On June 25, 2022, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “It is Written,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Why Change?”.

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 1949, George Orwell published a book, entitled “1984”, picturing what he thought the conditions in a future world would be like. The lead character in it was employed in the “Ministry of Truth” to revise past issues of newspapers in the cases where politicians’ promises were not fulfilled. His revisions were to change the promises to what really happened, destroy the old copies and file the new copies as their replacements.

This was also carried out by others in the “Ministry of Truth” on books and other historical documents so that all past references as to what was expected to happen would be changed to what did happen. So, historical researchers would “find” that all predictions actually happened as they were predicted to. In other words, they were destroying Truth to make politicians look good.

At that time, 1984 as suggested by George Orwell, the governments would be highly oppressive and employ “Thought Police” to arrest and “Disappear” citizens who disagreed with the government’s narrative—at times even going so far as to remove all records of that person’s existence, as if they had never lived. Orwell also coined the term “Big Brother Is Watching”. Of course, that was purely fiction and did not happen in 1984.

However, looking at today’s situation, some of the things George Orwell wrote about are happening. This present situation is mentioned in Isaiah 59:14-15. It is a prophecy that will occur just before the return of Jesus Christ, although it may have happened in other times as well. The verses state, “Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.” The term prey is sometimes translated as ridiculed, but more often as plundered. It could even mean in today’s terminology, make oneself a target. All of these meanings are occurring in today’s world.

When we look at the situation today, justice is often dependent on political favour. Truth is certainly not evident in many places. And where do we find righteousness? The fulfilment of these two verses has been made plain during the current pandemic. The meaning of words has been changed for political reasons. Pandemic used to be a situation with extreme numbers of deaths and illnesses. This was changed within the last twenty years to only require a high number of cases without an extreme number of deaths.

Also, the definitions of vaccines and herd immunity have been changed to suit the current narrative.

As for becoming a target, doctors and nurses can lose their medical licenses if they treat patients with effective and safe medications that the government forbids for political or economic reasons. This even extends to requiring the professional to have a psychiatric examination before regaining their license—something no professional wants on their resume.

Regarding the legal area, some schools teach a distorted history and can groom young children towards trans-sexuality. The parents who object vocally at school meetings have been labelled “Domestic Terrorists” by a government agency. A Supreme Court nominee was unable to give a definition of what a woman is when asked. From a technical legal standpoint, she might even have been correct to an extent, when considering current law in some states, when anyone can legally call themselves the opposite gender from their birth sex. For example, a man has the legal right in some places to call himself a lesbian and anyone who objects can be prosecuted because of using hate speech. It is indeed a sick world, totally departing from God’s standards.

While people in this day and age are not usually “disappeared” as George Orwell wrote, they can be “disappeared” or cancelled from social and other internet websites for disagreeing with the government narrative and speaking what is true. Truth has indeed departed and people readily become targets for not agreeing with evil in today’s world.

So, what does God require of us as He is a God of Truth which we read in Deuteronomy 32:4? “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.” So, those items mentioned as missing in Isaiah 59:14-15, justice, righteousness and Truth, characterise God.

As for us, God requires Truth to be a part of our character, a part of our Way of Life, and not just in our words, but also in our thoughts—our innermost being, if we want to live with Christ for eternity. As we read in Psalm 15:1-2: “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart.”

We live in a very corrupt and evil world ruled by Satan, and while we have to live in it, we must not be a part of it. As we read in Revelation 18:4, “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’” While this chapter begins by mentioning Babylon in Revelation 18:2, Revelation 18:3 expands this to include all nations, the whole world, as “all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

So, we need to recognize that this world is evil, and to please God, we must not partake of any of this evil, but live a life of Truth and be valiant for it.

by Norbert Link

We begin with articles addressing the perceived consequences of the Ukraine war; speak on Emmanuel Macron’s disastrous defeat; and address the prospects of a full-fledged war between Israel and Iran, as well as the collapse of the Israeli government.

We report on a major earthquake in Afghanistan and on ongoing speculation that Pope Francis might resign soon; and quote several articles pointing out the sick state of affairs in the United States, including the analysis that we are ALREADY in a recession now [please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “We Are in a Recession Now!”] the push on our children to embrace sexual activities prohibited by God; the proposed prohibition of conversion therapies for confused minors; transgender athletes, drag queens; the devastating effects of lockdowns; and covid vaccinations for infants.

We conclude with developments in Germany contemplating to reintroduce the ineffective and potentially harmful wearing of masks indoors in public places.

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

Some Thoughts About the War in Ukraine

The Ron Paul Institute wrote the following on June 20:

“Putin is to be condemned for launching this war– as is virtually any leader who launches any war. Putin can be termed a war criminal… secondary condemnation belongs to the US (NATO) in deliberately provoking a war with Russia by implacably pushing its hostile military organization, despite Moscow’s repeated notifications about crossing red lines, right up to the gates of Russia…

“Russia is winning the war, Ukraine has lost the war… American sanctions against Russia have turned out to be far more devastating to Europe than to Russia… There are already deep cracks in the European façade of so-called ‘NATO unity.’ Western Europe will increasingly rue the day that it blindly followed the American Pied Piper to war… NATO may in fact ultimately emerge weakened… Europe will sooner or later return to the purchase of inexpensive Russian energy… Europe already perceives the US as a declining power… a Europe that perceives the US already in decline has a little incentive to join the bandwagon against China…

“We now see how massive US sanctions against Russia, including confiscation of Russian funds in western banks, is causing most of the world to reconsider the wisdom of banking entirely on the US dollar into the future…

“One of the most disturbing features of this US-Russian struggle in Ukraine has been the utter corruption of independent media. Indeed Washington has won the information and propaganda war hands down, orchestrating all Western media to sing from the same hymnbook in characterizing the Ukraine war… Nor, of course, is the Russian press to be trusted either… serious analysts must dig deep these days to gain some objective understanding of what is actually taking place in Ukraine…

“China and Russia have now been decisively pushed ever more closely together… That the US can split… Russian and Chinese cooperation is a fantasy. Russia has scientific brilliance, abundant energy, rich rare minerals and metals… China has the capital, the markets, and the manpower to contribute to what becomes a natural partnership across Eurasia.

“Sadly for Washington, nearly every single one of its expectations about this war are turning out to be incorrect…”

We have omitted much of the questionable rhetoric in the article, but what we published above is quite interesting. Please view our recent message, “Biden’s Ministry of Truth and Consequences of the Ukraine War.” 

Anadolu Agency reported on June 17:

“Russia is not concerned that Ukraine could get the status of a European Union candidate ‘because the EU is not a military organization,’ Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday… On future relations with Ukraine, he said Moscow remains willing to build relations with anyone, but ‘only our army and navy can be the guarantors of our security.’”

Putin Back on the World Stage

CNN wrote on June 22:

“When Russian President Vladimir Putin dials into the virtual BRICS summit hosted by Beijing on Thursday, it will be his first time attending a forum with the heads of major economies since launching an invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.

“For Putin, this could offer a welcome picture: his face beamed onscreen alongside other leaders whose countries make up this acronymous grouping: China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa — a signal that Russia, though battered by sanctions and remonstrations for the invasion, is not alone.

“It’s a message that may resonate even more clearly as China and Russia, weeks before the invasion, declared their own relationship to have ’no limits,’ and as each of the BRICS leaders have avoided condemning Russia outright… and run foul of Western friends…. the decision by the group to press ahead with its 14th annual summit does reflect a view held by BRICS countries on the global order and, by extension, the situation in Ukraine, that departs from that of the West, experts say…

“The BRICS summit is followed days later by the meeting of a bloc of the world’s leading advanced economies, the Group of Seven, which have been united in their voice against Russian aggression, and kicked Moscow out of their bloc following its annexation of Crimea in 2014.”

The formation of some of the future participants of the “kings of the East” is in the making…  

UK Army Commander: Prepare to Fight in Europe in WW III

The Daily Mail wrote on June 18:

“Britain’s top army general has told his troops to prepare to fight and beat Putin’s armies in a European land war… General Sir Patrick Sanders, who assumed overall command of the British Army this week, warned soldiers ‘we are the generation that must prepare the Army to fight in Europe once again’ as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rocks global stability… ‘I am the first Chief of the General Staff since 1941 to take command of the Army in the shadow of a land war in Europe involving a continental power…

“It comes as Putin menaces NATO countries and this week taunted former Soviet states in Europe by declaring: ‘They are part of historic Russia’…”

A war on European soil will be fought in the future, involving a United States of Europe and Russia, but Britain will not be a part of that fight.

Disastrous Defeat for Macron

Breitbart wrote on June 20:

“… the French public has refused to grant President Emmanuel Macron a parliamentary majority as Marine Le Pen’s populists on the right and an ecological alliance on the left surged at the ballot box to strip the once self-described ‘Jupitarean’ leader of his ability to govern France firmly.

“Just under two months after securing a second term as President of France, Emmanuel Macron and his Ensemble! coalition have suffered a disastrous result in the final round of voting in the parliamentary elections on Sunday, securing just 245 seats, far short of the 289 necessary to maintain a governing majority…

“The night’s true victor… was perhaps Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), which saw a surprising result of 89 candidates elected to the National Assembly, the most in the history of the party…

“Though Mr Macron… had promised in 2017 that his presidency would unify France by doing ‘everything in the five years to come so there is no more reason to vote for the extremes,’  he has apparently failed on this front, with the socialist NUPES coalition headed by far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon winning 131 seats, making the hard left the largest opposition voting bloc in the parliament, should the group of socialists, communists, and greens maintain a unified front… something which could prove difficult for Mélenchon…

“The beleaguered president will most likely need to turn to the centre-right Les Republicans, meaning Macron may need to shift to the right to pass legislation [But for now, the Republicans have ruled out a partnership.] … The loss of his parliamentary majority may also see Macron diminished on the world stage… it remains to be seen how effective Macron will be at casting himself as the premier leader in Europe.

“Upon the retirement of Angela Merkel in Germany and the subsequent elevation of Social Democrat (SPD) Olaf Scholz as chancellor — who is the head of a somewhat precarious ‘traffic light’ coalition government including the Greens and the centrist-liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) — the mantle of head honcho in the European Union appeared to be within grasp for Macron. Yet, Sunday’s results may throw such a vision in doubt….”

DNYUZ wrote on June 20:

“France woke up on Monday wondering whether President Emmanuel Macron would be able to govern effectively… fueling fears of political gridlock. ‘Ungovernable!’ read the front page of Le Parisian, a daily newspaper.”

With a greatly weakened Emmanuel Macron and an indecisive and mostly inconsequential German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who follows, rather than leads, the world, without knowing it, is waiting for the beast to arrive in Europe.

Full-Fledged War Between Israel and Iran on the Horizon

The Wall Street Journal wrote on June 20:

“Israel is intensifying its campaign to thwart Iran’s nuclear, missile and drone programs with a series of covert operations targeting a broader range of key targets… The new moves are the latest evolution of a strategy that has been dubbed the Octopus Doctrine by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett…

“After failed Iranian attempts in recent years to target Israeli civilians around the world, including in Africa, Asia and South America, Israel has been warning its civilians not to travel to Turkey, especially Istanbul, due to an immediate threat posed to them by Iranian units looking to harm Israelis… Israeli concerns reached a fever pitch on Friday night when Israeli officials in the Hebrew media advised Israeli tourists in Istanbul to stay in their rooms and not answer the door to strangers amid a warning that Iran had given the go-ahead for a deadly attack in Turkey… Mr. Bennett made it clear that Israel would do everything to foil those terrorist attacks…

“Israel has carried out more than 400 airstrikes against Iran and its allies in Syria since 2017. Most recently, Russia and Syria accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike earlier this month that shut down the international airport in Damascus. Israel and Iran have each used mines to hit their rival’s ships in waters across the Middle East. Israel says it has shot down advanced drones sent from Iran.

“Iran, in turn, has accused Israel of carrying out a massive airstrike on one of its drone facilities and retaliated for the strike by firing missiles at a compound in northern Iraq that Tehran said had been used by Mossad agents to organize the attack. Israel has used drones and sabotage—including cyberattacks—to target Iran’s nuclear and missile programs…

“The evolution of the Israeli policy comes as U.S.-led efforts to broker a new deal to contain Iran’s nuclear capabilities with Iran appear to be on the brink of collapse. Iran has removed surveillance cameras from various nuclear-related sites across the country and expanded its advanced centrifuge work…”

JTA wrote on June 21:

“Israeli security forces evacuated Israeli citizens from their Istanbul hotel last week, allegedly ahead of an Iranian hit-squad that was intent on kidnapping or killing them.”

In addition, according to Israel 365 of June 17: “Israel’s actions in Jerusalem will lead to a ‘religious war… [that] will reach the US, Europe, and the entire world’… These are threats coming from PA Chairman Abbas’ official spokesmen and advisors.”

Israel Today added on June 17:

“Despite all the warm words in Jerusalem, there’s no sign that this EU hostility is about to ease… It promotes the Palestinian narrative that seeks to delegitimize Israel through lies about its ‘illegal’ settlements and alleged Israel Defense Forces’ aggression; it funds NGOs devoted to harming and destroying Israel; in an aggressive move in 2015 against Israeli ‘occupation’ of the disputed territories, it started to label products from the ‘West Bank.’… von der Leyen announced the transfer to the Palestinian Authority of some 214 million euros (about $224 million). This money had previously been frozen because of the incitement against Israel in Palestinian schoolbooks. Now it’s been unfrozen, even though the incitement remains…

“The Europeans are playing the double game so familiar in the West—pledging support for the Jewish people while empowering Israel’s mortal enemies…. This twin-track has long been the strategy of both Britain and America…”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Will Israel Attack Iran?”. Please also note our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Time to Build the Third Temple in the Face of Violence?” 

Coalition in Israel Collapses

The Times of Israel wrote on June 20:

“After months of dysfunction, Israel’s 24th Knesset is set to come to an end, as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced Monday that they would submit a bill next week to voluntarily dissolve the Knesset. The dramatic joint statement by the two architects of the so-called change government, which put an end to 12 straight years of the Benjamin Netanyahu premiership, said that all efforts to save the government had been ‘exhausted,’ due to numerous rebellions by wayward MKs…

“Following the Knesset’s dissolution, Lapid is slated to become caretaker prime minister until a new government is sworn in, as per the original coalition agreement. Bennett is expected to become alternate prime minister, a post Lapid currently holds, and will also be responsible for the ‘Iran file,’ Hebrew media reports said.

“Given legal and holiday constraints, new elections are expected at the end of October, possibly the 25^th…”

Newsmax wrote on June 22:

“Israel moved closer on Wednesday to its fifth election in less than four years after lawmakers gave an initial nod to dissolve parliament, with a comeback by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu already dominating the campaign… The Knesset voted unanimously to dissolve in a preliminary reading of a bill expected to be finalized next week.”

Israel Today wrote on June 22:

“… elections could still be avoided if opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu succeeds in forming a government before the Knesset is dissolved. Can he do it? Netanyahu currently controls 55 Knesset seats. He needs 61, a bare minimum majority in Israel’s 120-seat parliament… The other party in the opposition, the Joint List, an anti-Zionist Arab party, can be immediately ruled out as a potential partner…”

Israeli observers say that Netanyahu’s chances to form a coalition government before the final vote of the Knesset next week to dissolve parliament and set the dates for new elections are very slim…

Better Relations Between Saudi Arabia and Turkey

Reuters wrote on June 22:

“Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Turkey for the first time in years on Wednesday for talks with President Tayyip Erdogan aimed at fully normalising ties that were ruptured after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi… Erdogan said last week he and Prince Mohammed would discuss ‘to what much higher level’ they can take ties during talks in Ankara…

“In a statement following the talks, the two countries emphasized determination on ushering in a new period of cooperation in bilateral relations… The two countries also discussed improving cooperation in trade and sectors such as defence, energy and tourism among others…”

The Bible prophesies the formation of a confederacy between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other nations against Israel (Psalm 83:1-8). 

“Deadliest Earthquake in Afghanistan in Two Decades”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 22:

“1,000 people died after a magnitude 6 earthquake hit the mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan. The death toll is likely to rise as search efforts continue… The magnitude 6 quake struck around 44 kilometers (27 miles) from the city of Khost, located near the border with Pakistan…

“The disaster comes as Afghanistan battles a humanitarian and economic crisis that has worsened since the Taliban seized power last year.  Many international aid agencies left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and the chaotic withdrawal of US and NATO forces from the country…

“In 2015, more than 200 people were killed in northeastern Afghanistan and neighboring northern Pakistan as a major earthquake hit. Around 1,000 people were killed in a 6.1-magnitude quake in 2002, four years after another devastating 6.1 earthquake and subsequent tremors in Afghanistan’s remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people.”

