thetrumpet--2020-02-05--China: The Dictator’s Fantasy

China: The Dictator’s Fantasy

Based on a perfect law , administered by leaders of perfect character People throughout history have realized that society needs government—otherwise , it ’ s every man for himself .
The strong prey on the weak ; the evil take advantage of others .
Society descends into chaos .
But the trouble is , human governments bring their own problems .
The major reason this world ’ s systems of government fail is that they are concocted and administered by human beings under the sway of Satan the devil , an evil being who passionately hates God—and hates the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subjected humanity to oppressive , inept , selfish governments for millennia , he is deceiving us into hating and rejecting all forms of authority—especially God ’ s government .
Look around : Satan ’ s society unceasingly broadcasts brazenly anti-government messages : In media , the husband and father is portrayed as an immature wimp ; at work , the boss as an idiot ; in government , officials are savagely ridiculed .
We must realize just how anti-God all these ideas about government really are !
It is also important we realize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is from any other .
God has a perfect system of governance , revealed in Scripture .
And very soon , it will be the authority all over the Earth .
In his book Mystery of the Ages , Herbert W. Armstrong called God the “ Author of government.
” God is the supreme and only perfect Lawgiver ( James 4:12 ) , and “ The very fact of law presupposes government , ” Mr. Armstrong wrote .
“ Government is the administration and enforcement of law by one in authority .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mystery of the Ages ) .
Even between God the Father and Jesus Christ , the Son clearly spoke of how the Father holds higher authority ( e.g .
John 14:28 ) .
Government is simply an organized system of administering and enforcing law .
The law tells you how to live ; the government administers and enforces that law .
Men ’ s governments administer man ’ s laws ; God ’ s government administers God ’ s law .
A government that is not enforcing God ’ s law is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government of God is of necessity government from the top down , ” Mr. Armstrong continued .
“ It can not be ‘ government by the consent of the governed.
’ Its laws originate and are handed down from God—never legislated by the people—never dictated by the governed how the government over them shall rule them .
… “ [ T ] he government of God is based on the law of God , which is the way of life of outflowing love , cooperation , concern for the good of the governed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace , happiness , cooperation through obedience.
” The Bible reveals that that law can be summarized by the one word love—subdivided into love toward God and love toward neighbor ( Matthew 22:36-40 ) .
“ Jesus magnified this law by showing how its principle expands to cover virtually every possible human infraction .
[ I ] t is so perfect that , by applying its principle , it is a complete law ” ( ibid ) .
When Jesus Christ returns to this Earth in supreme power and glory , that law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Isaiah 2:2-4 ) .
The results will be a world with strong and happy families , a world without murder and hatred , a world of honesty and truth , of giving and contentment , of prosperity and harmony , a world united in knowing and worshiping the one true God .
“ The contrast between the beautiful results of God ’ s government and the wretched results of the governments of Satan ’ s world could not be more stark !
” Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vision .
“ Yet human nature , under Satan ’ s influence , rebels against and rejects God ’ s rule .
Thankfully , this will change when Christ returns .
The devil will be imprisoned , and his anti-God broadcasting will cease ( Revelation 20:1-3 ) .
Men ’ s eyes will be opened to the glorious benefits of being ruled by God , and they will embrace it.
” He then referred to the prophecy in Acts 3:20-21 about that time being called “ the restitution of all things.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth , ” he wrote .
“ That is the most important aspect of this coming ‘ restitution of all things.
’ ” We will look at more of the results this “ restitution of all things ” will achieve later in the article .
But first , let ’ s study some of the specifics the Bible teaches us about God ’ s form of government .
God ’ s law not only shows how to love God and neighbor , it also includes many provisions that explain how to administer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders how to lead in a godly way .
It also tells followers how to follow excellently .
When God ’ s eternal spiritual law is obeyed , it produces a beautiful , harmonious relationship between leader and follower , government and governed .
The principle of God ’ s government is based on the fact that God is at the top .
It is government for the people , but it is not by the people .
The authority emanates from God , and He delegates it to whom He chooses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Deuteronomy ’ s first four chapters , Moses delivered a sermon to the Israelites about their history .
Deuteronomy 1:9-10 show how Moses was acting as God ’ s sole representative , administering His government , but the job was too big for him .
God ’ s solution was to create an organized system of leaders working under Moses in a pyramidal structure ( verses 13-15 ) .
This is the pattern for God ’ s government throughout the Bible .
It is government from the top down , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one man , and people filling various offices under that man .
The pyramidal government structure alone doesn ’ t make it God ’ s government—plenty of worldly organizations use that .
What makes it God ’ s government is that it has God at the top !
In a May 2 , 1974 , member letter , Mr. Armstrong talked about this administration of godly government : “ Here is government from the top ( God ) on down .
… Under the Eternal God in authority was Moses .
Under Moses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands ( it could have been several thousands under each ruler ) .
Under each ruler of a thousand , rulers over hundreds .
Under each ruler of a hundred , rulers of fifties , and under each of them rulers of tens .
It was rule from the top down—that is , from God—it was the government of God !
” To implement that government , each individual in office must be a righteous person who exhibits godly character .
Many people have come to believe that the character of a leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he or she knows how to lead .
To God , this notion is ludicrous .
Throughout the Bible , God concerns Himself with character most of all—not talent , not charisma , not ambition , not some magical “ ability to lead.
” Study , for example , the qualifications for the ministry the Apostle Paul discusses in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 .
What good are other leadership qualities if the leader draws people astray with a corrupt personal example ?
The solution to all mankind ’ s failed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That godly government will consist of God beings with perfect character who are submitted to God .
Nothing else will work !
Human governments often act in their own interests .
That is why they tend to get bigger and bigger , demanding more and more of the people ’ s resources .
God ’ s government is different : It doesn ’ t act in its own interest because God is at the top , and God is love !
God has outgoing concern for the benefit of those under His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His disciples for government positions , on at least one occasion they began to bicker politically about who should have a higher office .
Jesus took the opportunity to show them how utterly different , and entirely unselfish , God ’ s government is .
He said , “ In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people , yet they are called ‘ friends of the people.
’ But among you it will be different .
Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a servant .
Who is more important , the one who sits at the table or the one who serves ?
The one who sits at the table , of course .
But not here !
For I am among you as one who serves ” ( Luke 22:24-27 ; New Living Translation ) .
Godly leadership is service .
Those who implement it live and govern according to God ’ s law of love .
If they prioritize their own interests , they are breaking that law ( Matthew 22:36-40 ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws for Israel ’ s monarchy .
Verse 15 shows that the king was to be God ’ s choice .
God didn ’ t institute anything like democracy—it was still God ’ s government .
This verse also shows that God doesn ’ t want Israelites ruled by non-Israelites .
In verse 16 , God commands the king not to trust in his military .
America has violated both of these laws in recent times .
Verse 17 underscores God ’ s concern with the character of the ruler .
He wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Him—He didn ’ t want him led astray by a lust for women or riches .
This again points to the New Testament counterpart where God demands that a minister be “ the husband of one wife … not greedy of filthy lucre ” ( 1 Timothy 3:2-3 ) .
A leader who is greedy for money is susceptible to corruption , liable to abuse his position at the people ’ s expense .
Such weakness disqualifies an individual to lead , in God ’ s eyes .
In verses 18-20 , God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diligent student of His law .
This makes perfect sense when you remember that God ’ s government is a system of administering and enforcing God ’ s law .
This is true wherever that government is administered , whether within a family , church or nation .
Soon it will be true all over the Earth .
This is essentially the extent of what God ’ s government will be doing in the World Tomorrow : 1 ) educating people in God ’ s law ; teaching people how to lead happy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in their families , with their neighbors and in their nations ; and 2 ) administering and enforcing God ’ s law , ensuring justice among the people by judging according to that law .
( This involves bringing criminals to judgment and protecting the people from outside aggressors .
Within God ’ s nation , this ultimately includes destroying any foreign aggressors . )
Within a church or nation , God ’ s government also operates a centralized system of worship .
The purpose of God ’ s government is extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to realize just how revolutionary it is compared to all the flavors of government in Satan ’ s world .
What God ’ s Government Does Not Do Anciently , when the Israelites demanded a king , God gave Samuel important insights into the pitfalls of human governments , which Samuel relayed to the people ( 1 Samuel 8:10-18 ) .
God warned that a human-led government would be oppressive .
It would introduce burdensome taxes , becoming bloated and centralized .
This is what human-led governments tend to do : They get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wealth—wealth that should remain in the hands of citizens .
God ’ s government is far more generous , far less intrusive , and far more interested in the prosperity and happiness of the people .
Consider some things God ’ s government does not do—things that become very problematic when governments do them .
God ’ s government does not manage people ’ s money—neither for health care nor retirement .
( Those programs are bringing America and many other Western nations down .
The socialistic mindset—that government will provide for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is why it fails . )
God ’ s government does not own or run businesses that compete with businesses run by private industry .
God ’ s government facilitates wealth creation rather than interfering with it .
God ’ s government does not legislate new laws .
God only has about 600 laws .
Man ’ s governments , by contrast , constantly create new laws .
In God ’ s system of administration , there is no legislature .
In ancient Israel , if Moses needed guidance in a matter he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he appealed to God , who gave him judgments in accordance with the existing law .
That ’ s the way it was in ancient Israel—that ’ s how it will be in the World Tomorrow !
James 4:12 says there is one Lawgiver : God .
Governmental positions under the Lawgiver are administrative—administering the law of God that already exists .
God ’ s government is so simple .
It teaches the law , and it administers and enforces the law .
That is why God ’ s entire government—whether over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire world—can operate on such a limited budget .
It stays out of people ’ s business as they strive to keep the law .
In the Millennium , people will tithe and give offerings the same as God ’ s people do in God ’ s Church today .
Wealth is going to grow .
Justice , equity and peace will spread !
As God ’ s government teaches , administers and enforces God ’ s law—His way of life—the whole world will be able to enjoy the affection and love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the serving and helping way of life—the way that God and the Word have enjoyed forever !
Jesus Christ is about to return and take His place as King of kings , governing all the Earth .
You can read about this in the wonderful prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 : “ For unto us a child is born , unto us a son is given : and the government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be called Wonderful , Counsellor , The mighty God , The everlasting father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ titles !
What a wonderful picture of the blessing this government will be .
“ 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 .
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this ” ( verse 7 ) .
God is zealous about this !
Mr. Armstrong said the “ restoration of God ’ s government is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mind.
” The Bible is full of beautiful prophecies describing conditions that will result when this government is restored .
Mr. Armstrong describes these in inspiring detail in The Wonderful World Tomorrow—What It Will Be Like ( free upon request ) .
“ Now notice just how the new world government will function !
” he wrote in Chapter 4 , “ The New World Government.
” “ All officials will be appointed—and by the divine Christ , who reads and knows men ’ s hearts , their inner character , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ ll find a description of Christ ’ s supernatural insight into the very character of others in Isaiah 11:2-5 .
… Think of it—no money wasted on political campaigns .
No splits in political parties with quarreling and hatreds .
No political parties !
” Christ and His governing Family will bring about this utopia through two basic courses of action , Mr. Armstrong continued : “ 1 ) All crime and organized rebellion will be put down by force—divine supernatural force .
2 ) Christ will then set His hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiritually convert , the world.
” On the first point , the most important step Christ will take is to depose and imprison Satan the devil , “ the god of this [ present ] world , ” whose evil influence manifests itself in human nature in all of mankind ’ s interactions ( 2 Corinthians 4:4 ; Revelation 20:1-2 ) .
The end of his malevolent broadcasting will immediately change the course of the world .
But whatever of man ’ s stubbornness and unteachability remains , Christ will confront by ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Revelation 19:15 ) .
As for the second action , once human nature is eliminated God will be able to put His law into people ’ s minds and write it on their hearts ( Jeremiah 31:33 ; Hebrews 8:10 ; 10:16 ) .
“ When God ’ s laws are in our hearts—when we love God ’ s ways , and in our hearts want to live by them , human nature will be put under subjection—people will want to live the way that is the cause of peace , happiness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Armstrong continued .
With the Prince of Peace overseeing a government of righteous , incorruptible leaders administering a perfect law of love , with satanic broadcasts stopped and true education universal ( Habakkuk 2:14 ) , with all individuals worldwide developing a loving , personal relationship with the one and only true God , a truly utopian world will result !
Scripture amply describes life brimming over with pure water , nutritious food , favorable weather , fertile deserts , agricultural abundance , robust health , satisfying work , efficient economies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ architecture , clean energy , happy families and harmonious communities .
God ’ s government will produce all these conditions and lead all human beings to fully realizing their incredible God-given potential !

