Church of God News

Stephen Hawking

COGwriter

Theoretical physicist and atheist Stephen Hawking believes that humanity will be destroyed by one of several disasters:

Stephen Hawking: Humans may not survive another 100 years

January 19, 2016

According to Stephen Hawking, the human race is in danger of being wiped out in the next 100 years, and it’s all our own fault. …

Hawking has voiced his concerns on this topic before. Just last year, he warned that artificial intelligence could wipe out the human race.

These latest comments come just days before Hawking is scheduled to give this year’s BBC Reith Lectures, which will explore research into black holes.  http://www.aol.com/article/2016/01/19/stephen-hawking-humans-may-not-survive-another-100-years/21299325/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl42%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D-1267646288_htmlws-main-bb

January 19, 2016

The human race faces one its most dangerous centuries yet as progress in science and technology becomes an ever greater threat to our existence, Stephen Hawking warns. The chances of disaster on planet Earth will rise to a near certainty in the next one to ten thousand years, the eminent cosmologist said, but it will take more than a century to set up colonies in space where human beings could live on among the stars. “We will not establish self-sustaining colonies in space for at least the next hundred years, so we have to be very careful in this period,” Hawking said.

Speaking to the Radio Times ahead of the BBC Reith Lecture, in which he will explain the science of black holes, Hawking said most of the threats humans now face come from advances in science and technology, such as nuclear weapons and genetically engineered viruses.

“We are not going to stop making progress, or reverse it, so we must recognise the dangers and control them,” he added.  http://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jan/19/stephen-hawking-warns-threats-to-humans-science-technology-bbc-reith-lecture

January 19, 2016

Prof Stephen Hawking: disaster on planet Earth is a near certainty

Prof Stephen Hawking said the biggest threats to planet Earth were of our own making, including nuclear war, global warming and genetically engineered viruses http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/12107623/Prof-Stephen-Hawking-disaster-on-planet-Earth-is-a-near-certainty.html

Last year, Stephen Hawking made similar comments (see Stephen Hawking has planet being destroyed before end of millennium–he is overlooking scripture).  Back then he stated that humanity was getting closer to annihilation and should be looking at moving to other planets or exploring alternative planes of existence.

Is Stephen Hawking right on some or any of this? Is humanity about to be eliminated by disasters? What does the Bible teach?

Notice that Jesus warned of religious deception, war, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes happening:

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 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. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:4-8)

And we know that war, pestilences, and other factors do affect the planet and its human population. But so also do other sins, yet Stephen Hawking did not mention sin. And sin and turning away from God is what really puts humanity at risk for disaster.

The Bible reveals that the planet will be in great peril. Notice the words of Jesus:

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22)

The situation will get desperate.

Although humans will get close to destroying the earth completely, Jesus will return:

17 “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:17-18)

So, while Stephen Hawking is wrong that humanity will be completely destroyed, it will get very close.

Furthermore, it could be argued that since Jesus is a Spirit being (John 4:24) that there certainly are other planes of existence other than the physical world that we can all see.  But it takes repentance and the acceptance of Jesus as Savior for that future plane of existence, and Stephen Hawking has not proposed anything resembling that (plus he is an atheist).

Is it a ‘near certainty’ that humanity will be gone as Stephen Hawking claimed?

No.

It is an absolute certainty that Jesus will return and humanity will last over a thousand years past then.

The Bible shows that after Jesus returns (and that will not be before 2023 and is likely later than that), that there will be a resurrection of the saints and a one thousand year millennial reign on this planet:

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)

Those who believe and understand the Bible realize that Stephen Hawking is wrong about the planet being gone in 1000 years or less.

It is not that there are not problems now, but the hope for humanity is NOT to find other planets, but the return of Jesus and the establishment of the millennial kingdom of God on the Earth.

Some consider that Stephen Hawking is the smartest human on the planet. Whether he could be in some respect can be debated, but since he does not believe the Bible nor in the Creator God, he overlooks the foundation of knowledge.

10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

While Stephen Hawking may be smart in certain areas, his atheism leads him to conclusions that are simply not fully accurate. The Bible warns about many who learn information, but fail to realize the truth:

3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

It is not just Stephen Hawking that fits into the above about “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”–nearly all who profess to be Christians fall in that specific category, and the vast majority of actual Christians in these end times fail to see the truth about themselves according to Jesus (Revelation 3:14-22).

The ‘solution’ is not to find another planet as Stephen Hawking has proposed, but to repent and cease to sin. Although that is not going to happen on a global scale before Jesus returns, you personally can and can personally be protected (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra):

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)

Jesus was talking to Christians above. Not all Christians will be protected. This is also confirmed by Revelation:

14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:14-17)

Notice that although true Christians keep God’s commandments, that just doing that will NOT assure Christians of protection. Jesus only promised to protect the Philadelphian Christians as you can read in Revelation 3:7-13.

Now getting back to the planet, after Jesus returns humans will live God’s way of life on this Earth and it will prosper (see also Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?). Humans do not need a physical change of planets, but spiritual change–change that will come about keeping God’s laws of love.

While humanity will get close to destroying itself in this age, Divine intervention, which is alien to people such as Dr. Hawking, will intervene and save humanity (see also Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?).

As far as Stephen Hawking goes, he does have the carnal understanding that humanity is at risk, and he hopes that somehow humanity can be saved. He is partially right, but because he rejects the Bible, his knowledge of the truth is limited.

But the more personal question is, “Can you accept the truth of the Bible or do you prefer to ignore some of its truths?” If so, what will YOU do about it?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Stephen Hawking is wrong about the ‘end of the world’ Atheist and theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking stated that humans will not last another 1000 years on planet Earth.  His ‘solutions’ included finding another planet or looking for alternative planes of existence. Dr. Hawking is considered the smartest man on the Earth according to some, but you can know more of the truth if you. believe what the Bible itself teaches.  Dr. Thiel quotes the words of Jesus and other portions of scripture to explain where Dr. Hawking is right about some of his ideas, but wrong about others.  Does the Bible show that all Christians be protected at the end or only a few?  This is a video.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught? For a more detailed discussion of the first four commandments, please see the video The Ten Commandments: Loving God. For a more detailed discussion of the last six commandments, please see: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 十条诫命显示爱，违反诫命的就是邪恶的
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? Two related sermons are available Millennial Utopia and The Millennium.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2023 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?
Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true? Here is a link to a YouTube sermon titled Is it logical to believe in God?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. There is also a video on the subject: Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? King of the North.
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent.

COGwriter

People who have seen the Ben Stein movie, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, realize that the academic community tends to hurt the careers of those who actually have scientific evidence against evolution. Most academics teach that in violation of the law of biogenesis, primitive life somehow sprung up.

But what if we allow the impossibility of spontaneous primitive life to have occurred?

The primitive life would have to die. Part of the reason for this is that even a single-cell is so complex, and so full of various biological subsystems, that scientists have learned that many systems are essentially necessary for life to exist or continue. Science recognizes that living organisms must be self-contained, eat, digest, and reproduce to continue to exist.

Spontaneously alive lined-up amino acids (with other substances coincidentally there) would die because:

1) All living organisms need biological structures such as organelles and membranes. Without a membranous structure, the proteins would ultimately diffuse and destroy the living organism. Living organism must be somewhat self-contained.
2) All living organisms need nourishment and direction. Since randomness would not have created the biological structure known as a DNA-containing nucleus (or some primitive equivalent), the cell would die. Even if it had some type of nucleus to provide direction, the nucleus would have to have come into existence with ability to determine what to eat and how to find food, another impossibility.
3) Even if the cell had all the above, it would die, because there would have been no reason for it to have spontaneously generated a digestive system in order to utilize the food.
4) Even if evolutionists are granted all the improbabilities and impossibilities this article discusses, the primitive life would quickly die out as there would have been no reason for it to have spontaneously generated an ability to reproduce, nor would it have any innate ability to do so.

