“The Relationship Between the US and German Leaders Isn’t Getting Any Better”
Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:
“Ultimately… both [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel and [French President Emmanuel] Macron returned home empty handed… from meetings that were overshadowed by the talks between the two Koreas. Both realized that Trump is determined to implement what he promised his constituents’…”
The World Must Take Trump Seriously
Bild Online wrote on April 27:
“It was not Angela Merkel’s day. It was Donald Trump’s day. What his admired predecessor Obama was not able to do, he did with a mixture of strength and unpredictability…
“The world’s most powerful woman went home empty handed… [Trump] views himself to be on a mission to repair everything which was damaged by his predecessors…
“Trump was scoffed at, ridiculed and hated. All attempts to defeat him diplomatically, psychologically or with flattery have failed. The world—and that is the other message of this travel [by Macron and Merkel]—will have to learn to take him seriously.”
Another Delay re Tariffs
Deutsche Welle wrote on May 1, 2018:
“The Trump administration has pushed back its decision on imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum from the European Union and other US allies…
“The Trump administration will extend temporary steel and aluminum tariff exemptions for the European Union, Canada and Mexico until June 1, Reuters news agency and the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the decision. One source told Reuters that the US has reached an initial agreement with Australia, Argentina and Brazil concerning the tariffs.
“The temporary tariff exemptions were due to expire at midnight US Eastern Standard Time (0400 UTC), after which the US allied countries would face import duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Trump already imposed the tariffs in March, but granted temporary exemptions to the EU, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Argentina and Brazil. South Korea secured a permanent exemption on steel tariffs, but only after agreeing to slash its steel exports to the US by around 30 percent.
“The US administration justified issuing the tariffs, which are aimed primarily at China, on national security grounds. Washington also told its allies that they must make concessions in order to obtain a permanent exemption. In a tit-for-tat move, the EU said that it will impose its own duties on US exports, including bourbon, motorcycles, peanut butter and makeup. Brussels said it will not agree to concessions until it first secures an exemption. On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said any move to impose tariffs on Canada would be a ‘very bad idea.’ Canada is the largest steel importer into the US.”
The delay does not end the concern of a coming trade war between the USA and Europe.
Deutsche Welle wrote on May 2:
“This president does not value his allies… The US president and his trade advisers have made it clear to the EU that they want to dictate the conditions for the trade in steel and aluminum… But the European Union must not yield to this blackmail attempt from the White House… the EU has no reason to be timid; it is an economic power equal to the US.”
A Chance for Germany?
Der Spiegel wrote on April 18:
“The cracks in trans-Atlantic relations caused by Donald Trump’s election provide an opportunity for Germany to finally forge ahead with its own foreign policy. One that draws Europe together and fights for what is right.
“The world has become a more complicated place and the U.S. is no longer a reliable partner… Germany must become more active and become a foreign policy player… Together with France, we need to pull Europe together into a single unit… If Germany and France want to lead together, then they must talk to each other far more frequently…
“The new U.S. supports Israel’s settlements policy and wants to force international recognition of Jerusalem as the capital city. Most Europeans, on the other hand, believe this to be playing with dynamite and also tend to see the Palestinians more as victims than the Israelis. Europe supports the battle against climate change, whereas America, or at least its government, is promoting climate change for ideological reasons. Europe supports international courts, but the U.S. is against them. The same applies to a strengthening of the United Nations.”
Europe Needs France and Germany
On April 27, Germany’s former foreign minister and vice chancellor Joschka Fischer wrote the following in Project Syndicate:
“… without the US, Germany’s only other source of defense is a stronger Europe…at a time when the foundations of the global order are shifting at Europe’s expense, marginal reforms will not suffice… Europe and the West need a Franco-German response equal to that once provided by François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl, and by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer before them. And they need it now. History will not stand still.”
Needed… a Stronger Nucleus of European Nations?
