On March 8, 2025, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Try Harder,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Why Do You Believe?”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

“Going the Distance” is the musical song in the original Rocky movie, and there is quite a lesson to learn from it about determination, endurance and reaching for a goal. The movie and the song are based on an unknown boxer, Rocky Balboa, with aspirations of becoming the boxing champion and what he was willing to put his body through in exercise, diet and determination to reach that goal. Even though he did not gain the title, he showed an inspiring performance of endurance, even when fighting in the ring. 

Our Christian lives are a continual battle to maintain our equilibrium in overcoming Satan and the pulls of the flesh. Thankfully, we have the perfect coach in our corner who gave us the perfect example of overcoming sin, enduring trials and attaining righteousness through obedience.

He never said it would be easy and without trials; but rather, we would be faced with challenges, but He would always be at our side through thick and thin. Hebrews 13:5 tells us:  “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.’”

These are powerful words of great encouragement since at times, when going through severe trials and tests, we may get the feeling of being abandoned but that is just not the case. Christ is full of love, compassion and mercy.Lamentations 3:32 says: “Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.”

He went through trials as a human and always looked to God the Father, and He was always in a good attitude, a good example for us to follow since even though we may ask for God’s merciful intervention, it may not always come as fast as we would like, or not come at all at that time since we may have lessons to learn by the trials we face.

What really helps us through these trials which come upon us is to focus on the end goal and make the effort to attain that goal with the same determination as Rocky Balboa did in the movie Rocky, putting himself through sacrifice and physical pain via training hoping to attain the goal he was focused on.

Our hope is in a future resurrection in the Family of God, a goal attainable if we obey and are faithfully following the example of our leader Jesus Christ Who patiently endured the suffering in His life, including death, on our behalf so we could be with Him in the Kingdom. So let’s not let Him down and let us show Him that we are willing to go the distance.

by Norbert Link

In this edition, we are addressing the clash between Trump, Vance and Zelensky, and the consequences for the ongoing alienation between the USA and Europe, as well as Ukraine, Russia and NATO.

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

Germany Decides on Full, Unlimited Rearmament!

Financial Times wrote on March 4:

“Chancellor-to-be Friedrich Merz has agreed a deal with his likely coalition partner to inject hundreds of billions in extra funding into Germany’s military and infrastructure, in a ‘fiscal sea change’ designed to revive and re-arm Europe’s largest economy…

“A provision would exempt defence spending above 1 per cent of GDP from the ‘debt brake’ that caps government borrowing, allowing Germany to raise an unlimited amount of debt to fund its armed forces and to provide military assistance to Ukraine…

“Germany’s massive fiscal stimulus has also underlined the sense of urgency in Europe, spurred by US President Donald Trump’s threat to unwind the US guarantees that have long underpinned the continent’s security.

“’This is a fiscal sea change for Germany,’ said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg. ‘Merz and his coalition-to-be are rising to the occasion’…

“Jana Puglierin, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said: “It is a huge investment in Germany‘s ability to act — and potentially in Europe’s [ability to act] if Germany finds its way back to being a constructive European leader…

“Merz’s deal with the SPD came as the European Commission outlined on Tuesday a joint debt instrument that would enable member states to fund the purchase of military equipment.”

The European military power bloc under Germany’s lead is developing—very rapidly! 

The Clash! 

Piers Morgan wrote that it started with the silly question by Marjorie Tyler Moore’s boyfriend and “conservative commentator” about why Zelensky did not wear a suit, which he indicated was disrespectful. (Elon Musk does not wear one either. Nor did Churchill during war time.) Then Vance jumped in and accused Zelensky of not being grateful to the USA and not having said thank you once (Zelensky thanked the USA at least 33 times in the past. He also started off the meeting with thanking the USA and Donald Trump). Then, Vance talked about diplomacy, and when Zelensky asked what kind of diplomacy, and that a peace deal would have to have security guarantees for Ukraine, Trump lost it. 

Will Trump Withdraw Support? 

Sunday World wrote on March 1: 

“Zelensky had seen the meeting in the Oval Office as an opportunity to convince the United States not to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine three years ago. [The] meeting with Donald Trump ended in disaster on Friday… 

“Trump has lurched toward Russia since taking over as president, shocking traditional allies in Europe and beyond and leaving Ukraine increasingly vulnerable. Friday’s outburst was the most public display of that shift. 

“Vance stressed the need for diplomacy to resolve the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two, while Zelensky, with his arms folded, countered that Putin could not be trusted in any talks… Zelensky openly challenged Trump over his softer approach toward Putin, urging him to ‘make no compromises with a killer.’… 

“The head of the Ukrainian armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, posted a statement on Telegram affirming that his troops stood by Zelensky and that Ukraine’s strength was in its unity. Anxious Ukrainians following from afar largely rallied around their leader, but fretted about the prospects of continuing flows of U.S. military aid that the country has relied on. 

“In Congress, reaction from Trump’s Republican Party was mixed, while Democrats lambasted his handling of the meeting… 

“The falling out meant that Ukraine and the United States failed to sign a much-vaunted minerals deal that Kyiv hoped would spur Trump to back Ukraine’s war effort, and potentially win support from Republicans in Congress for a new round of aid. The clash also undermined efforts by European leaders to convince Trump to provide security guarantees for Ukraine even if he has refused to deploy U.S. soldiers on Ukrainian soil to maintain peace. Such guarantees are seen as crucial to deter Russia from future aggression. 

“Trump threatened to withdraw U.S. support from Ukraine. ‘You’re either going to make a deal, or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty,’ Trump told Zelensky… 

“Zelensky, who won billions of dollars of U.S. weaponry and moral support from the Biden administration, is facing a sharply different attitude from Trump. Trump wants to quickly wind down the three-year war, improve ties with Russia and recoup money spent to support Ukraine.” 

Reactions to the Trump-Zelensky Clash 

The New York Times wrote on February 28:

“European leaders quickly pledged their continued support for Ukraine on Friday after President Trump’s blistering criticism of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a meeting at the White House.

“Leaders lined up behind Ukraine and praised its embattled president, the statements coming one after the other: from France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Norway, Finland, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Belgium, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Ireland. Canadian, Australia and New Zealand…

… many in Europe addressed their statements of encouragement directly to Mr. Zelensky.

“‘Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people,’ Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on social media, referring to Mr. Zelensky. ‘Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President.’

“President Emmanuel Macron of France, who had put on a display of friendship with Mr. Trump during a chummy visit to the White House on Monday, said the United States and Europe had been justified in aiding Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years…

“Friedrich Merz said in a statement…  addressed to ‘Dear Volodymyr’ that his country would stand behind Ukraine ‘in good and in testing times… We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war,’ Mr. Merz added, apparently referring to Mr. Trump, who has called Mr. Zelensky a dictator and blamed him for the invasion. The departing German leader, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said that Ukraine could rely on Germany and the rest of Europe.

“Daniel Fried, a career diplomat under American presidents of both parties who had just returned from a trip to Brussels, said the Oval Office clash had jolted Europe’s capitals, generated a wave of sympathy for Mr. Zelensky and upended a peace process that appeared to be gaining traction. ‘The Europeans are horrified and dismayed,’ Mr. Fried said…

“Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, a center-left leader who carefully avoided any major disagreements with Mr. Trump during a visit to the White House on Thursday, spoke with Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky on Friday, according to the prime minister’s office. Mr. Starmer ‘retains his unwavering support for Ukraine and is playing his part to find a path forward to a lasting peace,’ the office said in a statement…

“The Canadian foreign minister, Mélanie Joly, joined the European leaders in offering words of support for Ukraine… On Saturday morning in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the messages of support from Europe. Mr. Albanese said his country was proud to help Ukraine  defend itself against ‘the brutality of Russian aggression.’’

The Indiana Express added on February 28:

“Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof reiterated support, stating, ‘The Netherlands supports Ukraine as firmly as ever. Now more than ever.’” 

Deutsche Welle added on February 28:

“EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas also joined in the support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. ‘We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor,’ she wrote in a post on X. Kallas also stressed that ‘the free world needs a new leader’ and that it’s up to Europe ‘to take this challenge.’”

t-online wrote on February 28:

“A peak of arrogance – Donald Trump and J. D. Vance simply kicked Volodymyr Zelensky out. What a bottomless disgrace… The completely wrong film is being shown in Washington today. Because it is not Zelensky, but Putin who is playing with a third world war. It was not Zelensky, whom Trump has repeatedly insulted as a dictator, who started this murderous war, but Putin…

“It was not the Ukrainian president who behaved disrespectfully towards the USA and its famous Oval Office. First and foremost, it was the American Vice President J. D. Vance and President Donald Trump who not only treated Zelensky disgracefully, but also damaged their own office and America’s reputation. What happened in Washington today is a historic disgrace in America’s often glorious history.”

Die Welt wrote on February 28:

“The scandal in the White House has shown Europe that it can no longer rely on the USA under Donald Trump. Not in the defense of Ukraine, but also not in the defense of the values ​​that make up the free West. 

Bild wrote on February 28:

“It was tragically a historic moment in the Oval Office that will bring joy to the Kremlin. A moment that can change the world. And poses huge problems for Europe and Germany. For Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, it was the best day in a long time.

“What Trump and Vance did there has NOTHING to do with the values ​​of the free West… Trump and Vance… didn’t say a word to Putin. Simply unbelievable. The full escalation is the worst outcome that could have happened.” 

ntv wrote on February 28: 

“Roderich Kiesewetter, CDU foreign policy expert: ‘What Donald Trump’s attack on Selenskyj in the Oval Office shows is that Donald Trump has changed sides… The USA is therefore no longer a partner.” 

Bild wrote on March 1: 

“Rzeczspospolita” (Poland): ‘In American history, no US president has ever treated a foreign head of state, let alone an allied country, in this way. […] This shows where the USA, the leader of the free world for decades, has developed under Trump. […] Zelensky made the emperor naked. He showed who Trump really is.’ 

“The Telegraph (UK): ‘Such a display of aggression by the White House towards a Western-oriented head of state, let alone an ally engaged in an existential military struggle, is unprecedented. Trump and Vance were undoubtedly wrong – factually, geopolitically and morally.’ 

“El País (Spain): ‘The exchange of blows, live and in front of journalists, is the impressive symbol of the end of an era. It is a brutal confirmation of the US’s abrupt change of course, both in content and form, compared to the past 80 years.” 

BBC wrote on March 1: 

“The public breakdown also signals a major crisis looming between European members of Nato and the US. 

“There will be many more doubts and questions about the US commitment to European security outside Ukraine. The biggest is whether President Trump would keep the promise his predecessor Harry Truman made in 1949 to treat an attack on a Nato ally as an attack on America. Those concerns are based on what appears to be Trump’s determination to restore a strong relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

“He has put heavy pressure on Ukraine while offering Putin big concessions – that would have to be made by the Ukrainians. The security of Ukraine is coming a poor second – and Europeans are worrying theirs is too. President Zelensky’s refusal to make those concessions has infuriated Trump… Ukrainians believe they are in a war for national survival – and that Putin would break any promise to end the war if he is not deterred.” 

Trump has said that once a peace deal is made, Putin would stick to it. This is naïve and totally unrealistic. 

Reuters wrote on March 1: 

“NORWEGIAN PRIME MINISTER JONAS GAHR STOERE IN STATEMENT TO TV2: ‘What we saw from the White House today is serious and disheartening. Ukraine still needs the US’s support, and Ukraine’s security and future are also important to the US and to Europe. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has strong support in Ukraine, broad support in Europe, and he has led his people through a very demanding and brutal time, under attack from Russia. 

“‘That Trump accuses Zelenskiy of gambling with World War III is deeply unreasonable and a statement I distance myself from. Norway stands with Ukraine in their struggle for freedom. We hope that the Trump administration also understands the importance of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.’ 

“SWISS PRESIDENT KARIN KELLER-SUTTER ON X: ‘Switzerland remains firmly committed to supporting a just and lasting peace, while condemning Russia’s aggression against a sovereign state.’ 

“JOHANN WADEPHUL, DEPUTY OF CONSERVATIVE PARTY-GROUP IN GERMAN PARLIAMENT, THE PARTY OF INCOMING CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ, ON X: ‘The scenes from the White House are shocking. How can you stab the president of an invaded country in the back like this? Free Europe will not betray Ukraine!’”

Focus wrote on March 2: 

“After the heated argument in the White House between the USA and Ukraine, the former chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, is counting on a significant strengthening of Europe… Now is Europe’s hour… 

“The former Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel… criticized… the US government’s attitude towards Europe and its role in security policy. ‘After more than 80 years, this American government has made the decision… no longer to be a partner for Europe’… ‘For Trump, Europe is no longer a strategic partner, but just a burden… I am sure that he wants to weaken or even destroy Europe, because we are actually quite big.’… 

“Gabriel expressed concern that Trump’s strategy ultimately plays into Vladimir Putin’s hands. ‘For the US President, peace seems to mean leaving Ukraine to Vladimir Putin. And to replace the strength of the law with the right of the strongest…’ This is a wake-up call for Europe. ‘Many Europeans would like to see a Germany finally return to the political stage that is prepared to take the lead together with others,’ said Gabriel.”

Europe in Support of Zelensky… Facing US Challenges 

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 2: 

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has joined leaders from the UK, Germany, France and others after a public showdown with Trump sent shockwaves… The London conference opened with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer giving an address… where dozens of world leaders have gathered to discuss Ukraine’s and Europe’s future, especially in the shadow of an increasingly antagonistic administration in the US. ‘We gather here today because this is a once-in-a-generation moment for the security of Europe and we all need to step up,’ Starmer said. He said the leaders will discuss a plan on how to end the war with Ukraine before presenting it to the US… In addition to prime ministers and heads of European states, the guests include Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen… 

“Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized his country’s opposition to deploying European peacekeepers to Ukraine… He also praised US President Donald Trump for wanting to end the war, accusing Europe of seeking to continue the conflict… Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressed that Europe must believe in its power… ‘Europe has an advantage over everyone here,’ Tusk said, adding that with some 2.6 million professional soldiers, Europe has more troops than the US, China or Russia. He also stressed the continent’s combat aircraft and artillery strength. ‘Today in Europe there is a deficit of imagination and courage,’ he said. ‘Europe must understand its strength.’… 

“Alexseev, a professor of political science at San Diego State University,… discussed the pressure European leaders face… ‘Well, I hope that they [European leaders] realize that we’re witnessing a major shift in global politics, that the discussion in the Oval Office was not just a spat between two leaders. It signaled a major realignment of the United States away from Europe, and we can no longer take for granted US security guarantees probably not just for Ukraine, but for NATO as well.’ Alexseev said that since Trump came to office, the US ‘has offered major concessions to Russia but put all the pressure on Ukraine.’ 

