The Hidden Antiochus

In a nighttime attack , United States forces take down Iran ’ s most important man .
jerusalem Last night , the United States took its boldest action in the Middle East of the past decade .
Just after midnight , a U.S. air strike targeted a convoy close to the Baghdad airport .
Inside the vehicles were the masterminds of Iran ’ s terrorist policy inside Iraq and in the larger region : Qassem Suleimani and his key understudy , Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis .
Both Suleimani and Muhandis were killed in the attack , as well as 10 others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday night , stating , “ At the direction of the president , the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qassem Suleimani , the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force , a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
” For a point of reference , the death of Suleimani is far more significant than that of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Ladin and Islamic State head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi combined .
Confirming the danger that Suleimani posed , U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal wrote last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is also singularly positioned to shape the future of the Middle East.
” The killing marks the end of a tense week in Iraq after U.S. policy shifted from appeasement to limited confrontation .
On December 29 , U.S. forces struck five targets in Iraq and Syria that belong to the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah Iraqi paramilitary group , headed by Muhandis , who answers to Suleimani .
This was the United States ’ first military confrontation against an Iranian proxy in Iraq in a decade , even though the U.S. has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past year .
The American attack was in retaliation to 30 rockets fired at the K-1 military base in northern Iraq two days earlier .
Four American troops and two members of the Iraqi Security Forces were injured and an American contractor was killed in the attack , prompting U.S. retaliation .
In response to the U.S. strike , Muhandis and other Iranian surrogates in Iraq ordered a destructive protest at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday and Wednesday .
Protesters chanted “ Down , down U.S.A. , ” threw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , smashed down a steel door with a battering ram , and set fire to parts of the embassy compound .
In response , U.S. President Donald Trump immediately sent more marines to reinforce the embassy .
Eventually , the Iranian leadership told the protesters to stand down .
After the black smoke cleared from the burned-out guard house , a graffitied message in red paint could be discerned .
It read , “ Suleimani is our leader.
” According to Dr. Seth Frantzman of the Jerusalem Post , that scribble writing “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suleimani runs Iraq and Baghdad , not the U.S. ” Now , that leader is dead .
It is hard to overstate the significance of Suleimani ’ s death .
No single man has impacted Iran ’ s worldwide terrorist activities more , or for longer , than Suleimani .
For over two decades , he has worked directly with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and had access to an almost limitless budget to expand Iran ’ s power outside the country .
In late 1997 , Suleimani assumed leadership of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quds Force , a special expeditionary unit that orchestrates Iranian action in foreign domains .
Quds is the Arabic term for Jerusalem , which reveals the force ’ s ultimate goal .
Heading the Quds Force , Suleimani developed and nurtured Iran ’ s ties with proxy organizations such as Kataib Hezbollah ( among many others ) in Iraq , Hezbollah in Lebanon , Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza , and the Houthis in Yemen .
Hardly a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip to Israel without Suleimani signing off on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was direct and total .
He also directly oversaw Iran ’ s policy to support Syrian dictator Bashar Assad throughout the Syrian civil war .
In 2015 , when Assad ’ s hold on power looked tenuous , it was Suleimani who flew directly to Moscow to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin and invite his assistance .
However , nowhere was Suleimani ’ s power more evident than in Iraq .
Last year , Suleimani paid regular visits to Baghdad , acting in effect as Iran ’ s foreign minister to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t decide on a prime minister , it was Suleimani who flew over to help them negotiate between the parties and install a prime minister that satisfied Iran .
In early October , when protests began in Iraq against the increasingly public Iranian influence over the nation , it was Suleimani who again flew to Baghdad to tell the government to use any means necessary to stop the protests .
Reuters later reported that snipers belonging to Iran-backed militias were deployed on rooftops surrounding the protesters with orders to shoot to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been killed .
No wonder these same protesters celebrated the news of Suleimani ’ s death today .
But Suleimani had more than just Iraqi blood on his hands .
He is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American servicemen during the Iraq War over a decade ago .
Soon after American and coalition forces expelled Saddam Hussein ’ s regime in 2003 , Iran initiated a long-term shadow war against the U.S. in Iraq , led by Suleimani .
In 2004 , the Quds Force began flooding Iraq with lethal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efps— “ explosively formed projectiles.
” These warheads , which fire a molten copper slug able to penetrate armor , wreaked havoc on coalition forces .
efps could be made only by skilled technicians and were often triggered by sophisticated motion sensors .
“ There was zero question where they were coming from , ” Gen. Stanley McChrystal , head of the Joint Special Operations Command at the time , told the New Yorker in 2013 .
“ We knew where all the factories were in Iran.
” In 2008 , sensing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Suleimani reached out to the U.S. general in command , saying , “ Dear General Petraeus , You should know that I , Qassem Suleimani , control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq , Lebanon , Gaza and Afghanistan .
And indeed , the ambassador in Baghdad is a Quds Force member .
The individual who ’ s going to replace him is a Quds Force member.
” Petraeus refused to negotiate with this bloody man .
As the Pentagon revealed last year , over 600 United States military personnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s policies .
The U.S. left Iraq in 2011 , but Suleimani did not .
The hasty removal of U.S. forces by the Obama administration not only created the vacuum for the Islamic State to rise to power , it also allowed Suleimani to act more freely inside Iraq .
Many Iraqi Shiites and Kurds in northern Iraq received help from Suleimani in the form of weapons and leadership .
The main ground forces fighting against the Islamic State in Iraq was not the Iraqi Army , but the very Shiite militias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , numbering over 100,000 soldiers .
And they were still answering to Suleimani .
When the Islamic State was eventually defeated , it was Suleimani who was praised .
He went from mainly working behind the scenes to assuming a more public role , taking on hero status among the Shiite masses as the man who defeated the Islamic State and as the bulwark against American power in the Middle East .
Last year , when U.S. sanctions on Iran increased , Suleimani took to social media to openly challenge President Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you.
” At the Jerusalem Post , Franztman described Suleimani ’ s growing public persona this way : It was only in the last two years that their dream of a Middle East dominated by Iran was fulfilled .
They were arrogant—the kind of arrogance they accused the West of .
No longer in the shadows , those like Suleimani and Muhandis came into the open , where they acted like the heads of state .
Their militias in Iraq , called the Popular Mobilization Units ( pmu ) , appeared to dominate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also the parliament .
They had the second-largest party in Iraq and access to 300,000 men they had recruited .
Most of these were just young Shiites who wanted to fight [ the Islamic State ] .
A smaller cadre of men in pmu brigades were what mattered .
They stockpiled munitions , and since August 2018 , moved Iranian ballistic missiles across Iraq to Syria .
In Syria they built a network of bases from Imam Ali to T-2 , T-4 and others .
This network sought to transfer precision-guided munitions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to import air defense , the 3rd Khordad system , in April 2018 .
Consequently , Israel carried out more than 1,000 air strikes against Iranian entrenchment in Syria and Israel ’ s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. [ Aviv ] Kochavi said in December that Israel would act against Iranian entrenchment in Syria and Iraq .
For Suleimani and Muhandis , all was well in December even as U.S. rhetoric increased .
They did not believe the U.S. would decisively respond , as Pompeo threatened .
They had seen national security adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They judged U.S. President Donald Trump an isolationist .
Consequently , they tried to push the U.S. via attacks in the Gulf and against Saudi Arabia and then against U.S. forces , carrying out 11 attacks targeted bases since October , according to U.S. sources .
Finally , after the killing and wounding of Americans on December 27 , the U.S. acted .
Early Friday morning , the irgc released a statement acknowledging Suleimani ’ s death .
The Popular Mobilization ’ s Units , a conglomeration of largely Shiite militias under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Israel for his death .
“ The American and Israeli enemy is responsible for killing the Mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Suleimani , ” a pmu spokesman related .
Khamenei has called for three days of mourning for Suleimani , which will likely also be used to discuss a coordinated response .
Khamenei warned on Friday that harsh revenge awaits the “ criminals ” who killed Suleimani and that the attack will double the motivation of the resistance against the U.S. and Israel .
Some commentators have harshly criticized President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They fear retaliatory attacks by Iran against not only U.S. forces , but likely also against Israel and Saudi Arabia .
America ’ s allies were likely given early notification of the plan to kill Suleimani , given by the slew of phone calls by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to leaders in the region over the past couple days .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut his trip to Cyprus short and returned to Israel to be on hand to assess the situation and prepare for a response from Iranian proxies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli embassies and consulates around the world to be on high alert .
According to Ynetnews , security was bolstered at some embassies as well .
A strong response from Iran and its proxies throughout the region should be expected .
Suleimani was a patient tactician and saw all Iran ’ s proxies as a single entity under his command .
Now that he is no longer directing them , it is possible that proxy organizations will be more trigger-happy .
This could mean a larger attack against Israel by Hezbollah or an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq .
Nevertheless , given how central Suleimani was in coordinating Iran ’ s proxy network , his death is definitely a victory for the United States and the region .
The question now is : Will President Trump be willing to reinforce the United States ’ presence in the region to deal with coming attacks ?
If Iran attacks hard , will the United States attack harder ?
While the death of Suleimani is significant , it is still only a tactical victory against the Islamic regime in Iran .
While warranted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the region safer if the U.S. is willing to use its force to back up what comes next .
For over 25 years , we have highlighted Iran ’ s rise to dominate the Middle East .
Most of that was completed under the guiding hand of Qassem Suleimani .
Over this time we have followed Suleimani and Iran ’ s developing proxy network closely because Iran fulfills a biblically prophesied role as “ the king of the south ” spoken of by Daniel the prophet .
Daniel 11:40 reads , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shall the king of the south push at him ….
” The king of the south is defined in this prophecy as having a pushy foreign policy .
Over the past three decades , no other nation in the world has been as proactive as Iran about growing its global power through force .
However , it should also be noted that this steady growth in power under Suleimani was attained without Iran incurring any significant losses .
Iran ’ s push was dangerous and violent , but not rash .
Suleimani understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and there was a time to hold back .
However , the prophecy in Daniel 11 talks about a more reckless king of the south , one that seriously underestimates the power of his enemy and the willingness of that enemy to use its power to destroy Iran .
The last part of Daniel 11:40 reads “ … 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too far by Iran , the king of the north responds overwhelmingly and forcefully .
It is true that the Islamic empire in Iran has a fanatical ideology to provoke a worldwide war to motivate their savior ’ s return .
However , Suleimani was not guided by a “ war at any cost ” scenario .
He tempered his pushiness to where and when he could be victorious .
Now that Suleimani is dead , are we about to see a more reckless Iran ?
The arsenal at Iran ’ s disposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the motivation for Iran ’ s militias to fight has only increased .
The Bible reveals clearly that Iran will instigate a war that it will not win .
Suleimani ’ s death may prove to bring the world notably closer to that event .
Watching the suffering and death in the Middle East can be depressing .
However , as the prophecies in Daniel reveal , the war started by Iran is only the first battle in a war that will eventually involve all major world powers .
It actually begins the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 12th imam , but one that brings the true Savior of all mankind .
Maintaining the focus on the conclusion to this event is the only way to endure .
For a full account of that hope-filled ending to Iran ’ s violent push , please read Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry ’ s free booklet The King of the South .

