The Update

On April 19, 2025 (Last Day of Unleavened Bread), Kalon Mitchell will present the Offertory, titled, “The Gift God Really Wants,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Who Are the Two Witnesses?”

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.

When you receive this editorial, the Feast of Unleavened Bread will be drawing to a close. These days picture for us the necessity to be on the lookout for sin and to deal with it before it grows in our lives.

As we have gone through this week and have eaten unleavened bread the entire week, it shows that we want to continue to have a relationship with Christ and we want to avoid sin as sin adversely affects our relationship with God. There is a question that we should ask ourselves as we move out of this period of time: What have we done this week to help ourselves overcome our individual sins or sinful proclivities? What is going to be different for us as we move forward into the coming weeks?

We can use this beginning of the Spring Holy Days to help us springboard into further action!

We have heard in many messages the need to change and grow. It is up to us individually, however, to move forward with our conversion. The Bible makes it clear that coming to conversion is not a one-time event, but a lifelong journey. It is the beginning of transformation, not the conclusion. When we become baptized, we step into a new life that is meant to grow, deepen, and mature. As Paul exhorted the Thessalonians, we are to “abound more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1). But how exactly can we move forward in our conversion in practical and Spiritual ways?

David was also concerned with this very concept.

In Psalm 139:23-24, he said: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

We are so good at self-deception and reasoning that it can be easy to get caught up in doing the wrong things and not see exactly what we need to be seeing, which is why David writes here his need for God to show him and lead him in the right ways!

As we move towards God’s next Holy Day (Pentecost), we should be mindful of continuing to move forward. Here are a few Biblical steps that show how we can grow and use these Feasts of God to their Fullest extent:

1.     Stay Rooted in the Word

1 Peter 2:2 reminds us: “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

The Word of God is our primary source of nourishment. It reshapes our thinking, reveals God’s character, and instructs us in righteousness. Regular reading, studying, and meditating on Scripture is essential if we want to keep moving forward.

2.        Be Devoted to Prayer

Paul urges us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing.”

Prayer isn’t merely about presenting our needs; it’s about building a relationship. In prayer, we align our hearts with God’s, receive His peace, and gain spiritual insight. As we grow in our prayer life, our faith deepens, and our awareness of God’s presence will become more constant.

3.        Put Off the Old Self, Put On the New Self

Ephesians 4:22-24 teaches: “…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Conversion involves continual repentance. It means turning away from old habits and attitudes and actively embracing a life that reflects Christ.

4.        Walk in the Spirit

Paul writes in Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit is our guide in this journey. It convicts, empowers, and leads us toward Christlikeness. Moving forward in conversion requires sensitivity and a willingness to follow His lead daily.

5.        Stay Connected to the Body of Christ

Proverbs 27:17 says: “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Community is crucial. The Church provides encouragement, correction, support, and discipleship. Being in regular fellowship with other believers helps us stay grounded and growing.

6.        Embrace Trials as Growth-Opportunities

James 1:2-4 encourages us: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

God uses hardship to shape us, to expose weak spots, and to strengthen our character. Moving forward sometimes happens most powerfully in the furnace of difficulty.

7.        Keep Your Eyes on Christ

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that we must be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Conversion is not just behavior management; it’s about transformation through proximity to Christ. As we behold Him, we become more like Him.

Conversion is a process of growing in grace, deepening in faith, and becoming more like Jesus. It is not a stagnant state, but a living journey. We move forward in our conversion not only by striving harder, but also, and more importantly, by staying closer to Christ, relying on His Spirit, anchoring ourselves in the Word, and walking in fellowship with others. Let us press on into the fullness of the life God has promised.

by Norbert Link

We report on President Trump’s good wishes for Easter and Passover and show some interesting similarities; analyze the ongoing trade war between the USA and China; the devastating consequences of Trump’s tariffs for the US economy and US customers; and Trump’s inconsistent and confusing messages and directives pertaining to alleged exemptions. We also address investors’ shrinking confidence in the US Dollar.

We speak on new developments in regard to the Russia-Ukraine war—none of them good—America’s alleged intentions pertaining to the Panama Canal; and the Trump administration’s fight with the Associated Press; lawyers and the court system, especially in regard to immigration.

We speak on Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s proclaimed changed opinions on vaccinations; and PETA’s response to new directives regarding animal tests.

We address the frightening unparalleled alienation between the USA and Europe; and we conclude with distressing developments in Germany, especially in regard to censorship and attacks on freedom of expression. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Europe For War and Against Freedom?”

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

Happy Easter From Donald Trump

Newsmax wrote on April 13:

“President Donald Trump hails ‘Holy Week, 2025’ with a message celebrating Jesus’ resurrection and salvation of sins… ‘Beginning with Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and culminating in the Paschal Triduum, which begins on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, followed by Good Friday, and reaching its pinnacle in the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night… we acknowledge that the glory of Easter Sunday cannot come without the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross… On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and light prevails over darkness — signaling that death does not have the final word.

“This Holy Week, my Administration renews its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government. We will never waver in safeguarding the right to religious liberty, upholding the dignity of life, and protecting God in our public square… This week, we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our beloved Nation. We pray that America will remain a beacon of faith, hope, and freedom for the entire world, and we pray to achieve a future that reflects the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christ’s eternal kingdom in Heaven….”

This shows how deeply false Christianity is rooted in the USA, from the very top down. Christ kept the Passover—not the “Lord’s Supper”—on Tuesday evening; He was crucified on Wednesday—not Friday—and He was resurrected Saturday evening before sunset; not Sunday morning. Christ will establish His Kingdom on earth, and He will rule on earth, and we will rule under Him on earth, not in heaven.

Happy Passover From Donald Trump

Breitbart wrote on April 12:

“President Donald Trump issued a Passover message to Jewish families in the United States and to people in Israel, telling them to ‘have a blessed’ Passover holiday. In a video posted to X by the White House account, Trump explained that the story of Exodus ‘is a reminder not only of the enduring strength of the Jewish people,’ but that it also served as an important reminder to put faith ‘in Almighty God no matter what the circumstance’ is…

“‘To all the Jewish families gathering with friends and loved ones this week, have a blessed Passover and may God continue to watch over the Jewish people, the State of Israel, and the United States of America.’”

This year, Passover was held Friday evening, after sunset. The Jews kept it one day too late, on Saturday evening. The story of Exodus does not relate just to the Jews, but to the entire nation of Israel, consisting of twelve tribes—the Jews derived from Judah and are just one tribe of Israel. Many Jews are indeed living in the State of Israel, and many modern descendants of the ancient House of Israel can be found today in the USA. Hence, Trump’s wish that God may watch over the Jewish people, the State of Israel and the USA is quite remarkable from that perspective.

US-China Trade War Escalates

The Associated Press wrote on April 11:

“China announced countermeasures by raising tariffs on U.S. goods from 84% to 125% starting Saturday… Trump’s universal tariffs on China total 145%. When Trump announced Wednesday that China faced 125% tariffs, he did not include a 20% tariff on China tied to its role in fentanyl production… Beijing last week suspended sorghum, poultry and bonemeal imports from some American companies, and put more export controls on rare earth minerals, critical for various technologies…

“Given the size of the two economies, experts fear global economic turmoil…”

The New York Post wrote on April 11:

“US stocks fell on Friday as China struck back at President Trump’s latest tariff with a total 125% tax — further escalating trade tensions between the two nations.”

Can Trump Win the Trade War With China? 