“The political science professor argued that Trump was trying to appease Russian President Vladimir Putin, rather than his stated aim of reaching peace [and] that ‘the primary goal for Trump is to rehabilitate Putin and to open the door for lucrative deals with Russia, which right now maybe seem to be hampered by the fact that Russia is under sanctions because it launched this brutal all-out war against Ukraine.’… 

“The officer in charge of Germany’s Field Army, Lieutenant General Harald Gante, said the country needs to reintroduce conscription to meet its defense needs. He told the German news agency dpa that the Bundeswehr cannot rely solely on volunteers… The Bundeswehr is awaiting the government’s decision on reintroducing military service, which was suspended in 2011…” 

Leaving NATO and the UN? 

The New York Post wrote on March 2: 

“Elon Musk backed calls for the US to withdraw from NATO and the United Nations after months of badmouthing the two international organizations. ‘I agree,’ Musk, 53, wrote on X in reply late Saturday to MAGA influencer Gunther Eagleman’s suggestion that ‘It’s time to leave NATO and the UN.’ 

“Musk did not elaborate on the specifics of why he wants the US to pull out of NATO and the UN, but the suggestion came after several social media users pointed to Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) call to pull out of both. Last month, Lee, 53, who has drawn frequent reposts and interactions from Musk on X, introduced legislation alongside other lawmakers to pull out of the UN and decried it as ‘a platform for tyrants and a venue to attack America and her allies.’ On Saturday, Lee publicly suggested that the US pull out of NATO, pointing to Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers’ announcement that it would stop helping the US Navy refuel in protest of President Trump’s confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. ‘Europe doesn’t love us,’ Lee chided on X Saturday. ‘Let’s leave NATO.’… 

“Musk is known to have Trump’s ear, serving as a ‘special employee’ at the White House and informal boss of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)… While Musk didn’t delve into his rationale on Saturday, in the past, Musk has argued that the US makes up a disproportionate amount of NATO’s power and has questioned why NATO continued to exist after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Musk has also previously asserted that the US spends too much money on the UN… 

“Trump has publicly demanded NATO allies spend vastly more on defense and accused European nations of taking advantage of America’s military umbrella. Last month, he also cut off funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and pulled out of the UN Human Rights Council.” 

These comments are interesting in light of the following article. 

Tariffs for Europe 

Newsmax wrote on February 26: 

“President Donald Trump said Wednesday during his first Cabinet meeting that the European Union was formed to take advantage of the United States and that his administration soon will be announcing tariffs of 25% on the 27-nation bloc… 

“‘the European Union was formed in order to screw the United States. I mean, look, let’s be honest, the European Union was formed in order to screw the United States. That’s the purpose of it. And they’ve done a good job of it. But now I’m president.’”

China Ready for “War”!

BBC reported on March 5:

“China has warned the US it is ready to fight ‘any type’ of war after hitting back against President Donald Trump’s mounting trade tariffs.

“The world’s top two economies have edged closer to a trade war after Trump slapped more tariffs on all Chinese goods. China quickly retaliated imposing 10-15% tariffs on US farm products.

“’If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,’ China’s embassy said on X, reposting a line from a government statement on Tuesday.

“It is some of the strongest rhetoric so far from China since Trump became president and comes as leaders gathered in Beijing for the annual National People’s Congress.”

Trump’s Big Speech

BBC wrote on March 5:

“US President Donald Trump declared “the American Dream is unstoppable’ as he addressed a raucous joint session of Congress for the first time since he returned to power.

“In the longest presidential speech to lawmakers on record, he outlined his vision for his second term, as Republicans applauded a high-octane six weeks that has reshaped domestic and foreign policy.

“Trump was heckled by Democrats and he goaded them in turn during the rowdy primetime address, during which he said his administration was “just getting started”.

“The Republican president has moved to slash the federal workforce and crack down on immigration, while imposing tariffs on the US’s biggest trading partners and shaking up the transatlantic alliance over the war in Ukraine. 

Sadly, President Trump’s vision for America is not the same as prophetic scriptures in the Bible so clearly warn. 

Trump’s Surreal AI-Generated Video Depicts Gaza As A Luxury Resort Destination 

Forbes wrote on February 26: 

“President Donald Trump has shared an AI-generated video showing a transformed Gaza Strip featuring golden Trump statues, luxury beachfront developments and bearded belly dancers… The AI-generated clip… begins with scenes of destruction before transitioning to a reimagined Gaza featuring Dubai-style skyscrapers, luxury hotels and pristine beaches, before numerous surreal elements are portrayed. These include a towering golden statue of Trump, children carrying golden Trump balloons, buildings emblazoned with ‘Trump Gaza,’ and Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lounging poolside with cocktails. 

“Elon Musk… also appears several times in the video, eating on a beach and throwing dollar bills into the air as apparent Tesla vehicles drive through the streets. Throughout the video, a song plays with the lyrics: ‘Donald’s coming to set you free, bringing the light for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear, Trump Gaza’s finally here. Trump Gaza shining bright, golden future a brand new light. Feast and dance the deal is done, Trump Gaza number one.’… 

“The video release follows Trump’s Febr. 4 announcement of a controversial plan for Gaza, where he stated that ‘The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it.’ Trump described his vision as turning Gaza into ‘the Riviera of the Middle East’ and his plan would reportedly involve relocating Gaza’s approximately 2 million Palestinian residents to neighboring countries…

“The surreal video has garnered widespread criticism, with even Truth Social users responding with mixed reactions. Direct quotes from commenters include: ‘I hate this. I love our president, but this is horrible,’ and ‘I don’t think that’s funny or cool. Sorry. Am I missing something??? I hope it’s a joke, a bad joke.’ Another user commented: ‘You’re doing great Mr President. But don’t let it get to your head. God put you in that position for His Glory, not yours.” 

The golden statue of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3 comes to mind. 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

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

These are very interesting questions and the only place that we can find this information is in the Word of God, the Bible.

The spiritual realm is a fascinating subject.   Physical can’t see spirit.  Our physical life now, however long or short, will be a fraction of our life as a Spirit-born member of God’s Family if we make it into the Kingdom of God.

In an article entitled “What Science Can’t Discover About the Human Mind”, Mr Herbert W Armstrong (1892-1986), former leader of the now defunct Worldwide Church of God, wrote that “God has had to plan to bridge the gap between MATTER (of which MAN is now wholly composed) and SPIRIT (which God now is, and man must become).   The body that comes in the (first) resurrection is not the same body that was flesh and blood in this human lifetime. God does not turn flesh and blood matter INTO Spirit. The flesh and blood physical body, after death, decomposes and decays, but the spirit that was IN that body, like the sculptor’s mold, preserves all the form and shape, the memory, and the character INTACT. And that mold, being spirit does not change — even though the resurrection may take place thousands of years after death.”

 

In his book “Beyond the Cosmos,” author Hugh Ross states on page 15 that “Since birth we have lived in the four dimensions of length, width, height and time.   We will continue to reside there until the day of our physical death.”  On page 19, we read: “With the help of supercomputers, mathematicians have designed realms with as many as a million dimensions of space.  On page 20, we further read: “Physicists have just uncovered strong evidence that extra dimensions do indeed exist.  Yet predating these physics discoveries by more than nineteen hundred years are the words of the prophets and apostles who penned the sixty-six books of the Bible.  These ancients described phenomena – such as the creation event, miracles, [and] Jesus’ post-resurrection capacities…  – that require the existence of extra dimensions or the functional equivalent of extra dimensions.”  

We quote these comments to show how incredible the future will be when the physical will be but a fleeting moment of history and everything will then become spiritual.   As Spirit beings, the people of God will understand all of this information, and much more as the sons and daughters of God.

Therefore, we will have a look at the spiritual world now and see how magnificent it is.   This should encourage and motivate us about the future that is set before us and show us how much greater it will be than that which we enjoy today, and much greater than we can understand at this time.   It is exciting to think about all of this and to pray for God’s Kingdom to come – and soon!

There are three heavens and we have written before, for instance in our Q&A https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-3756/, about these as follows:

“The Bible does indeed reveal the existence of ‘three’ heavens. While the first two heavens are ‘physical’ in nature, the third heaven is composed of spirit — it is referred to in Scripture as God’s dwelling place.

“The atmosphere or the ‘first heaven’ — the air that surrounds the earth — refers to the space where the birds fly, the clouds and the wind roam, and from which the dew comes. We read in Genesis 1:20: ‘…let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’ We also read, in Genesis 27:28, that God promises to give ‘the dew of heaven.’ Finally, we are told in Deuteronomy 33:28, that Jacob’s ‘Heavens shall also drop dew.’

“The physical universe, which is beyond this earth’s atmosphere, can be described as the ‘second heaven.’ It represents the space where we find the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the other planets that God has created. We read, in Genesis 1:14-17, that God referred to sun and moon as ‘lights in the firmament of the heavens’ (verses 14, 15), and that He ‘set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth’ (verse 17). David pondered, in Psalm 8:3, over God’s ‘heavens, the work of Your fingers,’ and he especially continued to talk about ‘the moon and the stars, which You have ordained.’

“In addition to these two physical ‘heavens,’ we find that the Bible speaks about another heaven, a heaven composed of spirit — the third heaven, where God lives. No human being has ever ascended to this heaven (compare John 3:13) — the only one who went to this heaven after His resurrection was Jesus Christ. We are specifically told that David did not ascend to heaven (Acts 2:34).’”

So, let us now look at the Heaven of God’s Throne and so much more.  We will explore WHERE it is, WHO and WHO IS NOT in heaven, WHAT is in heaven.

One commentator opined that “I believe that heaven cannot thoroughly be explained, even by the Scriptures, for it must be too wonderful for words and it must be too indescribable to relate to by word pictures.”   It would be difficult to disagree with that assertion!

So, where is the Heaven of God’s Throne?    

In Isaiah 14:13, we read about Lucifer’s attempted coup d’etat, the most audacious but ridiculous attempt at a take-over bid in the history of the universe!  But this verse does reveal a geographical location of the third heaven: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” (Authorized Version).

This reveals that it is in the north of the earth and the word ascend means to go or move upward, to rise.   This is confirmed when we read that Jesus came down from heaven (cp John 3:13 and many other verses particularly in John 6 which are quoted further on in this Q&A.  Therefore, it must be in the north.

There are many verses in the Bible where heaven is shown as in the north. Psalm 75:6-7 (Authorized Version) states: “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Promotion or “exaltation” comes from the north, where God’s throne is. 

The Bible does not give other information about this location, geographically, but the location is immaterial anyway because, as it is spiritual, it can’t be seen by man.

Let us look WHO and WHO is not in heaven.

It is interesting to read about those spiritual beings who inhabit that wonderful spiritual place.

Wikipedia gives the following insight into the 3^rd heaven: “A third concept of Heaven, also called shămei hashamayim (שׁמי השׁמים or ‘Heaven of Heavens’), is mentioned in such passages as Genesis 28:12, Deuteronomy 10:14 and 1 Kings 8:27 as a distinctly spiritual realm containing (or being traveled by) angels and God.”

We know, of course, that God the Father and Jesus Christ are in heaven.   Let us review just a few of so many verses in the Bible that refer to this.

Psalm 11:4: “The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.”

Psalm 115:3: “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.”

Isaiah 66:1: “Thus says the LORD, Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?”

In the model prayer given by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 6:9, Jesus opens with the phrase “Our Father in heaven.”

In John 3:12, we read: “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” Jesus knew about heavenly things because He had come down from there.

In John 6, Jesus refers to Himself as the bread which came down from heaven (see verses 33, 41, 48, 50, 51, 58).

Hebrews 8:1: “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,”

Mark 16:19: “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”

Revelation 3:21: “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

 And then there are the angelic beings.   

On page 3 of our booklet “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” the question is asked: “How Many Angels Exist?” and the answer reads as follows:

“Man has no comprehension of how many angels exist. The revealed number is indeed mind-boggling. In Revelation 5:11, the number of angels that had assembled before the throne of God is given as ‘…ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’ Hebrews 12:22 goes even further: ‘But you have come to… an innumerable company of angels.’ The Greek word for ‘innumerable’ is ‘anarithmethos,’ literally meaning, ‘unnumbered’ or ‘without number.’ Certainly, God knows how many angels He created but for man, angels are ‘without number.’”

Let us, from the same booklet on page 4, read about them having their own names:

“As individual beings with feelings and emotions, and with their own language, God also knows them by individual names. The Bible reveals two angelic names to us—Michael and Gabriel. It also talks about a third angel—Lucifer—who became Satan the devil. It appears, however, that all of the other angels have God-given names too. In Hebrews 1:4, we are told that Christ ‘…obtained a more excellent name than they,’ and Ephesians 1:21, in comparing Christ with the angelic world, states that Christ was seated at the right hand of God the Father, …far above…every name that is named.’ (Compare, too, Philippians 2:9.)”

Then on page 7, we read about the different orders of angels:

“There seem to exist different orders, categories or ranks of angels, with varying degrees of power and authority. When describing the angelic world, Colossians 1:16 speaks about ‘…thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.’ Ephesians 1:20–21 refers to angels as ‘…principality and power and might and dominion.’ In Ephesians 3:10, angels are identified as ‘…principalities and powers in the heavenly places,’ and 1 Peter 3:22 describes the created world of spirit beings as ‘…angels and authorities and powers.’

“In light of these Scriptures, the Swiss Zürcher Bible does refer to ranks among the angels. The Ryrie Study Bible states in an annotation to Ephesians 1:21: ‘These words (i.e., principality, and power, and might, and dominion) in rabbinical thought of the time, described different orders of angels.’

“As will become clearer in the remainder of this booklet, angels have been given varying degrees of power and glory. All of them are powerful and glorious, but not to the same extent. Revelation 5:2 speaks about a ‘strong angel.’ Revelation 10:1 and 18:21 describe ‘mighty’ angels. Revelation 18:1 introduces an angel ‘…coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.’  Other Scriptures imply that specific angels were given special powers over fire (Revelation 14:18) and water (Revelation 16:5).

“The following brief overview will summarize the varying orders or categories of angels, as revealed in Scripture.”

We then read about them on pages 6-10:

• Archangels
• Seraphim
• Cherubim
• Four Living Creatures
• The twenty-four Elders
• The seven Spirits of God
• The Remaining Angels 

In heaven, there are God the Father, Jesus Christ the Word, and innumerable angels.   

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

A Tech Team Meeting was conducted on March 2, 2025. Hosted by Eric Rank, we reviewed our advertising results, video presentations, website status along with some miscellaneous topics.

“Cain and Abel – The First Murder” is the latest video published in our Bible Stories series on YouTube.

“Das korrupte wirtschaftliche System Europas” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link.  Title in English: “The Corrupt Economic System of Europe.”

“Wie uns das Lob näher zu Gott bringt,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon in Germany was presented by Marc Völler. Title in English: “How Praise Brings Us Closer to God.”

“Wo ist sein Hut?” last Sabbath’s second split sermon in Germany was presented by Johann Schell. Title in English: “Where Is His Hat?”