What happens when one man attains absolute power over hundreds of millions?
“I begged them to kill me,” said Mihrigul Tursun. “Each time I was electrocuted, my whole body would shake violently, and I could feel the pain in my veins.”
Tursun was describing the torture she suffered while being held for months with 60 other women in an internment camp. Their cell was small and suffocating. They slept in turns, with most standing to make floor space for the few whose turn it was to lie down. They were routinely beaten, electrocuted, and forced to take unknown medications, including capsules that caused them to blackout and a liquid that caused bleeding in some and cessation of menstruation in others. During Tursun’s final three months, nine women from her cell died. All the while, in an Orwellian twist, the women were made to sing songs praising their captors.
And here is an important detail: Tursun’s nightmare did not happen decades ago in some long-shuttered concentration camp. It happened in an internment network run by her own national government, and it is still operating right now.
‘The Great Family of Chinese National Territory’
Mihrigul Tursun is an ethnic Uyghur from Xinjiang. This region, south of Kazakhstan and Mongolia, was long contested by the Mongols, the Chinese and several Turkic groups until the Qing Dynasty brought it under China’s control in the 18th century. Ever since, Xinjiang has been an intermittent flash point for tensions between the Uyghurs, who are mostly Turkic-speaking Muslims, and the Han Chinese, Mandarin-speaking atheists who comprise more than 90 percent of China’s total population.
The anxieties intensified throughout the 1990s: The Kazakhs, Kyrgyzians and other Turkic-speaking, Muslim, Communist neighbors seceded from the Soviet Union and formed independent nations bearing their names. Many Uyghurs sought to make Xinjiang a sovereign nation as well: Uyghuristan. But Chinese leaders were bent on keeping Xinjiang locked into what they call “the great family of Chinese national territory.”
The tensions exploded in 2008 when Uyghurs protested Chinese oppression with terrorist bus bombings and attacks on police facilities. Chinese authorities said the violence killed hundreds of people, mainly Han Chinese, and deployed large numbers of People’s Liberation Army soldiers to Xinjiang’s largest city, Ürümqi. The violent outbursts continued throughout the next few years, but the Chinese Communist Party kept tightening its grip on Xinjiang.
Then a new man was appointed leader of China. He would tighten the Communist Party’s grip to a choke hold.
‘Nets Above and Snares Below’
When Xi Jinping became general secretary of the Communist Party in late 2012, he was a relatively obscure personality in Chinese politics. Most experts believed he would lead the nation in the tradition of his most recent predecessors, maintaining the status quo.
But Xi began almost immediately to confound those forecasts.
Rather than keeping the “first among equals” brand of leadership followed by his recent predecessors, he embraced a strongman approach. He bypassed State Council authorities by creating policymaking party groups, many of which he personally chairs. He took direct control of writing policy on everything from China’s economy and international relations to its Internet regulations. Xi waged an anti-corruption campaign resulting in the arrest or imprisonment of a breathtaking 1.4 million Communist Party members. He disappeared dissidents and hundreds of human rights lawyers in waves of arrests. He also implemented profound military reforms that made him the unchallenged head of China’s vast army.
“[H]e not only controls the military,” Shanghai-based military expert Ni Lexiong told the Associated Press, “but also does it in an absolute manner. [H]e is ready to command personally.”
In April 2014, just weeks after knife-wielding Uyghur terrorists killed 31 people and injured 141, Xi made an official visit to Xinjiang. Hours after his departure, a Uyghur bomb tore through an Ürümqi train station, killing three and injuring 79.
Xi seemed to take the attacks as a direct challenge to his authority and to China’s overall stability. “Build steel walls and iron fortresses,” he said later that year while announcing a “People’s War on Terrorism.” He told party leaders in Xinjiang: “Set up nets above and snares below. Cracking down severely on violent terrorist activities must be the focus of our current struggle.”
Xi’s government lost no time making his vision a reality. And the campaign quickly began to extend far beyond a crackdown just on “violent terrorist activities.”
Cultural Genocide
By May 2015, when Mihrigul Tursun was first detained, Xinjiang was being transformed into a state of inescapable surveillance and “predictive policing.” There were ubiquitous cameras, thousands of police checkpoints, and hundreds of what the Chinese government euphemistically calls “reeducation” or “vocational training” schools. It was in these facilities that Tursun was tortured for months on end.
She was detained upon returning to China from Egypt, where her husband lived. Since the Chinese Communist Party views Egypt as a potential radicalization zone, party officials snatched her and abused her until they were convinced that she posed no threat to societal stability. Vast numbers of other Xinjiang residents have suffered similarly for far less.
Various sources put the total number of Uyghurs and other Xinjiang Muslims detained in the camps in 2019 between 1.1 million and 3 million. This is of a total population of just 10 million Uyghurs, which grows to 12 million when the count includes non-Uyghur Muslims, some of whom have also been detained.
Xi’s government says the purpose of holding these individuals is to educate religious extremism out of their thinking and to teach them Mandarin and job skills. But evidence from survivors such as Tursun and from two caches of highly classified Communist Party documents reveal the true goal: Xi Jinping is using his dictatorial powers to perpetrate cultural genocide.
‘The Organs of Dictatorship’
Before Xi, the Communist Party portrayed China as a multiethnic society that believed in cultural pluralism. In this spirit, it permitted various minority populations certain government-sanctioned expressions of distinction. But Xi has changed that. He has shown himself determined to “Sinicize” Xinjiang and to subdue and assimilate Uyghurs into a monolithic Han culture.
“The organs of dictatorship” must be used to subdue the region, Xi told Communist Party leaders during a 2014 speech that was transcribed among the documents leaked in 2019. “Show absolutely no mercy,” he said. “The weapons of the people’s democratic dictatorship must be wielded without any hesitation or wavering.”
Inside Xinjiang’s camps and prisons, Chinese agents are implementing these orders. They are forcing detainees to consume alcohol and pork and forbidding them to pray or speak their language. They are subjecting those who resist to torture, sexual abuse, forced abortions, sterilization and transplanting their organs against their will. The organs of dictatorship.
Outside of the camps, Xinjiang has been transformed into the world’s most technologically advanced and obtrusive police state. Arabic script and Islamic imagery is being eradicated from businesses and homes, often replaced by pictures of Xi and Communist China’s founder, Mao Zedong. Mosques and Muslim graveyards are being systematically destroyed.
The Communist Party is not only detaining Uyghurs, but they are often replacing them, in their own households and in their own beds next to their wives with Han Chinese men. The party is literally breeding Uyghur genes out of Xinjiang: genocide by father replacement.
This and more was confirmed to the world when the party’s internal documents were leaked. Yet the leak and the international condemnation that followed does not seem to have shaken Xi. He has claimed that the personal testimonies and leaked papers are “fabrication and fake news.” The Global Times, which his party controls, recently praised Xi’s “training centers” in Xinjiang for their success in turning potential extremists into “normal people.”
While he used the “organs of dictatorship” to commit cultural genocide, including cutting organs out of unwilling victims, Xi was also successful in early 2018 in removing the constitutional term limits on his rule. His organs of dictatorship can now continue for the rest of his life.
It is clear that this self-justifying and unfathomably powerful Chinese dictator will keep on asserting his will upon the Uyghurs and all of China’s 1.4 billion people. And this will result in profound suffering for millions far beyond “the great family of Chinese national territory.”
The Ends Justify the Means
In the modern age, Xi’s immense and almost entirely unchecked powers seem somewhat anomalous. But history is filled with dictators like him. Such men have almost always produced broad-scale abuses of human beings like those now underway in Xinjiang.
Give government enough power, and this is what happens.
Qin Shi Huang, Ghengis Khan, Vlad the Impaler, Ivan the Terrible, King Leopold ii and Adolf Hitler: All used the organs of dictatorship to gruesome effect. Xi’s fellow champions of communism are notorious for it: Mongolia’s Khorloogiin Choibalsan killed tens of thousands of his people; Cambodia’s Pol Pot killed almost 2 million of his own people. But they were merely bullies on a playground compared to the Soviet Union’s Joseph Stalin, who slaughtered 20 million to 60 million. Then there was Mao Zedong, Xi’s recent predecessor, under whose despotic reign 65 to 75 million Chinese people were starved, tortured, bullied to suicide or executed as traitors. “Every Communist must grasp this truth,” Mao said. “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
Over and over again, when a human government is given great amounts of unchecked power, genocide, politicide, democide, repression and egregious human rights violations are inevitable. This is often because the leaders feel violence is justified to build a better world, and they succeed in selling their vision to supporters. In many cases, it is a matter of leftist, utopianist tyrants who believe the ends justify the means. My vision is noble, and my ideals are virtuous. I must use absolute force to quash dissent so my ideals can become reality. I must wield my power pitilessly today to create a beautiful world for tomorrow.
When an authoritarian is driven by such thinking, the throat of liberty is slit. Human rights are blindfolded and shot in the street. And rule of law is publicly guillotined. These are all necessary casualties in the pursuit of the larger goal. They are the blood sacrifices that must be offered up to the “greater good.”
Bible prophecy reveals that Xinjiang is just the beginning—such authoritarian governments and policies will soon dominate the world.