Politico wrote on April 10:
“Valéry Giscard d’Estaing wants to restart Europe — and move forward with fewer countries. At 92, the former French president and a preeminent architect of the European Union [is] still trying to shape the future of the Continent…
“Under Giscard’s presidency, France and Germany put in place the European monetary system that laid the ground for a single EU currency, and established the European Council, which is widely considered the most powerful institution in Brussels… For Giscard, the EU’s last major step forward took place in 1992, with the Treaty of Maastricht, which laid the foundations for the euro and widely expanded cooperation between European countries. The lack of progress has left the Continent adrift in a world buffeted by ever more rapid change…
“In a 2014 book, ‘Europa: The Last Chance for Europe,’ Giscard called for a rebooting of the European project, with the ‘urgent’ construction of a ‘strong and federated’ entity of 12 European nations that would include the six founding members (Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) plus Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Finland and Poland…
“According to its chief executive Erika Widegren, Re-imagine Europa… will focus on Giscard’s ‘clear-cut vision’ of a ‘stronger nucleus’ of EU countries. She added that the countries Giscard thinks could work together may no longer be the 12 from his book since ‘things have changed drastically since 2014.’… ‘At the moment, Europe does not have a government,’ Giscard said.”
A strong nucleus of European core nations will emerge out of the EU. The Bible speaks of ten nations or groups of nations.
Martin Schulz Already Back?
Der Stern wrote on April 19 about former German Chancellor candidate and leader of the SPD, Martin Schulz:
“Actually, he is already back. Martin Schulz is apparently quite ready again…
“As stated, Martin Schulz has already returned … but only very few have noticed it.”
Crosses a Must in Bavaria, Germany
The Local wrote on April 25:
“Bavarian leader Markus Söder has announced that crosses must hang in all the state’s government buildings, saying the move is a ‘commitment to Bavarian identity and culture.’…’The cross is not a sign of religion,’ he said after the cabinet meeting. ‘This is not a violation of the principle of neutrality.’
“The new regulation was approved by the cabinet, allowing the new cross mandate to take effect by June 1st. The ordinance applies exclusively to the offices of the state of Bavaria… Alternative for Germany (AfD) officials reportedly welcomed the announcement, while other parties voiced their concern about the CSU’s religious policies…
“Free Democrat (FDP) leader Christian Lindner said: ‘The way Markus Söder and the CSU permanently instrumentalize religions for party politics is reminiscent of (Turkish President) Erdogan…’
“But the actual cross which was put up by the Minister-President does have a religious background. It hung in the Cabinet Room until 2008, was a gift from the former Munich Cardinal Friedrich Wetter and, according to Söder, was also consecrated by the religious figure… The south German state is one of the most Catholic regions in the country.”
The Local added on May 3:
“Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the archbishop of Munich and the head of the German Bishops’ Conference, was having none of it — Mr. Söder, he said, was co-opting a clearly religious symbol for his own devices… ‘Seeing the cross purely as a cultural symbol shows a misunderstanding…’”
It is amazing how politicians try to get their way by circumventing the law with ridiculously juvenile arguments.
Germany’s New US Ambassador
The Local wrote on April 27:
“51-year-old Michigan native and ex-Fox News commentator Richard Grenell was officially appointed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador in Germany…
“This Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government grad… [was] appointed in 2001 by then-President George W.Bush to be the American spokesman at the United Nations. He ended up becoming the longest-serving person in this role, leaving the post in 2008.
“He then worked as a national security and foreign affairs adviser to Mitt Romney during his 2012 campaign for the White House. This made him the first openly gay spokesman for a Republican presidential candidate – a fact which he proudly states on his official website…
“While working at the UN, he unsuccessfully fought to have his partner, consumer insights expert Matt Lashey, listed as a spouse in the personnel directory… In 2013, he signed an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage.
“As a former Fox News contributor, he called the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling that granted same-sex marriage across the United States ‘a huge win’, arguing that conservatives should rejoice…
“Grenell’s position representing the United States to Germany may be more confrontational than those who have held the position more recently given Trump’s opposing views with Angela Merkel on key issues, from trade to fighting climate change.
“Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the international Paris climate accord, which Merkel has called ‘unfortunate’, left the US President standing alone on the issue during the G20 summit in Hamburg…
“Grenell could seek to target increased trade between German companies and Iran… He furthermore has recently criticized Berlin’s attitude to the Syrian war: ‘French and British forces are joining the US in attacking Syria over the heinous chemical attack on civilians, and Germany should have joined this P3 group,’ he said.”
Trump’s “Shift”
The Week wrote on May 3:
“President Trump acknowledged Thursday morning that his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an affair she says she had with Trump in 2006. Trump had denied knowing about the payment to Daniels when questioned by reporters on Air Force One last month. Cohen ‘received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement,’ a non-disclosure agreement, Trump wrote.
“‘These agreements are very common among celebrities and people of wealth.’ Trump’s tweets followed Rudy Giuliani’s interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday night, where Giuliani confirmed that Trump reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000.”
Many commentators and journalists concluded that Trump and the White House lied about the entire affair. Calls for impeachment can be heard again. Stormy Daniel’s lawyer echoed the sentiment by some that Trump will not endure his four years in office. However, Trump’s popularity rate is still at 50%. There will be no impeachment; Trump will stay in office for his entire tenure; and we take it for granted that in case of new elections, he will be reelected for another term.
The Miracle of the Jewish State
Bloomberg wrote on April 18:
“In November 1947, one day prior to the expected United Nations vote on partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, the CIA urged President Harry Truman not to throw his weight behind the idea. America would have to defend the new Jewish state when it faltered, the CIA’s secret memorandum warned, adding that ‘the Jews will be able to hold out no longer than two years.’
“Several months later, David Ben-Gurion was about to declare the establishment of the State of Israel. Seated among the dozen or so men who would determine the fate of the state-to-be, he famously turned to one of his top military commanders, Yigael Yadin, and asked him if he thought a new Jewish state would survive the military onslaught that the Arabs would inevitably launch. Yadin, who would later serve as chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, replied that he thought the Jewish state would have a 50-50 chance…
“Today… [a]s the modern Israeli state celebrates 70 years, the prevailing sentiment is one of extraordinary accomplishment… In 1948, there were some 650,000 Jews in Israel, who represented about 5 percent of the world’s Jews. Today, Israel’s Jewish population has grown ten-fold and stands at about 6.8 million people. Some 43 percent of the world’s Jews live in Israel; this population overtook American Jews several years ago and is now the world’s largest Jewish community…
“At times, financial collapse seemed imminent. Food was rationed and black markets developed. Israel had virtually no heavy machinery for building the infrastructure that it desperately needed. Until Germany paid Holocaust reparations, the young state’s financial condition was perilous. Today, that worry also feels like a relic from another time. Israel is not only a significant military power (and in the region, a superpower) but also a formidable economic machine. A worldwide center for technology that has more companies listed on the Nasdaq than any country other than the U.S., Israel’s economy barely hiccupped in 2008. The shekel, its currency, is strong… Israel has become an important cultural center…
“Yet some of the initial worries and troubles of those early years persist. Militarily, the looming enemy is… Iran. The Israeli military is bracing for a possible Iranian missile or drone attack. International support for Israel remains a concern…”
For more information on Israel’s past, present and future, view our StandingWatch program, “The Miraculous 70 Years Existence of the State of Israel… What’s Next?”
Big Earthquake Overdue in Israel
The Jewish press wrote on April 28:
“Starting at 7:45 AM, a series of three small earthquakes shook the Dead Sea region. The epicenter of the quakes were on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea and measured 3.1, 3.5 and 2.8 on the Richter scale.
“The Dead Sea sits right on the Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault system, which is a series of faults that run from the Maras Triple Junction (a junction with the East Anatolian Fault in southeastern Turkey) to the northern end of the Red Sea Rift (just offshore of the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula). Israel is generally hit with a large earthquake every 70 years, and the big one is currently long overdue.”
