Update 978

On June 19, 2021, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Who Will Escape?” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Increase and Contentment.”

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.

Many years ago, I read an article in the Plain Truth magazine which spoke about the old political guard stepping down or being replaced. Names of influential political figures, some already forgotten these days, still come to my mind—names such as, for example, Konrad Adenauer, Helmut Kohl and Franz-Josef Strauss from Germany; Charles de Gaulle from France, Mikhail Gorbachev from Russia; Indira Gandhi from India, Golda Meir from Israel, Margaret Thatcher from the UK, Anwar Sadat from Egypt; and Ronald Reagan from the US.

They ultimately gave way to a younger generation coming to power. Names come to my mind such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Angela Merkel and Benjamin Netanyahu.

This was some time back, and they have become, by now, the old guard themselves, having been taken off the political scene or going to be replaced very soon.

While Angela Merkel made it clear that she will not stand for re-election and that she will step down for good, others may still return. Then there are those of the old guard, mainly dictators, who try to cement their rule in perpetuity, such as Vladimir Putin of Russia or Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

At the same time, a new generation of politicians has been striving to take over the reins of rulership—younger people such as Emmanuel Macron of France, Sebastian Kurz of Austria, or Justin Trudeau of Canada.

In many cases, chaos and uncertainty have been the result—a fragile and very temporary government in Israel has been established and a very controversial and inconsequential candidate, Armin Laschet, has been chosen by Angela Merkel’s party to replace her.

Others, young and old, might have lost popularity or have been forced to exit the political arena for now, but perhaps not for good. In Germany, once very popular figures lost the approval of the masses— Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg or Jens Georg Spahn come to mind; in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu had to step down but is fighting for his return; and the same could be said about Donald Trump in the USA or Silvio Berlusconi in Italy. There are others, of course. We just have to wait and see.

Ecclesiastes 1:4, 9 tells us: “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever… That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.”

Overall, politicians came and went, but not much has changed. Many might have meant well, but life has not gotten better… rather, it has only gotten worse and more life-threatening. Rulers emerged to be replaced by others who then also went away—and no lasting improvement was accomplished anywhere.

Since the end of World War II, no German or Austrian political “giant” has stepped up to the plate to manifest himself as the prophesied dictatorial ruler over Europe. Some have been trying, but without success. Others might have fulfilled the required characteristics, but it was not time yet. However, unless we are totally off when it comes to our prophetic understanding, we know that that person, called “the beast,” is alive. And it does not appear that we will have to wait for another generation until he manifests himself on the world scene.

Are we now at the brink of a revolutionary development? Will that charismatic, political and military leader finally arrive in our days? Will the establishment of the final revival of the ancient Roman Empire occur very soon—that power which was, is not, and will be ascending out of the bottomless pit or the abyss of history (Revelation 17:8)?

We believe so. Do you? If you do, then remember that this power will bring unparalleled chaos, pain and terrible suffering to this planet. Christ said that unless those days were shortened for the elects’ sake, no human being would survive (Matthew 24:22), but that He will return to make an end to man’s misrule. Prior to His return, He promises us safety and protection from these awful times which are, as we believe, just ahead of us, but only if we are counted worthy to escape all these things which are surely coming to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man when He comes (Luke 21:36).

If you agree with all of this, then realize that the time allotted to us to qualify for God’s Kingdom is running out. We should prepare now for our eternal future. The time of war which we have been experiencing and will experience even more so, will be replaced by a time of universal peace (Ecclesiastes 3:8)—and that, we pray, VERY soon.

by Norbert Link

In this edition, we are reporting about the G7 summit in Britain; about Russia; about Israel’s new government and other developments pertaining to Israel. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Putin Won Big Time in Geneva”. 

We also address some disturbing news regarding coronavirus vaccinations.

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

The Hypocrisy of our Leaders

Breitbart wrote on June 13:

“At least one good thing has emerged from the G7 summit: we now know that President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, President Bieber of Canada and the various other world leaders… are… hypocrites.

“Note how their personal rules on mask-wearing, ‘social distancing’…, quarantining and so on differ quite markedly from the ones they’ve been imposing on us… these last 18 months.

