Update 1144

On February 1, 2025, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Indomitable,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Living Goals.”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/(12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

When I was in my undergraduate program, I had the opportunity to make maps. This was a good thing since I loved maps. This was also the era of the fold-up map. People planning a road trip would rely on those maps from their neighborhood gas station or the Automobile Club of America (AAA).

For our schoolwork, we plotted the base of a historic lighthouse on the eastern end of Long Island in NY and surveyed a segment of a beach. We relished making the maps, but we learned that no matter how accurate our work was, we were always a bit off. Not so that we would have wound up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but significant to the point that we had to settle for being close enough.

In reality, there was as much about art as science in the creation of maps. Back in the day, cartographers would converse with traders who would travel from port to port and town to town. The mapmakers would compare stories and adjust their maps. When possible, they would venture out as actual experience was vital.

Because this work was painstakingly tedious and personal, the cartographers would often insert an intentional mistake or what came to be called: a phantom settlement into a map to make it their own. This was a location or physical artifact that in fact did not exist. If someone copied the false information, the original mapmaker had the evidence to show.

The point of including this story is to make the far more important point that as true Christians we should never blindly rely on information simply because it is in print. However, we know that we can and must trust absolutely in the Word of God contained in our Bibles. We need to use our Bibles and become familiar with the Scriptures.

We know that the Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and there can be subtle differences in translations. Ultimately however, it comes down to this Scripture in Psalm 119:160: “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” This is a simple yet complete message that is reinforced for us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

We must always make certain that any study tools and translation aids we are relying on are rendered accurately. While I was preparing my previous editorial in December 2024, Mr. Norbert Link and I realized that something was amiss with a particular NIV translation I was using. I had used a popular online Bible study tool—but as you may guess, the translation was inaccurate.

I’ve researched this since my experience and learned that this particular tool uses Artificial Intelligence to analyze biblical texts and provide translations, commentaries, and study resources. This does not inherently mean that Scripture will be altered with AI, but in my experience, it was. I think back on previous work using the tool, and recall apparently “minor” changes the tool frequently suggested. I never accepted the changes since I knew this would modify Scripture.

I suspect that online Bible study tools generally focus on readability. However, we must never alter Scripture to suit the software. It is clear that there is no better resource for true Christians than actually using our Bibles.

In Exodus 20:1-2, Moses wrote: “And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’”

This Scripture and the next 25 verses provide the record of the conversation between Moses and our Creator, concerning what was now a mutual relationship between God and His people. God saved His people from the yoke of the Egyptians and was now communicating His expectations for His people: their adherence to the Ten Commandments.

The words that God chose for this message were perfect, and modifying them in any way would diminish this sacred and historic moment, as well as alter the Word of God.

In Proverbs 3:5-6, we are reminded to rely on God:  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” For further emphasis, consider this Scripture in Deuteronomy 4:2: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” This is very clear guidance as to how we should be reading and using our Bibles to grow our understanding of Scripture. It is also instructive as to how we must consider tools such as AI in our Bible studies. As we delve deeper into Scripture, we can see that God makes this point time and again. Trust and rely on His word, neither add nor subtract from it. Let’s consider two more Scriptures to close out this editorial.

Proverbs 30:5-6 states: “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” Revelation 22:18-19 emphasizes: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Technology can be wonderful and yet can also create challenging issues. I am not casting all AI software with a negative light, but just as we rely on a map to be accurate, as true Christians, we must make certain that the tools we rely on to help us draw closer to God and Jesus Christ are indeed godly and have integrity. We can do this by using the Bible as our roadmap.

by Norbert Link

We begin with Trump’s many statements, executive orders and their execution, drastically changing US politics, including freezing foreign aids, questioning US payment to NATO; running for a third term; the deportation controversy; the fate of 90,000 IRS agents; access to chips for AI; the future of FEMA; and the fires in California.

We are addressing more unexplained drone sightings; Elon Musk’s unwavering support for the German AfD party and its policies; the hostage deal and Trump’s suggestion to clean out Gaza; astonishing statements by Putin and planned negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war; and Denmark’s crisis mode. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Fight for Greenland.”

We speak on Goliath’s possible size; the bloodbath in Aschaffenburg, Germany;  and the execution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in World War 2 because of their conscientious objector status.

Throughout this section, we have underlined pertinent statements in the quoted articles, for the convenience and quick overview of the reader.

US Pause of Foreign Aids For 90 Days

Reuters reported on January 24:

“The U.S. State Department issued a ‘stop-work’ order [for 90 days] on Friday for all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, according to a cable seen by Reuters, after President Donald Trump ordered a pause to review if aid allocation was aligned with his foreign policy. The cable, drafted by the Department’s foreign assistance office and approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said waivers have been issued for military financing for Israel and Egypt. No other countries were mentioned in the cable…

“The State Department cable said effective immediately, senior officials ‘shall ensure that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, no new obligations shall be made for foreign assistance’ until Rubio has made a decision after a review. It says that for existing foreign assistance awards stop-work orders shall be issued immediately until reviewed by Rubio…”

Subsequently, the Pentagon clarified: “Trump’s executive order freezing foreign aid applies only to development programs, not security assistance to Ukraine.” However, it has also been reported that while Trump’s order does not curtail security assistance (i.e., weapons, vehicles and ammunition) already in the pipeline, it does freeze USAID projects for the Ukraine, including support for schools and maternal care and the vaccination of children.

Court Blocks Trump

CNBC reported on January 28:

 “A federal judge paused until next week a Trump administration order that would have frozen the issuance of existing federal grants and loans until agencies vetted them. Judge Loren AliKhan’s ruling Tuesday during a hearing conducted on Zoom came just minutes before the freezing order was set to take effect at 5 p.m. ET. At stake are funds potentially worth trillions of dollars.

“AliKhan [a Biden appointee] said her administrative stay would expire at 5 p.m. ET Monday unless she decides to grant a temporary restraining order as requested by plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit earlier in the day challenging the Trump administration’s action. The judge scheduled a hearing for Monday morning for arguments on the requested restraining order in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C…. AliKhan’s stay only affects the disbursement of government funds that already have been authorized, not money that was being sought.”

Spending Nothing on NATO?

Newsmax wrote on January 23:

“President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was not sure the United States should be spending anything on NATO, telling reporters the U.S. was protecting NATO members, but they were ‘not protecting us.’…

“Trump has said members of the military alliance should spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense — a huge increase from the current 2% goal and a level that no NATO country, including the United States, currently achieves.”

NATO might very well be on its way out.

Trump for a Third Term?