“In All Honesty,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

The term “in all honesty” is frequently used to emphasize truthfulness and sincerity in an attempt to soften the impact by diminishing the harshness and not trying to be malicious. However, we shouldn’t use this term loosely; we should be honest at all times. There is also a fine line between an honest mistake and a blatant mistake, and when we do make a mistake, how can we rectify it?

“Europe’s Corrupt Economic System,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

In the book of Revelation, ungodly modern Babylon is described not only as a European political, military and religious system, but also as an economic power. Other passages in the Old Testament give us further information about this worldwide economic system in which true Christians must have no part.

2025 SPRING HOLY DAYS:

Passover: April 12 (observed the evening before)

Days of Unleavened Bread: April 13-19 (first and last days are Holy Days with live Services being broadcasted).

On March 1, 2025, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “In All Honesty,“ and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Europe’s Corrupt Economic System.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Vice President JD Vance recently said in Germany: “We have a new sheriff in town,” referring to President Donald Trump in Washington. But is there also now a new sheriff in Berlin? Some might think so.

I’m talking about Friedrich Merz (CDU) who is to become the new German Chancellor, replacing the deeply unsuccessful Olaf Scholz (SPD). Trump congratulated Merz, and so did many other leaders. Trump also congratulated the AfD, as some other populist leaders on the right did as well. In Germany’s election last Sunday, the AfD reached a strong second place [one of five Germans voted for it], so that the CDU and the AfD would hold enough seats for a majority in Parliament. But Merz said he would not enter into a coalition with the “far-right” AfD.

Meaning, “the legacy globalist-right conservative Christian Democrats” would have to enter into a “grand” coalition with the left-leaning SPD to be able to rule Germany… the same SPD which under Scholz has been largely responsible for the terrible demise Germany is in.

In an insightful article following the election, Breitbart wrote on February 24:

“But as Germany experienced in the Angela Merkel era of such grand coalitions between left and right, ultimately, the government is dragged left — very left — as the junior partners hold the senior hostage with the threat that they can, at any moment, collapse the government if not indulged…”

So will Merz, in time, stick to or abandon his pledge to uphold the “firewall” or “Brandmauer” against the AfD? The AfD is open to a coalition with the CDU. In fact, the AfD stated in the past that Merz is even more right-wing than they are. They also state now that the CDU has effectively adopted most of the AfD’s manifesto in order to attract voters who might otherwise have voted for the AfD. Merz, it is stated, thereby shifted his party to the right, abandoning Angela Merkel’s politics.

Merz’s victory has been described as “one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent political history,” and Merz was referred to as “a corporate king in conservative clothing.” It has been known that Merz has long represented the interests of some of the world’s most powerful corporate and financial elites, most notably BlackRock in Germany until 2020. Germany will become the first country to be ruled by a former BlackRock official. BlackRock profits from sectors including pharmaceuticals, entertainment, media and, of course, war. BlackRock is the biggest asset management corporation in the world, which controls some $6.3 trillion in assets — twice Germany’s gross domestic product. 

As first and foremost a businessman, Merz’s victory, we are told, will be celebrated in the boardrooms of BlackRock and other major corporations, granting them unprecedented control of Europe’s largest economy.

What political views does Merz have? Actually, this is very difficult to decipher. During a debate shortly before the election, Merz asked rhetorically whether people would continue to talk about NATO in its “current form” rather than about establishing an “independent European defense capability.”

Merz has been described as anti-American and anti-Trump. He said: “The EU must not come to Washington as a dwarf — because then it will be treated as one.” He also noted that America’s intervention in German elections was as brazen as Russia’s intervention. He sharply criticized Donald Trump’s administration and urged Europe to distance itself from Washington during a post-election panel.

But is this an accurate picture which really describes Merz’s position? It has been suggested that any disagreements in public would largely be a façade, as Trump’s and Merz’s interests and visions are allegedly similar. Merz aligned with the US on issues such as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, calling for the project’s cancellation long before the escalation of the Ukraine crisis. There may be disagreements as to how to deal with Russia and Ukraine… but we know from prophecy that both countries will unite in the end. Trump and Merz want Europe to spend more—a lot more—on defense, and both support the global “corporate elite.”

From a philosophical standpoint, Merz and the AfD are much more similar than Merz and the SPD. Will the push of the SPD in a grand coalition become so unbearable that the Germans will demand a dramatic change… which will ultimately end up in a coalition between the two right-wing parties?

Merz also made clear that he wants to become the conservative leader of Europe—thereby challenging Merkel’s protégée, Ursula von der Leyen. Will America’s withdrawal from European affairs give Germany, perhaps under Merz, the opportunity to become much more influential in Europe? Is Merz going to be used as an architect in that regard to allow end-time prophecy to develop in due course?

We will have to see how all of this will play out.

by Norbert Link

In this issue, we address the ongoing and ever-increasing national and international uproar over Donald Trump’s “unwise” statements pertaining to Ukraine and his actions towards Zelensky and Russia; address developments in Brazil and Gaza; and report about long-overdue actions by RFK on vaccinations.

We dedicate a large portion of this issue to the election in Germany and introduce to you Friedrich Merz, presumably the next German Chancellor, addressing his past and his plans for the future. We also predict, however, that the new German government under Merz may just be a continuation of the past and still present disastrous government under Scholz.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Is Germany Now on the Brink of Change?”   

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

Boris Johnson vs. Trump 

Daily Mail published the following article by Boris Johnson on February 21: 

“They know full well that saying Ukraine ‘started the war’ is like blaming the defenceless young woman at the beginning of the movie Jaws and claiming that she takes off her clothes and skips into the moonlit sea with the specific intention of attacking the great white shark. It’s like saying that American ships brutally fired on Japanese Zeroes at Pearl Harbor. It’s Orwellian, bonkers, an inversion of the truth, and they know it. It’s victim-blaming rubbish to say that Ukraine was in any way responsible for the three years of carnage, and it is also rubbish to say that Vladimir Putin was ‘provoked’ by Nato…

 “Putin launched his war not because he was worried about Nato – that’s pure Kremlin propaganda – but because he is a ruthless opportunist, who had been in power for two decades, and who thought he could revive his political fortunes with a short, sharp war to rebuild the Russian empire.  He thought that the Ukrainians would rapidly surrender, and that the West would spinelessly acquiesce, as we had during the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

 “… everybody can see that Volodymyr Zelensky is not a dictator but a democrat courageously defending his country against an aggressor… we need to remember whose side the Ukrainians are on. They are on our side. They are on the side of freedom… In this war there is not a shred of moral equivalence between Ukraine and Russia…’

 Trump needs to be careful that he is not losing the support of his closest allies.

 Words of War Intensify

 The Daily Mail wrote on February 21: 

“Trump has claimed Sir Keir Starmer [and Emmanuel Macron]  ‘didn’t do anything’ to end the Ukraine war. The US President lashed out at Sir Keir and … Emmanuel Macron amid a transatlantic spat over Mr Trump branding Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky a ‘dictator’. Those comments riled both the PM and French President, who hit back at Mr Trump’s attack on the Ukrainian President and doubled down on their support for Kyiv… This comes after Mr Trump said in an interview with Fox News he didn’t think it was ‘very important’ for Zelensky to be involved in peace talks as ‘he’s been there for three years’ and that he ‘makes it very hard to make deals’… he suggested the Russian President ‘doesn’t have to make a deal’ because he could complete a total invasion of Ukraine ‘if he wanted’… 

“In his radio interview, Mr Trump also appeared to move away from his previous astonishing remarks in which he falsely blamed Kyiv for having ‘started’ the conflict. ‘Russia attacked, but there was no reason for them to attack.’ Mr Trump said… Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, an ally of Mr Trump, yesterday joined attacks on Mr Zelensky by claiming he runs a ‘fraud machine feeding off dead bodies of soldiers.’ [He also called him a “despised dictator.”] 

“But Keith Kellogg, the US President’s envoy to Russia and Ukraine, struck a different tone today following a trip to Kyiv. In a post on Mr Musk’s social media site X, the retired lieutenant general said he had had a ‘long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine’. This included ‘extensive and positive discussions’ with Mr Zelensky, who he praised as ‘the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war.”’ 

What is really going on behind the scenes? 

Very Personal 

The Sun in the UK wrote on February 21: 

“As negotiations have continued over finding a peace deal in Ukraine, the relationship between the two have only worsened. Their personal spats have spilled over into the public eye in recent weeks. 

“Zelensky has even been urged to flee Ukraine ‘immediately’ amid escalating tensions between Washington and Kyiv, insiders in the White House warned… 

“Asked about the growing tensions between the US and Kyiv, another source close to the White House said the public spat was a long-time coming… Trump’s smearing of the Ukraine regime as scam artists who provoked a war using US taxpayers’ money is a rant beneath the dignity of his office. Almost nothing in it is true… 

“It is an unprecedentedly shocking statement from the President of the United States… It is troubling and short-sighted in the extreme for the so-called leader of the free world to have no interest in a war ­raging in Europe because he is separated from it by the Atlantic. America is not a business…  is the most powerful democracy on Earth with global responsibilities and — let’s be frank — a duty to discern right from wrong with absolute moral clarity.” 

Even the pro-Trump media and pro-Trump commentators are standing up to Trump. 

Mark Levin Defies Trump 

Mediaite wrote on February 20: 

“Fox News’ Mark Levin delivered an implicit rebuke of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about the ongoing war between Russian and Ukraine on Wednesday, debunking a series of false and misleading claims made by the president. On his radio show, Levin delivered a history lesson on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s rise to power and various crimes, while going to bat for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky… 

“‘Now look, I don’t have a problem if it’s the position of our administration to cut back on support for Ukraine — which I oppose, by the way — then so be it. Elections have consequences, so be it. But I want to make sure the facts are on the table and you, the American people, draw your own conclusion,’ began Levin, submitting that ‘MAGA doesn’t support Putin.’ ‘Zelensky ordered martial law — that’s what the constitution there compelled. Zelensky hasn’t called for an election — that’s what the constitution there compels. he continued. ‘Now, I’m waiting for the first free election for Vladimir Putin. I mean, this is almost comical in a sick way that Putin is demanding an election. Why is he demanding an election in Ukraine when he doesn’t have free and real elections in his own country? And why does he-, why does he get to call the shots when in fact, he murders people who dare to challenge him?’… 

“‘Zelensky’s latest poll, he’s at 57%,’ noted the conservative commentator just one day after Trump claimed that Zelensky’s approval rating sat at 4%. ‘The parliament — with all parties in the parliament — support what he’s doing. They’re trying to survive. Ukraine did not invade Russia. Russia invaded Ukraine… Eighty-one percent of the American people do not trust Putin because 81% of the American people are smart,’ continued Levin… 

“Trump’s comments have been criticized a wide range of voices, including many on the right. But Levin’s remarks are particularly notable given his long history of supporting the president…” 

The New York Post Draws the Line 

Mediaite wrote on February 21:

“The New York Post pushed back on President Donald Trump’s quip that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is a ‘dictator’ with a full front cover image of Russian President Vladimir Putin and an all-caps headline declaring: “THIS IS A DICTATOR.”… The Post… a conservative powerhouse and Trump-ally Rupert Murdoch’s flagship newspaper, has drawn a sharp line in the sand over Ukraine… The cover was praised by other Trump-supporting media personalities who have taken issue with the Ukraine pivot, like journalist Piers Morgan… 

“The move follows a week of criticism from The Post’s editorial board itself, taking direct aim on Trump comments beginning Wednesday… ‘Whatever negotiating tactics Trump cares to use, turning the truth completely upside down ought to be beneath him.’”

No Minerals Deal… USA Blames Zelensky 

The Sun wrote on February 22: 

“Zelensky is reportedly not ready to accept the ‘problematic’ offer from the US. The [minerals] deal proposed by Trump’s team would see Kyiv hand over billions of dollars of minerals to Washington DC in exchange for weapons… And it comes as the split between the US and Ukraine is widening, with some White House officials raging Zelensky would be ‘six feet under’ without them… 

“Kyiv officials are however standing firm, reports Sky News, with some sources saying US and Ukrainian officials had spent ‘all night’ negotiating on Thursday into the early hours of Friday. A source said: ‘The agreement is not yet ready to be signed, there are a number of problematic issues, and in the current form of the draft, the president is not ready to accept it. Today, the drafts do not reflect a partnership in the agreement and contain only unilateral commitments by Ukraine.’ 

“The White House view is that Zelensky grew too accustomed to unwavering support under former President Joe Biden, including billions in military aid and NATO backing. Now, Trump’s inner circle believes the Ukrainian leader has overstepped, reports Axios. ‘We created a monster with Zelensky,’ another administration official said. ‘And these Trump-deranged Europeans who won’t send troops are giving him terrible advice.’… 

“‘In the course of a week, Zelensky rebuffed President Trump’s treasury secretary, his secretary of state and his vice president, all before moving on to personally insulting President Trump in the press,’ one official said. The US President also blasted Zelensky’s wartime leadership, calling him a ‘modestly successful comedian’ who must ‘move fast or he is not going to have a country left.’

“Russian President… Putin wasted no time seizing on the growing US-Ukraine rift, praising Trump for ‘changing his position’…”

Trying to appease Putin would be a colossal mistake. 

No Guarantees for Ukraine

The Daily Mail added on February 22:

“Ukraine claims to have Europe’s largest reserves of titanium – used to produce alloys for aircraft and naval vessels, and lithium, a commodity that is becoming increasingly valuable amid global demand for batteries – particularly in electric vehicles. The war-torn country also has deposits of rare earth minerals that are essential in high-tech industries, including defense and clean energy. The minerals are especially valuable to the US amid growing tensions with China, which controls vast portions of the global supply. 

“Zelensky furiously lashed out at the initial proposal, claiming that it was too vague and demanded a 50 percent share of Ukraine’s mineral deposits. He said that Trump was demanding $500 billion worth of the minerals – which was far beyond America’s total contribution to the Ukraine war effort of $100 billion. … Ukraine has trillions of dollars worth of natural resources… though many are found in the industrial heartlands in the east, currently occupied by Russia… Zelensky told reporters later Monday that any US-Ukraine economic treaty must see security guarantees… adding that his country was not just a ‘simple supplier of raw materials’… 

“An analysis of the contract’s terms by the Telegraph concluded that, if the terms of the draft dated February 7, 2025 draft were accepted by Ukraine, Trump’s demands would amount to a higher share of Ukrainian GDP than reparations imposed on Germany following World War I…

“Reuters also reported that American negotiators said they may cut Kyiv’s access to Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has been heavily relied on for civilian and military use, if it did not agree to the mineral rights deal… ‘Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star,’ said the source. ‘Losing Starlink … would be a massive blow.’…”

Ukraine Agrees to Mineral Deal… Sort of…

The Financial Times wrote on February 25:

“Ukrainian officials say Kyiv is now ready to sign the agreement on jointly developing its mineral resources, including oil and gas, after the US dropped demands for a right to $500bn in potential revenue from exploiting the resources.