It is in the Bible that we are told that when God made life He intended it to reproduce (Genesis 1:11,28,29). The idea of an ‘intelligent design’ by a Spirit being is the only explanation that does not defy scientifically provable knowledge–for all other explanations result in something that must die out.

And the scientific fact is that evolution as a model for explaining how life began makes no scientific sense.

So, no I do not believe in the “theory of evolution” as a viable explanation of the origin of life. Evolution requires simply too many impossibilities to make sense. And it only takes one impossibility to disprove a theory.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true? Here is a link to a YouTube sermon titled Is it logical to believe in God?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Where the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long? Here is a link to a sermon: Genesis, ‘Prehistoric man,’ and the Gap theory. Here is a link to a related article in Spanish: ¿Cuán vieja es la Tierra? ¿Cuán largos fueron los Días de la Creación? ¿Teoría de la brecha?
Questions and Answers from Genesis Many wonder about certain early events that this article discusses.
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?

Thomas de Maizière (photo by Olan Kosinsky)

COGwriter

The refugee crisis in Europe has resulted in a public call from Germany’s Interior Minister for churches to become involved:

January 18, 2016

Managing the global refugee crisis is not the task of government policy makers alone, says Germany’s Federal Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière,
“Nor is it only the task of the government in the European countries receiving refugees,” said de Maizière on Jan.18.

“The extraordinary political, social and humanitarian challenges raised by the refugee crisis clearly show that government, civil society, businesses and also churches have a shared responsibility,” said the minister.

“The refugee crisis asks of us all.”

He was speaking at a high level conference of the World Council of Churches and the United Nations on the Refugee Crisis at the Ecumenical Center in Geneva, Switzerland.

De Maizière said he was speaking as the interior minister, as a German politician in Europe, as a European, and also as a Protestant Christian. He is a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party.

He said the “real number of asylum seekers that Germany received last year was 1.1 million, although the official number under official administrative government procedure was 425,035. …

“Even though we as Christians would like to help every person in need, we know that we cannot offer unlimited charity – at least in the form of taking in everyone seeking protection here – without sacrificing ourselves and our society.” http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/managing-european-refugee-crisis-needs-involvement-of-churches-says-german-interior-minister/37544.htm

The Vatican called for its churches, convents, etc. across Europe to each take in a refugee family last year (see Pope Francis tells tens of thousands of European Catholic facilities to accept one migrant family per church/monastery).

Now, the German Interior Minister is not only putting his government’s blessing on that, he is calling for additional church involvement.

Some may not think that this is a big deal.  Yet, the Vatican has been pushing for decades to have more influence in Europe and, since it officially formed, the European Union.

Between Pope Francis’s Laudato Si encyclical (see Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God?), his being the keynote speaker at the United Nations on the day it adopted the New Universal Agenda (watch UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel!), and his churches influence in getting the climate change accords universally adopted in Paris last month (see Role of Pope Francis ‘transformative’ for COP21 climate change conference), he and his church are getting more acceptance by secular leaders.

While some of the Vatican’s objectives have positive aspects to them, the Bible warns of an alliance between church and state that we are more and more starting to see.

While there have been many alliances in the past (like the old Holy Roman Empire), we are getting closer to the final time that Revelation 17 predicts.  An alliance that will prove to be disastrous to both parties:

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.  5 And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:1-18)

The Bible warns that a church will be involved with the governments of the world.  That this church is based on seven-hills/mountains.  And that it is on “that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

According to Catholic scholars, this is a prophecy about some version of Rome:

9. The seven heads are the seven hills, on which the woman sits. That is, the city of Rome. (Victorinus. Commentary on the Apocalypse, from the seventh chapter. Translated by Robert Ernest Wallis. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0712.htm>)

The seven headed city is probably Rome (septicolis— seven hills) (Dupont Yves. Catholic Prophecy. TAN Books, 1973, p.24).

The woman sits on a scarlet beast, which is full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns (illustrating the close relationship between the historical city of Rome and the beast, the symbol of the Roman Empire, see Revelation 17:3). This woman (Rome) has been called Babylon the great and is drunk with the blood the saints and martyrs (see 17:5-6)…Another code for the symbols of the beast is announced in Revelation 17:9: “This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven mountains on which the woman is seated” (an obvious reference to the city of Rome built on seven hills). (Kurz, W. What Does the Bible Say About the End Times? A Catholic View. Servant Books, Cincinnati. Nihil Obstat: Kistner H., Schehr T.P. Imprimi Potest: Link F., Paul J.M. Imprimatur: Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxillary Bishop, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 19, 2004, pp. 165,166)

G. Rossi (1873): We must observe that St. Malachy does not mention the last Pope as a distinct person from the preceding one, whom he styles Glory of the Olive. He merely says, “During the last persecution of the Church, Peter II, a Roman, shall reign. He shall feed the flock in many tribulations, at the end of which the City of the Seven Hills (Rome) will be destroyed, and the awful Judge shall judge his people.” According to St. Malachy, then, only ten, or at most eleven, popes remain to be in future more or less legitimately elected. We say more or less legitimately elected, because out of those future popes it is to be feared that one or two will be unlawfully elected as anti-popes. (Rossi G. THE CHRISTIAN TRUMPET, OR, Previsions and Predictions about Impending General Calamities, The Universal Triumph of the Church, The Coming of Antichrist, The Last Judgment, and The End of the World. Compiled by PELLEGRINO [Gaudentius Rossi], A Missionary Priest with Superior’s permission. Boston, THOS. B. NOONAND & CO., 1873, p. 139)

…the Apocalypse was an inexhaustible quarry where to dig for invectives that they might hurl then against the Roman hierarchy. The seven hills of Rome, the scarlet robes of the cardinals, and the unfortunate abuses of the papal court made the application easy and tempting (Van den Biesen, Christian. “Apocalypse.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 5 Oct. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01594b.htm>).

Nor must we look for order in the Apocalypse; but we must follow the meaning of those things which are prophesied. Therefore in the trumpets and phials is signified either the desolation of the plagues that are sent upon the earth, or the madness of Antichrist himself, or the cutting off of the peoples, or the diversity of the plagues, or the hope in the kingdom of the saints, or the ruin of states, or the great overthrow of Babylon, that is, the Roman state (Victorinus. Commentary on the Apocalypse, Chapter 7, Verse 8. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 7. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1886. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

There was a strong anti-Roman tradition in the early Church. Rome was the harlot city soaked in the blood of the saints, the centre from which spread out wave after wave of persecution. The Book of Revelations’ gloating vision of the coming ruin of Rome, ‘Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great’ (Revelations 14:8), remained a persistent strand so long as the empire continued to persecute the church, and survived even into the Middle Ages (Duffy, Eamon. Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes. Yale University Press, New Haven (CT), 2002, pp. 16-17).

