1. October 19 - 25, 2008 “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 Financial crisis 'like a tsunami' Russian default risk tops Iceland as crisis deepens Sarkozy under attack after EU president proposal Israel considers Saudi plan for peace with Arab world “Russia deploying troops in South Ossetia” October 19 - 25, 2008 Global crisis threatens to undo all U.N.'s work

5. Financial crisis 'like a tsunami' It is probably true to say that many who trusted in the god of money are looking on in “shocked disbelief”. Their belief in wealth and the systems for creating it have been shaken to their very core. It is not just Alan Greenspan talking in these terms. The Deputy Governor of the Bank of England has warned this week that the financial crisis gripping world markets is "the worst in human history" and we are only just beginning to feel the fallout. So we have the worst financial crisis in human history and a financial tsunami. The Bible speaks of “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time:” Daniel 12:1. This time of trouble such as never was, will almost certainly involve total financial collapse at some point. The Bible also speaks of the earth being in distress with perplexity and the sea and waves roaring. Vine’s Dictionary for the New Testament says that the word “perplexity” literally means "at a loss for a way, distress of nations finding no solution to their embarrassments; in the sense of being at one's wit's end, at a loss how to proceed, without resources." We see the distress, we see the perplexity, we see the resources disappearing. There is a financial tsunami, the sea and waves are roaring! Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has called the recent turmoil in the global financial markets a "once in a century credit tsunami". Speaking before Congress, Mr Greenspan, who stood down as Fed chairman in 2006, said the crisis had left him "in a state of shocked disbelief". He added that recovery in the US housing market was "many months" away. However critics said Mr Greenspan could have boosted regulation of the markets to help prevent the crisis. BBConline, October 23, 2008 EVENT COMMENT and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring BIBLE QUOTE (Luke 21:25)

6. Russian default risk tops Iceland as crisis deepens Russia’s financial situation is deteriorating rapidly. The crisis began with its invasion of Georgia. Foreign investors lost confidence in Russia at that point. Since then the global financial crisis is also beginning to take its toll on Russia as well. We have also seen a collapse in the oil price which is Russia’s main revenue. This week Stratfor (a respected American intelligence agency) reported on rumours that the Russian government is about to devalue the ruble because its financial system is precarious. This rumour has caused Russian citizens to increase their demand for US dollars. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin himself had to go on record on Wednesday calling on people to quit cashing in their rubles for dollars, saying, “It’s a dubious business, because it is not clear where the dollar will go.” Stratfor also reports that Russia blames the US government for these rumours. The Kremlin is particularly concerned that there may be an American hand at work. The August 1998 financial crisis destroyed Russia as a modern power for nearly a decade. Russia will not let this happen again. The financial crisis may provoke Russia into action – to take a spoil. Russia's financial crisis is escalating with lightning speed as foreigners pull funds from the country and the debt markets start to price a serious risk of sovereign default. The cost of insuring Russian bonds against bankruptcy rocketed to extreme levels yesterday. President Dmitry Medvedev said yesterday that disaster could still be kept at bay. "We can avoid a banking, forex or debt crisis and get through today's difficulties. Russia has not yet got in this difficult situation. It must avoid this," he said. Daily Telegraph, October 24, 2008 EVENT COMMENT and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, …… To take a spoil BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:10-12)

7. Sarkozy under attack after EU president proposal The financial crisis continues to create political waves. We expect Europe as the symbolic beast of Revelation 17 to come together to make war against Christ and his saints. We do not expect Britain to be part of that system or at least take part with the beast. The French president is calling for a presidential head of Europe for those countries in the “Euro zone”. I.e. those countries that use the Euro as their currency. Britain is NOT one of those countries. We see how Britain could be excluded. We also expect Russia (Gog / Magog) and Europe (Gomer) to unite in a war against Israel. This week Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled a new cooperation strategy with Russia that would build stronger economic links between Russia and Europe. Daily Telegraph, October 25, 2008 EVENT COMMENT These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them BIBLE QUOTE (Revelation 17:13-14) Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of making a power grab to install himself as president of the European Union, a post that no longer exists after the Irish rejected the Lisbon Treaty in June. The French president, who holds the EU's rotating six month presidency until the end of December, has dominated the international stage following the Russian invasion of Georgia in August and the global financial crisis in recent weeks. But he has dismayed Brussels diplomats and angered the Czech Republic, which takes over the EU presidency in January, by suggesting that countries belonging to the euro, with an invitation extended to Britain, should form an emergency "economic government" with President Sarkozy at its head. One Brussels diplomat, from a small EU member state, said: "Mr Sarkozy is trying to become, by the back door, President of the EU. It also seems he wants to be President of France at the same time."