The Telegraph wrote on April 11:

“China has just shown it can defeat America in a trade war. Donald Trump has almost certainly started a battle he cannot win. Free trade is a win-win, so the escalating tariff war between the US and China will be a lose-lose for both parties. Nonetheless, China is more likely to come out on top…

“For a start, the official data suggest that China’s economy grew by about 5 per cent last year. The true figure may well be lower, but a sharp drop in trade with the US alone is unlikely to tip China into recession. Moreover, there are several ways in which Beijing could limit the damage.

“One is simply to reroute more exports to the US via third countries. The US will of course be alert to this and attempt to tighten up the ‘rules of origin’ which determine the tax due on each shipment. But it will be almost impossible to enforce a regime with so many different rates on different goods coming from different countries.

“Beijing could also refocus on selling to other markets. Officials in the EU have already raised concern about the prospect of a flood of cheap imports, as Asian producers divert goods that can no longer sell in the US…

“China’s public debt is relatively low – a little above 60 per cent of GDP – and there is plenty of room for it to rise further. China’s inflation is also relatively low. Consumer prices actually fell by 0.1 per cent year-on-year in March…

“The flipside of China’s huge trade surplus is that US businesses and consumers have come to rely on relatively cheap manufactured goods from China, as well as the rest of Asia. These supplies cannot easily be replaced. Indeed, it would be practically impossible to replicate Asia’s low-cost manufacturing model in Ohio, even if this were desirable. Basic economics tells us that the US will always run deficits in goods with countries such as China, and Vietnam…

“The scope for US fiscal and monetary policy to offset a trade shock is more limited too, partly because the public finances are in an even worse state. Some hope that the new tariffs might raise as much as US$700 billion a year for the US Treasury. But this assumes that these tariffs will do little harm to trade, to the wider economy, or to revenues from other taxes. In reality, most of the economic burden of higher US tariffs will be borne by US taxpayers.

“Another flipside of the large US trade deficits is that other countries have accumulated large holdings of US assets. In particular, China is the second largest foreign holder of Treasury securities, after Japan… The upshot is that President Trump has started a war that he almost certainly cannot win…”

The Daily Beast added on April 11:

“China has announced it will tax U.S. products at 125 percent but it won’t go any higher… ‘Given that American goods are no longer marketable in China under the current tariff rates, if the U.S. further raises tariffs on Chinese exports, China will disregard such measures,’ the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

“The Commerce Ministry said in a separate statement that the numbers no longer had any ‘economic significance’ and were just a ‘tool of bullying and coercion’ that had turned the U.S. into a ‘joke.’… Although it has ruled out new tit-for-tat tariffs, China has taken other measure to strike at U.S. interests. On Wednesday, it cautioned citizens not to travel to the U.S. and warned Chinese students not to study in ‘certain U.S. states,’ according to Bloomberg. On Thursday, it limited the number of U.S. films that can play in Chinese theaters.”

Huge Trump Tariff U-Turn Will Exempt iPhones and Laptops

The Daily Mail reported on April 12:

“President Donald Trump has spared iPhone, laptops and other electronics from his brutal China tariffs in [a] surprise move. The moves gives the likes of Apple and Samsung a major win while Americans dodge massive price hikes. The list of spared items includes smartphones, laptop computers, hard drives, memory chips, and processors – all tech essentials that are rarely made in the United States. [Also, solar cells, memory cards and flat-panel TV displays have all been exempted.]

“Experts say it would take years to ramp up domestic production, if it happens at all. More than 80 percent of all Apple products are made in China — including a staggering 80 percent of iPads and over half of all Mac computers… In the days following Trump’s tariff announcement, Apple saw $640 billion wiped from its market value. But it is not clear if the tariff timeout is permanent…

“Analysts warn that relocating iPhone production to the U.S. would be a monumental task, both logistically and financially. Bank of America Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan estimates that producing the iPhone 16 Pro Max domestically could increase its price by 91 percent, pushing it from $1,199 to approximately $2,300. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives suggests the cost could soar even higher, potentially reaching $3,500 per unit. 

“In response to the escalating tariffs, Apple has taken swift action to mitigate potential disruptions. The company chartered flights to expedite the shipment of approximately 1.5 million iPhones from India to the U.S., aiming to preempt the impact of the tariffs.”

Do Trump and his administration really know what they are doing? It appears not. Note the next article:

No Exemptions for Electronics

On April 13, The Daily Mail introduced an article with the following headline: “Trump says there will be NO tariff exemptions in dramatic reversal that’ll hit Americans hard.”

The article continued:

“The post on Sunday came after Trump appeared to spare electronics like iPhones and laptops momentarily from his sweeping tariffs, but the prospect of an exemption was short lived. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified on Sunday those products will be part of the tariffs that are still to come…” 

Trump even said that he did not exempt electronics like iPhones or laptops. This is clearly false. On Monday, April 14, he said he is considering a short-term tariff exemption for auto companies. This is getting more and more ridiculous.

Worse Than a Recession

Daily Mail wrote on April 14:

“A hedge fund manager who predicted the 2008 financial crisis warned that a fate even more dire than another recession may be on the horizon… Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of the world’s largest hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, has expressed deep concern over the American economy in light of Donald Trump’s tariff decisions sending the stock market into a frenzy…. Dalio has spoken extensively on the possibility of America’s economic demise, pointing out that there are other risk factors than the foreign tariffs situation.

“He wrote: ‘Don’t get me wrong, while these tariff announcements are very important developments and we all know that President Trump caused them… [People] are also mostly overlooking the vastly more important forces that are driving just about everything, including the tariffs.’

“One of the key dilemmas he discussed is that ‘monetary/economic order is breaking down‘ because America is in an extreme amount of debt. ‘Also, it should be obvious that the US government debt level and the rate at which the government debt is being added to is unsustainable,’ he asserted.”

Tariff Surcharge

Fox Business wrote on April 12:

“American consumers are noticing a new line on their shopping receipts — a tariff surcharge. The surcharges have been popping up across several industries, impacting nearly everything from prices of clothing to automobile manufacturing.

“Some companies are charging flat fees, while others charge a percentage of the total cost of a given purchase…” 

Investor Confidence Shaken in US Dollar

Business Insider wrote on April 11:

“The euro is increasingly gaining strength against the US dollar. At the end of the week, it rose to $1.13, its highest level in three years… Donald Trump is risking the dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency, says Deutsche Bank. The euro is becoming an alternative. The consequences would be dramatic. With Trump’s election victory, the US dollar initially appreciated… Economists even expected the euro to fall to parity with the dollar for the first time in ten years, i.e., to one dollar for one euro.

“But… when Trump announced his major tariff package on almost all products and almost all countries in the world at the beginning of April, the mood changed… The dollar lost value. When Trump suddenly suspended most tariffs for 90 days, stocks recovered some of their losses. But the dollar continued to lose value, even faster… This is due to a loss of confidence. The reason is less doubt about the strength of the US economy, but rather about the reliability of US policy and institutions… The globally respected foreign exchange experts at Deutsche Bank Research in London have been warning for days of a dramatic and, above all, lasting dollar crisis…

“On the other hand, Germany’s recent decisions to increase spending on defense and infrastructure have been highly acclaimed internationally and received a very positive response… The euro is increasingly seen as a genuine alternative to the US dollar…

“If the dollar loses its function as a safe haven, this would have enormous consequences for the US’s financial viability. The world’s largest economy has a unique situation: The US is the only country in the world that can afford a gigantic double deficit in both its national budget and its foreign trade. The reason is the exceptional position of the dollar. It ensures that the US receives a steady flow of the new capital it needs…

“The more the dollar loses this role, the smaller the budget deficit the US can still afford without becoming unbalanced… The US’s double deficit [requires] sustained financing from foreign investors. For the US, it will therefore be crucial how foreign investors assess the reliability and risks in the US…

“Statements such as the US claims to ownership of Greenland have already contributed to the destabilization of the dollar…”

We have proclaimed for decades that ultimately, the Euro will become the strongest currency in the world. 