There are three end-time types of the ancient Antiochus. Two of them are very easy to spot in the biblical book of Daniel, which is an end-time message (Daniel 12:4, 9). The other one is hidden yet has caused horrendous damage to America. God helps us understand who these men are and what they are doing today. This study will bring your Bible alive—perhaps more than anything ever has!
Satan has been cast down from heaven and confined to Earth in this end time. “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9). This verse should strike terror in our hearts! Millions of demons now infest the world—especially America! In this dangerous environment, end-time Antiochus-types prosper.
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land” (Daniel 8:9). A number of commentaries reveal that this is a reference to the original Antiochus, Antiochus Epiphanes. History shows that he harbored extreme hatred for the Jews, massacring them and defiling their temple.
The First End-Time Antiochus
Let’s see how the role of Antiochus is fulfilled in this end time. “And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered” (Daniel 8:10-12). These “stars” are the angels who look after God’s obedient people. An evil power rejected the protection of these angels and “stamped upon” the rebellious people “by reason of transgression”—because they broke God’s law.
“Host” can refer to an army of angels, demons or men. In my booklet Daniel—Unsealed at Last, I write: “God has an army of angels and saints. Satan has an army of demons and men—in this case sinning saints.”
This part of Daniel 8 reveals the first Antiochus: a wicked man inside God’s own Church. He “cast down the truth to the ground.” It’s impossible to destroy God’s truth if you never possessed it in the first place. This man rejected every doctrine restored to the Church by the late Herbert W. Armstrong. Bequeathed with tremendous spiritual riches to preserve, he decided instead to ruin the legacy of Mr. Armstrong. (Request my book Malachi’s Message to God’s Church Today and my son’s book, Raising the Ruins, to expose the heinous attack on God’s Church within the past several decades. All of our literature is free.)
God’s Church is spiritual Israel. God’s plan is all about what He is doing through Israel, both physically and spiritually. One day, the whole world will become part of spiritual Israel through obedience. The first end-time Antiochus fights against God Himself! He’s trying to blot out the name of spiritual Israel.
The Second End-Time Antiochus
Daniel 8 also reveals the second end-time Antiochus: “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up” (verse 23). Just as with the Antiochus inside God’s Church, this Antiochus thrives because “the transgressors are come to the full”—everybody is sinning! These men are a curse upon the sinning people!
This second end-time Antiochus will lead the seventh and final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. “And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people” (verse 24). The sixth head of the Holy Roman Empire was Adolf Hitler. Led by Germany once again, the seventh resurrection of this empire will destroy mightily.
“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand” (verse 25). This Antiochus destroys through peace. He is crafty, appearing harmless while plotting violence. He is a traitor. Satan, himself a liar (John 8:44) and often disguised as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), empowers this man.
The second end-time Antiochus seeks to blot out the name of physical Israel—primarily America, Britain and the Jewish state. (The United States and Britain in Prophecy will prove the biblical identities of these nations to you.)
The good news is “he shall be broken without hand”! Christ Himself will stop this Antiochus and the Holy Roman Empire from ever again inflicting damage on the world!
The Hidden Antiochus
The first end-time Antiochus is still in power; the second has yet to take charge. The hidden Antiochus has already come and gone from office.
The hidden Antiochus can be found in a part of the Old Testament called the former prophets—Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. Many will say these books are merely history, but the writers are known as the former prophets for a reason! A third of your Bible is prophecy—90 percent of which is for this end time. Listen as God teaches the truth about end-time events.
Jesus Christ strongly rebuked those who relegate prophecy to mere history: “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke 24:25). The prophets have spoken! It’s up to you to believe them.
Notice the language of this passage: “For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash” (2 Kings 14:26-27). Look closely: A man tried to blot out the name of Israel, but God stopped him! Who besides an Antiochus-type would try this?
It’s important to understand the prophetic principle of duality. Thousands of years ago, God did save the nation of Israel through King Jeroboam ii. Jeroboam was the remedy to an Antiochus-type within the nation! History is repeating itself today.
God keeps warning our nations to repent. He wants everyone to live a life of peace and joy. But eventually, warnings are followed by consequences for inaction: “And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more” (Amos 7:8). God is measuring Israel with a “plumbline.” He “will not again pass by them any more”—this is His final warning. After the Jeroboam resurgence comes the punishment.
God may be using a leader in America today to save the nation temporarily, but He will have to teach the end-time Jeroboam and his followers a lesson about their false religion. Anciently, Jeroboam’s major sin was rejecting the house and the throne of David!
“Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court” (verses 10-13). Amaziah is the spiritual leader who wrecked God’s Church. He is the first end-time Antiochus! He will speak to God’s prophet on behalf of Jeroboam. Jeroboam has his own “chapel” and “court,” meaning he does religion and government his own way. He doesn’t obey God!
The end-time Jeroboam replaced the hidden Antiochus in office over the greatest superpower the world has ever known, but he will soon align himself with the spiritual Antiochus. The good and the bad practically cancel out.
God’s man has the honor of delivering God’s warning to the end-time Jeroboam: “Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land” (verses 16-17).
This is a sobering message, but God trusts only a tiny loyal remnant to deliver it. Will you be a part of God’s spiritual elite?
To learn more about the hidden Antiochus and the end-time Jeroboam, study my booklets America Under Attack and Great Again.


thetrumpet--2020-01-03--Embassy Attack Exposes Iraq’s Fall to Iran

jerusalem
It’s important you understand what has taken place in Iraq in the past week, because it provides clear proof of a forecast we made 25 years ago.
It all started Sunday night when, for the first time in a decade, the United States decided to strike against pro-Iranian militants in Iraq. The air strike was against Kataib Hezbollah, a dangerous terrorist group whose leader answers directly, and publicly, to Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force. Twenty-five members of Kataib Hezbollah were killed in the attack. This is an Iraqi-based force that’s meant to number somewhere around 10,000. This group is not to be confused with Lebanese Hezbollah, which is a separate group. However, they both answer to Iran and get their funding from Iran.
This attack from the United States was not unprovoked. Ten times since October, Kataib Hezbollah has attacked U.S. bases or installations in Iraq. The final straw came when they killed a U.S. contractor and injured U.S. personnel last week in their last attack.
Now, this poses a problem for Iraq, because as of two years ago, Kataib Hezbollah is an official part of the Iraqi security forces. They make up a portion of the Popular Mobilization Units forces, mainly Shiite organizations that fought against the Islamic State but were later absorbed into the Iraq’s military structure after the Islamic State was defeated. It also became a political party in Iraq.
This means that when America attacks Kataib Hezbollah, it is attacking part of the Iraqi state.
As you probably saw, tensions increased dramatically on Tuesday. I watched the livestream from my desk here as protesters, we’ll call them, entered Baghdad’s Green Zone, a walled area of the embassy and Western outlets, and started gathering in front of the U.S. Embassy. They then torched some of the outbuildings, threw stones, chanted “Death to America”—and this continued for two days.
In response, the United States sent more forces to the embassy: 750 marines and others flew in. On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump said that this wouldn’t be another “Benghazi.”
And it wasn’t. The protesters got the message. Their Iranian rulers told them to stand down.
But who were these protesters? And why did the Iraqi guards let them into the Green Zone?
According to the New York Times, they were mourners.
Hundreds of Iraqi mourners tried to storm the United States Embassy in Baghdad, shouting “Down, down USA!,” in response to deadly American airstrikes this week that killed 25 fighters https://t.co/jrAtON72eR — The New York Times (@nytimes) December 31, 2019
Then the New York Times claimed that these were the same people who have been protesting in Iraq for the past three months. A later tweet said:
For months, furious protests have battered Iraq, driven by the pervasive influence of a foreign power: Iran. But now protesters have turned their sights on the U.S. So what happened? https://t.co/dV6LtWPl4Y — New York Times World (@nytimesworld) January 1, 2020
Both accounts from the New York Times are blatantly false. These were not the same protesters. The anti-Iran protesters were elsewhere in Baghdad on Tuesday and Wednesday, still protesting against Iran’s intrenchment into their country.
Instead, these embassy protesters were part of the same Shiite militias that were attacked by the U.S. They were largely terrorists. But they were terrorists that were backed by the state of Iraq. Iraqi politicians who are allied with Iran also showed up at the protests.
As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted in a tweet:
The attack today was orchestrated by terrorists – Abu Mahdi al Muhandis and Qays al-Khazali – and abetted by Iranian proxies – Hadi al Amari and Faleh al-Fayyad. All are pictured below outside our embassy. pic.twitter.com/2QfGGrfmDd — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) December 31, 2019
The last two names Amari and Fayyad actually are Iraqi politicians. Amari leads the second-largest bloc inside the Iraqi parliament.
Do you see what has happened to Iraq?
For the past three months, Iraqis have taken to the streets to fight government corruption and Iranian infiltration into Iraq. Instead of listening to the people, 500 of them have been killed. And then the government keeps trucking along. Then, you have one protest against the United States, and there are terrorists and Iraqi parliamentarians standing side by side.
Both these instances show that Iran is now effectively in control of Iraq. While there is some heavy resistance against Iranian rule, that resistance is proving futile. While the United States might have some troops in Iraq, it is only a matter of time before those troops leave or are pushed out by the Iraqi government.
Now consider what Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in 2003, right after America flooded Iraq with thousands of troops:
It may seem shocking, given the U.S. presence in the region right now, but prophecy indicates that, in pursuit of its goal, Iran will probably take over Iraq.
Fast-forward 17 years, and the events of this week prove that has happened.
How did Mr. Flurry know this was going to happen? That forecast came from the most unlikely source, as some would see it, the Bible—and specifically the Prophet Daniel.
The Prophet Daniel has a lot to say about this current Iranian regime and how it is pushing the world toward war. Iraq falling to Iran is just one of those events. And just as that has taken place, the others will shortly follow.
I strongly encourage you to request our free booklet “The King of the South” to see where these events in Iraq and Iran are leading.