There will be “great earthquakes in various places” (Luke 21:11).

Rumors Regarding Sick Francis’s Resignation Persist

 The Daily Mail wrote on June 20:“Pope Francis has fuelled speculation that he could resign after postponing a trip to Africa and announcing an unusual meeting of cardinals. Hobbled by pain in his knee and forced to use a wheelchair in recent weeks, the 85-year-old pontiff postponed a July trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan last week. He also announced an unusual decision to hold a consistory to name new cardinals during a Vatican vacation month and arranged meetings to ensure his reforms stay intact. The extraordinary consistory will be held on August 27, a slow summer month at the Catholic headquarters, to create 21 new cardinals – 16 of whom will be under the age of 80, thereby eligible to elect his successor in a future conclave….

“On August 28, Francis will then pay a visit to L’Aquila and the tomb of Celestine V – the first pope to have resigned from the papacy, in the 13th century….The moves have triggered intense speculation about his plans for the future, including the most radical – that he was planning to step down. The resignation of a pope was once almost unthinkable until Benedict XVI renounced his reign in 2013, citing his declining physical and mental health….  in May, as reported by various Italian media, Francis joked about his knee during a closed-door meeting with bishops: ‘Rather than operate, I’ll resign.’

“But Vatican insiders do not yet think Francis is on the verge of handing over the papal keys… A trip to Canada at the end of July is still on the pontiff’s schedule, and the pope continues to receive injections in his knee and physical therapy, according to the Vatican.

“As a child, Francis had one of his lungs partially removed. Today, besides his knee issue, he suffers recurring sciatic nerve pain.”

When he became pope, Francis declared that his papacy would be short.

Pope No Plan to Resign?

Newsmax wrote on June 23:

“Pope Francis on Wednesday told a group of Brazilian bishops that he had no plans to step down despite recent rumors that he will resign. In a Portuguese translation of the Vatican newsletter, Archbishop Roque Paloschi said Francis told the bishops that, ‘I want to live my mission as long as God allows me and that’s it.’

“Paloschi added that ‘resignation does not cross his mind.’”

His wording, though, “as long God allows me,” is telling.

America’s Belief in God

GALLUP wrote on June 17:

“The vast majority of U.S. adults believe in God, but the 81% who do so is down six percentage points from 2017 and is the lowest in Gallup’s trend. Between 1944 and 2011, more than 90% of Americans believed in God. Gallup’s May 2-22 Values and Beliefs poll finds 17% of Americans saying they do not believe in God…

“Fewer Americans today than five years ago believe in God, and the percentage is down even more from the 1950s and 1960s when almost all Americans did. Still, the vast majority of Americans believe in God, whether that means they believe a higher power hears prayers and can intervene or not. And while belief in God has declined in recent years, Gallup has documented steeper drops in church attendance, church membership and confidence in organized religion, suggesting that the practice of religious faith may be changing more than basic faith in God.”

But the real question is, do those who believe in God believe in the true God of the Bible? Otherwise, “in vain” do they worship God, teaching for doctrines the commandments and philosophies and ideas of men.

In Favor of Killing Babies?

The Daily Mail wrote on June 17:

“[In a speech to religious conservatives in Nashville, Tennessee, Donald Trump] claimed that Democrats were in favor of killing babies… and said the education system was so distorted that teachers could not teach the Bible but were allowed to teach Kindergarten children they could pick their gender… And he repeated his… claims that his defeat to Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud…

“’Our children are captives to unhinged Marxist educators who are pushing inappropriate sexual, racial and political material on our children from the youngest possible age,’ he said… ‘The current education system is so upside down that school prayer is banned. But drag shows are absolutely allowed… The biggest applause line came when he teased a possible 2024 run, something he has floated repeatedly without yet announcing… He added that he would consider pardons for people arrested in connection with the January 6 attack...”

Supreme Court Expands Gun Rights

The Associated Press wrote on June 23:

“In a major expansion of gun rights, the Supreme Court said Thursday [in a 6-3 decision] that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense…

“Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority that the Constitution protects ‘an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.’ The decision struck down a New York law requiring people to demonstrate a particular need for carrying a gun in order to get a license to carry one in public. The justices said that requirement violates the Second Amendment right to ‘keep and bear arms.’… “

The New York Post added on June 23:

“In a separate opinion concurring with Thomas, Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that Thursday’s ruling does not preclude state and local restrictions on gun ownership by felons and the mentally ill — or laws banning the carrying of firearms in ‘sensitive locations’ like schools and government buildings.”

Trespassing in the US Capitol

Breitbart wrote on June 17:

“The U.S. Capitol Police arrested a group of nine staffers from CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for allegedly trespassing in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday night, according to Fox News…

“Fox News’s Jesse Watters reported that the Colbert staffers were let into the House office building by Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Jake Auchincloss (D-MA). There have been calls for Schiff to resign from his post on the January 6 Committee over this breach of security. In addition, many want to see Colbert’s staffers arrested and charged with the same crimes as those who entered the Capitol on January 6.”

It is ironic that Adam Schiff is a member of the sham-and-farce-committee trying to establish Trump’s responsibility for the January 6 “insurrection.”

We Are in a Recession Now

Newsmax wrote on June 18:

“The United States may not be in an official recession yet, according to the federal government, but the nation is ‘in a recession now,’ and tens of millions of American families already believe the worst is already happening because prices are going up higher than their incomes, and their savings are being rapidly depleted, Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes Media, told Newsmax. ‘We’re in a big mess, and we’re going to be already over the cliff on the economy,’ Forbes said…

“‘Unfortunately, the Federal Reserve believes that the only way to control inflation is by crushing demand… ‘When they talk about a soft landing or trying to slow the economy down, that means making people poor… Consumer debt is going up, and credit card debt is going up… Mortgage payments are going to be very bad when those adjustable mortgage rates are readjusted later this year… And when heating oil prices come in this winter, when you’re paying twice as much as you were before and you have to heat your home, that’s going to be a disaster…’

“Meanwhile, the government is releasing lower inflation numbers based on the ‘so-called consumer price index,’ said Forbes, so one must take the numbers with a ‘grain of salt.’ ‘What people feel is, How much are they paying for food? How much are they paying for fuel? What are they paying on their mortgage rates? What are they paying for college and the basic things that they have to do on a day-to-day basis?’

“On that level, Steve Moore, another economist, said, ‘You know the official rate is maybe 8.5%. [But] people feel it’s more like 20%, so the cost of living is going up rapidly, and what’s bad about inflation? Among other things, it’s a hidden tax and the [government’s] reckless overspending…’ This also means that even when people get pay raises, they’re still behind, according to Forbes.”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Civil War, Violence and Misery in the USA.” 

Biden’s Gas Relief as Likely as a “Purple Cow Jumping Over the Moon”

The New York Post wrote on June 22:

“President Biden repeated his charge that high gas prices are Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s fault… Gas remains almost $5 a gallon nationwide and analysts predict $6 a gallon is coming [In California, for example, the average gas price a gallon has already exceeded $6.]. A Rasmussen poll found that just 11% of voters blame Putin for gas prices; almost five times as many blame Biden.

“Another Rasmussen poll found that only 27% of likely voters approve of Biden economic policies and 74% believe the economy has ‘gotten worse’ during his presidency.

“Biden portrayed himself Wednesday as a consumer savior for proposing to suspend the 18-cent-agallon federal gasoline tax for 90 days. He said the US government could afford to suspend gas taxes (which finance highway repair) because the federal deficit declined last year. He didn’t mention that the deficit is $1 trillion this year and will surge in the coming years…

“The White House PR team should have added a drawing of a purple cow jumping over the moon. It is just as likely as Biden delivering $1-a-gallon relief. A White House economic adviser summarized the administration’s struggle on gas prices: ‘They’re fighting about narrative rather than fighting about substance … Nobody thinks there’s going to be a compelling solution.’

“While the president delivered his awkward pitch, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell demolished one of Biden’s chief talking points during testimony Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) asked him: ‘Would you say that the war in Ukraine is the primary driver of inflation in America?’ Powell replied, ‘No. Inflation was high, certainly before the war in Ukraine broke out.’”

“Joe Biden’s Political Future in Europe”

Adam Dick wrote the following in the Ron Paul Institute of June 23:

“President Joe Biden’s popularity among American voters has been in descent since he took the oath of office in January of 2021. Indeed, by May 25 of this year, Biden’s approval rating, as related by Paul Bedard in a Washington Examiner editorial, had fallen below that of every president back through Harry Truman at that point in their presidencies. And Biden’s approval rating has continued to drop since then…

“One option for the career politician who may not want to step away from the political power just yet is to look for opportunity in Europe. Less than 4 in 10 Americans polled say they support Biden, and a majority disapprove. In at least some countries in Europe, in contrast, polling suggests majority support for Biden.

“Spring polling numbers from Pew Research Center indicate confidence in Biden was at 53 percent in France, 56 percent in both Spain and Great Britain, and a whopping 64 percent in Germany…  Europe may be a land of political opportunity for Biden after so many people in his home country electorate and even in his own party have soured on the prospect of him seeking reelection as US president… Maybe Biden could even hold a high government office in Ukraine…”

It is beyond belief that Biden should have such approval rates in parts of Europe, especially Germany. It can only be explained by total ignorance and utter distortion of the facts by the mass media in those countries. The same could be said about President Clinton’s and President Obama’s incredible popularity in Germany. 

Germany’s Energy Crisis

Breitbart wrote on June 23:

“The energy crisis appears to only be going from bad to worse in Germany, with the country announcing that it was triggering the second level of its three-tier gas emergency plan, with the last and final level being available to the state allowing authorities to begin rationing supply. It comes shortly after Moscow dramatically reduced the amount of gas it is supplying to the central European state, which has become heavily addicted to Russian energy exports in part as a result of the country’s obsession with its climate change agenda.

“According to a report by Die Welt, Germany’s Economics and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck announced the move to the second level of emergency powers on Thursday, with the country now aiming to fill its gas storage tanks before winter hits. ‘We are in a gas crisis. Gas is now a scarce commodity. The prices are already high and we have to be prepared for further increases,’ the publication reports Habeck as saying…. The minister then proceeded to call on ordinary Germans to cut their own energy usage…”

New Rules for Transgender Athletes

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 19:

“World swimming’s governing body FINA adopted new rules for [male-to-female] transgender athletes… only permitting swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women’s competitions…

“Female-to-male transgender athletes (transgender men) are eligible to compete in men’s swimming competitions, as their physical makeup at birth puts them at a disadvantage, if anything… FINA also intends to create an ‘open category’ to allow transgender athletes to compete in a separate class at elite level…

“The new rules drew mixed reactions. British swimmer Sharron Davies said that she was proud of FINA… On the other hand, advocacy group Athlete Ally called the new eligibility criteria ‘discriminatory, harmful, unscientific.’”

It is sad that in this God-defying world, these kinds of issues even exist and will have to be discussed and regulated.

Pelosi, Harris and the Drag Queens

IFN wrote on June 16:

“… the Left has been using drag queens to advance the LGBT agenda and groom our children. For example, Fisher-Price has just introduced a set of RuPaul drag queen figurines marketed to children as young as one. To celebrate Pride month this year a gay bar in Dallas, Texas, hosted a ‘family friendly’ drag show targeted at children… at the event children threw dollar bills at scantily-clad drag queens and went on stage with them. And now two prominent Democratic leaders—U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris—are proudly hanging out with drag queens to show support for the radical LGBT agenda.

“In an episode of the RuPaul Drag Race show which aired on June 10, 2022 on Paramount +, Speaker Nancy Pelosi makes a guest appearance and gives strong support to the drag queens. In the episode Pelosi states: ‘It is my honor to be here to say to all of you how proud we all are of you. Thank you for the joy and beauty you bring to the world. Your freedom of expression of yourselves in drag is what America is all about. I say that all the time to my friends in drag.’…

“Vice President Kamala Harris, however, would not let Speaker Pelosi steal the show in giving support to drag queens… Harris and her husband appeared at the Capitol Pride event in Washington, DC, and both went on stage with the drag queen winner of season thirteen’s RuPaul’s Drag Race… After the event Harris posted on Instagram a picture of herself hugging the drag queen with the words ‘Love is love. Happy Pride!’”

“That is what America is all about!” Maybe it’s true…and so, the downfall of America is irreversible. Please view our new sermon, “Rumors, Fake News and the Truth” .

No Conversion Therapy for Confused Minors

Breitbart wrote on June 18:

“The Biden administration promised this week to ban ‘conversion therapy’ for minors who claim they are members of the opposite sex… Now, in sync with pro-transgender activists and clinical organizations, President Joe Biden’s White House is using an overly broad definition of ‘conversion therapy,’ seemingly in the hopes of silencing ‘gender identity’ critics — all while promoting puberty-blockers, cross-sex hormones, and even surgeries for sex-questioning youth…

“Florida Medicaid found that there is ‘low or very low quality’ evidence that so-called ‘puberty blocker’ drugs protect the mental health of minors who want to live as members of the opposite sex. Another study completed by the Heritage Foundation suggests making puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones easier for minors to access has increased youth suicide rates…

“But why is the federal government so eager [to] push gender ideology onto younger generations, while also preventing counselors and religious leaders from exploring alternatives?…  there is a great deal of money to be made from ‘gender transitions.’ A report released in December 2020 found that the U.S. sex reassignment surgery market size was valued at $267 million in 2019 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 14.4 percent from 2020 to 2027.”

It’s the same with the push for vaccines. Big Pharma makes a fortune. See below.

Covid Vaccinations for Infants

Breitbart wrote on June 19:

“The Biden administration’s long-predicted coronavirus vaccine program tailored exclusively for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers began Saturday on the back of requests from the pharmaceutical industry.

“The shots will expand the nation’s vaccination push down to children as young as six months with an estimated 18 million possible recipients to be targeted.

“President Joe Biden hailed what he called the ‘monumental step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus,’ adding ‘for parents all over the country, this is a day of relief and celebration.’ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously recommended approval of vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for use among the child target group.

“A recent survey asked parents with children under the age of five if they plan to get their youngest children vaccinated. A majority, 52 percent, said they are either not getting their children vaccinated or are ‘not sure.’ Of the 52 percent, specifically, 34 percent said they will ‘not’ get their children vaccinated, and 17 percent said they are not sure. Forty-eight percent however, said they plan to do so.

“The government has already been gearing up for the vaccine expansion, with millions of doses ordered for distribution to doctors, hospitals and community health clinics around the country.”

Another example of greed and insanity in our times. Note the next article.

Did Russia Fake Its Covid Vaccine Trial?

The Daily Mail wrote on June 21:

“Russia appears to have faked trial results of its flagship Covid vaccine, according to an analysis. A team of researchers in Australia and Singapore, who pored over the original study, have uncovered what they believe is proof the Kremlin fabricated efficacy data. Russian scientists claimed the jab produced nearly identical results across five different age groups when the trial was published last year. It sparked claims among some experts the results were ‘too good to be true’, given the tiny numbers of infections that occurred in each cohort.

“Now researchers have run the trial through a simulation model 50,000 times to test the likelihood of the results being genuine. They found the chance of replicating the same efficacy across all five age groups again was just 0.02 per cent…. Hundreds of millions of people are thought to have been vaccinated with Sputnik worldwide. Around 70 countries had placed orders worth up to £7billion before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine….”

The question is, however, how reliable and SAFE are the vaccines which have been approved by Western nations?

Lockdowns Led to Global Mental Health Crisis

Daily Mail wrote on June 21:

“Covid lockdowns have created a ‘global crisis for mental health’, the World Health Organization has admitted. An international report by the UN agency found two years of restrictions have led to ‘significant mental health consequences’, especially for young people. The WHO now estimates more than a billion people around the world are living with a mental health disorder as a result, a quarter more than pre-Covid. It said there had been an even bigger rise among children…

“Curbs imposed to control Covid led to feelings of ‘social isolation, disconnectedness and uncertainty about the future’, the report added. The admission comes despite the WHO hailing China’s lockdowns at the start of the pandemic and warning that lifting measures too early in Britain may cause a ‘deadly resurgence’ in 2020.

“Schools were closed nationally at least twice over the course of the pandemic, with students also forced to learn from home because of individual closures. More than 100 countries also shut down schools during the peak of the first wave… The most common types include anxiety, depression and developmental disorders like autism.”

The Foolishness of Man!

Germany Considering Mask Mandates for the Winter

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 18:

“The German government is considering a proposal that would require citizens to wear masks indoors every winter in anticipation of annual COVID waves.  According to German newspaper Die Welt, the proposal would require mask wearing in all public spaces, including restaurants, bars and retail stores, throughout the entire winter season of October to March. It is unclear if the proposal would extend to schools or other settings with young children.