US Economy to Lose Billions as Foreign Tourists Stay Away 

Economic Times wrote on April 14:

“The US economy is set to lose billions of dollars in revenue in 2025 from a pullback in foreign tourism and boycotts of American products, adding to a growing list of headwinds keeping recession risk elevated. Arrivals of non-citizens to the US by plane dropped almost 10% in March from a year earlier… Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimates in a worst-case scenario, the hit this year from reduced travel and boycotts could total 0.3% of gross domestic product, which would amount to almost $90 billion.

“… many potential visitors are now rethinking their vacation plans amid increased hostility at the border, rising geopolitical frictions and global economic uncertainty… stories of harsh detentions at US airports, ensnaring travelers from countries like France and Germany, started making headlines. Canadians, meanwhile – the largest group of foreign tourists in the US – are choosing to stay put as Trump ramps up attacks on the country’s economy and sovereignty… Canadian flight reservations to the US are down 70% through September versus the same period last year…” 

US Tariffs Stifle German and European Economy

t-online wrote on April 15:

“The US government’s tariff policy caused economic expectations among German financial experts to collapse in April. The ZEW research institute’s sentiment barometer fell by 65.6 points compared to the previous month, to minus 14.0 points… It is the sharpest decline in expectations since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022….

“‘The erratic upheaval in US trade policy is causing expectations for Germany to collapse,’ commented ZEW President Achim Wambach…. ‘[It] has led to a massive increase in global uncertainty.’… ‘The US tariffs will become a heavy burden for the German economy,’ commented Thomas Gitzel, Chief Economist at VP Bank…. In the eurozone as a whole, expectations also collapsed. They fell by 58.3 points to minus 18.5 points. The assessment of the economic situation worsened by 5.7 points to minus 50.9 points.”

Germany’s and Europe’s anger with the US is growing… 

Misunderstanding Regarding Ukraine Comments?

The Times reported on April 12 on X:

“EXCLUSIVE: President Trump’s envoy to Ukraine [Keith Kellog] has said the country could be partitioned ‘almost like Berlin after World War Two’ as part of a peace deal.”

Kellog responded on X:

“The Times article misrepresents what I said. I was speaking of a post-cease fire resiliency force in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty. In discussions of partitioning, I was referencing areas or zones of responsibility for an allied force (without US troops). I was NOT referring to a partitioning of Ukraine.”

It still sounds like partition.

News on the Russia-Ukraine War

Focus wrote on April 14:

“In a meeting with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, Trump told reporters on Monday that ‘three people are responsible’ for the ‘millions of deaths’ in Ukraine, adding: ‘Let’s say (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is number one, but let’s say (former US President Joe) Biden, who had no idea what the hell he was doing, is number two, and Zelensky is number three.’ Trump also again falsely accused Zelensky of starting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. ‘When you start a war, you gotta know that you can win the war, right? You don’t start a war with someone who’s 20 times your size and then hope people give you some missiles’…

“The potential next German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz (CDU), has provoked sharp criticism in Moscow with comments about the possible destruction of the Russian bridge to the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. ‘Think twice, Nazi!’ wrote the deputy head of the Russian National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, on the X platform. The former president was responding to Merz’s comments on the ARD program ‘Caren Miosga.’ In them, the CDU leader not only remained open to the delivery of the Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine. He also stated that the destruction of the Crimean bridge could benefit Ukraine.”

As for the alleged peace talks between Putin and Trump, everything seems to have come to a standstill.

Preparing For the Third Temple

Israel 365 News wrote on April 15:

“Every year before Passover, the Temple movements organize a full-dress practice of the Passover offering, which usually includes an actual lamb slaughtering. The practice is intended to work out any practical details involved in the Temple ritual and to raise awareness of the need to revive the Temple service. A lamb was slaughtered in advance and its proper use in the Temple service was demonstrated.

“This year, the reenactment included, for the first time, musical accompaniment by a corps of Levites. Young Kohanim (Jews descended from Aaron the High Priest) played a prominent role in the reenactment as part of their training for the Third Temple… the police have been increasingly supportive of the reenactment.” 

U.S. Troops to Deploy Near Panama Canal

Tico Times wrote on April 11:

“U.S. troops will be allowed to deploy in areas adjacent to the Panama Canal, according to an agreement signed between the two nations—a significant concession to President Donald Trump, who has been determined to regain control of the strategic interoceanic waterway. The Panamanian government insists these are not military bases…

“Since returning to power in January, Trump has threatened to ‘reclaim’ the maritime route built by the United States, arguing it is under ‘Chinese influence.’ ‘We’re taking back the canal. China has had too much influence (…) together with Panama, we’re kicking them out, sir,’ Hegseth told Trump on Thursday in Washington, briefing him on the agreement and the results of his visit. The three-year agreement, which can be extended, stipulates that the facilities remain the property of the Panamanian state and will be used jointly by the security forces of both countries.

“While visiting Lima on Thursday, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino stated he rejected the Pentagon’s attempts to include terms like ‘permanent military presence,’ ‘military bases,’ and ‘territorial concessions’ in the agreement. ‘That is simply unacceptable,’ Mulino said, noting that he sent back ‘four versions’ of the agreement drafted by the U.S. Department of Defense for this reason.

“… Amid the tensions, Mulino’s government revealed that the United States removed a phrase recognizing Panama’s ‘inalienable sovereignty over the canal’ from the English version of a joint statement. On Thursday, Panama requested Washington revise the statement to include it…”

This fight is far from over. But the USA won’t take back the Panama Canal.

White House vs. Associated Press

The New York Post wrote on April 8:

“A federal judge ruled Tuesday the White House has to allow the Associated Press to take part in presidential pool coverage, including restoring access to Air Force One and other areas where only certain journalists are allowed to enter to speak to President Trump. DC US District Judge Trevor McFadden— nominated to the federal bench by Trump in 2017 — promptly stayed his own order for five days, giving the administration until Sunday to appeal to a higher court before the ruling takes effect.

“The White House implemented the ban after the AP refused to use the term ‘Gulf of America’ in its coverage after the president renamed the Gulf of Mexico upon taking office Jan. 20… But the court ruled Tuesday that although the White House is not mandated to provide access to every event, it does have the responsibility to allow journalists the same access as similar outlets — even if they disagree with their views…

“Trump’s administration isn’t the first to face accusations of discriminating against outlets based on their content. The Biden White House… [banned] The Post for seven months straight — following bombshell reporting… detailing his involvement in his son and brother’s foreign business relationships. Biden aides at times claimed there was simply no space available — while leaving up to two dozen press seats empty.”  

The Associated Press wrote on April 9:

“The government filed a notice of appeal early Wednesday afternoon on behalf of the three officials sued by the AP — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, White House chief of staff Susan Wiles and deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich. The one-page notice of appeal gave no other details.”

Discrimination everywhere… As of Monday, April 14, AP was still barred… in violation of the court order.