thetrumpet--2020-02-05--Europe’s Naval Mission To Counter Iran in the Persian Gulf

During the “ Northern Coasts ” naval autumn maneuver in September 2019 , a helicopter lands on a corvette of the German Navy on the Baltic Sea .
The United Kingdom has left the European Union , and now , after years of Trumpet forecasting , Europe is beginning to unite against a common threat .
France ’ s first frigate began patrolling the Persian Gulf on January 30 as part of the new European naval mission to protect its vessels by deterring future Iranian attacks .
A Dutch frigate is due to join the mission within the next two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministry , the mission “ aims to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz , while protecting European and international economic interests.
” The European Maritime Surveillance Mission in the Strait of Hormuz ( emasoh ) will aim to escort and protect its oil tankers and cargo ships traversing the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz , which facilitates about 30 percent of all seaborne crude oil trade .
Only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and with most of its coastline controlled by Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attack .
The U.S. Energy Information Administration called it “ the world ’ s most important oil transport choke point.
” After several attacks on oil tankers and Saudi oil processing facilities last year , a trove of condemning evidence points to Iran as the culprit .
As a result , France has pushed Europe to become more active in the region to counter Iranian aggression .
The French ministry claimed that the regional instability caused by the attacks , allegedly by Iran , have “ undermined the freedom of navigation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and have “ jeopardized trade and energy supply , which is likely to have economic consequences in the whole world.
” emasoh has now gained the support of eight European nations : Belgium , Denmark , France , Greece , Italy , Netherlands , Portugal and , most importantly , Germany .
Ever since the breakup of the Ottoman Empire , the Middle East has become synonymous with proxy warfare—where major powers indirectly fight their wars .
Britain , France , Russia and the United States have historically been those major powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way out , and a new contender is stepping in to replace it .
On Dec. 19 , 2018 , U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan to withdraw American troops from Syria—and the Middle East .
While the Trump administration has compromised on its plan , stating that it would leave a few hundred troops , the trend shows that America is on the way out .
On January 8 , the U.S. called on the EU to take over the Middle East .
Since then , Germany has significantly increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany and two other European nations triggered the Iran nuclear deal Dispute Resolution Mechanism on January 14 , a process that could lead to reimposing United Nations sanctions on Iran .
On January 16 , German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas visited Benghazi , Libya .
Three days later , Germany hosted a diplomatic conference to discuss solutions to the civil war in Libya .
Though the meeting was a complete failure , to Europe , it highlighted the need for German intervention .
Now , Germany has joined Europe ’ s anti-Iran naval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment , Germany is not leading the mission , nor has it committed any military hardware to the mission .
However , this will change .
Though all of Germany ’ s moves in the Middle East have been relatively small and almost unnoticeable , it shows a dangerous trajectory .
Germany wants to get more involved , not only politically , but also militarily .
For anyone who has studied history , this should be alarming news .
It should be reported by every major news agency .
But the sad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the world is actually pleading for more German leadership—just as it did during the 1930s .
The Trumpet and its predecessor the Plain Truth have followed this trend ever since Germany lost World War ii and went underground planning its return to power .
Though we have seen a recent upsurge in German leadership in the Middle East , the nation has a long history of involvement in the region .
Notice what Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry writes in The King of the South ( free upon request ) : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturing or arms trading agreements in Afghanistan , Algeria , Cyprus , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Djibouti , Egypt , Iraq , Israel , Lebanon , Mali , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Somalia , South Sudan , Sudan , Syria , Turkey , Uganda , United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan ( see the infographic below , or click here ) .
This military infrastructure and diplomatic alliances are already in place as Germany is preparing to confront Iran , a confrontation prophesied in the Bible nearly 2,500 years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him : and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind , with chariots , and with horsemen , and with many ships ; and he shall enter into the countries , and shall overflow and pass over.
” The Moffat translation says he will “ storm at him like a whirlwind.
” This attack by the king of the north will surround and envelope the king of the south .
Who are these two powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr .
Flurry writes : Iran ’ s sabotage of foreign oil tankers ( such as on June 13 ) , attacks on oil processing facilities ( such as at Abaqiq on September 13 ) , and its nuclear belligerence ( including missile testing and uranium enrichment ) are all ways that Iran is pushing at the king of the north .
Mr .
Flurry has identified the king of the north as a German-led , 10-nation European Union as forecast by Plain Truth founder Herbert W. Armstrong .
In a co-worker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Armstrong wrote : The prophecy of Daniel 2 , concerning the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar ’ s dream of a stupendous image , foretold the rise of other world empires to follow Babylon of 604 b.c .
Following was to come the Persian Empire , to be succeeded by the Greco-Macedonian Empire , and it in turn by the Roman Empire of 31 b.c .
to a.d. 476 .
It was restored by Justinian in a.d. 554 , first with a Roman leadership , then a French in 800 , then the German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holy Roman Empire .
It was followed by the Habsburg Austrian dynasty , and by a brief “ restoration ” under Mussolini , … this in turn is to be followed ( and is now forming ) by a united Europe … covering both East and West Europe , as pictured by the feet and toes of Daniel 2:44 .
Then in a letter dated Feb. 25 , 1985 , a couple years before the signing of the Single European Act , which established more political cooperation and further cemented economic ties in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the post-Brexit European Union has 27 member states .
According to Bible prophecy , 10 nations or groups of nations in Europe will unite to form the king of the north .
When this German-led superpower finally attacks Iran , it will come with “ many ships ” as Daniel 11:40 states .
Already , we are beginning to see Europe move toward this direction , as eight nations are now supportive of the European naval mission .
The king of the north will sweep through Libya , Egypt , Ethiopia and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” in order to destroy Iran and its radical Islamic network ( Daniel 11:42-43 ) .
This mighty , powerful northern army will even surround the city of Jerusalem .
This horrific world war leads directly to the greatest event on this Earth : the prophesied coming of Jesus Christ .
Daniel 2:44 says , “ And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom , which shall never be destroyed : and the kingdom shall not be left to other people , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these kingdoms , and it shall stand for ever.
” When Christ comes , He will “ brake in pieces ” this European power and set up an eternal kingdom that will finally bring real , lasting peace to this Earth .
For more information about this coming clash , read the November-December Watch Jerusalem cover story , “ How Iran Will Be Conquered , ” by Gerald Flurry .

