Church of God News

COGwriter

Germany is racing towards once again having a massive army:

Germany Now Wants ‘Strongest Conventional Army in Europe.’

15 May 2025

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged on May 14, 2025, to transform the Bundeswehr (Federal Defense Forces) into “the strongest conventional army in Europe.” …

“This is appropriate for Europe’s most populous and economically powerful country,” Merz told lawmakers, vowing to provide “all financial means necessary” to overhaul the long-underfunded Bundeswehr. …

“Strength deters aggressors, while weakness invites aggression,” he said, reaffirming support for Ukraine but clarifying Germany’s non-combatant stance: “[W]e are not a party to war, and we don’t want to become one.” https://thenationalpulse.com/2025/05/15/germany-now-wants-strongest-conventional-army-in-europe/

15 May 2025

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday that Berlin accepts in principle the demand from the United States that NATO member states increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.

Speaking on the sidelines of an informal gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya, Turkey, Wadephul said: “The result is the 5% that President [Donald] Trump has called for, and we will follow him in this respect.” …

Germany currently spends just over 2% of its GDP on defense and new Chancellor Friedrich Merz said last week that each additional percentage point would mean further annual expenditure of €45 billion ($50.5 billion). …

Markus Söder, the leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Merz and Wadephul’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), also backed an increase in defense spending.

“3.5% will be the core minimum that we’re going to have to invest, possibly extended to 5% of GDP,” he said at a meeting of defense industry representatives in Munich in Thursday. “That means at least €150 billion per year extra.” …

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Merz declared his intention to reinvest in Germany’s armed forces in order to transform the Bundeswehr into the “strongest conventional army in Europe.”

In his first major address to parliament since his new coalition government was inaugurated last week, Merz promised that Germany would take on greater responsibility within NATO and the European Union.

“This is appropriate for Europe’s most populous and economically powerful country,” he said. “Our friends and partners expect this from us. Indeed, they practically demand it.” https://www.dw.com/en/germany-backs-5-nato-defense-spending-target/a-72549909

There has been a shift going on in Germany. Notice also:

Germans no longer see US as trustworthy partner

7 March 2025

The conservative CDU/CSU and the center-left SPD, the parties most likely to form the next government after the recent German election, have already agreed on massive investments into Germany’s ailing infrastructure and the military.

A credit-financed special fund is to be set up for this purpose. In order to be able to incur debt for higher defense spending, the debt brake enshrined in in the Basic Law, Germany’s constitution, is to be relaxed.

These plans generally meet with broad public approval, according to Infratest-dimap’s monthly representative survey of 1,325 eligible voters conducted from March 4 to March 5. …

US no longer reliable

Trump has been back in office for only six weeks and has already been calling into question core policies, which is having a massive impact on how Germans view Trump and the United States.

One in two respondents to the infratest poll say their opinion of Trump has worsened since he took office. Just one in seven expresses a favorable opinion of the US president. The United States’ reputation is plummeting to new lows.

This month only one in six voters described the US as a partner who Germany can trust. Three quarters believe that NATO members cannot currently rely on the United States for protection.

The Germans polled are not skeptical of NATO itself: 84% said that the North Atlantic defense alliance is important for securing peace in Europe. Nevertheless, there is growing support for greater European independence. One in two said they favor establishing a European military alliance. https://www.dw.com/en/germans-no-longer-see-us-as-trustworthy-partner/a-71858094

On November 7, 2016 (the day before Donald Trump’s first election), I posted:

If Donald Trump is elected, the Germans will see this as proof that they cannot rely on the USA for their defense, etc. Germany will push for a European army. (see ‘Why Europe Secretly Roots For Donald Trump’?). (Thiel B. Germans opposed to Donald Trump, but not too optimistic about Hillary Clinton. COGwriter, November 7, 2016)

The above has been confirmed.

As far as NATO goes, it has long been my view that Europe will likely attack the USA and/or the UK under the guise of a NATO (or some other defense treaty) military exercise and that is consistent with the following prophecy about the coming European King of the North Beast:

23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. (Daniel 11:23-24, NKJV)

Notice that he pretends peace then devises a plan against the strongholds. This looks to be a reference to the nation with the strongest military, the “strongest fortresses,” that Daniel 11:39 shows he will conquer–that is the USA and its British-descended allies (see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

While now is not the time–“the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6; see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?)–many in Germany and elsewhere in Europe are unwittingly taking military steps that will allow this to come to pass.

Notice also:

A Brussels Reich? Van der Leyen’s ‘ReArm Europe’ Plan

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has introduced the “ReArm Europe” initiative. The ReArm Initiative represents an extensive €800 billion strategy designed to enhance Europe’s defense capabilities and a strategic response to increasing global uncertainties …

She warns about the “dangerous times” that characterize the present and, even more likely, the future. “I do not need to describe the grave nature of the threats that we face. Or the devastating consequences that we will have to endure if those threats would come to pass” because, she points out, “we are in an era of rearmament,” and at this stage, the EU intends to respond with a five-point European rearmament plan, the name of which — Rearm Europe — already suggests much. https://21stcenturywire.com/2025/03/04/brussels-reich-van-der-leyens-rearm-europe-plan/

Let me add Ursula von der Leyen is also German. Note also the term “reich” in that headline.

Could Donald Trump, various fears, pandemics, migrants, economic issues, or other ‘crises’ lead to a ‘fourth reich’?

Notice something about Germany’s history published decades ago by the old Worldwide Church of God:

In 1933 Adolf Hitler, using Germany’s growing economic crisis as a stepping-stone to power, gained control of Germany, inaugurating the Third Reich of German history.

It quickly became clear that Hitler’s geopolitical aims far transcended his own country’s borders. Hitler held an unshakable conviction that his German Reich would one day rule all of Europe — and from there seize the leadership of the world! He dreamed of a “new world order” that would remake the political face of the earth, with himself at its helm.

In 1939 Hitler began in earnest his struggle for the mastery of the world. (Stump K. Coming Soon – A New World Order. Good News, 1985)

Adolf Hitler used an economic crisis to rise up and form his so-called third reich.

Could there be some type of a ‘fourth reich’ this century to follow the ‘third reich’ of last century?

The old Radio Church of God thought so, even decades earlier:

The “German Problem” is not dead. Germans are thinking more than ever of an undivided Reich – and of an undivided Europe! … On the 17th of June, Germans celebrated a national holiday a day dedicated to AN UNDIVIDED GERMANY. Stores closed. No one worked. The striking thing is that this day signifies something that has not happened yet! Most holidays commemorate an event – something that has already taken place. Not this one – it looks forward to an event which all Germans hope for and even pray for – AN UNDIVIDED GERMANY! (Kelly R. The March for an Undivided Germany. Plain Truth, September 1964)

Well, since that came out, East and West Germany united, the European Union formed, and a European currency has been implemented.

So, is a ‘fourth reich’ in the process of forming? Some in Germany and elsewhere seem to think so.

Now this does not mean that everyone in Germany wants it to militarily dominate the world, but Bible prophecy shows that deep down, those there do want to dominate.

Notice the following prophecy:

5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
6 I will send him against an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations.
8 For he says,
‘Are not my princes altogether kings? (Isaiah 10:6-8)

Notice that the leader of the final empire will not think that he wants to destroy nations, but he really does, and really will.

Notice that Isaiah tells of a time when the end time Assyrian power will be sent against an ungodly nation (NKJV), translated as “an hypocritical nation” in the KJV. The Hebrew word used signifies being “soiled” or impious, and certainly that is now the case for the nation known as the United States.

What exactly is the ‘fourth reich’? Notice one interpretation:

The Fourth Reich (German: Viertes Reich) is a theoretical future German empire, following the First Reich (the Holy Roman Empire, 962–1806), the Second Reich (Imperial Germany, 1871–1918) and the Third Reich (Nazi Germany, 1933–1945). (Wikipedia, accessed 04/03/15)

Some believe that Germany already has a type of fourth reich as it has been able to dominate European matters at least for the past decade or so.

Biblically, the final European King of the North will lead a revived ‘Holy Roman Empire.’ This will be the empire of the Beast power of Revelation 13. This new world order, which will have German dominance, will in a sense be its fourth militaristic reich (reich means reign).

The Bible prophesies that Europe will have a “great army” (Daniel 11:25), various weapons, and “many ships” (Daniel 11:40).

Germany’s chancellor, yesterday, basically said that Germany would work to get both.

Furthermore, technology will, in my view, be key in the establishment of a militaristic fourth reich, consistent with scriptures such as Revelation 13:4. And yes, Europe is working on military-related technologies.

Here is a link to our video: Should Europe Still Consider Itself a US Ally?

A ‘fourth reich’ is in the process of being made, but it is not here yet.

Of course, Germany was defeated twice last century. But notice the following prophecy from the Book of Revelation:

14 … the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. (Revelation 13:14)

Germany, along with remnants of the old ‘Holy Roman Empire,’ were wounded by the swords of WWI and WWII, but has Germany has lived and now is mainly recovered from its prior wounds. And the EU is rising to be the final version of the old Holy Roman Empire.

Germany is more and more committed to becoming a major military power again.

Many in Europe are supporting that.

There will be many unintended consequences of the Trump-Vance Administration.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: ¿Deben los Diez Reyes gobernar sobre diez naciones? A related sermon in the English language is titled: Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
The Large Hadron Collider has Military Potential Some say this European project is only peaceful. So why is it working on capturing antimatter? Here is a link to a related video: Could the Large Hadron Collider lead to destruction?
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here is a link to a video Is the USA Pushing Germany to Start WWIII?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?  Is Donald Trump going to save the USA or are there going to be many disastrous unintended consequences of his statements and policies? What will happen. The link takes you to a book available at Amazon.com.
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? Kindle 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 Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?

 
5G Connections (Public Domain)

COGwriter

Michael Snyder posted the following:

Can Your Phone Read Your Mind?

May 14, 2025

Have you ever been thinking about something and then an ad for that very thing comes up on your phone? It isn’t just a coincidence when that happens. Our phones are the greatest surveillance devices that have ever been created in the entire history of humanity. When you carry a phone with you, you are carrying around a microphone, a camera, a location tracking device and a social media hub all rolled into one. Tech companies are literally collecting thousands upon thousands of data points on each one of us, and all of that information is fed into extremely sophisticated algorithms. …

There are some apps that are specifically designed to pick out keywords from conversations that you are having with your contacts.

That is just one of the reasons why you may notice an ad for something that you were just discussing with a friend pop up.

Your phone has the ability to track everywhere that you go as well.

So if you driving down the highway, you may get an ad for a nearby hotel.

That is just the way that it works. …

And those algorithms are very good at showing us eerily accurate ads…

Imagine this: you’re casually chatting with a friend about planning a trip to the Maldives. A few hours later, you open your smartphone, and guess what? You’re bombarded with ads for tropical getaways, swimsuit sales, and “best hotels in the Maldives” suggestions. Coincidence? Or is your phone secretly tuned into your every thought? Welcome to the era of advanced AI technologies that sometimes make it feel like our smartphones are practically reading our minds.

Of course what we are experiencing now is just the beginning. …

So what could a tyrannical government do with this sort of technology?

If authorities had access to every single detail of your life, there would be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. https://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/can-your-phone-read-your-mind/

Yes, mobile telephones are one of the many ways that humans are surveilled. You could call that the mark of the cell phone.

Back in 2019, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill warned about this type of technology:

Russian Patriarch Warns ‘Antichrist’ Will Control Humans Through Gadgets

8 January 2019

The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has said that humans’ dependence on modern technology will result in the coming of the Antichrist.