thetrumpet--2020-01-03--President Trump Takes Out Iranian Strongman

Iran ’ s top general , Qassem Suleimani , was killed this morning by a United States drone strike .
@ @ @ @ @ stark differences between the Trump and Obama administrations .
“ Faced with attacks on American @ @ @ @ @ , Clinton prevaricated , Obama actually helped fund them—but Trump ruthlessly and decisively killed the @ @ @ @ @ back as a force to be reckoned with , ” wrote Melanie Philips this morning @ @ @ @ @ I talk about the fallout from the Suleimani strike , and how this stunning development @ @ @ @ @ Bible prophecy .
How is that the so-called educated—the experts and professionals—of the world consistently @ @ @ @ @ In his article “ The Dangers of Elite Groupthink , ” Victor Davis Hanson gives @ @ @ @ @ years of how the Ivy League-educated elites have been so wrong about some of their @ @ @

Trump Takes Out Iran’s Top General (35 minutes)
Iran’s top general, Qassem Suleimani, was killed this morning by a United States drone strike. The attack clearly demonstrates the stark differences between the Trump and Obama administrations.
“Faced with attacks on American assets, Carter ran away, Clinton prevaricated, Obama actually helped fund them—but Trump ruthlessly and decisively killed the attacker. America is now back as a force to be reckoned with,” wrote Melanie Philips this morning. In this segment, I talk about the fallout from the Suleimani strike, and how this stunning development fits into the framework of Bible prophecy.
The Hidden Danger of Higher Education (20 minutes)
How is that the so-called educated—the experts and professionals—of the world consistently get it dreadfully wrong? In his article “The Dangers of Elite Groupthink,” Victor Davis Hanson gives examples from the past three years of how the Ivy League-educated elites have been so wrong about some of their cherished predictions.