The New York Post wrote on January 24:

“A congressman is pushing for a law change that would allow President Trump to run for a third term… Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) proposed an amendment Thursday that would allow presidents three terms in office — as long as they did not serve two consecutive four-year stints.

“That would allow a third term for Trump — whose two were interrupted by Joe Biden — but not for Obama, Clinton or George W. Bush, who each served two consecutive terms…

“The 22nd Amendment — passed by Congress in 1947 after Franklin Delano Roosevelt won four terms in office — currently bars Trump and all two-term holders of the Oval Office from running for a third term.”

Even IF the 22^nd Amendment bars Trump from “running a third time,” even though he did not serve two consecutive terms, there are other ways than amending the Constitution to serve a third time.

For instance, the 22^nd Amendment only requires that someone not be elected to the Presidency more than twice. Someone who was elected to two terms is still eligible to be Vice President and to rise to the Presidency upon the death, resignation or removal of the President.

Then, another way to be President is to be “chosen” President by the House of Representatives in those unusual situations where no candidate for President obtains a majority of the electoral college.

In Las Vegas on January 25, Trump toyed with the idea of serving a third time, which received thunderous applause from his supporters, but he then dismissed the idea as fake news. Is it?

Newsmax added on January 27:

“President Donald Trump once again hinted at the idea of serving a third term, saying he was “not 100% sure” he was barred from doing so under the Constitution, which forbids it.

“Trump has repeatedly alluded to the possibility that he might go beyond the current two-term limit for presidents — but while he often strikes a light-hearted tone the remarks remain provocative….

“In November, in another speech to House Republicans shortly after his election win, Trump said: ‘I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, “He’s good, we got to figure something else.”’”

The Deportation Nightmare

Breitbart wrote on January 26:

“Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) Sunday on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ warned the Trump administration that his local law enforcement ‘will stand up for those law-abiding, undocumented people’ facing deportation…. Pritzker said, ‘… when we’re talking about violent criminals who have been convicted and who are undocumented, we don’t want them in our state. We want them out of the country. We hope they do get deported. And if that’s who they’re picking up, we’re all for it. They show up with a warrant, and we’re going to hand over people who are in our prisons or in our jails who fit that description.

“‘Now, what they’re also doing, though, and it’s quite disturbing, is they’re going after people who are law-abiding, who are holding down jobs, who have families here who may have been here for a decade or two decades, and they’re often our neighbors and our friends… We also have a law on the books in Illinois that says that our local law enforcement will stand up for those law-abiding, undocumented people in our state who are doing the right thing. And we’re not going to help federal officials just drag them away because somebody pointed at them and said, oh, that person’s brown or that person’s not from here. Check it out. Maybe they’re undocumented.’”

Sadly, that is how many Jews were arrested in Nazi Germany… due to the denunciation of others.

ICE Raids LA

The New York Post wrote on January 26:

“Details of the LA raids were scarce as of Saturday afternoon, but sources said migrants rounded up there were being held in ICE detention centers in California pending deportation. Officials are expecting the sites to fill up quickly, and the feds are scouting for more space to hold migrants, the sources said…

“Executive orders issued by Trump dramatically loosened restrictions on how immigration officers can conduct deportation raids, removing bans for searching courthouses, churches and other ‘sensitive’ sites that illegal migrants have historically holed up in to be shielded from federal authorities. The White House will be using military planes every day to help carry out what Trump and ‘border czar’ Tom Homan have vowed will be the largest deportation operation in U.S. history…”

Going After Nonviolent Illegal Aliens

Fox News wrote on January 26:

“Border Czar Tom Homan warned that daily deportation numbers are set to rise in the coming weeks as President Trump’s administration begins to expand its operations. The border chief says the administration is currently only targeting violent illegal aliens, but that will soon change… ‘If you’re in the country illegally, you’re on the table… every time you enter this country illegally, you violated a crime under Title Eight, the United States Code 1325, it’s a crime,’ Homan [said]… ‘Here’s what’s going to happen. We’ll find the bad guy, but when we find him, he’s going to be with others, others that may not be a criminal priority. But guess what? If they’re in the United States illegally, they’re going to be arrested, too.’”

To clarify, US Code 1325 is a misdemeanor, not a felony. Violations are ruled upon by civil courts, not criminal courts. Also, being present in the USA without legal documentation is in itself not a federal crime.

The New York Post added that Homan also said that deportations will continue every day and culminate in millions of illegal migrants being jettisoned from the US, and that the border is closed.

This whole mess will quickly get out of control, and many will needlessly suffer in the process.

Fate of 90,000 IRS Agents?

Daily Mail wrote on January 26:

“Donald Trump has revealed what could be the fate of nearly 90,000 newly hired Internal Revenue Service (IRS) staff, suggesting he might ‘move them to the border’.  Hours after he was handed over the presidency, the Republican leader signed an executive order to stop [indefinitely] the hiring of all federal civilian employees until ‘his Administration can determine that it is in the national interest to do so’.  Apart from the IRS, the decision is temporary [for 90 days] for all other federal offices….

“’They hired – were trying to hire 88,000 new workers to go with you, and we’re in the process of developing a plan to either terminate all of them or maybe we move them to the border,’ the President said [in Las Vegas on January 25]…

‘Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.’ Trump went on: ‘For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues,’  Trump said during his speech at the Capitol on Monday.”

“He also warned world leaders they could face crippling economic sanctions if they don’t start manufacturing in America in a blistering speech to the World Economic Forum on January 23. The president said nations ‘will pay’ if they opt against doing business in the United States… He also offered an incentive of lower taxes and rates to nations that choose to move more of their business…”

A better way would be to get rid of the IRS completely. The fear is that with the removal of IRS employees, the IRS will not do their job at all, when it applies, for instance, to the refund of taxes—something in which the IRS is already terribly lacking and delinquent in far too many cases. And it is next to impossible to reach a live person, let alone getting an appointment.

US Restricts Access to Chips for AI

swissinfo.ch wrote on January 26:

“The US recently changed the rules for the export of products related to artificial intelligence. Only countries that are considered allies are now allowed to access these computer chips. And Switzerland is not one of them.

“Only 18 countries are considered trustworthy allies in the USA, including France, Germany and Japan. According to Washington, these nations are worthy of unrestricted access to these very powerful computer chips, which are manufactured exclusively by US companies.

“This new regulation will come into force in four months. After that, Switzerland will still be able to import these chips, but will be subject to a limited quota in the coming years… It is not entirely clear why Switzerland is not one of the allied countries… Nevertheless, it seems clear that the main aim of this regulation is to deny rival countries, especially China, access to this cutting-edge technology. The US is not only trying to curb exports, but also to prevent Chinese companies from circumventing the restrictions by setting up subsidiaries abroad.”