In an interview with Russian state media, Patriarch Kirill explained he does not entirely oppose gadgets, but warned against “falling into slavery” to smartphones.

Patriarch Kirill said that the collection of user data including “location, interests and fears” will make it possible for humans to be controlled by external forces.

“Control from a single point is a harbinger of the coming of the Antichrist,” Kirill told the state-run Rossia-1 TV network …

“The Antichrist is a personality that will be at the head of the world wide web controlling the entire human race. Thus, the structure itself presents a danger,” he said.

The church leader stressed that “if we don’t want to bring the apocalypse closer, there should be no single [control and access] center.” https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russian-patriarch-warns-antichrist-will-control-humans-through-gadgets-64060

Well, technology will be something the Antichrist supporters will use.

In 2012, one man wrote:

“Forget a chip in your forehead – the ‘mark of the beast’ is the cell phone.”

April 10, 2012

The development of a new microchip for cell phones that knows the user’s location to within a few centimeters confirms the fact that contrary to biblical fears about mandatory implantable microchips, people have willingly exchanged their privacy for convenience and that the cell phone itself is the de facto “mark of the beast”.

…reports MIT Technology Review.  “In theory, the new chip can even determine what floor of a building you’re on, thanks to its ability to integrate information from the atmospheric pressure sensor on many models of Android phones. The company calls abilities like this “ubiquitous navigation,” and the idea is that it will enable a new kind of e-commerce predicated on the fact that shopkeepers will know the moment you walk by their front door, or when you are looking at a particular product, and can offer you coupons at that instant.”

Over 82% of Americans own cell phones, with around half of these being smart phones. In the near future, the majority of Americans will own smart phones that will have the ability to track their location down to a few centimeters.  http://www.infowars.com/new-microchip-knows-your-location-to-within-centimeters/

Back in 2012, in that article about cell phones, I wrote:

The ability to control buying and selling, etc. would be vastly aided by modern technology. (Thiel B. Writer claims cell phone is “mark of the beast.” COGwriter, April 11, 2012)

Since then, cell phone technology has gotten faster. 98% of Americans have cell phones, with 91% having smart phones. A decade ago, 95% of Europeans had mobile phones, and that percentage has likely also increased.

5G on these phones can speed up attaining knowledge. There is also something called 10G:

5G stands for next-generation wireless; 10G, on the other hand, connotes cable’s ramp up to 10 gigabits-per-second speeds. And while overlap and competition exist between these two approaches to broadband – the former is wireless tech, the latter wired – the technologies are also complementary. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2019/01/09/5-g-10-g-cable-industry-makes-case-keep-broadband-your-home/2514506002/

Consider that faster development of knowledge was also prophesied in the Bible to occur during the time of the end:

4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4)

What is called ‘artificial intelligence,’ along with technologies like 5G (and even 10g)  is consistent with that prophecy. Not all increased knowledge is good as humans often do bad things with knowledge.

As far as AI goes, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel related to it back on April 22, 2018:

15:30

Artificial Intelligence and Prophecy

Billionaire Elon Musk declared he was worried that artificial intelligence (AI) may lead to the rise of an “immortal dictator,” a “godlike” entity that could take over the world. Is this accurate, or at least, close in some ways? Does Bible prophecy foretell of the rise of an immoral leader who considers himself above all gods? Will this result in great destruction? What is AI? How might it fit in with various prophecies? Was the increase in technological knowledge we now have prophesied over 2000 years ago? Will 666’s control over buying and selling involve any form of AI? Dr. Thiel goes over many scriptures, including prophetic ones, that involve human knowledge–which is the basis of AI. He also points out that when various prophesies were made, there was no technology capable of fulfilling them, but that because of computers, such ability exists now. Dr. Thiel also points out what Jesus will do about it.

Here is a link: Artificial Intelligence and Prophecy.

We have put out more videos related to AI since.

We have also seen the ‘Digital Wallet’ and more and more ways to make purchases over cell phones.

Those look like other marks of the cell phone.

Bible prophecy shows that a militaristic European dictator will arise and his supporters will apparently use something like AI. Mobile telephones and other technologies may well be utilized.

One ‘mark of the cell phone,’ is that the combined 666 Beast and Antichrist power will likely get surveillance ideas from it.

Notice what is coming with the European dictator Beast of the Sea and his Beast of the Earth Antichrist ‘partner’:

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

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.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

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.

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,

17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:1-18)

The ability to control buying and selling, forced worship, etc. would be vastly aided by modern technology. The type of control that was written about in Revelation 13 was not possible over 1900 years ago when Revelation was written–but in the 21st century it is.

While cell phones are not the mark of the Beast, they and related technologies are making it easier for the Beast to gain control once he rises up.

A time of totalitarian control is coming and Patriarch Kirill is correct that technology will be used by the Antichrist and those he is supporting.

UPDATE 05/18/25: We just uploaded the following related video:

14:52

Mark of the Cell Phone?

How common are mobile telephones? With their sophisticated algorithms can they read your mind? Can governments monitor you, your location, and even purchases through modern technologies like cellular telephones? Could a cell phone be the Mark of the Beast of Revelation, the 666 of Revelation 13 ? Did Russian Patriarch Kirill warn that people are “falling into slavery” from technologies that collect data on “location, interests and fears”? Did he specifically point to the Antichrist using such technologies? Did Patriarch Kirill state, “if we don’t want to bring the apocalypse closer, there should be no single [control and access] center”? Can computers, Artificial Intelligence, and cell phones help fulfill prophecies about knowledge increasing in the end times? What about the ‘666’ control of buying and selling by the Beast and the Antichrist? Dr. Thiel addresses those issues and others related to the ‘mark of the cell phones.’

Here is a link to our sermonette video: Mark of the Cell Phone?

While cell phones cannot read our minds, mobile phones, AI and other technologies will work to put in the coming ‘666’ controls the Bible has prophesied. Cell phones are already making some 666-related marks.

Some items of related interest include the following:

The Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
Mark of the Beast What is the mark of the Beast? Who is the Beast? What have various ones claimed the mark is? What is the ‘Mark of the Beast’?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.

(UnSplash photo)

COGwriter

Each year thousands of Palestinians rally in Jerusalem to celebrate ‘Nakba Day’:

14 May 2025

Palestinians have taken to the streets of the occupied West Bank to mark the 77th anniversary of Nakba (Catastrophe) Day. 

It marks the 1948 forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in historical Palestine as Israel proclaimed its illegal existence.

On Wednesday, Palestinians rallied in the province of Ramallah and chanted, “We will not leave, Palestine is for the Palestinians”, stressing their right to return to the areas from which they were forced to leave in 1948 and their refusal of all schemes to displace them.

Similar rallies also took place in Tulkarm and other Palestinian provinces on the eve of Nakba Day.

Nakba Day is commemorated on May 15 every year, marking the day after Israel declared its existence in 1948. That year also saw a war between Israel and a coalition of Arab states over the control of Palestine, during which some 700,000 Palestinians were driven out of their homes and hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed.

According to Mohammed Alian, the coordinator of the “Nakba Day” commemoration events, the activities will continue tomorrow and upcoming days. https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/05/14/747940/palestinians-west-bank-nakba

Here is a report related to last year:

15 May 2024

What does Nakba mean?

The Arabic word Nakba means catastrophe, or disaster. In reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the term Nakba or al-Nakba refers to the Palestinians having lost their homeland during and after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. …

May 15, 1948 was the beginning of the Arab-Israeli war and has long been a day that Palestinians take to the streets to protest against their displacement. Many carry Palestinian flags, bring the keys of their former homes or carry banners with the symbols of keys, illustrating the hope of returning home and what the community sees as their right to return.

In the past, some protests have turned into violent clashes. Israel has accused Hamas and other organizations that are listed by the EU and other countries as terror organizations of using the day to further their causes.

The term Nakba Day was coined in 1998 by then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. He set the date as the official day for the commemoration of the loss of the Palestinian homeland. …

According to the UN’s dedicated Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, most Palestinians in the region still live in refugee camps which over time have turned into refugee towns. They are mainly based in the Gaza Strip, in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and east Jerusalem.

The international Palestinian diaspora is estimated to have increased to some 6 to 7 million people. If accurate, this would put the total number of Palestinians close to 13 million people. https://www.dw.com/en/what-is-the-palestinian-nakba-and-why-does-it-matter/a-65539735

May 15, 2024

Palestinians across the world mark Nakba Day on Wednesday, an event commemorating the mass expulsion from their homes during the conflict that created the State of Israel in 1948. …

Amjad Abukwaik, a Verona resident, said his family fled fighting in 1948 “assuming they would come back the next day.” As refugees, they settled in Ramallah in the West Bank, in Jordan and in Gaza, where he was born.

The situation for Palestinians today is far more dire, Abukwaik said.

“The level of destruction, the level of killing, it’s just so much worse now,” he said. “Even [wars in] ‘48 or ‘67 were a few days long. This has been going on for seven, almost eight months now.” …

Israel does not want Hamas to return to power after its attack on Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 Israelis, with another 250 taken hostage. The government said the goal of its ongoing military campaign in Gaza is to eliminate Hamas, which it views as a threat to Israel. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and others. …

Gaza is growing “uninhabitable” amid bombings that have destroyed or damaged most homes, schools, health care facilities and infrastructure, say UN experts.

About 100,000 Gazans have crossed into Egypt, but Egypt and Jordan have said they will not accept Gazan refugees. They cite the potential impact on society and economy, but also maintain that they do not want to be complicit in Gazan’s permanent expulsion from their land. https://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/2024/05/15/nakba-day-2024-palestine-gaza-israel/73692783007/

Here is some additional  information about it:

Nakba Day , Yawm an-Nakba, meaning “Day of the Catastrophe” is generally commemorated on 15 May. The day was inaugurated by Yasser Arafat in 1998. For the Palestinians it is an annual day of commemoration of the displacement that preceded and followed the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. During the 1948 Palestine War, an estimated 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled , and hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages were depopulated and destroyed. These refugees and their descendants number several million people, divided between Jordan (2 million), Lebanon (427,057), Syria (477,700), the West Bank (788,108) and the Gaza Strip (1.1 million), with at least another quarter of a million internally displaced Palestinians in Israel. The displacement, dispossession and dispersal of the Palestinian people is known to them as an-Nakba, meaning “catastrophe” or “disaster”. 05/14/18 https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/abbas-blasts-u-s-embassy-move-an-insult-to-world-and-palestinians-1.6091355

There is a real social division in Jerusalem. A formal political division may also come.

Now with the Hamas-Israel war, there is massive destruction in Gaza and there have been numerous protests around the world.

That being said, in 2018 Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu made some statements:

May 14, 2018

Amid violent Palestinian protests, the U.S. officially opened a new embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, drawing effusive praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Today, today, the embassy of the most powerful nation on earth, our greatest ally, the United States of America, opened here,” Netanyahu at a ceremony marking the event.

“God bless the United States of America and God bless Jerusalem, the eternal undivided capital of Israel,” he said.

Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza run by Hamas, a U.S.-declared terrorist organization, claimed dozens of Palestinians protesting at the border were killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli military said it was repelling an effort by Hamas to breach the border. http://www.wnd.com/2018/05/this-is-history-u-s-embassy-opens-in-jerusalem/#QCHpZIu03Pu887So.99

He is in error. Jerusalem WILL NOT remain the tiny nation of Israel’s eternal and undivided capital.