thetrumpet--2020-01-03--World’s Most Wanted Man Qassem Suleimani is Dead

Another decade is now history .
Let ’ s look at the 20 most important events of the last 10 years , according to how they fulfilled biblical prophecy .
From every region of the world , these events include wars , political events , new alliances , economic trends , changes in weather , social and moral developments , spiritual changes and more .
They dramatically advanced end-time prophecies , and they reveal how close we are to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ .
Supposedly we live in an age of science and reason , yet paradoxically there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demons , magic , possession , supernatural powers , witchcraft , vampires and zombies .
It is taking over television , movies , books and other entertainment .
There has also been a rise in emotional and mental instability and illness , more people taking mind-altering drugs , both legal and illegal—and an upsurge in ghoulish and evil crimes—people butchering family members—unimaginable barbarity—like scenes out of a horror movie—as well as mass shootings .
The Bible shows the connection among all these trends : They all illustrate the growing influence of the evil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 reveals that Satan and his demons were cast down in this end time , and that their wrath grows as their time gets shorter .
The past decade has shown a lot of evidence of this trend .
19 .
U.S .
Spending Its Strength in Vain The United States has been waging a war on terrorism for two decades .
The nation has spent $ 6 trillion fighting in Afghanistan , Iraq , Syria and Pakistan .
More than 53,000 soldiers have been wounded ; 7,000 soldiers have been killed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever bring these wars to a successful conclusion .
The nations America is fighting in are now more dangerous and unstable than when the war on terrorism began .
A prophecy in Leviticus 26 shows that the nation ’ s strength will be “ spent in vain ” if its people despise God ’ s laws .
This prophecy is being fulfilled .
• “ Not Much Bang for the Buck ” • “ America Has Won Its Last War ” In 2013 , China began an initiative in the South China Sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most important developments of the decade .
The Chinese selected seven coral reefs in disputed parts of the sea that were partly or fully submerged , and began transforming them .
They used fleets of dredgers to grind sand from the seafloor and pump it atop the reefs .
They added rocks and paved over it all , transforming the reefs into 3,200 acres worth of artificial islands .
But the Chinese weren ’ t finished .
They then set to work militarizing these islands .
Today , what used to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s mushrooming naval might—greatly boost Beijing ’ s control over the South China Sea .
This is fulfilling a prophecy recorded in Deuteronomy 28:52 , in which God warns the nations of Israel—meaning the modern-day U.S. and Britain—that if they reject Him , He will hand control of the world ’ s sea gates to their enemies .
Thanks largely to China ’ s man-made islands and naval might , it is gaining control of the South China Sea and the gates that allow access to it .
It is happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under U.S. or British control , which shows that this prophecy in Deuteronomy is being fulfilled .
• “ China Is Steering the World Toward War ” • “ Changing of the Guard ” from He Was Right On Monday , June 27 , 2011 , German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a historic decision , approving the delivery of more than 200 of Germany ’ s most modern tank—the Leopard 2A7+ model—to Saudi Arabia .
This was the first time Germany supplied heavy arms to an Arab government .
It wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merkel Doctrine ” by German newsmagazines like Der Speigel , a massive surge in exports to so-called moderate Arab states across North Africa and the Middle East has been overseen by the German government .
Over the past decade , Saudi Arabia , Bahrain , the United Arab Emirates , Turkey , Jordan , Lebanon , Algeria , Qatar and others have all received German armaments .
This has helped Germany to become the world ’ s fourth-largest arms exporter .
But these armaments aren ’ t just about making money .
Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
Based on a prophecy in Psalm 83 , we have long forecast that Germany will soon ally with many of the Arab states it is now arming .
Bible prophecy also shows that Germany ’ s strategic placement of its limited troop deployments around North Africa and the Middle East is beginning to surround one nation that didn ’ t receive German arms : Iran .
• “ Why the Trumpet Watches an Alliance Between Arab Nations and Europe ” 16 .
A New Pope Turns the World Against America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2013 , he became the world ’ s first Jesuit pope and the world ’ s first Latin American pope .
His papacy has been characterized by his attacks on free-market capitalism and the nations that promote it—namely America and Israel .
In 2014 , Pope Francis condemned an Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem .
In 2015 , he helped the Obama administration lift a U.S. embargo on Communist Cuba .
In 2016 , he condemned plans to build a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border as un-Christian .
And throughout his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capitalism at a “ new tyranny.
” A prophecy in Isaiah 47 shows that a church with influence over many nations will enslave the people of Israel in the end time .
The Catholic Church is actively fomenting resentment against the United States .
• “ Much More Than an Economic Plan ” • “ Why Is the Pope Meddling in American Politics ?
” After Japan ’ s defeat in World War ii , the nation was forced into a state of pacifism and made dependent on the U.S. for security .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Japan would return to militarism .
“ … Japan has become so powerful economically that it could build a military force of very great power … rapidly , ” he wrote .
In the years that followed , Japan indeed boosted its military might .
And in the last decade , the trend accelerated .
The March 2011 earthquake spurred the most momentous Japanese military operations since the end of World War ii .
In 2014 , Japan “ reinterpreted ” its constitutional ban on collective self-defense , enabling it to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been unthinkable a few years earlier .
Japan wasted no time using the new leeway .
It sent soldiers to hotspots abroad with mandates none of their countrymen had had for decades : They could use force .
Meanwhile , Japan increased its defense budget to record numbers , and continued developing more and more of the world ’ s most cutting-edge weaponry .
Mr. Armstrong accurately foretold Japan ’ s return to militarism because his analysis was based on the Bible .
Scripture shows that in the final world war , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mighty Asian bloc .
Ezekiel 38 lists ancient names for the people of modern Japan , saying they will be part of this Asian military colossus .
Japan ’ s return to militarism brings this prophecy closer to fulfillment .
This past decade brought some horrific natural disasters .
It started in January 2010 with an earthquake in Haiti that killed some 316,000 people .
It included the 2011 tsunami in Japan , the 2015 earthquake in Nepal , and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017 .
News reports often commented on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once in a generation ” or even “ once in a thousand years , ” and said it was “ of biblical proportions.
” Droughts , wildfires , floods , hurricanes , heat waves , cyclones , blizzards and other calamities have been increasing and are never far out of the headlines .
Over the decade , the response to these disasters has grown increasingly vehement and emotional—and that is , to blame all these problems , and many more , on a single cause : man-made climate change .
Despite many flaws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of data being deceitfully used to force faulty conclusions , through intellectual bullying it has become virtual consensus that reducing carbon emissions is the only way to save humanity .
More and more world leaders and national administrations are proposing and implementing sweeping reforms that will injure economies , cripple private enterprise , and place far more power in the hands of governments .
Environmental alarmism has become a pretext for implementing leftist economic policy .
The Bible prophesies that climatic and natural disasters will increase in the end time .
Jesus Christ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a specific sign of His imminent return .
Many scriptures describe how God uses droughts , floods and storms like hurricanes and tornadoes to correct mankind , to turn us from our sin .
So these increasing disasters this past decade signal the urgency of the time .
But mankind is ignoring God ’ s correction , pursuing a false cause with religious fervor , and doubling down on the moral and spiritual sins for which God is sending these curses .
This was the decade when European politics fell apart .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Spain to Germany spent months struggling to form governments .
Behind this is the rise of extreme parties on the far right and far left .
And behind this is a massive popular dissatisfaction with the status quo .
This decade saw a devastating financial crisis in Europe .
It witnessed a migrant crisis sweep Europe .
It saw terrorism hit the Continent : 138 people killed in Paris in November 2015 ; 87 killed in a truck attack in Nice , July 2016 ; 12 killed in an attack on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On a 2009 Key of David program , Mr .
Flurry said : “ A strongman is going to be brought on the scene in Europe , so says your Bible .
Will an attack by al Qaeda provoke that ?
” The rise of a strongman in Germany is one of the key prophecies we are watching , and one yet to be fulfilled .
But all these crises have already prompted the rise of strongman politics in other European countries .
Hungary and Poland are ruled by strongman-type leaders .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a critical part of this trend : He conforms to exactly the kind of strongman leader we have been looking for .
European nations are becoming “ distrustful of America and thinking more and more about uniting themselves into a united states of Europe , ” Mr. Armstrong wrote in March 1950 .
To do that , though , they needed a “ new supreme leader.
” In 1954 , he wrote : “ All Europe is actually ready—just waiting for the confidence-inspiring leader.
” “ If a real crisis develops , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Mr .
Flurry asked in our December 1991 issue .
“ Your Bible says that is going to happen !
That crisis will probably be triggered by an economic collapse in the U.S. ” Now we have seen crises .
We have seen the appetite for a strong leader on display .
And we have seen stronger leaders arise in European countries .
This is a fulfilled prophecy that is certain to intensify in the time ahead .
• “ Why the Trumpet Watches the Rise of a German Strongman ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruled much of the Middle East and North Africa .
While far from a perfect situation , this strongman rule prevented the rise of radical Islamic forces inside their country .
However , the Bible says in Daniel 11:40-45 that in the latter days , these nations—from Libya to Egypt to Ethiopia to Yemen—will give way to radical Islamic rule : the rule of the masses behind a leader of Islamic holy war , or in biblical terms , “ the king of the south.
” As the Trumpet has said for 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran .
Standing in the way of that prophecy were these strongmen .
Then , in 2010 and 2011 , starting in Tunisia , spreading to Libya and Egypt , and then jumping across to Syria and Yemen , mass movements of people rose up against their overlords .
This “ Arab Spring ” gave hope that democracy would replace autocracy in the Middle East and North Africa region .
But where some saw hope , we saw a dangerous trend toward Islamic rule .
In Libya , the decades-long rule of Muammar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western powers .
The result is that Libya is still an ungoverned space where jihadis vie for power .
In Yemen , gone is the long-term rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh , ousted from the Yemeni capital of Sanaa by Houthis , a Shiite sect that answers directly to Iran .
Now the Houthis reign supreme in western Yemen , making Iran the gatekeeper to the critical Red Sea passageway .
In Egypt , the change was brief , though telling .
In 1994 Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran , is very strong in Egypt and Algeria .
This religion will probably take control of both countries very soon.
” He mentioned that the Muslim Brotherhood , an almost 100-year-old institution that believes in the supremacy of Islam , would head that revival .
In 2011 , after strongman Hosni Mubarak stepped down , Egyptians voted in what many considered to be Egypt ’ s only free election in its 5,000-year history—and they elected the Muslim Brotherhood .