Getting Rid of FEMA?

Las Vegas Sun wrote on January 23:

“President Donald Trump said he was considering ‘getting rid of’ the Federal Emergency Management Agency… Instead of having federal financial assistance flow through FEMA, [he] said Washington could provide money directly to the states…

“‘FEMA has been a very big disappointment,’ [he] said. ‘It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow.’”

The problem is, what if the states— such as California—do not use the money wisely? Supervising committees can only go so far.

The California Fire Paradox

Breitbart wrote on January 26:

“Residents of the Pacific Palisades flocked home on Saturday after President Donald Trump’s visit the day before, with many gaining access to their property for the first time since the Palisades Fire more than two weeks ago. Trump met with residents and local officials on Friday, holding a roundtable discussion at the local fire station in which he allowed those affected by the fires to raise their concerns for the first time.  During the meeting, local residents raised concerns that they had been told it would take 18 months to clear their lots of debris, and that local permitting processes would stop them from rebuilding. In addition, most of the affected residents had been prohibited from even visiting the ruins of their homes. Trump took the residents’ side against the city, and when Mayor Karen Bass pushed back, he insisted that they be able to access their property immediately. Bass said they could go within a week. ‘A week is a long time,’ President Trump said, saying residents should be able to go immediately.

“The next day, residents rushed to the assembly point in nearby Santa Monica Parking Lot #3, where police escorts had been taking caravans of residents to the Highlands, one of the areas of the Pacific Palisades that had not been as badly affected as the rest of the town. They insisted on being taken to other neighborhoods… with many insisting that President Trump had promised them access. While some were turned away, some persisted and were able to visit their lots — at least for a short period of time… Some residents reported continued denials by National Guard soldiers and police. One posted on Instagram: ‘They didn’t let us in but they also said they wouldn’t arrest us if we went around them. So we went.’… Many expressed a commitment to rebuild, and hope that President Trump’s pressure on Los Angeles and California will allow them to do so.”

Trump also declared that he will waive any federal permits and urged Mayor Bass to do the same in regard to the state, so that rebuilding could start immediately.

Did the Military Take Over California?

Newsmax wrote on January 28:

“President Donald Trump declared on social media that the military has entered California and ‘turned on the water’ from the Pacific Northwest… ‘The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond,’ Trump wrote…  Monday night…

“The California Department of Water Resources, however, responded… that the ‘military did not enter California… The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days,” the agency said. “State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful.’…

“Trump has accused Gov. Gavin Newsom of holding back water supplies in California, thus impeding the state’s response to the wildfires in Los Angeles. Last Friday, he said he wants to place conditions on disaster aid, calling for tightening voter requirements while increasing water supplies from Northern California…

“Newsom and other state officials deny Trump’s claims and say there is plenty of water in Southern California… ‘Reservoirs in California are at or above average storage levels for this time of year, thanks in part to years of proactive water management.’… Trump in his order directed the federal Bureau of Reclamation to make sure that California agencies ‘do not interfere’ with the water supply….”

It is a well-known fact that California did NOT have enough water to fight the fires. One major reservoir was empty and could not be used.

Pete Hegseth New Defense Secretary

Fox News wrote on January 24:

“The Senate voted to confirm… Pete Hegseth, as defense secretary on Friday night after a high-tempered battle to sway lawmakers in his favor that was almost derailed by accusations about his behavior. 

“The final vote came down to the wire: three Republicans opposed, making for a 50 to 50 vote. Vice President JD Vance was needed to break the tie in the upper chamber, putting the final tally at 51-50… All Democrats opposed the confirmation, a far cry from an earlier vote this week, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously, 99-0.” 

More Drone Sightings… and Still No Explanation

Daily Mail wrote on January 24:

“A New Jersey Mayor has shared new footage of ‘glowing orbs transforming into drones’ over Long Island, adding more intrigue to this ongoing mystery. Michael Melham, the Mayor of Belleville,… shared the bizarre footage on X, saying the clips ‘appears to show glowing orbs turning into drones. Verified not to be planes via flight tracker. They hover. Glow. Then move.’…

“New Jersey still appears to be the epicenter of drone reports following the first sightings in November, when eyewitnesses reported ‘car-sized drones’ flying above a military base and President Donald Trump’s golf course.  But since then, hundreds of other reports have surfaced across the Northeast and even from several southern states, including Virginia, Kentucky and the Carolinas…

“A drone ban was issued from December 18 to January 17, during which Enigma labs said the average number of reported sightings dropped by 43 percent. Now, new data shows 36 sightings were logged the week of January 1, and nearly half were spotted in New Jersey. Trump has yet to release the drone report he promised, and many Americans await new information about the alarming phenomenon they believe they have been experiencing.”

The New York Post wrote on January 25:

“A brief lull in activity that coincided with flight restrictions imposed by the feds has ended, now that the Federal Aviation Administration lifted the ban. And the mysterious unmanned aircraft aren’t just plaguing the Big Apple and the Garden State. ‘We’ve received over 100 reports in the past three weeks that mention drones across the US,’ Enigma Labs spokesperson Christine Kim said…

“New Jersey remains a hotbed of drone activity, Kim claimed. The New York-based company’s ‘unidentified anomalous phenomena’…  received a total of 22,000 sightings in 2024, with most concentrated in the Northeast… Enigma Labs relies on user-submitted information and began tracking sightings in late November… Since then, it’s received 650 reports of drone sightings in the US, with 154 coming in January alone…

“Over 50% of reports to Enigma described the objects as ‘hovering’ or staying airborne for extended periods of time, while 25% indicated objects were observed moving in swarms of five or more.”

Update on Drones Flying Over New Jersey

Fox News wrote on January 28:

“The White House on Tuesday revealed that some of the drones seen flying over New Jersey and other parts of the country in November were authorized to be flown by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)… for research and various other reasons… In addition to those authorized by the FAA, other drones flown by hobbyists were sighted, and that number increased as curiosity about the phenomenon grew, the White House said [adding that ‘This was not the enemy.’].”

This sounds extremely untrue. The U.S. Department of Defense had published the following article on its website on December 14, 2024:

“Right now, the FBI, DHS, FAA and DOD have been unable to determine who is responsible for flying the drones, and there’s no indication that there are adversary nations involved. ‘To date, we have no intelligence or observations that would indicate that they were aligned with a foreign actor or that they had malicious intent,’ the spokesperson said. ‘But … we don’t know. We have not been able to locate or identify the operators or the points of origin.’”