He also made some more recent comments:

May 15, 2024

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s decision to back a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member as the Israeli government rejected upgrading the status of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

“No reward will be given for the terrible massacre of October 7, which 80% of the Palestinians, both in the West Bank and in Gaza, support. Israel won’t allow establishment of terrorist state,” said Netanyahu. https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy/artc-netanyahu-on-un-ruling-we-won-t-allow-establishment-of-terrorist-state

The situation with the Palestinians, Gazans, and Jerusalem will not turn out as he now hopes.

The Bible also suggests that Jerusalem will be divided (although this could be more of a Palestinian vs. Catholic division or one between Beast supporters and non-supporters as it is to occur during the Day of the Lord):

1 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.

2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zechariah 14:1-2)

The longstanding conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, the current conflict between Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas & Israel, the conflicts with Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other Islamists rising up in the Middle East, combined with European/United Nations/USA views are setting the stage for the dividing of Jerusalem in the 21st century. And based upon other prophecies about the Gentiles controlling Jerusalem for a certain period (e.g. Revelation 11:2), it suggests that it will be the Israelis that will ultimately be taken captive.

The European Union and the former UN Secretary-General (Ban Ki-moon) want to divide Jerusalem now to partially satisfy many Palestinians. Possibly through the treaty of Daniel 9:27, the dividing will happen and the captivity of 1/2 of Jerusalem ultimately will come to fulfill Zechariah 14:2 (see Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?).

The Bible clearly warns of a time of armies and Gentile domination of Jerusalem:

20 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. (Luke 21:20)

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15-16)

23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:23-24)

2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. (Revelation 11:2)

As far as Jerusalem being “surrounded by armies,” years ago USA President Barack Obama proposed something just like that (see Will Obama’s Plan Have Jerusalem Surrounded by Armies?). Biblical prophecy will be fulfilled.

Various rallies by the Palestinians show that they remain committed to Jerusalem. To a degree, some in the international community will support them.

Related to prophecy and Gaza, we put out the following video:

14:33

Gaza and Bible Prophecy

Israeli officials such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have claimed that all those in Hamas will be killed or eliminated. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen added that the plan is to make Gaza shrink. Where do those of Gaza and other Palestinians come from? Does the Bible show historical animosities between the descendants of Israel and those of the Gazans and the Palestinians? What does the Bible show that Gaza and Hamas mean? Do biblical prophecies in Amos and Jeremiah point to Gaza ending up with territories that Israel now controls? Can Israel lose territory? Will Hamas achieve some of its objectives? What does the 83rd Psalm prophesy? Might terrorism be involved? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Gaza and Bible Prophecy.

That being said, the Bible tells us to:

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: (Psalms 122:6)

We all should do that as well as to heed Jesus’ admonition to, “Watch” (Mark 13:37).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians? Here is a link to a related video: Gaza and Palestine 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. This is a YouTube video.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2023, 2024, or 2025? 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 la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation start in 2022 or 2023? Notice also: Can Jesus return in 2023 or 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.
Could 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? 2031 or ? There is also a video titled: When Does the 6000 Years End? 2031? 2035? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
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.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Euro bank notes (Pixabay)

COGwriter

Martin Armstrong (not related to any COG Armstrongs) reported that Spain is limiting cash withdrawals:

Withdrawing large sums in cash is no longer possible in Spain without the government’s approval. Those withdrawing €3,000 or more must notify Spain’s tax agency, Agencia Tributaria, in advance. Withdrawals at or exceeding €100,000 require a 72-hour approval process, and the tax agency is requesting a 24-hour mandatory notification for any amount over €3,000.

A few news outlets are reporting that the Spanish government will impose a €150,000 fine on those who fail to report, but Project Veritas found that to be false. Article 4 of Order EHA/98/2010 states that these new measures are safeguarding institutions against money laundering and terrorism, the typical scapegoats.

In truth, these measures are intended to provide the government with control over capital. …

Citizens are expected to notify the government of how they plan to spend their money by providing personal identification to their banks.

Governments believe that all currency in circulation truly belongs to them. All transactions should be traceable and taxable. 05/13/25 https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/taxes/spain-limits-cash-withdrawals/

Notice something related to the United Nations pushing a globalist goal of using digital identification as a way to monitor and change behavior:

UN to Use Digital IDs to Track Energy Use & Change Behavior

The article title, UN Pushes Digital IDs to Fight ‘Global Warming’ by Forcing ‘Behavior Change’ Among Public, gives away their intent. They plan to use these IDs to control our behavior. It will all be done to benefit the fake climate crisis.

“Leveraging digital legal ID data to track energy consumption, inspire behavior change, and enhance sustainability measures can mitigate climate-related disasters,” the article states.

They plan to track our energy use and then “inspire” our “behavior change.”

This looks like the next generation of vaccine passports.

We now have our incoming president pushing AI. That can be equally concerning. It will prove to be smarter than all of us and will collect our information and broadcast it if asked. It can track us. It can be very dangerous, especially in the hands of a government. They can feed bias or incorrect data into it. It can be hacked.

If you feel the walls closing in, they are. 01/15/25 https://www.independentsentinel.com/un-to-use-digital-ids-to-track-energy-use-change-behavior/

Here are excerpts from the United Nations’ article the above referred to:

Why legal identity is crucial to tackling the climate crisis

Digitalization offers a pathway to bridging the global identity gap

Legal identity serves as a fundamental gateway to accessing both public and private services. However, a staggering 850 million people worldwide lack the means to establish their identity. Embracing digitalization offers a pathway to bridging this global identity gap, with digital legal identity serving as a cornerstone of digital public infrastructure, fostering interoperability among diverse systems.

At the core of evidence-based policymaking lies the invaluable data sourced from foundational registries like civil and national ID databases. …

Amidst the escalating risks of climate-induced disasters, targeted interventions informed by data can yield multiple benefits. These interventions enhance predictive capabilities, bolster preparedness efforts, and streamline response mechanisms to mitigate the uncertainties associated with climate-related risks. Furthermore, leveraging data can significantly contribute to emission reduction initiatives, thereby aiding in climate mitigation endeavors. …

Leveraging digital legal ID data to track energy consumption, inspire behaviour change, and enhance sustainability measures can mitigate climate-related disasters.

Governments can use digital IDs to facilitate renewable energy incentives in disaster-prone regions, encouraging the adoption of clean energy technologies. 05/15/24 https://www.undp.org/blog/why-legal-identity-crucial-tackling-climate-crisis

In other words, governments can use digital identification, particularly presuming it is tied to purchases, as a way to monitor, change, and control people.

Regarding financial controls, notice the following related to the International Monetary Fund:

IMF Chief Boasts CBDCs Can Harvest ‘Very Useful Data’ for Public’s ‘Social Credit Score’

January 13, 2025

The head of the International Money Fund (IMF) has reassured his fellow globalists that a universal Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) will provide enough data to give every member of the public around the world a “social credit score.” https://rumble.com/v64mr2a-imf-chief-boasts-cbdcs-can-harvest-very-useful-data-for-publics-social-cred.html?e9s=src_v1_mfp

The World Economic Forum (WEF) seems pleased that most nations are intending to adopt Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs):

Cashless Society: WEF Boasts That 98% Of Central Banks Are Adopting CBDCs

April 25, 2024

The WEF recently boasted in a new white paper that 98% of all central banks are now pursuing CBDC programs.  The report, titled ‘Modernizing Financial Markets With Wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency’, notes:

“CeBM is ideal for systemically important transactions despite the emergence of alternative payment instruments…Wholesale central bank digital currency (wCBDC) is a form of CeBM that could unlock new economic models and integration points that are not possible today.”

The paper primarily focuses on the streamlining of crossborder transactions, an effort which the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has been deeply involved in for the past few years.  It also highlights an odd concept of differentiated CBDC mechanisms, each one specifically designed to be used by different institutions for different reasons.  Wholesale CBDCs would be used only by banking institutions, governments and some global corporations, as opposed to Retail CBDCs which would be reserved for the regular population. …

By extension, the adoption of CBDCs by governments and global banks will ultimately lead to what the WEF calls “dematerialization” – The removal of physical securities and money.  The WEF states:

“As with the Bank of England’s (BOE) RTGS modernization programme, the intention is to introduce a fully digitized securities system that is future-proofed for incremental adoption of DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology). The tokenization of assets involves creating digital tokens representing underlying assets like real estate, equities, digital art, intellectual property and even cash. Tokenization is a key use case for blockchain, with some estimates pointing towards $4-5 trillion in tokenized securities on DLTa  by 2030.” 

Finally, they let the cat out of the bag:

“The BIS proposed two models for bringing tokenization into the monetary system: 1) Bring CBDCs, DTs and tokenized assets on to a common unified ledger, and 2) pursue incremental progress by creating interlinking systems.

They determined the latter option was more feasible given that the former requires a reimagination of financial systems. Experimentation with the unified ledger concept is ongoing.”

To interpret this into decoded language – The unified ledger is essentially another term for a one world digital currency system completely centralized and under the control of global banks like the BIS and IMF.  The WEF and BIS are acknowledging the difficulty of introducing such a system without opposition, so, they are recommending incremental introduction using “interlinking systems” (attaching CBDCs to paper currencies and physical contracts and then slowly but surely dematerializing those assets and making digital the new norm).  It’s the totalitarian tip-toe.

The BIS predicts there will be at least 9 major CBDCs in circulation by the year 2030; this is likely an understatement of the intended plan.  Globalists have hinted in the past that they prefer total digitization by 2030.

A cashless society would be the end game for economic anonymity and freedom in trade. https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/cashless-society-wef-boasts-98-central-banks-are-adopting-cbdcs

Yes, the WEF wants all financial transactions to be digital. Yes, a cashless society ends “economic anonymity and freedom.” Such is also basically prophesied to come to pass in the Bible in Revelation 13:15-18.

Back in 2022, the Dutch Finance Minister, Sigrid Kaag, who has a close connection to the World Economic Forum (WEF), wants more financial controls and essentially to cancel cash:

Cancelling cash

In the slipstream of “big” issues, there is a stubborn struggle in many countries to keep cash. Many governments want to gradually phase out cash and are aiming for purely digital currencies in the future. European citizens have long feared this step towards the abolition of cash and tighter controls: in public consultations, almost every second response was concerned about the protection of privacy.

Published: November 14, 2022, 1:42 pm

The fact that this course is quite controversial was made clear recently by the new Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – she announced that she wanted to increase the upper limit for cash payments in Italy from the current 2000 to 10 000 euros, the same amount as in Germany.

WEF-star, The Netherlands, meanwhile is marching full steam ahead in the opposite direction. If Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag has her way, all transactions over 100 euros will be monitored by the banks in the future – a massive invasion of privacy. In addition, unsurprisingly, the minister is campaigning for the introduction of the digital euro.

According to the Dutch news agency Business AM, the finance minister is currently working on a relevant draft law. Transfers that exceed the amount of 100 euros are to be stored in a separate database accessible to the government. …

In addition, Kaag is pushing for the launch of an EU-wide central bank digital currency. No surprise really since Kaag is a Schwab acolyte par excellence. “The introduction of the digital euro is becoming more and more real. I think it’s important that we in the Netherlands, with our innovative and open economy, take an active part in these considerations,” the minister was quoted as saying in a letter she sent to the House of Representatives in the summer.

Transfer monitoring from 100 euros would be a clear step in this direction. …

The ECB plans for the digital euro are taking on more and more concrete forms. The Brussels grandees are leaving no stone unturned and their henchmen in governments are implementing the plan to control citizens. Pretending that the alleged fight is against money laundering and terrorism when governments invite in ISIS terrorists to stay, or claiming that it’s about a reconstruction of the devastated economy in Europe – all these fabrications are supposed to serve as a pretext for their totalitarian project.