“Although the text lacks explicit security guarantees, the officials argued that they had negotiated far more favourable terms and depicted the deal as a way of broadening the relationship with the US to shore up Ukraine’s prospects after three years of war…

“The final version of the agreement, dated February 24 and seen by the FT, would establish a fund into which Ukraine would contribute 50 per cent of proceeds from the ‘future monetisation’ of state-owned mineral resources, including oil and gas, and associated logistics. The fund would invest in projects in Ukraine….

“However, the agreement omits any reference to US security guarantees which Kyiv had originally insisted on in return for agreeing to the deal. It also leaves crucial questions such as the size of the US stake in the fund and the terms of “joint ownership” deals to be hashed out in follow-up agreements.

“Ukrainian officials said the deal had been approved by the justice, economy and foreign ministers, and held out the prospect of Zelenskyy travelling to the White House… for a signing ceremony with Trump…”

We will wait and see what is coming out of that one…

USA Declines to Sponsor UN Resolution

Newsweek wrote on February 20:

“The United States is declining to co-sponsor a draft [UN] resolution… [which] reaffirms the need for full implementation of past U.N. resolutions, particularly the demand for Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw its military forces from Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory. Russia currently controls about 20 percent of Ukraine and continues to gain ground in the east.”

The USA submitted their own version, greatly exonerating Putin. It does not refer to Putin as an “aggressor,” and it does not demand Russia to withdraw from Ukrainian territory nor does it establish Ukraine’s independent sovereignty. This version will have no chance of acceptance. The irony is that we know from the Bible that ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will unite.

Trump’s Attacks on Ukraine So Wrong!

Die Welt wrote on February 23:

“On Monday it will be three years since Russia unleashed a war.

“Donald Trump’s attacks on Ukraine and its president are so wrong that from now on we have to reckon with everything. And they lead to historical comparisons that hurt.”

RFK Issues Two Bombshell Orders on Vaccines 

Daily Mail wrote on February 21: 

“Robert F Kennedy Jr has pulled promotional ads for vaccines and postponed a meeting of key vaccine advisors, in one of his first moves as health secretary.

“Kennedy ordered the CDC to scrub its digital ‘Wild to Mild’ flu vaccine campaign that juxtaposed a lion next to a kitten as an analogy for how the shot ‘tames’ the virus. But Kennedy wants the CDC to move away from nudge tactics and focus its vaccine communications on ‘informed consent’ – which involves telling the patient the medical risks and benefits and letting them come to their own decision.

“Meanwhile, the year’s first meeting of the CDC’s influential panel of vaccine experts has been delayed indefinitely, marking the first time the meeting has been postponed in over 40 years, except for during the emergency Covid pandemic… Mr Kennedy told HHS staff that ‘nothing is off limits’ when it comes to pinpointing the leading causes of chronic illnesses in children, including alterations to national vaccine recommendations.”

This is a good start. Hopefully, it will continue at full speed. 

Another Trump “Plan” to Deal With Immigrants

Newsmax wrote on February 25:

“Illegal immigrants in the U.S., including children 14 and older, will be required to submit personal information, such as fingerprints and home addresses, to a registry under a plan being considered by the Trump administration… Previously, illegal immigrants were committing a civil offense and could be detained and deported but weren’t considered to have committed a crime…

“A law passed in 1940 created an immigrant registry to catch suspected communists, and the government aired TV ads reminding all immigrants, including permanent residents, to register annually at local post offices… By the 1960s, the government decided it was too costly and provided little benefit.

“Trump’s planned registry would require anyone in the country illegally who hasn’t interacted with the government, such as by applying for asylum or a work permit, to come forward. The administration plans to create a registration form and give them 30 days to complete it after the registry is established…

“President George W. Bush created a similar immigration registry after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when his administration required men and boys from predominantly Muslim countries to submit photographs and fingerprints to the federal government… Tens of thousands of people who registered under that program were arrested and deported.”

These are frightening developments. 

Brazil Censors Rumble 

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 22:

“Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered video sharing platform Rumble to be taken offline in the Latin American country within 24 hours. In his decision, Moraes said Rumble has not complied with court orders, such as appointing a legal representative for Brazil…

“In response, Rumble said the platform is experiencing ‘unprecedented censorship in Brazil.’ The company, which has headquarters in both Canada and Florida, said Morae’s orders are ‘in response to our refusal to censor political dissidents residing in the United States.’… Rumble is responsible for the back-services for [Trump’s] Truth Social media site…. A venture capital company co-founded by current Vice President JD Vance invested in Rumble in 2021…

“The crackdown on Rumble in Brazil comes after Moraes ordered the suspension of Elon Musk’s x, also for failing to appoint a legal representative in the country.  Although Musk was angered by the order, the company eventually complied with Moraes’ demands around a month later, with X being brought back online in Brazil… Moraes is a powerful figure in Brazilian politics.” 

Trump Backpedals on Gaza

JTA wrote on February 21:

“President Donald Trump said Friday he would ‘recommend’ — but was ‘not forcing’ — his plan to depopulate the Gaza Strip and have the United States take it over, as Arab states have roundly rejected the idea and tensions mount over the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal… ‘I think that’s the plan that really works,’ Trump said. ‘But I’m not forcing it. I’m just going to sit back and recommend it’…

“Trump has predicted that Arab states would come around to the idea of depopulating Gaza, but they have not…” 

Our Politics Is a Disgrace 

Bild Online wrote on February 21:

“The Palestinians of Hamas know no boundaries: the planned, annihilating terrorist slaughter of October 7, 2023. The display of corpses and hostages, the triumphal processions for child butchers in the Gaza Strip. Medieval gauntlet running for the kidnapped and abused. Dark bunker dungeons for more than a year. Then the ‘release’ by Hamas as the ultimate humiliation: the hostages were used as propaganda puppets. And on German streets, from the far left to the center, they are demonstrating FOR Hamas and the Palestinians. FOR terrorists. AGAINST Jews, AGAINST the State of Israel. And our state is still giving money there – directly and indirectly. We are still handing out double passes to the enemies of Israel and our way of life…

“Now the German-Israeli Bibas family has been wiped out. Two small children: murdered by Hamas while they were being held hostage ‘with their bare hands,’ as the Israeli army now says. Cold-blooded. Who can do that? Who has the heart to do that? They are the barbarians who killed babies in the womb on kibbitzes so that no Jews would grow back. And these barbarians hand over the wrong body – it’s not the mother… [But the dead mother, brutally murdered by Hamas, allegedly while in captivity, was subsequently handed over to Israel.]

“If their abduction did not lead to any recognizable action by our federal government, then what does their death lead to, and what follows from the disgusting game with Shiri’s remains? Audible: nothing. Once again nothing concrete…

“As Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier was one of these political moral preachers. As our Federal President, he regularly and quite rightly speaks of… Israel’s right to exist. But what does all this mean? How far is he willing to go? Is there more than just Sunday speeches? When will the man… demand real consequences from the federal government?” 

Not Like Germany, Please!

The New York Post wrote on February 21:

“The First Amendment is our sacred safeguard against becoming a censorious hellscape — like Germany, where insulting a politician can land you in prison. Even supposedly ‘free’ Western countries are liable to crack down on free speech at a moment’s notice… It should make us all grateful that expressive rights are enshrined in our Constitution. But it’s also a reminder of how vigilant we need to be to ensure we don’t succumb to the same censorious fate. As Germany demonstrates, banning ‘hate speech’ is a slippery slope to abandoning free speech altogether…. 

“… once you open the door to prosecuting ‘hate speech,’ you no longer actually have free speech. ‘Hate speech’ is an amorphous term that can be defined differently by every judge, every prosecutor, and every individual. The crackdown on ‘hate speech’ in Germany has been applied in some pretty laughable contexts…”

These concerns are justified. It starts with censoring and prohibiting free speech, burning books, and what is next?

Needed: A European Army 

Vg-no wrote on February 25:

“We have no choice. The EU must become one united state. Should we have 27 different armies, and be feared by no one, or should we unite into a superpower that no one dares to threaten. That’s what Guillaume Ancel asks. He has fought as a French military officer in Rwanda, Cambodia and Bosnia for over 20 years. Now he wants to use his legitimacy as a military expert to promote a European federation , the United States of Europe, or USE.

“We knew we were threatened by Putin’s Russia, but now we discover we are threatened by Trump’s USA. And tomorrow it will be Xi Jinping’s China, he says… So the answer is simple, he believes: A federal structure, a democratically elected president, and a joint army. Under this force, France’s nuclear weapons would become Europe’s nuclear weapons, Ancel says… Ancel believes it will take courage for EU countries to give up their sovereignty , but that it is the only option.”

Germany’s Next Government

The Guardian wrote on February 23, 2025:

“… veteran political ­analyst Herfried Münkler… wrote in the newspaper Die Zeit… ‘The next government will have to take great pains to reassert German leadership in Europe.’… Merz (CDU) has said he aims to build a new ­governing ­alliance by Easter, setting up long weeks of tense negotiations in which Germany will be focused inward.

“His most likely partner will be Scholz’s Social Democrats…”

Report 24 speculated on February 23 that sooner or later, the CDU will collaborate with the AfD. In the past, the AfD claimed on occasion that Merz is more right-wing and conservative than even the AfD.

Trump Does Not Care For Germany

Bild Online wrote on February 22:

“US President Donald Trump has a new message for the Germans. And it goes something like this: I don’t care about you – nor about your new government… When he was asked in the White House on Friday afternoon to comment on the federal election, he shrugged off: ‘I wish you luck.’ Then he added with a grin: ‘We have our own problems here.’…

“No other US president in post-war history has ever made such a succinct statement about the Federal Republic or made it so obvious that Germany is a side note for them. This makes it clear: Germany cannot expect any leniency in the impending tariff war and must fear for the military protection of the USA.

“Trump doesn’t like Germany… He certainly didn’t like Angela Merkel… He said about the Chancellor: ‘She’s crazy. She is ruining Germany.’ What was meant was her asylum policy.”

Or Does He?

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 23:

“US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that a victory by conservatives was a good thing for Germany and the world. Writing on his Truth social platform, Trump said, ‘Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration, that has prevailed for so many years.’

‘‘This is a great day for Germany, and for the United States of America under the leadership of a gentleman named Donald J. Trump,’ he continued, adding, ‘Congratulations to all — many more victories to follow!!!’…”

However, Germany’s immediate future does not look rosy.

What Now?

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 23:

“Alice Weidel, leader of the AfD… said the AfD is prepared to enter a coalition government… But given that the CDU and other major parties have ruled out working with the AfD…, Weidel claims that the CDU have effectively adopted most of the AfD’s manifesto and says: ‘They’re going to have to explain to their voters how they’re going to implement those promises while working with left-wing parties. If they form a government with the SPD and Greens, then interim chancellor Merz won’t last four years.’…

“To form a government, a majority of at least 316 seats out of the 630 seats in the Bundestag is needed. A coalition between CDU and AfD would have been possible numerically, as both parties easily pass this threshold, adding up to 358. But according to conservative leader Friedrich Merz, this is out of the question. That leaves Olaf Scholz’s SPD as a possible partner, which together with CDU scrape by with 328 seats. A bigger majority could be formed if CDU were to add the Greens to the mix, reaching 416. But the CDU’s junior partner CSU has repeatedly ruled out governing with the Greens…  Theoretically, the CDU could also lead a 3-party coalition that includes SPD and the Left party, but this is highly unlikely given very deep ideological differences between the conservatives and the far-left faction…”

“Friedrich Merz sharply criticized Donald Trump’s administration and urged Europe to distance from Washington during a post-election panel airing on state broadcaster ARD….”

The CDU won, followed by the AfD, the SPD, the Green party and the Left. The left-leaning BSW [under Sahra Wagenknecht; the BSW is different from the Left party and broke away from it] and the FDP did not make the 5% hurdle. Current Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) announced that he would be willing to negotiate about a leadership role within a new government. The SPD under Scholz suffered the most devastating defeat since World War II. The CDU did not do as well as they had hoped.

However one wants to look at it… this election hasn’t changed much and Germany’s current downfall may continue for a while. Bottom line: Another disaster! No wonder that according to Focus, many Germans complain that their lives won’t be better after the election.

AfD’s Big Success

Reuters wrote on February 23:

“The Alternative for Germany, which has morphed since it was founded in 2013 from a party of libertarian economists to an anti-immigration, pro-Russia group, [has] won the backing of one-in-five Germans… AfD leader Alice Weidel told supporters… that it would be tantamount to ‘electoral fraud’ if the first-placed conservatives chose to govern with left-wing parties rather than them. If that happened, she said, ‘next time we’ll come first.’ Weidel, the leader of a nativist party that preaches traditional family values while raising her children with a Swiss-based woman of Sri Lankan background, said the AfD was now ‘a mainstream party’…

“One leading figure is regional boss Bjoern Hoecke… [The AfD] became the largest party in Hoecke’s home state of Thuringia last year, and did sufficiently well elsewhere that only improbable and tricky coalitions of centre-right and far left could keep them out of office…

“The president of Germany’s Central Jewish Council, Josef Schuster, told Welt newspaper he was shocked at the strength of the AfD’s result…”

Even though the positions of the AfD change from time, they recently announced that they are for the reinstatement of a mandatory 2-year military service, and, according to the article above, “drastically restricting migration, disbanding the European Union and dropping support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.” They have also suggested, however, to replace the EU with a more limited group of like-minded core nations.

Austria’s FPÖ Congratulates

Report 24 wrote on February 23:

“FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl sent… a heartfelt congratulation [to Alice Weidel from the AfD]…

“’The patriotic turnaround is well underway and it cannot be stopped, but only delayed, because it is supported by honest love for the homeland, for one’s own people, for freedom and for the truth!'”

Merz Backtracks on Borders

Breitbart wrote on February 25:

“Hours after his party’s victory in Germany’s federal elections, likely incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz began to soften his stance on immigration as he looks to form a coalition with leftist parties rather than the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany…

“While Merz campaigned as a supposed immigration hardliner, [he] appears to be following the tradition of notionally right-wing politicians abandoning their election-time promises once the votes have been counted.”

Merz— Corporate King in Conservative Clothing

UnHerd wrote on February 22, 2025:

“At the ripe age of 69, Friedrich Merz has waited decades for this moment… he is Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting… He’ll have to cobble together another coalition of disparate parties, but Merz won’t mind. Come Monday morning, he will have completed one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent political history… he is effectively running on a ‘Make Germany Great Again’ platform — a calculated attempt to win votes from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) by shifting his party to the Right on issues such as immigration. His cynicism here shouldn’t be underestimated: like Donald Trump in America, the millionaire Merz is a corporate king in conservative clothing.