Ties with Iran surged .
While the Muslim Brotherhood has since been ousted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secret cables show that Iran ’ s relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood continues .
These events have turned North Africa into a largely ungoverned space crawling with jihadis , ripe for Iran ’ s leadership to corral the masses—just as prophecy foretold .
11 .
The Development of a ‘ Mart of Nations ’ Trade war is all over the headlines .
China and America are imposing tariffs on each other .
America is threatening sanctions against European energy companies .
China is creating a vast , Asian-wide trade network .
These developments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ mart of nations ” in which merchants “ pass over the seas ” and great waters—in other words , a massive overseas trade network .
Included are Tyre ( prophetic language for a modern-day European financial center ) , Chittim ( signifying modern-day China ) and Tarshish ( the inhabitants of the isle , Japan ) .
Gerald Flurry first spoke about this in 2009 , and the story has since leaped into the headlines .
In 2009 , Germany was exporting $ 51 billion worth of goods to China .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
China has become Germany ’ s top trade partner .
The German and Chinese cabinets meet together every year .
Meanwhile , an EU-Japan trade deal entered force last February , creating the world ’ s largest free-trade area .
This is about to be eclipsed though : The EU and the Latin American bloc mercosur have signed a deal to create an even bigger one .
All this time , China has been militarizing the South China Sea , creating a new sea gate in a region that is home to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maritime commerce .
Its navy has grown to include 10 nuclear and 50 conventional submarines , two aircraft carriers and 30 destroyers , and nearly a hundred frigates and corvettes .
In his booklet Isaiah ’ s End-Time Vision , Mr .
Flurry warned , “ With a German-led Europe ( the king of the north ) possessing great maritime power , North America will be surrounded on the east by Europe and the south by Latin America .
The Bible contains many prophecies of that European power attacking America—and many other prophecies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where China and the giants of Asia enter the picture … .
Should Europe , the resurrected Holy Roman Empire , find a way to take advantage—even for a moment—of key resources and strategic holdings of China , Russia and Japan , it would have more than enough power to besiege the Anglo-Saxon nations and enslave them.
” So much of the power to do that is in place already .
The rapid development of this prophesied “ mart of nations ” is a dramatic example of fulfilled prophecy .
Barack Obama was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 on a pledge to fundamentally transform the nation .
During eight years in office , President Obama laid the foundation for nationalizing the health-care industry by signing the Affordable Care Act , he made it easier for illegal immigrants to remain in America by signing an executive order , and he took several steps enabling the legalization of same-sex “ marriage.
” The Obama administration also routinely accused local police officers of racism and actively supported protest movements like Black Lives Matter .
The class and race hatreds his administration stirred up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in protests and riots against the police and the Trump administration .
These transformative actions all trace back to lawlessness .
For eight years , the most important office in the U.S. government was occupied by a man who undermined the law of the land rather than upholding it .
As a result , America is much different than it was on Inauguration Day 2009 .
Many of the Obama administration ’ s reforms succeeded because the president pretended his views were less radical than they were .
Given this adeptness at deceit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Under Attack identified him as a type of the ancient Seleucid emperor Antiochus Epiphanes .
Antiochus obtained rule through lies before betraying the people of ancient Judah , slaughtering them and desecrating the temple in Jerusalem with an idol bearing his likeness .
A prophecy in Daniel 8 reveals that the devil would use an Antiochus figure to cast truth to the ground in the end time .
Barack Obama used deceit to transform America , casting down constitutional principles and Christian morals .
When the 2010s began , Russia and China were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 years , they brought their ties to a level of geopolitical intimacy that has astounded analysts worldwide .
The main turning point came in early 2014 , when Vladimir Putin ’ s Russia illegally annexed Ukraine ’ s Crimean Peninsula .
President Obama said Putin ’ s land grab violated “ basic principles … recognized around the world.
” He said the nations were “ united ” in seeing the move as dangerous and illegal .
But China stepped in and proved Mr. Obama wrong .
The Chinese publicly supported Russia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Western world tried to punish Russia with economic isolation , China did the opposite , deepening Russia-China ties .
Graham Allison of the Harvard Kennedy School wrote , “ At every point the United States and Western Europeans imposed pain [ on Russia ] , China has offered comfort.
” This decision by China set ties between the two countries on the fast track .
They intensified their cooperation in international affairs and politics , bestriding the global stage in near-perfect lockstep .
Whether with policies on the Middle East , Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else , Russia and China began operating in tandem .
They also began to profoundly strengthen their trade ties .
By 2018 , mutual Russia-China trade had hit an astounding $ 100 billion .
Volumes for 2019 are on pace to be higher still , particularly with the Power of Siberia gas pipeline having just come online and now pumping trillions of cubic feet of Russian gas into China each year .
In military matters—the most significant aspect of the relationship—Russia and China have formed ties so close that they have forged an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2010s began , they had held just a handful of military exercises .
During the 2010s , they staged more than 20 more sets of drills , some with hundreds of thousands of soldiers involved .
These are two nuclear-armed nations practicing to make war together !
The Trumpet closely watches the deepening ties between Russia and China because the Bible prophesies of an Asian confederation that will form in the end time with these two nations at its core .
This Asian bloc is referred to in Revelation 16:12 as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show that this bloc will play a major role in a nuclear World War iii .
Society ’ s moral decline has occurred over decades , with premarital sex , adultery , divorce and other such trends growing more and more common .
Well before this past decade , homosexuality was gaining public acceptance .
Homosexual acts were effectively legalized nationwide back in 2003 with the Supreme Court ’ s ruling in Lawrence v. Texas .
But this past decade saw a rush forward in sexual deviancy , both popularly and legally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck down the Defense of Marriage Act , effectively giving same-sex unions the same legal status as traditional marriage .
Soon , legal challenges began punishing private business owners like bakeries and flower shops for exercising their personal conscience and failing to endorse and promote same-sex unions .
We are finishing the decade with a prominent Democrat Party candidate for president who calls himself a Christian , quotes the Bible , and proudly campaigns alongside his gay “ husband.
” But the mainstreaming of this transformative new sexual morality went far beyond same-sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only on sexual orientation , but also on “ gender identity ” have proliferated .
This punishes anything perceived as different treatment because of behavior perceived as not stereotypically male or female .
In the past decade , transgenderism has rapidly moved from the far fringe to the mainstream .
Activists have succeeded in efforts to open public toilet facilities and locker rooms to people of the opposite biological sex .
People are losing jobs for refusing to celebrate gender dysphoria .
Incarcerated men who identify as women have been transferred to women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been taking over women ’ s sports , dominating weightlifting , cycling , wrestling , running , soccer and other competitions as they compete against female athletes .
And this revolution is only beginning , since activists are implementing public school curricula for even our youngest children that indoctrinate them to embrace such confusion .
Bible prophecy describes the moral and spiritual climate that will prevail in society in the end time : including rampant sexual promiscuity , licentiousness and homosexuality .
Jesus Christ described how it would be as it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their immorality .
And He warned that we in the end time would suffer the same fire-and-brimstone fate .
Many other scriptures describe the sins of Sodom—but it seems that in our frenzy to embrace the lunacy of gender confusion , modern society is going well beyond the perversions that even Sodom committed .
And the reality is that civilization can not survive this kind of corruption , absurdity and lawlessness .
Prophecy is plain that God ’ s judgment is coming swiftly .
• “ Climate , Gender and the Fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reinstated financial sanctions on the Iranian regime , it would be easy to overlook the Iranian nuclear deal as not having much of an effect anymore .
However , when this deal was struck in 2016 , Gerald Flurry called it the worst foreign-policy blunder in American history .
These last four years have proved that statement correct .
While President Trump ’ s sanctions have slowed Iran ’ s economy , there has been no slackening in its march toward acquiring a nuclear weapon .
And having received $ 150 billion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has used that money to fund its terrorist proxies : Hezbollah in Lebanon , Shiite militias in Iraq , Houthis in Yemen , and Palestinian groups .
It has also spent the cash to research , test and equip its missile arsenal , which is the largest in the Middle East .
It has developed smart technology that enables these missiles to hit within 10 meters of any chosen target .
This development in itself is a game-changer for Israel , with some likening it to having a cumulative effect of a nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballistic missile technology , which was allowed under the nuclear deal , to the point that it can now carry a nuclear weapon as far as southern Europe—something it couldn ’ t do four years ago .
And though it claims to still abide by the nuclear deal , Iran has now moved within seven months of having enough nuclear material to produce a nuclear warhead .
Some argue that even if it acquires all the matériel and the delivery system , Iran still lacks the know-how to create the weapon itself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in North Korea—a long-standing partner with Iran in its nuclear program—have proved that nation ’ s ability to produce a nuclear weapon .
North Korea has shared other technology with Iran and could share this as well .
These are the fruits of the Iran nuclear deal four years ago , and they have made the world a far more dangerous place .
As we have long noted , the policy of mutually assured destruction does not impact Iran ’ s calculus .
According to the mullahs ’ own end-of-days scenario , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear war .
They just have to start one .
And Bible prophecy is clear not only that World War iii will , in fact , be a broadly devastating nuclear war , but also that Iran will be a primary trigger for it .
The Iran nuclear deal hastened the fulfillment of these chilling prophecies .
6 .
Germany Uses the Financial Crisis to Dominate Europe So many of the headlines from this decade could have come right from Herbert Armstrong ’ s Plain Truth newsmagazine years ago .
Daily Mail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hitler failed by military means to conquer Europe , modern Germans are succeeding through trade and financial discipline .
Welcome to the Fourth Reich.
” Financial Times , May 8 , 2012 : “ This is not a monetary union .
It is far more like an empire.
” Germany ’ s Der Spiegel , March 2015 : “ An empire is in play , at least in the economic realm .
The eurozone is clearly ruled by Germany ….
” This empire was created on the back of the euro crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The conglomeration of European nations using it was just too different to share a single economic policy and a common currency .
Many , including German leaders , saw that a crisis was inevitable .
In 2008 the crisis hit in Greece .
During the 2010s we saw it shake country after country—Greece , Cyprus , Portugal and , to a lesser extent , Spain .