The author of the Commentaries upon the Apocalypse set forth in St. Ambrose name, writeth thus: This…sometime signifieth Rome, specially which at that time when the Apostle wrote this, did persecute the Church of God. But otherwise it signifieth the whole city of the Devil, that is, the universal corps of the reprobate. Tertullian also taketh it for Rome, thus, Babylon (saith he) in St. John is a figure of the city of Rome, being so great, so proud of the Empire, and the destroyer of the saints. Which is plainly spoken of that city, when it was heathen, the head of the terrene dominion of the world, the persecutor of the Apostles and their successors, the seat of Nero, Domitian, and the like, Christ’s special enemies, the sink of idolatry, and false worship of the Pagan gods (Annotations on Chapter 17 of the Apocalypse. The Original And True Rheims New Testament Of Anno Domini 1582. Prepared and Edited by Dr. William G. von Peters. Ph.D. 2004, copyright assigned to VSC Corp. Page 583).

While what the German Interior Minister called for will seem reasonable to many, consider that the Bible does warn that the church associated with the City of Seven Hills will one day be betrayed by the European Beast power it will support (Revelation 17:15-16).

But before the Church of Rome can be betrayed that way, it must first be more involved with the power that is starting to arise in Europe.  We are seeing steps from Rome and Europe that are starting to lead to this.

Bernie Sanders & Hillary Clinton

COGwriter

Democratic party candidate Bernie Sanders reportedly “won” the latest debate for Democratic presidential hopefuls, though some pundits had issues with him:

The final Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses was mostly about Bernie Sanders.

Front-runner Hillary Clinton often sounded like an underdog, as she attacked the Vermont senator for flip-flopping on guns, proposing an unrealistic health care plan and admitting that he would raise taxes on the middle class. The former Secretary of State closely linked herself with Barack Obama, praising the president repeatedly as she appealed to African American voters who could save her campaign if she loses Iowa and New Hampshire. She had a very strong closing argument and dominated when talk turned to foreign policy.

But the overnight verdict from most in the pundit class is that Sanders prevailed, even if narrowly. Here’s what they are saying:

The Fix’s Chris Cillizza names Sanders the winner and Clinton the loser: “More than anything he said, it was the passion and disruption that Sanders oozed from every pore over the two hours that should push Democrats on the fence about the race into his camp. Sanders effectively positioned himself as the anti-status-quo candidate, a very good position to have in this electoral environment.”

Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis tweeted that 27 of 30 undecided voters in a South Carolina focus group he convened picked Sanders as the winner. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/01/18/the-daily-202-bernie-sanders-won-the-democratic-debate-say-pundits-and-social-media/

January 18, 2016

CHARLESTON, SC — Whether it was because of his neck-and-neck poll numbers in Iowa, or because of the Clinton campaign attacks on him, or because he released policy proposals in a 24-hour span to protect himself (on guns and health care), last night’s debate here was largely about Bernie Sanders.

And that was both good and bad for his campaign: The good: Sanders gave his supporters more than enough to cheer about; he held his own in facing the attacks and tough questions; and he stuck to his script of talking about his issues (income inequality, Wall Street, campaign-finance reform). The bad: His new health-care plan is actually pretty thin on specifics, as Vox writes; his embrace of tax increases for all Americans is likely dead on arrival if you’ve been paying attention to American politics over the last 30 years; and the Republican National Committee was clearly rooting for Sanders during the debate. (“Clinton’s Misleading Health-Care Attack,” the RNC blasted out to reporters.) All of that said, giving your supporters something to cheer about is a pretty powerful force two weeks before the Iowa caucuses. The question we have: How does Sanders come across to persuadable voters — those who might have their doubts about Clinton, but who aren’t exactly diehard liberals? After all, he can seem a little hot on TV. http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/first-read-last-night-s-debate-was-all-about-bernie-n498901

January 18, 2016

Clinton did not respond well to Connor Franta’s (with 5 million YouTube subscribers) and NBC moderator Lester Holt’s question about why she’s running behind Sanders by a 2-1 margin with younger voters. Clinton earns a C- on millennials in general and an F for failing to demand speaking time on climate change.

The economy and Wall Street:

Sanders hammered his argument that he is not beholden to big corporate interests: he emphasized his lack of a super PAC and his reliance on working class donors for his campaign. Not once, but twice he reminded us that Goldman Sachs was fined $5 billion dollars for its role in the financial crisis, yet nobody went to jail — even as young people with a little weed spend more time incarcerated in the United States.

Finally, Sanders wondered how someone like Clinton, who takes so much money from Wall Street, can really change the system. This is the theme of his campaign, and he reminded us why. …

Sanders ran into some trouble here. Let’s be honest: Sander’s plans — free college, for example — will cost a ton, and he needs to be more specific on how to pay for them. Taxing Wall Street speculation wasn’t specific enough, and he didn’t provide the answer of how much money that will bring in. So he was already in trouble in the debate, and that’s before he got pounded by Andrea Mitchell for raising taxes on the middle class. Twice. Grade: D.

Clinton’s answers, when compared to Sanders, on how she’ll pay for her programs — especially by not raising taxes on the middle class — were solid. And her plan has been out longer, scrutinized, and deemed plausible. She gets a B. http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/18/opinions/graham-democratic-debate-graded/

As far as who “won” politically, the upcoming Iowa caucus, followed by various primaries, will show who certain voters prefer.

Like Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders is pro-abortion and and proponent of the LGBT agenda.

Bernie Sanders is a bigger proponent of legalizing marijuana in the USA than Hillary Clinton (see Bernie Sanders proposes a ‘marijuana nation’) and seems to be more willing to spread tax increases that Hillary Clinton (Hillary Clinton basically claims she wants to tax higher income people even higher than they now are being taxed).

When the Democratic candidates were each asked what their top three priorities were for the USA, not one of them mentioned national defense or terrorism.  Nor did any of them hint that they wanted to call for national repentance.

But without national repentance, we will see more terrorism (see Why Terrorism? Is Terrorism Prophesied?) as well as more “climate change” (see Weather Blessings and Sorrows) problems.  Ultimately, we will see that, because of debt and other issues, the USA will one day be taken over and conquered militarily according to biblical prophecy (Habakkuk 2:6-8; Daniel 11:39).

We are getting closer to the Great Tribulation that Jesus mentioned which is also described in the Book of the Apocalypse (watch the video 2016: The State of the Apocalypse).  Neither the Republican nor Democratic candidates for the USA presidency have professed a strategy that will stop that.

Some items of possibly related interest include:

Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?
Why Terrorism? Is Terrorism Prophesied? What does the Bible teach? Which nations may be affected? Here is a link to a related sermon: Terrorism, Christianity, and Islam.
Marijuana: Should a Christian Get High? There is increasing acceptance of the use of marijuana. How should Christians view this? Here is a related video titled How Should a Christian View Marijuana?
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children.  What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on?  There are also two YouTube videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’ and Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?  Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? Here is a link to a YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
British and American Moral Decay Public nudity is becoming more prevalent in the Anglo-Saxon lands. What are some of the consequences?
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? What does the Bible teach about weather? What about floods, droughts, heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, and solar storms? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather? A related item in the Spanish language would be Bendiciones y maldiciones del clima.
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill? Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic? Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist? A video of related interest is titled Hillary Clinton and Bible Prophecy.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
Overcoming Sin What is sin? How are Christians suppose to overcome it? Here is also a link to a video titled How to Overcome Sin.
How to Prevent Sin This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Just What Do You Mean Conversion? Many think that they are converted Christians. But are they? Would you like to know more about conversion. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition.

COGwriter

Today is observed in the USA as Martin Luther King, Jr. day. And although I normally do not take this day off (nor presidents’ days unless sometimes when I am out of town), I thought it might be appropriate to quote some writings from the late Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister who became best known as a civil rights activist. In the middle of the last century, he wrote about many things, including Mithraism. Mithraism was a religion that observed Sunday and had followers such as the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th century.