Trump’s Censorship

Fox News reported on April 16:

“The Associated Press and Reuters released sharply critical statements of the Trump White House this week in response to news that it was cutting traditional wire service slots in the rotating pool. ‘We are deeply disappointed that the administration has chosen to restrict the access of all wire services, whose fast and accurate White House coverage informs billions of people every single day, rather than reinstate The Associated Press to the wire pool,’ AP spokesperson Lauren Easton said, according to reports. ‘The wire services represent thousands of news organizations across the U.S. and the world over,’ Easton added. ‘Our coverage is used by local newspapers and television stations in all 50 states to inform their communities. The administration’s actions continue to disregard the fundamental American freedom to speak without government control or retaliation. This is a grave disservice to the American people.’

“Wire services are outlets like the AP, Reuters and Agence France-Presse that provide news reports to news outlet subscribers. It is common to see AP and other wire service stories reprinted in other publications… In its report about the decision, the AP said it was ‘the latest attempt by the new administration to control coverage of its activities.’ 

“Reuters was also harshly critical of the change. ‘Reuters news coverage reaches billions of people each day, mostly through the thousands of news organizations around the world that subscribe to Reuters services. It is essential to democracy that the public have access to independent, impartial and accurate news about their government. Any steps by the U.S. government to limit access to the President threatens that principle, both for the public and the world’s media,’ a spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday…

“‘We deeply regret the decision to remove that permanent level of scrutiny and accountability,’ Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait said, according to The New York Times…”

Lawyers to Be Intimidated

Detroit Free Press wrote on April 7:

“A lawyer’s spring break trip to the Dominican Republic with his family ended on a troubling note at Detroit Metro Airport on Sunday: He was detained by federal agents, questioned about his clients, and asked to give up his cellphone, he says. But Dearborn attorney Amir Makled [an American citizen], who is representing a pro-Palestinian demonstrator who was arrested at the University of Michigan last year, stood his ground. He didn’t give up his phone…

“What followed was a 90-minute, back-and-forth verbal tussle between Makled and two federal agents, who, he said, ultimately released him without taking his phone, but looked at his contacts list instead. For the 38-year-old civil rights and criminal defense attorney, it was a daunting experience that he says highlights a troubling phenomenon that’s occurring across the United States: Lawyers are getting targeted for handling issues the administration of President Donald Trump disagrees with.

“Makled’s airport experience comes in the wake of a memo that President Donald Trump issued to the U.S. Justice Department last month, in which he directed the agency to seek sanctions against attorneys, alleging they are helping fuel ‘rampant fraud and meritless claims’ in the immigration system.” 

The Justice Department was clearly weaponized under Biden… now it seems to be weaponized under Trump.

“Immigration Judge: US Can Deport Pro-Palestinian Columbia Student Khalil”

Reuters reported on April 11:

“A U.S. immigration judge in Louisiana ruled on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration can proceed with its deportation case against Columbia University graduate student and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested in New York City last month…

“Khalil, a prominent figure in the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that has roiled Columbia’s New York City campus, was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, holds Algerian citizenship and became a U.S. lawful permanent resident last year. Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdalla, is a U.S. citizen.

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined last month that Khalil should be removed because his presence in the United States has ‘potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences,’ citing a 1952 law called the Immigration and Nationality Act. Khalil and his lawyers have said the Trump administration was targeting him for speech that is protected under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment including the right to criticize American foreign policy…

“Rubio wrote that Khalil should be removed for his role in ‘antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.’ Rubio’s letter did not accuse Khalil of breaking any laws, but he said that the State Department can revoke the legal status of immigrants even when their beliefs, associations or statements are ‘otherwise lawful.’ 

“Baher Azmy, the legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and one of Khalil’s attorneys, told a press briefing on Thursday that Rubio’s letter ‘is a sort of tacky, Soviet-style diktat that’s equal parts empty and chilling.’ Khalil has said criticism of the U.S. government’s support of Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian territories is being wrongly conflated with antisemitism…

“The American immigration court system is run and its judges are appointed by the U.S. Justice Department, separate from the government’s judicial branch.”

Politico added on April 12:

“Immigration Judge Jamee E. Comans said at the conclusion of a hearing in Jena that the government’s contention that Khalil’s presence in the United States posed ‘potentially serious foreign policy consequences’ was enough to satisfy requirements for his deportation.

“Comans said the government had ‘established by clear and convincing evidence that he is removable.’ Lawyers for Khalil are expected to appeal… Federal judges in New York and New Jersey have ordered the government not to deport Khalil while his case plays out in court.”

One can most certainly agree with the outcome of the case in removing a non-American citizen who supports Hamas and preaches hatred against Jews. What is troublesome is the rationale that the Justice Department can, in its discretion, revoke the legal status of any lawful immigrant, including green card holders, even when their beliefs, associations or statements are “otherwise lawful.”

Arrests at Churches and Schools

The Associated Press wrote on April 11:

“A federal judge on Friday sided with the Trump administration in allowing immigration agents to conduct enforcement operations at houses of worship…

“In February, a federal judge in Maryland ruled against the Trump administration in a similar case brought by a coalition of Quakers and other religious groups. U.S. District Judge Theodore Chang’s order in that case was limited to those plaintiffs. A judge in Colorado sided with the administration in another lawsuit over the reversal of a similar policy that had limited immigration arrests at schools.”

The prospect of immigration agents invading churches and schools to carry out arrests is frightening. Only imagine federal agents storming into classrooms during school hours or churches during worship services to arrest immigrants in attendance. Terrible pictures of Germany’s dark past come to mind.

Supreme Court: Garcia Must Be Returned from El Salvador Prison

The Associated Press wrote on April 10:

“The Supreme Court on Thursday said the Trump administration must work to bring back a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to prison in El Salvador, rejecting the administration’s emergency appeal… U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis had ordered Abrego Garcia, now being held in a notorious Salvadoran prison, returned to the United States by midnight Monday. ‘The order properly requires the Government to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,’ the court said [unanimously] in an unsigned order with no noted dissents… 

“In Thursday’s case, Chief Justice John Roberts had already pushed back Xinis’ deadline. The justices also said that her order must now be clarified to make sure it doesn’t intrude into executive branch power over foreign affairs, since Abrego Garcia is being held abroad. The court said the Trump administration should also be prepared to share what steps it has taken to try to get him back — and what more it could potentially do…” 

The case was sent back to U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis. Notice what happened next.

Justice Department Keeps Stonewalling 

Politico wrote on April 11:

“An exasperated federal judge commanded the Trump administration Friday to begin providing ‘daily updates’ on whether it is doing anything to comply with her order to return a Maryland man — illegally deported to El Salvador last month — back to the United States. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis scolded the administration for refusing to provide even ‘basic’ details about Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s location, despite her demand for an update by Friday morning… 

“‘I’m asking a very simple question. Where is he?’ Xinis asked Justice Department attorneys at a court hearing. ‘I do not have that information,’ replied Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign. The administration’s stonewalling, which Xinis described as ‘extremely troubling,’ raised the specter that it is defying the order that the judge issued last week and that the Supreme Court largely upheld on Thursday…

“The Trump administration has acknowledged that immigration officials wrongly deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador on March 15, in violation of a 2019 immigration court order that barred his deportation to that country because of a credible fear of persecution by a local gang. He was taken with other deportees to a notorious anti-terrorism prison in El Salvador.”

In the meantime, Trump said the USA will abide by the Supreme Court’s order. But this did not last long (note next article).The government represented that Garcia is still in El Salvador’s prison but it is up to El Salvador whether or not they will release him. This is such a mess… all caused unnecessarily by overzealous federal officials and the subsequent stonewalling by the Justice Department.