ECB boss and WEF foundation board member Christine Lagarde has been harping on about the advance of foreign corporations in European payment transactions. https://freewestmedia.com/2022/11/14/cancelling-cash/

Many members of the WEF, including its founder Klaus Schwab, want to basically eliminate privacy and be able to monitor, and also control, buying and selling.

Getting rid of cash as well as creating a massive database of transactions are steps in that direction.

Consider the following:

ECB Says Cash “Not Fit” For Digital Economy, Dismisses CBDC Privacy Concerns

August 24, 2022

In the digital economy, cash is no longer a useful tool, and a central bank digital currency (CBDC) is the “only solution” to continue the existing monetary system, according to a new paper from the European Central Bank (ECB).

The eurozone’s central bank recently published a paper titled, “The Economics of Central Bank Digital Currency.” Authors assessed the implications for the financial system and examined data privacy and digital payments.

Researchers concluded that a CBDC, like a digital euro, would be the “only solution” to facilitate a “smooth continuation” of the present monetary system. Despite widespread concerns that CBDCs would limit the credit supply and function as a disruptive force in the financial markets, the paper rejected these concerns as being unfounded.

Digital money is critical in a digital economy, the ECB noted. Since “cash is losing its appeal as efficient means of payment,” a CBDC is a necessary tool to install. Although the research identified drawbacks of instituting a uniform digital monetary system, such as the sluggish pace of settlements, market developments, and adoption, the paper noted that “a digital update of cash” is crucial to advancing “the two-layer system of public and private money.”

Ultimately, cash possesses “large economic costs without clear benefits,” so “it is by construction not ‘fit’ for the digital age.”

Digital money might generate privacy concerns, authors warned. …

The paper also rejected cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, calling them a “threat to monetary sovereignty.” https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/ecb-says-cash-not-fit-digital-economy-dismisses-cbdc-privacy-concerns

Here are some excerpts from the ECB paper:

We argue that public digital money in form of a CBDC could replace banknotes as the monetary anchor of today’s two‐layer monetary system and help retaining monetary sovereignty if global stablecoins became widely used. …

Bindseil (2020) notes that in a negative interest rate environment demand for CBDC would be potentially unlimited if it were remunerated at a zero interest rate. At the same time, a CBDC carrying a negative interest rate might face adoption obstacles as users would perceive cash as a less costly means of payment. …

Since cash is only available in physical form, it is by construction not “fit” for the digital age. https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecb.wp2713~91ddff9e7c.en.pdf?79062191677f6bb6f617909e6a7a9ba8%C3%A4 accessed 08/24/22

The ECB wants to increase its influence and control of finance.

According to the Bible (cf. Revelation 13:1-18), a coming European beast 666 power will control buying and selling.

As far as Europe’s digital plans go, back in January 2022, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

9:03

EU to be ‘Sheriff’ of BitCoin & Digital Currencies

Will Bitcoin remain unregulated? The European Union does not think it should be and it released a paper titled “Proposal for EU Regulation on Markets in Crypto-Assets.” Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, earlier endorsed EU regulation of crypto and digital currencies. A Belgian declared that the EU was the “new Sheriff in town” to deal with the “wild west” of Bitcoin, blockchain, and other cryptocurrencies. The European Union now also has the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in operation, mainly to deal with financial matters? Will the Europeans end up controlling buying and selling associated with 666 in Revelation 13:16-18? Is Europe taking preliminary steps to do so now? Dr. Thiel address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: EU to be ‘Sheriff’ of BitCoin & Digital Currencies.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office officially started operations on 1 June 2021 (https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/background).

So, yes, there is an enforcer for 666.

A few years back, my wife Joyce and I visited Sweden, which is almost cashless. We put together a video about its moves towards cashlessness on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel: Sweden going to ‘666’ cashlessness?

We have had trouble in France and Italy in the past to simply exchange money. There have been limits in Italy and some other EU nations for some time, but now Spain has been added to the list.

The world in general, as well as Europe in particular, is moving more towards a cashless society.

The Bible, itself, prophesies that totalitarian financial controls are coming to Europe:

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:11-18)

The type of controls prophesied in Revelation 13:16-18 were something that was not possible when Jesus had the Apostle John pen the above. But it is possible now with digital technology–particularly if cash is eliminated and made inconsequential.

The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) recently put together the following video related to digital currencies on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:17

Cashlessness and 1984

The government of Belgium is in the process of ordering small businesses to accept credit cards. In Sweden more and more cashless transactions are occurring. The European Central Bank as well as the government of the United States is working on developing Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Could this be used for ‘1984’-type monitoring? Is something like this needed for ‘666’ control of buying and selling as warned in the Book of Revelation? Does the European Union now have a unit that could do ‘666’ monitoring? What about the use of gold? Steve Dupuie asks Dr. Thiel various questions related to these topics.

Here is a link to our video: Cashlessness and 1984.

Are there threats associated with governments going cashless? Are CBDCs a good thing?

The Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel discussing various views and scriptures about that:

14:37

CBDCs and a Cashless Society

“Bringing you news and analysis of world events in light of Bible prophecy.” This one of the mandates of the Continuing Church of God. The Beast of Revelation is shown as controlling all buying and selling. Might CBDCs fill a role in that control? The Bank of International Settlement predicts there will be at least 9 CBDCs in circulation by 2030. Globalists would prefer a faster pace. What nations or groups of nations are pushing for a Central Bank Digital Currency? There is one group of nations that has claimed it wants to be the dominant force in a CBDC. Will this group of nations become a tie-in to the 666 Mark of the Beast? How close are we to CBDCs? Dr. Thiel uses verses from Bible prophecy to shine the light of understanding on the dangers of the coming Beast power and the cashless society promised by CBDCs. You can read the corresponding article to this video titled “Yes, there are threats of cashlessness, most in NZ, Canada, the US, & Australia oppose CBDCs, yet the IMF continues to push for CBDCs.”

Here is a link to our video: CBDCs and a Cashless Society.

Are you paying attention to what is going on in the world?

The WEF and world political leaders are moving in this direction.

The 666 prophecies will be fulfilled.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
Mark of the Beast What is the mark of the Beast? Who is the Beast? What have various ones claimed the mark is? What is the ‘Mark of the Beast’?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the COG views this, and compares this to Ellen White. Here is a link to a prophetic video Six Financial Steps Leading to 666?
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
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.

(Source USGS via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Michael Snyder put out the following warning:

Another Prophecy About The Great New Madrid Earthquake That Will Divide America In Half Someday In The Future

The greatest earthquakes in the history of the continental United States occurred along the New Madrid fault zone in the middle of the country. In 1811 and 1812, there was a series of catastrophic earthquakes that were so powerful that they jolted people all the way up in Canada.  Those quakes made the Mississippi River run backwards, they made church bells in Boston ring, and they were even felt inside the White House.  Today, millions of Americans live in the New Madrid fault zone, and most of them don’t think much about the enormous “geological scar” that exists deep inside the ground under their feet.  But scientists assure us that it is just a matter of time before that very deep “geological scar” rips wide open, and when it does it will create a disaster on a scale that most of us can’t even imagine right now. …

In recent years, we have witnessed a lot of noteworthy earthquakes in the heartland of the United States.

To me, they are reminders of what is coming. …

In September 2020, a friend of mine named Donna Hazlett shared a vision of the coming New Madrid earthquake that she had in 2019…

Hi Michael,

Last year, I had a vision during the day. I was wide awake and all of a sudden I was transported and was standing next to a man and I had peace with him. I don’t know who it was or if he was an angel. But I had perfect peace with him and knew I was safe. I felt calm standing next to him. Where we were standing, in front of us there was black asphalt like a small parking lot, but there weren’t any painted markings where cars would park, but it was an area of black asphalt and beyond that there were trees and hills. It was daytime. We stood and looked ahead. Then it was as if the earth began to wobble on it’s axis. Those were the exact words that came to my mind as it happened. In your book, someone described it as the ground rolling up and down. That’s how it looked. But underneath my feet, it felt as though the earth was wobbling on it’s axis. Then he showed me a highway with cars driving on it. It was still daylight and the highway was dry. One moment the cars were driving along like normal and the next moment they were completely engulfed underwater. It was all under water. The highway was suddenly under water. The cars were turning over underneath the water. I didn’t know for sure where this was at the time so I emailed a Pastor in Florida, because of the highways going under the water. I ordered your book and it arrived yesterday, August 24th. As I was reading the prophecies last night, I realized that it was my area that was being shown to me. I am minutes from the Mississippi River and the bridge to St. Louis. Our country was split in two and that’s why the water gushed over the cars and highway, the highway sank under the water. It was St. Louis sinking. Like it was swallowed up in the water. Our country was split in half and divided by the water.

Michael, I don’t know if this had anything to do with it, but it was shortly after that vision there were three separate times where Jesus was face-to-face with me and told me to stand. It happened three different times after that vision. I told that same Pastor about it in an email. I don’t know if it’s connected though. I’m going to finish reading your book and if there’s anything else I remember or the Lord speaks to me I will send it to you in an email. Thank you.

I can still see it all, even as I looked down at the ground, before the earth started to wobble, I can remember the little pebbles around our feet. Little rocks on the edge of the asphalt where we stood.

… I find it interesting that she specifically brought up St. Louis.  That city is right in the heart of the New Madrid fault zone, and it has been mentioned in many prophecies.

But we know that this great earthquake will not occur yet, because as I have extensively documented, many others have been shown that it comes after the land of Israel is divided. 05/12/25 https://endoftheamericandream.com/another-prophecy-about-the-great-new-madrid-earthquake-that-will-divide-america-in-half-someday-in-the-future/

Well, first let me agree that the Great Madrid Fault is a major threat.

As far as timing goes, it appears that Michael Snyder has misunderstood prophecies related to which land gets divided.

For example, notice the following prophecy:

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:39)

That dividing could not possibly be referring to the tiny nation called Israel today.

Why?

It has nothing resembling the strongest fortresses in the world in the 21st century.

That distinction belongs to the United States.

Things will not remain as they have.

In addition to land being divided by the coming Beast to multiple nations–which will happen, the land could also be divided by the Great New Madrid fault.

Michael Snyder also warned about supervolcanoes. Notice the following:

A supervolcano that covers 77 square miles is being shaken by one earthquake after another, but we are hearing very little about this in the United States.  A full-blown eruption of the Campi Flegrei supervolcano in southern Italy could potentially cause a volcanic winter that would absolutely devastate global food production and result in a horrific worldwide famine.  So it should deeply alarm all of us that the Campi Flegrei supervolcano was just hit by a “major” earthquake swarm that caused local residents to panic so much that many of them were literally running into the streets…

Meanwhile, it is being projected that a giant volcano off the coast of Oregon could erupt some time in 2025…

About 300 miles off the coast of Oregon, an underwater volcano appears to be rumbling to life.

Scientists who have been monitoring the vast submarine volcano for decades say a flurry of recent activity — including an uptick in earthquakes in the vicinity, and swelling of the structure itself — signals that it’s ready to erupt.

Current forecasts project that the volcano, known as Axial Seamount, could erupt anytime between now and the end of the year, according to Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist and research professor at Oregon State University.

Scientists are assuring us that the west coast will not be affected when this volcano erupts.