Trump Explanation Raises Even More Questions

The New York Post added on January 28:

“The explanation did not clarify what research was being performed — in many cases near military bases — or detail what ‘other reasons’ were at play. Some leading politicians have been skeptical of the official explanation that the drones were innocent. Then-House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) said last month that he believed many of the aircraft were ‘spy drones’ from China. ‘My judgment based on my experience is that those that are over our military sites are adversarial and most likely are coming from the People’s Republic of China,’ McCaul said at the time. ‘We’re not getting answers and I think it’s because our government does not know who is behind them and that is very disturbing to me.’”

IF the FAA had authorized the drones for research and other reasons, it certainly would have known this. So either they lied then, or they are lying now. The question is, what is REALLY behind those drones? Please view our StandingWatch program, titled, “The DRONES! No Danger? Are You Kidding?”

Taking Back the Panama Canal?

The New York Post wrote on January 28:

“A top Senate Republican accused Panama Tuesday of violating the treaty giving the Central American nation control over the vital Panama Canal shipping lane — saying the country had waved through illicit transfers of crude oil by Iran and exposed itself to dangerous Chinese influence…. ‘Panama has emerged as a bad actor,’ charged Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

“‘Panama has for years flagged dozens of vessels in the Iranian ghost fleet, which brought Iran tens of billions of dollars in oil profits to fund terror across the world. And Chinese companies have won contracts, often without fair competition… China often engages in debt-trap diplomacy to enable economic and political coercion in Panama… It also seems to have exploited simple corruption.’

“Cruz also explained that Panama’s ‘high fees for canal transit disproportionately affect Americans, because US cargo accounts for nearly three-quarters of Canal transits,’ while US Navy vessels ‘pay additional fees that apply only to warships.’…

“Tuesday’s hearing kicked off formal efforts to investigate whether Panama is in violation of the 1997 Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty which could allow the US to retake the canal zone by force…”

View our StandingWatch program, titled, “Will the USA Take the Panama Canal Back?” 

Elon Musk’s Ongoing Support for the AfD and German Values

Daily Mail wrote on January 26:

“Elon Musk has backed Germany’s… AfD (Alternative fuer Deutschland) party at its latest rally… The billionaire made a surprise appearance during the AfD’s election campaign event in Halle in eastern Germany on Saturday, voicing his support for the second time in as many weeks. 

“’It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,’ Musk, via video link, told the hall of 4,500 people alongside party leader Alice Weidel… he said ‘children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great grandparents,’ apparently referring to Germany’s Nazi past. ‘There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that,’ he said…

“Musk spoke in favour of voting for the far right party, saying: ‘I’m very excited for the AfD, I think you’re really the best hope for Germany fight for a great future for Germany,’ he told onlookers. Weidel thanked him, said the Republicans were making America great again, and called on her supporters to make Germany great again.”

AFP added on January 25:

“‘The German people are really an ancient nation which goes back thousands of years,’ he said in Saturday’s address. ‘I even read Julius Caesar was very impressed (by) the German tribes,’ he said…  He said the AfD wanted ‘more self-determination for Germany and for the countries in Europe and less from Brussels’, a reference to European Union authorities…

“Like Trump, the AfD opposes immigration, denies climate change, rails against gender politics and has declared war on a political establishment and mainstream media it condemns as censorious.”

Musk also stated that he does not believe he is exaggerating when saying that the future of civilization could be dependent on the German election in February (compare Bild Online, dated January 25). 

More Hostages and Prisoners Released

npr wrote on January 24:

“Hamas has identified four female Israeli soldiers [who were] released on Saturday…  All of them were taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, from the Nahal Oz army base on Israel’s border with Gaza… After they are handed over, Israel is expected to free 200 Palestinian or so prisoners and detainees, based on a calculation stipulated in the agreement that 50 detainees should be released for each female soldier.

“If all goes according to plan this weekend, Hamas will have freed seven of the 33 hostages slated for release in the first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement. Not all of them are believed to be alive. In exchange, Israel will have so far released more than 2,000 Palestinian detainees [some of them have been convicted of murder].”

Cleaning Out Gaza Population?

Financial Times wrote on January 26:

“Donald Trump has urged Egypt and Jordan to take in most of the population of Gaza, saying it was time to ‘clean out’ the territory in comments that are likely to outrage Palestinians and Arabs across the region… ‘You’re talking about a million and half people, and we just clean out that whole thing.’ Trump’s proposal would upend decades of US policy promoting the two-state solution based on the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, in Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank.

“Trump said he has already discussed his proposal to relocate Gaza’s population with King Abdullah of Jordan on Saturday and will bring it up on Sunday in a phone call with Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt’s president. With the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas entering its second week, Trump said Gaza was ‘literally a demolition site, almost everything is demolished and people are dying there so I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change.’…

“Amman and Cairo have since the start of the war in October 2023 repeatedly rejected any transfer of Palestinians to their territories, saying it would amount to the ‘liquidation of the Palestinian cause’ at the expense of Israel’s neighbours. Sisi has said previously that taking in Gazans would threaten Egypt’s peace agreement with Israel because of the risk that some of them would resume fighting the Jewish state from within Egypt’s borders…

“The two countries have weak economies and need US support but their leaders would not want to be seen to be complicit in what Arab public opinion would consider a second ‘Nakba’ or catastrophe — the exodus to neighbouring countries of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in 1948 when the state of Israel was founded…

“Trump’s Gaza proposal nonetheless delighted leaders of Israel’s far-right… Itamar Ben-Gvir, the former Israeli national security minister who resigned in protest last week over the Gaza ceasefire deal, ‘praised’ Trump for floating the idea. Trump also confirmed that the Pentagon had lifted a hold on the delivery 2,000-pound bombs to Israel imposed by the Biden administration. ‘We released them today and they’ll have them,’ he said. ‘They paid for them and they have been waiting for them for a long time.’

“The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was already under strain despite the successful release on Saturday of four female Israeli soldiers from captivity in Gaza and 200 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israeli officials said over the weekend that Hamas had violated the US-brokered accord after it failed to release the last civilian woman hostage still believed to be alive — Arbel Yehud — before the soldiers… Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that until the matter was ‘put in order’ it would not allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, as called for in the deal. Israel’s ceasefire with Lebanon also appeared in danger, with Israel making it clear late last week that it would not meet the two month deadline for the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon on Sunday.”

Palestinians Return to Gaza

CNN reported on January 27:

“More than 300,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to the northern Gaza Strip [on Monday] since Israel reopened the corridor …

“Gaza City, where most of the people making this journey on Monday had been living before the war, is among the most destroyed areas in the strip. There are no fully functioning hospitals or schools in the area and access to water, power and basic supplies is extremely limited, despite aid flows into Gaza increasing since the ceasefire came into effect.