Confirmed—The First Two Temples WERE on the Temple Mount
Breaking Israel News wrote on April 25:
“A once thoroughly debunked theory that the two Jewish Temples did not stand on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is currently gaining traction in the Christian world. A new ‘Cry for Zion’ video explains why we know the Temples were on the Temple Mount and that it is essential for Christians to connect with the Jews’ holiest site.
“Cry for Zion, a nongovernmental organization of Jews and Christians advocating Jewish rights to the Temple Mount, features Doron Keidar, the founder of Cry for Zion, and John Enarson, the organization’s Christian Relations and Creative Director. Their motivation for producing the video was generated in reaction to Robert Cornuke’s best-selling book titled ‘Temple: Amazing New Discoveries that Change Everything About the Location of Solomon’s Temple,’ published in 2014. According to Cornuke’s theory,both Jewish Temples stood further south in an area now known as Ir David (the City of David). Instead, a massive Roman fort stood on what is now known as the Temple Mount.
“Cornuke presents a theory that sheds doubt on the Jewish claim to the Temple Mount. Coupled with the UNESCO resolutions that designate the Temple Mount as an exclusively Muslim holy site, Keidar fears the Jewish claim to its holiest site is under threat. Cornuke’s theory was criticized for having no archaeological basis and for contradicting Temple-era historical accounts, such as that of Josephus Flavius, a first-century Romano-Jewish scholar who cited the Mount as the location of the Second Temple. Despite being definitively debunked by archaeologists and Biblical scholars, the alternate Temple location theory continues to have a following within some segments of the Christian community…
“‘I was surprised to discover that we have had a continual Jewish presence on the Mount, as well as on the Mount of Olives, east of Mount Zion facing the Holy Temple,’ Keidar said. ‘Thanks to this unbroken chain, we are absolutely sure of the location of the Temple. It is important for Christians to acknowledge that we have never abandoned the Temple Mount…”
Even though some uninformed and ignorant biblical “scholars” deny this FACT, a third temple WILL be built on the Temple Mount prior to Christ’s return. Please view our StandingWatch program, “A Third Temple prior to Christ’s Return.”
Antisemitism in Germany
The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 22:
“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she is ‘burdened’’ by the failure to eradicate antisemitism in Germany… ‘I am embarrassed due to the fact that Jewish institutions require security details in 2018,’ Merkel said. She connected this with the arrival of refugees and ‘people of Arab heritage’ who, Merkel said, ‘bring with them a new form of antisemitism into Germany.’ The chancellor added that ‘to our regret, antisemitism existed in Germany even before [their arrival].’”
And sadly, anti-Semitism will continue to exist in Germany and in most Western European nations.
Israel Accuses Iran of Violation of Treaty
Deutsche Welle wrote on April 30:
“In a televised presentation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Iran of moving nuclear weapons to a secret location. The US administration has indicated it plans to back out of the Iran nuclear deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented on Monday what he claimed was proof that Iran had broken the terms of the nuclear deal signed in 2015with major world powers.
“Netanyahu said he was prepared to share the ‘incriminating’ files on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, ‘Project Amad.’ He said Israel recently uncovered 55,000 documents and 183 CDs from Iran’s ‘nuclear archives.’”
It was also reported that Monday’s missile strikes on Syria “were likely carried out by Israel,” and Haaretz said that Israel was prepared to attack Iran broadly, both on Iranian soil, but also in Syria.
Ignorant Americans… Holocaust—What’s That?
The New York Times wrote on April 12:
“Thirty-one percent of Americans, and 41 percent of millennials, believe that two million or fewer Jews were killed in the Holocaust; the actual number is around six million.
“Forty-one percent of Americans, and 66 percent of millennials, cannot say what Auschwitz was. And 52 percent of Americans wrongly think Hitler came to power through force.”
Alfie Dies—Shame on the Guilty Parties
Fox News wrote on April 30:
“Alfie Evans, a terminally ill British toddler whose case drew attention from Pope Francis and others around the world, has died, his parents announced Saturday morning. Parents Kate James, 20, and Tom Evans, 21, wrote on Facebook that they were “absolutely heartbroken” that they had lost their son.