Hopefully they are right about that. 05/13/25 https://endoftheamericandream.com/is-one-of-the-worlds-largest-supervolcanoes-about-to-erupt/

In my 2025 Kindle book, Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? as well as the Amazon print edition, Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?, there is the following:

The debt situation of the USA is putting it at risk of being unable to recover should it be hit by weather problems, terrorist acts, war, riots, solar flares, severe earthquakes, civil unrest, devastation of its genetically-modified food supplies, food shortages, and/or various pestilences–. A combination of these events would lead to an intensity of “sorrows” such as Jesus discussed in Matthew 24:4-8, leading up to the time of the Great Tribulation. Political issues, climate change, trade policies, communication’s deals, and other events are pushing the USA into a more weakened state that will someday encourage its takeover. Disasters, especially if there is an ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) attack or a severe solar flare storm, devastating hurricane (s) something like a massive volcanic eruption and/or massive earthquake could be part of a so-called “perfect storm” of events that could set up the U.S.A. for destruction.

Consider the devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina the 2025 fires in Southern California. Multiply that by other disasters. The U.S.A. is at risk. Notice, also, the following related to Dr. Michio Kaku’s assessment of Yellowstone:

Scientists assure us that one day the absolutely massive Yellowstone supervolcano will once again experience a Category 8 eruption, and if it happened today it would “literally tear the guts out of the United States of America” … “Instead of having 50 states of the Union, we would have 30 states of the Union.” [i]

A ‘perfect storm’ of disasters, internal strife, and misplaced confidences will make the U.S.A. a nation that can be defeated.

Many sorrows that the USA will face, like severe weather problems, diseases (ride of the 4^th horseman of the Apocalypse) and earthquakes, will happen in the future, irrespective of who is in the White House (Amos 4:7-10; Luke 21:11). Donald Trump (and some others), however, may hasten or delay the day of destruction.

[i] Snyder M. As Yellowstone Awakens, Dr. Michio Kaku Warns That It Could “Literally Tear The Guts Out Of The United States Of America”. Economic Collapse Blog, February 2019

Yes, a massive eruption of Yellowstone or other supervolcano in the USA and/or or massive quakes could severely weaken the nation and make it more susceptible to attack. The Great New Madrid fault could be a major factor!

The Bible is clear that God controls the weather and various calamities, but wants people to heed His prophets:

6… If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?

7 Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:6-7)

The Bible tells of weather-related blessings for obedience and weather-related curses for disobedience. Weather is not as random as many people seem to want to believe.

As far as repentance goes, the Bible shows:

30 God … commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30)

And weather problems are one tool that God uses to urge people to repent (cf. Haggai 2:17; Amos 4:7-12). But most will not. Nor will most Christians as they should (cf. Revelation 3:14-18; see also The Laodicean Church Era).

Most will ignore weather changes and simply believe that weather changes all the time and the changes do not have to do with God or disobeying His laws.

Jesus taught:

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)

This is the time to get your spiritual life in order.

Are you doing that?

In order to “be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man,” you need to get your spiritual life in order. You not only need to watch, but also to pray and change. (2 Timothy 2:15-16, KJV)

Believe what the Bible teaches.

There are many biblical signs related to the Great Tribulation and Jesus’ return that few understand today.

Yes.

It has the potential to cause massive destruction.

For many years, I have warned readers that Yellowstone poses a threat (e.g New Madrid earthquake risk and Iceland’s subglacial volcano erupting; any risk from Yellowstone?).

Of course, it is not just North America that could be affected by supervolcanoes or earthquakes.

Consider also the following related to New Zealand:

The North Island of New Zealand is chock full of volcanoes—and big volcanoes at that. No less than four major calderas sit in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) that stretches from White Island in the north to Ruapehu in the south. One of the most violent volcanic eruptions in human history took place in ~186 AD from Lake Taupo. That rhyolitic (high silica) eruption produced an ash plume that may have towered 50 kilometers (164,000 feet!) over the caldera, what we call an “ultraplinian” eruption (and anything that is “ultra” has to be big). More recently, Tarawera in the Okataina caldera erupted in 1886 in one of the most explosive basaltic (low silica) eruptions on record that had ash plume that reached 10 kilometers (~32,000 feet) and buried a number of towns along with blasting a new valley out of the landscape. The North Island is definitely a place where volcanic unrest is taken seriously.

So, the somewhat surprising steam explosions that took place this week at Lake Rotorua have caught a lot of people’s attention. On November 28, a large steam explosion occurred near Ohinemutu near the shores. Then, on December 30, the caldera had a second, smaller explosion. The first explosion sent water and volcanic gases 25-30 meters (80-100 feet) up in a geyser-like blast. The event was brief and over by morning, so very few people actually saw the explosion happen. This was the first hydrothermal explosion at Rotorua in 15 years and came as a surprise to GNS Science, the volcano monitoring agency of New Zealand. People near the explosion reported hearing low, rumbling noises prior to the blast, which likely were caused by the movement of hot water and steam subsurface. 12/01/16 https://www.wired.com/2016/12/steam-explosions-rock-new-zealands-rotorua-caldera/

I should mention that my family and I visited Rotorua, New Zealand twice and we visited Taupo once.

Now could Yellowstone, Rotorua, or some other area with major volcanic potential possibly explode before (Mark 13:8) or during the time of the Great Tribulation?

It would seem possible.

Jesus warned about a time of earthquakes and troubles:

8 … And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be…troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

The beginning of sorrows that Jesus prophesied begin BEFORE the start of the Great Tribulation. We are now in that time.

A supervolcanic eruption such as one at Yellowstone could cause major “troubles,” and truly impact the USA and Canada. An earthquake could trigger this. Volcanic eruptions spew out melted elements and can cause much destruction.

While in New Zealand, we made a video about this while I was standing on top of a supervolcano:

8:30

Are supervolcanoes a real threat?

Are supervolcanoes, such as Yellowstone in the USA or various ones in New Zealand a real threat? If so, what type of threat? Are supervolcano issues consistent with biblical prophecies? If so, which ones? Could the eruption of a supervolcano make the USA, New Zealand, or other lands vulnerable to takeover in the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). Dr. Thiel answers these questions while standing atop a supervolcano in a geothermal area of Rotorua, New Zealand.

Here is a link to our video: Are supervolcanoes a real threat?

For years (e.g. Weather Affected Fall of Rome, Will it Affect the USA’s Fall?), I have warned that the USA could be hit with a ‘perfect storm’ of events and disaster that could weaken it during the ‘beginning of sorrows’ so that it would be easier for it to be taken over at the start of the Great Tribulation. Now, we see that the space agency NASA sees Yellowstone as a serious risk. And while some will scoff and say that the probability is too low, less statistically ‘probable’ events have happened. Plus, because of the decline in morality in the USA, destructive events are going to hit it.

Of course, it is not just North America that could be affected by supervolcanoes before the coming Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21).

There are volcanoes in many parts of the world and nearly all can cause major problems. But as Yellowstone is in the USA, it would be those in the USA, and probably Canada, that would be the most affected by it should it erupt.

Consider also what God inspired the Apostle Peter to write:

1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation — as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:1-18).

Things will not remain as they have. Yellowstone could erupt. Elements will melt. Get your spiritual life in order.

Also AFTER the start of the Great Tribulation, there is a prophecy that sounds like destruction from a volcano:

8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8:8-9)

Volcanoes do pose a threat.

Life can end suddenly and unexpectedly.

Are you really ready spiritually?

Again, here is a link to our video: Are supervolcanoes a real threat?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Are supervolcanoes a real threat? Are supervolcanoes, such as Yellowstone in the USA or various ones in New Zealand a real threat? If so, what type of threat? Are supervolcano issues consistent with biblical prophecies? If so, which ones? Could the eruption of a supervolcano make the USA, New Zealand, or other lands vulnerable to takeover in the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). Dr. Thiel answers these questions while standing a top of a supervolcano in a geothermal area of Rotorua, New Zealand. This is a video.
Earthquakes and Bible Prophecy This article goes over facts about earthquakes. It also explains what Jesus taught about earthquakes and how the Bible describes “the big one” (as well as when it is expected).
Will the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic 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?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2025, 2026, or 2027? 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? A short video is available titled: Great Tribulation Trends 2025.

(Photo from Pixabay)

COGwriter

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made comments about immigrants:

13 May 2025

A number of MPs criticised Keir Starmer when he said the UK risked becoming “an island of strangers” if steps were not taken to address integration. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/13/keir-starmer-immigration-speech-completely-different-to-enoch-powell-yvette-cooper

Starmer insisted that new migrants must “learn the language and integrate” once in the UK. He said: “Britain is an inclusive and tolerant country, but the public expect that people who come here should be expected to learn the language and integrate.” https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/may/12/keir-starmer-defends-plans-to-curb-net-migration?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The prime minister promises net migration will fall “significantly”, vowing that every area of the UK’s immigration system will be tightened.

Changes made in the White Paper, which will be published today, will “finally take back control of our borders”, he adds.

Without immigration controls, the UK risks becoming an “island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together” 05/12/25 https://www.bbc.com/news/live/ce810e3z6dkt?page=2

Such statements may trigger unrest in the UK.

ZeroHedge posted the following:

Is Britain On The Brink Of Civil War?

May 13, 2025

According to David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World at King’s College London, many of the preconditions for civil war exist in Britain today. 

Using academic studies on social cohesion, civil war causation theory and social attitudes surveys, he argues that the following preconditions are in place: elite overreach, factional polarization, a collapse in trust, economic pressures, and the perceived downgrading of the majority population in a previously homogeneous society, are all present in contemporary Britain.

The current dynamics, he continues, point to an emerging conflict between radicalized factions within the Muslim community and an incipient nativist white nationalism. Professor Betz goes on to claim – using the Maoist model that divides insurgencies into three phases – that the nativists are in phase one, the so-called defensive phase in which the group begins to organize, disseminate propaganda and build a conscious community of followers.

Islamists, on the other hand, are in phase two – when violent attacks occur on a semi-regular basis, a military structure is being developed, but they are not yet strong enough to challenge the state’s monopoly on violence. (Professor Betz believes that, due to the absence of clear geographic divisions between the antagonists, Britain is unlikely to reach phase three – the offensive phase. This is when the insurgent groups are strong enough to challenge government forces.)

It is an arresting and troubling thesis. It is also convincing.

The preconditions outlined above undeniably exist in modern Britain.

There has been a collapse of public trust in the state, for example. …

The white, native population is in the midst of an elite driven programme to downgrade their status in the United Kingdom – a phenomenon that Professor Betz cites as a precondition for civil war. 

That it could lead to a backlash by those being downgraded is self-evident.

Britain is already facing factional polarization within some of its communities. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/britain-brink-civil-war

Last Summer, Elon Musk predicted that civil war in the UK is inevitable:

UK civil war ‘inevitable’ – Musk

August 4, 2024

The UK is at risk of sliding into a civil war, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said, commenting on the ongoing anti-immigration protests in the country that have turned violent.

Several cities in the UK, including Liverpool, Nottingham, Leeds, Belfast, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool, and Hull, were plunged into chaos after a knife attack in Southport, England left three children dead and several others injured. The attack was carried out by Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old born in Britain to Rwandan parents. Meanwhile, there are rumors circulating online that the culprit was a Syrian migrant who went to Britain by boat.

The tragedy has sparked numerous protests, with videos showing demonstrators chanting anti-immigrant and anti-Islam slogans, setting fires, and setting off fireworks as cars were burned and buildings damaged, though the protests have not all been violent. Some activists have clashed with police, resulting in dozens of arrests and injuries to officers.