“… when they’re posing for one of their staged photographs they all pretend, for propaganda purposes, that they are Covid regulation compliant…

“The [subsequent] photo of the President and First Lady, the Queen, President Bieber, and Prince Charles [was] clearly in breach of the arbitrary ‘two metre’ social distancing rule. Nor is any of them wearing masks. Nor, one can safely assume, is any of them at risk of being put on an NHS Track and Trace watchlist and forced to quarantine at home because they’ve been found to have come into contact with someone who tested ‘positive’.

“… a number of these people have been permitted to travel from foreign countries in aeroplanes — something again which has been largely forbidden…

“I personally have no objection to seeing a 95-year-old widow chatting to a slightly confused looking elderly gentleman and his wife at a cocktail party without being encumbered by ridiculous muzzles. Nor do I have a problem with the lack of social distancing…

“What I do very much object to is the extraordinary mix of arrogance, double standards, and muddled thinking on display here among our governing elites.

“For example: if the Queen is allowed to socialise without a muzzle now, what was the point of subjecting her to the ordeal a few weeks ago of having to sit, masked and isolated without the comforting proximity of her loved ones, at her beloved husband’s funeral?

“And: if Covid is still such a clear and present danger so great that it justifies the continued theft of our freedoms by the state, how come we’re prepared to place our world leaders in encounter scenarios so risky that any one of them could catch a deadly bug and die at any time?

“And: if the jabs are so effective and if all the world leaders in these photographs have been vaccinated, then why do the waiting staff still have to wear muzzles?

“We’re being played. It’s one rule for the elite, another rule for the rest of us. And the reason for these double standards is very simple: none of them believes a word of what they’re telling us about the pandemic.”

The sentiments expressed in the article are telling.

Biden’s Claim to Power and Brutality

Die Welt Online wrote on June 11:

“… a 78-year-old, who was recently considered to be a man from the day before yesterday, seizes power: Joseph Robinette, known as ‘Joe’, Biden … nobody should underestimate his claim to power, his awareness of power, his brutality, if necessary. The host in Carbis Bay, Great Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, received clear announcements from Biden even before the meeting.

“Biden is not a fan of [Johnson]… whom Biden once called a ‘physical and emotional clone of Trump’. Without Johnson as the driving force behind the Brexit campaign, the EU might not have left the EU, which is also on Biden’s negative list for Johnson…

“Alongside all of his ‘we’ rhetoric, the new leader of the western world knows how to pursue tough national interest politics…”

This is a slightly different picture from how Biden is normally portrayed in the press. But then, it may describe Biden, or it may be inadvertently referring to forces behind him pushing him into a certain direction. As one famous German poet wrote: “You think you are pushing but you are being pushed.”

Johnson Clashes with EU Leaders

Bloomberg wrote on June 12:

“Prime Minister Boris Johnson clashed with European Union leaders, warning the U.K. could suspend parts of the Brexit agreement if a dispute over trade rules for goods shipped to Northern Ireland is not resolved. Johnson said on Saturday that Britain could act unilaterally unless the bloc agrees to a compromise when the current grace period governing trade in the region expires on June 30… ‘I’ve talked to some of our friends here today, who do seem to misunderstand that the U.K. is a single country, a single territory,’ Johnson said. ‘I just need to get that into their heads.’…

“The escalation follows a series of what were clearly some tense meetings with his European counterparts… EU officials confirmed there was strong disagreement behind closed doors… the EU has threatened to retaliate…

“U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab stepped up his rhetoric against the bloc… ‘we will not allow the integrity of the U.K. to be threatened,’ he said.

“In the six months since the U.K. completed its divorce from the EU, relations between the two sides have deteriorated, with a series of arguments over unrelated issues, including vaccine sharing, supermarket supplies, and fishing rights for French boats in British waters… Tensions between the U.K. and EU have been rising for months…”

The already extremely fragile and sometimes hostile relationship between the EU and the UK is bound to deteriorate even further.

Trump Strikes Back at Macron

Newsmax wrote on June 12:

“French President Emmanuel Macron’s welcoming President Joe Biden to the G7 ‘club’ Saturday drew a rebuke of the 45th president of the United States. Former President Donald Trump derided Macron’s disingenuous G7 statement, where the Trump critic stated: ‘I think it’s great to have a U.S. president part of the club and very willing to cooperate.’