The United Kingdom has left the European Union, and now, after years of Trumpet forecasting, Europe is beginning to unite against a common threat.
France’s first frigate began patrolling the Persian Gulf on January 30 as part of the new European naval mission to protect its vessels by deterring future Iranian attacks. A Dutch frigate is due to join the mission within the next two weeks.
According to the French Defense Ministry, the mission “aims to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, while protecting European and international economic interests.”
Today the frigate @HNLMS_RUYT sails to the Street of Hormuz. As part of the European-Led mission Awareness Strait of Hormuz. Objectives: Maritime security, freedom of navigation and de-escalation of tensions.
Safe voyage for the 200 sailors on board! #ambconf #diplomatie #EMASoH pic.twitter.com/i1hc25DPgp — PJ Kleiweg (@PJKleiweg) January 28, 2020
The European Maritime Surveillance Mission in the Strait of Hormuz (emasoh) will aim to escort and protect its oil tankers and cargo ships traversing the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, which facilitates about 30 percent of all seaborne crude oil trade.
Only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and with most of its coastline controlled by Iran, the shipping lane is highly vulnerable to attack. The U.S. Energy Information Administration called it “the world’s most important oil transport choke point.”
After several attacks on oil tankers and Saudi oil processing facilities last year, a trove of condemning evidence points to Iran as the culprit. As a result, France has pushed Europe to become more active in the region to counter Iranian aggression.
The French ministry claimed that the regional instability caused by the attacks, allegedly by Iran, have “undermined the freedom of navigation and the safety of European and foreign ships” and have “jeopardized trade and energy supply, which is likely to have economic consequences in the whole world.”
emasoh has now gained the support of eight European nations: Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and, most importantly, Germany.
A New Contender
Ever since the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, the Middle East has become synonymous with proxy warfare—where major powers indirectly fight their wars. Britain, France, Russia and the United States have historically been those major powers. However, the U.S. is on the way out, and a new contender is stepping in to replace it.
On Dec. 19, 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan to withdraw American troops from Syria—and the Middle East. While the Trump administration has compromised on its plan, stating that it would leave a few hundred troops, the trend shows that America is on the way out.
On January 8, the U.S. called on the EU to take over the Middle East. Since then, Germany has significantly increased its involvement in Middle East affairs.
Germany and two other European nations triggered the Iran nuclear deal Dispute Resolution Mechanism on January 14, a process that could lead to reimposing United Nations sanctions on Iran. On January 16, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas visited Benghazi, Libya. Three days later, Germany hosted a diplomatic conference to discuss solutions to the civil war in Libya. Though the meeting was a complete failure, to Europe, it highlighted the need for German intervention.
Now, Germany has joined Europe’s anti-Iran naval mission in the Persian Gulf. At the moment, Germany is not leading the mission, nor has it committed any military hardware to the mission. However, this will change.
Though all of Germany’s moves in the Middle East have been relatively small and almost unnoticeable, it shows a dangerous trajectory. Germany wants to get more involved, not only politically, but also militarily.
For anyone who has studied history, this should be alarming news. It should be reported by every major news agency. But the sad reality is, instead of being alarmed, the world is actually pleading for more German leadership—just as it did during the 1930s.
The Trumpet and its predecessor the Plain Truth have followed this trend ever since Germany lost World War ii and went underground planning its return to power.
Though we have seen a recent upsurge in German leadership in the Middle East, the nation has a long history of involvement in the region. Notice what Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry writes in The King of the South (free upon request):
Germany has expected to clash with Iran, and it has been working on a strategy for a decade or more. That strategy is almost complete. Germany has surrounded Iran.
Germany has military deployments, outsourced arms manufacturing or arms trading agreements in Afghanistan, Algeria, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Mali, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan (see the infographic below, or click here). This military infrastructure and diplomatic alliances are already in place as Germany is preparing to confront Iran, a confrontation prophesied in the Bible nearly 2,500 years ago.
Europe Conquers Iran
Daniel 11:40 says: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.” The Moffat translation says he will “storm at him like a whirlwind.” This attack by the king of the north will surround and envelope the king of the south.
Who are these two powers?
In The King of the South, Mr. Flurry writes:
All indications point to Iran as the nation that produces the king of the south. … The king of the south is about state-sponsored terrorism. That is how Iran became king! … It is about a nation that is always pushy in its foreign policy. It pushes until it starts a war. … Who else could it be in this end time but Iran?
Iran’s sabotage of foreign oil tankers (such as on June 13), attacks on oil processing facilities (such as at Abaqiq on September 13), and its nuclear belligerence (including missile testing and uranium enrichment) are all ways that Iran is pushing at the king of the north.
Mr. Flurry has identified the king of the north as a German-led, 10-nation European Union as forecast by Plain Truth founder Herbert W. Armstrong. In a co-worker letter dated June 22, 1983, Mr. Armstrong wrote:
The prophecy of Daniel 2, concerning the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a stupendous image, foretold the rise of other world empires to follow Babylon of 604 b.c. Following was to come the Persian Empire, to be succeeded by the Greco-Macedonian Empire, and it in turn by the Roman Empire of 31 b.c. to a.d. 476. It was restored by Justinian in a.d. 554, first with a Roman leadership, then a French in 800, then the German dynasty of Otto the Great called the Holy Roman Empire. It was followed by the Habsburg Austrian dynasty, and by a brief “restoration” under Mussolini, … this in turn is to be followed (and is now forming) by a united Europe … covering both East and West Europe, as pictured by the feet and toes of Daniel 2:44.
Then in a letter dated Feb. 25, 1985, a couple years before the signing of the Single European Act, which established more political cooperation and further cemented economic ties in Europe, he warned:
Daniel’s prophecy in chapter 2 pictures 10 nations in Europe in our time right now, as the 10 toes on the two feet of the great symbolic image. Five of these toes picture five nations in Western Europe and five in Eastern Europe.
Today, the post-Brexit European Union has 27 member states. According to Bible prophecy, 10 nations or groups of nations in Europe will unite to form the king of the north.
When this German-led superpower finally attacks Iran, it will come with “many ships” as Daniel 11:40 states. Already, we are beginning to see Europe move toward this direction, as eight nations are now supportive of the European naval mission.
The king of the north will sweep through Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia and even into Israel, the “glorious land,” in order to destroy Iran and its radical Islamic network (Daniel 11:42-43). This mighty, powerful northern army will even surround the city of Jerusalem.
This horrific world war leads directly to the greatest event on this Earth: the prophesied coming of Jesus Christ.
Daniel 2:44 says, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” When Christ comes, He will “brake in pieces” this European power and set up an eternal kingdom that will finally bring real, lasting peace to this Earth.
For more information about this coming clash, read the November-December Watch Jerusalem cover story, “How Iran Will Be Conquered,” by Gerald Flurry.