8. Israel considers Saudi plan for peace with Arab world Israeli leaders are seriously considering a dormant Saudi plan offering comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arab world in exchange for lands captured during the 1967 war. Defence Minister Ehud Barak said it may be time to pursue an overall peace deal for the region since individual negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians had made little progress. Mr Barak said he has discussed the Saudi plan with Prime Minister- designate Tzipi Livni, who is in the process of forming a new Israeli government, and that Israel was considering a response. Saudi Arabia first proposed the peace initiative in 2002, offering pan-Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.. Daily Telegraph, October 20, 2008 EVENT COMMENT And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces BIBLE QUOTE (Zechariah 12:3) Behind the scenes Jerusalem is being discussed in Israeli political circles. Why? Well when Ehud Olmert stood down as Israel’s prime minister a few weeks ago his successor Tzipi Livni had just a few weeks to form a new government. Israel’s government is complex. It means that no one party can really ever rule on their own. Ms Livni has to form a coalition government with smaller political parties. Some of these parties are religious as you would expect in Israel. One of the larger religious parties is called Shas. It announced this week it would not join her coalition because Ms Livni refused to rule out talks with the Palestinians concerning the future of the Jerusalem. Shas chairman Eli Yishai this week, "A year ago, the decision was made in Shas that if [the division of] Jerusalem is discussed, it would withdraw from the government. Even more so, it will not join [a government] without a commitment not to negotiate over Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not for sale.” Jerusalem is on the agenda!

9. Georgia Says Russia Deploying Troops in South Ossetia Russia denies Georgia’s claim but if it is true the build-up would violate a cease-fire deal that ended a five-day military conflict in August. The Georgian Interior Ministry voiced fear over the alleged build-up and said Thursday Russia appears to be "preparing provocations" in South Ossetia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov countered with accusations that European monitors in Georgia are ignoring Georgian troop movements near South Ossetia and another breakaway territory, Abkhazia. Earlier this week, the United States accused Moscow of failing to comply with a European-brokered cease-fire signed last month. That agreement requires Russian forces to withdraw to positions held before the outbreak of hostilities. We know that Russia will invade Israel and therefore it will need to break through Georgia on its way down into the Middle East. The situation between Georgia and Russia is likely to remain tense. This gives Russia the opportunity to mass troops in that area. It was Russia’s provoking of Georgia that caused the last war. It may want to provoke another one. Russia wants to become a superpower. Georgia said on Thursday that Russia had deployed 2,000 extra troops in South Ossetia in the past week and was preparing to stir up more trouble in the breakaway territory. Moscow dismissed the charges. "In the past week, Russia increased the number of troops by 2,000 to 7,000 staff," Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told a news conference. "We fear Russia is preparing provocations in South Ossetia," he said. Reuters, October 23, 2008 EVENT COMMENT Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. BIBLE QUOTE (Ezekiel 38:9)

10. Global crisis threatens to undo all U.N.'s work The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achieving world peace. The financial crisis is impacting on the UN’s aims. It will impact economic development, social progress etc. It will have an impact on getting enough food to poor parts of the world. It could also impact on the final objective of the UN – that is world peace! Professor Roubini, an academic and former US Treasury adviser said this week “The Great Depression ended in a massive war. I hope that’s not going to happen but it’s pretty ugly now”. There will be a massive and ugly war. The UN will fail in all its aims. Only the worldwide righteous government of Jesus Christ will succeed. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned his top lieutenants on Friday that the global financial crisis jeopardized everything the United Nations has done to help the world's poor and hungry. "It threatens to undermine all our achievements and all our progress," Ban told a meeting of U.N. agency chiefs devoted to the crisis. "Our progress in eradicating poverty and disease. Our efforts to fight climate change and promote development. To ensure that people have enough to eat." At a meeting also attended by the heads of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, Ban said the credit crunch that has stunned markets worldwide compounded the food crisis, the energy crisis and Africa's development crisis. "It could be the final blow that many of the poorest of the world's poor simply cannot survive," he added, in one of his bleakest assessments of the impact of the financial turmoil. Reuters, October 25, 2008 EVENT COMMENT Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. BIBLE QUOTE (Isaiah 9:7)

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