“The justification being given for the annually renewing mandate is the idea that COVID, like the flu, experiences an uptick in cases during the cold weather, and the widely disputed idea that mandating the wearing of masks could limit the spread of the highly survivable virus… at least 47 studies have indicated that masks are ineffective at stopping the spread of the coronavirus.  An additional 32 studies… suggest that mask wearing can actually negatively impact one’s health… Many are concerned that masking has caused needless and even irreparable harm.’”

It’s mere lunacy…

Austria Scraps Unsuccessful COVID Vaccine Mandate

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 23:

“Austria is scrapping an already-suspended COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Health Minister Johannes Rauch said on Thursday. [He said:] ‘… today that means the abolition of compulsory vaccination… No one is getting vaccinated because of the compulsory vaccination…’

“Originally, the plan was to threaten those who refused vaccination with a fine of up to €3,600 ($3,780), as of March 15. But by the beginning of March there were few signs that people were responding to the possible financial penalties, and the law was suspended… In February, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen signed into law a mandate for all eligible adults over 18 in the country to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The move sparked fierce protests…

“Last month, Austria announced it would be dropping its mask wearing mandate  though the health ministry said it may return later in the year.”

These mandates were stupid ideas from the outset. 

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.

The Wikipedia Encyclopedia says this about the covenants of the Bible:

 “The Hebrew Bible makes reference to a number of covenants (Hebrew: בְּרִיתוֹת) with God (YHWH). These include the Noahic Covenant (in Genesis), which is between God and all living creatures, as well as a number of more specific covenants with Abraham, the whole Israelite people, the Israelite priesthood, and the Davidic lineage of kings. In form and terminology, these covenants echo the kinds of treaty agreements in the surrounding ancient world.

“The Book of Jeremiah, 31:30-33, say that Yahweh will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… Students of the Bible hold wildly differing opinions as to how many major covenants exist (or did exist) between God and humanity, with numbers ranging from one to at least twelve… Some scholars classify only two…”

As we have explained in our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound”, as well as in this series of Q&As, the concept that there are only one or two covenants must be rejected. There were clearly multiple covenants between God and man in the Old Testament, in addition to the New Covenant which is described in the Old and in the New Testaments as well.

For example, we read about a covenant with day and night; a covenant with David and another covenant with Levi; a marriage covenant; and a covenant with Noah. We saw that God made several covenants with Abram or Abraham, in addition to covenants with Isaac and Jacob. He also made several covenants with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai and in Moab.

The fact that God speaks about “My covenant” in the singular in the Hebrew Bible has led to the wrong conclusion that there is only one covenant. However, when analyzing the covenants which God made, they are quite different in scope and nature, and some apply to us today, while others do not. For example, the covenant of circumcision is no longer in effect; and neither is the original covenant which God made with Israel at Mount Sinai (or which He made after Israel sinned in building a golden calf, or which He made with the new generation of Israel in Moab).  On the other hand, His covenant with Abraham, and His covenant with Isaac, and His covenant with Jacob have great importance for us today insofar as they refer to the blessing through the Messiah, including the promise of eternal life and rule over the earth (thereby including aspects of the New Covenant), but are of limited significance for true Christians when addressing the physical blessings of the House of Israel (but they are of significant importance for the descendants of the House of Israel today).

The same can be said about His covenant with David—that he would always have a descendant sitting on his throne, ruling over at least one tribe of Israel. Insofar as his physical descendants are concerned, they are of limited significance for true Christians today (but they are of tremendous importance for the descendants of the house of David today), but as Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, will occupy David’s throne when He returns, God’s covenant with David is of incredible importance for all Christians [and the entire world] in this day and age.

When addressing the covenant which God made with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, it only included physical blessings. Israel broke this covenant when building the golden calf, and as a consequence, Moses broke the tablets of the Ten Commandments, on which the covenant was based. So, the covenant was renewed, but Israel kept breaking it as well. The same is true for the covenant which God made with Israel in Moab. Even though God expected that the people would at least keep their commitment in a physical way—He knew of course that they were unable to do so in spiritual terms—they did not even abide by their promise to keep the covenants and the laws on which the covenants were based, in their physical application. That is why God pronounced that He would offer them and was willing to make a New Covenant with them, based on better promises, which would include forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to keep the spiritual laws of the Ten Commandments on which the New Covenant would be based, in a spiritual way. As true Christians, we are today spiritual Israelites, so we can live under the conditions of the New Covenant which will be fully established when Christ returns. (In passing, as we explained, God made another covenant with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, pertaining to the weekly and annual Sabbaths. This covenant is still in full force and effect today and also includes true Christians—spiritual Israelites).

Jeremiah tells us in chapter 31 (see below) that people who are parties to the New Covenant have obtained, and can obtain, forgiveness of sin—something the previous covenants did not offer—and they can have spiritual understanding of God through the Holy Spirit given to them—again, something that was not offered to such an extent in previous covenants. Notice this additional prophecy regarding the New Covenant in Jeremiah 32:38–40: “They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.” By the fear of God, one departs from evil (Proverbs 16:6). God’s Spirit will be living in those people, so that they will not practice the way of disobedience any longer.

As God draws a parallel in Jeremiah 31 between the covenant He made with the people of Israel in the day when He led them out of the land of Egypt, and the New Covenant which He promises to make with them after Christ’s return, many speak therefore of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. However, we must point out and will explain that the term “Old Covenant” is nowhere expressly used in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. And even in the New Testament, the term is only used on a very few occasions, depending on what translation from the Greek is being used, and in this regard, the context is commonly overlooked.

Still, as God made so many covenants with man, why does He not speak in the Hebrew Bible about covenants in the plural, but only refers to “My covenant” in the singular?

When addressing God’s covenants with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we stated the following in our first installment of this series:

“Even though God made covenants with Abraham, and then, because of the obedience of Abraham, He made a covenant with Isaac, and another one with Jacob (Leviticus 26:42), the Bible may sometimes speak about God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as the subject matter and the promises involved were the same. (The promises which God gave Abraham were the same as the promises which He gave Isaac and Jacob.) Still, God made individual covenants with Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob, as the parties to the covenants were not identical.”

So, it is important to review the context and especially the subject matter to determine WHAT covenant God makes reference to. This is especially critical when analyzing the “Old” and the “New” Covenant.

For instance, we read in Jeremiah 31:31-33:

“‘Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,’ says the LORD. ‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’”

First, we should note that even though two covenants are mentioned the terms “Old Covenant” and “New Covenant” are not specifically used in this passage.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible gives the following explanation:

“‘Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers’…  Meaning not Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; but the ancestors of the Jews [Israelites] that came out of Egypt, as appears by what follows… That the Sinai covenant is intended is clear by the following circumstances:

“‘…in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt’; that is, immediately after their being brought out of Egypt, the covenant was made with them; see Exodus 19:1; at which time of their bringing out, the Lord took them by the hand, as being unable to deliver themselves, and to go out of themselves; which is expressive, as of their weakness, so of his power and goodness, kindness and tenderness to them; and is an aggravation of their ingratitude to him in breaking the covenant, made with them at such a time by the Lord, who was so kind and indulgent to them; and which is still more fully expressed in the following clause:

“‘…which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord’; they promised fair, but did not perform; their hearts were not right with God, nor were they steadfast in his covenant; though it was such a solemn transaction, and had the nature of a matrimonial contract; it was the day of their espousal; they were betrothed to the Lord, and he acted the part of a husband to them in nourishing and cherishing them in providing food and raiment for them; manna that continued with them, and clothes that waxed not old; and in protecting them from their enemies, and bringing them to a good settlement in the land of Canaan…”

So, from the context, the covenant God has reference to in Jeremiah 31, which was broken, was in fact the initial one made at Sinai, but it had to be renewed at Sinai (or a second covenant had to be made), since it was broken, and it was renewed again in Moab, as technically, the new generation had not as yet entered into the covenant relationship.

This passage of Jeremiah 31 is quoted in the New Testament in the Book of Hebrews. In Hebrews 8:1-13, we read:

“(1) Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, (2) a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. (3) For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. (4) For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; (5) who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’ (6) But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. (7) For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. (8) Because finding fault with them, He says: ‘Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—(9) not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. (10) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (11) None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. (12) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ (13) In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

Notice carefully: Nowhere do we read about the “old covenant.” Even the word “covenant” in verse 7 (in the phrase, “that first covenant”) was added by the translator and is not in the Geek (it simply says, “for if that first had been faultless”), but since verse 9 does speak about “the covenant” which God made when he brought Israel out of Egypt, it is clear that a covenant is being referred to (Note, however, verse 13, where the word “covenant” has also been added. The original Greek says: “In the saying, new, He has made old the first…”). But what exactly is the reference? The whole context speaks about the sacrificial system, human priests and the earthly tabernacle, which are being contrasted with Christ’s Sacrifice, His ministry and the heavenly Tabernacle. Paul is addressing here the fact that due to Christ’s Sacrifice, animal sacrifices are no longer required and have become obsolete.

Regardless, when God speaks about the covenant in the context of the letter to the Hebrews, quoting from Jeremiah, He uses the word “covenant” as an all-inclusive summary term, while really addressing the covenants He made with Israel at Mount Sinai and even in Moab, which were all interconnected and included the same subject matter and the same physical blessings (but NOT the Sabbaths covenant which was separate and distinct.) But when He says that the “first” was made “old”, He is not referring to the entirety of the law on which the covenant was based, but only to certain portions of it (the rituals and sacrifices).

To use the word “covenant” as a summary term for several covenants is not a unique phenomenon in the Bible; Scripture speaks many times of the Law or of Sin, as summary terms, including and referring to many laws or sinful actions.

It is also interesting to review Ephesians 2:12 where Paul says that in former days, Gentiles were strangers from the covenants of promise—clearly referring to more than just one covenant.

The Jamison-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary states: “The plural implies the several renewals of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with the whole people at Sinai.” Matthew Poole’s Commentary adds: “…those covenants in which the great promise of Christ and salvation by him was made. The covenants were several, as that with Abraham, and that by Moses, and differ in some accidents, but the promise in them was one and the same, which was the substance of each.” Barnes’ Notes on the Bible says: “The covenants of promise were those various arrangements which God made with his people, by which he promised them future blessings, and especially by which he promised that the Messiah should come. To be in possession of them was regarded as a high honor and privilege; and Paul refers to it here to show that, though the Ephesians had been by nature without these, yet they had now been brought to enjoy all the benefits of them.”

A similar explanation applies to Romans 9:4, where the plural form of covenants is mentioned as well, stating that “the covenants” pertain to the Israelites. Barnes’ Notes on the Bible comments: “The various compacts or promises which had been made from time to time with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with the nation; the pledges of the divine protection.” Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says: “Not the two tables of stone, but the several compacts made by God with Abraham and his descendants.” The Benson Commentary writes: “He says covenants, in the plural, also, because God’s covenant with his people was often and variously repeated.” Similar the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary: “‘the covenants of promise’ to which the Gentiles before Christ were ‘strangers’ (Eph 2:12); meaning the one covenant with Abraham in its successive renewals.”

Galatians 4:24 also speaks of covenants in the plural, but as we explain in our free booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians,” the reference here is not to the “old” or “first” covenant made at the Mount of Sinai, and the New Covenant.  We state the following:

“Most commentaries will tell you that Paul is addressing here the Old and the New Covenant, and conclude that the Old Covenant with all its laws has been abolished. However, Paul is not speaking here about the Old Covenant. Rather, he is describing in his allegory (verse 24) two ways of life—a ‘covenant’ with death and a ‘covenant’ with life. When we are in Christ, we are no longer under the penalty of the law. We are no longer in ‘bondage’ (verse 24) to death. We read in Isaiah 28:15, 18 that carnal people made a covenant with death, thinking they could escape death even though they lived wrongly. But we can only escape death through our acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice. Hagar’s son Ishmael was born according to the flesh. However, Sarah’s son Isaac was born according to promise, symbolizing, in this allegory, the gift of the Holy Spirit which would ultimately be in Isaac. Paul could not have talked here about the Old Covenant, because at the time of Hagar, the Old Covenant under Moses was not even made…

“Paul is describing in his allegory our spiritual battle, which goes on in our mind. God’s Spirit in us wars against our flesh. Our flesh ‘persecutes’ the Spirit of God and must therefore be cast out (compare James 4:4–5, 8; Romans 6:1–4; 8:5–9; and Colossians 2:11–13). Paul also points out, in verse 31, that we are no longer children of the bondwoman—children of bondage to death—if we let Christ live in us. It is Christ who sets us free from sin and death… Paul is not talking in verse 1 [of chapter 5] about the Old Covenant or even the sign or covenant of circumcision (Acts 7:8), because the Galatians had never been part of the Old Covenant, nor were they part of the covenant of circumcision—so they could not AGAIN be entangled with the ‘yoke of bondage.’ Rather, Paul continues his theme of addressing two ways of life. He explains that we must walk by the Spirit, which sets us free, not by the flesh, which brings us into bondage.

“… As we have to cast out the fleshly desires and our human nature, Abraham had to cast out the bondwoman and her son (Galatians 4:30). And why? Because the son of the bondwoman, who was born according to the flesh, persecuted the son of the freewoman, who was born according to the Spirit (verse 29). And Paul continues to allegorize by saying that this is also the case today (same verse)… God’s Spirit in us wars with our flesh. Paul said that he did not do what he wanted to do, but that he gave in at times to his flesh, following its desires (Romans 7:13–25). As our flesh ‘persecutes’ our Spirit-begotten minds, so we must cast out the flesh and its desires, including temptations which might originate with Satan or this world.”

Another confusion arises when in the New Testament, translators use the word “covenant” and the word “testament.” Only the context can determine which is the correct rendering, as in the Greek, the word for covenant is the same as the word for testament. The connection between covenant and testament is the concept of inheritance which we discuss more fully in the first part of our series, when quoting from our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound.”

In 2 Corinthians 3:14, we read in the New King James Bible that the minds of the Israelites, under Moses, were blinded, which was symbolized by the veil which Moses put over his face, and that the same veil remains uplifted “in the reading of the Old Testament.” Here, the translation of “testament” rather than “covenant” seems correct. Most older Bibles (English and German) use here [in 2 Corinthians 3:14] the word “Testament” even though newer Bibles use the word “covenant”. It makes sense to talk about reading of the Old Testament (compare Luke 24:44-45; see also Acts 15:21), but it would make little sense to speak about reading of the “old covenant”—also, because this term is never used anywhere else. Either way, the context in verse 15 indicates that only a portion of the Scriptures is meant. It says that when “Moses is read”, the “veil lies on their heart.” The reference to the veil on Moses’ face is to the two great massive stones on which the Book of Moses was written (verse 7). We discuss this in our booklet, “The Ten Commandments”, chapter 14.

Hebrews 9:15 speaks about Christ as the “Mediator of the new covenant… for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant.” The Authorized Version uses here the rendition “testament” in both cases. So does the old Luther Bible, whereas the newer Luther renditions use the word “covenant.”  We see again that the choice of words is up to the translator and his interpretation. Actually, both renditions make sense here.  The people sinned by breaking God’s covenant (the summary term for all the covenants He made with His people), and they also transgressed all the laws written in the Old Testament.  Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant and also of everything written in the New Testament Scriptures which we can only understand when the mind and the Spirit of Christ are in us. And as our Mediator, He helps us to keep the law, and He appears in front of God the Father as our High Priest who understands the weaknesses of our flesh.

To conclude, we are quoting again from our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound”:

“The New Covenant is based on God’s law, just as all the other covenants were based on God’s law, and the New Covenant is not identical with God’s law, just as none of the other covenants were identical with God’s law. However, the New Covenant is not based on laws that God has decreed are no longer valid. The New Covenant is not based, for example, on the sacrificial system, the Levitical priesthood, and other rituals and washings. But it is important that we understand why those particular laws are no longer valid. Not, because the ‘Old Covenant’ was abolished, and with it all Old Testament laws. The concept that the ‘Old Covenant’ ended, and with it all the laws of the Old Testament, is WRONG, as a covenant is not identical with the law, but it is BASED on the law…

“… certain Old Testament laws are no longer binding because God tells us in the New Testament that they are no longer binding. Therefore, the covenants which God made with ancient Israel at Mount Sinai and in Moab are vanishing, because they were based, along with other laws, on ritual statutes and sacrificial regulations which are no longer valid today—and, of course, because Israel kept breaking the covenants…

“When analyzing His covenant with the Levitical priesthood, we find that He kept that contract alive, but He modified it, as the provisions or laws regarding the collection of tithes were changed. That right was transferred from the Levites to Christ. The remainder of the contract between God and the Levites, including the Levitical right to bring, and to eat from, the sacrifices, stayed in effect. As you will recall, it will be the Levites who will administer the sacrifices, which will be reestablished in Jerusalem for the Jews prior to Christ’s return (Daniel 12:11; 8:11-12), and at the beginning of the Millennium for unconverted people (Ezekiel 44:15, 29–30).