“Merz… has long represented the interests of some of the world’s most powerful corporate and financial elites, most notably as a key representative of BlackRock in Germany between 2016 and 2020. Indeed,… Germany will become the first country to be ruled by a former BlackRock official. But his ties to elite institutions go back much further: for over two decades, even before joining BlackRock, he embodied the revolving door between politics, business and finance… Pharmaceuticals, entertainment, media and, of course, war — there is virtually no sector that BlackRock won’t try and profit from… Under Merz’s influence, for instance, BlackRock became one of the largest non-German shareholders in many of the country’s most important companies — from Deutsche Bank to Volkswagen, BMW to Siemens. Yet his work wasn’t just about increasing profits for shareholders; it was also about shaping a political environment where corporate interests were aligned with government policy…

“But then it’s hard to truly believe that ordinary Germans are Merz’s concern. Once a Davos Man, always a Davos Man — and his long history of representing powerful industries, including the chemical, financial and metallurgic sectors, suggests he will have other priorities. As chancellor, for instance, Merz could be called upon to regulate sectors with which he has long been associated…

“Recall, too, that under Merz’s leadership the CDU has received millions of euros in campaign donations from the very business interests he represented in the past… For both German and global corporate lobbyists, then, having Merz — a former colleague — as chancellor would be a dream come true. Or, as [finance expert Werner] Rügemer puts it: ‘This is putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.’

“Merz’s corporate connections shape his foreign policy as well. At heart, he’s… a firm believer in America’s role as the guarantor of the global order. This ideological stance has led Merz to align with the US on issues such as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, calling for the project’s cancellation long before the escalation of the Ukraine crisis… Now, of course, Washington has a very different Ukraine policy. So will Merz be forced to abandon his Atlanticist beliefs? Not necessarily. Though his strong anti-Russian stance and militaristic tendencies seem at odds with Trump’s efforts to de-escalate the conflict, the reality is that their visions are more aligned than might initially seem to be the case.

“What, in the end, does Trump demand from Europe? Higher defence spending and a significant role in shouldering both the financial and strategic responsibilities for post-war security in Ukraine, something which could even involve the deployment of a European ‘peacekeeping’ force. These policies align neatly with Merz’s own vision. He has long advocated boosting Germany’s defence budget, a stance welcomed by his corporate allies in the German military-industrial complex. Now, in fact, he has joined the chorus calling for Europe to ‘take its security into its own hands’. Trump couldn’t ask for more. This strategic convergence, coupled with Merz’s conservative leanings, deep ties to the US financial and corporate sectors, and ingrained Atlanticism, all make him well-placed to become America’s European ‘vassal-in-chief’ in our post-liberal era. This would place Germany back at the helm of a European Union that is both economically weaker and militarily emboldened — even as it remains strategically adrift.

“This arrangement will be accompanied by much rhetoric about German and European ‘autonomy’ — and possibly even heated public disagreements between Berlin and Washington. In reality, though, it would largely be a façade, for the new dynamic would merely serve European and American elites. The former would continue to stoke the fear of Russia as a means to justify more defence spending, directing funds away from social programmes and legitimising their continued crackdown on democracy. As for the latter, they would continue benefiting from Europe’s economic dependence on the US…

“Not that we should be surprised. Over the past two decades, Merz, just like Trump, has proved himself a businessman first and a politician second. Yet unlike Trump, who at least has some populist credentials, Merz’s victory will be celebrated in the boardrooms of BlackRock and other major corporations, which can expect to see their bank balances start ticking steadily upwards. As so often, though, ordinary voters should not expect this bounty to flow their way.”

We are citing below the following article about Merz, which was published in 2018, but which is as relevant today as it was then.

Friedrich Merz and BlackRock

On November 29, 2018, Deutsche Welle wrote about Friedrich Merz who tried to replace Angela Merkel as Chancellor before, but his attempt failed:

“The sheer scale of BlackRock’s finances makes its influence on the world unlike that of any other company. Now one of its board members in Germany, Friedrich Merz, wants to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel… If successful, he would be the first German leader to come directly out of the so-called shadow banking system, and the first leader to have previously been a highly paid lobbyist for a global financial institution.

“Shadow banks are generally defined as financial institutions that work like banks but aren’t subject to the same regulatory systems. Their growing power, which dwarfs the likes of Amazon, Facebook and Google (all of which BlackRock invests money in) means that financial market speculation has become one of the biggest movers of money in the world. Many critics of the market system believe this destabilizes the world economy by incentivizing risk, the trade in bad loans, and investing via unregulated markets, known as ‘dark pools.’ The rise of shadow banking has been blamed for causing the subprime mortgage catastrophe of 2007-2008 and the global recession that followed.

“Merz heads the supervisory board of the German branch of BlackRock, the biggest asset management corporation in the world, which controls some $6.3 trillion (€5.56 trillion) in assets — twice Germany’s gross domestic product. Two venerable German researchers, political scientist Peter Grottian and finance expert Werner Rügemer, appeared in Berlin on Wednesday to warn against letting Merz take control of the German government…

“BlackRock’s activities have attracted the attention of the authorities. Police searched BlackRock’s offices in Munich earlier this month as part of an investigation into the ‘cum-ex’ tax evasion scandal, which cost European taxpayers some €55 billion. That investigation is related to the period from 2007 to 2011, five years before Merz joined the company…

“‘There has never been a company like BlackRock before,’ said Heike Buchter, who published a book on the company in 2015, in a recent interview with the IPG Journal. ‘No one else has comparable access to companies, governments, regulators and central banks than BlackRock.’… During his career as a Bundestag member, he opposed the minimum wage and argued for cutting social benefits and limiting the power of trade unions. His possible ascension to the chancellery would therefore grant the financial power broker unprecedented control of Europe’s largest economy.”

Merz Challenges von der Leyen

Politico wrote on February 21:

“Ursula von der Leyen is about to face the most serious challenge to her leadership since she became European Commission president six years ago… ]Merz] has made no secret of his plans to weigh in much more heavily on EU affairs than his predecessor, Olaf Scholz…  ‘The EU must not come to Washington as a dwarf — because then it will be treated as one,’ Merz told a recent campaign event in Germany.

“The signal from Berlin that Germany is ready to take on more leadership in the European Union should be welcome news for von der Leyen, who stands to gain a powerful conservative ally that happens to be well versed in EU affairs (Merz was a European lawmaker from 1989 to 1994). In Brussels, you’ll even often hear grumbling that a victory for Merz will simply mean that the EU will be run by two German Christian Democrats.

“But a closer look suggests that ‘Queen Ursula’… is unlikely to share the stage easily with the CDU leader. Von der Leyen, 66, has reigned supreme in Brussels ever since former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, her political patron, helped to catapult her into the powerful executive role in 2019. Indeed, while von der Leyen was promoted to defense minister under Merkel, Merz was shunted aside and quit politics to work as a corporate lawyer.

“Von der Leyen has taken advantage of French President Emmanuel Macron and Scholz’s relative weakness to accrue influence, centralizing the bloc’s response to the Covid pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now she’ll have to contend with one of Merkel’s fiercest rivals in the CDU, a connoisseur of EU affairs who will loom large as the most powerful conservative at the European leaders’ table, where he intends to increase the power of capitals at Brussels’ expense…” 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

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

It is useful to appreciate who Ezra was. What was his family line? This is listed in Ezra 7:1-5. In this list, certain names stand out, Hilkiah, who was the high priest in the days of Josiah, 2 Chronicles 34:9, Zadok the priest in the days of David and Solomon, and going back further, Phineas, Eleazar and Aaron, the chief priest. So, Ezra was of the priestly line; in fact, going by his ancestors, very distinguished in the priestly line. He was one of over four thousand priests in Judea, most of whom had already returned to Judea years before Ezra. But he was the one selected by God to restore the true religious observance and worship in the country. He is reputed to have written three books of the Bible, Ezra, and the last two books of the Jewish Scriptures, 1 and 2 Chronicles. He also arranged the books of the Old Testament in the order in which we have them today in the Hebrew Bible, but not in the English Bible (compare “The Authority of the Bible”, page 85). So important was he in the eyes of his people that later tradition regarded him as no less than a second Moses. It is interesting that Ezra himself is not even mentioned in his book until the seventh chapter.

He was sent back by the king to investigate the spiritual condition of the Jews in Judea. This is mentioned in Ezra 7:14. The time setting of his return is mentioned in Ezra 7:1: “Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia…” These things were the building and dedication of the temple and the keeping of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, mentioned in Ezra, chapter 6. These events had occurred over fifty years earlier before Ezra came to Jerusalem, so the term “after these things” does not mean immediately after them.

The people of Israel had had a great amount of zeal during the building of the temple with the encouragement of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. In Haggai 2:6-7, we read, “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.” However, after the fifty-plus-years-period since completing the temple, nothing in this prophecy had occurred and there was the strong probability that the people had become slack concerning the observance of God’s Law.  

This was a reason for the king to send Ezra to Judea to inquire about their spiritual condition which is stated in Ezra 7:23: “Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?” He did not want the God of heaven to be displeased about what was happening in Judea and bring wrath on the king’s and his sons’ kingdom.

Ezra was fluent in two languages, Aramaic and Hebrew. In fact, parts of the book of Ezra were written in Aramaic (Ezra 4:8 to 6:18 and 7:12-16), but the majority of the book was written in Hebrew. At the time of Ezra, it is claimed that the language commonly spoken by the ordinary people was Aramaic, not Hebrew, although the religious, governmental and upper class did use Hebrew. The two languages have similarities but are not identical.

Ezra was an expert in the Law of Moses, commonly called the Torah, which made him a scribe as well as a priest. But why did he have to be skilled? This is mentioned in Ezra 7:6, “… this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.” This is reinforced in Ezra 7:11, “This is a copy of the letter that king Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of His statutes to Israel.”

The language of Hebrew has a number of features which, to be understood fully, require much instruction, training and knowledge. The first obstacle to be overcome is that the writing of the official scrolls in the temple or synagogues had no vowels. If we were to look at a modern printed Hebrew Bible, we would see marks under the letters suggesting which vowels, accents and pronunciations to employ for the text to make sense. However, these markings were added around the time of the Masoretes, somewhere around the eighth or ninth centuries CE. While the Masoretes were extremely accurate in copying the consonants in the scrolls, their additions as mentioned were according to their best understanding at the time.

To understand why skill was needed, we could look at a simple Hebrew word like “dm,” using English letters. It basically means “red”. When vowels are added, it can be either Adam or Edom, depending on context. The Masoretes added the required vowel marks to suggest which was the correct meaning. However, Ezra had to know what the correct meaning was because when he read it, there were no added prompts or markings for him to use at that time.

To complicate the situation further, there were no word breaks between words. The word breaks had been added more recently, probably again in the time of the Masoretes. Ezra had to determine where words started and finished among a continuous row of letters. As an English example, we might read “gtthntyslggrd” and after some thought realise it was “Go to the ant you sluggard,” by adding vowels and word breaks. However, the word breaks are usually correctly inserted but in extremely rare cases they are not in the correct position.

An example of this is in Proverbs 26:23: “Fervent lips with a wicked heart Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.” When analysed, fervent lips and a wicked heart are opposites, designating hypocrisy. However, with an earthenware pot covered with silver dross, both are of little value, silver dross, commonly called slag, being what’s left after the silver has been refined and removed from the ore. But if the word breaks are slightly modified, and the correct vowels added, “silver dross” becomes “glaze”, which has the effect of making something cheap and common look valuable, thus redefining the sentence into two opposites: “Fervent lips compared with a wicked heart” and “Cheap earthenware compared with a beautifully glazed item of pottery.” The glaze hides the cheapness of the item, in a similar way that fervent lips hide the wickedness of the heart.

The reason the word break was placed in the wrong position in that passage by the Masoretes was that the Hebrew word referring to glaze was unknown in the period when they finalised their text, but the words for silver and dross were known. By making the word breaks in particular positions and inserting the corresponding seemingly appropriate vowels, they could make some sort of sense, although not giving the correct meaning. More recent translations have corrected this error and, as an example, the Good News Version renders this proverb as “Insincere talk that hides what you are really thinking is like a fine glaze on a cheap clay pot.”

Aside from adding the correct vowels and word breaks, Ezra also had to be very familiar with the Oral Law. It refers to Jewish legal traditions and interpretations that are not part of the written Torah. They were passed down orally. Some of those were adopted to enable one to correctly obey many written laws, the details of which were not revealed in the written Law. However, many of those were added to “make a fence for the Law,” especially when referring to the Sabbath. Their additions and interpretations were rejected by Jesus Christ (compare “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” pages 17 following).

It is intended in a future Q&A to explain the necessity and history of the Oral Law.

So, we see that for Ezra to carry out the commission that God gave to him to restore true religion to the land of Judea, he had to understand the Scriptures in fine detail, including pronunciation and providing correct word breaks. He would have needed much instruction and training and inspiration from God. Also, he needed to know in minute detail the correct oral laws necessary to be able to apply God’s Law in the right way. Therefore, he needed to be a highly “skilled Scribe,” and an “expert in the words of the commandments of the LORD.”

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff (Australia)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Is Germany Now on the Brink of Change?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

With Friedrich Merz’s election victory, will there be a new sheriff in Berlin? It is assumed that he will become the new Chancellor, and coalition negotiations with the defeated left-leaning SPD are underway; because he currently does not want to enter into a coalition with the right-wing AfD. But what might happen in the future? And who is Merz anyway? What does he stand for, and what is his past?

“Steht Deutschland jetzt vor der Wende?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topic as described above.

“Cain and Abel – The First Murder” is the latest video published in our Bible Stories series on YouTube.

“Angst und Gier,” last Sabbath’s first split German sermon presented by Andreas Raetz, is now posted. Title in English: “Fear and Greed.”

“Wandeln mit Gott,” last Sabbath’s second split German sermon presented by Daniel Blasinger, is now posted. Title in English: “Walking with God.”

“With Raised Hands,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is the summary:

What can we learn from an event found in the Old Testament? The Bible includes stories so that we can think about them and use them for edification.

“Europe in Biblical Prophecy,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Many do not understand that, according to the Bible, the ancient Roman Empire would be revived ten times in Europe, and that the last seven resurrections would be a collaboration between the Catholic Church and the European Empire. All of these revivals have already taken place…except for the last one, which is unfolding before our eyes today and will culminate in the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This sermon examines the European resurrections of the ancient Roman Empire in history, including the blasphemous mark of the beast and the demonic nature of the European revivals.

On February 22, 2025, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “With Raised Hands,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Europe in Biblical Prophecy.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

In April 2024, a new concept was introduced for the first 15-minute micro service at a church in Swansea, South Wales in the UK.  The news report stated that “Regular worshippers were joined by commuters and families who had popped in to sample the first micro service being led by… John Gillibrand the vicar of Pontarddulais with Penllergaer.  The aim is to make church more accessible by drawing in people with busy lives for whom an hour-long service doesn’t fit into tight schedules.”

“‘We’re very mindful of work pressures on family and working life in contemporary society,’ he said. ‘So the idea is to provide people with an opportunity to have a full engagement with the church, but within 15 minutes.’”