“Trump responded via a statement Saturday from his Save America PAC:

“‘This was a quote by the President of France. He and many other Leaders before him, in France and throughout Europe, were ripping off the United States like never before. We were treated very unfairly with horrible trade deals, and paying for a large portion of their defense.

“‘They were taking advantage of the United States and therefore, of course, they like Biden because now they will be allowed to return to their old ways of ripping off our Country. If I were a leader of these countries, I too would like Biden far better than President Trump. They will now get very rich off the United States just like they have in the past until a change is made…’”

Historic Low Relationship between Russia and the West

NBC News wrote on June 11:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an exclusive interview Friday with NBC News, called former President Donald Trump a ‘colorful individual’ and said he can work with President Joe Biden. Putin compared the two presidents at a time when relations between Russia and the United States are at a historic low… ‘Well even now, I believe that former U.S. president Mr. Trump is an extraordinary individual, talented individual, otherwise he would not have become U.S. president,’ Putin told NBC’s Keir Simmons during a wide-ranging and, at times, contentious interview. ‘… he didn’t come from the U.S. establishment. He had not been part of big-time politics before, and some like it, some don’t like it but that is a fact.’

“As for Biden, Putin said the current White House occupant ‘is radically different from Trump because President Biden is a career man. He has spent virtually his entire adulthood in politics.’…”

Putin also said, according to Breitbart: “We have a bilateral relationship that has deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years.”

Illinois News added on June 11:

“Russia’s deputy ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky [said that] EU-Russia relations are ‘currently in the lowest decline in history.’ He warned the European block against interfering with the situation in other countries, including taking action against Moscow’s close ally, Belarus…”

Biden Meets Putin

The Associated Press wrote on June 16:

“President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded their summit on Wednesday with an agreement to return their nations’ ambassadors to their posts in Washington and Moscow and a plan to begin work toward replacing the last remaining treaty between the two countries limiting nuclear weapons. But the two leaders offered starkly different views on difficult simmering issues including cyber and ransomware attacks originating from Russia.

“Putin insisted anew that his country has nothing to do with such attacks, despite U..S. intelligence that indicates otherwise. Biden, meanwhile, said that he made clear to Putin that if Russia crossed certain red lines — including going after major American infrastructure — his administration would respond and ‘the consequences of that would be devastating.’”

Express wrote on June 16:

“The two parties also adopted a joint declaration, reaffirming their commitment to the principle ‘that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and that it must never be fought,’ the document, shared on the Kremlin website, said.”

Bible prophecy tells us, however, that nuclear wars will be fought in the future. Many observers feel that the meeting did not accomplish much, if anything, for the USA. Note the next articles.

The Geneva Meeting

Breitbart wrote on June 16:

“President Joe Biden gave Russian President Vladimir Putin almost everything he could have wanted at their Geneva summit. He elevated Putin above other leaders, including American allies; and failed to force any real concessions on Russian policy. The degree to which the summit was a disaster became evident when Putin emerged for his press conference — alone with a forum all to himself… The opportunity to defend his own position, and to attack the United States, without fear of contradiction was a massive gift to the Russian president…

“Biden tried to use his own press conference to make all kinds of claims about tough talk to the Russian president during their two-hour meeting… It was impossible to verify Biden’s claims without Putin there to respond…

“Putin walks away from Geneva with no significant response to cyberattacks; with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline… and with no real pushback against his aggression in Ukraine…

“What Biden does not get… is that… Putin cares about… power… Putin leaves Geneva a winner, and Joe Biden got nothing.”

Reuters wrote on June 17:

“The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukrainian membership of NATO would be a ‘red line’ for Moscow and that it was worried by talk that Kyiv may one day be granted a membership action plan.”

Still, it was reported by Reuters on June 17 that Putin praised Biden, as follows:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin lavished praise on his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday, a day after the two leaders held a summit, saying Biden was incorrectly portrayed in the Russian and U.S. media as being unfocused and vague… ‘Biden is a professional, and you have to be very careful in working with him to make sure you don’t miss anything. He doesn’t miss anything, I can assure you.’”

Why Is the EU Suppressing Reports of Antisemitic Schoolbooks?