thetrumpet--2020-02-05--Terrorist Stabbing Shakes London

Terrorist Stabbing Shakes London

On January 27 , the world commemorated the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
Holocaust Remembrance Day is a sobering reminder of the perils of world war—and the destruction it brings .
As we look back to the liberation and freedom that took place over 75 years ago , it ’ s important to also ask the question , Could it happen again ?
The German Army played a major role in the extermination of millions of Jews .
And a recent report about the Bundeswehr raises new concerns .
In October , a right-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Holocaust at a synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle .
Only a heavy wooden door saved the lives of many of the Jews that day .
Anti-Semitism and related right-wing extremist acts have become more common and are increasingly more violent .
“ In total , authorities identified over 24,000 active right-wing extremists in 2018 , with over half considered capable of violent attacks , ” Deutsche Welle reported .
“ They estimate that number will have increased by one third in 2019 , in large part due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) , the nation ’ s largest opposition party in the Bundestag.
” But perhaps even more concerning are the numbers of extremists in uniform , particularly those in Germany ’ s army .
The Military Counterintelligence Service ( mad ) is investigating around 550 cases on suspicion of right-wing extremism in the Army .
In 2019 , 360 cases were added to the investigation , Christof Gramm , president of mad , told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag .
Especially concerning are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Special Forces Command ( ksk ) .
ksk is seen as the pinnacle of the Bundeswehr ’ s personnel and often portrayed as a corresponding role model .
Sadly , it also leads in an unusually high number of right-wing extremist cases .
The number of suspects is , in relation to the number of its staff , five times as high as in the rest of the troop .
If the elite forces and a few hundred army soldiers openly show their extremist mindset , how many harbor it secretly ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have investigations previously been lacking , and why haven ’ t more fellow soldiers sounded the alarm ?
The truth could be worse than many suspect .
In Extreme Security , Caroline Walter talks about right-wing extremism within Germany ’ s military and its law enforcement agencies .
Walter told Deutsche Welle that the recent revelations are likely just the “ tip of the iceberg.
” She said : “ The problem in the Bundeswehr is that whoever points out right-wing extremism is still a backstabber who ’ s violating the spirit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the brigade ” is what unifies the armed forces and gives them communality .
But in that spirit , right-wing extremists have been tolerated for years .
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Hans-Peter Bartels emphasized over and again in an interview with Deutschlandfunk.de that the individual extremist cases stand completely contrary to the Army ’ s democratic values .
Bartels explained that there are some in the army who “ behave in a way that has nothing to do with this democratic Bundeswehr , but perhaps ties in with the far distanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But is the German Army really the bulwark of democratic values that Bartels and other officials claim it to be ?
Truth be told , the Bundeswehr was built on the foundation of its Nazi past .
Over 80 percent of the approximately 15,000 officers who laid the foundation of the German Army in 1959 fought under Hitler just a few years previous .
German historian Johannes Hürter said Adolf Heusinger , who was appointed to build the new German Army and later became chairman of the nato Military Committee , served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisers .
So , there have always been Nazis in the German Army .
But what is shocking is that fewer and fewer feel the need to hide their right-wing extremist mindset .
Many decades after the war one might expect that the last shovel of dirt has been heaped on the grave of Nazism .
Instead , Nazism is seeing somewhat of a revival .
Why ?
The late theologian Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in the September 1948 Plain Truth : In Germany ’ s Conquest of the Balkans , Trumpet editor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documented evidence that reveals just how the Nazis went underground and how they planned to reemerge .
Some few understand that these events were prophesied .
Those who understand the Bible ’ s revelation about Germany ’ s reemerging Nazi past can also take hope that we are about to see an end to this evil empire .
Mr. Armstrong predicted that attempts to prevent a reemergence of Germany ’ s Nazi past would fail .
He based this prediction on a prophecy in Revelation 17 : “ The beast that thou sawest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shall ascend out of the bottomless pit , and go into perdition : and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder … .
And there are seven kings : five are fallen , and one is , and the other is not yet come ; and when he cometh , he must continue a short space ” ( verses 8 , 10 ) .
Mr. Armstrong lived at the time when the sixth head of this empire was on the scene .
It was then that God revealed to him that an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise on the heels of Nazi Germany .
This prophecy is now coming true .
( Request a free copy of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire for a detailed explanation of this and related prophecies . )
We are now living through the rise of the final resurrection of this empire .
Many may disregard these early stages as insignificant , like they disregarded the warning signs before World War ii .
But Bible prophecy is certain : Unless the world heeds God ’ s warning message and repents , a terrible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in world affairs ( Matthew 24 ) .
Read “ The Nazi Underground—Revealed !
” and request a free copy of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire to understand how and why the Nazi empire is resurfacing today .

A terrorist motivated by radical Islamic ideology stabbed two in London on February 2 after being released from prison without an assessment. The attack raises questions about the leniency of Britain’s prison system and exposes the weakness of authorities in preventing known terrorists from roaming the streets. Yesterday’s attack joins a growing list of violence, and if nothing changes, this attack will not be London’s last.
The 20-year-old attacker, Sudesh Amman, began a stabbing spree in London’s southern neighborhood of Streatham. Wearing a fake suicide vest, he stabbed and wounded a man and woman before nearby police shot and killed him.
Amman’s assault was the second Islamic terrorist act in London by a released prisoner within two months.
The attack could have been worse. It was stopped by the close proximity of counterterrorism officers. Amman was known to the police, and the plainclothes officers had been following him. But the fact that a convicted terrorist made it onto the streets of London reveals a flaw in Britain’s police system. It raises several questions. Is a quick response good enough when a hate-filled attacker, motivated by radical Islam, wounds or kills a law-abiding citizen? Is it worthwhile to expend police resources shadowing a known terrorist, or should the attacker have been kept in prison?
What happened in Streatham demonstrates the main problem with Britain’s approach to policing: Britain is trying to fix the symptoms of its terrorism problem without removing the cause.
Up to 180 convicted terrorists were released early over the past two decades, according to the Telegraph. That does not include terrorists who were released after serving a full sentence. Police resources are being poured into trailing these terrorists. In the coming months, 14 terrorists are due to be released in like manner. Meanwhile, enforcement of other basic laws is also being neglected. Theft cases have been ignored to the point that the crime has effectively been “decriminalized,” Caroline Goodwin, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, told the Telegraph.
This is the same unresolved problem that allowed another convicted terrorist, Usman Khan, to kill two people in November. Khan was supposed to be attending a rehab conference. He was a poster boy for Britain’s deradicalization process. Yet none of that stopped him. Statistics show that even if Sunday’s attacker had been through these programs, chances are they would have failed to change him. They have been proved ineffective 95 percent of the time.
But the problem goes deeper than this. A reformation of policy or an improvement in reeducation efforts will not solve this crisis. Solving it requires a totally different law than what politicians can provide. (Trumpet executive editor Stephen Flurry discussed this in his February 3 episode of the Trumpet Daily Radio Show.)
Why are Britain’s cities, symbolic of modern humanity’s progress, home to these epidemics of violence?
Only one law clearly answers this.
God says that because of our failure to repent and turn to His laws, our societies will be cursed with terror. His warning is more relevant than ever in this 21st century. “And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgements, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror …” (Leviticus 26:15-16). This prophecy is aimed specifically at modern Britain, as well as the United States (order your free copy of The United States and Britain in Prophecy to learn more). The curse of terrorism will not go away because Britain refuses to turn to God’s law.
Terrorism will continue until Christ’s return, when He will establish God’s law over all mankind. There is hope for mankind, but that hope does not lie in politicians and man’s law. You, as an individual, can choose to follow God’s law and avoid the suffering, which lawlessness brings.
To understand why anti-terror programs have not made our cities safe, and what the true solution is, watch Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s Key of David episode “The Only Way to Win Our Terrorist War.”


thetrumpet--2020-02-04--What Is Next for Great Britain?

What Is Next for Great Britain?

Like all of the minor and major prophets in the Old Testament , the primary focus for the book of @ @ @ @ @ .
The message delivered anciently was only a type of what is occurring today .
@ @ @ @ @ that must be delivered now !
Hosea was written first of all to God ’ @ @ @ @ @ end time .
That is how the book is introduced in the very first chapter @ @ @ @ @ understood before—not until now !
God deals with His Church first because that is the @ @ @ @ @ God ’ s next major concern , in this book , is the British peoples @ @ @ @ @ is concerned about the nation of Judah , called ‘ Israel ’ today .
Hosea @ @ @ @ @ sow the wind are going to reap the whirlwind !
But there is a beautiful @ @ @ @ @

Like all of the minor and major prophets in the Old Testament, the primary focus for the book of Hosea is the end time. The message delivered anciently was only a type of what is occurring today. It contains a tremendous warning that must be delivered now! Hosea was written first of all to God’s adulterous wife in this end time. That is how the book is introduced in the very first chapter. That has not been understood before—not until now! God deals with His Church first because that is the most important issue—by far. God’s next major concern, in this book, is the British peoples. After that, God is concerned about the nation of Judah, called ‘Israel’ today. Hosea tells us that those who sow the wind are going to reap the whirlwind! But there is a beautiful ending to his message.


thetrumpet--2020-02-04--Yalta Failure, EU Rising, Israeli Resurgence and the Iowa Debacle

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt , and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin meet at Yalta in February 1945 to discuss their joint occupation of Germany and plans for postwar Europe .
This week is the 75-year anniversary of the Yalta Conference .
In this segment , I talk about the impact of that conference and its failure to bring peace .
The little nation of Israel is riding high on the Trump-tide .
From the latest peace plan to confronting Iran , Israel is benefiting from America ’ s strong support .
How does Bible prophecy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night the Democrat Party had lots of trouble counting votes for the Iowa caucus .
This is the same party that routinely accuses President Donald Trump of rigging elections .
It ’ s also the party that tells Americans to just trust government as it takes over more and more of the private sector .
Franklin Graham was scheduled for an eight-city speaking tour in the United Kingdom .
Thanks to activists petitioning their local governments , Graham has been banned from speaking in most of the cities .
Subscribe to the Trumpet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google Play or by RSS

Yalta Failure, EU Rising, Israel’s Resurgence and the Iowa Debacle
Yalta Conference Anniversary (27 minutes)
This week is the 75-year anniversary of the Yalta Conference. In this segment, I talk about the impact of that conference and its failure to bring peace.
Israel’s Resurgence (10 minutes)
The little nation of Israel is riding high on the Trump-tide. From the latest peace plan to confronting Iran, Israel is benefiting from America’s strong support. How does Bible prophecy say this will play out?
Democrats’ Iowa Debacle (11 minutes)
Last night the Democrat Party had lots of trouble counting votes for the Iowa caucus. This is the same party that routinely accuses President Donald Trump of rigging elections. It’s also the party that tells Americans to just trust government as it takes over more and more of the private sector.
Graham Ban (8 minutes)
Franklin Graham was scheduled for an eight-city speaking tour in the United Kingdom. Thanks to activists petitioning their local governments, Graham has been banned from speaking in most of the cities.