“Seen from above, the crowds on Monday resembled a huge, slow moving wave making its way up Gaza’s coast, then turning inland. Most, including children, injured people and the elderly, were traveling on foot, carrying the little they have left on their backs. Most have spent many months exiled in makeshift refugee camps after Israeli forces ordered large-scale evacuations.

“The Israeli military said residents could return on foot along the Al Rasheed coastal road, while vehicle traffic can pass via the inland Salah al-Din road after inspection…

“Israel’s far-right former national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, who quit in protest over the ceasefire and hostage release deal, claimed the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza was a ‘total surrender.’”

Putin and Zelensky Ready to Negotiate?

Daily Mail wrote on January 24:

“Vladimir Putin today declared that the war in Ukraine could have been averted had Donald Trump not been ‘robbed of the election’ in 2020. Describing his armed forces’ full-scale invasion of their neighbour in February 2022 as a ‘crisis’, Putin told state media the horrific bloodshed that has blighted eastern Europe for almost three years would not have happened under a Trump presidency… His comments came as part of a wide-ranging interview in which the Kremlin chief heaped praise on the newly inaugurated US president, labelling Trump ‘smart and pragmatic’ while also signalling a willingness to approach the negotiating table over Ukraine…

“Kyiv was unsurprisingly quick to respond, with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office issuing a tight-lipped statement that there could be no peace talks between Putin and Trump without the participation of European representatives… On Wednesday, Trump warned his Russian counterpart that he would face taxes, tariffs and sanctions if Russia did not sign up to a deal to end the war in Ukraine. The US president has previously warned that he could intensify the supply of arms to Ukraine if Moscow does not come to the negotiating table… But Trump’s advisers have also hinted the steady stream of Western military aid to Ukraine could be shut off if Kyiv refuses to countenance a deal. In a somewhat inflammatory statement about the Ukrainian leader, Trump recently said Zelensky was ‘no angel’ and insisted he ‘shouldn’t have allowed this war to happen’…

“Many argue that Russia’s upper hand on the battlefield and its efforts to build stronger economic and political ties with other powers in the face of the West’s sanctions mean that Kremlin is coming to the negotiating table with a strong hand of cards.”

Denmark in Crisis Mode

The Telegraph wrote on January 24:

“Denmark is in ‘crisis mode’ after Donald Trump made a direct play for Greenland in a ‘horrendous’ phone call with the country’s prime minister. The US president spoke to Mette Frederiksen, the Danish premier, for 45 minutes last week and made clear he wanted to place Greenland under American control… Ms Frederiksen told him in their call last week that despite his ‘big interest’, Greenland was not for sale, the Financial Times reported. Mr Trump then became ‘aggressive’, according to the newspaper, and threatened to impose tariffs on Denmark unless Greenland was sold to the US…

“The call came after Mr Trump refused to rule out using military force to take Greenland in a press conference on Jan 7, arguing that it was a matter of ‘national security’ that the US gained an Arctic base… Mr Trump’s refusal to rule out a full-scale invasion of Greenland has raised questions about the Nato alliance, of which both Denmark and the US are members. The alliance’s Article 5 collective defence agreement states that a military attack on one member would result in other members declaring war on the aggressor. It is not clear what would happen if one Nato member attacked another.”

UK’s Right of First Refusal

Daily Mail wrote on January 26:

“President Donald Trump’s bid to acquire Greenland could be foiled by Sir Keir Starmer if Britain were to act on an agreement made over 100 years ago… even if the Danes did agree to sell Greenland, they would have to offer the UK first refusal, per the terms of an agreement crafted in 1917 – when the US first attempted to acquire the island… The agreement was crafted when US President Woodrow Wilson purchased the US Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million.

“He was urged to buy Greenland, but Copenhagen refused and would only move forward with the deal if America signed a letter acknowledging Greenland ‘is and will forever be Danish’… The UK, at the same time, insisted that it have first right of refusal if the island were to ever be sold, citing the close proximity to  Canada, which was then a British dominion. Despite this agreement, experts say the UK Government is unlikely to take advantage of the century-old deal…”

Denmark Increases Military for Greenland

Daily Mail wrote on January 27:

“The European Union  is seeking to beef up its military presence in Greenland just one week after President Donald Trump took office and threatened to seize the vast land mass…

“While the Scandinavian country is responsible for Greenland’s security and defense, Copenhagen has limited military capabilities on its island territory…

“Gen. Robert Brieger of Austria, the top EU military official, has said the group should deploy troops to Greenland… Brieger… wants the bloc to send in troops to beef up presence amid concerns that Trump will take swift action to gain control of the autonomous Danish region. The general, however, said the move is meant to send a ‘strong signal’ and serve as a deterrent against Russian and Chinese activity in the strategic location…

“Last year Denmark allocated $26 billion – when converted to USD – for its military spending. And now it wants to use more than $2 billion of that to be allocated to the Arctic…”

Europe Unites Against Trump

MSN wrote on January 27:

“The European Union (EU) renewed sanctions against Russia and agreed on a road map to lift some of those imposed on Syria. At an EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday, leaders also called for a unified approach to deal with US President Donald Trump and what analysts refer to as his ‘divide and rule policy.’

“The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said as the US undertook a ‘transactional’ foreign policy, Europe needed to ‘close ranks.’ ‘We are stronger when we are united,’ she told reporters.”

Trump’s Wrong Numbers Regarding Canada

CTV News wrote on January 27:

“U.S. President Donald Trump has made various and repeated claims about his country’s trade relationship with Canada to justify his tariff threats…  ‘It’s not fair that we should have a $200 billion or $250 billion deficit.’…

“The U.S. imports more Canadian goods than it exports north of the border. That difference is called a trade deficit. In 2023, the U.S. trade deficit with Canada was US$40.6 billion, according to research by the Centre for Future Work based on United States Census Bureau data. In 2024, the trade deficit is estimated to be around US $45 billion, according to TD Economics.