In each instance , Germany grabbed more power .
Only Germany had the funds to step in and bail out these stricken countries—and each time it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German taxpayers were also victimized .
They didn ’ t want their tax euros being used by the elites to buy themselves power over Europe .
But it happened anyway .
And now Germany dominates Europe more clearly than ever .
In 1954 , Mr. Armstrong wrote : “ Nothing can prevent Germany from completely dominating Europe .
Soon there will be the prophesied United Europe , the resurrected Roman Empire with Germans in complete domination .
It ’ s prophesied !
” In 1956 , he wrote that the Germans “ plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Europe.
” Now even Germany ’ s own Der Spiegel is talking about a German-led European empire .
In early November 2013 , Gerald Flurry recorded a Key of David episode examining the role of Russia and its leader in Bible prophecy .
He highlighted Revelation 9:16 , which describes an Asian force of 200 million soldiers fighting in World War iii .
He also discussed Ezekiel 38:2 , which says this massive Asian force will be led by “ the prince of Rosh , Meshech , and Tubal ” ( New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flurry explained that Meshech and Tubal are early names corresponding to modern Russian cities , and Rosh is a variation of an ancient name for Russia .
Mr .
Flurry then made a bold , specific forecast : President Vladimir Putin will be this “ prince of Russia ” who leads the end-time Asian force .
He said we should watch for Putin to start expanding Russia ’ s control over Ukraine and the nations in its periphery .
Later that November , Ukraine descended into chaos after its president said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the ensuing months , protests grew increasingly violent .
Putin secretly sent troops into the country and ended up annexing Ukraine ’ s Crimean Peninsula .
He literally redrew the borders of Europe .
Mr .
Flurry wrote , “ The fact that one man—one man—is responsible for this huge geopolitical shift is deeply significant.
” Putin continued wielding his power to prevent Georgia , Ukraine and other former Soviet countries from developing closer ties with Europe .
He also tightened his grip over Russia .
And he deftly maneuvered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Japan and many other Asian nations .
Putin pushed the U.S. out of Russia ’ s periphery by persuading Kyrgyzstan to oust the Americans from Manas Air Base—Washington ’ s last military base in Central Asia .
And he got Russia deeply involved in the Middle East , sidelining America , helping the brutal Syrian regime to retain power , and aiding Iran ’ s pursuit of nuclear weapons .
President Putin also spent much of the decade modernizing Russia ’ s military and developing numerous state-of-the-art weapons systems , including virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia ’ s military far more lethal .
The 2010s showed the world that Vladimir Putin is not just a judo master , a kgb wunderkind , and the wealthiest man in the world .
They showed that he is also the savior of modern Russia—the man responsible for returning the vast nation to great-power status .
He is the trailblazer for the modern global return to authoritarianism , the most cunning strongman on the scene , and the world leader better equipped than any other to stand up to the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Rosh ” that God inspired the Prophet Ezekiel to write about thousands of years ago , and whom Mr .
Flurry identified before much of the evidence had yet appeared .
On Tuesday , a mass protest stormed Baghdad ’ s central green zone , a highly sensitive area holding international embassies .
The protesters , clad in military fatigues and Shiite insignia , charged the United States Embassy and set the reception area on fire .
They were protesting a U.S. air strike two days earlier that targeted members of Kataib @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establishment known as the Popular Mobilization Forces and , more significantly , an Iranian military proxy in Iraq with much American blood on its hands .
Elsewhere in Baghdad these days are other protests—not anti-U.S. , but anti-Iran .
For two months , Iraqis have been proving themselves willing to die in their efforts to remove Iranian interference in their nation .
So far , 500 anti-Iranian protesters have been killed .
These two simultaneous demonstrations highlight the battle for Iraqi hearts that has been waged by the United States and Iran for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran , the fight for Iraq has gone on much longer .
Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 , Iran has set out to conquer Iraq by war , subterfuge , infiltration or any other means .
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force has overseen this 40-year project .
A popular slogan during Iran ’ s war on Iraq in the early 1980s was , “ The path to Jerusalem runs through Karbala ” —the location of Shiite holy places just south of Baghdad .
Though the Iran-Iraq War ended without victor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The largest roadblock to Iran ’ s victory over Iraq was America ’ s invasion of Iraq in 2003 .
After the U.S. removed dictator Saddam Husain , hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops were stationed right next door to Iran ; Iranian leaders worried they would be next .
But as time wore on , they recognized that the U.S. had no appetite for another war .
They simply had to wait , and meanwhile , to train Iraqi Shiite militias to pick at American and coalition forces .
Eventually , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they did just that—and hastily .
Before long , the notoriously wicked jihadi organization the Islamic State raced to fill the power vacuum left behind in Iraqi territory .
Iran responded by directing the very same Shiite Iraqi forces that had fought against America to now fight against the Islamic State—and what ’ s more , to do so alongside U.S. air support .
Mr .
Flurry wrote about the folly of this situation in the January 2018 Trumpet : “ Iran now looks like an effective and useful partner in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make Iran appear to be the savior in Iraq and Syria !
” Today the Islamic State is gone from Iraq , but these Shiite militias that answer to Iran have unchecked power in both Iraq ’ s military and its politics .
Now consider what Mr .
Flurry wrote in 2003 right after America invaded : “ It may seem shocking , given the U.S. presence in the region right now , but prophecy indicates that , in pursuit of its goal , Iran will probably take over Iraq.
” Has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters on Iraq ’ s streets testify that it has .
This may be the clearest , most specific fulfilled prophecy of the decade .
For decades we have watched for it .
From the earliest days of his work in the 1930s , Herbert W. Armstrong forecast the advent of a united European power .
In 1956 he wrote , “ Probably Germany will lead and dominate the coming United States of Europe , but Britain will be no part of it.
” Even when Britain joined the European Community in 1973 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prophecy .
“ Britain is going to look back on Monday , Jan. 1 , 1973 , in all probability , as a most tragically historic date—a date fraught with ominous potentialities !
” he wrote .
“ For that date marked the United Kingdom ’ s entry into the European Community.
” In 1978 , with Britain firmly embedded in the European Economic Community , Mr. Armstrong described a “ soon-coming resurrected ‘ Holy Roman Empire ’ —a sort of soon-coming ‘ United States of Europe ’ —a union of 10 nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Common Market of today .
… Britain will not be in that empire soon to come.
” Why these unflinching forecasts ?
The Bible shows that the British people are descendants of the Israelite tribe of Ephraim .
There is abundant proof that the British are modern-day Israelites—a book ’ s worth , in fact .
We would like to offer you a copy of that book—The United States and Britain in Prophecy , by Mr. Armstrong—free of charge .
God prophesied that after Ephraim and Manasseh received their promised wealth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the God who blessed them , He would remove those blessings and punish these nations with war and captivity .
Many scriptures describe the German-led Europe that God said would punish Britain .
If God would use a German-led European superstate to punish Britain , Britain would have to be outside that superstate .
Hence Mr. Armstrong ’ s forecast that Britain would go .
And so it did .
On June 23 , 2016 , Britain shocked the world by voting for Brexit .
And this last month , Britain again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-Brexit government .
This government immediately approved a law to get Britain out , and the nation will officially leave the EU on January 31 , thus realizing Mr. Armstrong ’ s Bible-based prophecy .
• “ Why the Trumpet Watches the UK ’ s Break From Europe ” • The United States and Britain in Prophecy On Nov. 8 , 2016 , the American people elected Donald J. Trump as president of the United States .
For millions of Americans , this was a full-throated protest against the Obama administration , against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against government regulation and intrusion , and against bowing and kowtowing to foreign governments .
Upon assuming office , President Trump immediately started signing executive orders undoing much of President Obama ’ s legacy .
His administration also started exposing much of the corruption in the previous administration , such as the fbi ’ s use of Russian propaganda to illegally spy on the Trump campaign and rig the 2016 presidential election .
President Trump has also strongly supported Britain ’ s new prime minister , Boris Johnson , bolstering efforts to separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Kingdom a strong alternative trade partner .
Together , Boris Johnson , Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are leading an Anglo-American-Israeli resurgence on the world scene .
A prophecy in 2 Kings 14 shows that God would temporarily save Israel from destruction in the end time using a type of the ancient Israelite King Jeroboam ii .
Another prophecy in Amos 7 shows that this end-time Jeroboam would have a strong religious following , described as “ the king ’ s chapel.
” America ’ s resurgence under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by some 30 million evangelical Christians , provide distinct evidence that President Trump is the prophesied end-time Jeroboam .
But it is vital to remember that the reason God is using Mr. Trump to save America temporarily is to give people time to repent of their sins .
Without repentance , America ’ s economic and racial problems will come roaring back to destroy the nation in a devastating civil war .
This will weaken America to the point that it can be invaded by a European superstate .
America ’ s resurgence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; it is a last chance to repent before Great Tribulation !
• “ Can President Trump Get Control of His Own Divided Government ?
” 1 .
The New Throne of David The Bible says that when Jesus Christ returns , He will become King of kings , and Lord of Lords .
He will take His place on a throne .
In fact , Luke 1:32-33 say that God is going to give Him “ the throne of his father David , and he shall reign … for ever ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end.
” That is the event that all of these other events listed above are pointing to .
These other prophecies are signs of how close we are to the time when God will fulfill this promise and Jesus Christ will establish His government on this Earth .
The throne of David , on which Jesus Christ will sit , was established by God about 3,000 years ago , with King David of Israel .
God preserved that throne through the descendants of David for generations .
Even when the kingdom of Judah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensured that the throne would continue , as He transplanted it to the British Isles through a female descendant of David .
It remained there for many more centuries , first in Ireland , then in Scotland , then in Britain , after three prophesied “ overturns ” of that throne .
But the prophecy of these overturns , in Ezekiel 21:27 , says that after this , “ it shall be no more.
” Several specific prophecies show that just before Christ returns , there will be a change in the throne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January 2017 .
The royal family of Britain no longer inhabits the throne of David , as they have for generations .
That throne has been replaced by a new throne of David , which God has given to His Church—one of the last , most important steps in preparation for Christ ’ s return .
This is a subject you have to really study to understand , and our editor in chief , Gerald Flurry has written a book about it , called The New Throne of David .
Out of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just how close we are to the end of this present age and to the beginning of a new age that will come when Jesus Christ returns , the new throne of David tops the list .
• The New Throne of David

