1. August 15 - 21, 2010 “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, New International Version) Weekly World Watch Andy Walton’s To skip the introductory slides and go straight to this weeks developments click here.

2. What is a Weekly World Watch? Israel: The continuing conflict in the Middle East and focus on Jerusalem. Europe: Its developing union, both political and religious. Russia: Its return to anti-Western ways as Bible prophecy’s “king of the north.” The UK and the US: Bible prophecy’s “king of the south.” Moral standards in decline and violence on the increase. WWW presentations in PowerPoint can be ordered as audio/visual CDs by clicking here. Move your mouse to place the cursor on the blue link and click.clicking here The idea is simple. It is to look at current events and compare them to events spoken of in the Bible.. I hope to build up a picture of God’s hand working in the affairs of this world. God is bringing about a day when all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem to battle. At that time God will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, back to this earth. Jesus will then establish God’s kingdom on earth. This kingdom will last for ever. This is our hope and the reason we watch. Increasing natural disasters: including earthquake, famine etc The following six themes will appear repeatedly in WWW:

3. HEADLINE EVENT COMMENT News Photo The source of the headline and the date are included. Each WWW looks at a few key developments that have happened during the past week. It is in no way meant to be exhaustive – just a look at those events I saw as significant from a Biblical point of view. What is in a Weekly World Watch? 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. Unless stated otherwise, all quotes are from the King James Version. (Book, chapter, and verse) This is straight from a news report that caught my eye because it looked significant from a Biblical perspective, usually that of prophecy. Every WWW event slide has the following format. To reveal each block of text just left click your mouse or press the space bar. You control when it appears. This is the reporter’s description of the event. It is always a direct quotation from the news report and reflects the understanding of the reporter and editors. This is my comment on why the event is interesting to a Bible student. The intention of the WWW is to offer brief Biblical perspectives without going into detail. If more detail is desired, please e-mail me: (andy@weeklyworldwatch.co.uk).

4. This Week’s Developments To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks Arab sources: A major military surprise is close Russia defends Iran nuclear plant ahead of launch Iran begins loading Bushehr nuclear reactor Troops withdraw from Iraq despite fears over violence August 15 - 21, 2010 Central Israel oil discovery: 1.5 Billion Barrels

5. Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks Israel and the Palestinian Authority have agreed to resume stalled direct peace negotiations in Washington next month, Hillary Clinton has announced. The United States Secretary of State made the announcement on Friday with her Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell. Mrs Clinton said the talks are due to begin on September 2 and will be hosted by President Barack Obama. She said she hoped a comprehensive peace agreement can be reached within one year. Daily Telegraph, August 20, 2010 EVENT COMMENT For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety [security]; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. BIBLE QUOTE (1 Thessalonians 5:2,3) The pressure from America on Israel and the Palestinians has produced the first direct peace talks for quite some time. ALL final status issues are on the agenda. Negotiators will have to set boundaries for a new Palestinian state and decide the status of Jerusalem. The nations are trying desperately to “part” God’s land. These very talks will not lead to peace but to great war and the final judgements of the world. Hilary Clinton said in her statement that she wants a “viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel.” The Quartet made a statement saying they want two nations living in “peace and security”. The British Foreign Secretary said "A two-state solution is the only hope for lasting peace and security. Today's announcement is a courageous step towards that goal.“ Surely we are hearing the exact words once again as prophesied in the verse below. The authorised version says “peace and safety” but the word safety is actually the word “security”. So when we hear people SAYING ie speaking the words “peace and security” we know the opposite will happen. Destruction will come and probably quickly. Jerusalem cannot be divided though all nations are gathered against it. See Zech 12:3

6. Arab sources: A major military surprise is close In Tehran, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced Friday, August 20: “We are in full readiness to encounter firmly with the stupidity of the US and the Zionist regime." In Damascus, Syrian prime minister Naji al-Otari gathered his ministers and heads of security and emergency services Thursday and ordered them to place all their services on immediate war readiness. And sources close to the Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas quoted him as saying that direct talks with Israel were not in the offing because "a big military surprise awaits the Middle East." On Thursday, too, Tehran pitched its threat level high by warning that any attack on Iran's nuclear sites would be met by the IRGC "targeting the interests of the enemies in any part of the world." Lawrence Eagleburger, former US Secretary of State, had this to say about the activation of Iran's first reactor at Bushehr Saturday, August 21: "The world's going to war over this. If Iran gets the weapon it's going to use it." He urged an attack on Iran before it obtained a bomb. Debkafile, August 20, 2010 EVENT COMMENT After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands….;Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 39:26-28) The “peace” talks are starting in a very stressed atmosphere. This report in Debkafile shows how close to war we may be. The question we may ask is this. Will the peace talks bring a temporary peace where Israel can dwell “safely” and THEN war comes. OR…. will these peace talks lead nowhere and war comes during the talks themselves. With war seeming closer than ever and with the prospect of dividing Jerusalem unthinkable how can there be peace? To interpret the passage often quoted in Ezekiel 38 of “dwelling safely” we need to understand it does NOT mean safely but “over confidently”. To read more click here.click here

