to ‘remind’ the United States that it is ‘vital’ to uphold Roe v Wade… The resolution also targeted individual U.S. states for introducing limits on abortion access, such as Texas, which under its heartbeat bill has banned abortion after six weeks, when unborn babies begin to develop their own distinct heartbeat…

“Apparently not understanding how American republicanism operates as a governmental system, the EU parliament went on to call on President Joe Biden to ‘ensure access to safe and legal abortion,’ despite the President having no legal authority to do so. The globalist body also curiously claimed that Roe v Wade ‘protects the right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution,’ even though there is no mention whatsoever of abortion in America’s founding documents.

“Noting the apparent ignorance of the EU lawmakers, German right-wing MEP Christine Anderson, who opposed the measure, commented: ‘The USA is no longer a colony ruled from Europe. Didn’t you know that?’”

It really shows Europe’s “conquering” mentality towards the USA…

The Woman Riding the Beast

The National Catholic Register wrote on June 10:

“Pope Francis discussed the Ukraine war on Friday with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. The head of the executive branch of the European Union, a political and economic union of 27 member states, also met on June 10 with the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and ‘foreign minister’ Archbishop Paul Gallagher, who visited Ukraine in May.

“The Holy See press office said: ‘During the cordial discussions held in the Secretariat of State, the parties focused on the good bilateral relations and common commitment to work to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, dedicating particular attention to the humanitarian aspects and the food consequences of the continuation of the conflict.’… They also reflected on ‘the consequences for the future structure’ of the EU.

“Tweeting after her papal audience, the German Lutheran mother of seven said she was ‘truly glad’ to meet the Pope again, following a private audience in May 2021… Von der Leyen, who visited the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in April, spoke on June 9 at the opening session of a conference organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.”

And so, the woman, and her daughters, are riding the European beast once more…

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.

After all of this breaking of the covenant between the people and God, God foretold of another covenant.

We read of it in Jeremiah 31:31-34: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

The first covenant mentioned here (with the nation of Israel “in the day” when God led them out of the land of Egypt) did not involve God putting His laws in the minds of the people. It was a covenant that would guarantee many physical blessings and long life if kept but did not have a promise of eternal life. But this new covenant would be the answer to the question raised in Deuteronomy 5:29 (compare also Deuteronomy 29:4 and Joshua 24:19, as discussed in the previous Q&A). God would give them a heart to fear Him and keep His commandments.

This passage in Jeremiah 31:31-34 is quoted almost identically in Hebrews 8:8-12. Hebrews 8:6-8 gives us information of this new covenant: “But now He (Christ) has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant [note, in passing, that the word “covenant” has been added here by the translator] had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them….” Hebrews 8:13 informs us, “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

We read previously in Exodus 24:8, “And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.’” Likewise, the new covenant was also certified with blood, this time not with the blood of animals but with the blood of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:12 informs us, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:14-15 states, “… how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

While the first or old covenant between God and the nation of Israel had many physical blessings, it did not have the promise of eternal life. However, this new covenant has a promise of eternal inheritance which certainly necessitates eternal life. So especially in this promise, the new covenant is greatly superior to the old covenant.

So from this we know there was nothing wrong with the first covenant, in fact it was very beneficial at the times it was kept, but God found fault with the people because mostly they did not keep it. As we read in Deuteronomy 5:29, the people did not have such a heart in them to keep all of God’s commandments on which the covenant was based.

There are other covenants mentioned in the Old Testament between individuals. One is mentioned in 1 Samuel 18:1: “Now when he (David) had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” 1 Samuel 18:3-4 adds: “Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armour, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.” Again, these were signs for this covenant. As we read the story, David and Jonathan kept this covenant until after the death of Jonathan. David’s lamenting is described in 2 Samuel 1:19-27, particularly in 2 Samuel 1:26. “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me; Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women.” Their covenant was an extremely strong relationship (but it has nothing to do with the absolutely false allegation that David and Jonathan were gay lovers.)

God did make another covenant, this time with king David. The fact that it was made is stated, as a part of David’s last words, in 2 Samuel 23:5, although it is not stated here what it involved: “Although my house is not so with God, Yet He had made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase?” 2 Chronicles 13:5 relates a time when David, Solomon and Rehoboam had died and Abijah was king over Judah and fighting against Jeroboam and the tribes of Israel: “Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt?” Here we find that this covenant was for David and his sons to reign over Israel forever. And it was a covenant of salt, showing its permanence.

