1. January 11 – 17, 2009 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 Waltons 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 prophecys king of the north. The UK and the US: Bible prophecys 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 Gods 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 Gods 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 reporters 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 Weeks Developments To print any of the event slides that follow, click the picture on the upper right Russia seeks Syrian, Iranian help on Gaza truce Pope says Iran should work for peace Rockets fired from Lebanon hit Israel once again Russian warships to visit Syrian port Jews urge EU to act against anti-Semitism January 11 – 17, 2009 'Last chance' gas talks in Moscow

5. Russia seeks Syrian, Iranian help on Gaza truce Russia is becoming increasingly involved with the Israeli / Palestinian conflict. Russia has close ties with Iran, Syria and even Hamas. It is one of the few nations that does not view Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Egypt is also very involved in negotiations. Note how Russia is supporting EGYPTs initiative. It is an EGYPTIAN peace plan. Isaiah 31 speaks of those who go down to Egypt for help – who trust in their advice but do NOT trust or seek for help from the Holy One of Israel. God says that the northern invader (verse 8 says Assyria but = Russia in latter day context) will be miraculously destroyed when he invades Israel. Russia has asked Iran and Syria to help persuade the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas to accept an Egyptian proposal on ending the fighting in Gaza, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday. "Egypt's initiative... is, for us, optimal and we believe all efforts should be thrown into supporting it," Lavrov told a news conference. "In connection with this we are sending corresponding signals to representatives of Hamas, and those states which have influence on Hamas," he said. "First and foremost that is Iran and Syria. We have spoken to our colleagues. I hope that everyone will concentrate on this." The Egyptian peace plan includes securing the Egypt-Gaza border, across which Israel alleges weapons are smuggled, and ending the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Israel said its three-week offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 1,100 Palestinians, could be in the "final act" on Friday after Hamas made a ceasefire offer. Russia maintains close ties to Tehran and Damascus and has official contacts with Hamas, which is shunned by Western powers for refusing to abandon its objective of destroying the Jewish state. Israel News, January 16, 2009 EVENT COMMENT Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help…he who is helped will fall; both will perish together BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 31:1 & 3 NIV)

6. Pope says Iran should work for peace As the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians continues, world leaders struggle to find answers. The Pope has made an increasing number of statements on the conflict. This latest one concerns Iran. The Popes words sound right. Iran should become a force for peace in the region. Iran will certainly not fail to follow this vocation he said. The Bible however says differently. God says that Persia will be involved in the final war against Israel. God says that the Medes (Iranians) will be stirred up. Isaiah 13:17. It is interesting that both the Vatican and Russia are trying to broker peace at the moment. They are little horn of Daniel 7 and the little horn of Daniel 8 respectively. Pope Benedict XVI said Friday that Iran should work for peace in the Middle East and urged Catholics in the country not to emigrate and to cooperate with the Islamic regime. Benedict did not mention the tensions over Teheran's nuclear program and the country's role in Middle Eastern conflicts, but said Iran should become a force for peace in the region. "The Catholic Church never ceases to encourage all those who have at heart the common good and peace between nations," the pope said in a meeting with Iran's bishops. "Iran, a bridge between the Middle East and subcontinental Asia, will certainly not fail to follow this vocation." Benedict said Iran's shrinking Catholic communities must develop "harmonious relations" with Iran's public institutions through cultural and charity efforts. He urged the bishops to encourage Catholics to "remain attached to their land" to help develop the country, the Vatican said in a statement Jerusalem Post, January 16, 2009 EVENT COMMENT Chapter 7 …in this [little] horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. Chapter 8 …a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 7:8 & Daniel 8:9)

7. Rockets fired from Lebanon hit Israel once again Will Lebanon enter the war with Israel? It is highly likely that at some point they will. As the Israeli press have reported – the only reason Hezbollah have accumulated over 45,000 rockets is to fire them at Israel! We have already mentioned Isaiah 31 in the context of the nations seeking Egypt's help and being destroyed. Isaiah 33 speaks of the envoys of peace weeping bitterly (verse 7), the treaty is broken (verse 8). It speaks of brave men crying. It then speaks of the land mourning and wasting away and LEBANON being ashamed. At the time Lebanon is ashamed verse 10 says that God will arise and be exalted. Militants in Lebanon sent rockets crashing into northern Israel on Wednesday, while Israeli aircraft pounded a Gaza cemetery, Hamas weapons positions and tunnels used for smuggling, witnesses and the military said Wednesday. The rockets from Lebanon landed in open areas near the town of Kiryat Shemona, causing no injuries or damage, Israeli police said. Residents of northern Israel were instructed to head to bomb shelters following the second attack from Lebanon in less than a week. The rockets have fuelled Israel's fears that militants in Lebanon could try to open a second front in solidarity with Gaza's Islamic militant Hamas rulers. The Israeli air and ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 940 Palestinians, half of them civilians, according to Palestinian hospital officials. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo Wednesday in diplomatic efforts to end the violence, which began 19 days ago. Thirteen Israelis have also been killed, four of them by rocket fire from Gaza. Associated Press, January 14, 2009 EVENT COMMENT Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 33: 7, 8, 10)