7. Russia defends Iran nuclear plant ahead of launch Russia on Wednesday defended the nuclear power plant it is building for Iran in the southern city of Bushehr, days ahead of a ceremony to mark the formal launch of the facility. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the controversial power plant as an "anchor" that would keep Iran firmly fixed to peaceful use of nuclear energy. "It is a most important anchor which keeps Iran within the regime of non-proliferation," he told reporters on the sidelines of a regional summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. "It is fully protected from any proliferation risks whatsoever. This idea is shared by all the leaders of Western countries." The charging of the first nuclear fuel at the plant Saturday is to be marked at a ceremony in Bushehr, including the head of Russia's state nuclear agency Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko. BBconline, August 21, 2010 EVENT COMMENT Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog [Russia], the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, Persia [Iran], Ethiopia, and Libya with them; Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard [protector] unto them.. BIBLE QUOTE Iran could NOT have got this far without Russia’s full support. It has taken Iran 35 years to build this nuclear reactor! Finally, today they have begun the process of switching it on. Russia has delivered the uranium fuel required to make the reactor work. The nuclear reactor is Russian built and Russian operated. Russia has supplied the fuel and will remove the waste. In fact the only reason that the reactor has gone live today is because Russia said it would only back American led sanctions on Iran IF it was able to supply the fuel required. America conceded this and therefore has allowed Iran to become a nuclear state. The immense worry is that the nuclear waste could be used for weapons. From a scriptural point of view we see Gog acting as a guard to Persia as foretold. (Ezekiel 38:3,5,7)

8. Iran begins loading Bushehr nuclear reactor Iranian and Russian engineers began loading fuel into Iran's first nuclear power plant on Saturday, a major milestone as Teheran forges ahead with its atomic program despite UN sanctions. "Despite all pressure, sanctions and hardships imposed by Western nations, we are now witnessing the startup of the largest symbol of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities," Iranian Vice President and nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters inside the plant. Russia, which helped finish building the plant, has pledged to safeguard the site and prevent spent nuclear fuel from being shifted to a possible weapons program. After years of delaying its completion, Moscow says it believes the Bushehr project is essential for persuading Iran to cooperate with international efforts to ensure Iran does not develop the bomb. On Saturday, a first truckload of fuel was taken from a storage site to a fuel "pool" inside the reactor building. Over the next 10 days, 163 fuel assemblies — equal to 80 tons of uranium fuel — will be moved inside the building and then into the reactor core. Jerusalem Post, August 21, 2010 EVENT COMMENT Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. Iran has declared victory over the West by becoming the first Middle Eastern state to run its own nuclear power station. Yesterday Iran showed live television pictures of a missile being test fired. The words “Ya Mahdi” were written on the side of the missile, referring to Imam Mahdi, one of the 12 imams of Shiite Islam whom they say will return one day to bring redemption to mankind. The message is clear to the world. Iran will continue to defy the international community and develop its military capability. The stirring up of the Medes as mentioned in Isaiah 13 continues apace. Iran has a part to play in these last days… BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 13:17,18)

9. Troops withdraw from Iraq despite fears over violence The last brigade of frontline American troops poured over the Iraqi border into Kuwait, marking the end of US combat operations despite rising violence and a lack of functioning government in the country. Under strict operational secrecy, 1,200 troops of the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, passed over the Khabari border crossing just before dawn. Thousands more were flown out of the country. President Barack Obama marked the event with an open letter in which he insisted he would stick to his timetable for a final withdrawal of military aid by the end of 2011, despite widespread concern over the deteriorating security situation. A bomb on Tuesday killed 59 men queuing to join the army at a major base in Baghdad, just a few days after the Iraqi chief of staff called on American forces to remain in the country until 2020. Over 50,000 US troops will remain in Iraq. Daily Telegraph, August 19, 2010 EVENT COMMENT They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land [speaking of Babylon but also modern Iraq]. Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Iraq is very significant from a prophetical point of view. It is the ancient home of Babel – the original kingdom of men mentioned in Genesis 11. It is home of Babylon the revived centre of false religion. It was also home to Adam and Eve and the garden of Eden where sin and death first entered the world. And it was here in this godless land that Abraham lived. He was called to leave this place of sin, death, false religion and kingdom of men to establish a kingdom in Israel of hope, forgiveness, true religion and the kingdom of God. There are passages that indicate Iraq (Babylon) has still to endure a future cataclysmic destruction. Ancient Babylon was never destroyed as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will be in the future. The Medes (Iranians) will accomplish this. See Isa 13:19. For Iran to get to Israel they must come through Iraq. BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 13:5,6)

10. Central Israel oil discovery: 1.5 Billion Barrels Estimates of the amount of oil in the Rosh HaAyin discovery have risen to 1.5 billion barrels, and there is more oil off-shore, but it is not yet known how much of the “black gold” can be extracted for commercial use. The new estimate, along with the gas and oil finds off the Mediterranean Coast, raise the likelihood that Israel will be self-sufficient for energy for the next three decades and even become an exporter of gas. The amount of oil at Rosh HaAyin represents a tiny percentage of Israel's oil consumption, but development is continuing in the area as well as in the Dead Sea. Economists have noted that the discoveries will have a huge impact on society, creating more jobs and strengthening the shekel against word currencies. Investors in the project at Rosh HaAyin, located on the edge of Samaria and several miles east of Tel Aviv, have been waiting anxiously for months for news about the amounts oil underground at the Megged 5 oil well. Israel National News, August 17, 2010 EVENT COMMENT Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, BIBLE QUOTE (Zechariah 14:1,2) When Russia comes down and invades Israel it does so for a specific reason. To take a spoil. It wants to “loot” Israel. It sees something of value in Israel that it wants to take. Throughout the previous decades many have speculated that perhaps the spOIL might in fact be OIL. See Ezekiel 38:12-13 In the last 18 months Israel has discovered oil and gas reserves for the first time. They have found so much that they could not only be self sufficient in energy but also become an exporter. It could have an enormous transforming effect on the value of their currency and economy. Certainly something a hungry Russia might want…

11. E-MAIL ANDY Click here (Move the mouse until the cursor appears.) To watch again, click here. WWW will be e-mailed to you each week. Please forward the e-mail addresses of others who may be interested. I will include them in the list of recipients. Comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome. Weekly World Watch The end of this week’s