Here is some of what Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote about it in a paper dated November 23, 1949:

In Avesta, Mithra was the genius of celestial light…The doctrine of the immortality of the soul was another view which was very prominent in Mithraism…

Women were compelled to seek salvation in some other cult, for Mithraism excluded them entirely…

When Mithraism is compared to Christianity, there are surprisingly many points of similarity. Of all the mystery cults, Mithraism was the greatest competitor of Christianity…

That Christians did copy and borrow from Mithraism cannot be denied (King ML. The papers of Martin Luther King, Jr, Volume 4. Clayborne Carson, Ralph Luker, Penny A. Russell editors/compliers. University of California Press, 1992, pp. 213-214, 217, 222, 224).

Here are some of his writings dated February 15, 1950:

Mithraism…was suppressed by the Christians sometime in the latter part of the fourth century A.D.: but its collapse seems to have been due to the fact that by that time many of its doctrines had been adopted by the church, so that it was practically absorbed by its rival.

…the Church made a sacred day out of Sunday partially because…of the resurrection. But when we observe a little further we find that as a solar festival, Sunday was the sacred day of Mithra: it is also interesting to notice that since Mithra was addressed as Lord, Sunday must have been “the Lord’s Day” long before Christian use. It is also to be noticed that our Christmas, December 25th, was the birthday of Mithra, and was only taken over in the Fourth Century as the date, actually unknown, of the birth of Jesus.

To make the picture a little more clear, we may list a few of the similarities between these two religions: (1) Both regard Sunday as a Holy Day. (2) December 25 came to be considered as the anniversary of the birth of Mithra and Christ also. (3) Baptism and a ritual meal were important parts of both groups…

In summary we may say that the belief in immortality, a mediator between god and man, the observance of certain sacramental rites…were common to Mithraism and Christianity. (King ML. The papers of Martin Luther King, Jr, Volume 4. Clayborne Carson, Ralph Luker, Penny A. Russell editors/compliers. University of California Press, 1992, pp. 307, 309.)

Notice that Martin Luther King, Jr. clearly understood that the Sunday churches dropped the Sabbath, that “the Lord’s Day” essentially first meant the day of Mithra, and that the worlds’ churches did adopt many practices from Mithraism. Much of what now is called “Christianity” is a compromise with the religion of Mithraism.

I wish that Martin Luther King, Jr. and others would have emphasized this aspect of his writings more. I would also add that Christians faithful to the original teachings of Christ, the apostles, and the New Testament did not adopt the practices of Mithraism.

Actually, early records show that there were basically two main groups that professed Christianity. One that was mainly based upon the Bible, and the other that accepted doctrines from those who followed Simon Magus and Mithras.

While Dr. King was most known for his civil rights protests, he figured out that much of what passed for Christianity in his day was really a form that adopted Mithratic practices.

Does that include your version? Are you sure?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Do You Practice Mithraism?Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity?
Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis? Dr. Thiel is in Vatican City and points to a variety of symbols and displays there and explains where some of them seem to have originated from. Specifically, he discusses the connection of the cave grotto and mitre to Mithraism as well as obelisks and certain other ties to Isis. He also briefly touches on some doctrines that those groups share.
Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries? Did you know that many in the second and third centuries felt that there were two major, and separate, professing Christian groups in the second century, but that those in the majority churches tend to now blend the groups together and claim “saints” from both? “Saints” that condemn some of their current beliefs. Who are the two groups?
Is Revelation 1:10 talking about Sunday or the Day of the Lord? Most Protestant scholars say Sunday is the Lord’s Day, but is that what the Bible teaches?
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.
What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them?
Sunday and Christianity Was Sunday observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians? Who clearly endorsed Sunday? What relevance is the first or the “eighth” day? A related sermon is also available: Sunday: First and Eighth Day?
Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality? What does John 3:16, and other writings, tell us? Did a doctrine kept adopted from paganism? Here is a YouTube video titled Are humans immortal?
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. Is telling the truth about the early church citing Catholic accepted sources anti-Catholic? This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church. There is also a YouTube sermon on the subject titled Church of God or Church of Rome: What Do Catholic Scholars Admit About Early Church History?
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Who were the Nazarene Christians? What did they believe? Should 21st century Christians be modern Nazarenes? Is there a group that exists now that traces its history through the Nazarenes and holds the same beliefs today? Here is a link to a related video sermon Nazarene Christians: Were the early Christians “Nazarenes”?
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
COGwriter Position on Other Churches and Religions What is the fate of those who do not know Christ? What about those who profess Christ outside the Church of God?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God continues to get additional materials translated into the Spanish language.

Here are links to the items we received today:

Iraq offers to mediate Saudi-Iran dispute; but PCG is wrong about Psalm 83 alliance
Irak ofrece mediar en disputa Irán-Arabia Saudita; pero la PCG está equivocada acerca de la alianza del Salmo 83
http://www.cdlidd.es/irak-ofrece-mediar-en-disputa-iran-arabia-saudita-pero-la-pcg-esta-equivocada-acerca-de-la-alianza-del-salmo-83/

Alabama’s Chief Justice stops non-biblical marriages
Principal Juez de Alabama para matrimonios no bíblicos
http://www.cdlidd.es/presidente-del-tribunal-supremo-de-alabama-para-matrimonios-no-biblicos/

2 dead, at least 1600 injured, in ‘Black Nazarene’ celebration in the Philippines
2 muertos, al menos 1600 heridos, en celebración del ‘Nazareno negro’ en las Filipinas
http://www.cdlidd.es/2-muertos-al-menos-1600-heridos-en-celebracion-del-nazareno-negro-en-filipinas/

Anglicans divided on women and homosexuality, but the USA branch has taken the anti-biblical side
Anglicanos divididos sobre las mujeres y la homosexualidad,pero la rama de los EE.UU. ha tomado el lado antibíblico
http://www.cdlidd.es/anglicanos-divididos-sobre-las-mujeres-y-la-homosexualidad-pero-la-rama-de-los-ee-uu-ha-tomado-el-lado-antibiblico/

Did Pope Francis display Peter’s relics?
¿Mostró el Papa Francisco las reliquias de Pedro?
http://www.cdlidd.es/mostro-el-papa-francisco-las-reliquias-de-pedro/

Sexual corruption at the US military academies
Corrupción sexual en las academias militares de los EE.UU.
http://www.cdlidd.es/corrupcion-sexual-en-las-academias-militares-de-los-ee-uu/

Pope Francis to display remains of ‘St. Pio of Pietrelcina’
Papa Francisco a mostrar restos de ‘San Pío de Pietrelcina’
http://www.cdlidd.es/papa-francisco-a-mostrar-restos-de-san-pio-de-pietrelcina/

Royal Bank of Scotland claims 2016 will financially be ‘catastrophic’
Banco Real de Escocia dice que 2016 financieramente será ‘catastrófico’
http://www.cdlidd.es/banco-real-de-escocia-dice-que-2016-financieramente-sera-catastrofico/

European leaders move closer to ’666′
Líderes europeos se mueven más cerca del ‘666’
http://www.cdlidd.es/lideres-europeos-se-mueven-mas-cerca-del-666/

Hyginus of Rome may have done what?
¿Qué puede haber hecho Hyginus de Roma?
http://www.cdlidd.es/que-puede-haber-hecho-hyginus-de-roma/