Professor Laurence Tribe Warns!

Breitbart wrote on April 16:

“Left-wing commentator and Harvard Law professor emeritus Laurence Tribe [said] Tuesday: ‘… I have been in school for 50 years studying the constitution, teaching about it. It doesn’t enforce itself. It takes human beings… to take it seriously…’

“He added, ‘It’s not just immigrants, they’re important, but it’s all of us. If the United States government can do what Trump claims and that is just grab people off the street, make claims about them that you never present to a judge, whisk them away to a prison colony in El Salvador, a place notorious for torturing people, for getting them to perform slave labor, if that can happen to Kilmar Abrego Garcia it can happen to anybody… Very few people are standing up…’”

Tribe is very correct in this. He also helped the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong when it was unlawfully and unconstitutionally invaded and illegally taken over by the Attorney General of the State of California in 1979. 

Garcia has been referred to as an illegal alien; a member of the MS-13 gang; a convicted criminal and a terrorist. None of these accusations are correct or supported by the evidence. Garcia has never been convicted of any crime. There is no credible evidence that he was a member of the MS-13 gang or a terrorist. He was legally allowed to be in the U.S. because a federal immigration judge granted him a legal protective order in 2019 to prevent his removal to El Salvador. Though he entered the U.S. illegally as a teen, the immigration judge’s ruling in late 2019 allowed him to stay in the country legally. However, all these questions should have been decided by the court; not by the government which, in violation of the 2019 protective order, just took him and deported him to El Salvador.

Bad and Deeply Distressing Show of Trump and Bukele 

Daily Mail wrote on April 14: 

“President Donald Trump welcomed El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to the White House. (Bukele describes himself as the “world’s coolest dictator.”) Trump and… Bukele… defended keeping [Garcia] in a notorious megaprison after the Supreme Court ordered his return to the U.S. Bukele argued he couldn’t return… Garcia… who was mistakenly deported along with dozens of other migrants on March 15, to America… Trump indicated he was open to sending Americans convicted of violent crimes to the notorious El Salvadorian megaprison…”

This is getting worse and worse… 

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Rules Against Trump

The Hill wrote on April 17:

“The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday declined to lift a judge’s order that the Trump administration ‘facilitate’ the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia…  The 4th Circuit declined to put Xinis’s ruling on hold just one day after the administration filed the appeal, a swift order that came without waiting for Abrego Garcia’s lawyers to file their response… ‘we shall not micromanage the efforts of a fine district judge attempting to implement the Supreme Court’s recent decision,’ U.S. Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel…

“‘The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order,’ he continued. ‘Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that there is nothing that can be done. This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear.’

“Wilkinson, an appointee of former President Reagan, was joined on the panel by U.S. Circuit Judge Robert King, who is an appointee of former President Clinton, and U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanie Thacker, who is an appointee of former President Obama.” 

This seems to be the correct decision, under the circumstances.

Kennedy Backpedals

CNN wrote on April 12:

“Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week made his strongest endorsement yet of the measles vaccine amid an ongoing outbreak that has killed three and infected more than 600 people across the US. But his recent push for people to get vaccinated for measles stands in stark contrast to Kennedy’s years of work against measles vaccines, including suing the state of New York for its vaccine mandates, and making numerous claims that the shot is dangerous and unnecessary.

“Kennedy’s comments on X last Sunday that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, ‘is the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles’ set off vaccine critics who saw the statement as a betrayal of the health secretary’s longtime views on vaccine safety…. Kennedy followed up this Thursday with a Fox News interview, where he told host Martha MacCallum that it is ‘very hard to tell’ whether measles deaths this year could have been averted with vaccinations.”

What double talk! Is there anyone left in the political arena whom you can believe?

PETA Thanks Trump

Breitbart wrote on April 14:

“Animal rights nonprofit group PETA is praising the Trump administration for its work to end animal testing within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)… FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary said drug manufacturers have performed ‘additional animal testing of drugs’ for which they already have had human data ‘for too long.’…

“PETA, which has blasted health officials such as Dr. Anthony Fauci for past animal testing, released a positive statement in response… ‘All animal use, including failed vaccine and other testing on monkeys at the federally-funded primate centers, must end… PETA thanks the Trump administration for modernizing the FDA and helping spare tens of thousands of animals each year from being killed in expensive and archaic laboratory tests,’ the group wrote.”

This is good news that those cruel and inhumane animal “experiments” are to be stopped… hopefully very soon.  

Articles set forth below show German and European perspectives which we may or may not share, but they reflect an unparalleled development of hostility between the USA and the EU and especially Germany, which has been prophesied to occur in these last days.

A Person Is Either a Man or a Woman

npr wrote on April 16:

“Britain’s Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman is someone born biologically female. Wednesday’s ruling is the culmination of a long-running legal battle that began in Scotland in 2018. But it has big implications for transgender people across the United Kingdom — at a time when similar legal challenges are underway in the United States after President Trump banned transgender people from military service.

“The court’s five judges issued an 88-page judgment. In it, they say the “concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man.”

BBC News added on April 16:

“Harry Potter author JK Rowling posted on social media: ‘It took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court and, in winning, they’ve protected the rights of women and girls across the UK.’” 

Many years and huge legal costs could have been avoided if they had only read Genesis 2:21-25. Ignoring God’s Word was a very expensive and time-consuming exercise where the answer was there all the time in Genesis, chapter 2.

Enemies Everywhere

Focus wrote on April 12:

“We [Germans] are now enemies of the American people. Rapists. Looters. Criminals. That’s what Donald Trump called us on ‘Liberation Day’…

“The president has the Europeans in particular in his sights. Of all those who rip off the American people, they are the worst. Sneaky, devious, and never at a loss for an excuse when confronted. Tariffs are not enough to hold them accountable for the injustice they have suffered.

“On Monday, Trump demanded reparations. For every VW, every BMW, and every Mercedes that rolls on American roads, compensation must be paid… ‘There will be no talks as long as they don’t pay us a lot of money on an annual basis, for the present, but also for the past.’

“If you declare the whole world an enemy, you only have enemies everywhere. That’s inevitable….

“If I were an American, I would be a bit quieter on my next visit to Europe. My advice: whisper when ordering in a restaurant. And in a hotel, pretend you got the address wrong. Or adopt an accent that makes you look British. If there is a need, an Australian will work too…

“The USA dominates the entertainment industry, the oil industry, and the financial industry. In the tech world, its dominance is so overwhelming that practically no cell phone or computer can function without its help. Of the 25 most valuable companies in the world, 23 are from the United States. But on US television, Trump’s Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller is declaring, with a voice trembling with indignation, that not a single American car can be seen on German roads.

“American steaks are supposedly nowhere to be found because American meat is ‘beautiful’ and European meat is ‘weak’… This insight comes from the new Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. I have no idea when the man was last in Germany. I’d be happy to invite Lutnick to inspect the meat counter at Simmel, the Edeka supermarket around the corner from me. US prime beef can be found there in almost every degree of maturity and cut: Tomahawk, T-bone, or ribeye…

“160 million US citizens have invested their money in the stock market. A friend from Washington told me on the phone that the past few days had cost him $50,000. He’s not alone in his loss…

“It’s going to be lonely. Bookings from Canada have plummeted by 70 percent. Others will also consider whether they want to take the risk of traveling to the US. You don’t know if you’ll even get in – or out again... The only people here who are bravely supporting Trump are the people of the AfD. The AfD still believes Trump is one of their own…”

“The US President Detests the Europeans”

ntv wrote on April 12:

“Three members of the European Parliament traveled to Washington to save transatlantic relations: Bernd Lange, Chairman of the Trade Committee, David McAllister, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Brando Benifei, Chairman of the parliamentary delegation to the US. There, they spoke with high-ranking Republicans to explore how they could still convince US President Donald Trump to cooperate with the Europeans – especially on economic policy.