jerusalem
Last night, the United States took its boldest action in the Middle East of the past decade. Just after midnight, a U.S. air strike targeted a convoy close to the Baghdad airport. Inside the vehicles were the masterminds of Iran’s terrorist policy inside Iraq and in the larger region: Qassem Suleimani and his key understudy, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Both Suleimani and Muhandis were killed in the attack, as well as 10 others.
The Pentagon confirmed their deaths on Thursday night, stating, “At the direction of the president, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qassem Suleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.”
For a point of reference, the death of Suleimani is far more significant than that of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Ladin and Islamic State head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi combined. Confirming the danger that Suleimani posed, U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal wrote last year that “Suleimani is singularly dangerous. He is also singularly positioned to shape the future of the Middle East.”
The killing marks the end of a tense week in Iraq after U.S. policy shifted from appeasement to limited confrontation.
On December 29, U.S. forces struck five targets in Iraq and Syria that belong to the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah Iraqi paramilitary group, headed by Muhandis, who answers to Suleimani. This was the United States’ first military confrontation against an Iranian proxy in Iraq in a decade, even though the U.S. has been repeatedly attacked and with increasing frequency in the past year.
The American attack was in retaliation to 30 rockets fired at the K-1 military base in northern Iraq two days earlier. Four American troops and two members of the Iraqi Security Forces were injured and an American contractor was killed in the attack, prompting U.S. retaliation.
In response to the U.S. strike, Muhandis and other Iranian surrogates in Iraq ordered a destructive protest at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday and Wednesday. Protesters chanted “Down, down U.S.A.,” threw stones at buildings, broke bulletproof windows, smashed down a steel door with a battering ram, and set fire to parts of the embassy compound. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump immediately sent more marines to reinforce the embassy. Eventually, the Iranian leadership told the protesters to stand down.
#Hezbollah rags along with “Suleimani is our leader” graffiti on the walls of US embassy at #Baghdad at the last day of 2019. #Iraq #iraqProtest pic.twitter.com/LvcUSInhen — IRAQ GURU (@GuruIraq) January 1, 2020
After the black smoke cleared from the burned-out guard house, a graffitied message in red paint could be discerned. It read, “Suleimani is our leader.” According to Dr. Seth Frantzman of the Jerusalem Post, that scribble writing “was a symbol. They were saying Suleimani runs Iraq and Baghdad, not the U.S.”
Now, that leader is dead.
Who Was Suleimani?
It is hard to overstate the significance of Suleimani’s death.
No single man has impacted Iran’s worldwide terrorist activities more, or for longer, than Suleimani. For over two decades, he has worked directly with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and had access to an almost limitless budget to expand Iran’s power outside the country.
In late 1997, Suleimani assumed leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Coprs (irgc) Quds Force, a special expeditionary unit that orchestrates Iranian action in foreign domains. Quds is the Arabic term for Jerusalem, which reveals the force’s ultimate goal.
Heading the Quds Force, Suleimani developed and nurtured Iran’s ties with proxy organizations such as Kataib Hezbollah (among many others) in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. Hardly a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip to Israel without Suleimani signing off on it. His command over these proxies was direct and total.
He also directly oversaw Iran’s policy to support Syrian dictator Bashar Assad throughout the Syrian civil war. In 2015, when Assad’s hold on power looked tenuous, it was Suleimani who flew directly to Moscow to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin and invite his assistance.
However, nowhere was Suleimani’s power more evident than in Iraq.
Last year, Suleimani paid regular visits to Baghdad, acting in effect as Iran’s foreign minister to the nation. When Baghdad’s parliament couldn’t decide on a prime minister, it was Suleimani who flew over to help them negotiate between the parties and install a prime minister that satisfied Iran. In early October, when protests began in Iraq against the increasingly public Iranian influence over the nation, it was Suleimani who again flew to Baghdad to tell the government to use any means necessary to stop the protests. Reuters later reported that snipers belonging to Iran-backed militias were deployed on rooftops surrounding the protesters with orders to shoot to kill. So far, 500 protesters have been killed. No wonder these same protesters celebrated the news of Suleimani’s death today.
https://twitter.com/HezbollahWatch/status/1213006985525964800
But Suleimani had more than just Iraqi blood on his hands. He is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American servicemen during the Iraq War over a decade ago. Soon after American and coalition forces expelled Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, Iran initiated a long-term shadow war against the U.S. in Iraq, led by Suleimani.
In 2004, the Quds Force began flooding Iraq with lethal roadside bombs that Americans referred to as efps—“explosively formed projectiles.” These warheads, which fire a molten copper slug able to penetrate armor, wreaked havoc on coalition forces. efps could be made only by skilled technicians and were often triggered by sophisticated motion sensors. “There was zero question where they were coming from,” Gen. Stanley McChrystal, head of the Joint Special Operations Command at the time, told the New Yorker in 2013. “We knew where all the factories were in Iran.”
In 2008, sensing the success of America’s troop surge, Suleimani reached out to the U.S. general in command, saying, “Dear General Petraeus, You should know that I, Qassem Suleimani, control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza and Afghanistan. And indeed, the ambassador in Baghdad is a Quds Force member. The individual who’s going to replace him is a Quds Force member.”
Petraeus refused to negotiate with this bloody man. As the Pentagon revealed last year, over 600 United States military personnel were killed as a result of Suleimani’s policies.
The U.S. left Iraq in 2011, but Suleimani did not. The hasty removal of U.S. forces by the Obama administration not only created the vacuum for the Islamic State to rise to power, it also allowed Suleimani to act more freely inside Iraq. Many Iraqi Shiites and Kurds in northern Iraq received help from Suleimani in the form of weapons and leadership. The main ground forces fighting against the Islamic State in Iraq was not the Iraqi Army, but the very Shiite militias that had allied with Suleimani years before, numbering over 100,000 soldiers. And they were still answering to Suleimani.
When the Islamic State was eventually defeated, it was Suleimani who was praised. He went from mainly working behind the scenes to assuming a more public role, taking on hero status among the Shiite masses as the man who defeated the Islamic State and as the bulwark against American power in the Middle East. Last year, when U.S. sanctions on Iran increased, Suleimani took to social media to openly challenge President Trump, defiantly stating, “I will challenge you.”
Qasem Soleimani, the Commander of the Quds Force, Iran’s external security agency, has posted this image on his Instagram in response to Trump’s tweet. pic.twitter.com/l1zdRIBK9f — Yashar Ali (@yashar) November 3, 2018
At the Jerusalem Post, Franztman described Suleimani’s growing public persona this way:
It was only in the last two years that their dream of a Middle East dominated by Iran was fulfilled. They were arrogant—the kind of arrogance they accused the West of. No longer in the shadows, those like Suleimani and Muhandis came into the open, where they acted like the heads of state. Their militias in Iraq, called the Popular Mobilization Units (pmu), appeared to dominate not only the security forces, but also the parliament. They had the second-largest party in Iraq and access to 300,000 men they had recruited. Most of these were just young Shiites who wanted to fight [the Islamic State]. A smaller cadre of men in pmu brigades were what mattered. They stockpiled munitions, and since August 2018, moved Iranian ballistic missiles across Iraq to Syria. In Syria they built a network of bases from Imam Ali to T-2, T-4 and others. This network sought to transfer precision-guided munitions to Hezbollah in Lebanon. It also sought to import air defense, the 3rd Khordad system, in April 2018. Consequently, Israel carried out more than 1,000 air strikes against Iranian entrenchment in Syria and Israel’s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. [Aviv] Kochavi said in December that Israel would act against Iranian entrenchment in Syria and Iraq. For Suleimani and Muhandis, all was well in December even as U.S. rhetoric increased. They did not believe the U.S. would decisively respond, as Pompeo threatened. They had seen national security adviser John Bolton and other Iran hawks go. They judged U.S. President Donald Trump an isolationist. Consequently, they tried to push the U.S. via attacks in the Gulf and against Saudi Arabia and then against U.S. forces, carrying out 11 attacks targeted bases since October, according to U.S. sources. Finally, after the killing and wounding of Americans on December 27, the U.S. acted.
Get Prepared for Iran’s Response
Early Friday morning, the irgc released a statement acknowledging Suleimani’s death. The Popular Mobilization’s Units, a conglomeration of largely Shiite militias under Suleimani’s control, blamed America and Israel for his death. “The American and Israeli enemy is responsible for killing the Mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Suleimani,” a pmu spokesman related.
Khamenei has called for three days of mourning for Suleimani, which will likely also be used to discuss a coordinated response. Khamenei warned on Friday that harsh revenge awaits the “criminals” who killed Suleimani and that the attack will double the motivation of the resistance against the U.S. and Israel.
Some commentators have harshly criticized President Trump’s decision to kill Suleimani. They fear retaliatory attacks by Iran against not only U.S. forces, but likely also against Israel and Saudi Arabia.
America’s allies were likely given early notification of the plan to kill Suleimani, given by the slew of phone calls by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to leaders in the region over the past couple days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut his trip to Cyprus short and returned to Israel to be on hand to assess the situation and prepare for a response from Iranian proxies. Already, Foreign Ministry officials have told Israeli embassies and consulates around the world to be on high alert. According to Ynetnews, security was bolstered at some embassies as well.
A strong response from Iran and its proxies throughout the region should be expected.
Suleimani was a patient tactician and saw all Iran’s proxies as a single entity under his command. Now that he is no longer directing them, it is possible that proxy organizations will be more trigger-happy. This could mean a larger attack against Israel by Hezbollah or an attack on the limited American forces inside Iraq.
Nevertheless, given how central Suleimani was in coordinating Iran’s proxy network, his death is definitely a victory for the United States and the region.
The question now is: Will President Trump be willing to reinforce the United States’ presence in the region to deal with coming attacks? If Iran attacks hard, will the United States attack harder? While the death of Suleimani is significant, it is still only a tactical victory against the Islamic regime in Iran. While warranted, Suleimani’s death will only make the region safer if the U.S. is willing to use its force to back up what comes next.
For over 25 years, we have highlighted Iran’s rise to dominate the Middle East. Most of that was completed under the guiding hand of Qassem Suleimani. Over this time we have followed Suleimani and Iran’s developing proxy network closely because Iran fulfills a biblically prophesied role as “the king of the south” spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Daniel 11:40 reads, “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him ….” The king of the south is defined in this prophecy as having a pushy foreign policy. Over the past three decades, no other nation in the world has been as proactive as Iran about growing its global power through force.
However, it should also be noted that this steady growth in power under Suleimani was attained without Iran incurring any significant losses. Iran’s push was dangerous and violent, but not rash. Suleimani understood that there was a time to fight, and there was a time to hold back.
However, the prophecy in Daniel 11 talks about a more reckless king of the south, one that seriously underestimates the power of his enemy and the willingness of that enemy to use its power to destroy Iran. The last part of Daniel 11:40 reads “… 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.” Pushed too far by Iran, the king of the north responds overwhelmingly and forcefully.
It is true that the Islamic empire in Iran has a fanatical ideology to provoke a worldwide war to motivate their savior’s return. However, Suleimani was not guided by a “war at any cost” scenario. He tempered his pushiness to where and when he could be victorious.
Now that Suleimani is dead, are we about to see a more reckless Iran? The arsenal at Iran’s disposal is as great as ever. And the motivation for Iran’s militias to fight has only increased.
The Bible reveals clearly that Iran will instigate a war that it will not win. Suleimani’s death may prove to bring the world notably closer to that event.
Watching the suffering and death in the Middle East can be depressing. However, as the prophecies in Daniel reveal, the war started by Iran is only the first battle in a war that will eventually involve all major world powers. It actually begins the true end-time scenario—not one that brings back the 12th imam, but one that brings the true Savior of all mankind. Maintaining the focus on the conclusion to this event is the only way to endure. For a full account of that hope-filled ending to Iran’s violent push, please read Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s free booklet The King of the South.