thetrumpet--2020-02-04--Middle East: The Theocrat or the Tribe

Middle East: The Theocrat or the Tribe

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech as he attends the Victory Day military parade to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the victory in WWII in Red Square on May 9 , 2017 in Moscow , Russia .
Over the last few weeks , Russian President Vladimir Putin has been pushing a new theory about World War ii : It ’ s all Poland ’ s fault .
The push began on December 20 .
The Polish government , he said , was “ pursuing their mercenary and exorbitantly overgrown ambitions.
” This “ laid their people , the Polish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s military machine , and , moreover , generally contributed to the beginning of the Second World War.
” Since then , the war over World War ii has escalated .
It overshadowed the Holocaust commemorations in Jerusalem and Auschwitz over the last week—with Poland ’ s president pulling out of the Jerusalem ceremony because Putin would be speaking , and he wouldn ’ t .
This rewrite of history is important for more than just historians .
It tells us something critical about modern Russia .
A more traditional description of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Russia and Germany got together in August 1939 and divided Eastern Europe in half .
Germany would invade from one side ; Russia from the other .
By agreeing to carve up Eastern Europe , Russia helped start World War ii .
But Putin said that this was all wrong .
Russia only invaded eastern Poland to help the Poles , and prevent the territory from falling into the hands of the Germans .
He conveniently forgot to mention the fact that Russia rounded up 22,000 Polish military and civilian leaders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agreement with Adolf Hitler , Russia wasn ’ t acting any different from the West , Putin argued .
After all , Western leaders signed an agreement with Hitler the year before , allowing the Nazis to take over Czechoslovakia .
Abandoned by everyone else , Russia had no choice but make its own deal .
There ’ s so much about this that is wrong .
There ’ s a massive difference between the West ’ s dangerously misguided attempt at a peace deal—the Munich Agreement—and Joseph Stalin ’ s dangerously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West was trying to stop a war ; Stalin was trying to start one .
Furthermore , Stalin ’ s Russia had been working to help Germany militarize since the 1920s .
Its 1939 deal with Germany was the culmination of years of cooperation .
I could spend the whole article debunking Putin ’ s new theory , but there doesn ’ t seem much point .
I doubt many actually believe him .
And the more important questions are : Why is Putin rewriting this history ?
And why now ?
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time that Putin is rewriting his country ’ s Constitution .
In “ Putin the Czar Is More Dangerous Than Ever to the U.S. , ” United States Adm. James Stavridis ( Ret . )
wrote : “ Vladimir Putin will be the czar of all the Russians for another decade and more .
Only health appears likely to change the course upon which he now sails .
… Much like President Xi Jinping in China , Putin will now be able to shape events and planning indefinitely.
” This gives Russia a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan for the future .
Stavridis continued : This kind of streamlined administration would be especially effective in times of war—something Geopolitical Futures founder George Friedman drew attention to in “ Russia ’ s Puzzling Moves.
” “ In this sense Putin ’ s restructuring of the Russian government makes sense , ” he wrote .
“ It was an unwieldy bureaucracy that would have difficulty aligning its economy with military action .
Therefore , it is reasonable to wonder whether Putin ’ s attempts to redefine history and the government were designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory by intimidation.
” He connected Mr. Putin ’ s rhetorical attack on Poland with this preparation for intimidation : It is revealing , however , that Putin felt it necessary to reopen the question of who started World War ii at this time .
Putin is not a casual man , so he didn ’ t do this carelessly .
After announcing the shakeup of the Russian regime , he decided to charge Poland , France and the UK with responsibility for World War ii , cleansing Russia of any wrongdoing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question of how World War ii started , Russia is trying to change the perception of Poland from a victim nation to a historical aggressor .
And by so doing , Putin may also be warning the Poles , and the Americans as well , not to believe for one minute that war is out of the question .
The target of this war , in Friedman ’ s opinion , could be Belarus .
Right now , Belarus is semi-detached from Russia .
It occasionally flirts with more independence .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarussian power hostile to Russia would be a massive threat .
Its armies would be just a brief stroll from Moscow .
So Putin may be getting ready to end that semi-detached status .
But that semi-detached status gives Poland some security .
Russian troops can march into Belarus any time they want .
But with Russia in complete control , those soldiers could be stationed permanently at Poland ’ s borders .
If Russia tries to take complete control of Belarus—even if it ’ s a diplomatic push—it would mean a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A whole eastern chunk of nato would become almost indefensible .
It ’ s an issue big enough that both sides may be willing to threaten war .
“ Belarus is important enough to Russia to consider military action—and the two countries have staged huge war games near Poland ’ s border in the past , ” Friedman wrote .
“ Poland may see any such move as indicating war , if not now then later.
” Regardless of whether or not Putin does something in Belarus , Friedman made a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who wants to expand Russia ’ s power ; these changes help him do that .
Even his rewriting of history puts a much more positive spin on a Russian attempt to expand its borders .
This expansionism is a key aspect of Mr. Putin ’ s character that Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has focused on .
The Bible forecasts there will be a leader in Russia with exactly this kind of mindset .
Ezekiel 38:2 talks about the “ the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
” A better translation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prince of Rosh , Meschech and Tubal.
” Rosh is a biblical name for Russia .
Meschech refers to Moscow , a region of Russia .
Tubal refers to another region of Moscow , around Tobolsk , near the Tobol River .
In The Prophesied ‘ Prince of Russia , ’ Mr .
Flurry writes : Ezekiel 38:2 reveals that the prince of Rosh is an expansionist-minded individual ; he wants to bring in more territory .
And that ’ s exactly what we see in these recent changes from Putin .
Perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with Germany to do this .
By revising the history of Russia ’ s last major cooperation with Germany , he could be preparing the Russian people for another Hitler-Stalin-like pact .
Russia ’ s leader is also confirming another aspect of what the Bible forecasts .
The Bible makes clear that in this end time Russia has a close alliance with China .
Bible prophecy discusses “ the kings of the east ” forming a massive 200 million-man army .
Ezekiel 38—the same chapter that talks about this “ prince of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship .
Herbert W. Armstrong first wrote about the Russia-China axis in the June-July 1934 issue of the Plain Truth magazine , one of its earliest productions .
“ [ T ] wo great military powers [ will ] arise in the last days—one the revival of the Roman Empire by a federation of 10 nations in the territory of the ancient Roman Empire ; the other … Russia , with her allies … possibly China or Japan , ” he wrote .
Based on Bible prophecy , Mr. Armstrong forecast that Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At times the two powers have been close to war with one another .
Toward the end of the Cold War , they were outright enemies .
But now look at their relationship .
Admiral Stavridis wrote in his Bloomberg piece : “ Of most concern to the West , [ Putin ] and Xi can now deepen their already tight relationship with the advantage of a long , long runway .
Militarily , China and Russia are cooperating as never before ….
” Just over a week ago , Niall Fergusson described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sunday Times , writing , “ No two world leaders see one another more frequently .
Xi has even called Putin his ‘ best friend.
’ ” We need to watch this “ prince of Rosh.
” He is a biblically significant figure in the end time .
But more than that , the Bible has specific prophecies about this one man .
By watching him , you are watching the fulfillment of Bible prophecy .
His actions are proving that the Bible , a book written thousands of years ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has relevance for your life today .
To learn more about Vladimir Putin and what the Bible says about his immediate future , read our free booklet The Prophesied ‘ Prince of Russia .
’