“When analyzing the covenants that God made with the ancient nation of Israel at Mount Sinai and in Moab, God did away with those covenants [except for the Sabbaths covenant with Israel, which remains in force and effect], as too many laws on which those covenants had been based, had become obsolete. Also, God wanted to make a new covenant that would include additional promises that were never a part of the previous covenants with the nation of Israel. So, God abolished the previous covenants with the nation of Israel because certain laws on which the covenants were based were changed or abolished.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“We Are in a Recession Now!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

We are experiencing terrible economic times, and we are told that things will get worse. The “solutions” offered by our government, if any, are failing miserably. Is there hope to see an end to this total misery and disaster?

“Will Israel Attack Iran?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The possibility of an Israeli military strike against Iran exists. Why do we say this? And what would be the consequences for Israel?

“Wird Israel den Iran angreifen?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program presented by Norbert Link. This program covers the same topic in German as described above in English.

“HABEN WIR EINE UNSTERBLICHE SEELE?”, a new German booklet translated from our English version, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”, has been sent to Germany for printing.

“Warum der Prediger Salomo missverstanden wird” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Why the Book of Ecclesiastes Is Misunderstood.”

“Die Grundfesten Gottes,” the sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “The Foundations of God.”

“Himmel und Hölle für immer?”, the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Tahir Coban, is now posted. Title in English: “Heaven and Hell forever?”

“The Silver Suitcase,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is a summary:

This message shows how a mistake that was made can be turned into a very good learning experience in not taking the truth for granted.

“Rumors, Fake News and the Truth,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

All of us are potential victims of fake news, false reports and rumors. We are confronted with them everywhere—including and especially in regard to the teachings of the Bible, but we also find them in the worldly mass media and the propaganda of the lying press.  Why do so many believe rumors and false reports so quickly? And how can we distinguish between what is true and what is false?

On June 11, 2022, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy—June 11, 2022,” and the sermon, titled, “God’s Spirit of Mercy.”

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 the introduction in our booklet, entitled, “God’s Teaching on Sexual Relationships,” we state the following: “We live in a world of ever-changing relationships, be it among nations, peoples, or individuals, and along with these changes, there is no end to personal opinions as to what constitutes right or wrong actions.  Yet out of the abundance of opinions, there is little regard for what God calls sin or what His standards are for happiness and health. Mankind, as a whole, is determined to live in ways that ‘seem right in his own eyes’ (Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25).”

There can be no argument that there have been monumental changes in every phase of society around the world in the last few decades, with the pace of change accelerating at a frightening pace.   A “Pandora’s box” has been opened.

Collins English Dictionary has this definition: “If someone or something opens a Pandora’s box, they do something that causes a lot of problems to appear that did not exist or were not known about before.”

In our booklet, we reference the ridiculous idea about there being 72 different gender designations.   We wondered what would be next.

In the UK, the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013 was passed in 2013. It legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales, and former Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, was instrumental in this endeavour.   In many nations around the world, same-sex marriages have become totally acceptable. But it has gotten worse.

We now have the revelation that last year, three men made history in Colombia by becoming the first trio to wed in a same-sex ceremony in Colombia – called a polyamorous family. A newspaper report revealed that “Three people are legally allowed to marry each other in Colombia, where it is known as a ‘trieja’ – a word derived from two others: trio and pareja: trio and couple.”

Another type of relationship revealed was where three women were married to each other and, at the time, were the world’s only wedded female threesome – and one of them was expecting a baby.   This relationship, apparently, is called a throuple!   No doubt, since then, more people have jumped on the same bandwagon.

I came across an article about a divorced British woman who finally found the partner of her dreams – her dog – and married her in a “romantic ceremony in Croatia, and the ceremony was attended by 200 people!”   There have been quite a number of other such “arrangements”.

In this world, once Pandora’s Box is open, there is no going back.

To slightly misquote Rudyard Kipling: “We must keep our heads when all around us are losing theirs!”

Whatever next?

Well, hopefully, there won’t be many more ridiculous revelations about even more absurd relationships, before Jesus Christ returns to put a stop, once and for all, to this nonsense.  We can all be sure that in the soon-coming Government of God, which God will establish here on earth during the Millennium, marriage between humans will be between one man and one woman, and mankind will be all the happier that the godly and correct institution of marriage (see Genesis 2:24) will be the only marriage allowed.

by Norbert Link

We begin with concerns regarding a coming war between Iran and Israel; speak on the fear of civil war in the USA [please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Civil War, Violence and Misery in the USA”] and address the expectation of an energy crisis; the collapse of the financial system;  the incredible waste of vaccine doses; and California’s worst drought in 1,200 years.

We speak on the military’s control of Hollywood and the Navarro scandal. In this regard, please view our new message, titled, “Our Corrupt Political and Legal System—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 4, 2022.” We also report on the attempted murder of US Supreme Court Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh.

We address Elon Musk’s fight with the DOJ and Dr. Oz’s victory in Pennsylvania; point out questions regarding the future of the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly known as the British Commonwealth); Boris Johnson’s survival; and Russia’s opinion that the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are already on their way. We also point out former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refusal to apologize for her ill-conceived politics towards Russia.

We continue with Joe Biden’s terrible legacy in Afghanistan; the disunified summit of the Americas; rumors that Pope Francis might retire;  and the creation of aggressive hamsters by ignorant scientists.

We conclude with a funny and at the same time silly article about Turkey’s name change.

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

War Between Israel and Iran Coming?

The Daily Beast wrote on June 2:

“The ongoing war between Israel and Iran across the Middle East came out of the shadows and into the open long ago. But now, on the back of several suspected Israeli attacks inside Iran itself, the deadly contest threatens to escalate—possibly beyond the region.

“Last week, several quadcopter drones smashed into a suspected Iranian nuclear research and drone facility at Parchin, killing one engineer. Mere days before, two assassins on motorbikes shot dead an Iranian military colonel in the heart of Tehran…

“This is all part of what the Israeli government, just under a year in power, has come to describe as its ‘Octopus Doctrine,’ a new and risky expansion of its campaign against Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities.

“If in years past Israel did hit inside Iran, it was done covertly—usually through spies and cyber-attacks—and almost always targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and facilities… But now, Israeli officials openly describe a ‘new defense strategy,’ as one termed it to The Daily Beast, aimed at the ‘head’ of the octopus in Iran, and not just its ‘tentacles’ across the region in places like Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Iraq…

“The dangers of this new Israeli approach are… obvious.”

US Civil War Coming?

The Daily Mail wrote on June 2:

“A new poll shows 44 percent of Americans believe the nation is headed toward another civil war…  That includes 53 per cent of Republicans and 39 per cent of Democrats.

“In another concerning statistic, about one in five said they at least somewhat approved of assassinating a politician whom they believed was ‘harming the country or our democracy.’… The figure included 44 per cent of young Democratic men and 40 per cent of young Republican women…  A majority of both Republicans and Democrats believe their political opponents pose a threat to the country and want to harm their political opponents.”

These are frightening statistics.

Heading Towards an Energy Crisis…

CNN Business wrote on June 2:

“‘Now we have an oil crisis, a gas crisis and an electricity crisis at the same time,’ Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency watchdog group, told Der Spiegel in an interview published this week. ‘This energy crisis is much bigger than the oil crises of the 1970s and 1980s. And it will probably last longer.’

“The extent of that perfect storm — underinvestment, strong demand and supply disruptions from the war — will have wide-reaching consequences, potentially threatening the economic recovery from Covid-19,  exacerbating inflation, fueling social unrest…

“Already, US gasoline prices have surged by 52% over the past year to record highs, angering the public and contributing to the nation’s inflation crisis. Prices for natural gas, a vital fuel for heating homes and powering the electric grid, have nearly tripled over the past year in the United States. Natural gas prices have skyrocketed even further in Europe…

“The 1973 oil crisis was marked by hours-long lines at gas stations, fuel shortages and panic. Experts said they worry about fuel shortages again today…”

… While Oil Executives Profit Big Time

The Daily Beast wrote on June 3:

“Gas prices have skyrocketed to record highs, forcing some families to choose between filling their tank and putting food on the table. But for the oil execs whose stock holdings have soared, these are happy days—and some of them are cashing in their shares at unusually high rates…

“Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, [said:] ‘I don’t know that they’re doing anything illegal, but it’s clearly pretty unethical to be making this type of money off people’s pain…’… in the first quarter, oil industry execs collectively sold over $1 billion worth of stock….”

Greatest Credit Bubble to Burst?

Bloomberg wrote on June 3:

“Mark Spitznagel is paid to be prepared for when the market’s weakest links are exposed in a big way. Right now, the Universa Investments founder, whose fund aims to protect clients during black swan events, says the financial system is most vulnerable to ‘the greatest credit bubble of human history.’ ‘If this credit bubble ever pops, it’s going to be the most catastrophic market failure that anyone has ever read about — but let’s hope that doesn’t happen,’ Spitznagel… said… He’s long been critical of central banks keeping interest rates near-zero or even negative, which he says has propped up asset values and encouraged excessive borrowing. Officials around the world are now tightening monetary policy to combat elevated inflation.

“His warning follows other cautious remarks this week from JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, who told investors to prepare for an economic ‘hurricane,’ and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. President John Waldron, who said he’s seen an unprecedented number of shocks and expects ‘tougher economic times ahead.’ Traditional flight-to-quality assets like US Treasuries and gold are failing investors this year, adding to the pain, Spitznagel said…”

Many expect that this bubble will burst…

Millions of Wasted Vaccine Doses

The Huffington Post wrote on June 6:

“More than 82 million COVID vaccine doses went to waste in the U.S. from December 2020 until the middle of May…

“Some waste is attributed to doses reaching their expiration date before they could be administered to patients, while others were ruined due to power outages that took freezers out of use. Unused doses from opened vials that had to be discarded at the end of the day also accounted for some of the waste…

“The news about wasted doses comes as the Biden administration warns the country is short on funds to pay for vaccines, treatments and tests… The White House said children under five years old could be able to get their first vaccine as early as June 21.”

California’s Worst Drought in 1,200 Years

CBS wrote on June 2:

“Southern California is imposing mandatory water cutbacks as the state tries to cope with the driest conditions it has faced in recorded history… Nearly all of California is experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought. Very little rain fell in January, February and March, when the state typically receives half its annual precipitation. As a result, the state is facing its driest ever start to the year, with one recent study calling the current drought the worst in 1,200 years…

“Areas of California that depend on the Colorado River for water have so far been spared conservation measures, although water levels in the river are also unusually low…

“This summer is also expected to be hotter than normal, which would create higher demand for air conditioning and strain the power grid further…”

How the Military Controls Hollywood

The Los Angeles Times wrote on May 30:

“[Top Gun: Maverick’s] F-18s and other military gear are courtesy of the Pentagon… which allows use of such assets in exchange for control of the script…

“Until recently, the scholarly consensus had been that this phenomenon was isolated to perhaps a couple of hundred films. In the past five years, however, my small group of researchers has acquired 30,000 pages of internal Defense Department documents… which show that the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency have exercised direct editorial control over more than 2,500 films and television shows. These discoveries raise questions about the government’s reach at a time when deciphering propaganda from fact has become increasingly difficult.

“This includes a history of excising unsavory or controversial topics… including depictions of war crimes, torture, security of the nuclear arsenal, veteran suicide, sexual assault and racism in the ranks. At the same time, these institutions have used their clout to promote weapons, gin up recruiting and normalize U.S. military action around the world.

“We have also discovered dozens of instances where films, denied U.S. government assistance because of objectionable content, were ultimately never made. Jerry Bruckheimer, a top producer, said that ‘Top Gun’ and 2001’s ‘Pearl Harbor’ simply wouldn’t exist without military approval. Mace Neufeld, who produced virtually the entire Jack Ryan film franchise, also needed Pentagon and CIA support. Neufeld has acknowledged that Paramount Pictures would greenlight the first film in the series, 1990’s ‘The Hunt for Red October,’ only if it secured Defense Department approval first…

“[The Pentagon] found ‘no major problems with the storyline’ [in Top Gun: Maverick] but asked for ‘some revision to characterization and actions of Naval aviators’…  The ‘Production Assistance Agreement’ formally stipulated the Pentagon’s right to ‘weave in key talking points’ in exchange for all that expensive equipment.

“What exact changes did the Pentagon make to the new ‘Top Gun: Maverick’? We don’t know, and that’s part of the problem. While we have script change details for hundreds of other productions, such as ‘Godzilla’ and ‘Fast and Furious 8,’ the military has repeatedly invoked a ‘trade secrets’ exception to block our Freedom of Information Act requests when it comes to its most high-value assets.

“Americans should have a right to know the extent of the military’s influence on the shows and films they consume… producers and directors… should fight for creative integrity and refuse to give up control of their scripts…”

This is quite a shocking revelation.

Attempted Murder of US Supreme Court Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh

Breitbart wrote on June 8:

“‘A California man carrying at least one weapon near Brett M. Kavanaugh’s Maryland home has been taken into custody by police after telling officers he wanted to kill the Supreme Court justice,’ the far-left Washington Post [reported]. From the looks of it, the Democrat party and corporate media’s jihad against Kavanaugh, the one that started with all those lies about him being a serial rapist in college and continues over the possibility that the atrocity known as Roe v. Wade might be overturned, has finally borne some wicked fruit. ‘Two people familiar with the investigation,’ continues the Post, ‘said the initial evidence indicates the man was angry about the leaked draft of an opinion by the Supreme Court signaling that the court is preparing to overturn Roe. v. Wade[.]’

“He was also angry about the ‘recent spate [of] mass shootings,’—so, according to police, he grabbed a gun to go out and shoot a Supreme Court justice… Looks like we should also thank the corporate media for broadcasting the front of Kavanaugh’s home, which makes it so much easier for his enemies to find.

“And let us never forget that, contrary to written law,… Joe Biden and his corrupt administration championed these mass and unruly protests outside the justices’ homes. This is all on the media and Democrats who have demonized and scapegoated conservative justices as ‘threats to democracy’ and worse…”

First of all, it is a crime to protest “in or near a building or residence occupied or used by such judge” with “the intent of influencing any judge.” The refusal by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to enforce the law and the approval and instigation of  illegal protests by Joe Biden and his administration is deeply troublesome. Secondly, in March 2020, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated to Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, “you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you, if you go forward with these awful decisions.”

At the time, Chief Justice Roberts responded to Schumer by saying: “… threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous.”

It has been suggested by Fox News moderators that Schumer should be impeached for inciting violence, as there is allegedly no other explanation for his verbal outbursts.

The Navarro Scandal

Breitbart wrote on June 3:

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested former White House economic adviser Peter Navarro on Friday, acting on a referral from the Democrat-run House that held him in contempt for refusing to testify at the partisan January 6 Committee. The arrest came one day after Navarro appeared on left-wing MSNBC to promise that he would lead efforts to promote the impeachment of President Joe Biden if Republicans take Congress in the midterm elections, which they are expected to do…

“Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) took the unprecedented step of refusing to seat some Republican members of the committee. When House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) withdrew all of his nominees in response, Pelosi hand-picked the committee of seven Democrats and two Republicans [RINOs], contrary to the eight Democrats and five Republicans that the resolution requires. The committee has no official ranking member, which critics say means its subpoenas are invalid…

“… The Department of Justice ignored referrals for contempt of Congress when a Republican-led Congress found then-Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt for refusing to hand over documents relating to Operation Fast and Furious, which led indirectly to the murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, and when Congress found former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner in contempt for refusing to testify about her agency’s effort to target conservative groups…”

Breitbart also wrote:

“An August poll reveales 58 percent of voters believe the January 6 Committee is biased toward Democrats.”

Of such blatant bias, there can be no doubt. The troublesome hypocrisy in all of this is shameful, clear and convincing.

Fox News added on June 3:

“Navarro alleged that the prosecution was acting in ‘bad faith’… ‘This is something that needs to get to the Supreme Court,’ he added. ‘Department of Justice appears to have colluded with the White House and Congress.’… Navarro has called the Jan. 6 committee illegitimate and is suing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the committee’s activity. In an interview with Fox News, he called any possible prosecution of him ‘domestic terrorism.’ Navarro continues to assert executive privilege since he worked at the Trump White House and said he was exempt from appearing before the committee.”