Church of God or Church of Rome: What doctrines did Apollinaris of Hierapolis hold?
Iglesia de Dios o Iglesia de Roma: ¿Qué doctrinas mantuvo Apollinaris de Hierápolis?
http://www.cdlidd.es/iglesia-de-dios-o-iglesia-de-roma-que-doctrinas-mantuvo-apolllinaris-de-hierapolis/

CG7 on Israel in prophecy
CG7 sobre Israel en Profecía
http://www.cdlidd.es/cg7-sobre-israel-en-profecia/

Study claims artificial intelligence and crowdsourcing will solve ‘wicked problems’ in the 21st century
Estudio dice que la inteligencia artificial y crowdsourcing resolverán ‘malvados problemas’ en el siglo 21
http://www.cdlidd.es/estudio-dice-que-la-inteligencia-artifical-y-crowdsourcing-resolveran-problemas-malos-en-el-siglo-21/

London’s mayor claims that UK will prosper greatly outside of EU
Alcalde de Londres dice que el Reino Unido prosperaría enormemente por fuera de la UE
http://www.cdlidd.es/alcalde-de-londres-dice-que-el-reino-unido-prosperaria-enormemente-por-fuera-de-la-ue/

The Continuing Church of God has a separate Spanish language website http://www.cdlidd.es. The term Continuing Church of God translates into La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios in the Spanish language, also called Castellano or Español.

The Continuing Church of God is reaching people around the world in multiple languages via the internet, printed literature, and human church leaders around the world. We also reach people over the radio and through videos in the English language.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, and the Caribbean in Prophecy [Español: México, América central, Suramérica, Brasil y el Caribe en la profecía] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What role might the various Caribbean nations/territories play?

Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?

Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God “Contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, NKJV), “Let brotherly love (Philadelphia) continue” (Hebrews 13:1) “…continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles” (Acts 2:42 YLT). So, what does that really mean in terms of specific beliefs? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Declaración de las Doctrinas de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. Here is a related link in Tagalog: Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. Here is a related link in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明. Here is a related link in Kiswahili: KATIKA LUGHA YA KISWAHILI. Here is a related link in Dutch: Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Deutsche (German): Glaubenserklärung der Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Italiano: Dichiarazione del Credo della Continuing Church of God. Here is related link in the French language: Déclaration des croyances de L’Église Continue de Dieu.

Faith for those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Here is a link to a pdf. booklet titled Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido.Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章

CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?

CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址

CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.

CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.

CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.

CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.

PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.

CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.

Tempio Maggiore di Roma (photo by Livioandronico2013)

COGwriter

Pope Francis became the third pontiff to visit a Jewish synagogue today:

January 17, 2016

Pope Francis made his first visit to a synagogue as pope on Sunday, greeting Rome’s Jewish community in their house of worship in a show of inter-faith friendship.

Francis joined a standing ovation when Holocaust survivors wearing striped scarves reminiscent of their camp uniforms were singled out for attention at the start of the ceremony.

He began his visit by laying a wreath at a plaque outside the synagogue marking where Roman Jews were rounded up by the Nazis in 1943 and at another marking the slaying of a two-year-old boy in an attack by Palestinians on the synagogue in 1982. http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/1.697928

January 17, 2016

JTA – When Pope Francis crosses the Tiber River to visit Rome’s Great Synagogue … the third pontiff in history to do so. But his 1.5-mile journey to the towering Tempio Maggiore shows that what was once unthinkable is now the norm.

“Our meeting,” Rome Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni told the Catholic newspaper L’Avvenire, “aims to convey a very topical, important and urgent message — that belonging to a faith, a religion, should not be a cause of hostility, hatred and violence, but that it is possible to build a peaceful coexistence, based on respect and cooperation.”

John Paul II’s visit 30 years ago marked a dramatic watershed in Catholic-Jewish relations. By crossing the threshold of the Tempio Maggiore, warmly embracing Rome’s then-chief rabbi, Elio Toaff, and famously referring to Jews as Christian’s “older brothers,” the Polish-born pontiff broke down barriers that stretched back nearly 2000 years.

The visual impact alone of the pontiff and the chief rabbi embracing sent out a powerful message of reconciliation.

Formal dialogue between Catholics and Jews had begun only two decades before Pope John Paul II’s visit, with the Vatican’s 1965 Nostra Aetate declaration that repudiated the charge that Jews were collectively responsible for killing Jesus, stressed the religious bond between Jews and Catholics and called for interfaith contacts. http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/1.697928

Pope Francis, along with the United Nation’s Ban ki-moon, share the same interfaith and ecumenical agenda (see United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order?).

As far as the Jews go, last month the Vatican released a document that teaches they do NOT have to accept Jesus in order to attain salvation (see Vatican pushing climate change and interfaith agendas: It still does NOT realize that the Old Covenant was replaced and Jesus must be confessed to be saved). This is in severe error differs from what the Apostle Peter stated in his sermon on Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2.

Despite this, perhaps it should be mentioned that there are a variety of Roman Catholic writings that claim that Jews will become converted Catholics in the end times.  Here are a few:

Magdalene Porsat (19th century): A grand event shall have to take place in order to terrify the wicked to their advantage. After this, Mary, all-powerful, shall change all men into good wheat. All shall be good. The Pharisees (the hypocrites) will be the last (to be converted); the great brigands (great sinners) will arrive beforehand. The Jews who have refused to receive Jesus Christ in his humiliation will acknowledge him at the glorious arrival of Mary…The hour is not far distant. It is Mary in person! (Rossi, p. 135)

The Pope calls an Ecumenical Council which will be viewed as the greatest in the history of the Church. The world is spiritually and materially prosperous as never before and many Jews, Mohammedans, heathens and heretics will enter the Church. … All of this prepares the way for the coming of Antichrist. He begins his rise to power at about the age of thirty. After he seizes total power he begins a three and one half year of bestial persecution of the Church. (Birch pp. 555, 556).

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (died 1837): “described to me the great ordeal ahead. Rome would be battered by revolutions…Millions of men would die by the sword in war and civil strife, other millions would perish in unforeseen death. Then entire nations would return to the unity of the Church, and many Turks, Pagans and Jews would be converted and their fervour cover with confusion the original Christians. In one word she told me that our Lord was intending to cleanse the world and His Church…” (Bessieres A. Wife, Mother and Mystic (Blessed Anna Maria Taigi). Nihil Obstat: Carlos Davis, S.T.L. Imprimatur: E Morrough Bernard, Westmonasteri, die Februari, 1952. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1982, p. 166).

Basically, Catholic writings claim that towards the time of the end, there will be an ecumenical council, ‘Mary’ will become prominent, and Jews and others will convert to their faith.

Pope Francis is clearly ecumenical. He is also one of the more Marian focused pontiffs. And he is taking steps to reach out to the Jews at times.

Irrespective of Catholic writing, the Bible warns that in the end times, the final Antichrist (called “the beast of the earth” below) will get people to worship the Beast:

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.  (Revelation 13:11-16)

And the Bible shows that those who do not have the “love of the truth” will be deceived by end time signs and will worship the Beast:

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:4-8)

Based on passages in Isaiah 47 and Revelation 18, it seems probable that ‘Marian’ signs will be part of the signs and lying wonders that people, including Jews, will fall for in the end.