Democracy has failed. Strongman rule or religious tribalism appear to be the only options.
During the 2011 Arab Spring, there was hope democracy would take root in the Middle East. Starting in Tunisia, spreading to Libya and Egypt and then jumping across to Syria and Yemen, mass movements of people wanting their voices heard rose up against longtime dictators. It was thought that the Middle East and North Africa were undergoing a fundamental change of government.
Now, almost a decade later, it’s clear that hope was naive. All attempts to bring democracy to the Middle East have failed, and will likely fail in the future.
What happened in Egypt provides a compelling case study of why.
Egypt’s Flirtation With Democracy
In 2011, massive social upheaval in Egypt, combined with a mounting international campaign of pressure led by American President Barack Obama, forced the aging autocrat Hosni Mubarak to step down. At last, the Egyptian people would have their collective say.
Understand: If democracy could be effectively introduced into the region, its greatest chance of success would be in Egypt. Compared to the diverse ethnicities that make up many other states, Egypt has a largely homogeneous populace. In theory, this would make democratic rule easier to administer.
Soon after Mubarak’s departure, Egyptians got their vote in what many considered to be Egypt’s only free election in its 5,000-year history. The result: the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, an almost 100-year-old institution that believes in the supremacy of Islam. Several times in Egypt’s history, this group has been suppressed or outlawed by autocratic rulers fearing the dangers of Islamic rule. Nevertheless, when democracy had its chance in Egypt, it was to this Islamist party that the people turned.
Soon after becoming Egypt’s president, Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi made moves toward a new Islamist constitution and government. Understandably, relations with the theocracy in Iran warmed, presaging what was ahead for Egypt.
Just one year into Morsi’s term, protests against his power grabs erupted. The military, the bastion of a secular Egypt, ejected him from the presidency. Before long, the nation was back to strongman autocratic rule. For most Egyptians, this brought with it the suppression of freedoms taken for granted in the West. But it also prevented the rise of another fundamentalist Islamic power.
The Role of Islam
One cannot discuss Middle East governance without understanding the central role of Islam. In no other region of the world is religion so fundamental to everyday life and governance. As the late Middle East expert Bernard Lewis elucidated for decades, the separation of church and state is impossible. “If, then, we are to understand anything about what is happening in the Muslim world … there are two essential points which need to be grasped,” he wrote in 1976. “One is the universality of religion as a factor in the lives of Muslim peoples, and the other is its centrality” (“The Return of Islam”).
There are other factors contributing to the failures of Middle Eastern governments, such as corruption and nepotism. But the truth, unpopular as it may be to say today, is that these governments only experience peace, however limited, to the degree that they can separate Islam from politics.
Jordan exhibits a show of democratic rule, but the ultimate power rests with the king, who, to mollify the disgruntled population, regularly sacks the parliament. The Gulf monarchies have the appearance of stability, but only because vast oil wealth keeps their people from the streets. In the failing states of Lebanon and Iraq, years of unchecked Iranian Islamist infiltration are motivating massive riots and protests.
When the people actually receive Islamic rule, such as in Iran, freedoms are curtailed. Inevitably, the people revolt.
Hungry for Change
The Middle East is famous for its instability. While it has become fashionable to blame that on the artificial national boundaries imposed on the region after the First World War, history shows that cruel and ineffective governance that curtails individual freedoms and prosperity did not begin then.
No region has suffered more bloodshed and more internecine fighting over the previous hundreds of years. In fact, considering the region’s history, there’s likely not a family there today for which the incessant violence has not cost the life of a loved one, or worse.
Considering the protests filling the streets in Iran and so many other nations throughout the region, it is clear there is an appetite for change. These people deserve far better than what they have had to suffer. In the end, given the hundreds of years of failed governance they have experienced, perhaps those in the Middle East will be far more receptive to the government of God when it soon arrives.


thetrumpet--2020-02-04--Worrisome High Numbers of Right-Wing Extremists in Germany’s Army

On January 27, the world commemorated the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. Holocaust Remembrance Day is a sobering reminder of the perils of world war—and the destruction it brings. As we look back to the liberation and freedom that took place over 75 years ago, it’s important to also ask the question, Could it happen again?
The German Army played a major role in the extermination of millions of Jews. And a recent report about the Bundeswehr raises new concerns.
In October, a right-wing terrorist attempted to cause a bloodbath reminiscent of the Holocaust at a synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle. Only a heavy wooden door saved the lives of many of the Jews that day. Anti-Semitism and related right-wing extremist acts have become more common and are increasingly more violent.
“In total, authorities identified over 24,000 active right-wing extremists in 2018, with over half considered capable of violent attacks,” Deutsche Welle reported. “They estimate that number will have increased by one third in 2019, in large part due to new scrutiny on affiliate groups of Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), the nation’s largest opposition party in the Bundestag.”
But perhaps even more concerning are the numbers of extremists in uniform, particularly those in Germany’s army.
The Military Counterintelligence Service (mad) is investigating around 550 cases on suspicion of right-wing extremism in the Army. In 2019, 360 cases were added to the investigation, Christof Gramm, president of mad, told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
Especially concerning are the revelations of cases in the Army’s Special Forces Command (ksk). ksk is seen as the pinnacle of the Bundeswehr’s personnel and often portrayed as a corresponding role model. Sadly, it also leads in an unusually high number of right-wing extremist cases. The number of suspects is, in relation to the number of its staff, five times as high as in the rest of the troop.
If the elite forces and a few hundred army soldiers openly show their extremist mindset, how many harbor it secretly? Furthermore, one may ask, why have investigations previously been lacking, and why haven’t more fellow soldiers sounded the alarm?
The truth could be worse than many suspect.
In Extreme Security, Caroline Walter talks about right-wing extremism within Germany’s military and its law enforcement agencies. Walter told Deutsche Welle that the recent revelations are likely just the “tip of the iceberg.” She said: “The problem in the Bundeswehr is that whoever points out right-wing extremism is still a backstabber who’s violating the spirit of the brigade.”
This “spirit of the brigade” is what unifies the armed forces and gives them communality. But in that spirit, right-wing extremists have been tolerated for years. Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Hans-Peter Bartels emphasized over and again in an interview with Deutschlandfunk.de that the individual extremist cases stand completely contrary to the Army’s democratic values.
Bartels explained that there are some in the army who “behave in a way that has nothing to do with this democratic Bundeswehr, but perhaps ties in with the far distanced past.” (Trumpet translation throughout).
But is the German Army really the bulwark of democratic values that Bartels and other officials claim it to be?
Truth be told, the Bundeswehr was built on the foundation of its Nazi past. Over 80 percent of the approximately 15,000 officers who laid the foundation of the German Army in 1959 fought under Hitler just a few years previous. German historian Johannes Hürter said Adolf Heusinger, who was appointed to build the new German Army and later became chairman of the nato Military Committee, served previously as one of Hitler’s advisers. So, there have always been Nazis in the German Army.
But what is shocking is that fewer and fewer feel the need to hide their right-wing extremist mindset. Many decades after the war one might expect that the last shovel of dirt has been heaped on the grave of Nazism. Instead, Nazism is seeing somewhat of a revival. Why?
The late theologian Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in the September 1948 Plain Truth:
Even before the end of [World War ii], I revealed to you the Nazi plans for a Nazi underground movement, to go underground as a secret organization the very moment they lost the war—to lay low a few years during Allied and Russian military occupation, then to come forth when least expected, restore Germany to power, and go on to finally accomplish their aims in a World War iii.
In Germany’s Conquest of the Balkans, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry goes through extensive documented evidence that reveals just how the Nazis went underground and how they planned to reemerge.
Some few understand that these events were prophesied. Those who understand the Bible’s revelation about Germany’s reemerging Nazi past can also take hope that we are about to see an end to this evil empire.
Mr. Armstrong predicted that attempts to prevent a reemergence of Germany’s Nazi past would fail. He based this prediction on a prophecy in Revelation 17: “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder …. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space” (verses 8, 10).
Mr. Armstrong lived at the time when the sixth head of this empire was on the scene. It was then that God revealed to him that an even more powerful and terrible empire would rise on the heels of Nazi Germany. This prophecy is now coming true. (Request a free copy of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire for a detailed explanation of this and related prophecies.)
We are now living through the rise of the final resurrection of this empire. Many may disregard these early stages as insignificant, like they disregarded the warning signs before World War ii. But Bible prophecy is certain: Unless the world heeds God’s warning message and repents, a terrible time of suffering will precede His intervention in world affairs (Matthew 24).
Read “The Nazi Underground—Revealed!” and request a free copy of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire to understand how and why the Nazi empire is resurfacing today.


thetrumpet--2020-02-04--Guttenberg Stirs Division in Germany’s Chancellor Question