“Alfie was born in May 2016. Later that year he suffered a series of seizures and was admitted to a hospital in Liverpool where he has been since, BBC reported. Alfie developed an incurable degenerative brain condition and was at the center of a legal battle over his treatment. Medics struggled to precisely identify Alfie’s condition.
“Doctors said further treatment was futile and recommended that Alfie be allowed to die, but his parents — backed by the pope and Christian groups — fought for months to take him to a hospital in Italy so he could be kept on life support.
“The hospital withdrew Alfie’s life support Monday after a series of court rulings sided with doctors who said continuing Alfie’s treatment was ‘not in Alfie’s best interests.’… Under British law, courts often intervene when parents and doctors disagree over the treatment of a child… News of Alfie’s death has brought an outpouring of messages from people sending their condolences.”
Bild Online wrote on April 29 that German Professor Dr. Nikolas Haas was asked by the British court to prepare an expert opinion regarding Alfie. He argued unsuccessfully that in light of the German history, a society must be able to treat all persons in the same way. He feels that the doctors’ decision to end Alfie’s life was based on the fear of high costs for the national health system and mere arrogance.
He pointed out that in Germany, the wish of the parents would have been accepted and the treatment of Alfie would of course have been ongoing, and that it was surprising that Alfie had not at least been transferred to the parents’ home, in accordance with the parents’ wishes. Bild reported that the wishes of the parents were not honored by the doctors because of the “hatred” of Alfie’s supporters towards the hospital staff.
If all of this is true, then it is abominable to see a “civilized” society use such autocratic and dictatorial powers to place its “judgment” over the judgment of the parents. The worst memories of Hitler’s Nazi Germany surface.
California About to Attack Homeschooling
Fox News reported on April 17:
“… you might think that California’s government has enough on its hands, just trying to keep kids in our public schools safe. But you’d be wrong… The recently introduced Assembly Bills 2756 and 2926 are cases in point.
“This first, AB 2756, requires fire marshals to perform in-home inspections of home-schoolers every year, implying that somehow home-educators are less fire-safe than other individuals. This is, of course, egregiously discriminatory on its face… With AB 2926, Assembly Member Susan Eggman proposes forming an appointed committee to ‘investigate’ homeschooling.The ‘instruction’ committee would subsequently share its findings so that the California legislature might consider how best to regulate those families…
“According to 2016 Census data, California now ranks 44th in the union for pre-K through 12th grade education… In contrast, home educated students typically score 15 to 30 percentile points better than their public school peers. This result is completely independent of whether the home-schooling parent is a certified teacher, and unrelated [to] the degree of state control and regulation. Of course, this annoys teachers unions, so they likely are quite happy about the new legislation. The NEA said in their 2014-15 Resolutions, ‘The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience.’…
“We already have mandatory vaccines in California. With the current anti-religious climate, perhaps the bureaucrats would insist all religious items, including Bibles, be removed from private homes… Maybe your family eats too much sugar, so the government would impose candy restrictions in your home…
“In a nation that honors freedom, the government does not belong in our private affairs, and home education is one such environment. California AB 2926 represents the government at its worst, grabbing for any shred of power over the citizen, with absolutely no reason to do so and every argument to invest its time and resources otherwise. Let California’s government fix all that’s wrong in our public schools – the poor scholastic performance, sexual abuse problems, and safety issues – before trying to micro-manage private citizens who are successfully overseeing their children’s education outside of government and union control.”
Breaking Christian News reported on May 1:
“Some traveled hours, others waited hours, all for the opportunity to protest one of the most outrageous homeschooling bills every introduced: California’s AB 2756….