“A difficult undertaking, given that Trump had repeatedly expressed his disgust with Brussels… ‘Trump hates the EU and its institutions. That’s clear. During my visit to Washington, it became clear: Republicans also hate the European Union,’ says Lange. 

“Not ideal conditions for an amicable agreement. Trump would much rather negotiate with individual European states… ‘But if the 27 EU member states stand together, then we are 450 million compared to 330 million Americans,’ says McAllister…

“No matter how emotionally driven Trump’s actions may be, the EU should never make the mistake of allowing itself to be intimidated by him, as Trump sees this as weakness, says Lange… McAllister agrees: ‘Trump is only impressed by those who show strength and also appear confident.’…”

Tesla a Flop?

t-online wrote on April 12:

“Even in the Republican-dominated US state of Montana, Tesla seems to be met with nothing but hostility: As former Defense Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg… reported, he was repeatedly heckled during his test drive of the Cybertruck… The former CSU politician and current lobbyist attributes these reactions to the unpopularity of Tesla CEO Elon Musk… The driving experience in the Cybertruck does not seem to have compensated Guttenberg for this experience: The vehicle itself is an ‘unbelievably hideous pickup monster.’

“This image problem is also reflected in the company’s business figures. Tesla recorded a 13 percent decline in sales in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year… The latest Tesla model is also increasingly being criticized. The Cybertruck is said to be struggling with significant quality issues. By the end of February, only around 46,100 vehicles were produced – significantly less than the original annual target of 250,000 units. Forbes magazine calls the model the biggest flop in the auto industry in decades.”

“Poor Germany: ‘Coalition Agreement Is Friedrich Merz’s Capitulation Document.'”

The Austrian magazine Report 24 wrote on April 12:

“The coalition agreement reads in places like a left-wing election platform for a surveillance state – from mandatory digital ID and electronic patient records to a ‘ban on lying’ and the automated transfer of data from online platforms to law enforcement agencies, everything that enables total control and persecution of citizens is represented. Meanwhile, all of the Union’s relevant election promises have been scrapped… The AfD views the agreement as a capitulation document. Initial polls show it is now the strongest party in Germany.

“Below you can read the statement by the chairmen of the AfD parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, Alice Weidel, and Tino Chrupalla:

“‘This coalition agreement is Friedrich Merz’s capitulation document. The paper bears throughout the hallmarks of the election loser, the SPD, peppered with nods to the Greens, who will always be at the table in this cabinet.

“‘It is a “business as usual” document that offers no solutions to the major future issues facing our country. There is no departure in sight from the electric car-based planned economy that is ruining our key industry. Energy remains expensive because nuclear energy and cheap gas remain taboo topics. 

“‘Apart from platitudes and announcements, nothing of the boastfully promised “migration turnaround” can be found in the paper… The coalition partners praise themselves for not raising taxes. But they promised tax cuts… But when it comes to debts at the expense of our children and grandchildren, they summon the defeated Bundestag and amend the Basic Law…”

What the AfD is stating here is, sadly, not far off.

Attack on Germany’s “Freedom of Expression” 

Focus wrote on April 12: 

“Journalist David Bendels was sentenced to probation for distributing a distorted image of Nancy Faeser on X… Faeser [currently still the lame-duck Federal Minister of the Interior] had posed with a sign reading ‘We remember’ on the occasion of a memorial day. Bendels, in turn, had replaced the lettering with ‘I hate freedom of expression.’ The court thus considered the offense of defamation under Section 188, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code [defaming politicians] to have been fulfilled.

“However, this cannot be said, says FOCUS columnist Jan Fleischhauer. Faeser ‘disregarded press freedom in Germany like no other,’ he said… After all, she tried to ‘shut down a right-wing magazine that didn’t suit her.’ Even during the coronavirus pandemic, as Minister of the Constitution, she had a questionable attitude toward the right to demonstrate. ‘She recommended to citizens they could just stay at home. Why do we even have to take to the streets for these lateral thinker (“Querdenker”) demonstrations? Demonstrating at home would be nice too…’ 

“The fact that the public prosecutor’s office took action in this case at all was due to Faeser’s insistence. ‘In the end, that means: She will go down in history as the Federal Minister of the Interior who took government-critical images on X more seriously than the marches of hardcore anti-Semites on German streets shouting ‘Death to Israel.’ Strangely, she didn’t take action.”

“‘…if satirical images are considered hate and incitement…then freedom of expression is in jeopardy.'” 

It surely is. 

Focus wrote on April 11: 

“Was someone smoking something under their robe? That, at least, would be an explanation… Unfortunately, it’s not a slip-up. In Germany, cases are increasing in which judges and public prosecutors demonstrate an astonishing, indeed astonishingly disturbed, attitude toward freedom of expression.”

Unbelievable Verdict Against an Anti-Coronavirus Protester

Report 24 wrote on April 15: 

“… on the evening of May 1, 2021, a group of around 50 people [gathered] in Tuttlingen… Their goal: to protest against the excessive coronavirus measures. Dressed in black, some with white makeup on their faces, carrying torches and some with flags, the group moved… toward the city center. But… the police [obstructed] their way because the gathering had not been registered… The woman, now 59, had also participated in the demonstration…

“The Tuttlingen District Court had already sentenced her to eight months’ probation. But she rejected the verdict and appealed. She was charged with disturbing the peace, violating the ban on assembly and wearing masks, and carrying a ‘weapon’—a torch. The Rottweil Regional Court has now re-set the sentence: a €7,500 Fine… The verdict is final.

“The verdict shows that the judiciary takes tough action, even years later, when rules are broken – especially when the ‘perpetrators’ are government critics. But given the realization that the measures were excessive and in some cases unconstitutional, the punishment could only further fuel anger against the state. Citizens are demanding an investigation – instead, they are receiving such verdicts. On social media, users are expressing incomprehension.

“It cannot be ruled out that [in] Germany, people will soon end up in prison again because of their political views, even if their statements have nothing to do with incitement. Harsh criticism of the government can nowadays be considered lèse majesté [offense against the dignity of a ruling head of state] … and punished…”

Germany again on the way towards a dictatorship?  

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 part 1 of this Q&A, we discussed the fact that many religions believe that each person has an immortal soul.   Orthodox Christianity, in general, has the same understanding.   But is it true? 

In our booklet “The Theory of Evolution – A Fairy Tale for Adults,” the Spirit in Man is discussed and below are a few selected highlights taken from pages 19-26.   This shows that the Spirit in Man is not the soul.  

“Herbert W. Armstrong… published his findings in a book entitled, ‘The Incredible Human Potential.’ This is what he wrote on pages 74 and 75, ‘Animals are equipped with brain and instinct. But they do not have power to understand and choose moral and spiritual values or to develop perfect spiritual character. Animals have brain, but no intellect—instinct, but no ability to develop holy and Godly character. And that pictures the transcendental DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANIMAL BRAIN AND HUMAN MIND.

“‘What then can account for the vast difference? Science cannot adequately answer. Some scientists, in the field of research, conclude that, of necessity, there has to be some non-physical component in human brain that does not exist in animal brain….’