Commenting on a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing the unrest which was shared by a social media user who suggested the chaos was caused by mass migration to the UK and open-border policies, Musk responded: “Civil war is inevitable.” https://www.rt.com/news/602111-uk-civil-war-inevitable-musk/

Yes, there will be more civil unrest in the United Kingdom.

Something resembling a civil war will happen in the UK.

Of course, the UK has been in decline for some time, as its massive empire is no more.

Consider that:

In 1913, 412 million people lived under the control of the British Empire, 23 percent of the world’s population at that time. It remains the largest empire in human history and at the peak of its power in 1920, it covered an astonishing 13.71 million square miles – that’s close to a quarter of the world’s land area (McCarthy N. The Biggest Empires In Human History. Statista, December 19, 2019).

The British Empire is basically no more as the UK lost most of the land it once controlled.

The Bible warns:

58 “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, 59 then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues — great and prolonged plagues — and serious and prolonged sicknesses. 60 Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed. 62 You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. 63 And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. (Deuteronomy 28:58-63)

24 ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25 For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. 26 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27 (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.  (Leviticus 18:24-28)

23 ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.  (Leviticus 26:23-25)

So, those that were promised blessings were also told that they would be subject to losing those blessings if they disobeyed God. As far as being plucked from the land, see Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?

Now notice some statements from the Apostle Paul:

18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.  (1 Corinthians 6:18)

8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.  (1 Timothy 2:8-10)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. …

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:18-19, 26-32)

Overall, the Anglo-descended nations do not care what the Bible says about flaunting or condoning sexual immorality.

The Anglo-nations need national repentance. Notice that lack of repentance is listed as a reason that the King of Assyria (the final King of the North) will become Ephraim’s king:

3 I taught Ephraim to walk…5…But the Assyrian shall be his king, Because they refused to repent. 6 And the sword shall slash in his cities, Devour his districts, And consume them, Because of their own counsels. 7 My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him. (Hosea 11:3a, 5b-7)

The prophesied shame is starting to come upon the Anglo-American powers. Without repentance, increased pride is occurring, and this will be followed by the prophesied destruction of the Anglo-nations. And yes, other nations have their sins, but they will be punished later.

People individually and the nations collectively need to repent, because truly the end is near.  Those who think that they will be able to wait until the last moment (which will probably be sometime in the next decade) are deceiving themselves as a strong delusion will come upon the world then.

The New Testament further teaches:

16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin (James 4:16-17).

Anglo-American religious leaders should all know that they need to denounce sin, but most have compromised on several points.

And terror is prophesied:

5 They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation. … 25 The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be terror within (Deuteronomy 32:5,25)

Let’s briefly look at another warning in Isaiah 30:12-13:

12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:  “Because you despise this word, And trust in oppression and perversity, And rely on them,  13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you Like a breach ready to fall, A bulge in a high wall, Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.

Of course, more and more, the Anglo-American nations are trusting in policies that encourage perversity. Prostitution is legal in New Zealand, Australia, and parts of the USA. New Zealand, interestingly, has the highest promiscuity rate for women in the entire world according to one study (New Zealand women most promiscuous Sydney Morning Herald AAP – Oct 13, 2007. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/13/1191696214489.html). The Anglo-nations have seen rises in homosexuality and are often changing laws to accommodate this biblically prohibited practice (Australia has some of the biggest “gay pride” parades in the world, per Concerns Over Australia’s Dollar and New Zealand Debt).

Though the Anglo-descended peoples often call to God, they have backslidden and will not repent. So, the Assyrian will be their king and devour their lands. While they will have troubles (Mark 13:8) prior to the Great Tribulation, when the time for destruction comes, it will be sudden (cf. Jeremiah 15:8).

Last Summer, the Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

15:26

Will there always be an England?

Although there is a British song from 1939 that has the line “There will always be an England,” is that true? Some have noted cultural dissolution, enough so that they have wondered if England will remain. Does the Bible point to the end of England? While the British Empire was the world’s largest, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has less than 1% of its 1920 empire. Will the UK lose more land such as Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands? Will it be conquered? Do biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies point to the end of the UK? Could the British people be descendants of Joseph’s son Ephraim? Why does the Bible show it will be conquered? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie go over these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Will there always be an England?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (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 nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-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?
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. Here is a shorter video: Afghanis: Potential terrorists?
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 videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’, Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children, Disney’s abominable promotions!, USA pushing gender confusion, and New Transgender Study.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality and the LGBTQ agenda?  Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? A short video is available titled: Gay Gene? Born That Way?
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? A related sermons is titled: Pornography, False Comfort, and False Religion. Here a shorter YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
About Baptism Should you be baptized? Could baptism be necessary for salvation? Who should baptize and how should it be done? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Talk About Baptism and Baptism, Infants, Fire, & the Second Death.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

COGwriter

Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats have resulted in a temporal pausing of increased tariffs to China:

Faisal Islam: US and China deal is significant, but not an end to the trade war

13 May 2025

It’s a ceasefire on the main front of the global trade war. Global markets are rising again, and container ships can set sail across the Pacific.

The progress made in US-China talks in Switzerland was far greater than expected. The prohibitive triple-digit tariffs are now down to just moderately high levels, at least for three months.

The details were a little complicated, perhaps by design to enable both sides to save face.

The bottom line is this: the retaliatory tit-for-tat rise in tariff rates has been cancelled, and the so-called “reciprocal” tariff rate of 34% is lowered for at least 90 days to 10%.

The rates applying now are 30% from the US (which includes an existing 20% component aimed at curbing the illegal trade in fentanyl), and 10% from China. …

It is not an end to the trade war, but it is a very significant truce.

China was facing a 2008-style factory shutdown and potential significant unemployment. It should be averted now.

At these tariff levels, prices will go up somewhat, but the trade will flow. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgv5n00e0jo

While many in the media expected major inflation rate increases for last month because of the tariffs and threats of them, that, officially, did not happen:

Inflation eased after Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, defying fears

May 13, 2025

Consumer prices rose 2.3% in April compared to a year ago, cooling slightly from the previous month and defying fears of an inflation surge in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs last month. The reading — which marked the lowest inflation rate since 2021 — matched economists’ expectations.

Egg prices fell 10% in April compared to the previous month, offering some relief for shoppers, data showed. Still, egg prices stand much higher than they did a year ago.

By contrast, gasoline prices dropped 12% over the past year. The nationwide average price of a gallon of gas is $3.15, AAA data shows.

Trump’s tariff escalation, announced April 2, set off concern among economists and consumers about a possible burst of inflation, since importers typically pass along a share of such taxes in the form of price hikes.

Government data on Tuesday showed sharp price increases have not come to pass – at least for now. https://abcnews.go.com/Business/inflation-data-reveal-impacts-trumps-liberation-day-tariffs/story?id=121706453

The truth is that tariffs are inflationary in the sense that they cause the cost of goods to rise.

The other truth is that much of the mainstream despises Donald Trump so much that they repeatedly put forth “experts” who exaggerated the likely impact of Donald Trump’s trade policies.

That said, there will be many unintended consequences of Donald Trump’ tariffs, sanctions, and threats.

Like the mainstream media, Donald Trump often exaggerates. Notice the following:

President Trump said the “European Union is, in many ways, nastier than China,” during a news conference on Monday.

Why it matters: The stakes of a prolonged U.S.-EU standoff over Trump’s tariffs are high. With nearly a trillion dollars worth of trade last year, U.S. companies exported more than twice to the EU what they sent to China.

Driving the news: During the news conference, Trump announced an executive order aimed at cutting prescription drugs and pharmaceutical prices.

• He said that Europeans should have to pay more for health care and take on financial burdens.
• Trump said the U.S. has “all the cards” in trade deals with the EU.

What he’s saying: “The health care companies should make pretty much the same money,” Trump said. “I really don’t believe they should be affected very much because it’s just a redistribution of wealth.”

• “Europe’s going to have to pay a little bit more. The rest of the world is going to have to pay a little bit more,” he added. “And America is going to pay a lot less.”
• He said the U.S. has been “subsidizing” Europeans’ health care.

By the numbers: Trump, in his remarks Monday, insisted Europe sells the U.S. 13 million cars a year and the U.S. sells none in return.

• The European Automobile Manufacturers Association has said it’s not quite that stark, according to a March fact sheet.
• About 750,000 cars were exported from the EU to the U.S. last year, against about 170,000 cars exported from the U.S. to Europe. https://www.axios.com/2025/05/12/trump-european-union-trade-war-china-tariffs

Donald Trump continues to insult and push against the European Union (EU). Notice also:

Trump’s tariff deals send Europe to the back of the line

“Europe is not a priority for the U.S. I don’t think that in any field — be it trade or defense or anything else actually — Europe is a priority. And of course, that is a bit of a surprise for Europeans in [their] discussions with U.S. officials,” said Agathe Demarais, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Trump struck a pact with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer late last week to reduce U.S. tariffs on U.K. auto and steel exports — the first such move since the U.S. president imposed a swath of tariffs in early April on goods from across the world.

And on Monday, China nailed its own breakthrough, with Washington and Beijing slashing their tariffs to 30 percent and 10 percent, respectively, on each other’s goods.

Hours later, Trump called the EU “nastier than China.” His vitriol is enduring: “The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States,” he said in March before launching his full-scale trade war.

As Washington cuts deals with friend and foe alike, the appeals for tariff relief from Brussels are going unanswered. The bloc — and the €1.6 trillion transatlantic trade relationship — are languishing at the back of the line. 05/12/25 https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-tariff-deal-send-europe-back-line/

Last year, I wrote that Donald Trump would make a trade deal with the United Kingdom in my December 2024 article titled 25 items to prophetically watch in 2025:

Expect the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to try to increase trade with each other.

Donald Trump feels that the USA and UK have a special relationship and he will look to make a more favorable trade deal with the UK than with the rest of Europe. https://www.swineweb.com/canada/canada-faces-growing-trade-tensions-with-u-s-diversification-becomes-key-priority/

Earlier this month, such a deal happened (see Donald Trump announces trade deal with UK, hence confirming another COGwriter prediction).

Why mention that again?

Donald Trump was perhaps the leading political figure, outside of the United Kingdom, that publicly pushed for the UK to leave the EU–Brexit.

That was an insult to the EU, as was the deal with the UK and the pause deal with China.

As far as trade and Europe go, notice something from my book available at Amazon Kindle: Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? as well as Amazon print Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?:

Trade

Historically, Donald Trump has called for “fair trade” and indicated that various nations, including several in Asia, are not engaged in fair trade, so he has proposed high tariffs.[i]

Donald Trump has called tariffs, “the most beautiful word in the dictionary” and even proposed massive tariffs (up to 2000%) on Mexico if it will not do what he wants.[ii] He has basically also proposed a minimum of 10% tariffs on goods from much of the rest of the world.

Some believe that Donald Trump’s positions on trade will lead to a global trade war.[iii] Europe has said it will hit back against Donald Trump’s tariff policies.[iv] It is my position that trade disputes will be a factor in Europe taking military action against the USA one day.

One of the unintended consequences of Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs and other trade matters is that it is motivating nations he has threatened to look to trade more with each other. … (pp. 51-52)

The USA itself, as well as Donald Trump specifically, have repeatedly shown the Europeans that it does not trust them, yet it sometimes will trust them too much. According to the Bible, the time will come when the USA will find that continental Europe will be an enemy (cf. Isaiah 10:5-11) and not an ally (Ezekiel 23:4,9-10; Lamentations 1:1-2). (p. 58)

The USA will be attacked by “friends” consistent with the following:

¹ How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!

The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!

² She weeps bitterly in the night,
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.