Israel 365 News wrote on June 10:

“An unpublished report by the European Union on Palestinian textbooks confirmed that the Palestinian curriculum includes anti-Semitic content, incitement of violence, and the delegitimization of Israel. The German newspaper BILD published findings from the report on Tuesday and asked why they were never publicized. The publication stated that the report was commissioned in 2019 by then-E.U. foreign affairs representative Federica Mogherini and examined teaching instructions published by the Palestinian Ministry of Education between 2017 and 2020.

“… When discussing violent actions by Palestinians against Israel, the textbooks label them as part of ‘a heroic struggle’ against the Jewish state…

“A spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs… noted that the E.U. continues to invest millions in funding the P.A.’s educational system without monitoring content that appears in textbooks or demanding that it stop ‘indoctrinating its children to hate and kill.’”

This is highly remarkable.

New Israeli Government Sworn In

The Associated Press wrote on June 13:

“Israel’s parliament on Sunday narrowly approved a new coalition government, ending the historic 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sending the polarizing leader into the opposition.

“Naftali Bennett, a former ally of Netanyahu turned rival, became prime minister after the 60-59 vote… Bennett will preside over a diverse and fragile coalition comprised of eight parties with deep ideological differences…

“In the opposition, Netanyahu remains head of the largest party in parliament….

“The new coalition is a patchwork of small and midsize parties that could collapse if any of its members decide to bolt. Bennett’s party, for instance, holds just six seats in the 120-seat parliament…

“The driving force behind the coalition is Yair Lapid, a political centrist who will become prime minister in two years in a rotation agreement with Bennett, if the government lasts.”

It is highly doubtful that the new government will “last” that long.

As Breitbart reported on June 13, Netanyahu said in a speech to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset prior to the vote to confirm the new Israeli government that he would “fight every day against this ‘bad, dangerous government,’ which he vowed to topple. ‘And with God’s help, it will happen much faster than you think,’ Netanyahu concluded.”

Naftali Bennett… an Enigma

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 10:

“Naftali Bennett… is something of an enigma even to those who have long been acquainted with him… his degree of religious observance is sometimes described by Israeli observers as ‘modern Orthodox lite.’ His wife, Gilat, a high-end pastry chef, is reported to be secular but a keeper of the Sabbath…

“He has also surprised some in Israel’s religious-nationalist community with relatively liberal views on gay rights…

“Among Palestinian citizens of Israel and their political representatives, Bennett’s pro-settlement stance is cause for suspicion and mistrust… he contends that the creation of a Palestinian state would be ‘national suicide’ for Israel…

“When Bennett threw in his lot with Lapid — something he had vowed never to do… — he declared that he, like other coalition members, was willing to compromise in the interest of broader goals…

“The rise of Bennett… is being greeted with almost universal indifference or disdain by Palestinians inside and outside Israel…”

Israel’s future has become more unstable and unsure than ever before. Note the next articles.

The End of Zionism?

Israel Today wrote on June 10:

“In the eyes of many, one of the most worrisome things about Bennett’s new government is its inclusion of Mansour Abbas, leader of the Islamist party Ra’am, which shares the vision of Yasser Arafat and the PLO… Abbas said the burning of synagogues, homes, cars, shops and so on, fall into the category of ‘legal and legitimate protests.’

“… Bennett’s new alliance with Abbas and the Left bloc… makes him a traitor in the eyes of the right-wing constituency…

“… the Left bloc is now fully embracing the Joint Arab List, a party that denies the Jewish state’s right to exist… a growing number of people, not all of them right-wingers, begin to wonder whether or not the Bennett-Lapid government could turn out to be the swan song of Zionism…”

This concern is definitely legitimate.

New Violence 

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 17:

“Israel carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip late on Thursday evening ‘in response’ to ‘arson balloons’ launched by Hamas, the Israeli military said. It is the second time in as many days strikes have occurred with the region’s cease-fire looking increasingly vulnerable [and]  is now hanging by a thread [and appears in tatters]…”

AfD first in Saxony-Anhalt for Voters under 30

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 11:

“If Germany’s recent regional election [in East Germany] had been decided by young people, the far-right AfD would have won…

“Last Sunday’s election victory for the [CDU] in… Saxony-Anhalt was reassuring for Germany’s centrist mainstream parties, but it also carried an undercurrent that disturbed them: … it emerged that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) had come first among voters under 30. That torpedoed the argument… that some sections of the population there vote for the far-right because they grew up in a dictatorship. One in five voters born after 1991 voted for the AfD…

“Schmidt (29) is head of AfD’s youth organization in Saxony-Anhalt, the Junge Alternative… Schmidt represents the AfD’s ambitious new generation… [and] is now running for the Bundestag… His step up to Berlin in September is almost certain…”

The AfD is far from gone.