The Vatican, unknowingly, is taking steps towards that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a version in Mandarin: 主编： 谁是’大罪人’？Here is a link to a related YouTube video, in English, titled Who is the Man of Sin?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy. You can also watch a video titled What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist?
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? Two related videos include UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel! and United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God? Pope Francis’ 2nd encyclical is titled ‘Laudato Si.’ In it, he goes over his views related to environmental, economic, social, moral, agricultural, and spiritual issues. He advocates international cooperation to solve various problems he believes are affecting humanity. Is that Pope’s agenda the solution? What about the Kingdom of God? does the Bible teach? Two related articles include Laudato Si: Will Pope Francis’ economic actions match his words? and Laudato Si: A call for a one-world government?
Do You Know That Babylon is Forming? How is the final Babylon forming? Are Protestants such as Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland are endorsing something dangerous? Could Pope Francis be the ‘False Prophet’ that the Bible warns against? Is an antipope expected to endorse a one-world religion? Here is a link to a related written article In Vatican City: New Babylon more openly forming!
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermons Why Teach the Kingdom of God? and The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account? Related sermon videos include Universal Offer of Salvation I: God is love and Universal Offer of Salvation II: The Age to Come and the ‘Little Flock’ and Universal Offer of Salvation III: All Are to Know Jesus, But When? and Universal Offer of Salvation IV: Will the Guilty be Pardoned? and Universal Offer of Salvation V: All Israel Will be Saved? A version of the main article was also translated in the Spanish language: Oferta universal de salvación: Hay cientos de versículos en la Biblia que apoyan la verdadera doctrina de la Apocatastasis.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Certain Catholic writings indicate this, while others take a different view, but what does the Bible show? A related sermon is Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?

Hassan Rouhani

COGwriter

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says Iran has entered a “new chapter” as certain sanctions have been lifted:

January 17, 2016

STATE DEPARTMENT—Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic republic has entered a “new chapter” in its history in a speech Sunday praising the end of international sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear activities.

The United States and other world powers lifted oil and economic sanctions Saturday after the International Atomic Energy Agency certified that Tehran complied with the terms of an agreement reached in Vienna last July after nearly two years of intense negotiations. The terms included shipping almost all of Iran’s nuclear fuel out of the country, dismantling and removing its nuclear equipment, and providing international inspectors greater access to its nuclear facilities.

In addition to ending the sanctions, Iran would have access to billions of dollars of assets in foreign banks that have been frozen for years.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said “our friends and allies in the Middle East, and the entire world are safer because the threat of the nuclear weapon has been reduced.”

But the impact of Iran’s sanctions relief will be limited in the United States, said Kelsey Davenport, the director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association.

“A number of sanctions on human rights, on terrorism will remain in place that will make it very difficult for companies to navigate,” she said

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Saturday’s announcement a “significant milestone.”

Flashpoints remain

Although implementation will open the door to some trade between the U.S. and Iran, it will not result in the U.S. overlooking other areas of concern about Tehran, said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

“None of us have rose-colored glasses on,” said Toner. “None of us believe that suddenly once we reach Implementation Day that a whole new world is going to open up and we are suddenly going to cooperate with Iran,” he said.

Those areas of concern include Iran’s recent ballistic missile tests and its firing of rockets near a U.S. military ship, in December.

News of “Implementation Day” was greeted with skepticism by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the most vocal opponent of the deal in the international community. He warned that “Iran has not relinquished its ambition to obtain nuclear weapons, and continues to act to destabilize the Middle East and spread terror throughout the world.”

The end of sanctions was also greeted with scorn in the United States by many of President Barack Obama’s Republican opponents, especially the party’s 2016 presidential candidates.

“It seems to be an indication of where we are going. That Iran deal is the dumbest deal I think I’ve ever seen,” said Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a recent campaign event.

Rouhani dismissed the criticism during his speech to the Iranian parliament. He said everyone was happy “except Zionists, warmongers fueling discord in the Islamic world, and hardliners in the U.S.”

The deal is a triumph for Rouhani, considered a moderate cleric who was elected in 2013 on a pledge to reform his country’s economy. http://www.voanews.com/content/iranian-president-looks-ahead-as-crippling-nuclear-sanctions-end/3149458.html

The lifting of sanctions deal will give Iran access to about 90-150 billion dollars of frozen assets that Iran can use again. Some of those assets will likely be used for its economy and Iran will likely rebuild parts of its military with the intent to use it offensively.

The USA, however, has imposed new sanctions:

January 17, 2016

The United States has imposed new sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program, the U.S. Treasury Department announced Sunday, hours after confirmation that several Americans held captive in Iran were released and en route to Europe.

The U.S. will sanction five Iranian nationals and a network of companies based in the United Arab Emirates and China amid allegations they have supported Iran’s ballistic missile program.

The Obama administration has for months publicly hedged on a response to two ballistic missile tests by Tehran in late 2015 that violated U.N. Security Council resolutions. The testing triggered American lawmakers to call by for more sanctions on Tehran.

The announcement by the Treasury Department comes a day after the U.S. agreed to lift sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program, under a multinational deal reached in July.

“Iran’s ballistic missile program poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions,” said Adam J. Szubin, acting undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, in a statement issued by the Treasury Department. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-imposes-fresh-sanctions-on-iran-over-ballistic-missile-test/3149656.html

The new sanctions will not affect Iran as much as the lifting of the old, more encompassing ones.

So, what will happen with Iran? What does it really want?

Iran wants to takeover Jerusalem and lead the Islamic world. It then wants to takeover the world. It would prefer to knock out the USA whenever it can and it believes that mystical powers will allow it to do that.

Most people in Iran subscribe to the Shi’ite (often called Shia) Muslim faith. Shi-ites consider that they have a purer understanding Islam than the Sunni Muslims. Shi-ites represent about 10-20% of Muslims and nearly all the rest are Sunni (there are also Sufis, but they seem to represent less than 1% of all Muslims).

Unlike Sunnis who do not believe that Muhammed appointed a successor, Shi-ites believe that during Muhammad’s final pilgrimage to Mecca, he appointed his son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, to succeed him. As a result, Shi-ites believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib was the first Imam (leader), rejecting the legitimacy of the previous Muslim caliphs Abu Bakr, Uthman ibn al-Affan and Umar ibn al-Khattab. Shia Islam has several branches, the largest of which is the Twelvers, followed by Zaidis and Ismailis (Wikipedia, viewed 11/25/13).

The Twelvers (and many of the other Shia) basically have had a few peculiarities on the prophetic side. Notice:

Shiite Muslims, the majority in Iran, believe Jesus will accompany the Imam Mahdi when he reappears in a future apocalypse to save the world…

Shiites believe the Mahdi’s reappearance will usher in a new era of peace and harmony.

“We Muslims pray for the ‘Return’ (of Imam Mahdi) and Jesus is part of the return and the end of time,” Talebzadeh said (‘Islamic Jesus’ hits Iranian movie screens AFP – Jan 13, 2008 http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080113231632.1q3rt654&show_article=1).

According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a “tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West.” Commanding “the strongest army on earth,” the new ruler in the West will carry “a clear sign” from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: “Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us.”

In a curious coincidence Obama’s first and second names–Barack Hussein–mean “the blessing of Hussein” in Arabic and Persian. His family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means “he is with us,” the magic formula in Majlisi’s tradition (Taheri A. Obama and Ahmadinejad. Forbes – Oct 26, 2008 http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/26/obama-iran-ahmadinejad-oped-cx_at_1026taheri_print.html viewed 11/14/08).