All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies. cf. Lamentations 1:1-2).

Notice the one who was “great among the nations” will be conquered by friends, who will become enemies. (pp. 140-141)

• Pushing tariffs and other policies that foreign nations do not like is contributing to other nations looking to bypass the USA dollar, as well as trade more with each other and less with the USA. This will further push various globalist’s moves forward without the USA. This is also helping set the stage for the coming European Babylonian Beast to dominate international trade. (p. 210)

[i] ^{Trade: Donald J. Trump’s Vision. https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/trade accessed December 16, 2016}

[ii] ^{Pan J. Donald Trump calls tariff ‘the most beautiful word,’ threatens up to 2,000% tariff to block Mexican car imports. Yahoo News, November 3, 2024}

[iii] ^{Islam F. Will Trump’s victory spark a global trade war? BBC, November 7, 2024}

[iv] ^{Vella JH. EU’s game plan for Trump trade war: ‘Hit back fast and hard.’ Polico.eu, October 21, 2024}

(Thiel B. Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? Nazarene Books, 2025)

So, what is the EU doing? Notice the following:

BRUSSELS — U.S. President Donald Trump has two gigantic trade blocs in Europe and the Pacific now eyeing each other and considering a previously far-fetched idea.

It’s a plan leaders in Brussels and the 12-nation Indo-Pacific club have been turning over in their minds since Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs. As Trump’s trade war smashes the economic order globalization built into little bits: Why not band together?

Nations are lining up to join the likes of Japan, the U.K., Canada, Singapore, Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia and others in the difficult-to-pronounce economic alliance known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — CPTPP.

Trump exited Barack Obama’s negotiations to found the Indo-Pacific bloc to counter China in one of his first moves after his first inauguration in 2017. But as the president’s full-blown trade war hits America’s allies today, the 27-nation EU is now looking to diversify its trading relationships.

EU chief executive Ursula von der Leyen is increasingly thinking that turning to CPTPP, ratified in 2018, might be the best plan B as Trump fragments the rules-based trade order. https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-trade-war-eu-pacific-free-traders/

Let me add, that at least partially because of Donald Trump’s statements and policies, the EU has made, or at least accelerated, trade deals with Mexico (see Trade war escalates as European Union hits back against Donald Trump’s tariffs), Asia (see European Union’s reputation and influence growing with ASEAN and Central Asian nations), South America (see Donald Trump is end of ‘American Century’? The British ‘Century’ also ended. so what is next? Plus, EU makes Mercosur deal consistent with COGwriter prediction!), and India (see European Union seeks to improve trade ties with India as it faces Donald Trump’s tariff threats).

Regarding how the international trade situation will end up, the The Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel discussing various views and scriptures about that:

14:49

Trade Wars – and the Winner will be …

US President Trump imposed tariffs on a global scale. Those tariffs were imposed on friend and foe alike. It seems as if President Trump is no respecter of nations. But how will this work out for the United States? Will these tariffs result in other nations drawing closer together that have had rather cold, and even not so cold, relations in the past? Will global tariffs result in trade wars? Were the events which are happening predicted by any in the Continuing Church of God? Is Europe drawing closer to China? Is Europe drawing closer to Latin and South America? With the exception of a few of America’s allies, is the net result of these tariffs a worldwide scramble to create new alliances and new trading partners to the exclusion of the United States? What will be the future result of these new alliances? Many of the nations that are now seeking new alliances were just recently America’s allies. They were her friends. Dr. Thiel brings to light the fate of America and her allies at the hands of her former friends, as revealed in the book of Lamentations. As we rapidly approach the end times listen in as Dr. Thiel brings to light world events. Then listen as he shines the light of Bible prophecy directly on the questions raised from these world events.

Here is a link to our video: Trade Wars – and the Winner will be …

Church of God warnings on trade are coming to pass.

In the Continuing Church of God:

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: (2 Peter 1:19, KJV)

We continue to see international affairs that are aligning with properly explained biblical prophecies.

Cascadia subduction zone
(Source Alicia.iverson via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Israel365 News posted the following:

Study Warns of Imminent Earthquake Devastating US West Coast; Rabbi Warns of Pre-Messiah

May 12, 2025

A recent study suggested that a major earthquake off the coast of the Northwest US is overdue and will drop large areas below sea level. One rabbi emphasized that this is a part of the Final Redemption in which God uses nature, fire, and water to purify Man for the Messianic Era.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and led by Tina Dura, assistant professor of geosciences at Virginia Tech, highlighted the potential for a major earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone that could cause coastal land to sink by as much as 6.5 feet. Dura’s team generated numerous earthquake models to estimate the range of potential land sinking from a future Cascadia earthquake. They then used geospatial analysis to quantify the expansion of the floodplain at 24 estuaries and communities along the subduction zone.  …

The Cascadia subduction zone is a fault in the tectonic plates that runs 700 miles from Vancouver Island in Canada to California’s Cape Mendocino. It is a part of the Ring of Fire, a 25,000-mile-long horseshoe-shaped region encompassing the Pacific Ocean, the most seismically active area on the planet.  It includes most of California, Washington State, and Alaska. The Ring of Fire consists of 452 volcanoes, more than 75 percent of active volcanoes in the world today. About 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes and 81 percent of the world’s largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. All but three of the world’s 25 largest volcanic eruptions of the last 11,700 years occurred at the Ring of Fire volcanoes.

If a cataclysmic earthquake hits the West Coast, the Cascadia subduction zone will likely be the culprit. The largest earthquake in the continental U.S. was caused by a shift in the subduction zone on January 26, 1700, generating a tsunami so large it damaged villages in Japan. …

Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi, an Israeli mystic with a substantial following, has been warning of an increase in volcanic eruptions as part of the end-of-days process preceding the Messiah, who the rabbi maintains is present but waiting to reveal himself.

“The Creator is purifying the world from the filth of the snake to prepare the way for the Messiah to be revealed in the world,” Rabbi Ben Artzi said in his weekly sermon. “The Redemption will come mercifully, so our Father in Heaven uses nature against us: through storms, fires, earthquakes, and volcanoes…Slowly, the Holy One, Blessed be He, is destroying all the evil in the world while at the same time preparing the light of the Messiah. The world is experiencing destruction and rebirth at the same time. https://israel365news.com/408675/study-warns-of-imminent-earthquake-devastating-us-west-coast-rabbi-warns-of-pre-messiah/

Yes, a massive earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone would be potentially devastating.

What about earthquakes as a Messianic sign?

We all should realize that Jesus predicted earthquakes and troubles:

8 … And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be…troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning — 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:33-37)

Notice that Jesus listed earthquakes as one of the signs that precede the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:4-21; see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?) and told His followers to watch. He also said He would return after that time of tribulation and the powers of heaven shaken (Matthew 24:29-31).

Regular readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page may recall that earthquakes were number 5 of my list of 25 items to prophetically watch in 2025:

5. Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Jesus taught:

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. (Matthew 24:7).

Earthquakes could trigger supervolcanoes (see Massive spike in Yellowstone earthquakes: Does Yellowstone pose a major risk? and watch Are supervolcanoes a real threat?) and cause other troubles (Mark 13:8).

Then there are also smaller volcanoes, such as Mt. Rainer, which are believed to have massive potential for disasters themselves.

Many moderns, ‘experts’ and otherwise, do not think such disasters could happen–at least not in their lifetimes.

But they are wrong. Notice what the Apostle Peter was inspired to write:

1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation — as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:1-18).

Things will not remain as they have.  …

Ultimately, a massive earthquake will hit:

18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. (Revelation 16:18-20)

Notice that the above earthquake is so big that the cities of the nations will fall. Mountains will be leveled and islands “fled away” (more on this can be found in the article Islands and Bible Prophecy). This seems to be the biggest earthquake that will ever hit the planet with humans on it. Despite the view of ‘preterists’ that this already happened (see The Dangerous Rise of Preterists), that is nonsense.

The earthquake of Revelation 16 will be bigger than what the usual “experts” have believed was possible. It will change the planet and humble parts of humanity.

It should be noted since that apparently biggest of all earthquakes seems to take place near the end of the Day of the Lord, it cannot happen prior to 2027 (for more on why as well as dates, please see the articles When Can the Great Tribulation Begin? and Could God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Could the 6,000 Years End?).

While that one will not occur in 2025, other significant ones are in the future.

Expect serious earthquakes in different places, in 2025.

Now, let’s look at something else that Jesus said:

11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven… 25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory (Luke 21:11, 25-27).

Essentially, the Bible shows that there will be the greatest earthquake of all time that will level mountains (Revelation 16:18-20), and this will be followed by the sea and the waves roaring. And if most of the frozen waters have melted by then, the height of these roaring waves apparently will be enough to destroy most who live on islands. As well as affect those who live in coastal regions and islands.

(That will be bigger than “the big one” many worry will hit California.)

According to the Bible, various serious earthquake prophesies are certain to come to pass (Revelation 22:6).

And Jesus will come shortly after the largest one.

As far as what you should do, Jesus said:

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)

Pray, change, and be ready.

Earthquakes and other events can happen suddenly and change your environment quickly.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Earthquakes and Bible Prophecy This article goes over facts about earthquakes. It also explains what Jesus taught about earthquakes and how the Bible describes “the big one” (as well as when it is expected).
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them? Here is a link to a related video: Islands and Biblical Prophecies. Here is a version in Spanish: Las islas en profecia.
25 items to prophetically watch in 2025 Much is happening. Dr. Thiel points to 25 items to watch (cf. Mark 13:37) in this article. Here is a link to a related sermon video: 25 Items to Watch in 2025.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.
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.
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Could 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? 2032 or 2035 or? There is also a video titled: When Does the 6000 Years End? 2031? 2035? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2025, 2026, or 2027? 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? A short video is available titled: Great Tribulation Trends 2025.

COGwriter

Pope Leo XIV spoke to reporters today:

May 12, 2025

After giving his speech and his apostolic blessing, the pope personally greeted dozens of journalists. One asked if he would be traveling home to the United States soon, the pope responded, “I don’t think so.”

Asked about the May 13 feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Leo, referring to himself, said, “Cardinal Prevost had planned to go, but the plans changed.”

Another reporter asked the pope if he planned to fulfill Pope Francis’ promise of going to Turkey this year to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea with Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The council was held in 325 in what is now Iznik, Turkey.

“We are preparing for it,” the pope responded. https://www.osvnews.com/pope-leo-xiv-thanks-media-urges-them-to-be-peacemakers/

Note that coming to the USA is not a priority.

Note that he had planned to go to Fatima this week–this shows that he has pro-Marian tendencies.

Note that he does, however, plan to attend 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.

This points to him being ecumenical, among other things.

The day he became pope, the following was published in my Amazon Kindle book titled The Last Pope of the Malachy Prophecies: Do Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Leo XIV?:

Council of Nicea

From May 20, 325 A.D./C.E. to August 325, the Roman Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicea. One of his political objectives was to get ecumenical unity in certain matters. In 2025, there are meetings to mark the 1700^th anniversary of this, which are expected to include ecumenical discussions.

Pope Francis had expected to participate. So we would expect that his replacement, Pope Leo XIV, to get involved somehow in this. Actually, before the conclave to elect Pope Leo XIV was called, Patriarch Barthlomew of Constantinople extended an invitation for the next pope to attend the 1700^th anniversary of Nicea (Quakenbush R. Ecumenical Patriarch: Pope Francis was a friend of Orthodoxy. Catholic Vote, April 29, 2025).   Like Emperor Constantine, Pope Leo XIV would like to ecumenical reconciliation for religious and political reasons.