Millions of Covid Vaccine Doses to be Destroyed Due to Potential Contamination

The U.S. Sun wrote on June 11:

“JOHNSON & Johnson has been ordered by the FDA to throw out 60million Covid jab doses. The discarded shots were made at a facility in Baltimore where there were several violations. The issues left 15million doses of the vaccine ruined due to an ingredient mix-up…

“The facility was shuttered after an FDA inspection uncovered unsanitary conditions and other problems in April. Earlier on Friday, the agency sent off 10million doses to other countries, but made it clear that there was no guarantee they were made under good manufacturing practices. The huge clear-out came just one day after the company extended the expiration date on millions of vaccine doses by six weeks.”

Incredible!

Daily Mail added on June 11:

“The contract J&J signed with the U.S. government last year priced each dose at roughly $10, meaning $600 million worth of doses are being tossed out…

“Critics say this represents a colossal blunder by all parties involved – the FDA, Johnson & Johnson and Emergent – in the effort to get vaccines distributed to countries that are suffering from a shortage… J&J’s vaccine was believed to be a game-changer in the fight against coronavirus because it only requires one and does not need to be stored at freezing temperatures…

“The loss of the 60 million doses means the U.S. is even more unlikely to reach Biden’s goal of 70 percent of Americans with at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by July 4.”

This also affects other countries, for instance in Europe, which suddenly experience now a shortage.

Side Effects Prompt CDC Investigation

The Washington Times wrote on June 11:

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hold an ‘emergency meeting’ of advisers to talk about the higher-than-expected numbers of young men who’ve experienced heart inflammation after taking doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against coronavirus [and after Israel announced a link between the inflammation and the vaccine]. That is, after taking doses of the entirely experimental, never-before-approved-for-use-in-any-disease mRNA vaccines against coronavirus.

“Remember, these vaccines are labeled ‘emergency use authorization’ for a reason. And that reason is the side effects, both short-term and long-term, and most definitely longest-haul-term, are completely unknown…

“Fox reported that the agency… received 275 reports of heart inflammation possibly tied to the vaccines… Fox wrote that the [complaints have] all come… from young males between the ages of 16 and 24. The very ages who don’t get harmed by the coronavirus in the first place.”

All of this is just mere insanity.

Live Bats on Wuhan Premises

Breitbart wrote on June 13:

“The Wuhan Institute of Virology did keep live bats on its premises, a report by Sky News Australia revealed Sunday, contradicting the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.)…

“Sky News Australia obtained official Chinese Academy of Sciences video footage [showing] bats being held in a cage on the premises, along with vision of a scientist feeding a bat with a worm…

“A member of the W.H.O. team investigating the origin of the pandemic in Wuhan, zoologist Peter Daszak [had] said it was a conspiracy to suggest bats were held at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and no evidence existed to support the allegation… Other W.H.O. members were also keen to join him and downplay any such links or questions about the biosafety of the Wuhan facility.”

Theories abound as to how the virus developed and was spread. There can be no reasonable doubt that China engaged from the very outset in efforts to suppress any real investigation, and that with the support of the WHO and the news media and other outlets, such as Facebook. What might a future military power bloc such as Europe do if something similar were to happen again in the future?

Wuhan Institute Still Operational

Breitbart wrote on June 15:

“… former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said… ‘We shouldn’t forget this lab is still up and running… There [are] no increased safety measures that I’m aware of. I’m sure they are still conducting viral research, probably gain-of-function research inside this lab, making these viruses more lethal and more transmissible… [We] know that the Chinese Communist Party allowed this virus to escape from Wuhan. They allowed folks to travel to Milan and outside of Hubei province and foisted this virus that killed three million people around the world upon us all. [They] continue to cover it up to this day.’…

“Pompeo noted the political corruption of the World Health Organization… ‘We left the World Health Organization. What a joke to sit beside them at a meeting and have them pretend to be part of the global effort to end pandemics, when in fact they were the providers of the pandemic and covered it up… we have to stop the Chinese Communist Party from doing the kinds of things that could next time kill not three million, but 30 million.’”

