1. Andy Walton’s Weekly World Watch “If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.” Ezekiel 33:6 July 8 - 15 2006

2. What is this world watch all about? I decided each week to look at key events that had happened in that week and look at them with the Bible in hand. I hope to build up a picture of Gods hand working in the affairs of this world bringing about that day when all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem to battle which will be brought to end when the Lord Jesus Christ physically returns from heaven to set up Gods kingdom. The key areas which will crop up time and again will be 1.Israel – Middle East the growing conflict 2.Europe – the developing union / political and religious 3.Russia – continued turning back to anti west ways 4.The development of King of South – US & UK 5.Declining moral standards and increasing violence. Please email me with any thoughts, questions or anything I may have missed! On last page there is a red button – if you click it an email will open up pre addressed to me so you can send an email comments etc

3. Weekly Developments These are just a few of the events that have caught my eye in the previous week. It is in no way meant to be exhaustive – just a look at those events I saw as significant from a Bible viewpoint. Headlines These are always headlines printed in the newspaper – the date is always given and which paper. Normally the Daily Telegraph. (DT) Event This is usually the newspapers take on the events that have happened. It will always be a direct quote from the newspaper. Comment This is my take on why it is interesting from a Bible point of view. The idea of this weekly world watch is to give a quick Biblical perspective without going into detail. If more detail is needed please email me. Bible Quote This is normally one verse which backs up why the event that has occurred is interesting from a Biblical perspective. Please read in its context.

4. Weekly Developments Bombay train bombings Israeli forces bombard Lebanon Lebanon – the country Bush defends Israel, Russia condemns Israeli crisis smoke screen for Iran Britain hits back at Russia July 8 - 15 2006 TO PRINT ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SLIDES JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE ON EACH SLIDE

5. Bombay train bombings Headline 163 killed in Bombay train bombings Headline Daily Telegraph July 12 Event At least 163 people were killed and hundreds injured yesterday when seven bombs exploded on Bombay's crowded commuter network. The closely co-ordinated attacks were quickly attributed to Islamic militants with links to the disputed territory of Kashmir. The blasts tore through five trains and two stations at evening rush-hour. The first explosion burst open the first-class compartment of a train on the Western Expressway. Six more explosions followed over 20 minutes, sending commuters jumping from the slow-moving trains and racing for cover. Comment Last year, on July 7 th, Britain experienced its worst terrorist bombings when London underground trains were hit. This year on July 11 th India has experienced terrorist bombings on its rail network. In a way the two may be linked. The Bible talks of an Eastern Tarshish and a Western Tarshish. Both nations at the time of the end are on the side of Israel. Eastern Tarshish we believe to be India. Western Tarshish we believe to be Britain. Or to put it another way. We believe that India is one of the young lions of Britain (see map above). India is closer to Israel than one may think initially. Only in February this year India signed a defence deal with Israel. India & Britain now under terrorist attack will one day unite behind Israel. Bible Quote 1 Kings 10 22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. Tharshish mentioned here is almost certainly India

6. Israeli forces bombard Lebanon Headline Israeli forces bombard Lebanon Headline Daily Telegraph July 7 Event Israel imposed a naval blockade on Lebanon, bombed its airports and threatened to sever the main road to Syria yesterday as fears grew that the military confrontation in Gaza and Lebanon could develop into a wider regional conflict. Civilians fled on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border and the Hizbollah militia responded to Israel's intense air and artillery bombardment with volleys of more than 80 rockets into northern Israel. Two rockets were said to have fallen as far south as the port city of Haifa for the first time. Beirut international airport was closed after the runway was bombed and two military airports were attacked. Thousands of tourists, mostly Gulf Arabs on holiday in Lebanon, streamed out of the country heading for Damascus. In Israel, residents in the north were told to go into bomb shelters or move to safer areas. In the space of three weeks, Israel is now fighting a war on two fronts: Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the pro-Iranian Hizbollah in Lebanon, provoked by audacious militant attacks that succeeded in capturing three Israeli soldiers. Comment War has been mentioned by both sides now in relation to this sudden escalation. It certainly looks like the beginning of war. World War I began with the assassination of one man. This war may have begun by the capture of one man by Hamas. We watch and wait as the final conflict develops. Bible Quote Isaiah 2 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: And upon all the cedars of Lebanon NB The day of the LORD and Lebanon

7. Lebanon Comment Lebanon is a significant area. The nation lies to the north of Israel. The Bible talks of Lebanon in the last days having fire and destruction coming it so that “the doors” are opened into Israel. Zechariah 11:1 ¶ Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Isaiah 33:9 The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; In the last year the WWW has looked at remarkable events that have happened in Lebanon which have led to this current confrontation. These events have created a situation where it is very difficult for other nations to stop the conflict. In March 2005 we saw the Cedar Revolution where “people power” brought down the Lebanese government and forced Syria to withdraw. Israel had already withdrawn from Lebanon back in the year 2000. The trouble was that Hezbollah remained in the vacuum. Hezbollah is a political and military organisation of Shia Muslims based in Lebanon. They emerged in the 1980’s with the financial backing of Iran. Iran and Syria back Hezbollah. Which is why this conflict could spiral out of control at any moment. With Bible in hand and the verses above we could see these events going to happen. On November 21 st 2005 the WWW commented– “Fire is coming on Lebanon – it may be a prelude to the King of the North descending on Israel”. The doors of Lebanon are being opened – fire IS devour - ing Lebanon. The King of the North will be let in.