Democracy in Danger

Newsmax wrote on June 4:

“The arrest of Peter Navarro on an indictment charging him with contempt after refusing to comply with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 incidents at the U.S. Capitol sets a precedent that is ‘dangerous to democracy,’ Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz said on Newsmax Saturday. ‘It’s as if somebody was called to testify about what he told his priest or his doctor or his lawyer… He invokes the privilege and immediately gets indicted, instead of the government going before a court and the judge rules whether or not the privilege applies.’

“If the judge ruled that executive privilege did not apply in the case and ordered Navarro to testify, then he could be held in contempt for refusing, argued Dershowitz. ‘But you cannot constitutionally be held in contempt of Congress without a judicial order,’ said Dershowitz…

“This, he continued, makes Navarro’s arrest ‘dangerous to democracy, dangerous through the rule of law and dangerous to the concept of privilege, whether it be a priest privilege or a doctor, privileged lawyer privilege or executive privilege. I’m shocked that the justice department brought it without there being a judicial determination that he was compelled to testify.’ This means Navarro’s indictment is ‘unconstitutional,’ and that’s a ‘real scandal’… ‘That’s for a court to decide, not for a partisan congressional committee that has almost all Democrats and a few anti-trump Republicans on it, to be able unilaterally to ask the Justice Department to enforce a subpoena without first going to the court,’ he said… ‘ I don’t think it will be allowed by the courts… But of course, in this these days of partisan, even judicial decisions, one can’t be absolutely certain…’”

Our legal and political system is corrupt. True Christians are told to come out of it, rather than be an active part of it. Please listen to our new message, titled, “Our Corrupt Political and Legal System—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 4, 2022.” 

Pure Ugly Politics

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on June 3:

“Former Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro was cuffed and dragged in to custody Friday. For no reason: the 72-year-old said he would have voluntarily surrendered over his contempt of Congress charges relating to his refusal to work with the Jan. 6 Committee and noted he was given no warning that he was going to be arrested.

“The man has no history of violence and zero flight risk. And the judge in his case released him on his own recognizance — an admission that no one really thinks Navarro is going anywhere. Defendants in similar situations are nearly always given the opportunity to surrender.

“Instead the feds pulled Navarro off a plane at a Nashville airport as he was off to a TV appearance.

“This is pure, ugly politics. The Justice Department and the Jan. 6 committee are coming down hard on Navarro for being a Donald Trump ally, nothing else…”

What a despicable mockery of justice.

Elon Musk vs. DOJ

Fox News wrote on June 5:

“Elon Musk took to Twitter Saturday to ask if anyone was bothered by how quiet the ‘leaking’ Justice Department is when it comes to… Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, said the DOJ, which grew notoriety for leaking under former President Donald Trump, was remarkably silent about the deceased convicted pedophile… Maxwell, Epstein’s former assistant and lover, was convicted on December 29, 2021, of recruiting and grooming teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 28. While Maxwell disputed the impartiality of a juror who failed to disclose he was a victim of sexual abuse, a federal judge denied her a retrial.

“Epstein died after an alleged suicide in Manhattan — though the official story is widely disputed — in 2019 while awaiting a federal sex trafficking trial… Last month, Musk also garnered tremendous attention on social media when he suggested that he might die ‘under mysterious circumstances.’”

Famously, Musk is attempting to acquire Twitter to make it less partisan, but he is running into some “difficulties.”

Dr. Oz Wins in Pennsylvania

The New York Post wrote on June 3:

“Celebrity surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz has secured the Republican nomination for the US Senate in Pennsylvania after his opponent, former hedge fund manager David McCormick, conceded the race Friday amid an ongoing statewide recount… Following a bitterly fought campaign, Oz — boosted by an endorsement from former President Donald Trump — led McCormick by a mere 974 votes out of 1.34 million votes cast in the May 17 primary — a margin of just 0.07 percentage points. With McCormick’s concession, Oz’s nomination was confirmed.

“Oz will now face off against progressive Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in November in what is expected to be a hotly contested election as both parties look to take control of the closely divided Senate… Oz, who is best known as the host of “The Dr. Oz Show,’ faced several attacks throughout his campaign from his opponents’ and from die-hard Trump supporters who were wary of Oz’s position on Republican issues likes guns, abortion, transgender rights… His opponents attacked his dual citizenship with Turkey. If elected, he would become the country’s first Muslim senator.

“Although born in the United States, Oz served in the Turkish military and voted in its 2018 election. He said he would renounce his Turkish citizenship if he won the election in November…”

It appears that Trump only endorsed Dr. Oz because of his celebrity status, hoping that thereby Dr. Oz will defeat Fetterman, as philosophically, McCormick is much closer to Trump than Dr. Oz.

The Future of the Commonwealth

France 24 wrote on June 4:

“As the United Kingdom celebrates Queen Elizabeth’s 70th year on the throne, many in Britain and abroad are questioning the future of the Commonwealth of Nations, a group of 54 nation-states largely comprised of former British colonies which the Queen has championed throughout her reign…

“Although some of the wealthier nations in the Commonwealth, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, still retain the Queen as their head of state, members in the Caribbean seem keen on breaking with the royal hierarchy. Officials in at least six countries in the Caribbean have indicated they plan on removing the monarch as their sovereign following Barbados, which became the region’s newest republic at the end of 2021… Yet, even as smaller states move to reject the monarchy as a symbol of a colonial past to which they no longer wish to be tethered, staying in the Commonwealth could be seen as a way to continue to reap certain benefits under the British crown…

“As the monarch celebrates her platinum jubilee, many are asking what the future of the Commonwealth will look like when its strongest champion is succeeded by Prince Charles, who is presently heir to the British throne. The Commonwealth has been criticised as being ineffective, with a poor track record of bringing about major policy changes, and many have suggested that it has perhaps run its course historically…

“In recent days, speculation has arisen that Australia may be the next Commonwealth nation to become a republic after the new prime minister, Anthony Albanese, appointed an Assistant Minister for the Republic…  For British conservatives, further engagement with the Commonwealth could help the UK achieve Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘Global Britain’ strategy, which consists of reconnecting with ‘old friends and new allies’ in a post-Brexit world. Yet the success of this aspect of the country’s foreign policy remains to be seen.”

The Bible prophesied thousands of years ago the existence of the British Commonwealth—now referred to as the Commonwealth of Nations. However, due to Britain’s sins, the Bible also foretold the downfall of Britain and its Commonwealth.

Boris Johnson’s Survival… For Now

CNBC wrote on June 6:

“U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has survived a vote of confidence triggered by his own lawmakers amid increasing dissatisfaction in his leadership. Some 211 Conservative Party lawmakers voted in favor of the prime minister on Monday, while 148 voted against him. Johnson needed the support of a simple majority of 180 MPs to win the vote, but the figure of 148 was worse than many expected. It is also worse than the result of a similar vote faced by former leader Theresa May in 2018. She resigned as prime minister just six months later.

“The secret ballot of Tory lawmakers comes at a time of deep dissatisfaction with Johnson’s leadership and behavior in office less than three years after he secured a whopping parliamentary majority. Given the narrow margin of Johnson’s win, there is now a possibility that he might face another confidence vote in the near future.

“Usually, if a British leader wins a confidence vote, they are protected from another vote for 12 months. However, there have been reports that these rules may be changed — and the close nature of Monday’s result could make this more likely.”

Horsemen of the Apocalypse on Their Way

Metro wrote on June 4:

“President Joe Biden announced this week that his administration was sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, backtracking on an earlier statement that the US would not be giving the war-torn country advanced weaponry.

“Dmitry Medvedev, a former prime minister under Putin and current chairman of the national security council, warned there would be consequences if these were used on Russian soil. He told Al Jazeera: ‘If, God forbid, these weapons are used against Russian territory then our armed forces will have no other choice but to strike decision-making centres. Of course, it needs to be understood that the final decision-making centres in this case, unfortunately, are not located on the territory of Kyiv.’

“He also warned that fighting in Ukraine was pushing the world dangerously close to nuclear Armageddon ‘The Horsemen of the Apocalypse are already on their way and all hope now is with Lord God the Almighty,’ he said.

“Kremlin-controlled state TV has said on a number of occasions that the war in Ukraine could turn nuclear, with attacks on the UK and the rest of Europe…

“The White House said it had agreed to provide Ukraine with the new missiles after receiving assurances from President Zelensky that they would not be used to hit targets inside Russia. However, the Kremlin said it did not believe Zelensky.”

‘The United States is directly and intentionally adding fuel to the fire,’ Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, said.”

Merkel Shows No Regrets

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 8:

“In her first interview since leaving office, the former German chancellor has defended her policy toward Russia and said she doesn’t blame herself for the current situation in Ukraine… She refused to apologize for her policies towards Moscow, but stressed there was no justification for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…

“Putin told her that the collapse of the Soviet Union had been ‘the worst event of the 20th century.’ Merkel replied that for her, as someone who grew up in communist East Germany, the fall of the Berlin Wall meant she could live her life in freedom… Putin, she said, ‘hated’ the Western model of democracy and wanted to ‘destroy’ the European Union…

“Merkel defended her opposition to Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO in 2008… In Tuesday’s interview, Merkel said that if NATO had granted them membership, Russian President Vladimir Putin could have caused ‘enormous damage in Ukraine.’ As it was, Russia invaded Georgia less than six months after this declaration in Bucharest, instigating Europe’s first war in the 21st century. Merkel also cited systemic corruption issues in Ukraine as reasons to block their membership…. Merkel conceded that there could have been a harsher response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea…

“The former chancellor also touched briefly on the controversial, now-mothballed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, largely to criticize the US decision to sanction entities over their participation in the gas project… Merkel’s government has been criticized for steering Germany into its considerable dependency on Russian oil and gas…  Germany’s appeasement of Russia runs through decades of German foreign policy.”

There’s none so blind as those who will not see.

Biden’s Legacy in Afghanistan

The Week wrote on June 5:

“Afghanistan has deteriorated dramatically since President Biden ordered the U.S. military to complete its withdrawal in August. When the Taliban returned to power, women’s rights advocates took to the streets demanding to keep advances made during the U.S. occupation, such as education for girls. Many of those protesters were beaten and detained, while activists fled or went into hiding. In March, the Taliban announced that girls could only attend school up to the sixth grade. Last month, the hard-line government announced that Muslim women must be covered from head to toe while in public, with only their eyes exposed, and ordered woman TV broadcasters to cover their faces. Now women have started vanishing from the workforce…

“[The economy] has virtually collapsed. [It] was heavily dependent on foreign aid, which made up nearly 80 percent of the government’s budget before the Taliban took over. Foreign aid has been reduced to a trickle, as countries reduce or even suspend assistance to the Taliban-led government because of its human rights abuses… Nearly 1 million Afghans have lost their jobs since the Taliban takeover. Restrictions on women’s employment have led to up to $1 billion of economic loss… There is almost universal poverty in the country… In extreme situations, people desperate for money are selling their daughters into marriage or selling their own organs, which is illegal yet commonplace… a laborer… received $4,500 for his 15-year-old son’s kidney to pay off his debts…

“Many Afghans have little or no income to buy food for their families; meanwhile, prices keep rising due to inflation, supply chain woes, and higher customs fees… The United Nations estimates that 95 percent of Afghans do not have enough food, and half the population of 39 million is suffering from acute hunger…

“Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate, known as Islamic State Khorasan or ISIS-K, has carried out a string of deadly attacks targeting minorities…

“Taliban’s hard-line leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada,… and ultraconservative Taliban hard-liners… have instituted other retrograde policies targeting women, including warning them not to leave their homes without men accompanying them. The hard-liners include bands of young Islamist radicals and leaders of the Haqqani network, an internationally designated terrorist group, who jointly seek to intimidate the population into complying with sharia law…”

This was all predictable. The incredible fiasco caused by the USA in Afghanistan was so unnecessary.

Disunified Summit of the Americas

Axios wrote on June 6:

“Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed Monday that he will not attend the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this week, citing concerns over the exclusion of leaders from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela… It’s a blow to President Biden, who is seeking to reassert U.S. influence in Latin America and the Caribbean, which have become more closely tied to China in recent years..

“Some other leaders, including Bolivian President Luis Arce and Honduran President Xiomara Castro, had previously threatened to reject Biden’s invitation to the summit, citing the possibility of leaders from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela being excluded…

“López Obrador said he hopes to visit the White House in July to talk to Biden about the ‘integration’ of all American countries, with the goal of forming something similar to the European Union.”

Pope Francis to Retire?

The Associated Press wrote on June 5:

“Pope Francis added fuel to rumors about the future of his pontificate by announcing he would visit the central Italian city of L’Aquila in August for a feast initiated by Pope Celestine V, one of the few pontiffs who resigned before Pope Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013. Italian and Catholic media have been rife with unsourced speculation that the 85-year-old Francis might be planning to follow in Benedict’s footsteps, given his increased mobility problems that have forced him to use a wheelchair for the last month.

“Those rumors gained steam last week when Francis announced a consistory to create 21 new cardinals scheduled for Aug. 27. Sixteen of those cardinals are under age 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to elect Francis’ successor.

“Once they are added to the ranks of princes of the church, Francis will have stacked the College of Cardinals with 83 of the 132 voting-age cardinals…

“The basilica in L’Aquila hosts the tomb of Celestine V, a hermit pope who resigned after five months in 1294, overwhelmed by the job. In 2009, Benedict visited L’Aquila, which had been devastated by a recent earthquake and prayed at Celestine’s tomb, leaving his pallium stole on it. No one at the time appreciated the significance of the gesture. But four years later, the 85-year-old Benedict would follow in Celestine’s footsteps and resign, saying he no longer had the strength of body and mind to carry on the rigors of the papacy.

“The Vatican announced Saturday Francis would visit L’Aquila to celebrate Mass on Aug. 28 and open the ‘Holy Door’ at the basilica hosting Celestine’s tomb… Francis has praised Benedict’s decision to retire as ‘opening the door’ for future popes to do the same…

“Christopher Bellitto, a church historian at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, noted that most Vatican watchers expect Francis will eventually resign, but not before Benedict dies. The 95-year-old retired pope is physically frail but still alert and receiving occasional visitors in his home in the Vatican gardens. ‘He’s not going to have two former popes floating around,’ Bellitto said in an email…”

Stranger things have happened. In Catholic church history, there were indeed at one time three “popes” floating around, all claiming to be the legitimate office holder.

Scientists Create Super-Vicious Aggressive Hamsters

Daily Mail wrote on June 4:

“Scientists inadvertently bred a horde of unusually aggressive hamsters after a gene editing experiment to ‘reduce aggression’ went wrong.

“Researchers at Georgia State University produced new rodents without hormone vasopressin in an effort to raise ‘social communication’ between the rodents. Yet the chemical change turned the Syrian hamsters wild, prompting fights inside cages. The ultra-vicious hamsters were pictured pinning, biting and chasing each other.

“Lead researcher Professor Elliott Albers said: ‘We anticipated […] we would reduce both aggression and social communication — but the opposite happened…. We were really surprised at the results.’… The study’s striking conclusions challenge scientists’ understanding of the relationship between biology and behaviour. The professor added: ‘We don’t understand this system as well as we thought we did.’”

What lunacy. Man is trying again to play God… with disastrous consequences…

Turkey’s Name Change

Express wrote on June 3:

“Turkey will now be known as Türkiye, which will be adopted by the United Nations this week. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is understood to be embarrassed by their country’s association with the ground feeding festive bird and the Cambridge English Dictionary’s definition saying the meaning of the word is ‘something that fails’ or is ‘a stupid or silly person’…

“Exported products will now feature ‘Made in Türkiye’ instead of ‘Made in Turkey.’”

Silly!

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.

God does not forget His covenant with the children of Israel, but in order to receive the blessings of the covenant, the people had to return to the LORD. God gives a strong warning to those who break the laws and the covenant in Deuteronomy 17:2-5: “If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, who has gone and served other gods and worshipped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones.”

Near the end of the book of Deuteronomy, just before the death of Moses and the children of Israel entering the Promised Land, God had Moses address all the people. We read in Deuteronomy 29:10-15. “All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water—that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today.”

This is very comprehensive, as it included all the children of Israel as well as others who were not of the children of Israel but were present. The expression “as well as with him who is not here with us today,” could include those who may have been sick or indisposed for some other reason at that time. However, the Jewish Soncino commentary suggests it means the posterity of those standing there. This is confirmed in Scriptures like Deuteronomy 5:10 where God shows “…mercy to thousands (of generations), to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” In other words, those who live by the laws on which the covenant was based.

To show God’s consistency, the statement concerning the stranger or foreigner is also mentioned in Isaiah 56:6-7: “Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant—Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” An interesting point about this passage in Isaiah is that here, the Sabbath and the covenant are treated as separate items. We noted previously that the Sabbath was a stand-alone covenant as well as being a part of the Ten Commandments.