It was interesting to read how this was accomplished.  “Gillibrand propped up an office clock against the front pew facing away from the congregation and he was off. The reading was from the Gospel of Mark.  Gillibrand said Jesus was a ‘very busy bloke’ and in the episode he focused on [that He] had got up early, gone off to a ‘solitary place’ and prayed. When the disciples found Jesus, they told Him: ‘Everyone is looking for You.’

“Gillibrand said the feeling Jesus must have experienced was familiar to busy people. ‘It’s coming at you from all directions.’ He asked the congregation to ‘keep silence together … still ourselves … if thoughts pop into our heads, turn them into prayers.’ There were a few moments of deep quiet before the clock ticked to the hour and Gillibrand declared: ‘Fifteen minutes bang on. Thank you God. Mission accomplished.’”

There are those, this gentleman included, who feel that this is appropriate in this day and age of hustle and bustle.   But does this approach have the approval of God?   The phrase “people with busy lives for whom an hour-long service doesn’t fit into tight schedules” is an interesting one.

The problem with this approach is that God has to fit in with all of the other demands on a person’s life.   We’ll squeeze Him in with a short prayer here or a micro service there once a week or maybe once within a few weeks.   That’s not good enough as the Bible clearly reveals.

Putting God first means just that, and it is not achieved by just squeezing a 15-minute micro service in a day when most of the waking time is involved in many other matters.  Loving God more than anyone or anything else is what He expects of His people. He must be the most valued relationship that we have in our lives.  

In Matthew 22:36-38, we read Jesus reply to a question a lawyer asked Him: ‘“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment.”’”   That is not manifest in a person’s life just by attending on occasion a micro service.  Putting God first in our lives should be our most important consideration and concern as true Christians.  God must be at the top of our list and first in our lives.  Our lives must be centered on both the Father and Jesus Christ and only then are we fulfilling this most important Commandment.  

The outcome of this approach can be seen in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”   God has to be first in our lives, not just an addendum to our normal routine.  In Matthew 6:21 we read: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  

How much can anyone learn about God and His Ways in just 15 minutes?   It may temporarily “salve” some people’s consciences but such micro services, fitting in with other people’s schedules, is not the worship that God expects.

In the Church of the Eternal God, we conduct weekly Sabbath services which are also broadcast live. They last approximately 2 hours. In addition, we have the Holy Day season which we are instructed to keep.   In Leviticus 23:2, God tells us: “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.”   We keep the days that God says are His!   

On our annual Holy Days, there will be no 15-minute micro services during these most important times in God’s calendar.  It will be a time of real commitment for members and their families with these days highlighting what is to happen in the foreseeable future in God’s Master Plan for mankind. We are conducting daily worship services during that time which again last at least 2 hours.

How blessed are we to have been called by God at this time and to have the Truth fully expounded in due season.   Let us always look forward to the weekly and annual Holy Days and make the most of them at a time when the true knowledge of God and His Ways are simply not understood in this world.

by Norbert Link

We begin with Zelensky’s plea for a European Army in view of perceived Russian aggression towards NATO; and continue with the incredible hostility of hypocritical Europeans towards JD Vance and Donald Trump for pointing out the real dangers of censorship and dictatorship developing in Germany and other European countries. Vance’s speech in Munich has been described as “brilliant” and “glorious,” as well as “unacceptable” and posing “an extreme threat.”

Europe has also been “offended” by being told that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine would not be dictated and decided by Europe. At the same time, it became obvious that Europe is deeply divided regarding the question as to how to proceed in the Ukraine matter. The alienation between the USA and Europe has never been deeper since the end of World War II. But there is also great concern regarding Trump’s wrong comments about Zelensky.

In other news, we report on Robert F Kennedy’s appointment as US Secretary of Health and Human Resources (HHS) and some positive movements towards ending mandatory vaccinations.

We close with an interesting article about “heaven.”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America and Europe at Loggerheads.”

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

Zelensky Calls for Creation of ‘European Armed Forces’ at Munich Security Conference 

Breitbart wrote on February 16: 

“While the Trump administration has drawn feigned outrage throughout European capitals for daring to suggest that they meet their NATO defence spending obligations, President Zelensky was hailed with applause at the Munich Security Conference as he called for an international European army. Zelensky argued that a European army would be necessary for Europe to take back its own destiny and to ensure its safety if America refused to come to its rescue. ‘Let’s be honest, now we can’t rule out the possibility that America might say “no” to Europe on an issue that might threaten it. Many leaders have talked about a Europe that needs its own military, an army of Europe. And I really believe that the time has come for the Armed Forces of Europe to be created,’ Zelensky said. 

“The Ukraine leader said per the AP that ‘three years of full-scale war have proven that we already have the foundation for a united European military force. And now, as we fight this war and lay the groundwork for peace and security, we must build the armed forces of Europe.’..  ‘A few days ago, President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin. Not once did he mention that America needs Europe at the table. That says a lot,’ he added. ’The old days are over when America supported Europe just because it always had.’… 

“Although many European nations have long failed to meet their NATO spending requirements, a key point of contention between Europe and President Trump, the notion of creating a European Army has been a long-held aim of key globalists on the continent, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. Such a project may force Europeans to invest far more in their defence spending. However, concerns have also been raised about further deteriorating national sovereignty for EU member states…” 

Zelensky said verbatim: 

“Armed Forces of Europe must be created… As we fight this war and lay the groundwork for peace and security we must build the Armed Forces of Europe so that Europe’s future depends only on Europeans and decisions about Europe are made in Europe. Europe has everything it takes but it needs to come together. We need confidence in our own friends so that others have no choice but to respect Europe’s power and without a European army that is impossible.” 

That is very true. 

Putin to Attack NATO Within a Year or Six Months? 

The Sun wrote on February 14: 

“Zelesnky warned the West that Vladimir Putin is preparing to unleash a war against Nato in the next 12 months. In a press conference on Friday morning, he said Vlad was readying a conflict with Nato in 2026 and that giving away Ukrainian land would not appease him. Zelensky said: ‘Based on all the information I’ve gathered from intelligence and other sources, I think he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) is preparing for war against NATO countries next year…. 

“He also believes… Vlad is preparing to send 15 divisions – some 150,000 soldiers – to Belarus… ‘And I’m not sure this group will move towards Ukraine,’ he added. From Belarus, Putin’s murderous army could easily invade Ukraine, Poland or the three Baltic countries – sparking all out chaos on the continent. 

“Spy intel released from Denmark on Wednesday warned that Russia’s military capacity could see Putin ready to spark wars with neighbouring regions in a just six months as he eyes fractures in Nato. An unclassified assessment from the Danish Defence Intelligence Service [DDIS] says: ‘Russia perceives itself as being in conflict with the West and is preparing for a war against NATO.” 

Some accuse us, wrongfully, of hateful anti-Russia propaganda when we are reporting the news, in the light of biblical prophecy. The Bible says clearly that Russia will retaliate against Europe after Europe has attacked Russia, due to disturbing rumors stemming from Russia. The scenario reminds us of the situation during World War II, involving Hitler and Stalin.  Both were preparing for war against each other, but Hitler was faster, ending in total defeat of Germany. The same will happen again. 

Europe Can’t Assume US Help Will Last Forever 

AFP wrote on February 14:

“US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday warned NATO allies in Europe against assuming that the American troop presence on the continent would ‘last forever’, as he urged them to spend more on defence… 

“Trump has repeatedly called on NATO members to increase their military expenditure… Trump has previously said that [the alliance’s current minimum level of two percent] should be more than doubled to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP).” 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and others declared that this was unacceptable and impossible to achieve. 

Steinmeier Attacks Trump 

AFP wrote on February 14: 

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) on Friday said: ‘… The new American administration has a very different world view to ours… One that has no regard for established rules, partnership and established trust…’ 

“The German head of state urged European leaders to keep calm in the face of a blizzard of disruptive policy announcements from Washington since Trump returned to the White House. ‘We must not allow ourselves to be paralysed by the flood of announcements,’ he said… 

“Steinmeier added: ‘It makes a difference when the leading democracy and world power says: we can do without rules.’” 

We did not have to wait very long for a response. Note the next articles. 

Vance Blasts Europe 

The Sun wrote on February 14: 

“Donald Trump’s number two blasted the continent at today’s Munich Security Conference just a day after a horror attack in the city left 36 people injured – including children [One child and her mother died in the meantime]… Suspect [Afghan] Farhad N is being investigated by terror cops after he allegedly rammed a Mini Cooper into a group of demonstrators in the Bavarian capital on Thursday… Vance… used it as just one example of a concerning number of recent incidents across Europe… [he] lectured the audience by saying their nation’s citizens ‘didn’t vote to open floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants’. 

“VP Vance also took aim at Britain as he heavily criticised the government for its ‘backsliding’ free speech laws… He said: ‘In Britain, and across Europe, free speech I fear is in retreat…” 

Vance: Europe Engaged in Censorship 

Daily Mail wrote on February 14: 

“Vice President J.D. Vance took his culture war to Europe on Friday, warning that its greatest threat came not from China or Russia but from within as he delivered a blistering attack on what he said was the continent’s retreat from its traditional values. Vance said free speech and democratic institutions were being eroded in an address to the Munich Security Conference. 

“He accused European politicians of forcing people to shut down social media accounts and urged leaders to do more to stem illegal immigration… ‘If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump.’ 

“He accused European Union officials of ‘canceling elections (for instance in Romania) and asked whether ‘we’re holding ourselves to an appropriately higher standard’.” 

Who can honestly deny that Europe is engaged in terrible censorship? 

Vance: “There Should Be No Firewalls” 

JTA wrote on February 14: 

“In a speech in Munich, Vice President J.D. Vance scolded European leaders for boycotting populist parties, and said German politicians should abandon their policy of maintaining a ‘firewall’ (“Brandmauer”) against the far-right. 

“Vance’s speech… was greeted with murmurs from the audience and backlash from German officials. It comes as the country’s far-right party, Alternative for Germany, is polling second ahead of national elections next week. The country’s center-right and center-left parties have long refused to work with the party, known as AfD. ‘What German democracy — what no democracy — American, German or European — will survive is telling millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns, their aspirations, their pleas for relief, are invalid or unworthy of even being considered,’ Vance said. ‘Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. There’s no room for firewalls.’… 

“‘The organizers of this very conference have banned lawmakers representing populist parties on both the left and the right from participating in these conversations,’ Vance said. ‘Now, again, we don’t have to agree with everything or anything that people say. But when people represent, when political leaders represent, an important constituency, it is incumbent upon us to at least participate in dialogue with them.’ 

“Vance also championed AfD’s central issue, opposing migration to Europe… ‘Of all the pressings challenges that the nations represented here face, I believe there is nothing more urgent than mass migration,’ Vance said on Saturday. ‘No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants… More and more, all over Europe, they’re voting for political leaders who promised to put an end to out-of-control migration.’ 

“He also defended comments made by Elon Musk, the multibillionaire and top Trump adviser who has endorsed AfD and spoke at one of its rallies. ‘Speaking up and expressing opinions isn’t election interference, even when people express views outside your own country and even when those people are very influential,’ Vance said. ‘If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.’ 

“Vance’s words were met with criticism from German leaders. ‘I don’t think it is right for foreigners, including those from friendly foreign countries, to interfere so intensively in an election campaign in the middle of an election period,’ a government spokesperson said. The German defense minister (Boris Pistorius) called Vance’s criticism of European democracy ‘unacceptable.’” 

Pistorius went even much further than that. According to Deutsche Welle, dated February 14, he said: 

“‘Democracy was called into question by the US vice president for the whole of Europe earlier… He speaks of the annihilation of democracy. And if I have understood him correctly, he is comparing conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regions… that is not acceptable… [Democracy means that] extremist parties such as the AfD can campaign quite normally, just like any other party… However, democracy does not mean that the loud minority is automatically right and determines the truth.” 

It is obvious that Germany and the USA do not see eye-to-eye on this. And Pistorius paints a distorted picture, as there are movements, including in his own party, the SPD,  to ban the AfD. That the reports of the mass media on the AfD are, to a large extent, untrue, misleading and exaggerated, cannot be denied.  

Vance Chastises Hypocritical Europe 

Breitbart wrote on February 14: 

“Europe is obsessed with external threats but is so morally lost it isn’t even clear what it’s defending itself for any more, JD Vance warned in an excoriating speech to the continent’s security elite on Friday. Traditionally, applause is a well-worn gauge of how well a message is going down in a conference-hall. In most cases an audience can bring itself to at least raise half-hearted, polite applause but in Munich on Friday Vance couldn’t even get that: in a room of hundreds, perhaps a thousand top military, security, and political figures at times it seemed like there can’t have been anyone more than Vance’s own team putting their hands together. 

“The response was particularly frosty mid-speech as Vance listed some particularly egregious recent cases in European states where the government has cracked down on liberties, from arresting Christians for silent prayer to cancelling elections, and when he outright accused the leaders of the continent of Soviet, anti-democratic attitudes. Worst of all, he said, they held these feelings towards their own people. 

“If Europe’s paternalist elites hated this shock therapy, populists in Europe loved it. Britain’s Nigel Farage amplified the notion Vance had better articulated the future of Europe than those elites could, while Reform MP Rupert Lowe called it a ‘brutal’ tour-de-force of ‘Truth, after truth, after truth.’ 

“Beyond a laundry list of failings by European governments to respect freedom for their own people, Vance diagnosed a continent lost for its own failure to understand what it stands for and why, and even worse one that scorns the views of its own people… 

“Of the terror attack that took place in Germany just the day before, Vance nodded at the long and shameful history of such assaults in Europe, stating: ‘How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our shared civilisation in a new direction?’… 

“Vance said: ‘I’d ask my European friends to have some perspective. You can believe it’s wrong for Russia to buy social media advertisements to influence your elections. We certainly do. You can condemn it on the world stage even. But if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundreds-of-thousands [of dollars] of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with.’… 

“Britain’s left-wing Guardian called the speech a ‘blistering’ and ‘chastising’ attack and emphasised that it would go down well in Moscow, playing up the old idea that Donald Trump is some sort of crypto-Russian asset. Germany’s Die Welt notes the comments of politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), replying: ‘Our liberal world is under extreme threat’.” 

Vance was right on far too many points. No wonder that the hypocritical European elite responded with anger and frustration. But making Trump angry is not a good recipe. Note the next article.  

JD Vance’s Glorious Speech 

The New York Post published the following “opinion” on February 14: 

“It was a delicious spectacle — a self-made millennial Yank torching the grey-faced technocrats of my sad, knackered continent. He didn’t hold back. He eviscerated the assembled dignitaries for their failings on free speech, democracy and security. He lamented ‘the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values’ — words that will have resonated with millions of Europeans. I’m one of them. 

“It was on the freedom to speak that he made his most stinging comments. ‘Across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat,’ he told his startled audience. He rattled off recent acts of outrageous censorship that would have made Stalin beam with pride. He mentioned police raids in Germany on citizens ‘suspected of posting anti-feminist comments online.’ Criticizing feminism is a blasphemy in woke Germany. 