The monarchy has gone terribly off track , especially in the last three years .
Why ?
Prince Harry and his wife , former actress Meghan Markle , have stepped down as senior members of the British royal family .
Why does news about the monarchy keep getting worse and worse ?
This decline is prophesied in your Bible but is also related to the best possible news you could ever hear—news that will fill the Earth with joy like never before !
The Telegraph reported that Prince Harry wanted certain access and privileges without as much responsibility , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusations against the royal family .
He and his wife are receiving advice from former United States President Barack Obama and his wife , Michelle .
Remember , Obama sent a bust of Winston Churchill back to Britain soon after taking office , an open expression of contempt for the British Empire .
I don ’ t know what kind of advice he might be offering to the departing royals .
A lot of Prince Harry ’ s colleagues in the army are really angry with him for the way he has spoken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t share his sentiment .
The problems keep mounting for Britain .
The nation is trying to solve the protracted problem of Brexit .
Prince Andrew has dealt with severe criticism for his relationship with the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein .
What is going on here ?
God promised to preserve the line of King David forever .
“ And when thy days be fulfilled , and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers , I will set up thy seed after thee , which shall proceed out of thy bowels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He shall build an house for my name , and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever ” ( 2 Samuel 7:12-13 ) .
This is an everlasting covenant ( 2 Samuel 23:5 ) , meaning the throne must be somewhere on Earth today .
The British people possessed the throne of David for thousands of years .
As of three years ago , they no longer have it .
God has established a new stone and a new throne , as I explain in The New Throne of David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throne from where it was ?
Everything revolves around David ’ s throne—today and in the World Tomorrow , and for all eternity .
Jesus Christ will rule from that throne , assisted by the tiny group of people who proclaim God ’ s message to the world before Christ ’ s Second Coming .
There has never been anything in this world like the British royal family .
But something much greater is coming : “ For unto us a child is born , unto us a son is given : and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : and his name shall be called Wonderful , Counsellor , The mighty God , The everlasting Father , The Prince of Peace .
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 .
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this ” ( Isaiah 9:6-7 ) .
This future spiritual government will bring all humanity under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All will become a part of spiritual Israel .
David ’ s throne will unite the world !
Today , division is spreading like a plague , but God gives us hope !
There will be peace—not just on Earth , but in the universe !
God the Father and Jesus Christ will make sure of it .
Until January 2017 , Queen Elizabeth ii ruled from David ’ s throne .
Here ’ s part of the reason why she no longer does , excerpted from The New Throne of David : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David is today , or we can ’ t discern whether God is keeping His promise to King David !
Why don ’ t we hear more discussion about the throne and these staggering prophecies ?
God has always expected David ’ s kingly line to uphold the highest standard : “ Thus saith the Lord ; Go down to the house of the king of Judah , and speak there this word , And say , Hear the word of the Lord , O king of Judah , that sittest upon the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thy servants , and thy people that enter in by these gates : Thus saith the Lord ; Execute ye judgment and righteousness , and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor : and do no wrong , do no violence to the stranger , the fatherless , nor the widow , neither shed innocent blood in this place .
For if ye do this thing indeed , then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David , riding in chariots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his servants , and his people ” ( Jeremiah 22:1-4 ) .
Ask yourself : Is the British royal family today really fulfilling these requirements ?
The monarchy has always had flaws , but never until the last few decades has it intentionally devalued David ’ s throne .
God is so upset at what ’ s happening with the royal family : “ And I will prepare destroyers against thee , every one with his weapons : and they shall cut down thy choice cedars , and cast them into the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this city , and they shall say every man to his neighbour , Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city ?
Then they shall answer , Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God , and worshipped other gods , and served them ” ( Jeremiah 22:7-9 ) .
God made a covenant with David , which his own descendants have forsaken !
The Queen and the rest of the royals ought to be seeking the righteousness of David !
This is bad news for the royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good news when you understand the truth about the new throne .
You don ’ t have to guess where the throne is today !
You can stake your life on this throne !
Many great men of the Bible did .
I wrote in The New Throne of David : What has happened in the three years since ?
A civil war within the royal family !
Queen Elizabeth ii is almost 94 years old .
Her husband ’ s health is failing .
Prince Harry has said that no one else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowned king or queen , and now he has backed up those words by essentially leaving the royal family !
“ Harry ’ s determination to be ordinary seems reflected in his love life , ” Newsweek reported in 2017 .
“ His [ now wife ] Meghan Markle , might be a well-known actress , but she is also a divorcée , a vocal feminist and American , none of which conforms to the stereotype of a royal consort.
” “ The younger royals are just too interested in the cringe-inducing world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own image , ” the Spectator commented .
“ We are told that they are reinventing the concept of monarchy for the digital age ….
” That article concluded with an analysis of the younger royals eagerly associating with celebrities , then posed the chilling question : “ Was this the moment when it all started to go wrong ?
” Finally , the British and the whole world can see what I have been telling you for decades !
God shows us exactly what is wrong with the royal family : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with David .
The Queen returning the throne to Scotland in 1996 exposed a degeneration in their faith .
Things have gotten much worse ever since .
“ And the angel said unto her , Fear not , Mary : for thou hast found favour with God .
And , behold , thou shalt conceive in thy womb , and bring forth a son , and shalt call his name Jesus .
He shall be great , and shall be called the Son of the Highest : and the Lord God shall give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David : And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom there shall be no end ” ( Luke 1:30-33 ) .
It ’ s not over for the British royal family or for this dark world !
Christ Himself is about to rule all nations forever !
Jeremiah 30:24 says , “ … in the latter days ye shall consider it.
” Consider it would be better translated “ understand it thoroughly.
” In the end time , God has revealed the truth about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it thoroughly !
It ’ s time we repent of our sins and support God ’ s Work .
“ Alas !
for that day is great , so that none is like it : it is even the time of Jacob ’ s trouble ; but he shall be saved out of it .
For it shall come to pass in that day , saith the Lord of hosts , that I will break his yoke from off thy neck , and will burst thy bonds , and strangers shall no more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shall serve the Lord their God , and David their king , whom I will raise up unto them ” ( verses 7-9 ) .
Jacob ’ s trouble means that America , Britain and the Jewish nation are suffering for their rebellion against God .
The suffering will intensify until God resurrects King David and all His loyal saints to help teach them the right way to live .

“We are now at the finality of a highly accomplished chancellor who led a country through many storms,” former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said about Chancellor Angela Merkel (Trumpet translation throughout). But now is the time, he said, when “the next to come must lead.” Guttenberg has a clear favorite about who this next leader should be: Merkel’s long-time rival, Friedrich Merz.
“For me, there is only one politician in the [Christian Democratic] Union left, who I consider perfectly suitable for this task and who I would vote for: Friedrich Merz,” Guttenberg told the German Press Agency on January 17 at the Ludwig Erhard Summit on Lake Tegernsee.
Merz resigned from politics—largely due to his rivalry with Merkel—in 2009. He previously served as a member of the European Parliament and the German Bundestag. Between 2000 and 2002, he was the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (cdu) and Christian Social Union (csu) parliamentary group.
Outside of politics, Merz has been a successful corporate lawyer. Guttenberg believes it is “not a disadvantage if someone has not only spent the past few decades in the political circus, but has also seen the world outside.”
Encouraged by fellow cdu member and former Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble in 2018, Merz dared the political comeback and challenged Merkel’s candidate, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, for the cdu’s party leadership. With only a slight majority, Kramp-Karrenbauer won the vote. But the question of who will replace Merkel as chancellor remains disputed.
Since taking over the party leadership, Kramp-Karrenbauer has disappointed voters and even partially lost the trust of Chancellor Merkel. Merkel’s term ends in 2021. But the search for a qualified successor is causing many to worry.
Guttenberg noted that neither csu chief Markus Söder nor Kramp-Karrenbauer appear to be convincing chancellor candidates.
Recent surveys in Germany reveal that most Germans tend to agree with Guttenberg’s assessment. German news website merkur.de commented:
There are usually winners and losers in political surveys—but the Union currently seems to be in such a crisis that a new survey on the chancellor question should not cause much euphoria even among those in first place. … The possible chancellor candidates of the Union don’t generate much enthusiasm among the population.
The survey shows that only 42 percent of respondents consider Merz a good option, while 43 percent don’t. Söder was endorsed by 29 percent and opposed by 53 percent. Only 19 percent view Kramp-Karrenbauer as a good candidate, while 74 percent expressed the opposite opinion.
Since no candidate seems completely approved by the German people, most hope to postpone the debate to a later time.
But for Guttenberg, time is short. On January 19, he told a Bavarian audience, “Others are beginning to benefit from our weaknesses.” While there is still hope for the Continent, he said, “[t]he time window is closing.” Guttenberg believes that the current leadership vacuum is being exploited. He said a drastic change needs to take place in Germany’s leadership. If Europe doesn’t act quickly, it will lose its chance as a global power.
Guttenberg’s passion for Europe and urgency motivated his comments, at least in part. But he is also aware that his remarks are further dividing German politics.
Even Merz is extremely careful to portray himself as a team player rather than a rivaling chancellor candidate. He called Guttenberg’s comments “not defamatory” but emphasized that the question for his candidacy isn’t a topic he wants to deal with right now. “I have to answer this question for myself,” Merz said. “We have to answer it in the cdu, also in the csu, if it has to be answered—and that may be at the end of the year, but that is certainly not today.”
Merz hopes to reconcile with Kramp-Karrenbauer and increase his chance of becoming more involved in politics prior to the next federal election. It is, therefore, debatable if Guttenberg’s comments have helped or will actually harm Merz in the short term. One thing is sure, Guttenberg has again stirred a media debate that is polarizing the Union.
For many years, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has highlighted a prophecy in the book of Daniel that reads: “And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries” (Daniel 11:21). Notice that this prophecy, like the whole of book of Daniel, is for the end time, right before Jesus Christ’s Second Coming (verse 35).
In “Is KT zu Guttenberg About to Come to Power?” Mr. Flurry proved that the Bible indicates this prophecy could be fulfilled by Guttenberg. Many over the years have suspected that Guttenberg is secretly preparing for a political comeback; but with each passing year, those expectations have remained unfulfilled.
In light of Bible prophecy, however, Guttenberg’s comments are revealing. Daniel 11:21 says that this prophesied strongman will come to power through flatteries—in other words, not through the ordinary democratic means. By stirring division, Guttenberg may be preparing for his own comeback.
He said that it is not a disadvantage if someone has been away from “the political circus” for quite some time. Political observers and party members well know that this certainly applies to Guttenberg, who left politics in 2011. Is he signaling his willingness to shape European politics again? Time will tell.
As Guttenberg’s criticism against Germany’s current political establishment gets louder, it’s crucial to understand the Bible’s underlying prophecies that reveal where world events are leading. Request a free copy of A Strong German Leader Is Imminent, by Gerald Flurry, to learn more about what the Bible reveals about Germany’s future.