“In a report published online, TD noted it’s unclear where Trump got the $200 billion figure, which ‘is roughly four to five times the officially reported statistics.’ Those numbers are small relative to the roughly $1 trillion in goods and services that cross the border both ways each year. ‘Mr. Trump quite literally makes these numbers up and they can change from one day to the next, $100 billion, $200 billion, $300. It’s like a game show,’ said Jim Stanford, Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work based in Vancouver…

“Crude oil makes up the majority of Canada’s exports to the U.S. If you remove it, that deficit becomes a surplus…”

Goliath’s Impressive Size

The Daily Mail wrote on January 26:

“… scientists say there was nothing supernatural about Goliath’s towering stature. Archaeologists have found the remains of other ‘giants’ dating back as far as 2700 BC – around the time of the biblical battle… these huge humans likely suffered from a rare genetic condition which caused them to grow to seemingly impossible sizes…

“The Bible says that his height is ‘six cubits and a span’ and that he wears bronze armour weighing ‘five thousand shekels’… Even though the measurement of six cubits and a span became standard translation, older versions of the Bible show a different measurement. For example, the Greek Septuagint, a translation of the Old Testament into Greek written between the first and third century BC, gives Goliath’s height as four cubits and a span…

“Archaeological investigations at Goliath’s home town suggest that his people used a cubit measuring 54cm (21.65 inches) and a span measuring. 22cm (8.66 inches).

That would make Goliath seven feet 10 inches (2.38m)…

“Clyde Billington, a biblical scholar and executive director of the Institute for Biblical Archaeology, told MailOnline: ‘The ancient cubit was the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. A span is the width of the hand, for example, like the way that the height of a horse is measured today. ‘This varied from individual to individual and only in Egypt was the cubit standardised at 20.66 inches (52.5 cm).’ Taking the Egyptian units, at six cubits and a span, Goliath would have measured…  10ft and 9 inches (3.28m).

“Even using the more accurate four cubits and a span measurement, this would still make Goliath about 7ft and 5 inches (2.26m). However, archaeologists now believe that the ancient Israelites would have used a different measurement system…

“In a paper published in 2014, Professor Morrison points out that the books of Samuel and Chronicles suggest that Goliath’s brother and his three sons were all gigantic in stature... This suggests that Goliath’s giantism was passed on genetically…”

For more information on biblical giants, please read part 4 of our free booklet, “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man!”

The Tragedy of Aschaffenburg

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 28:

“The city of Aschaffenburg held a memorial service on Sunday for the victims of a knife attack in which two people were killed and three others were seriously injured. An Afghan asylum seeker who was due to be deported was arrested after the Wednesday attack, triggering renewed debate about immigration ahead of Germany’s national general election next month.

“The attacker targeted a group of children in a park, killing a 2-year-old Moroccan boy and a 41-year-old German man who was trying to protect the youngsters. He wounded three others, among them a Syrian girl aged two, who sustained neck wounds…

“In light of the incident, the conservative frontrunner to become chancellor after the February 23 election, Friedrich Mertz, promised a ‘fundamental’ overhaul of asylum rules and permanent border control. Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance currently leads in the polls with about 30% support while the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) is in second with 20%.”

The Bloodbath in Aschaffenburg

Bild Online wrote on January 23:

“Who is supposed to believe the Chancellor’s sudden determination?… The message: internal security is a top priority, now action is being taken.

“A few hours earlier, a 28-year-old Afghan had murdered two people in Aschaffenburg. He killed a 2-year-old child and an adult man with a kitchen knife. And as with so many terrible murders, it now turns out that the perpetrator should not be in Germany.

“Chancellor Olaf Scholz… is ‘sick’ of the acts of violence committed by immigrants. The authorities must… take immediate action. The Chancellor is only sick of it now? Only now must there be immediate action?…

“This is just a selection of knife murders that occurred during Scholz’s term in office:

“In 2022, a man from Eritrea attacked two girls in Illerkirchberg, one of whom died. In 2023, a Palestinian murdered two people in Brokstedt and seriously injured three others. In 2024, an Afghan stabbed a police officer in Mannheim. Shortly afterwards, a Syrian killed three people in Solingen and injured eight others. He too should have been deported by the authorities, but he remained in Germany.

“Wasn’t that enough to take immediate action?

‘It has been well known for years that Germany has no control over who comes into the country – and is not even close to deporting all migrants who are required to leave.

“In Olaf Scholz’s three years in government, Germany registered almost 800,000 asylum applications. This compares to around 50,000 deportations. More than half of all deportations fail… In 2023, around 40 percent of all suspects in violent crimes were non-German. The proportion was even higher for murder and manslaughter.

“For years, citizens in Germany have been fed up with people committing the worst acts of violence who shouldn’t even be in the country. Citizens have been demanding consequences for years from the authorities’ failure to deport people. Chancellor Scholz’s government had three years to ‘get fed up’ and ‘draw consequences’. Four weeks before the election, these announcements are no longer credible…

“The bloody crime in Aschaffenburg is tearing our country out of a typically German illusion: Our politicians are discussing Donald Trump. They are getting worked up about US domestic politics, about Elon Musk, ‘America first’ and about whether this Trump can simply deport Mexicans and close his borders… This shows that Germany’s politics are not just out of touch with the world, they are out of touch with their homeland…”

Report 24 wrote on January 25:

“The terrorist attack in Aschaffenburg shook all of Germany and was viewed with horror around the world. At first, people’s justified anger was directed not only against the perpetrator and the politicians who caused such conditions, but also against employees of the established media. First, the case of BR reporter Barbara Ecke was discussed, who described the murder of a two-year-old child as an ‘interesting’ and ‘exciting’ event in otherwise rather boring Aschaffenburg.

“But the Ukrainian BRISANT presenter Kamilla Senjo, a news format on ARD, went one step further: She explained that the park in which the knife attack took place was a ‘dangerous place’ and asked why people would go for a walk there with children…

“Everyone should weigh up and think through the meaning of these words for themselves very carefully. And ultimately also consider who is responsible for these conditions. Because 20, 30 years ago, anyone who questioned whether a park was a proper place for kindergarten children would have been put in a mental asylum…”

Uproar in Germany

Breitbart wrote on January 30:

“In what may serve as a pivotal moment of the federal election campaign and perhaps the future of German politics as a whole, the ‘firewall’ barring establishment parties in Berlin from working with the AfD broke down on Wednesday as Angela Merkel’s former party [under Friedrich Merz] partnered with the populist-sovereigntist party on a [non-binding] vote calling for migration restrictions…

“On Wednesday, both the Social Democrats (SPD, globalist left) and the Greens decided to vote against the motion. However, it narrowly passed by a margin of 348 votes to 344, with 187 CDU/CSU (Union) MPs, 75 AfD MPs, 80 MPs of the Free Democrats (FDP, liberalism), and six unaligned members. It marked the first time that a motion was passed with the help of the AfD since the party was founded…”

The Associated Press wrote on January 30:

“Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday issued rare public criticism of her successor as the country’s center-right leader, the front-runner in Germany’s election next month, for putting to parliament proposals for tough new migration rules that only passed with the help of the AfD. Germany’s center-left governing parties have cast doubt on whether conservative leader Friedrich Merz can still be trusted not to bring the… AfD, into government after Wednesday’s events. He insists that he didn’t and won’t work with it, and that he didn’t break a political consensus, often called a ‘firewall,’ to shun the party. But Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Merz made ‘an inexcusable mistake.’… [Scholz also said he cannot trust Merz anymore.]