“He reminded us that just two weeks ago, a Christian activist in Sweden was convicted for burning copies of the Koran — despite the fact that his friend had just been murdered for doing the same… He rebuked my homeland, Britain, for its tragic ‘backslide away from conscience rights.’ The ‘basic liberties of religious Britons’ are being throttled, he said. He gave the example of Christians being arrested for ‘silently praying’ near abortion clinics. This really is happening. This once great nation that gave the world such game-changing freedom warriors as John Milton and John Stuart Mill now erects ‘buffer zones’ around abortion clinics in which you can be nabbed by cops for praying in your own head… 

“There’s now  Soviet style censorship in Europe, he said. He chastised the EU’s ‘commissars’ — I literally whooped when he used that word — for censoring everything they don’t like. The Euro bureaucracy hides ‘behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation’ to silence those who simply have an ‘alternative viewpoint,’ he said. Never a truer word. On every issue, from COVID to the gender ideology to mass immigration, what our overlords refer to as ‘misinformation’ is usually just thinking that differs from their own… ‘Dismissing people . . . shutting people out of the political process’ — this is the ‘most surefire way to destroy democracy.’… 

“Vance’s speech wasn’t so much a breath of fresh air as a hurricane of good sense. It was a storm of reason that has left many in Europe wide-eyed and wanting more. The liberal press is accusing him of ‘attacking Europe.’ He didn’t attack us. He talked to us…” 

NBC News wrote on February 15: 

“Asked about a speech Friday by Vice President JD Vance in Europe that drew alarm after he touched on migration and freedom of speech, Trump praised it as a ‘very good speech, actually very brilliant.’” 

Actually, it was. 

German Politicians Gang Up on Vance (and Trump) 

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 15: 

“After a provocative speech by US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference, CDU/CSU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz aired his concerns about the direction of US foreign policy and said Washington is ‘openly interfering in an election’ as the Germans prepare to go to the polls in less than 10 days… Merz said: ‘The American security guarantees are being called into question, the Americans are questioning democratic institutions, and they are interfering quite openly in an election, including in relation to democratic parties and their majorities.’.. ‘I have to say, it disturbs me… It doesn’t surprise me because they have talked about this before, but I firmly reject it. It is not the job of the American government to explain to us here in Germany how we should protect democratic institutions. And we will continue on our course.’… 

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed his frustration after US Vice President JD Vance criticized European governments… ‘What was said is irritating and cannot simply be dismissed and played down,’ Scholz [said]… 

“German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius doubled down on his criticism of US Vice President JD Vance’s speech… ‘I’m convinced, deeply convinced, as a democrat in Germany and Europe, that our democracies are even more stable and as good as ever before,’ Pistorius said.” 

That is laughable and ridiculous.

The New York Times wrote on February 15 about hypocritical reactions of German politicians: 

“Scholz… said Germany ‘would not accept’ directives from outsiders about how to run its democracy — and certainly not to work with such a party [AfD)… Mr. Merz said: ‘Free speech remains free speech and remains part of our open, democratic society. And fake news, hate speech and offenses remain subject to legal restraints and controlled by independent courts.’” 

Not so. The government (especially the SPD and the Green) and the opposition of the “established” parties (especially the CDU) are heavily involved in suppressing what they are claiming to be “hate speech” and “fake news.” Vance showed it as it is. They did not want to hear it. They did not want anyone to say it, as it was so blatantly true. Now they are concerned about votes. They are in harmony in their effort to attack Vance. This hypocritical approach might backfire. 

Germany’s Orwellian Approach to Lunacy 

Daily Mail wrote on February 17: 

“Vice President JD Vance continued his defense of free speech on Monday, criticizing German prosecutors explaining their efforts to crack down on free speech in Germany… German prosecutors explained to the reporter how surprised German citizens are when they are arrested for posting offensive content online, but said it was necessary. But Vance disagreed.

‘Insulting someone is not a crime and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships,’ the vice president said. 

“The German prosecutors explained that anyone sharing or resharing offensive or hateful content would be prosecuted and fined, seizing their phones, and even jailed…. ‘This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy,’ [Vance] replied…. 

“Vance also reacted to a video clip of CBS’s Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan after she suggested in an interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that lax free speech laws in Germany gave rise to the Holocaust… ‘This is a crazy exchange,’ Vance noted on X. ‘Does the media really think the Holocaust was caused by free speech?’” 

Breitbart added on February 17: 

“American broadcaster CBS followed German police as they raided homes for speech crimes, such as posting a ‘racist cartoon’ on the internet… Unlike the United States, where the First Amendment protects citizens from being arrested over so-called ‘hate speech’, it is a very different story in Germany…” 

This “lunacy” is crazy and dangerous indeed. The ignorance of Brennan is mind-boggling. If anything, censorship and prohibition of free speech contributed to the Holocaust. And once again, Germany is moving more and more towards an Orwellian dictatorship.  

The Ukraine Challenge 

Daily Mail wrote on February 16: 

“US Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, 80, has encouraged Europe to join the conversation about the Ukraine-Russia conflict – yet made clear they would not have a final say in any resolution. He has now told the Munich Security Conference: ‘That is not going to happen…’ 

“French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot today told the France Inter radio station on Sunday that a meeting in Paris would now go ahead tomorrow, with five European diplomats saying it would include France, Britain, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and Denmark – the latter representing Scandinavian nations. (The meeting is designed to figure out a unified strategy against Trump and “how to answer” him)… 

“Retired general Mr Kellogg said the negotiations would be between Russia and Ukraine, with Mr Trump acting as mediator – but Europe would still be able to have an input… Appearing alongside Mr Kellogg at a townhall event in Munich, Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that Mr Putin’s KGB history meant he could not be trusted in a negotiation. 

“Mr Lammy said: ‘There is a Tsarist tradition that he’s leaning into – Peter the Great, Nicholas I – the worst of that period, imperial in its ambitions. And there is a Soviet tradition. Let’s remember, he’s a KGB agent. He’s a man of deception, and in negotiating with him, we have to understand that and relate to that.’” 

Summit Failed 

Breitbart added on February 17: 

“The leaders of eight European nations, alongside two top EU representatives, descended on Paris on Monday for a summit on Ukraine… However, it soon became clear… that a broader consensus remains out of reach… Following the meeting, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that it was ‘highly inappropriate’ to discuss sending troops to Ukraine…. Hungary criticised the summit in Paris, which, despite sharing a border with Ukraine, was not invited to take part in the talks… 

“Indeed, despite UK Prime Minister Starmer’s stated willingness to deploy British troops in ‘harm’s way’ in Ukraine…, the former head of the British Army, Lord Richard Dannatt, said that Starmer is living in ‘fantasy-land’ if he believes the UK can sustain such a deployment.” 

All of this will change, as the ancient Roman Empire is being revived right now in Europe, and ten European core nations or groups of nations will give their power and authority to a charismatic military leader in Europe—the beast. It is absolutely astonishing that some ”Christians,” claiming to have an understanding of the Bible, do not remotely grasp those clear and compelling prophecies. 

American Soldiers Upset With Trump 

The Telegraph wrote on February 17: 

“US military volunteers fighting alongside Ukraine’s armed forces have branded President Donald Trump a ‘jackass’ over his peace talks with Vladimir Putin, saying Ukraine’s future was not a ‘business deal’… Most have reacted furiously to the news last week of Mr Trump’s private phone call to Putin, in which he apparently ruled out Nato membership for Kyiv and conceded that Moscow could keep Ukrainian territory it has currently occupied… Ex-US soldiers are believed to make up the largest national contingent of Western military volunteers in Ukraine… They regard Mr Trump’s concessions as squandering both their own military sacrifices and those of their Ukrainian comrades… The anger voiced by US volunteers reflects the wider split that the Ukraine war has caused within America’s military community, which traditionally leans Republican… 

“While neither the Biden nor the Trump administration has sanctioned US citizens going to fight in Ukraine, volunteers who have done so have often been vocal advocates for US support for Kyiv, appearing on TV shows and addressing US politicians in Washington DC… Among the keenest US advocates for Kyiv’s cause is Alex Drueke, an Iraq veteran from Alabama, who was captured by Russian forces during his first mission as a volunteer in Ukraine in June 2022. He spent nearly four months in captivity, during which time he was beaten repeatedly, subjected to torture by electric shock, and told he would be executed as a mercenary. 

“Since his release as part of a prisoner swap deal, he has given speeches to schools, community groups and policy forums, trying to convince Americans not to withdraw support for Kyiv….’The world needs to be reminded that 50 per cent of us did not vote for this horrible man [Trump], who is not only destroying his country from within, but the world outside too,” he said.” 

Wide-Ranging Concessions to Putin? 

Express wrote on February 17: 

“A Kremlin insider has claimed that Donald Trump has offered ‘unprecedented’ concessions to Russia, and will allow Vladimir Putin to strike Brussels, Paris or even London… On the Russian TV show ‘The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov,’ Mosfilm’s Director General Karen Shakhnazarov commented on the discussions between the global leaders, viewing them as unequivocally favorable. Shakhnazarov remarked, ‘The president of the United States called the president of Russia. That alone is already a major success!’ 

“He further elaborated, ‘The blockade has been broken. It means a lot to all of them that the president of the United States, the mightiest nation in the West, as great as the Roman Empire, made this call. It’s as if Julius Caesar himself telephoned a barbarian, a chieftain of some German tribe.’… 

“Political scientist Sergey Mikheyev weighed in on the situation: ‘In this situation, we should make it clear for the Europeans: now we can really strike Brussels, London or Paris, because we can forget about Article 5. You can forget the notion that Americans would step in on your behalf.’ 

“Meanwhile, Russians are pushing their military to quickly seize more Ukrainian territory, with Kremlin analysts predicting that following Putin’s talks with Trump, Russia could potentially face no repercussions for any land it annexes.” 

Peace Talks Between USA and Russia in Saudi Arabia 

The Sun reported on February 18: 

“Earlier today, a team of top diplomats from Russia and the US spoke about negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine out in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia… Present at the negotiating table was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz… They were joined by… Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushako… 

“One of the key stumbling blocks which could dampen the negotiations would be from Ukraine’s side. They were notably excluded from Riyadh today in a move which left both President Zelensky and his European allies annoyed and frustrated… Zelensky even announced he has postponed his official visit to… Saudi Arabia until March 10 – despite him initially being scheduled to arrive tomorrow. The move has been done in order to not give any ‘legitimacy’ to the US-Russia meeting… 

“Without promises that Zelensky will never be able to enter [NATO]… Putin is unlikely to accept any terms… 

“Britain and Europe must play their part – but have no hope on their own… European leaders have tried to muscle their way into the talks to try and make sure stability in the continent can continue even if Putin gets his way in the negotiations… British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a rallying cry to Europe urging them to ‘deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine… But the idea was dramatically rejected by a number of other fellow leaders. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described Starmer’s pleas as ‘premature’ and ‘highly inappropriate’.  He then stormed out of the meeting adding that the shear thought of making decisions seemingly on behalf of Ukraine was ‘irritating.’ Poland, Spain and Italy all joined Germany in scrutinising Starmer’s plan.” 

Trump Blames Zelensky 

Politico wrote on February 19: 

“President Donald Trump mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a poor negotiator and ‘grossly incompetent’ Tuesday, as tensions continued to rise over the administration’s direct talks with Russia about ending the war it launched nearly three years ago. The comments come amid criticism from European allies and many American intelligence experts that Ukraine and European nations invested in Ukraine’s defense had been excluded from negotiations that began early Tuesday between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia… 

“‘Today I heard, ”Oh, well, we weren’t invited,”’ Trump said when asked about criticism from Ukraine, seeming to direct his response to Zelenskyy. ‘Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it — three years. You should have never been there. You should have never started it. You should have made a deal.’ 

“The comment — ignoring that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine without provocation three years ago this month — was Trump’s harshest condemnation to date of the Ukrainian side. It came as Zelenskyy and leaders across Europe are scrambling to respond to growing indications that Kyiv’s most critical ally for the last three years appears to be more interested in normalizing relations with Russia than in making sure Ukraine endures and that Russian President Vladimir Putin faces stronger deterrence after starting the first land war on European soil since 1945. 

“Trump also confirmed his interest in forcing elections in Ukraine as part of any diplomatic resolution to the war. ‘We have a situation where we haven’t had elections in Ukraine, where we have martial law in Ukraine, where the leader in Ukraine — I mean I hate to say it, but he’s down at 4% approval rating — and the country’s been blown to smithereens,’ Trump said. While Zelenskyy’s public approval rating has dropped from the early days of the war, he still has support from a narrow majority of Ukrainians — 52 percent according to a poll last month… The president also asserted that Ukrainians, who are fighting for their country’s survival, ‘are tired’ of the death and destruction and eager to see the war end… 

“That statement was at odds with the reality across Ukraine, where elected officials and much of the population have been shocked at the Trump administration’s actions that appear indifferent to the nation’s fate. Those include not only the talks with Moscow but also a U.S. proposal to claim half of Ukraine’s rare earth mineral rights as payment for aid already received, without future security guarantees.” 

Express wrote on February 19: 

The Ukrainian president has hit back… President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by accusing Trump of living in a ‘disinformation space’… 

“Zelensky’s response to Donald Trump shows a rift between the two leaders deepening and the two country’s allyship dwindling. This marks a seismic shift in tone to the US’s involvement in the war…”

Another Deadly Terrorist Attack in Austria 

Breitbart reported on February 16: 

“A Syrian allegedly stabbed six people in the Austrian town of Villach in a suspected Islamist terror attack on Saturday afternoon that left a 14-year-old boy dead. Just days after terror struck in Munich, a 23-year-old supposed refugee from Syria launched into a vicious stabbing spree in the Carinthian town of Villach on Saturday afternoon. Five people were injured during the attack, and tragically, a 14-year-old was killed after bleeding out on the street. 

“The suspect, identified by Kronen Zeitung as ‘Ahmad G.’, is reported by eyewitnesses to have laughed during the attack. He is also said to have shouted out ‘Allahu Akbar’ and made hand gestures associated with the ISIS terrorist group. The suspected terrorist may have committed more violence; however, he was driven down by a fellow Syrian delivery driver before being apprehended by police… 

“Ahmad G. arrived in Austria in 2020 and was only recently recognised by the government as a refugee. It is believed that the 23-year-old was radicalised by Islamist preachers on the TikTok social media platform. A search of his apartment found that he owned an ISIS flag…

“The leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), Herbert Kickl, took aim at the country’s asylum system following the attack, saying that he was ‘angry at those politicians who have allowed stabbings, rapes, gang wars and other major crimes to become the order of the day in Austria… This is a system failure… for which a young person in Villach now had to pay with his life.’… 

“Despite winning the most votes of any party in last year’s elections, Kickl’s Freedom Party has so far been unable to form a government in Vienna. Other establishment parties, notably the supposedly conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), have enacted a cordon sanitaire around the party, similar to the one imposed on the anti-mass migration AfD in neighbouring Germany. Yet, this has resulted in the FPÖ continuing to gain support in polls.”