A compromising “ecumenical” bishop or cardinal is expected to be the False Prophet of Revelation.

Could this be Pope Leo XIV?

So, Leo XIV confirmed he does plan to somehow participate in the 1700th anniversary of Nicea. That is definitely a pro-ecumenical move.

Now, the title of this post is “Did the demons know that Robert Prevost would become Pope Leo XIV?”

There are several reasons for this.

One reason is that IF he is the last pope on a list put together in the 12th century by Irish Bishop Malachy, that would point to demons knowing he was going to be pope.

In my latest pope book (The Last Pope of the Malachy Prophecies: Do Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Leo XIV?) as well as in essence one I wrote 12 years ago, I wrote:

Demonic influence on the Malachy list must be considered. …

It should be understood that since God did not directly inspire the Malachy prophecies, it is possible that parts are intentionally wrong, in the sense that Pope Francis I, while seemingly number 112 on the list, actually is nowhere on the list and another will rise up who will be more like the prediction for the last pope.  Satan is a deceiver and will use the Malachy list as part of his deception one way or the other. …

Satan has long used pagan and demonic sources to foist parts of his deceptive plan onto humanity. …

The “great Antichrist” is the false prophet of Revelation 16:13 and would be the last pope. Furthermore, that man, along with the Beast of the Sea, will have “demon spirits” (Revelation 16:14, NJB) …

¹³ And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴ For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ¹⁵ Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” ¹⁶ And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Revelation 16:13-16).

The old Worldwide Church of God wrote the following related to the Malachy prophesies:

For your interest (or for whatever else it may be worth), an old Irish Catholic prophecy of the 12th Century predicts that there will be 265 popes before “the end of the world.” … The last, pope, according to this prophecy of “Malachy,” an old Irish bishop, is to take the name “Peter the Roman.” Time will have to judge the prophecy’s accuracy. (Hogberg G. A LOOK AT THE NEW ROMAN PONTIFF. Pastor General’s Report. August 29, 1978)

Since God did not inspire the Malachy list, its relatively accuracy is consistent with demonic influence.

Notice also the following from Church of the Eternal God’s April 25, 2025 e-newsletter:

The Prophecy of the Popes

Daily Mail wrote on April 21, 2025:

“The 12th-century ‘Prophecy of the Popes’ — reportedly uncovered in the Vatican’s secret archives — claims to predict the identity of Francis’ successor and even foretells the return of Christ.

“The document [starts] with Celestine II in 1143 and [ends] with ‘Peter the Roman’ in 2027… Fanning the flames is the eerie fact that there are currently nine frontrunners to succeed Pope Francis — and three of them are named Peter.

“The renewed interest has also reignited fears about one of the prophecy’s more chilling predictions: that Judgment Day is near… According to the final entry surrounding Peter the Roman, the ‘last pope’ will preside over the Church during a time of great turmoil, culminating in the destruction of Rome and the end of the papacy. ‘In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End,’ the last passage of the book reads…

“Although some scholars have claimed the text is a 16th century forgery, Malachy allegedly wrote Prophecy of the Popes in 1139 after receiving a vision during a visit to Rome…”

If the text is not a forgery, but legit, it would have been written under demonic influence, which can be seen, amongst other things, by the wording “dreadful Judge,” in appliance to Jesus.  We know, of course, that Christ could not possibly come back in 2027; and we also know that demons, even though they may know future events, are lying spirits; so one never knows when they lie or when they tell the truth.

CEG is correct that demons lie. CEG is correct that Jesus cannot possibly come back in 2027. CEG is correct to suggest that the Malachy list was written under demonic influence.

Notice now, something else from NewsMax:

Louis Prevost, the eldest brother of Robert Prevost, the former cardinal named as Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, told Newsmax on Sunday that he learned the news about his brother while he was home off work and watching the network.  …

“Imagine it’s your little brother,” said Prevost. “He’s the Pope. Yes, it’s an indescribable feeling. I’m super proud of him.”

He joked that when he was watching his brother do his initial prayer as Pope and heard him switch to Spanish, “I said, ‘OK, quit showing off, you little jerk.’ But he did his thing, and my mind immediately flashed back to the ’50s and ’60s growing up, and I thought, ‘Remember that time way back when, when we used to tease him about being the Pope?’ And he’s the Pope.” https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/pope-leo-louis-prevost-newsmax/2025/05/11/id/1210499/

Now, I watched the interview with Louis Prevost. He also said that his brother Robert liked to play being a priest. He said various ones said his brother would be pope one day. And later, that is why he and others teased him about it.

If the demons knew that Robert Prevost would be pope, that may be how why some people influenced by “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2) predicted this 60 years or so ago. The Apostle Paul wrote that Christians were not to be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11)–and demonically-influenced predictions are one of Satan’s devices.

When I was part of LCG, I asked 2-3 of its top leaders if they thought that it was possible that God allowed Satan and/or his demons to see the visions that the prophet Daniel saw and/or the Revelation that the Apostle John saw. They never gave me a straight answer. My belief is that God did. If so, that could explain not only the Malachy list, but perhaps also people telling Robert Prevost as a child that he would become pope.

I mentioned the interview with Louis Prevost in my latest sermon, which is available on our ContinuingCOG channel:

1:16:29

Pope Leo XIV & Antichrist Prophecies

On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV. Could he possibly be the last pope of Irish Bishop Malachy’s prophecy list of popes? When did Roman Bishops first take the title of pope? What do the words pope and Pontifex Maximus mean? Are there Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies that point to an antipope being the final Antichrist? If so, does the Bible prophesy that he will do great signs, persecute, and one day betray the Church of Seven Hills in Revelation 17? How many antipopes have there officially been? What about the late Pope Francis? Was Cardinal Prevost the stated papal candidate for Freemason Giuliano Di Bernardo? Could Leo XIV be the dreaded ‘Peter the Roman’? Do the Bible and Greco-Roman Catholic prophesies point to the rise of an ecumenical interfaith religion with leaders that perform miracles and great signs and prodigies? What about the 325 A.D. and 2025 Council of Nicea? Do any Roman Catholic prophesies warn about the rise of a ‘secret sect’ that will cause the Vatican troubles? Will the final pope betray the Roman Catholic faith? Could the Malachy list have demonic involvement? What about Mystery Babylon, 666, the Beast, the Great Monarch, persecution, and the end of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom? What are similarities between the last pope of Greco-Roman prophecies and the two-horned beast of Revelation 13? What are the scriptures that mention the antichrist in the Bible? Will the last and final pope betray the Church of Rome? Dr. Thiel covers these issues and more.

Here is a link to our sermon video: Pope Leo XIV & Antichrist Prophecies.

Yes, there are demonic connections–and the last pope will be demonically-influenced per Revelation 16:13-14.

Some items of related interest may include:

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.

The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman” An Irish bishop allegedly predicted something about 112 popes in the 12th century. Pope Benedict XVI was number 111. Francis could be number 112–if he counted. What about Pope Leo XIV? Could he reign until Rome is destroyed. May he be an antipope/final Antichrist? Here is a link to a related sermon: Pope Leo XIV & Antichrist Prophecies.

The Last Pope of the Malachy Prophecies: Do Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Leo XIV? This Kindle book has biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies related to the last pope, an antipope who will be the final Antichrist.

(Pixabay photo)

COGwriter

Trade talks have been going on between the USA and various nations.

Here is some information related to China:

May 11, 2025

Senior U.S. and Chinese officials met again on Sunday in Geneva, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters, to resume weekend talks aimed at cooling the trade war that threatens to seriously damage the global economy.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met for about eight hours on Saturday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in their first face-to-face meeting since the world’s two largest economies imposed tariffs well above 100% on each other’s goods. …

U.S. President Donald Trump gave a positive reading of the talks, saying the two sides had negotiated “a total reset … in a friendly, but constructive, manner.”

“A very good meeting today with China, in Switzerland. Many things discussed, much agreed to,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Trump added: “We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business. GREAT PROGRESS MADE!!!” He did not elaborate on the progress. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-china-talks-defuse-trade-row-resume-geneva-2025-05-11/

One interesting aspect of the trade talks is that last month China cancelled orders for 12,000 tons of pork (https://www.porkbusiness.com/ag-policy/panic-slowly-chinas-cancellation-12-000-tons-u-s-pork-sends-loud-message). And as of Thursday, two days before the current talks, “China remains absent from U.S. pork market.” Pork is a biblically-unclean meat (Deuteronomy 14:8) and throughout the church age, true Christians have avoided eating it.

Related to that, we put out the following video:

14:41

Unclean Meat and True Christianity

Do true Christians eat unclean meat? What was the practice of Sabbatarian Christians throughout the church age? Does the Bible declare ALL “food” clean? Is unclean meat ever described as “food” in the Bible? Do the Roman Catholics eat unclean meat? If so, by what authority are they allowed to eat? How about the Protestants? Do they eat unclean meat? If so, by what authority are they allowed to eat? What about true Christians? Do they eat unclean meat? If not, by what authority do they refrain from eating? According to the Bible did ANY Christian EVER eat unclean meat? Does it really matter? What does God say? Does it matter to God if we, as Christians, honor Him, through obedience, as we would our worldly father? Isn’t it good that we do what seems right in our own eyes? Watch this video as Dr. Thiel quotes scripture and cites historical facts to shine the light of the Word of God on the truth written in the Bible.

Here is a link to our video: Unclean Meat and True Christianity.

One of the reasons I wrote about the pork aspect of USA trade is that a reader sent me a link to the following last evening:

‘Bringing Home the Bacon’: FDA Approves U.K. Biotech Company Plan to Produce Gene-Edited Pigs for U.S. Consumers

May 10, 2025

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week gave a U.K.-based biotech company the green light to produce gene-edited pigs for human consumption in the U.S.

PIC, formerly the Pig Improvement Company, uses CRISPR gene-editing technology to genetically engineer pigs to be resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a viral infection that affects pigs produced in industrial factory farms, according to Technology Review. …

CRISPR gene editing makes it possible for scientists to manipulate an animal’s own DNA, rather than adding DNA from other species to it, as has been done with previous genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

The FDA’s approval allows the company to produce the pigs commercially, which includes allowing the pigs to reproduce and pass on their genetic modification. …

“This approval is a milestone in biotechnology, with gene-edited animals potentially offering a more sustainable and disease-resistant source of protein,” wrote Food & Drink International.

Supporters also tout the idea that gene-edited pigs will need fewer antibiotics, because they won’t get sick.

However, critics doubt the editing will work for long. They also raised concerns about the technology’s unintended effects. …

GMWatch, a GMO watchdog group that reported the FDA approval in its newsletter, wrote:

“We don’t expect the genetically engineered virus resistance — which even now is leaky — to last long in the gene-edited pigs. We saw in the COVID pandemic just how quickly viruses mutate to evade any barrier placed in their path.

“The genetically altered pigs will drive the evolution of mutations in the virus that enable it to break through the engineered virus resistance — potentially leading to the emergence of even more virulent strains of the virus.”

Swine disease researchers have also raised doubts about whether the gene editing will even work. A retired University of Minnesota professor and veterinarian told AVMA News, “There is no silver bullet when it comes to PRRS.” …

The FDA decision on PIC’s pigs is among the first for gene-edited livestock in the U.S. The process has long raised concerns, because in animals, gene editing has led to unexpected side effects, including enlarged tongues and extra vertebrae. https://americafirstreport.com/bringing-home-the-bacon-fda-approves-u-k-biotech-company-plan-to-produce-gene-edited-pigs-for-u-s-consumers/