Cardinal Marx Obeys the Pope

The Vatican News reported on June 11:

“‘In a spirit of obedience I accept his decision.’ … To his letter of 21 May, in which the Cardinal asked to resign from his post as pastor of Munich and Freising, Pope Francis replied on Thursday, 10 June, inviting him to stay on. The Cardinal immediately expressed his assent to the Pope’s will.

“… the German Archbishop… stressed the need to ‘seek new paths’ to follow, also in view of a history of multiple failures… For Cardinal Marx, now is a time for reflection on how to ‘contribute even more to the renewal of the Church…’

“The Pope’s decision, Cardinal Marx acknowledges, ‘represents a great challenge for me’ and therefore, he concludes, returning ‘simply to the agenda of “yesterday” cannot be the way forward, neither for me nor for the archdiocese.’”

Interesting times lie ahead for the Roman Catholic Church in Germany.

The Foolishness of the “Wise”

Daily Mail wrote on June 9:

“A white psychoanalyst has published a paper in a respected academic journal branding whiteness ‘a malignant, parasitic like condition’ that is ‘incurable‘ and triggers ‘perverse appetites’…

“Dr. Donald Moss published the article titled On Having Whiteness last month in the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association…”

This is beyond craziness.

Swallowed by a Whale

Boston CBS News reported on June 12:

“A lobster diver says he was nearly swallowed by a whale in a terrifying encounter off Cape Cod Friday morning. Michael Packard has been a lobster diver out of Provincetown for 40 years but has never experienced anything like this.

“Packard told WBZ-TV News that after jumping off his boat into the water, he ‘felt this huge bump and everything went dark.” At first he feared he was being attacked by a shark. ‘And then I felt around and I realized there was no teeth,’ he said. ‘And then I realized… “I’m in a whale’s mouth. . . and he’s trying to swallow me.”… Then… he went up to the surface and… I just got thrown in the air and landed in the water,’ Packard recalled…

“‘He’s… lucky to be alive,’ said Captain Joe Francis, who was heading a fishing charter nearby… ‘I saw Mike come flying out of the water feet first with his flippers on and land back in the water,’ Francis said…

“The lobster diver estimates he was in the whale’s mouth for about 30 seconds… Peter Corkeron, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium [said] that when humpback whales feed, ‘they do what we call gulp feeding, and they can open their mouths up incredibly widely… It’s a very unusual accident…’”

Fox News added:

“In an effort to save himself, Packard said he began shaking the whale’s head before the animal surfaced and ejected him. In a Facebook post, he said the whale ‘spit me out’ and that he escaped with bruises and no broken bones.”

The biblical account of Jonah being in the belly of a whale or a great fish clearly comes to mind.

A Fifth Ocean

WDRB reported on or about June 13:

“It has been taught for a very long time that there are four different oceans on Earth, those being the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic… the Earth now has a fifth ocean, called the Southern Ocean.

“All of this is according to National Geographic who announced that it was officially recognizing the Southern Ocean as the body of water that surrounds the Antarctic. This new and now fifth ocean will extend from the Antarctic coastline to 60 degrees south latitude….

“The Southern Ocean is ‘defined by a current’… which flows from west to east, National Geographic explains. [It] also pulls water from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific to transport heat around the Earth…”

All these delineations and definitions by scientists are arbitrary and capricious anyhow.

Creating Chimeras

Life Site News wrote on June 14:

“The U.S. Senate has passed a bill which will allocate billions of dollars to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with some of the funds expected to go toward a disturbing form of research whereby tissue from aborted babies is spliced with animal cells to create mixed-species organisms called ‘chimeras.’”

Sick, foolish and dangerous.