8. Bush defends Israel, Russia condemns Headline Russia, France Condemn Israeli Strikes in Lebanon Headline Moscownews July 13 Event Paris and Moscow on Thursday sharply condemned Israeli strikes in Lebanon as a dangerous escalation of the Middle East conflict but Washington, while urging restraint, said Israel had the right to self defence, Reuters reports. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy called Israel’s bombardment of Beirut’s international airport “a disproportionate act of war,” adding the risk of a regional war “absolutely” existed. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mikhail Kamynin denounced both Israel’s attack on Lebanon and its on-going operations against the Palestinian territories. “The continuing destruction by Israel of civilian infrastructure in Lebanon and in Palestinian territory (and) the disproportionate use of force from which civilian populations suffer cannot be understood and justified,” he said. “The attack on Beirut international airport is a dangerous step on the way to military escalation,” he added, calling on all sides to stop a slip towards war. Comment The world is dividing along the exact lines the Bible said it would. Russia, Europe condemning Israel. America backing Israel. The UK tries to play the middle ground but Tony Blair has told the world to remember how it all started. With the kidnappings. i.e. He is supportive of Israel. As the conflict develops the nations will become more and more entrenched and open about which side they back. The judgement of the nations is nearing. Therefore our judgement is near too. Bible Quote Psalm 82 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

9. Israeli crisis smoke screen for Iran Headline Israeli crisis is a smoke screen for Iran’s nuclear ambitions - Headline Daily Telegraph July 14 Event What started as a minor border skirmish appears in serious danger of spiralling out of control into full-scale war. That is certainly how the latest conflagration is being viewed by the world's financial markets, with oil prices soaring and stock prices tumbling. Senior Israeli military officers are convinced the anti-tank weapon used to destroy their Merkava tank, with the loss of its four-man crew, originated from Iran, not Lebanon. It is also well known in both Beirut and Jerusalem that Hizbollah does not act without first consulting its paymasters in Teheran, whether it is to seize British hostages such as Terry Waite and John McCarthy, as it did in the mid-1980s, or Israeli soldiers today. For the ayatollahs in Teheran trying to find a way out of their nuclear difficulties, what better way to divert the world's attention from their nuclear-enrichment programme than to provoke a fresh Middle East crisis between Israel and its neighbours? Comment Many believe that Iran is deliberately provoking this conflict. As the Daily Telegraph writer above says, it maybe to do with deflecting the world’s eyes from Iran’s nuclear intentions. It maybe that the Iran wants a Middle East conflict anyway. Why? Well the Iranian President believes he has a divine mission to encourage the supernatural arrival of an Imam who will destroy Israel. As this Imam only returns when there is chaos in the world - why not create chaos to encourage his return. (he thinks). Iran (ancient Persia) WILL invade Israel. However Jesus will return to save the nation. Bible Quote Ezekiel 38 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Persia (Iran) is with Russia when Israel is invaded

10. Britain hits back at Russia Headline Britain hits back at Russia as G8 tension escalates Headline Daily Telegraph July 14 Event Tensions between Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, over human rights and energy security surfaced yesterday as the Prime Minister prepared to fly out to this weekend's G8 summit in St Petersburg. Downing Street offered a robust response after Mr Putin criticised Anthony Brenton, Britain's ambassador to Moscow, for interfering in Russia's "internal" affairs by attending an opposition conference. Asked if Mr Blair had worries about human rights in Putin's Russia, he added: "We have concerns and we have voiced those concerns and expressed concerns about certain aspects of the media." There were also conflicting messages from London and Moscow on the crucial issue of energy security, which is top of Mr Putin's agenda this weekend, when he will host his first summit of the world's most powerful economies. Comment Russia is heading up the G8 summit this weekend. With the situation in Israel, the growing energy crisis, and the increasing tensions between the nations we can see God’s hand bringing the nations to war. Russia’s deputy prime minister declared yesterday that Russia has fully recovered its superpower status and it now has a global responsibility on the planet and the future of the civilisation. We must not fear as we see all these things. We shall see the salvation of the Lord. Bible Quote Psalm 37 38 the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

11. THE END WORLD WATCH WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU EACH WEEK. PLEASE LET ME KNOW OF ANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED. PLEASE SEND ME THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS AND I WILL PUT THEM ON THE REGULAR WEEKLY EMAIL ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS OR COMMENTS WELCOME. EMAIL ANDY Click Here Move your cursor around until it appears To watch again click here