The Mahdi (Arabic for “the guided one”), is supposed to return before Judgment Day to eliminate injustice and tyranny. The appearance of the Mahdi is not mentioned in the Quran or the Sunnah (Prophet’s teachings), and many Sunni scholars view it as a Shiite invention…in the 132-volume work by Shiite scholar Mullah Majlisi (Nayouf, Hayyan. Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid. Shiite scholar denies Obama link to Muslim savior. Dubai. November 4, 2008. http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/11/04/59490.html viewed 05/19/09).

Further notice:

In his fiery style, Ahmadinejad, showed his messianic beliefs on Friday, saying the world was witnessing a revolution managed by Imam Mehdi, the 12 Shiite imam who disappeared as a five-year-old in the 10th century and who Shiites believe would return on the judgement day.

“The final move has begun. We are in the middle of a world revolution managed by this dear (12th Imam). A great awakening is unfolding. One can witness the hand of Imam in managing it,” said Ahmadinejad, wearing his trademark jacket. (Davari M. US, Israel will soon exit Middle East: Ahmadinejad. AFP – February 11, 2011. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j4nERLgb7ILzV-di10ZB5i5GewYg?docId=CNG.680158c3fc877f3521627185c89de338.1f1)

So, somehow Iran believes that the Imam Mahdi is behind what has been going on for several years–and this has not been limited to Ahmadinejad–the Ayatollah has made supporting comments. Well, I believe that the final King of the South is currently alive, is somewhat Islamic, and may be associated with one or more transnational Islamic groups–but I do not believe that he is the one that Shi-ite Muslims claim to be in some type of suspended animation.

To push this concept Imam Mahdi further, apparently in March 2011 then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad approved a video that quotes someone as saying this Imam Mahdi leader arrives after a time of great earthquakes and sedition.  It shows photos of American, Jewish, and European leaders that it does not approve of.  It says that, according to the Hadith, Iran is to be among the “preparers” for the arrival of the Imam.  It blames the USA and its allies for causing Islamic fear-mongering since 9/11/2001.  The video indicates that Islamic writings have warned that Westerners would invade the Middle East first and its suggests that Iraq and other western military interventions are proof that the Imam Mahdi is about to appear.  It claims Iran is the premier military power in the Islamic world and indicates that other Muslims should now support it. The video tells that a time of Arab cooperation is prophesied, while also claiming that annihilation of the “Zionist regime” needs to happen prior to the arrival of the Mahdi.

And the video goes further.  It says that the Hadith tells of a leader named Abdullah, states that the then ill King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is the first Abdullah leader in a hundred years, and then it cites something that states when Abdullah dies the reappearance is guaranteed (he died in 2015). The video claims that their prophecies state that a Seyed Khorasani will turn Jerusalem over to the Imam Mahdi. It discusses prophesies that Islamic antichrists must rise up and hints that the Free Masons, with their influence on American, European, Israeli, and apparently certain Arabic, leaders, has fulfilled this.  Although the video shows Hosni Mubarak along with a prophecy that the leader of Egypt must die prior to the arrival of the Imam Mahdi, Hosni Mubarak is no longer the leader of Egypt and did not die (but will some day–though they could point to someone else in Egypt as the leader to fulfill a related Islamic prophecy).

It also essentially tries to explain who is Seyed Khorasani (the claim is current top leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei).  It also says that 72 months prior to the arrival of the Imam Mahdi that Seyed Khorasani will appoint Shoeib to assist.  It then asks if “Doctor” Ahmadinejad could be the Shoeib.  It shows Ahmadinejad making various speeches and discusses him taking over Jerusalem in the future–and prior to the arrival of the Imam Mahdi.  It basically ends with stating that the Imam Mahdi will rise up soon and that all should praise God with Jihad. Currently, Ahmadinejad is out-of-office and no longer would seem to be a viable candidate, though things could change with him.

Iran has indicated that the Mahdi has been around for many years and is getting close to appear publicly:

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei… has been heard to say that the coming of the last Islamic Messiah, the Shiites’ 12th Imam Mahdi, is near and that specific actions need to be taken to protect the Islamic regime for upcoming events. Mahdi, according to Shiite belief, will reappear at the time of Armageddon. Selected forces within the Revolutionary Guards and Basij reportedly have been trained under a task force called “Soldiers of Imam Mahdi” and they will bear the responsibility of security and protecting the regime against uprisings. Many in the Guards and Basij have been told that the 12th Imam is on earth, facilitated the victory of Hezbollah over Israel in the 2006 war and soon will announce publicly his presence after the needed environment is created. http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/iran-preparing-now-for-armageddon/, January 24, 2012)

Various prophecies of the Mahdi state that he would return in an even numbered year, (Zumwalt J.  Iran’s Dynamic Duo Dedicated to Global Destruction.  August 13, 2010. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=38528). Since the Islamic calendar runs differently than the Roman calendar it is not always obvious when that is to non-Muslims. The Islamic year 1438, for example, runs from 3 October 2016 to 21 September 2017.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani stated that his own election was because of the intervention of Iran’s mystical Imam Madhi, who Shi’ite Muslims (the type that predominate in Iran) believe has been alive for over 1300 years and who will become publicly manifested in the end times to bring victory to Iran over non-Muslims (see Iran’s President-elect wants to negotiate with the USA and credits the ‘Islamic messiah’ for his election).

Why is any of this ‘Imam Mahdi’ rhetoric of any value.

Well, among other reasons, various ones seem to think his return, as well as a prophecy about someone who sounds like US President Barack Hussein Obama, is a signal for Iran to act militarily (details are in the article Iran in Prophecy).

We in the Continuing Church of God do not believe that Iran will be the final King of the South of Bible prophecy (cf. Daniel 11:40-43).  Because of that, I have tended to believe that Iran may somehow get “neutralized” before this final king rises up.  And it may be that provoking some type of conflict with Israel (through an attack or through simply possessing nuclear bombs) may result in Israel hitting Iran hard enough militarily to greatly reduce Iran’s influence in the Islamic world. Since no later than May of 2010, I have been writing that since Iran cannot be the final King of the South that it may be neutralized (see Iran Slams Russia).

Iran could be neutralized because of internal unrest or perhaps a region conflict involving Israel.

Notice that Iran’s official policy is the elimination of the nation of Israel (and this should show that the nuclear negotiations did NOT change Iran’s attitude to become peaceful):

August 27, 2015

A senior Iranian official on Tuesday said Israel “should be annihilated,” and that the thawing relations with the West would not translate into a shift in Tehran’s position concerning the Jewish state.

Hussein Sheikholeslam, a foreign affairs adviser to parliament speaker Ali Larijani, told Iranian media that contrary to remarks by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, “Our positions against the usurper Zionist regime have not changed at all; Israel should be annihilated and this is our ultimate slogan.” http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-should-be-annihilated-senior-iran-aide-says/

The Bible shows that it is possible that God will allow Iran to strike the nation of Israel:

1 The burden against the Valley of Vision.

What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops, 2 You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle. 3 All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar. 4 Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”

5 For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord God of hosts In the Valley of Vision — Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain. 6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots,And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall. 11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.

12 And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning,For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. 13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts,”Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts.  (Isaiah 22:1-14 NKJV)

Elam seems to be a reference to at least some in Iran.  Kir is of interest as it has several possibilities.  One is that the Bible tells that after Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took over Damascus, he moved Syrians to Kir.  While this does not mean that Kir must (or must only) be a reference to Syria, the fact that Syria is an ally of Iran is interesting.  Some believe Kir is an area in the south of Iran, while others suggest closer to the Black Sea. The Bible tells of a time when Kir will be destroyed (Isaiah 15:1b) and also says that Syria’s capital Damascus will be destroyed (Isaiah 17:1).