A further point of interest in Deuteronomy 29:11 is the term “the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water.” A similar term is only used again concerning the Gibeonites in Joshua 9:27; so again, did the elders of that time remember what God had promised in Deuteronomy 29 as stated previously, or was it that the one who cuts your wood and the one who draws you water were the lower class of citizens?

In Deuteronomy 5:2-3, Moses states that God made a covenant with them at Horeb, even though most of them standing there were not even born at the time. Only a handful of those over twenty years old at the time God made the covenant with the children of Israel had not died in the wilderness. We read Deuteronomy 5:2-3: “The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.” The literal translation of Deuteronomy 5:3 by Richard Elliot Friedman is enlightening: “YHWH did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us! We! These! Here! Today! All of us! Living!”

His comment on this passage is both interesting and informative: “…Moses mixes past, present, and future. He speaks to the people in front of him as if they had all been at Sinai forty years earlier. Now he says it explicitly, powerfully, unmistakably, with seven different words: Each generation must see themselves as personally standing at Sinai, not just as inheriting their parents’ covenant, but as making the covenant themselves. It is a present, living commitment” (Friedman, Richard Elliott. Commentary on the Torah (p. 2579). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

So even when God made the covenant with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, just before they entered the land of Canaan (compare Deuteronomy 29:1, 12), they could consider that they, in effect, partook of the original covenant at Sinai.

The final chapters of the book of Deuteronomy contain many warnings of what would happen if they broke their covenant with God. In fact, God warned Moses that they would break the covenant and follow after other gods and God would punish them as He had promised. In one place, Deuteronomy 5:29, God lamented that the people did not have a heart to obey the commandments: “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” Two translations, the Douay-Rheims and the Richard Elliot Friedman translations, render the passage as a question, as follows: “Who would make it so, that they would have such a heart (or, “Who shall give them to have such a mind”, Douay-Rheims) to fear Me and observe all My commandments every day, so it would be good for them and for their children forever?”(Friedman). The implication is that only God could make it so but He needs to give the people a new heart and a new mind, so that they are going to obey Him voluntarily.

Actually, the question is answered which we will learn, when we read about the New Covenant.

In Old Testament times, however, very few were able and willing to obey God. Moses told the people again in Deuteronomy 29:4: “Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day… “

Also, Joshua tells the people in Joshua 24:19: “…You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.”

At the end of the book of Joshua, just before he died, he warned the people again not to serve foreign gods. Joshua 24:20 states: “If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.” Then the people answered in Joshua 24:24-27: “And the people said to Joshua, ‘The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!’ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.’”

As mentioned previously, the covenants often had a sign, or witness, for them to be remembered by. In this case, the stone that was set up under the oak tree was to be a witness.

When we come to the book of Judges, there is a continual description of the people breaking the covenants that God had made with their ancestors and, by extension, with them. The result was, of course, that God allowed them to be conquered, but when they cried out to God, He would send them judges to release them from this captivity. Judges 2:1-3 describes this: “Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: ‘I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said “I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.” But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, “I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”’”

This is either an angel speaking God’s words or, more probably, Jesus Christ Himself—the Angel or Messenger of God the Father—as it was He who led the children of Israel to the land of Canaan.

In fact, in the book of Judges, the term “The people did evil in the sight of the LORD” occurs at least eight times. Actually, when we examine the history of the nation of Israel after the split with the nation of Judah, there were no good kings in the House of Israel who observed their covenant with God, and because of that, God sent them into captivity in Assyria.

Considering the nation of Judah, there were many kings who ignored their covenant with God, but there were some who observed it. The last of these was Josiah. 2 Chronicles 34:29-33 describes his actions and his humility when he heard the words of the law: “Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. The king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the Levites, and all the people, great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not depart from following the LORD God of their fathers.” So, while Josiah made a covenant before the LORD, it was to observe the covenant that God had made before with the “fathers.”

Unfortunately, after Josiah was killed at a young age in battle, the following kings and the people following them did evil in the sight of the LORD (compare Jehoiakim in 2 Chronicles 36:5; Jehoiachin in 2 Chronicles 36:9; and Zedekiah in 2 Chronicles 36:12). Therefore, God also sent the nation of Judah into captivity in Babylon.

And yet, even when a small number returned from Babylonian captivity after seventy years, some of the priests and Levites and others had taken pagan wives from the people of the land. So in Ezra 10:3, we read, “Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.”

So many men had taken pagan wives that it took two months to examine each individual case and to determine the correct judgement.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff (Australia)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Civil War, Violence and Misery in the USA” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Is the United States going to experience another Civil War in our days? Alarming signs point at that possibility. This program explores the reasons for these frightening developments, and points at illuminating passages from the Bible.  

A new member letter for June has been written. It is being printed and has been posted on our Website. In the letter, Paul Niehoff describes God’s love, concern and compassion for His people. 

 The new German booklet (“Haben wir eine unsterbliche Seele?”) translated from our English booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul,” has been sent to graphic artist Shelly Bruno in preparation for printing.

The draft of a new booklet about the nature of God and our destiny by Norbert Link has entered the first round of editorial reviews.

“Warum Gott die Abtreibung verbietet!” is the title for this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Why God Prohibits Abortion!”

“Der Heilige Geist IN uns!” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Robert Muhr, is now posted. Title in English: “The Holy Spirit IN Us!”

“Our Corrupt Political and Legal System—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 4, 2022,” a message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

To ban or not to ban assault rifles; victory for Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania; acquittal of Clinton lawyer Michael Sussmann; military control of Hollywood productions; and the controversial arrest of Peter Navarro—what do all these events have in common? Do they show by example the incredible corruption in our political and legal systems? If so, what is a true Christian supposed to do? Is it too far-fetched to say that our eternal salvation may be at stake?

“Mental Stability for the People of God,” the first split-sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Mental stability for God’s people is paramount. It is not something that we often talk about but it is very important for us to realize that each of us have issues with staying in a mentally healthy place. When we need it most God is there to help us when we turn to Him and allow Him to help us. He is waiting for us to take the power and the strength that He offers. Even in the midst of fear, anxiety and hard stresses, which we ALL face, there is no place for shame.

“Honor To Be Honored,” the second split-sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

By obeying God and keeping His commandments, we honor Him and in return, He will honor us.  At the same time, we are shown in the Bible how we are to honor others and how we will be honored in return.

“Offenbarung Jesu Christi,” the Offertory for Pentecost presented by Manuel  Mueller, is now posted. Title in English: “Revelation of Jesus Christ.”

“The Right Attitude,” the Offertory for Pentecost presented by Paul Niehoff, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What attitude does God have concerning His offering of His Son for us, and with that as an example, what attitude should we have when we bring an offering to God?

“The Gift of God Which Is in You,” the sermon for Pentecost presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Christians are given exceedingly great and precious promises to be partakers of the divine nature and to be among the firstfruits of salvation. To that end, God has given us the gift of His Holy Spirit. Are we faithful with what God has given to us?

On June 4, 2022, Kalon Mitchell will present a split sermon, titled, “Mental Stability for the People of God,”   Michael Link will present a split sermon, titled, “Honor To Be Honored.”

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.

PENTECOST: We will broadcast live Pentecost services on Sunday, June 5, 2022, at 12:30 pm Pacific Time. Paul Niehoff will present the Offertory, and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “The Gift of God Which is in You.”

I recently woke up during a weekday in a pretty grumpy mood. I knew that I had a grueling day at work that was about to begin, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. Even my morning cup of coffee didn’t do much to lift my mood! But I proceeded to face the day, as was my duty.

As I sat down at my desk to begin my workday, I took a moment of pause before getting started. This is a regular habit that I have built into my day. I normally take about a minute before I officially start work to simply write down something that I’m grateful for. Some days, it can be more difficult than others to find something to write, and this particular day was one of them. I began to write, “I am grateful that…”, and stopped there. It took a few moments to contemplate, considering the difficult day that I had ahead of me. But then I continued, “… this stuff in life doesn’t really matter.” Almost immediately, the weight of the day was lifted.

Of course, such a statement as “nothing in this world really matters anyway” is a nihilistic expression that needs to be qualified, rather than taken as an absolute truth. The fact is that there is a lot in this life that does matter. We need to be good stewards of the blessings that God provides us with. We take care of our health, maintain our relationships with others, and dedicate ourselves to the work that we put our hands to do, even when we might not look forward to it (compare Ecclesiastes 9:10). To say that “nothing matters” is not categorically true, but there is an element of truth when put into the right context.

To begin with, the stuff in this life does matter because this is where God presents opportunities for us to grow. We learn to overcome the world by putting our spiritual understanding into practice in the context of our current circumstances. We are training now to live a godly life, walking in the Spirit. And the only way we can do that is by taking advantage of the stuff in life that we have to deal with, both good and bad. The lives that we live are a physical means to a spiritual end.

Knowing that we seek a spiritual change to live an eternal life in the Family of God, we do not work towards an end goal that is physical in nature. In this way, truly, nothing that this physical life has to offer really matters. This is the perspective that God instructs us to have. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Placing our value in worldly outcomes only leads us away from God.

Regardless, we are bound to live in these physical bodies, in this physical world. This is our place now where we have to learn how to overcome. We cannot yet leave it behind. When Jesus Christ was preparing for His Sacrifice to take place, He prayed to God about us and our circumstances in this life. “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17:18-19). Even though we are not to love the world, we have to be here now so that we can put the Truth of God into practice, and overcome the world through Christ. We are set apart for a spiritual purpose, learning obedience and the love for God’s Way of Life.

The only possible way that we can overcome the world, living and walking in the Spirit, is through the Spirit of God that lives within us. Jesus Christ had to leave the world so that the Holy Spirit would become available to us (compare John 16:5-7). Because of this amazing gift from God, we understand what it means to say that nothing in this life matters. With the mind of Christ, we look forward to a life that is so much better than what we can possibly imagine.

With Pentecost upon us, we have an annual reminder that the Holy Spirit is ours to use. It lives within us, giving us the discernment that we need to overcome sin in this world. When we face our circumstances in life, we can find encouragement in knowing that the glory that God has in store for us is what matters, making everything else worthless by comparison.

by Norbert Link

We begin with an article describing our culture of violence and death and are raising the question as to what possible justification could there be for permitting any 18-year-old boy or girl to acquire an AR-15-style rifle, while Donald Trump seems to be shamelessly displaying a “change of heart” in the matter of assault weapons. We also point out the war propaganda of the mainstream media when reporting on events in Ukraine, how the world finances Putin’s war; and emphasize once again German Chancellor Scholz’s dubious conduct, wondering what game he and his government are playing.

We address Denmark’s potential change of mind regarding their “neutrality” towards the EU; and we point out the not-so-“hidden sins and secrets” of the Catholic Church, especially regarding Pope Pius XII; and Pope Francis’s most recent political move on the issue of abortion.

We speak on an abominable, but telling new antisemitic law in Iraq pertaining to Israel and Jews worldwide, and speculate about a possible comeback of Benjamin Netanyahu.

We report on the acquittal of Clinton Lawyer Michael Sussmann, showing again how corrupt our legal system is; the despicable modern Sodom and Gomorrah environment being created by the Biden Administration; WHO’s recommendations of support for the LGBTQ+ community; and conclude with some news on travel restrictions in Europe.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Theocratic Abortion—a God-Given Right in Many Religions”

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

Our Culture of Violence and Death

The Federalist wrote on May 27:

“As the country reels over the Texas massacre, where 19 children and two adults were gunned down by a single shooter who was barely more than a child himself, the question on everyone’s mind is why? Why would any person march into an elementary school and open fire on innocents? And why can’t we overcome such evil?

“… it’s impossible to look honestly at mass shootings and ignore the culture of death that prompts them. This culture is much deeper than abortion… That barbaric ritual is in many ways just another piece of rotten fruit from the same Godless tree. It’s in rejecting the Creator’s authority and the truth that He made every human being in His own image and for His glory, not our own, that our society embraces death.

“After all, if there is no God who assigns value to human life, we really are nothing more than aimless clumps of cells without worth or eternal purpose…

“In addition to euphemizing the murder of the unborn, we’ve cultivated an antisocial culture of screen addiction then used it to dispense violence as entertainment… When children misbehave, we diagnose and medicate them rather than discipline them.

“When we don’t like something, we tear it down even if it doesn’t belong to us… We’ve created a culture of death, and now we have to live in it.”

.. and unless there is a change of heart, we will die in it…

Trump’s Change of Heart?

Mediaite reported on May 27:

“Former President Donald Trump was reportedly ‘shaken’ after a 2019 massacre at an El Paso Walmart, and asked a chief advisor, ‘What are we going to do about assault rifles?’

“The New York Times noted the country’s 45th president was also disturbed by the 2018 shooting in Parkland, Florida, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The massacre left 17 dead and another 17 injured. Trump made news at the time by saying he was open to imposing some restrictions on firearms. He dropped the issue following a meeting with the NRA.

“The Times reported: ‘Unbeknownst to the public, however, Mr. Trump again pushed inside the White House for significant new gun-control measures more than a year later, after a pair of gruesome shooting sprees that unfolded over 13 hours. Those discussions have not previously been reported. On Aug. 3, 2019, a far-right gunman killed 23 people at a Walmart store in El Paso. Early the next morning, a man shot and killed nine people outside a bar in Dayton, Ohio. Both assailants used semiautomatic rifles. At the White House the next day, Mr. Trump was so shaken by the weekend’s violence that he questioned aides about a specific potential solution and made clear he wanted to take action, according to three people present during the conversation.

“According to sources who were then close to Trump, he questioned if there was anything that could be done about the legality of popular AR-15 rifles. Trump asked former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney: ‘What are we going to do about assault rifles?’ Mulvaney’s reported response: ‘Not a… thing.’ According to the Times, Trump asked Mulvaney, ‘Why,’ and was told, ‘Because… you would lose.’”

As the next article shows, Trump gave in, and today, as he is preparing for a come-back in 2024, he fully endorses the gun lobby.

The New York Post wrote on May 27:

“Former President Donald Trump on Friday said that the gunman who murdered 21 people at a Texas elementary school is ‘damned’ to ‘burn in the fires of hell’ as he read aloud each victim’s name to a tolling bell… ‘The monster who committed this crime is pure evil,’ Trump said. ‘While those he slaughtered are now with God in heaven, he will be eternally damned to burn in the fires of hell.’

“Trump offered an array of policy suggestions to prevent school shootings, including allowing teachers to concealed-carry firearms… Trump defiantly pressed for protecting the rights of gun owners. ‘The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm, law abiding citizens,’ Trump said…

“He did not endorse any gun control measures — as he did during his presidency…  As president, Trump upset gun rights advocates in 2018 by expressing a willingness to enact reforms in response to the murder of 17 people at a Parkland, Fla., high school by 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who used a legally purchased AR-15-style rifle. Trump endorsed a higher age limit for AR-15 rifles, background checks for private gun sales and reforms to let police ‘take the guns first, go through due process second’ to reduce the risk posed by mentally ill people.

“Later that year, the Trump administration banned ‘bump stocks’ that hasten the firing rate of semiautomatic rifles in response to that tool’s role in the murder of 60 people at a Las Vegas concert in 2017.”

Sadly, it appears that if a Republican wants to become elected, he cannot oppose the powerful NRA conglomerate.

How America can even allow an 18-year-old boy to purchase an AR-15-style rifle, with the only conceivable reason to shoot and kill, is beyond comprehension.  America’s fascination with and glorification of guns is something that the rest of the world cannot understand. Parents should and must do everything they can to fight against any fascination of their children with guns, rather than encouraging it in any way. Also, what we all must do is to pray for our children and grandchildren daily, that God would protect them from such unspeakable evil perpetrated by mad violent people under demonic influence and possession.

No Handgun Ban in the USA

Newsmax wrote on May 31:

“Law Professor Joseph Blocher of Duke University told Newsweek on Tuesday that there is ‘no chance either politically or constitutionally’ that a handgun ban similar to Canada’s could be implemented in the United States… ‘The Supreme Court has been clear that the Second Amendment protects the fundamental right to have a handgun in the home for self-defense,’ he added.

“The law professor’s statement comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new legislation in his country’s parliament that seeks to prohibit the ability to ‘buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada.’

“The proposed Canadian law is in reaction to a series of mass shootings that have hit the U.S. recently, including one that resulted in 10 deaths at a supermarket in Buffalo on May 14 and another at a Texas elementary school on May 24, where 19 children and two teachers died…

“‘So, even if handgun prohibition were politically feasible [in the USA], the courts will strike it down,’ [Blocher] added…”

When Christ rules this earth, no one will have a gun in his or her home for the purpose of self-defense. Trudeau’s announcement must be seen, however, in the light of his desire to remain as Canada’s unquestionable dictator.