“Merkel, a former leader of Merz’s Christian Democratic Union, noted in a rare statement that Merz had said in November that no measures should be passed with AfD’s support before the Feb. 23 election…

“Merz took over the CDU after Merkel, a former rival, stepped down as chancellor in 2021. A more conservative figure, he has taken a more restrictive stance on migration. He said last week that Germany has had a ‘misguided asylum and immigration policy’ for a decade — since Merkel allowed large numbers of migrants into the country… However, her intervention could be problematic for Merz. Merz appears to hope that he will gain support by making the Union look decisive in forcing a tougher approach to migration… It’s uncertain whether that will succeed…. This week’s events soured the political atmosphere and may complicate efforts to form a coalition after the election…”

In addition, the Catholic and the Protestant Churches in Germany criticized Merz for his asylum policy and took the side of Scholz and the Greens. 

Murdered for Refusing to Serve in the Military

ntv wrote on January 26:

“On this Monday, the day of remembrance for the victims of National Socialism, Jehovah’s Witnesses remember 283 members of the religious community who were executed as conscientious objectors in the Second World War…

“According to the Sachsenhausen Memorial, Dickmann was shot on September 15, 1939, at the age of 29, in front of his brother and other fellow prisoners in the former concentration camp. Walter Appel was… executed without a trial at the age of 17. His father – also a Jehovah’s Witness – had already been beheaded in October 1941 in Brandenburg Penitentiary as a conscientious objector.

“‘The persecution of these courageous Christians is not just part of history. Even today, Jehovah’s Witnesses are the target of imprisonment and violence in countries such as Russia and Eritrea, simply because they practice their peaceful faith,’ explained [the spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in northern Germany, Michael] Tsifidaris. He added: ‘January 27 not only reminds us of the atrocities of the past, but also of the need to defend human rights and freedom of belief – especially now that hate crimes and religious persecution are on the rise again here too.’

“In 1996, then Federal President Roman Herzog declared the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp a day of remembrance in Germany. In June 2023, the Bundestag unanimously decided to erect a memorial for Jehovah’s Witnesses persecuted during the Nazi dictatorship.”

Sadly, religious persecution is indeed on the rise in Germany.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

The distinction is interesting, and it is obviously done on purpose. Let us review the Scriptures carefully to see why this distinction is made.

Let us note, to begin with, that God originally created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). The Bible speaks about three heavens—the atmosphere, the universe and the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2)—invisible to the human eye—where God dwells. In Genesis 1:1, the reference to the heavens (Hebrew: shamayim, a plural word) seems to apply to the first and the second heaven. However, God also created the third heaven with all its spiritual components, including His throne, His temple, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the heavenly garden or Paradise, because we read that the Father created everything there is through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3)—the visible and the invisible (Colossians 1:16). We understand, of course, that both the Father and Jesus Christ have always existed; Christ was not created (Hebrews 7:3). So it was the God Family who created everything.

Let us start to review the biblical passages which say that God will make new heavens. When we read that God will create new heavens, we need to determine by the context which heavens we are talking about.

Isaiah 66:22 reads:

“‘For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘So shall your descendants and your name remain.’”

The following two verses describe a situation at the beginning of the Millennium. Even though this passage might very well apply to the eternal existence of God’s people and therefore to an eternal existence of a new heaven and the new earth (see below, but note the distinction), it seems to refer, foremost, to the situation on earth and, in part, the physical universe. We read about heavenly signs and that “the host of heaven shall be dissolved” and “their host shall fall down“ and that “the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll” and that the sky “receded” or “split apart” (Margin) as a scroll when it is rolled up (compare Isaiah 34:4; Revelation 6:12-17) and that the powers of the heavens will be shaken prior to Christ’s return (compare Luke 21:26). It appears that they will all be restored to a peaceful and unthreatening physical condition of “new heavens” and a new earth during the Millennium and beyond.

Isaiah 65:17 reads:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges writes:

“… there can be no doubt that the words are to be interpreted literally. At the same time the new creation preserves as it were the form of the old, for the next verse shows that a new Jerusalem is the centre of the renovated earth.”

Verses 19-25 continue to describe the situation at the time of the Second Resurrection. Even though this passage might very well apply to the eternal existence of God’s people and therefore to an eternal existence of a new heaven and a new earth (once again, see below with an important distinction), the commentary, cited above, seems to refer, foremost, to the situation on earth, as being “renovated,” and also in respect to the physical condition of the heavens before, at and following the Second Resurrection. Please note that Isaiah 65:19-25 refers to the Second Resurrection; compare especially Isaiah 65:20 hinting at the 100-year-period of the Great White Throne Judgment. Even though the conditions will be similar to the conditions during the Millennium, there will be differences (compare Isaiah 65:25 with Isaiah 11:6-9 where the reference to dust being the serpent’s food is missing). Note also that Isaiah 65:17 (“I create new heavens and a new earth”) is followed by a description of the conditions during the Second Resurrection.

Isaiah 51:6 reads:

“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states:

“The word which is rendered here ‘shall vanish away’ (מלח mâlach), occurs nowhere else in the Bible… it means to glide away, to disappear. The idea here is, that the heavens would disappear, as smoke is dissipated and disappears in the air.”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary states:

“… vanish away—literally, ‘shall be torn asunder,’ as a garment.”

Again, this passage in Isaiah 51:6 seems to describe the death of many people and the “destruction” of the earth and the atmosphere and at least part of the universe at the time of Christ’s return and their subsequent restoration. Note that it says that the heavens will vanish away “like smoke” and the inhabitants of the earth will die “in like manner.”  In strictly an analogous way, a description of people following the beast and the false prophet can be found in Revelation 14:11: “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here, their smoke “ascends forever and ever,” as the “heavens will vanish away like smoke.”

This destructive cataclysm is vividly described in Isaiah 24:1: “Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants.”

Continuing in verses 19-20:

“The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again.”

This earth with its sinful inhabitants will not rise again, but a beautiful world tomorrow will exist after Christ has begun to rule this earth. The next verse continues with describing Christ’s punishment of sinful people “in that day”—referring to the Day of the Lord.

Christ said in Matthew 24:35 that heaven and earth shall pass away, using the singular form for heaven, referring thereby to the first heaven, the atmosphere. It is true, of course, that His words will never pass away, but the specific context of Christ’s statement here is the time leading to His return (compare verse 34).