Toxic Cosmetics

Newsmax wrote on June 16:

“More than half the cosmetics sold in the United States and Canada likely contain high levels of a toxic industrial compound linked to serious health conditions, including cancer and reduced birth weight… Researchers at the University of Notre Dame tested more than 230 commonly used cosmetics and found that 56% of foundations and eye products, 48% of lip products and 47% of mascaras contained high levels of fluorine — an indicator of PFAS, so-called ‘forever chemicals’ that are used in nonstick frying pans, rugs and countless other consumer products. Some of the highest PFAS levels were found in waterproof mascara (82%) and long-lasting lipstick (62%)…

“Graham Peaslee, a physics professor at Notre Dame and the principal investigator of the study, called the results shocking. Not only do the cosmetics pose an immediate risk to users, but they also create a long-term risk, he said. ‘PFAS is a persistent chemical. When it gets into the bloodstream, it stays there and accumulates,’’ Peaslee said.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the previous two Q&As of this series, we reviewed some of the many changes that have occurred during the lifetime of many of us in the education of our children.  The fruits are there to be seen today in the way that many of the younger generation behave.

As a final look at contemporary education, let us review some recent news items. The following was printed in “Israel 365 News” on 29^th March 2021, with the headline, “A plan to root out Christianity in California.”

The article stated: “The Department of Education in California… has approved a 900-page ‘Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum’ designed to ‘decolonize’ America. The program aims to right the supposed wrongs of the imperial Christianity that swept the Americas clean of their indigenous religions. The curriculum’s core promise is that it will help root out Christianity, and the capitalism and racism that apparently came with it.

“To empower children as forces for ending such white colonialist hangovers, pupils are being instructed to pray in chants each day to Aztec gods that formerly sacrificed (and sometimes ate parts of) children and their parents. The curriculum instructs the pupils to invoke these gods to empower themselves as ‘social warriors’…

“Huitzilopochtli, the former Aztec god of war and sun, is expected to be particularly helpful in the new curriculum’s mission to right these wrongs. Students are encouraged to entreat Huitzilopochtli (a deity who inspired hundreds of thousands of human sacrifices during Aztec rule) to endow themselves with ‘a revolutionary spirit’ in order to bring ‘transformation’ in combatting ‘white supremacy, racism and other forms of power and oppression.’

“It is not enough, apparently, in today’s ethnic studies to learn about other religions. Children must be made to practice those religions… the new curriculum ‘recommends that teachers lead their students in a series of indigenous songs, chants, and affirmations, including the “In Lak Ech Affirmation,” which appeals directly to the Aztec gods.”

 In October 2020, The Mathematical Association of America released a statement… claiming that mathematicians should engage in “uncomfortable conversations” about race.

The statement went on to disparage the “biases” that mathematics supposedly “inherently carries,” pointing out:

“‘It is time for all members of our profession to acknowledge that mathematics is created by humans and therefore inherently carries human biases. Until this occurs, our community and our students cannot reach full potential,’ wrote the group. ‘Reaching this potential in mathematics relies upon the academy and higher education engaging in critical, challenging, sometimes uncomfortable conversations about the detrimental effects of race and racism on our community. The time is now to move mathematics and education forward in pursuit of justice.’”

On the website of farleftfacts, we read:

“Math education prof: 2+2 = 4 ‘trope’ ‘reeks of white supremacy patriarchy.’

“Math professors and educators at leading American universities have taken to Twitter and to debate whether math is racist.

“Some asserted that objective mathematics is rooted in ‘white supremacist patriarchy’ and white social constructs. ‘People say it’s subjectivism to ask if math is Western. I don’t get that.’

“The debate itself was rooted in George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, in which citizens of a fictional totalitarian state believe that 2 plus 2 equals 5 as a result of government propaganda.

“Laurie Rubel, who teaches math education at Brooklyn College, says that the idea of math being cultural neutral is a ‘myth,’ and that asking whether 2 plus 2 equals 4 ‘reeks of white supremacist patriarchy.’ ‘Y’all must know that the idea that math is objective or neutral IS A MYTH,’ she tweeted.”

And then, the piano was considered to be racist! We can read on the website of greatamericanpolitics:

“The music department at the prestigious and ancient university has seen calls to remove music notation from the curriculum as professors seek to focus less on white European heritage and culture, according to documents seen by The Telegraph.

“The woke educators went on to claim that musical notation itself is a ‘colonialist representational system’ that has ‘complicity to white supremacy’.

“The claim is similar to leftist pronouncements in America that mathematics is inherently racist.

“The Oxford academics went on to pronounce that teaching the piano or conducting orchestras could cause ‘students of colour great distress’ as the skills involved are closely tied to ‘white European music.’

These are the sort of educators that mould young minds, and it is an inescapable fact that to influence young people to imbibe such leftist nonsense doesn’t bode well for the future.