War Propaganda

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on May 27:

“With Russia’s war in Ukraine now in its fourth month, mainstream media consumers have been treated to seemingly endless headlines and analysis of Russia’s extensive military losses. At the same time Ukrainian forces have tended to be lionized and their battlefield prowess romanticized, with essentially zero public information so far being given which details up-to-date Ukrainian force casualties, set-backs, and equipment losses.

“But for the first time The Washington Post is out with a surprisingly dire and negative assessment of how US-backed and equipped Ukrainian forces are actually fairing. Gone is the rosy idealizing lens through which each and every encounter with the Russians is typically portrayed. WaPo correspondent and author of the new report Sudarsan Raghavan underscores of the true situation that ‘Ukrainian leaders project an image of military invulnerability against Russia. But commanders offer a more realistic portrait of the war, where outgunned volunteers describe being abandoned by their military brass and facing certain death at the front.’

“As many careful and less idealistic observers suspected the whole time, a steady stream of both wartime propaganda and one-sided social media feeds where it seems the only tanks being blown up are Russian ones has served to present a very skewed portrayal of the battlefield to the Western public…

“The Washington Post report belatedly admits the avalanche of propaganda based in a pro-Kiev, pro-West narrative from the outset: ‘Videos of assaults on Russian tanks or positions are posted daily on social media. Artists are creating patriotic posters, billboards and T-shirts. The postal service even released stamps commemorating the sinking of a Russian warship in the Black Sea.’

“The report then pivots to the reality of an undertrained, poorly commanded and equipped, rag-tag force of mostly volunteers in the East who find themselves increasingly surrounded by the numerically superior Russian military which has penetrated almost the entire Donbas region. ‘Ukraine, like Russia, has provided scant information about deaths, injuries or losses of military equipment…”

In the end, Ukraine and Russia will be united against Europe. However this will come about, whether by Russian occupation or due to a “peace” agreement between Russia and Ukraine, remains to be seen.

How the World Finances Putin’s War

Money Control wrote on June 1:

“In early March, as the US and its allies unleashed a wave of sanctions on Russia, President Joe Biden stood in the White House and said they wanted to deal a ‘powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.’ But as the war in Ukraine approaches its 100th day, that machine is still very much operational. Russia is being propelled by a flood of cash that could average $800 million a day this year — and that’s just what the commodity superpower is raking in from oil and gas. For years, Russia has acted as a vast commodity supermarket selling what an insatiable world has needed: Not just energy, but wheat, nickel, aluminum and palladium too…

“Russia is far from unscathed by the sanctions, which have made it a pariah across the developed world. Corporate giants have fled, many walking away from billions of dollars of assets, and the economy is heading for a deep recession. But Putin can ignore this damage for now, because his coffers are overflowing with the revenue from commodities, which have become more lucrative than ever thanks to the surge in global prices driven in part by the war in Ukraine… Russia’s oil-and-gas revenue will be about $285 billion this year…  That would exceed the 2021 figure by more than one-fifth. Throw in other commodities, and it more than makes up for the $300 billion in foreign reserves frozen as part of the sanctions.

“Europe is only slowly weaning itself off this dependency. That’s giving Moscow time to find other markets — such as… China and India — to limit any damage to export revenue…  The ruble has become another symbol used by Putin to project strength… to become the world’s best-performing currency against the dollar this year. Putin… said he’ll allow exports of grain and fertilizer only if the sanctions on his country are lifted…

“One of the big holes in the sanctions against Russia is the willingness of other nations to continue oil purchases… Indian refiners purchased more than 40 million barrels of Russian oil between the start of the Ukraine invasion in late February and early May. That’s 20% more than Russia-India flows for the whole of 2021… China is also strengthening its energy links with the country, securing cheaper prices by buying oil that’s being shunned elsewhere. It’s boosted imports and is also in talks to replenish its strategic crude stockpiles with Russian oil.

“It’s a similar story for steelmakers and coking coal. Imports from Russia rose for a third month in April to more than double last year’s level… And some sellers of Russian oil and coal have tried to make things easier for Chinese buyers by allowing transactions in yuan… The vast majority of the world is not involved in imposing sanctions…. The trade will go on, the need for fuels will be there… and buyers in Asia or the Middle East will step up…

“About 40% of the EU’s gas needs are met by Russia… European deliveries even jumped in February and March as the invasion caused a price spike in European gas hubs, making purchases from Russia’s Gazprom PJSC cheaper for most customers with long-term contracts. Volumes have decreased since then, thanks to warmer weather and record inflows of liquefied natural gas from the US and other countries. There’s also been disruptions because of military activity, and Russia itself halted supplies to Poland, Bulgaria and Finland, which refused Putin’s demand to pay in rubles. [Also, exports to the Netherlands and Denmark are being stopped.]

“Even as the EU reduces its dependency — Germany says it’s down to 35% from 55% — there are complications at every step…”

“Solutions” fail.

Olaf Scholz Keeps on Wavering… Why?

Politico wrote on May 27:

“The German chancellor, who has steadfastly refused to visit Kyiv or even say he wants Ukraine to ‘win’ the war, has been under heavy fire since March for hesitating on delivery of tanks to Ukraine. When Scholz last month bowed to pressure and agreed to send some heavy weapons, he surprised the Ukrainians, allies and experts with his decision to provide anti-aircraft tanks, which Kyiv hadn’t asked for, while continuing to hold off on the delivery of the battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles Ukraine had been urging the West to send.

“Scholz’s latest scolding came this week from Polish President Andrzej Duda, who accused the German government of breaking its promises on military support for Ukraine, which just entered its fourth month of intense fighting. Poland has donated over 200 of its own Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine and was counting on Germany to replace them with modern German equivalents, Duda said, adding that Berlin had not honored a commitment to do so….

“Even before Russia’s latest invasion, Ukraine has urged Germany, the world’s fifth-largest arms exporter, to send tanks, most notably the Marder infantry fighting vehicle and the Leopard battle tank. However, ‘there is an absence of political will to really do something,’ Andrij Melnyk, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, told POLITICO.

“The German government presented various arguments for why it wasn’t able to comply with Kyiv’s request, first saying that it could not deliver weapons to crisis zones, and then… arguing that German tanks required too much training for Ukrainian soldiers, before also backtracking on that claim. Berlin further argued that it could not spare any tanks from its own reserves. Yet German defense companies like Rheinmetall say that they could directly deliver decommissioned tanks from their stocks — if Scholz authorized them to do so. (Defense contractors require government permission before exporting arms.)… Ukrainian officials say they began discussing the Marder deal as far back as March with Rheinmetall, which told them it could deliver within weeks. But so far, Berlin has refused to greenlight the deal.

“This week, German Deputy Defense Minister Siemtje Möller came up with a new justification for holding back the Marders…  claiming that NATO countries had collectively agreed to not send any Western-type battle tanks or infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. Möller’s comments triggered an immediate backlash from the German center-right opposition. ‘Such an agreement does not exist,’ said Roderich Kiesewetter, a lawmaker from the Christian Democratic Union, arguing that Möller had ‘promulgated false information. The absence of any agreement ‘is confirmed by different sources, among others, directly by NATO,’ he added.

“Möller has since backpedaled via a spokesperson, arguing that she had merely intended to point out that other allies like the U.S. were also not supplying Ukraine with modern Western-made armored combat vehicles, such as the American M1 Abrams, the U.S.’s main battle tank. Yet, given that the American tanks are located thousands of kilometers away in North America and would require much more intensive training than Germany’s Marders, which could be delivered to the Ukrainian border in less than 24 hours, Möller’s argument has struck many allies as fairly eccentric.

“What’s more, the U.S. has been Ukraine’s main arms supplier… and unlike Germany, it hasn’t made promises to Ukraine its hasn’t fulfilled….

“The chancellor has in recent weeks repeatedly argued in background discussions with journalists that he does not want to repeat the mistakes of Wilhelm II, the last German emperor, who played a key role in Europe’s fatal descent into World War I in 1914…. In other words, when it comes to actually winning the war, Ukraine shouldn’t look to Berlin.”

What game is the German government playing?

Germany’s €100 Billion Deal

Politico wrote on May 30:

“After weeks of negotiations, German politicians finally reached a deal on a massive €100B military modernization fund… [It] will raise Germany’s annual military spending from roughly €50 billion to an average of €70 billion over the course of five years. That would put Germany in line with the NATO goal to spend 2 percent of economic output on defense — a commitment Berlin has so far blatantly violated. However, the deal reached on Sunday night falls short of enshrining the 2 percent target in the German constitution. Instead, it says the benchmark should be reached ‘on a multi-year average,’ meaning Germany might spend more than 2 percent in some years due to major military investments, but less in others….

“Although Germany’s official list of military investments is secret, there is one huge project the government has made public: The purchase of U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jets… Notably, these high-tech jets should, if worst comes to worst, be able to carry U.S. nuclear weapons… Sunday’s deal specifies that the new money must be used for Bundeswehr investments, raising hopes among German defense companies like Rheinmetall that they will get fresh orders for new tanks and ammunition…

“Given that the €100 billion will be spent over five years, Germany is unlikely to soon have more tanks and artillery to donate to Ukraine…

“Scholz’s government has been hammered internationally in recent months for being too hesitant to provide Ukraine with military support. While Scholz’s pledges to make Germany a more prominent European military power are being welcomed in many EU capitals, especially in the east, many nations are waiting to see if those words are followed by deeds. On that front, Scholz’s track record so far is quite thin.”

Scholz Being Pushed Again…

Breitbart wrote on June 1:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday his country will rush modern anti-aircraft missiles and radar systems to Ukraine… His promise to Kyiv came just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden announced he was releasing advanced rocket systems to help Ukrainian forces repel their Russian invaders…”

Of course, a “promise” by Scholz, which he was pushed to make, does not mean that it will be carried out any time soon.

Weak Germany Loses Authority

Express wrote on June 1:

“Germany and Austria have ruled out any future European Union embargo on Russian gas imports after a Brussels summit agreed a partial oil ban last night… Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are already pushing to step up Russian energy sanctions to keep the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, but other EU countries said the bloc had hit the political limit. Setting the scene for a new clash over sanctions, Karl Nehammer, the Austrian chancellor, said that there could be no question of suspending gas imports because of the effect on major European economies, such as Germany’s. He said, in a reference to the German chancellor ruling out any moves towards a ban during talks last night: ‘The gas embargo will not be a topic, Olaf Scholz has made this clear as well.’…

“The crumbling of German authority was on vivid display this week as EU heads of state and government struggled to reach an agreement to embargo Russian oil and to overcome the stubborn opposition of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.”

Hungary was permitted to keep importing its needs for oil from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia. Scholz is viewed by observers as the weakest and most inconsequential and irrelevant chancellor in the history of Germany. But Germany’s lack of influence will change under a new leadership.

Denmark Reconsidering its “Neutrality”

Courthouse News Service wrote on May 25:

“In 1992, Danes voted against the Maastricht Treaty, which established the European Union. Instead, the Danish Parliament suggested joining the treaty with several significant reservations as a compromise. Denmark joined the bloc but kept its own currency, maintained a line between Danish national citizenship and EU citizenship, and opted out of EU justice, police and defense policies. The latter means that Denmark does not contribute soldiers, financing and equipment for EU-led military operations abroad… The only EU-related defense efforts from the Danish government have involved sending police on civilian missions for peacekeeping purposes. Otherwise, the small Nordic country has abstained from 11 EU operations in global hotspots, mainly on the African continent.

“But now, in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the defense reservation has been put up for a new referendum. On June 1, Danish citizens will vote on whether to lift the 30-year-old military opt-out. In March, the Danish government announced an agreement on an updated national security policy. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphasized how she wishes to go all-in on the defense collaboration with the EU…

“The defense reservation is heavily debated in the Danish public and media. Political opponents of lifting it have warned of the prospect of an EU army and how Denmark can become an involuntary pawn in large military operations caused by strategic considerations of bigger EU member states, such as France. But supporters argue that [the] time has come for Denmark to take responsibility for security in Europe and abroad… The share of Danish voters who support joining the EU defense pact has grown to 42%… Twenty-eight percent of Danes are opposed to lifting the country’s defense reservation while 22% are undecided.”

It will be interesting to observe where the Nordic nations of Denmark, Sweden and Finland—all descendants of the ancient house of Israel—will end up in relationship with a united Europe, a core Europe, and a European Army.

Denmark Voted to Join the EU’s Defence Policy

 The Guardian wrote on June 1:

“Denmark has voted overwhelmingly to join the EU’s common defence policy, becoming the last of the bloc’s members to sign up… The referendum on Wednesday, in which voters backed the government’s proposal by 66.9% to 33.1%, followed historic applications by Denmark’s previously non-aligned Nordic neighbours, Finland and Sweden, to join Nato last month…

“Participation in the EU’s defence policy will allow Denmark, a founding Nato member, to take part in joint EU military operations, such as those in Bosnia, Mali and Somalia, and will allow Danish officials to stay in the room when EU colleagues discuss defence issues…

“‘The political significance will outweigh the military contribution,’ said Kristian Soby Kristensen, a senior researcher at Copenhagen University’s Centre for Military Studies. Those opposed to abandoning the opt-out argued that the EU’s defence cooperation is hampered by excessive bureaucracy and inefficient decision-making, and that a joint European defence would come at the expense of Nato.”

The Not-So-Hidden Truth About Pope Pius XII

DNYUZ wrote on May 27:

“David Kertzer… a 74-year-old historian… cut through a crowd lined up to see Pope Francis, showed his credentials to the Swiss Guards and entered the archives of the former headquarters for the Holy Roman Inquisition. Over the last few decades, Mr. Kertzer has turned the inquisitive tables on the church. Using the Vatican’s own archives, the soft-spoken Brown University professor and trustee at the American Academy in Rome has become arguably the most effective excavator of the Vatican’s hidden sins, especially those leading up to and during World War II.

“The son of a rabbi… participated in the liberation of Rome as an Army chaplain… [A new book] documents the private decision-making that led Pope Pius XII to stay essentially silent about Hitler’s genocide and argues that the pontiff’s impact on the war is underestimated. And not in a good way…

“The current pope, Francis, said ‘the church is not afraid of history,’ when in 2019 he ordered the archives of Pius XII opened. But as Francis wrestles with how forcefully to condemn a dictator, this time Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Mr. Kertzer has unearthed some frightening evidence about the cost of keeping quiet about mass killings.

“Mr. Kertzer makes the case that Pius XII’s overriding dread of Communism, his belief that the Axis powers would win the war, and his desire to protect the church’s interests all motivated him to avoid offending Hitler and Mussolini, whose ambassadors had worked to put him on the throne. The pope was also worried, the book shows, that opposing the Führer would alienate millions of German Catholics. The book further reveals that a German prince and fervent Nazi acted as a secret back channel between Pius XII and Hitler, and that the pope’s top Vatican adviser on Jewish issues urged him in a letter not to protest a Fascist order to arrest and send to concentration camps most of Italy’s Jews…

“Defenders of Pius XII, whose case for sainthood is still being evaluated, have long argued that he worked behind the scenes to help Jews, and that anti-Catholic enemies have sought to stain the institution by sullying the pontiff… But the urge to protect Pius’s reputation, according to Mr. Kertzer, reflects a more general refusal by Italy — and apologists in the Vatican — to come to terms with their complicity in the Second World War, the Holocaust and the murder of Rome’s Jews…”

Actually, Pope Pius’ collaboration with the Italian and German Nazis has been known for a long time. One revealing book in this regard is David Kertzer’s work, “The Pope and Mussolini,” which was published in 2014.

Pope Francis’ Political Move and Pelosi’s “Defense”

Fox News reported on May 29:

“Pope Francis on Sunday named as cardinal San Diego Bishop Robert W. McElroy, a Roman Catholic leader who had spoken out against the calls for bishops to exclude pro-choice politicians like President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from Holy Communion over their stances on abortion.

“The move comes in the wake of San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s announcement earlier this month that he would bar Pelosi from receiving Holy Communion due to her stance on abortion. In naming McElroy, Francis passed over Cordileone, who holds a higher rank…

“Despite Cordileone’s clear declaration, Pelosi received Holy Communion at the 9 a.m. Mass at Holy Trinity in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., last Sunday. Pelosi defended her position and condemned Cordileone’s move in remarks last Tuesday. She claimed the issue of abortion is not just about terminating a pregnancy because the people criticizing its legality and morality also oppose contraceptives, family planning and in-vitro fertilization… ‘This decision… [is] not consistent with the Gospel of Matthew,’ she argued.”