“Nearly 1,000 people spoke out in opposition, reporters said, including a candidate for governor, Assemblyman Travis Allen (R). ‘AB 2756 is absolutely wrong. It must fail. It must fail today,’ he said. ‘California’s parents and children have the right to the very best education this state can possibly provide.’…
“By afternoon’s end, only two people from the surrounding area spoke in support of the controversial bill. Hours later, families got the news they’d been waiting for ‘no member of the committee was willing to make a motion for a vote.’ The bill was dead…”
Still, the power the governments [in this case California] want to impose on their citizens is indeed frightening. The tragic case of Baby Alfie should wake us up to realize where such totalitarian attempts might lead. Also note the next disturbing article.
California About to Attack Opponents to Homosexuality
Christian Headlines wrote on April 13:
“A bill quickly moving through the California state legislature may threaten the religious freedom of those who object to homosexuality… this bill… is known as Assembly Bill 2943… [and] include[s] ‘sexual orientation change efforts.’… For example, a simple monetary transaction – buying a book about overcoming homosexuality, or paying a counselor for help with gender confusion – would trigger AB 2943…
“Christian schools, churches and others who hold to a traditional understanding of marriage and sexuality would be open to lawsuits for teaching biblical truth about homosexuality or transgenderism…”
Please read our free booklet, “God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships.”
Confirmed—the Biblical Fountains of the Deep at the Tome of Noah
The website of beginningandend wrote the following on April 7:
“…scientists have now confirmed what Scripture refers to as ‘the fountains of the deep.’In the days of Noah and the Ark, these large pools of water beneath the Earth’s crust burst forth onto the surface providing the massive amounts of water needed for the global flood judgment. What has once been a source of skepticism and mockery for those who doubt the Bible, has now been confirmed by secular scientists, again showing that although written over 3,000 years ago, the Bible’s description of the Earth and its natural properties are indeed accurate.
“An international team of scientists led by Graham Pearson, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Arctic Resources at the U of A, has discovered the first-ever sample of a mineral called ringwoodite. Analysis of the mineral shows it contains a significant amount of water — 1.5 per cent of its weight — a finding that confirms scientific theories about vast volumes of water trapped 410 to 660 kilometres beneath Earth’s surface, between the upper and lower mantle. ‘This sample really provides extremely strong confirmation that there are local wet spots deep in the Earth in this area,’ said Pearson, a professor in the Faculty of Science, whose findings were published March 13 in Nature. ‘That particular zone in the Earth, the transition zone, might have as much water as all the world’s oceans put together.’
“Ringwoodite is a form of the mineral peridot, believed to exist in large quantities under high pressures in the transition zone. Ringwoodite has been found in meteorites but, until now, no terrestrial sample has ever been unearthed because scientists haven’t been able to conduct fieldwork at extreme depths. The vast oceans of water beneath the Earth’s crust is precisely what the Bible describes in the first book of Genesis…
“Many have questioned the Biblical account of Noah’s flood since the Bible clearly states that the water was 15 cubits (approximately 25 feet) over every mountain. This would require more water than presently exists on the Earth’s surface. However, with the confirmation of the subterranean oceans, that is now possible… Additionally, scientists have also just recently confirmed that large amounts of water could reach the Earth’s surface through deep sea faults. And the area of the globe with the greatest potential to do so [is] in the Pacific ‘ring of fire’ volcanic region… the precise area… as the most likely source for the great geysers that flooded the Earth in Noah’s day.”
Atheists and agnostics won’t be convinced, but for those with eyes to see, these discoveries are truly remarkable.
The Crazy Flat Earth Conspiracies
The website of iflscience reported on May 1:
“Flat-Earthers from around the globe have gathered once again for a conference… hundreds of years after people first circumnavigated the Earth, and thousands of years after we discovered that it was round…
“Hence why people claim that there is a wall around the Earth, or that rocket launches are faked by shooting them in reverse… One speaker even explained how we’re all living in a Pac-Man world. One speaker at the conference said that he had proved that gravity doesn’t exist… He explained at the conference that using a Nikon camera and a mobile app he tracked the movements of the Moon across the sky, and disproved the laws of planetary motion…
“In order to explain people living on the other side of the planet, it appears that flat-Earthers continue to believe that Australia doesn’t exist.”
Will stupidity never cease?
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.