Anyway, the point I wish to make is that Isaiah 22 shows, presuming that it has a future application, that a time is coming when God will take away the protection of Judah and the City of David (Jerusalem, cf. 2 Kings 9:28).

As I have written before, a temporary peace will come to the Middle East (cf. Daniel 9:27, see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27), but this Iranian deal is not that one.  Expect Iran to overplay its hand and believe it is more powerful than it really is.  Israel, and perhaps even the USA, apparently will be negatively affected by Iran.

But I should also point out that the Bible shows that Iran will not end up faring well. Notice the following prophecy which indicates at least part of its destruction before the latter days:

34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,
The foremost of their might.
36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds
From the four quarters of heaven,
And scatter them toward all those winds;
There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies
And before those who seek their life.
I will bring disaster upon them,
My fierce anger,’ says the Lord;
‘And I will send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
38 I will set My throne in Elam,
And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the Lord. (Jeremiah 49:34-38)

So, what’s next for Iran?

It will attempt to improve aspects of its economy so that it can try to persuade the Islamic world to follow it.  It may well have a military attack against Israel.  But Iran will not do well and will not be the power that leads the Islamic nations in the Middle East and North Africa–that will be an Arabic power (cf. Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-8).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran In Prophecy.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
Why Terrorism? Is Terrorism Prophesied? What does the Bible teach? Which nations may be affected? Here is a link to a related sermon: Terrorism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? A related video is Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

17:29

Dust jacket of Adolf Hitler’s famous book

COGwriter

Now that the sale of Adolf Hitler’s book Mein Kampf has resumed, it has already sold out:

January 16, 2016

For the first time since World War II, a new edition of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf has been published in Germany, and it’s proving even more popular than when it first came out.

The new two-volume book, in which Hitler says Jews are “the personification of the devil,” comes in at 2,000 pages, including 3,700 annotations. The Germany-based Institute for Contemporary History, which has been researching the Nazi regime since 1949, self-published the book. Magnus Brechtken, deputy director of the institute, says it had 15,000 orders by January 8, when it went on sale with an initial print run of 4,000. Days later, the book was on its third print run, and the number of orders continues to climb.

Hitler wrote much of the first volume of Mein Kampf—My Struggle—while in prison for treason, and it sold just 9,473 copies in 1925, the first year it was available. By war’s end, 12 million copies had been sold in Germany.

Mein Kampf  has not been widely available in Germany since then, because the Bavarian state government obtained the copyright and refused to allow anyone to print it. The copyright expired at the end of December, 70 years after Hitler’s death. Now anyone can publish it, as long as the edition includes criticism, so that it does not violate volksverhetzung, German laws against incitement to hatred. http://www.newsweek.com/mein-kampf-hitler-germany-416615

The German state of Bavaria, which held the copyright to Hitler’s book from 1945, refused anyone the rights to publish it out of respect for victims of the Nazis. But on January 1, the work entered the public domain, and several publishers have prepared annotated reprints for sale.

Jewish communities say the book is a stark reminder of the evil it inspired.

“To find Mein Kampf in the windows of bookstores would be…I just can’t imagine it.  I hope this will be prevented for going against sedition laws,” said Charlotte Knobloch of the Center for the Israelite Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria.

The book is not banned in Germany and there is little authorities can do.

“It’s not easy to ban this for copyright reasons; however, anything that seems to be a hate crime can be pursued.  Criminal offenses related to a hate crime will be very systematically pursued in the future,” said Heiko Maas, Germany’s justice minister.

There also are arguments that the 800-page book should be demystified, and that the best way to do that is to publish a properly annotated edition.

“Mein Kampf can’t be read like a bible.  It has to be put into context, with sociologists and historians.  If we do it like that, it will no longer have a negative influence on the public, compared to what we see today with [the anti-immigrant group] Pegida for instance, who quote Mein Kampf without thinking,” said Timo Schnirlein, an engineer.

Hitler’s book is banned in several countries, including Austria and the Netherlands, and it is taboo in Israel, where only abbreviated copies are available for study.  Some Israeli scholars, like Dan Micham of the Yad Vashem International Institute for Holocaust Research, believe there is a need for the complete version. http://www.voanews.com/content/reprints-of-hitler-book-go-on-sale-after-70-years/3133086.html

January 16, 2016

MAINZ, Germany (NBC News) —The first 4,000 copies of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” have sold out less a week after a new annotated version of the Nazi leader’s manifesto hit German bookstores.

Publishers also received 15,000 pre-orders before sales even started on January 8, said Simone Paulmichl of Munich-based Institute of Contemporary History (IFZ), the government-funded research institution that produced the book. http://christiannews.net/2016/01/16/adolf-hitlers-mein-kampf-sells-out-after-week-on-german-bookshelves/

In the 1920s and 1930s, Germans were getting upset with limits and territorial losses that the West had imposed on it.  The West, Jews, and others were blamed.

Now, between concerns about Russia, Islamic terrorists, the Islamic immigrants, feeling betrayed by USA espionage, and pressures from the UK, USA, and others, Germans are wondering if Germany needs to remain a second level power.

While the sales of  Mein Kampf are not astronomical, the growing concerns in Germany about its future are real.  The Germans also do not like that fact that even when traveling, they have been recently targets of Islamic terrorism (see Syrian terrorist kills Germans in Istanbul).

There is growing antisemitism in Europe.  Because of that Jews have been leaving at record levels (see Antisemitism has caused Jewish immigration from Western Europe to Israel to hit an all-time high).

But Adolf Hitler did not just write against Jews, he praised German ethnicity and German accomplishments.  Many Germans are wondering if letting in over 1,000,000 Islamic migrants was good or if it should be reversed at least for criminals (see Germany’s Merkel proposes deportation of those migrants who commit crimes).

Some want to see Germany rise up again (see German foreign minister called for support and dominance similar to Adolf Hitler).  Many want to stop future migration from Islamic nations:

January 12, 2106

German police arrested more than 200 far-right extremists who went on a rampage in the eastern city of Leipzig, setting cars on fire and damaging property.

The chaos began late Monday, at about the same time thousands of supporters of the anti-migrant PEGIDA movement demonstrated, carrying signs with slogans like “RAPEfugees not welcome” and “Freedom for Germany.”

Counter-demonstrators, led by Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung, carried a banner saying “Welcome in Leipzig” and signs saying “No PEGIDA.”

PEGIDA, in German, stands for Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Western World.

Leipzig police spokesman Andreas Leopki said many of the suspected offenders, known to police as football hooligans were supporters of teams FC Lokomotive Leipzig and Hallescher FC.

Germany has been outraged by a rash of attacks on women in the western city of Cologne on New Year’s Eve that has been blamed on migrants.

As PEGIDA supporters rallied in Leipzig to blame refugees for the violence, a group of hooligans nearby smashed windows, burned cars and garbage bins and shot fireworks that set a floor of a building on fire.  http://www.voanews.com/content/germany-extremists-arrested/3141811.html

Note: PEGIDA is NOT a newly formed group, and it has long protested against Islamic immigration.  The Cologne incident has made it bolder and made its message more acceptable to more Germans.

We will see that persecution will greatly increase before Jesus returns.

And this will not be limited to Jews or Muslims, but will include all real Christians (cf. Daniel 7:25; see also Persecutions by Church and State).

The underlying antisemitism in Europe and throughout the world will allow for this, especially when the time will come when the Beast’s government will mandate it (Revelation 13:15-17).

Mein Kampf may give various ones related food for thought.