The same as in Germany. These “Brandmauern” (“firewalls”) are just stupid and counterproductive.

Cyrus and Trump

Israel 365 News wrote on February 14:

“The  Nascent Sanhedrin published an open letter to President Donald Trump. [It stated, among other things:]

“In 2017, the Nascent Sanhedrin minted a special coin featuring your image on one side and Cyrus the Great on the other. This symbolized your historic role, likened to that of Cyrus, who was chosen by Hashem to fulfill a divine mission.  The Chinese appreciated this idea so much that they reproduced and sold millions of copies of these coins and other products featuring your image alongside Cyrus the Great. You have been elected, as Cyrus was in his time, to fulfill a heavenly mission…”

The article commented: “Many have seen similarities between the Biblical King Cyrus and President Donald Trump.”

Cyrus features predominately in the Bible because of enabling the Jews to build the Second Temple. The Bible prophesies that a Third Temple will be built in Jerusalem, prior to Christ’s return. Sadly, there are still some, claiming to be “Christians”, who do not understand and accept these clearly revealed prophecies.

USAID Financed Hamas?

Israel Today wrote on February 12:

“Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Monday accused the United States Agency for International Development of providing ‘vast and secret’ funding for Hamas following new revelations about USAID’s practices vis-à-vis Israel and the Palestinians….

“‘The full story of funding Hamas is vast, and much of it was done in secret,’ Cruz wrote. ‘Before and after October 7, [2023], USAID flowed uncountable hundreds of millions of dollars toward Hamas that enabled it to launch the attack and keep battling Israel afterwards. They lied about the nature of that aid in public databases, refused to disclose what groups were getting the money, and gave tens of millions in American cash to be distributed without American supervision.’

“Internally, Cruz added, USAID ‘admitted the aid would benefit Hamas, and even exempted themselves from anti-terrorism laws, but in public issued denials.’”

If true, they should be severely punished and sent to jail.

RFK: Spiritual and Physical Health Are Connected

Desert News wrote on February 14:

“In his first interview after being confirmed, new HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke about the impact faith can have on health. ‘For 20 years, I’ve gotten up every morning on my knees and prayed that God would put me in a position where I can end the childhood chronic disease epidemic in this country,’ Robert Kennedy Jr. said in remarks Thursday at the White House — having just been confirmed as secretary of health in the White House. Kennedy went on to describe his surprising partnership with then-candidate Donald Trump as an answer to his prayers…

“‘We can’t be a strong nation if we have a weak citizenry, if people are sick,’ he said, citing other statistics that ‘77% of our children cannot qualify for military service.’ ‘We’re not just in a health crisis, but we’re in a spiritual crisis. And those things are connected,’ Kennedy said on Fox’s Laura Ingraham’s show later on Thursday… ‘We have a whole generation of kids that feel alienated, dispossessed. They are in [an] existential crisis,’ and not only because of their health… ‘There’s a purposelessness in their lives and no sense of usefulness or effectiveness…’

“Kennedy argued that this deeper spiritual alienation is what ‘drives also the chronic disease epidemic, and the epidemics we’re seeing of depression, of suicide, of alcoholism, of drug addiction… The only way to overcome that biological impulse is with a spiritual realignment, a spiritual fire.’…

“For addicts who have become isolated and withdrawn from other relationships, he said… ‘We need to get up in the morning and not think about, “What am I going to do to make myself happy today?” We have to get up and say, “What am I going to do to make myself useful today, to be useful to my friends, to my family, to my community.’” The connectedness that comes from doing good things, from being of service to others, is ultimately the path to happiness, he said…

“Kennedy… noted that although having ‘4.2% of the world’s population,’ the United States buys ‘70% of the pharmaceutical drugs on earth… We spend two to three times what other countries pay for health care, and we have worse health outcomes. We literally have the sickest population in the world… I’m not going to let the food industry and the pharmaceutical industry run health policy anymore.’

“Kennedy was also asked at the press conference how he would address concerns that some Americans may have about his stance on vaccines… he said… that a ‘common sense’ approach is that ‘vaccines should be tested, they should be safe…’”

Interesting words. It remains to be seen how RFK will deliver…especially when it comes to unconscionable MANDATORY vaccinations, including for babies and school children. The connection between drugs and vaccinations and serious sicknesses should be obvious.

No More Mandatory Covid Vaccinations

Fox News wrote on February 14:

“President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday barring schools who still have coronavirus vaccine mandates from receiving federal funds…. It also tasks Department of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and the Secretary of Education to establish guidelines for compliance and to ‘provide a plan to end coercive COVID-19 vaccine mandates.’…”

“Trump also signed an executive order in January that removes federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory.”

NBC News added on February 15:

“Trump’s administration has already taken steps to end coronavirus vaccine requirements at the federal level, including for green card applicants, and reinstated service members who were discharged for refusing the vaccine… Currently, Covid vaccines are no longer required in K-12 schools across the country, according to two nonprofit health policy research organizations… 15 colleges in the U.S. still require Covid shots…

“On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to strip funding for schools that require vaccines and masks for students and said he would not allow schools to impose Covid mandates. Trump’s proposal sparked concerns at the time about funding for schools in states that require most students to be immunized from diseases like measles and polio. A Trump spokesperson clarified that he was referring to Covid vaccines.”

This is a major problem. There should be NO mandatory vaccination at all for any diseases. Will Trump have the guts to go that far? Will RFK have the guts to recommend this? Also, what will happen if there is another COVID or “related” “pandemic”, which is surely to come?  Will the current executive orders also apply to such future “threatening” scenarios? Now is the time for Trump and RFK and others to pick up the fight against pharma.

Britain’s Foreign Aid Lunacy

The Sun wrote on February 17:

“BRITISH taxes are being squandered on shrimp farms in Bangladesh, poetry workshops in Colombian jails and gender lectures in Kenya. UK workers also fund diversity training in the Jordanian army and cyber security for India — while pressure mounts to raise our military budget…

“Among the worst cases, the past three years have seen the UK hand more than £133,000 to Bangladesh Agricultural University to study shrimp health… Taxpayers are also funding woke ideology around the war-torn Third World…. The department also funded a £110,000 conference on ‘preventing gender-based disinformation’ in Kenya,.. Brits are also paying through the nose for climate initiatives in foreign countries, including £114million for ‘inclusive green enterprises’ in India…”

Where Is Heaven?

Daily Mail wrote on February 16:

 “…For Christians, the idea of the dead being in heaven or enjoying paradise often brings comfort to the bereaved and hope to those suffering or dying.  But in the Christian faith, heaven was originally more about where God lived, not about humanity’s ultimate destination if they live a righteous life.  N.T. Wright, professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews, said the way people now talk about heaven is ‘deeply unbiblical and misleading’.

“’Basically the whole western tradition took a wrong turn in imagining that the aim of the game was ‘to go to heaven when we die’,’ he told MailOnline.   

‘The whole Bible is about the God of heaven coming to make his home with us…’ 

“Lari Launonen, philosopher at University of Helsinki in Finland, said… ‘The Bible actually describes a renewed, physical world…’

“Famously, at the start of the Bible in the Book of Genesis, we are told that heaven is created by God along with the Earth (Actually, it says, “heavens”). This contradicts the theory of Big Bang generally accepted by scientists, where the universe exploded into existence from a single minute point…” 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

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

In 2 Corinthians 15:29, Paul utters a statement which is difficult to understand. He wrote: “Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?”

Many explanations have been given as to what Paul might have meant—some good, some not so good, and some blatantly wrong. We addressed some of those explanations in a Q&A, which was written in 2006, https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-3014/, which had the following headline: “Would you please explain 1 Corinthians 15:29, speaking of ‘baptism for the dead. Are we to be baptized for those who have already died?”

In that Q&A, we showed that the concept, practiced by some, to baptize someone for a person who had died without having been baptized is totally unbiblical. We said: “This practice is not based on God’s Holy Word. Baptism only makes sense when and so long as the person to be baptized is ALIVE. Baptism for a dead person, that is, vicariously, derivatively or by proxy, accomplishes nothing.”

In this Q&A, we will explore additional possibilities as to what Paul might have meant, and elaborate on what we have stated in the above-quoted Q&A.

When it comes to “vicarious baptisms,” “The Annotated Bible” by John Henry Blunt, copyright 1932, points out the following:

“But there is no ground whatever for believing that vicarious baptisms were in use until some heretics of a much later date invented them, and justified their invention by this text (1 Corinthians 15:29).” In a footnote, the commentary stated: “The Montanists of the second century, and not a few orthodox but ill-informed Christians also of the same period, were accustomed to administer baptisms to those who had died unbaptized… and the practice of baptizing dead persons by proxy appears to have been adopted by the later Marcionites as an improvement upon the earlier custom.”

The Ryrie Study Bible adds that this view and practice is “heretical.”

Returning to our above-mentioned Q&A, we then explored the idea, advanced by some commentaries, that Paul might not have been talking about a practice in the Church, but by others outside the Church, in which some Church members participated. Paul allegedly made the argument that if even those people practiced baptism for the dead because they believed in a resurrection from the dead (compare verse 20), why wouldn’t the Corinthians do so. We said: “… some commentaries advance the idea that a few within the Corinthian Church might have been involved in the practice of getting baptized for a dead relative…. as Paul… used ‘they’ rather than ‘we’ when speaking of it… To deny the resurrection, as the Corinthians did, and yet be involved in such baptism activities made no sense.’”

This presupposes, of course, that such practice was indeed known to the Corinthians, which is doubtful in light of Blunt’s above-quoted statements. In addition, it is also doubtful that Paul would have referred to (pagan) practices outside the Church to prove the resurrection.

We also mentioned the opinion, advanced by some, that the Greek can also mean “baptized because of the dead,” i.e. the reference is to the baptism of those influenced by the testimony of a Christian who had recently died, and in the hope of being re-united with him at the resurrection. This opinion is also given, as a possibility, by the Ryrie Study Bible, and it has some merit. The MacArthur Study Bible states:

“A reasonable view seems to be that ‘people baptized’ refer to living believers who give outward testimony to their faith in baptism by water.. who had subsequently died. Paul’s point is that if there is no resurrection…, then why are people coming to Christ to follow the hope of those who have died?”

Finally, we explained that in the phrase in verse 29 (“baptized for the dead”), the word “for” is “huper” in the original Greek. This word can also mean, “for the hope of” or “for the realization of.”  1 Corinthians 15:29 can be translated: “Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for [the realization of, or the hope of] the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for [the realization of, or the hope of] the dead?”

We said: “When people were baptized, they were not dead, but still alive. At the time of their baptism, they were looking forward to their resurrection. Baptism was the first necessary step toward the realization of their goal–the resurrection of the dead. Without that hope, there would not have been a reason to be baptized in the first place. Subsequently those who were baptized died, sleeping in their graves and awaiting, in hope, so to speak, their resurrection from the dead.”

The Ryrie Study Bible offers another possibility as to how to understand this passage, which they describe as “most likely,” saying, “… it means being baptized in the place of those who had died; i.e., new converts taking the place of older ones who had died. Paul’s point is: unless one believes in the resurrection of the dead (rather than the Greek idea of ‘immortality’) what’s the point of such a practice?”

This is a valid observation. God’s Church will not die, and it has a Work to accomplish. Many have gone before us, doing their part of the Work, and have died. Others had to be appointed to take their place, to continue in the Work which has to be done. The Elberfelder Bible states in an annotation that the Greek word, translated “for,” can also mean “in place of.”  

There is, however, another and perhaps most plausible explanation as to what Paul might have meant, when talking about baptism for the dead. Baptism symbolizes our death. As we said in our above-mentioned Q&A: “As Romans 6:3-4 explains, baptism–the total immersion of the person under water–points at the figurative death of the person. He ‘dies,’ spiritually speaking, in the watery grave. His old man dies (verse 6), and a new man arises out of the watery grave (Colossians 3:9-10). In a sense, the new man is ‘resurrected,’ figuratively speaking, from the spiritual dead.”

So we were dead before our baptism. But notice what happened when we became baptized. Ephesians 2:1 says: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins…” Verses 5 and 6 continue: “… when we were dead in trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together…” And Ephesians 5:14 adds:“ Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.’”

The concept that we were dead in sin and are now alive, after having been properly baptized, is stated time and again in Scripture. We read in Romans 6:13:  “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

Colossians 2:13 expresses the same thought: “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses…”

The Bible explains that those who are not led by and have not received God’s Spirit, which is only given through the ritual of baptism, are “dead.” Christ said in Matthew 8:21-22: “Then another of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’” Apparently, Christ was calling the person to the ministry, but he wanted to wait until his father had died, who was still alive but might have been advanced in years. Christ’s retort was that the time of the person’s calling was now, and that his spiritually “dead” relatives could look after and bury his spiritually “dead” father, once he had died.

We also find this statement in 1 Timothy 5:6: “But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.”

Something similar might be expressed in 1 Peter 4:6, where we read: “For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” This could refer to Christians who died after the gospel had been preached to and accepted by them; it could also refer to the spiritually “dead” who accepted the gospel when it was preached to them, following God in the spirit, while being condemned by [unconverted] men in the flesh.

Paul’s statement, then, that there is baptism for the dead is indeed to be applied to those being spiritually dead. Baptism is for them; they cease to be spiritually dead and become spiritually alive, as he explains in Ephesians 4:22-24:

“… put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and… put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Let us conclude with these marvelous words by Paul in Romans 6:2-6:

“How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”

We were dead, but through the “baptism for the dead” (that is, the baptism for us), we became alive, now waiting for the first resurrection when Christ returns.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“America and Europe at Loggerheads,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

JD Vance’s “glorious” speech during the Security Conference in Munich about some terrible conditions has angered many German and European politicians. He showed them a mirror, but they were unwilling to look into it. The alienation between the USA and Europe deepened when Trump called Putin and when the Americans and Russians met in Saudi Arabia, but without the Europeans and Zelensky. It reached a boiling point when Trump accused Ukraine of having started the war with Russia. The writing is on the wall. Can you read it?

“Amerika und Europa auf Kriegsfuß,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same subject as described above.

“Überwinden Sie Ihre Lust, Begierde und Trieb,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette by Dmitrij Niemann, is now posted. Title in English: “Overcome Your Lust, Desire and Urges.”

”A Few Random Thoughts on the Stupidity of Evolution,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is the summary:

It is a worthwhile exercise from time to time to review this theory which many just accept without much thought at all.   The Bible states that God spoke and it was done – that is something that only a supernatural being could achieve, not mere mortal men – and even less by blind chance!

“The Commandments and the Sabbath of the Most High God,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Rene Messier, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Faithfully keeping the commandments and the Sabbath, including the annual Sabbaths, helps to cement our relationship with God and to stay engaged in the completion of the Work  we have to do prior to the tribulation and return of Jesus Christ.