Turning to the New Testament, we read about new heavens (in Greek: “ouranoi,” a plural word) in 2 Peter 3:5-7:

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

As the reference to heavens at the time of Noah applies at first to the first heaven—the atmosphere—and perhaps part of the second heaven; that is, portions of the universe close to earth, perhaps referring to cosmic activities like asteroids, meteors, etc. (see Genesis 7:11), there is no reason to assume that the second reference to heavens in the sentence above applies to something else. In both cases the topic is the destruction of ungodly people—first in the flood and then at the time of Christ’s return and/or at the time of the Third Resurrection when the wicked or the incorrigible sinners, which have been “preserved” or literally, “treasured up” for fire, will be thrown into the lake of fire to be burnt up.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary writes:

“The destruction of the world by fire at the last day, is opposed to the destruction of it by water in the flood.”

2 Peter 3:10-13 continues:

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

 The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary explains the “day of the Lord” and the “new heavens and a new earth” in this passage as follows:

“… ‘the day of the Lord’ comprehends the whole series of events, beginning with the pre-millennial advent, and ending with the destruction of the wicked… and general judgment [In fact, it even goes further than that, describing God’s rule, which will never end.] As the flood was the baptism of the earth, eventuating in a renovated earth… so the baptism with fire shall purify the earth so as to be the renovated abode of regenerated man… new heavens—new atmospheric heavens surrounding the renovated earth.”

Following the explanation of the commentary, this would then not be referring to a new heaven and a new earth consisting of spirit (see below), but to a renewed physical re-creation or restoration of the atmosphere and perhaps the physical universe, as well as a “renovated” physical earth. Please recall that the powers of the heavens will be shaken prior to Christ’s return, so they will also have to be restored, as we discussed, to a peaceful and unthreatening physical condition when Christ has returned.

The Benson Commentary seems to agree, stating:

“The passing away of the heavens and the earth does not mean, it seems, that they will be removed to another part of space, or that they will be annihilated; but that, being burned, their form and constitution will be changed much more, probably, than the constitution or form of the old world was by the flood; destruction by fire being more complete and dreadful than destruction by water.”

Following the interpretation of the commentary, the heavens and the earth would not be “annihilated,” but they would continue to exist in some way, being renewed to a peaceful physical condition. This opinion is also expressed by the next commentary.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible writes:

“In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise – That is, what seems to us to be the heavens. It cannot mean that the holy home where God dwells will pass away; nor do we need to suppose that this declaration extends to the starry worlds and systems as disclosed by modern astronomy. The word is doubtless used in a popular sense – that is, as things appear to us; and the fair interpretation of the passage would demand only such a change as would occur by the destruction of this world by fire… The word rendered ‘burned up,’ like the word just before used and rendered ‘fervent heat’ – a word of the same origin, but here intensive – means that they will undergo such a change as fire will produce; not, necessarily, that the matter composing them will be annihilated…”

However, what most commentaries seem to overlook is that a different situation emerges when we focus on “a new heaven”—as distinguished from “new heavens.”

Please note that in the following New Testament passages regarding the creation of a new heaven, the singular word for heaven (In Greek, “ouranos”) is used, which signifies the distinction between what we have discussed so far regarding the new heavens and what we will discuss now—the new heaven.

Hebrews 12:25-28 says:

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

The allusion may be to a new heaven and a new earth, consisting of spirit and abiding forever, as they cannot be shaken or moved and will remain.

In Psalm 102:25-26, we read:

“Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.”

This “change” is also alluded to in Hebrews 1:10-12:

“But to the Son He [God the Father] says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.’ And: ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.”

In Hebrews 12:25-28, quoted above, the description is referring to the change of the physical heavens and the physical earth, apparently to a permanent condition. It is true that it says that the earth will remain forever (Ecclesiastes 1:4). It will indeed; a transformation and change from physical to spiritual will make the physical earth and the physical universe cease to exist—they will be changed to spirit. We are told that true Christians who are still alive at Christ’s return, will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible and from mortal to immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; compare also Job 14:14 and Philippians 3:20-21 in the Authorized Version). They still will die (Hebrews 9:27); that is, their physical cells and existence will die, and they will be changed to immortality.

The Bible applies the description of this change to the physical earth and the universe.

Romans 8:18-23 states:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation (“the created universe”; Revised English Bible) eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption (or “decay”; New International Version, Revised Standard Version) into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [better: sonship], the redemption of our body.”

As true Christians will be changed to glory at the time of Christ’s return, the entire creation is “waiting” for this event and it will also, ultimately, be changed from corruption or decay “into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” When their change has taken place, a development has been set in motion which will lead to the glorious change of the physical earth and universe.

This change of “the creation” will have taken place when God descends “from heaven” to the new earth.

Notice Revelation 21:1-6 which states:

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…’”

John sees a new heaven (singular), but he also sees the heavenly Jerusalem coming out of heaven to the new earth (the first earth having passed away). And he sees God the Father coming down from heaven to dwell and live on the new earth. No distinction is being made anymore between a first and a second and a third heaven, as there is only one heaven (not two or three), consisting of spirit. It would make no sense anymore to speak of a first heaven—the atmosphere—or even a second heaven—a physical universe—as the universe has become spirit as well, or, if you please, it has become part of the ONE heaven. The END of God’s master plan has been reached—that is, the end or final goal of making all things new—of changing the physical into the spiritual. And from THAT heaven the heavenly Jerusalem descends (compare Revelation 3:12), and so does God Himself to live on the new earth with His glorified sons and daughters—forever.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Fight for Greenland,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Trump has made clear that he wants the USA to acquire Greenland. He stated that he wants to purchase it, threatens with tariffs, and does not rule out a military invasion. Greenland, Denmark and the rest of Western Europe are extremely concerned. What will happen, and what will the consequences be in the light of biblical prophecy?

“Der Kampf um Grönland,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program covers the same topics as described above.

We have created a new YouTube playlist “Bible Stories” with the first video by Evelyn Gerz and Andreas Rätz. You can find more information on YouTube in the description of the video.  It has also been posted on our website.

“Warum wir uns nicht an Regierungswahlen beteiligen,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Dominik Kaltenegger, is now posted. Title in English: “”Why We Don’t Take Part in Government Elections.”

“That Is Not Jesus!” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Images made to represent Jesus are false, but almost everyone accepts them. How can true Christians purge the fake and deceptive images of Christ from their minds?

“Lessons From the Unjust Steward,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is the summary:

In the parable of the unjust steward, Jesus Christ describes a relationship between a rich man and his steward, in which tension arises because of the steward’s behavior. How did the steward resolve the situation? What can we learn from this parable that we should apply in our own lives today?