“Mr. Armstrong then explains that, according to the Bible, each human being has a non-physical component in his brain, called ‘the spirit in man.’ On page 81 of his book, he points out, ‘[T]his spirit is not the man—only something in the man… This spirit cannot see, hear, or think. The man sees, hears and thinks through his physical brain and the five senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and feeling. The spirit in man imparts the power of physical intellect to the physical brain, thus forming human mind.

“‘This spirit acts, among other things, as a computer, adding to the brain the psychic and intellectual power. Knowledge received in the brain through the eye, ear and the senses is immediately “programmed’ into the spirit computer. This “computer” gives the brain instant recall of whatever portion of millions of bits of knowledge may be needed in the reasoning process. That is to say that memory is recorded in the human spirit, whether or not it is also recorded in the “gray matter” of the brain. This human spirit also adds to man a spiritual and moral faculty not possessed by animals.’

“Most people know nothing about the existence of the spirit in man—even many religious people—lay persons and theologians alike. When they read passages in the Bible describing the spirit in man, they assume the Bible is talking about the soul. But the soul is not a non-physical component of the human being. The soul, according to the Bible, is totally physical. The Bible does not teach the concept of an immortal soul. Rather, we read in Ezekiel 18:4, ‘The soul who sins shall die.’ The word ‘soul’ in the Bible refers to the living body of both man and animals. In Revelation 16:3, we read that every living soul—both men and beasts—died in the sea. The soul does NOT distinguish man from animals. Rather, the spirit in man is THE distinguishing factor between man and animals. It explains man’s superiority over the animals and totally disproves the concept of evolution. 

“The Bible strongly indicates that God gives the human spirit at the time of conception, and then takes it back at the time of death. We read in Zechariah 12:1, ‘Thus says the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.’ Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, ‘Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.’ When the spirit in man leaves a person, that person is dead. James 2:26 says, ‘For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.’

“Jesus Christ Himself, at the time of His death, cried out to the Father to receive His spirit. What exactly did He say? Let’s read in Luke 23:46, ‘And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.’ When He died, His human spirit returned to God, as we read in Ecclesiastes. 

“Understand though, that when a man dies and his spirit returns to God, that spirit does not continue to live consciously, apart from the body. Rather, God ‘stores’ it, so to speak, in heaven, until He unites it at the time of the resurrection of man with a new spiritual or physical body. The concept that man’s soul is immortal is as wrong as the concept that man’s spirit continues to live consciously after death. Rather, the body—or soul—dies, and the spirit of man returns to God to await a resurrection.

“Note Ecclesiastes 9:4-6, ‘But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope… For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing…Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished…’ And verse 10, ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.’ In other words, there is no conscious activity after a person dies. The spirit does not continue in the realm of consciousness.

“Jesus Christ also made it clear that dead people do not continue to live on. Rather, the dead will have to be brought back to life through a resurrection from the dead. In Matthew 22:31-32, He asked the Sadducees, since they did not believe in the resurrection, ‘But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’ If the dead persons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had somehow continued to live consciously after their death, including a conscious existence of their spirit that had returned to God, then Christ’s words to the Sadducees would have been without sense.

“WHY does God give each human being a spirit? The spirit in man records all the human characteristics of the person, as well as his or her outward appearance. At the time of the resurrection, the spirit of the dead person is combined with a new body of the dead person. This means, all the experiences and memories and ideas of the former life are back in the resurrected individual, and the resurrected person will also look the same way he or she did in their former life.

“When a person dies, his body returns to dust. But the spirit of man in him has recorded the appearance of the person, the personality, the personal attributes, and God gives the spirit of that person back into the newly created physical body. 

“Just as the Bible teaches a resurrection to physical life, so it also teaches a resurrection to spiritual life. Those who died after having been counted worthy to enter the Kingdom of God at the time of Christ’s second coming, will have part in a spiritual resurrection, as the Apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-44, ‘But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be… But God gives… a body as He pleases… So also is the [spiritual] resurrection from the dead [to spiritual life]: The body is sown in corruption [flesh and blood], it is raised in incorruption…It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.’ But as with a resurrection to physical life, the resurrection to spiritual life will also incorporate the spirit that was in man and that recorded the person’s characteristics.

“So we see that it is the spirit in man that explains the vast differences in self-awareness, intellect and intelligence between man and animals.”

What you have just read is something that so many simply don’t understand.  Because so many believe in an immortal soul that has to go somewhere when the body dies, Bible verses are interpreted in a way that allows this belief.   As we saw in the previous instalment, many religions are convicted of this and even in mainstream Christianity, it is the prevailing view with the good going to Heaven at death and the evil unbelievers going to Hell being accepted as Biblical Truth, when it isn’t.   And once such error is accepted, then further errors creep in, which is why it is so vital to have the correct understanding that we don’t have an immortal soul.

In part 1 of this Q&A, we mentioned that one writer opined that “the present Heaven is not our final destination, it’s a wonderful place, and it’s understandable that those who have had loved ones die in Christ wonder what life is like for them there. Based on the Bible’s teaching, we know several things: the present Heaven is a real (and possibly physical) place. Those who love Jesus and trust Him for their salvation will be with Him there, together with all who have died in Christ. We will be awake and cognizant.” 

We had explained that this is most certainly not the prevailing view in orthodox Christianity which holds that the good remain forever in Heaven as their final destination. But this writer even thinks that “The Present Heaven May Be a Physical Place.”  He also wrote that “A fundamental article of the Christian faith is that the resurrected Christ now dwells in Heaven. We are told that His resurrected body on Earth was physical and that this same, physical Jesus ascended to Heaven, from where He will one day return to Earth. It seems indisputable, then, to say that there is at least one physical body in the present Heaven. If Christ’s body in the intermediate Heaven has physical properties, it stands to reason that others in Heaven could have physical forms as well, even if only temporary ones.”

To add to the confusion even more, he writes: “Given the consistent physical descriptions of the intermediate Heaven and those who dwell there, it seems possible—though this is certainly debatable—that between our earthly lives and our bodily resurrection God may grant us some temporary physical form that will allow us to function as human beings while in that unnatural state ‘between bodies’ awaiting our bodily resurrection. If so, that would account for the repeated depictions of people now in Heaven occupying physical space, wearing clothes and crowns, carrying branches, and having body parts (for example, Lazarus’s finger in Luke 16:24).”  

As mentioned previously, we address the question about Lazarus and the rich man in our booklet “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?” on pages 31-32: 

The opinion of the writer, as quoted above, is wrong for many reasons. One, there are no physical bodies in heaven, and there never will be. Two, nobody went to heaven except for Jesus Christ, but not in a physical body, but as a Spirit being. 

We said in one of our Q&As: “God also created the third heaven with all its spiritual components, including His throne, His temple, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the heavenly garden or Paradise, because we read that the Father created everything there is through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3)—the visible and the invisible (Colossians 1:16). We understand, of course, that both the Father and Jesus Christ have always existed; Christ was not created (Hebrews 7:3). So it was the God Family who created everything.”   In view of this information, how could anyone even think that heaven could be physical?

Another disagreement we would have with the concept of going to heaven and that it might even be physical etc, we write in our booklet “Why This Confusion About Life After Death” on pages 8-9 under the heading “Man Can Reach Two Heavens But Not the Third Heaven Where God Dwells” the following:

“As Lewis Brown explains in ‘This Believing World’: ‘In very early times that idea flourished not alone among the Babylonians and Egyptians, but also among the barbaric tribes in and around Greece… these mysteries [came] down from Thrace or across the sea from Egypt and Asia Minor… they declared that for every man, no matter how poor or vicious, there was a place in heaven. All one had to do was to be ‘initiated’ into the secrets of the cult.’