This covenant is also stated clearly in Psalm 89:3-4: “I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations…” And finally, about this covenant, God states that unless the covenant with day and night can be broken, then His covenant with David, and that with the Levites, cannot be broken. Jeremiah 33:20-22 states: “Thus says the LORD: ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’”

This covenant involves David’s descendants to be rulers over at least one tribe of Israel (compare our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”). However, David himself knew he would be resurrected to eternal life long before this covenant was made with him. He states in Psalm 17:15. “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” He knew he would be resurrected to eternal life as a Spirit Being.

In conclusion, we see that covenants are the method God used in His dealings with men, and also occurred between individuals. Putting aside for the moment the covenants between God and some individuals like Phinehas or the tribe of Levi, there were several periods of time when God made covenants, and some of these are very beneficial to us today. Apart from the indication of God’s covenant of marriage (see our discussion in part 2 of this series), the first period refers to the time of Noah when God promised He would never again destroy all life by means of a flood. This we can rely on that we will be safe from a total worldwide flood. The second period relates to the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The covenants included blessings of a land, descendant nations and kings.

In Genesis 18:17-18, God reveals that all nations of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham: “And the LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?’” This is repeated in Genesis 26:4: “And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” And why would this be? Verse 5 continues: “… because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

But, of course, since we are a part of all nations to be blessed because of Abraham’s obedience, this covenant is beneficial to us today. In addition, the descendants of Abraham and, through him, the house of Israel would be greatly blessed physically as well, but those blessings would be removed when they would refuse to obey, as we are seeing today. And even more to the point, as Galatians 3:16 informs us, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” So, we greatly benefit through Christ. As true Christians, we are spiritual Israelites, and we are thereby promised eternal life through the Seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ.

The third time period when God made covenants with men was at Sinai (and subsequently at Moab). In addition to the covenant which God made with Levi at that time, it was not just a man or he and his family that God made a covenant with, but with a whole nation of millions of people. This was the first covenant dedicated with blood. As we read in Hebrews 9:18-20, “Therefore not even the first covenant [note, in passing, that the word “covenant” was added here by the translator] was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.’” As we pointed out previously in Part 4, God made also a separate covenant with the people of Israel regarding the weekly and annual Sabbath days. We read in Isaiah 56:6-7 that even those who may not be Israelite by birth, if they refuse to defile the Sabbath and hold fast to this covenant, God will make them joyful in His house of prayer. This potentially includes all people of the world.

The fourth time period when God made a covenant was with David. This was for David to always have descendants to sit on the throne of Israel, not for his own eternal life.

The fifth time period when God promised a covenant was when it was stated in Jeremiah 31:31-34 that God was going to make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. This time, God would put His laws in their hearts so they could keep them as they were intended to be kept. We read in Galatians 3:29, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” This new covenant included the promise of eternal life and rulership over all of God’s creation.

Hosea 2:16 informs us when this new covenant is in force, we will no longer call God our Master: “‘And it shall be, in that day,’ Says the LORD, ‘That you will call Me “My Husband,” And no longer call Me “My Master.”’” This obviously refers to Revelation 19:7, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

There are many covenants in the Bible, too many to mention in this short discussion, but they are the main way God uses in dealing with His people throughout the ages and into the future.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff

compiled by Dave Harris

A Tech Team meeting was conducted via Google Meet on Sunday, June 12, 2022. Hosted by Eric Rank, we discussed our advertising campaigns, video publishing and possible alternatives to You Tube for live services as future needs arise.

“Die Quelle der Kraft,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Christian Mrosek, is now posted. Title in English: “The Source of Power.”

“America’s Sexual Confusion and Its Unethical House Committee—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 11, 2022,” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

America is today plagued by sexual confusion; an incredible economic crisis; an incompetent leadership; and unethical proceedings by a sham-and farce committee. In addition, Russia keeps threatening Europe; Europe shows its true colors of conquest towards the USA; and the woman riding the beast is back. Are we prepared for the next major event?

“God’s Spirit of Mercy,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In this world, we do not find much mercy. Rather, we see a lack of love; a thirst for revenge; and unmerciful conduct. But God shows us that we must be merciful in order to obtain His mercy. In many cases, self-righteousness prevents people from being merciful, as they may think that they are so much better than others; that they could never do what others have done; and that it is therefore necessary to dig up what has been buried. Such an attitude will never give us inward peace.