8. Russian warships to visit Syrian port We sometimes quote from a website called DEBKAfile. This organisation is based in Jerusalem and comments on military intelligence. This week DEBKAfile's military sources report that the arrival of the Russian flotilla in wartime is unusual and especially significant given Syria's role as one of the staunchest backers of Hamas which is embroiled in a war against Israel further down the coast in Gaza. Their sources believe Moscow may be signalling its disapproval of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. The Bible in Daniel 8 speaks of the power of the Seleucids. The Seleucid Empire at its peak was enormous stretching out as far as and including Iran in the east to Mesopotamia in the West. At the end of the empire (about 100BC) it was really confined to Syria. Daniel 8 speaks of a latter day Seleucid power that attacks Israel. Ezekiel 38 shows this is Russia. Russia will replace Syria as the final Seleucid power. A naval task force from Russia's Northern Fleet will visit on Monday the Syrian port of Tartus, where the Russian Navy keeps a maintenance and resupply site, a Navy spokesman said. The task force, which includes the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, the Admiral Levchenko destroyer and the Nikolay Chiker salvage tug, is currently on a tour of duty in the Mediterranean. Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said the carrier group had carried out joint exercises with the Turkish Navy last week and would return to its duties in the Mediterranean Sea after visiting Tartus. The Soviet-era Navy maintenance site near Tartus is the only Russian foothold in the Mediterranean. Russian News Agency (RIA), January 12, 2009 EVENT COMMENT And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 8:25)

9. Jews urge EU to act against anti-Semitism The European Jewish Congress called on EU government s yesterday to take action against anti-Semitism during demonstrations against Israels Gaza offensive. The plea follows a wave of attacks on synagogues across the continent and death threats sent to prominent Jewish leaders. In a statement the groups said: European governments and police have ample evidence that some anti-Israel demonstrations have descended into openly anti- Semitic tirades, which on many occasions, call for the killing of European Jews. It urged the European Parliament to pass a resolution condemning the recent wave of anti-Semitic incidents. Among a reported 55 attacks in France, nine fire bombs, were thrown at a Paris Synagogue on Sunday, and a Kosher restaurant was set on fire. Daily Telegraph, January 14, 2009 EVENT COMMENT He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyones hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers BIBLE QUOTE (Genesis 16:12 NIV) We reported last week how anti-Semitism is on the increase in Britain. This week we have the Jewish Congress urging Europe to take action to stop the growing number of attacks on Jews in Europe. France is home to Europe's biggest Muslim and Jewish communities and in recent years, flare-ups between Israel and the Palestinians have often been followed by acts of violence against Jewish people or buildings in France. The Bible prophesied that there would be hatred between Arab/Muslim and Jew. They are in fact half brothers! They both have Abraham as their ultimate father but Abraham had a wife (Sarah) and a concubine (Hagar). But the Jews are descended from Isaac (Sarahs son) and many Arabs are descended from Ishmael (Hagar's son). The angel said to Hagar that Ishmael would become a very numerous people BUT he also went on to say the following words quoted below….

10. 'Last chance' gas talks in Moscow The prime ministers of Russia and Ukraine are to meet in Moscow in an effort to end the dispute disrupting supplies of Russian gas to Europe. However, there are sharp divisions within Ukraine over whether to link transit supplies to supplies for Ukraine itself at the negotiations. The EU has urged Russia and Ukraine to prove they are "credible" partners and said it was their "last chance". A bid to hold a Moscow gas summit on the same day appears to be floundering. Some central and east European states have been reduced to rationing gas. Others have been seeking alternatives to the pipelines carrying Russian gas via Ukraine. Russia ceased supplies of gas to Ukraine on 1 January after talks on the price Kiev should pay in 2009 collapsed. BBConline, January 17, 2009 EVENT COMMENT And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes BIBLE QUOTE (Daniel 8:25) We have mentioned this week how Daniel chapter 8 speaks of a latter day northern power that is connected with the ancient Seleucid empire. In fact the little horn of Daniel 8 was originally Antiochus Epiphanes. This despicable man hated the Jews and invaded Israel. He desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem by sacrificing a pig on the altar. He was a proud, stern and deceitful man. Daniel says that there will be a latter day Antiochus Epiphanes. We know from Daniel 11 and Ezekiel 38 he will be Russian. Putin certainly fits the bill. Note the verse below that he (latter day Antiochus) will cause craft to proper. Craft = being crafty / deceitful. He is treacherous and proud. It then says by peace he destroys many. The word peace is more often translated prosperity! The dictionary says prosperity can mean financial conditions. He uses prosperity to bring destruction.

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 weeks