“The Hebrews did not believe that we go to Heaven when we die. Neither did the early Christians. But in time, the concept developed within the Roman Catholic Church that one will be saved and go to Heaven when one has been baptized into the church, including as a little baby. 

“The Bible does not teach this. Much confusion exists because many do not understand that the Bible speaks of more than one heaven. 

“When the Bible speaks of ‘heaven,’ it may refer to any one of three different locations. The first heaven is the atmosphere, surrounding the earth, where birds can fly and clouds move (Genesis 1:20; 27:28). The second heaven is the universe, with all its galaxies, suns, stars and planets (Psalm 8:3). 

“It is possible for man to reach these two heavens—at least, to a limited extent. But man cannot reach the Third Heaven, where God dwells—where His angels live and where His throne is located. It is spiritual, not physical. Physical beings cannot enter it—except in a vision—and we won’t go there after our death, either. 

“According to the biblical testimony, the only Being who entered the Third Heaven after death was Jesus Christ. Others saw the Third Heaven in a vision—such as Daniel (Daniel 7:9), Paul (2 Corinthians 12:2), Stephen (Acts 7:56) or John (Revelation 4:2), but they did not enter the Third Heaven in bodily form, or as spirit beings. 

“Christ said in John 3:13 that no human being—except He Himself—has entered the Third Heaven. The German Luther Bible from 1964 wrote: ‘And no one goes to Heaven except for the One who came down from Heaven, namely the Son of Man…’ (‚Und niemand fährt gen Himmel, denn der vom Himmel herniedergekommen ist, nämlich des Menschen Sohn…‘). 

“Most translations render the passage as, ‘No one has ascended up to heaven…’, but even then, it is at least clear that no one before Christ ever went to the Third Heaven. This means that contrary to popular belief, Elijah and Enoch did NOT enter God’s Third Heaven.”

In Time Magazine in December 2019, author N.T. Wright wrote the following:

“Indeed, for most modern Christians, the idea of ‘going to heaven when you die’ is not simply one belief among others, but the one that seems to give a point to it all.

“But the people who believed in that kind of ‘heaven’ when the New Testament was written were not the early Christians.  They were the ‘Middle Platonists’ — people like Plutarch (a younger contemporary of St Paul who was a philosopher, biographer, essayist and pagan priest in Delphi). To understand what the first followers of Jesus believed about what happens after death, we need to read the New Testament in its own world — the world of Jewish hope, of Roman imperialism and of Greek thought.

“Israel’s scriptures had long promised that God would come back in person to dwell with his people for ever. The early Christians picked this up: ‘The Word became flesh,’ declares John [1:14], ‘and dwelt in our midst.’ The word for ‘dwelt’ means, literally, ‘tabernacled,’ ‘pitched his tent’ — alluding to the wilderness ‘tabernacle’ in the time of Moses and the Temple built by Solomon. Studying the New Testament historically, in its own world (as opposed to squashing and chopping it to fit with our own expectations), shows that the first Christians believed not that they would ‘go to heaven when they died,’ but that, in Jesus, God had come to live with them.

“That was the lens through which they saw the hope of the world. The book of Revelation ends, not with souls going up to heaven, but with the New Jerusalem coming down to earth, so that ‘the dwelling of God is with humans.’”

There is so much confusion in all of this mainstream “understanding” and over many years we have covered all of these issues in our literature and in sermons, where the Bible is clear. In brief, the answer is that if the understanding about the spirit in man was accepted, no one would need to be in heaven, a temporary waiting place, purgatory or any other variation of such an erroneous belief.  And understanding that we do NOT have an immortal soul is basic Truth and understanding right from the Word of God.  If we did have an immortal soul, we couldn’t be destroyed,  and if the “going to hell at death” reasoning was correct, then those going there would be there for eternity which is neither correct nor would it be the act of a loving God.

The correct knowledge about the immortal soul is vital to our understanding about God, His plan of salvation and His love for all His creation.  Incorrect knowledge will lead to further misunderstandings as we have seen in these Q&As.

Material available for further study:

Our booklets pertinent to what has been discussed in these two Q&A’s are:

The Theory of Evolution – A Fairy Tale for Adults?

Do We Have an Immortal Soul?

And in our 79-page-booklet “Why This Confusion About Life After Death,” we cover many topics, a few of which are:

Man Does Not Have an Immortal Soul Which Goes to Heaven

Man Will Not Be Judged at the Moment of His Death

Man Is a Soul Not Has a Soul

Mary, and Everyone Else Who Has Died, Are Still in the Grave

Limbo and Purgatory Are Not Biblical Concepts

Indulgences

The False Concept of Hell

An Ever-Burning Hell-fire; After Death, Is Unbiblical

The Dead Know Nothing

The Spirit in Man

Most People Have No Knowledge About the Existence of the Spirit in Man

and much more, which can be accessed online via this link: https://www.eternalgod.org/why-this-confusion-about-life-after-death/

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Europe For War and Against Freedom?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

In this program, we cover deeply disturbing attacks on liberties and freedoms in Europe, especially in France and Germany, as well as Europe’s “lust for war” and the question whether the euro is becoming an alternative to the US Dollar.

“Europa für Krieg und gegen Freiheit?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. The German program covers the same topics as described above.

“Wer sind die zwei Zeugen?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Who Are the Two Witnesses?”

“The Tower of Babel” is the latest video in our Bible Story Series on YouTube.

“Babylon Berlin,” last Sabbath’s second German split sermon, presented by Manuel Mueller, is now posted. Title in English: “Babylon Berlin.”

“Gottbewusstsein—Erwache aus dem geistigen Schlaf,” last Sabbath’s first German split sermon, presented by Mario Danisch, is now posted. Title in English: “God Consciousness—Awaken from Spiritual Sleep.”

“Einzigartig,” the German Offertory presented on the First Day of Unleavened Bread by Cristian Popescu, is now posted. Title in English: “Unique.”

“Gegen die Welt,” the German sermon presented on the First Day of Unleavened Bread by

Michael Link, is now posted. Title in English: “Against the World.”

“God’s Rubies,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Rubies as gemstones have been prized by kings and craftsmen for many years. Various Scriptures place value on qualities such as wisdom and integrity above that of these gemstones. As true Christians, we will consider how we can be refined by our faith in the Father and Jesus Christ, as rubies are refined by heat and pressure.

“Do We Really Need to Keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is the summary:

The annual festivals pictured events of historic importance to ancient Israel, and today to the true Christian. Recall that when God revealed His weekly Sabbath to the Israelites, it was a sign and a memorial so they would remember that He is the Creator and that they were His people.  And God also gave them the annual festivals for His Church showing the plan of God in eventually delivering the entire world from sin.

“Generosity,” the Offertory presented on the First Day of Unleavened Bread by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is the summary:

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a commanded Holy Day when God instructs His people to appear with an offering. The offering we give reflects our gratitude and love for God. As we give, we should consider what it reveals about our heart. When done well, our act of giving will delight God and bring us joy as well. Giving from the abundance of our heart pleases God tremendously.

“The Catastrophe of SIN,” the sermon presented on the First Day of Unleavened Bread by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is the summary:

We hear warnings about nuclear war in which it is possible to decimate the population of cities, nations and even this planet. Yet, an even more deadly action is sin, because it always incurs the death penalty. How can mankind escape this tragic end!

2025 SPRING HOLY DAYS:

Passover: April 12 (observed evening before)

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