And, finally, The Daily Mail published this report on 8^th May 2021:

“A school secretly reported its chaplain to the anti-terrorism Prevent programme after he delivered a sermon defending the right of pupils to question its introduction of new LGBT policies.

“The Reverend Dr Bernard Randall told pupils at independent Trent College near Nottingham that they were allowed to disagree with the measures, particularly if they felt they ran contrary to Church of England principles.

“Among them was a plan to ‘develop a whole school LGBT+ inclusive curriculum’.

“Having decided that Dr Randall’s sermon was ‘harmful to LGBT’ students, the school flagged him to Prevent, which normally identifies those at risk of radicalisation.

“Police investigated the tip-off but advised the school by email that Dr Randall, 48, posed ‘no counter terrorism risk, or risk of radicalisation’. Derbyshire Police confirmed that the case ‘did not meet the threshold for a Prevent referral’.

“But in a disturbing development, Dr Randall, a former Cambridge University chaplain and Oxford graduate, claims that the school later told him that any future sermons would be censored in advance.

“He also claims that he was warned his chapel services would be monitored ‘to ensure that… requirements are met’.   Dr Randall was later dismissed.  He is suing for discrimination, harassment, victimisation and unfair dismissal and his case is due to be heard next month. ‘My career and life are in tatters,’ he said.”

In our weekly Update #965, dated 19^th March 2021, there was an editorial entitled “Free Speech or No Free Speech, That Is the Question!,” in which we said:

“More recent struggles for freedom and equality in Western societies were just as intimately bound up with freedom of speech. The demand for free speech, the right for their voices to be heard, has proved central to the struggles for women’s emancipation, gay liberation and racial equality in the UK and US. There is a grim irony in the fashion… for feminist, trans or anti-racist activists today to demand restrictions on free speech as a means of protecting the rights of the identity groups they claim to represent. Without the efforts of those who fought for more free speech in the past, these illiberal activists would not be free to stand up and call for less of it in the present.

“Put another way, those who have used the right to free speech in the first place are happy to have done so in pursuit of their agenda, and when that has been achieved, they then try and close down any comment, discussion or debate on that very same subject. Freedom of speech or no free speech, we all know which! It can also be called the cancel culture.”

What we have seen in this Q&A is the stupidity that those educationalists who indulge themselves with such absurd theories that defy simple logic, can be very quick to try and suppress or quash any opposition to their outbursts. However, there is good news just over the horizon which we will address in the final two parts of this series.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale

compiled by Dave Harris

“Putin Won Big Time in Geneva,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

President Biden’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in Geneva has been described by many as a disaster for Biden and a great victory for Putin. What happened? The previous meeting with European leaders during the G7 summit did not go that well for Biden either. Why? Does the Bible tell us what will occur soon?

“Bidens erfolglose Reise nach Europa,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program covers similar topics as the SW program described above. Title in English: “Biden’s unsuccessful trip to Europe.”

Markus Scheurer from Germany was baptized last Sabbath in Speyer by Thilo Hanstein and Christoph Sperzel. Welcome to the Church of God, Mr Scheurer!

A new Member Letter (June 2021) has been written and mailed to our subscribers. Dave Harris writes about people of the Bible who serve as examples for us in faith and obedience to God.

“Biblical Prophecy From Now Until Forever,” is the title of a new booklet Promo Video, presented by Michael Link. This video is posted on www.eternalgod.org.

“Wie kann Gott all die Sünden der Menschen ertragen?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “How Can God Endure all the Sins of Mankind?”

“Der tägliche Blick in den Spiegel, Teil 2,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Robert Macher. Title in English: “The Daily Look in the Mirror, Part 2.”

“Conviction in Uncertain Times,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We show our faith by taking action on what we believe. Even if we have no idea about what kind of outcome we can expect on our journey through life, we can trust that God’s purpose for us will lead us through uncertainty.

“Death After Life,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What happens at the end of life is death, but only in the pages of the Word of God is there a true revealing of what comes next!

We will observe the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day for 2021, in Rapid City, South Dakota, and near Düsseldorf, Germany.  If you would like more information, check out our websites: https://www.eternalgod.org/feasts/  ; https://www.ewigengottes.de/wir-uber-uns/laubhuttenfest-2021/