For Pope Francis to say that the issue of the eucharist should not be politicized and then heavily politicize it himself is stunning.. .and then maybe not. Pelosi’s “defense” conveniently muddles the issues of abortion and conception.. but the ban on conception (a wrong teaching by the Catholic Church) was not at issue here. The gospel message according to Matthew most certainly does NOT endorse or even allow for abortion.

Iraq to Become Arch-Enemy of Israel?

Israel Today wrote on May 27:

“Iraq on Thursday passed a new law criminalizing the normalization of relations with Israel, ostensibly ending any hope that it would eventually sign on to the Abraham Accords.  Those violating the law could face the death penalty or life in prison. It was passed by an overwhelming majority of 275 lawmakers out of Iraq’s 329-seat parliament…

“The US State Department on Thursday issued a statement decrying the new Iraqi law: ‘The United States is deeply disturbed by the Iraqi Parliament’s passage of legislation that criminalizes normalization of relations with Israel. In addition to jeopardizing freedom of expression and promoting an environment of antisemitism, this legislation stands in stark contrast to progress Iraq’s neighbors have made by building bridges and normalizing relations with Israel, creating new opportunities for people throughout the region.’”

The Algemeiner added:

“The provisions outlaw ‘contact and communication of any kind and means with the occupying Zionist entity, its nationals, and representatives, whether individuals or institutions or organizations, for any reason.’ Also prohibited are any ‘financial or moral assistance’ to the State of Israel or Israeli organizations, alongside the ‘promotion of any ideas, ideologies, principles, or Israeli or Zionist conduct, in any form.’”

The law also states this:

“This law aims to achieve the following: 1. Criminalizing normalization with the Zionist entity in any form. 2. Preventing the establishment of diplomatic, political, military, economic or cultural relations or any other form of relations with the occupying Zionist entity… It is forbidden to normalize and establish diplomatic, political, military, economic, cultural, or any other relationship with the Zionist entity.”

The law also forbids any Iraqi to travel to Israel and to visit any Israeli institution throughout the world.  

The Bible indicates in Psalm 83 that Iraq (possibly identified as parts of “Moab”) might belong to a confederacy of Israel’s enemies determined to destroy and obliterate the state.

Will Netanyahu Return?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on May 27:

“Since the current coalition came together, it has appeared impossible that Netanyahu could ever form a government again, overcoming both the political vetoes of key figures on the Right and his ongoing corruption trial. But over the past two weeks, the eulogies have been halted, and even the most anti-Netanyahu media have started speaking seriously – and objectively – about the possibility of a Netanyahu comeback…

“Over the past couple weeks, the top state’s witness, former Communications Ministry director-general Shlomo Filber, has repeatedly harmed the prosecution by denying key elements in its story about how Netanyahu tried to evade the law. The prosecution was scolded by the judges for seeking to change the indictment in Case 4000 following Filber’s apparently self-contradictory testimony. Even legal analysts who have repeatedly predicted that Netanyahu will end up in jail wrote that the prosecution has lost its momentum in the trial… Netanyahu’s associates said Wednesday that they have never been more relieved that he did not accept a plea bargain before the departure of former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit.

“The second reason for renewed optimism about a potential Netanyahu comeback is the rapid disintegration of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s inner circle in the Prime Minister’s Office. Over the past two weeks, he lost his powerful diplomatic adviser, Shimrit Meir, and his loyal chief of staff, Tal Gan-Zvi…

“A successful comeback after he failed in four elections still remains far-fetched. But he has surprised both his strongest supporters and worst enemies before. Don’t rule out being surprised once again.”

It would be extremely premature to rule out a comeback of Netanyahu. It was predictable from the outset that the current coalition government would not hold.

Clinton Lawyer Michael Sussmann Acquitted—No Surprise

Techno Fog wrote on May 31:

“The acquittal is no surprise. This is a DC jury, after all. In the Roger Stone case, for example… a juror lied to get on the panel (That judge didn’t care.) Making matters worse, the Sussmann judge wrongly allowed for a woman to remain on the jury, despite the fact that her daughter and Sussmann’s are on the same high school crew team. One can’t help but think that juror had her own daughter’s interests in mind – the cohesion of the crew team, sparing her of teenage drama, etc. – when she reached a decision…

“On the facts, the evidence was more than sufficient to prove Sussmann’s guilt. Sussmann lied to then-FBI general counsel James Baker via text message in order to get a meeting to pass the Alfa Bank hoax materials to the FBI. Sussmann lied again during the meeting – stating he was not there on behalf of a client – in order to get the FBI to open an investigation into the Trump Organization’s purported ties with Alfa Bank….

“I won’t say the verdict doesn’t matter. Of course it matters. It would have proven that a DC jury can convict one of their own. It would have resulted in accountability for lying to the FBI. Not the gravest of crimes, but it is still a crime…”

The judge in the case was an Obama appointee. Several jurors were Clinton supporters. So how could this have been a fair trial? But it shows again how corrupt our legal system is.

The USA Under Biden… the New Sodom and Gomorrah

The Federalist wrote on May 25:

“K-12 schools must allow boys into girls’ private areas to obtain federal funds for lunches, breakfasts, and snacks, the Biden administration announced this month…

“Under this new demand, establishments that accept any federal food funding, including food stamps, must also allow males who claim to be female to access female private spaces, such as showers, bathrooms, and sleeping areas. Such organizations must also follow protocols such as requiring staff to use inaccurate pronouns to describe transgender people and allowing male staff to dress as women while on the job.

“Religious institutions, however, qualify for a waiver exempting them from these requirements… Organizations may request a religious exemption by submitting a written declaration to the Secretary of Agriculture identifying the provisions that conflict with a specific tenet of the religious organization…

“Government schools can receive no exemption…

“Parents have told The Federalist that their daughters no longer use the bathrooms or locker rooms at their public schools because they don’t feel safe there. Many parents are finding after the fact that school districts are helping their children live as the opposite sex and hide that from their families….”

This is awful. How a professing “Christian” government and nation can endorse such blatantly ungodly concepts is beyond belief.

“Important” to Support Family-Friendly Gay Parades

Insider Paper wrote on May 31:

“There is no reason to avoid LGBTQ+ parades, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), despite the recent outbreak of monkeypox virus, which has been confirmed in over 435 cases in nearly 24 countries… While the virus is not a sexually transmitted infection… the most recent outbreak appears to have been spread among men who have sex with other men.

“The WHO, on the other hand, emphasized that anyone can contract monkeypox and that it is critical to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. ‘It’s important that people who want to go out and celebrate gay pride, LGBTQ pride, to continue to go and plan to do so,’ Andy Seale, strategies adviser at WHO’s department of sexually transmitted infections programmes, said… ‘Most of these events – the official events – are outdoors, they’re family friendly…’

“… people expressed concern about upcoming pride marches in New York on June 26 and Berlin on July 23, among other cities.”

Travel Restrictions Lifted for Germany?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 25:

“Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said that, as of next Wednesday, people entering Germany would no longer have to show proof of vaccination or negative test result or demonstrate a recent recovery from the coronavirus… ‘Until the end of August, we will suspend the 3G rule on entry,” Lauterbach [said].  It is not clear what will happen from September onward… Stricter rules will remain in force for people entering from ‘virus-variant’ areas…

“Earlier this month, Germany said it had no plans to lift the mask mandate for flights coming into the country despite new EU guidance.”

Lauterbach has lied many times before or walked back his “promises.” It will remain to be seen what is going to happen… especially beginning in September.

European Payback

Express wrote on May 28:

“Brexit has resulted in many changes for Britons since it came into force at the beginning of 2021. Holidays to EU countries have been impacted, with British citizens now having to pay extra to travel to Europe. From next year, UK passport holders travelling from Britain will have to pay to get a visa…. This means Britons will have to pay to enter 27 countries, all of which are in the EU.

“To acquire a visa, British holidaymakers will need to have it issued through the European Travel Information and Authorisation System if they’re travelling for less than 90 days during an 180 day period. This applies to anyone travelling to any EU country by plane, boat, or car.

“The visa must be applied for 96 hours before departing on a trip, and will cost €7, or £5. Travellers younger than 18 years old and older than 70 will be the only ones not required to get one. Applicants will be asked for information about their identity, passport, education, job, recent travel, and criminal convictions. The visa will last for three years, but expires when a person’s passport expires.

“… Under new requirements, Britons must have a specific length of time left on their passport in order for it to be classed as valid for travel… A passport issued by non-member states hoping to visit the Schengen Area must have been issued in the past 10 years. If your passport doesn’t meet these rules, you need to apply for a new passport before travelling to the countries affected…’

More paperwork… more money… more time wasting… more complicated procedures. But Europe’s payback because of the Brexit has only just begun.

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 Exodus 31:12-17, God made another covenant with the people.  This is a separate covenant from the one between God and the children of Israel and it is a sign that God is their LORD: “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the God who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”’” It is a perpetual covenant throughout all their generations forever. Again, as noted previously, perpetual and forever are translated from the same Hebrew word. This covenant would never be replaced. It was based on the law of the weekly and annual Sabbaths. As we explain in our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound”:

“By observing and being mindful of this sign, Israel would understand that it is God who sanctifies them, and Israel as a nation would become a sign to the other nations of this world, as the keeping of God’s Sabbaths does single one out.

“This separate Sabbath covenant between God and His people was never abolished—neither were the laws of God commanding us to keep His weekly and annual Sabbaths holy. And, since Christians are to be spiritual Jews (Romans 2:28–29; Galatians 6:16; Revelation 2:9; 3:9), they have a two-fold obligation to keep God’s Sabbaths—first, because God commands us to do so; and second, because they are under a specific covenant or agreement that God made with both physical and spiritual Israel, for all generations.”

Looking back to the statement of the laws of the covenant in Exodus 23:32-33, God told them that when they went into the land of Canaan, “You shall make no covenant with them”—the people currently living in the land—“nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

This command is repeated in Exodus 34:10-13 when God made another covenant with Israel after they had sinned by building a golden calf: “And He said: ‘Behold, I make [better: “I am making”, so the New International Version; similar the Living Bible and the New American Bible] a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images.’”

This was again repeated in Deuteronomy 7:2-4. God here tells the people not to allow their sons to marry the daughters of the people of the land, nor their daughters to marry the sons of the people of the land: “…and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.”

In Deuteronomy 7:9-10, God reminds the people of His faithfulness: “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.” This faithfulness for a thousand generations is basically everlasting.

There is a strong warning to those under the covenant in Deuteronomy 17:2-5: “If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, who has gone and served other gods and worshipped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones.”

When the children of Israel entered the land under Joshua, they were deceived by the Gibeonites. These people had heard how the Israelites under Joshua had defeated fortified cities. They therefore sent ambassadors to Gilgal. Joshua 9:6-9 states: “And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and the men of Israel, ‘We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.’ Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, ‘Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?’ But they said to Joshua, ‘We are your servants.’ And Joshua said to them, ‘Who are you, and where do you come from?’ So they said to him: ‘From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt.’”

The reason Joshua and the men of Israel were deceived is mentioned in Joshua 9:14-15: “Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD. So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.” They did not ask counsel of the LORD but used their own human reason. However, when they found out that the Gibeonites were close neighbours, they did not attack them because of the covenant they had made, but instead made them slaves for service at the house of God. Joshua 9:27 says: “And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, in the place which He would choose, even to this day.”

Shortly after this, the kings of five neighbouring cities who had heard that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel decided to attack Gibeon. Joshua 10:3-4 reads: “Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, ‘Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.’”

The response by the Gibeonites was to ask for help from Joshua, reminding him that they were the servants of Israel. Joshua 10:6 states: “And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, ‘Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.’” The result was that Joshua and the men of Israel attacked at the LORD’s direction, not using their own human reason as before, and the LORD assisted Joshua in destroying the Amorites. In fact, this was the time when, at Joshua’s request, God caused the “sun to stand still” for about a whole day so the men of Israel had time to defeat the enemy (compare Joshua 10:12-14). We see here that the children of Israel fought at the LORD’s direction. God was helping the children of Israel to keep the covenant they had made with the Gibeonites, even though they should not have made it in the first place. God even stopped the earth rotating (to the people looking at the sky, it appeared as if the sun stood still) which shows how important He considers it is to keep a covenant.

The next mention of the Gibeonites is in 2 Samuel 21:1. This shows again how seriously God considers the keeping of a covenant, and how God expects His people to be faithful, even when the covenant was made against His directions and without seeking His advice: “Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, ‘It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.’” So because of Saul’s breaking the covenant with the Gibeonites, God sent a famine on the land of Israel.

It is of interest that the modern day Falashas in Ethiopia are considered by the state of Israel to be descended from the Gibeonites, and in 1975 were accepted by the Chief Rabbinate as Jews and were allowed to migrate to Israel. (See the Q&A “Who are the modern-day Gibeonites?”) 

The whole of Leviticus 26 presents a list of blessings for keeping God’s laws and the covenants which are based on God’s laws, and cursings for breaking God’s laws and covenants. And yet, even if they were to break God’s laws and covenants and would be taken into captivity, Leviticus 26:44-45 informs us that God will not break His covenant because He is a faithful God: “Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.”

In this passage in Leviticus 26, the covenant God is referring to is the one He made at Sinai with the children of Israel. Back in Leviticus 26:42, God brings up the covenants He made with the patriarchs. If the people who have broken their covenant with God confess their iniquity, “Then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land.” The land was specifically mentioned in the covenants God made with the patriarchs.

Another covenant that God made with Aaron and the children of Levi is mentioned in Numbers 18:19: “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD with you and your descendants with you.” Reference to the covenant of salt was already made in Leviticus 2:13: “And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.” Salt, as well as being a flavouring, is also a preservative. It is also extremely durable symbolizing that God’s covenant with Levi is also durable or everlasting.

Salt is mentioned because it pictures permanence. Because the Levites were given no inheritance in the land, God gave them all the tithes in Israel in return for the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

This particular covenant between God and the Levites is mentioned in Malachi 2:4-8 where God is condemning the priests who were not performing their duty: “‘Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name. The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,’ Says the LORD of hosts.””

So the obvious question is, why did God make a perpetual covenant with the tribe of Levi, which is also referred to in Jeremiah 33:18–22? Exodus 32 begins to provide part of the answer. This passage describes the time when Moses had gone up to the mountain to receive instructions about the worship of God and the formation of the priesthood. The people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain and they said to Aaron to make them gods to go before them. Aaron fashioned a golden calf and the people worshipped in front of it. We read in Exodus 32:25-29, “Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, ‘Whoever is on the LORD’s side—come to me!’ And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel: “Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.”’ So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Then Moses said, ‘Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.’” They, as a tribe, were willing to stand up for God and His laws.

This was repeated in Deuteronomy 10:8-9 where this separating of the tribe of Levi is again described: “At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless His name, to this day. Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God promised him…”

In Numbers 25, the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They were also joined to Baal of Peor, so God sent a plague on the people. When one of the men “presented” a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, Phinehas took a javelin in his hand and thrust both the man of Israel and the woman through their bodies. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel (compare verses 6-8).

We read in Numbers 25:10-13 that God made a covenant with Aaron’s grandson Phinehas: “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, “Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.”’”

In Deuteronomy 4:30-31, there is a prophecy that if the people sinned and worshipped false gods and were sent into captivity, God would not forget them if they repented: “When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.” (Compare Deuteronomy 5:2-3 and Leviticus 26:45.)

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff (Australia)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Theocratic Abortion—a God-Given Right in Many Religions” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Why do many religions believe and teach that abortion is a religious right under some or even all circumstances? Why do many Jews believe this; why do many Muslims believe this… and why do many who claim to be Christians believe this as well? And even those who don’t believe this may sometimes take a very hypocritical approach in the matter. The Guardian published a telling article on June 2 about theocratic abortion rights, given or bestowed on us by immediate divine guidance. But is that the Truth? 

“Gerüchte, Fake News und die Wahrheit,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Rumors, Fake News and the Truth.”

“Gottes Geist der Barmherzigkeit (Pfingsten 2022),” is the title of the German sermon for Pentecost, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “God’s Spirit of Mercy (Pentecost 2022)”

“In aller Liebe,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Robert Indlekofer, is now posted. Title in English: “With All Love.”

“You’re Better Than That!”, the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Sometimes we meet with disapproval by our actions when we make mistakes we shouldn’t have made. In fact, the Word of God challenges us to become better. Do we have eyes to see and ears to hear God’s correction?

“When Satan Messes with You,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

As unpopular as it is to say, Satan is the ruler in this current age. He never ceases to find our weaknesses and exploit them so that we turn away from God. How can we tell when Satan is attacking us and what can we do to overcome his influence, taunts, and temptations?