thetrumpet--2020-01-03--UK Expands Civil Partnerships as Marriage Alternative

New laws governing civil partnerships in the United Kingdom came into effect on December 31, allowing heterosexuals to live together with the legal benefits of marriage, while avoiding its commitments.
Civil partnerships were originally introduced in 2004 as a compromise over homosexual “marriage.” They provided the same legal and financial protection as marriage, without the binding commitments or religious rites—or the label “marriage.” Even after homosexual “marriage” was legalized in 2014, civil partnership remained an option—but until now, only for homosexuals.
The first couple to not-quite-marry under the new law, Charles Keidan and Rebecca Steinfeld, had campaigned for five years to have the law changed to include heterosexual couples. It worked. With reporters watching, they were pronounced partners on Dec. 31, 2019.
Their victory came after the UK’s Supreme Court decided that only allowing homosexuals to have civil partnerships amounted to discrimination.
Now, more than 3 million cohabiting straight couples can apply for civil partnerships. They would gain legal rights nearly identical to a traditional marriage union, such as tax breaks, rights to inheritance, and entitlements to property.
The rise of civil partnerships replacing marriage is about more than just gaining greater control of one’s finances and property. It’s another reminder of a deep and widespread social change sweeping Western society.
“By ending the unrivaled position of marriage, we have helped to create space for deeper discussions about giving legal recognition to other types of personal and caring relationships, such as those between friends, siblings and co-parents,” Keidan told the Telegraph.
Steinfeld said she views traditional marriage as a sexist system in a patriarchal society. “Civil partnerships are a relative blank slate with no social script, so you can really imprint on them what you want,” she said. As a couple, she and Keidan felt that “there would have been a lot of social expectation and pressure to formalize that relationship in a way that we find very problematic and unequal from a gender point of view. So we didn’t want to have any of that.”
There are no wedding vows. She does not intend to change her surname. Her daughters will go by a combination of their parents’ names: Keidstein.
To people like Keiden and Steinfeld, traditional marriage is obsolete—even oppressive.
But abandoning it comes with consequences.
An April 2017 Brookings study found that the likelihood of divorce increases when parents live together without the bond of traditional marriage. Noting that stable family life is essential for healthy childhood development, the study showed that parents who are cohabiting have only a 20 percent chance of sticking together until the time their children are 15. By contrast, married couples have a 65 percent chance of staying together.
The UK’s civil unions provide couples with the same legal rights as marriage, but they do not encourage commitment. They actually make it easier to dispense with traditional ties like wedding vows and a shared family name.
The Institute for Family Studies confirmed that couples who marry the traditional way have higher relationship satisfaction. It found that “married women had a 54 percent likelihood of being in the highest relationship satisfaction group and married men had a 49 percent likelihood,” whereas for women and men choosing to cohabitate, “those likelihoods were 40 percent and 35 percent, respectively.” The same trend played out with regards to feelings of stability and commitment in a relationship.
There are tangible, built-in benefits to marriage that are being overlooked.
Scientific studies prove what is already stated in the most authoritative book on marriage: the Bible.
The Trumpet offers a free booklet, Why Marriage—Soon Obsolete?, which explains the reason marriage was created and why it brings untold benefits to mankind. The booklet’s author, Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Plain Truth magazine, asked in 1968 whether marriage would soon fade into irrelevance. This question, only beginning to appear in the news media around that time, is more relevant than ever in today’s world.
For many today, marriage is an obsolete and even oppressive system. “But does marriage, after all, serve any necessary purpose?” asked Mr. Armstrong.
Recent studies prove that the biblical teaching on marriage and family is correct and brings greater positive results than anything else. To understand the meaning of marriage, one must look to the Bible itself.
The God of the Bible created marriage (Genesis 2:24). He intended it to picture the real purpose for which He created humans: to be born as spirit beings into His Family (Genesis 1:26-27). Marriage pictures mankind’s incredible potential. Attempts to remove or trivialize it destroy this understanding.
The marriage relationship is completely unique to humans. Mr. Armstrong wrote:
Were it not for the very fact that we were created in God’s very likeness, with the very purpose of being born of God—born into God’s own Family—the marriage institution, giving us the experience of family life, would never have been ordained. If we were mere animals, developed by evolution, marriage would never have existed. Human men never did think out, devise or institute the relationship of marriage, with family and home life. Marriage was ordained by God—not by man. It is governed by the laws of God—and man has no jurisdiction over it, in God’s eyes. God is a Family!
Mr. Armstrong went on to explain the real purposes of marriage, such as how it pictures the marriage of Jesus Christ to the Church (Ephesians 5:23, 27). All of this points to a future for mankind so wonderful that it can be hard to even believe. But it is real. You cannot afford to take it lightly.
To learn God’s views on marriage, and how it points to the potential of every human to enter God’s own Family, request your free copy of Why Marriage—Soon Obsolete? by Herbert W. Armstrong.


thetrumpet--2020-01-02--Australia’s ‘Apocalyptic’ Bushfire Crisis

Fires continue to ravage Australia as it suffers through an unprecedented fire season. Over 100 fires are burning across 13 million acres of land, an area much larger than Denmark. The fires have destroyed more than 1,300 homes and killed 18 people. With dozens of fires still out of control and weather conditions worsening, the death toll is expected to rise.
On Monday, 28-year-old Samuel McPaul became the 10th firefighter to die when his 12-ton fire truck was lifted into the air and slammed down onto its roof by a fire tornado in New South Wales (nsw). The two colleagues with him escaped with severe burns and injuries. Another fire truck suffered the same fate, but its firefighters survived. The nsw fire commissioner described Monday’s condition as “truly horrific.”
On Tuesday, to the south of nsw in Mallacoota, Victoria, fires trapped citizens before they had time to evacuate. Four thousand holiday-makers and locals took refuge on the beach, trapped by blazes that encircled them. Boat owners took to the water for safety; many others entered the water for protection from the ember showers and heat.
Images from Mallacoota are eerie. Thick smoke has turned day into night, and the area is blanketed by a thick red haze. Mallacoota resident Francesca Winterson described the situation: “We are surrounded by red sky, choking dust and choking smoke, and embers falling on the town.” Authorities warn that the fires are causing extreme thunderstorms and “ember attacks.”
https://twitter.com/danbakes/status/1211850190132367360
The military has even been deployed. Navy ships and military aircraft will bring much-needed supplies, such as food, water and fuel, to areas cut off by the fires. A naval vessel is being sent to rescue those trapped in Mallacoota. For those who would rather wait until they can escape by road, authorities estimate it will take two to three weeks.
Military helicopters will be deployed to help firefighters battle the flames and to bring in more firefighters.
Air quality in the nation’s capital, Canberra, was 21 times the hazardous rating and is said to be the worst in the world.
There has been significant damage to infrastructure in areas. Power and communication lines have been lost, leaving families without contact and fearing for the safety of their loved ones. Pumping systems for water supplies have been destroyed and sewage systems damaged. Banking systems are also down, leaving some with no access to available funds to buy food and fuel.
Smoke from the bushfires is now affecting New Zealand, creating a haze across parts of the country and turning glaciers brown. One Christchurch resident said they could “actually smell the burning.”
https://twitter.com/Justin37409859/status/1212158109386342400
Beyond all this is the impact on the wildlife. So much of their habitats have been destroyed and many animals killed. The University of Sydney estimates that half a billion animals have been killed in the fires. New South Wales alone is estimated to have lost a third of its koala population.
And conditions are expected to get worse in the short term with a heatwave and strong winds forecast for Saturday.
A seven-day state of emergency will go into effect on Friday in nsw with forced evacuations. A 12,000-square-kilometer (7,456-square-mile) region along the coast has already been told to evacuate within 48 hours in the “largest evacuation of people out of the region ever.” But there are fears that many will be trapped because fuel supplies cannot be restocked during the fires and many places are out of fuel. Some will not have enough fuel to get out—authorities are warning that only those with a full tank should attempt the journey. Even those with a full tank may still get trapped in long traffic jams on the few roads that are still open. It is common in Australia for there to be only one road into more isolated towns. If these are blocked by fire, there is no way out.
And the fire season is only half over with three more months of hot weather to come. It appears that the worst is still ahead.
How are people responding? With rage—rage at the government for not doing more to combat climate change.
The 2020 Climate Change Performance Index rated Australia as having the worst climate change policies of 57 countries assessed, following just behind the United States, whose president has also faced backlash for his apathetic attitude toward the climate argument.
Many opponents to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison claim that the country is sinking with “no captain at the wheel,” and the Greens Party has demanded a royal commission into the government’s handling of the fire crisis.
While it’s true the prime minister hasn’t exhibited strong leadership during this crisis, climate change is not the cause. (For information debunking climate change science, read “The National Climate Assessment Is Junk Science.”)
Trumpet managing editor Joel Hilliker wrote in his January article “The Unseen Consequence of Climate Change”:
Every new disaster we suffer brings out climatologists speaking as though these curses would cease if only we would all become vegetarians, erect windmills, and stop flying airplanes. This is not only delusional, it is terribly dangerous. Many people see the dishonesty and hypocrisy of climate alarmism. But even they do not see the real disaster in it: the fact that this error obscures the real lesson we must take from these curses!
If climate change is not the cause of Australia’s fires, then what is?
Instead of blaming the government, Australians need to look at themselves. In Leviticus 26, God says, “If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit” (verses 3-4). In other words, obedience to God’s laws results in blessings.
But in Deuteronomy 28:15, 23-24, God says, “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee …. And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.” God promises curses for disobedience. And one of the ways God curses is through the weather.
Our lands are full of sin. We have not kept “all his commandments and his statutes.” The sin multiplies year after year. Is it any wonder the fires get worse every year?
As Satan strives to cover the real cause of these weather disasters with the climate change argument, you do not have to be deceived. For more information on why our nations are suffering through more and more devastation, read our free booklet Why ‘Natural’ Disasters?


thetrumpet--2020-01-02--Why You Need to Watch Vladimir Putin and Belarus in 2020

Russian President Vladimir Putin followed by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko , enters a meeting hall during the Supreme Eurasian Economic @ @ @ @ @ on December 20 , 2019 .
Why You Need to Watch Vladimir Putin and Belarus @ @ @ @ @ a record-breaking year financially in 2019 .
Our media efforts are firing on all cylinders @ @ @ @ @ to report on a geopolitical event building in Belarus that is connected to the empire @ @ @ @ @ Subscribe to the Trumpet Daily Radio Show on Apple Podcasts , Google Play or by @

The Trumpet Daily proves the Bible’s relevancy to your life. Trumpet executive editor Stephen Flurry hosts a show covering wide-ranging topics with an emphasis on world news. The Trumpet Daily airs live weekdays at 11 a.m. Central Time. You can watch the live video stream at theTrumpet.com/live . The show is available on your favorite podcast apps.