Update 1180

On November 1, 2025, Kalon Mitchell will present the first split sermon, titled, “From Darkness,” and Michael Link will present the second split sermon, titled, “Into the Light.”

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.

Every time we address the biblical fact that a Third Temple will be built in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s Return, we are confronted with criticism: “Where in the Bible does it say that?” “There will be no Temple prior to Christ’s Return.” “The reference to a Temple is strictly addressing the Church.” Or, to make matters still worse and pathetic, “Jesus is the Temple, and God the Father will send Him—the Temple—back to Earth.”

The last objection is, of course, totally ridiculous and not even worth the time of discussing. I am only bringing it up to show how spiritually uneducated and ignorant “religious” people can be. It is true, of course, that the Bible does sometimes speak about the Church—or each and every true Christian—as a spiritual Temple. And it is also true that Christ comes back to His Church—His spiritual Temple. But many Scriptures cannot be explained that way and require the existence of a physical Temple before Christ’s Return.

For instance, we read that the man of sin (the false prophet) will be in the Temple of God, claiming to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). This cannot possibly be referring to the man of sin sitting in God’s true Church—the very thought borders on blasphemy. That is the reason why Herbert W. Armstrong taught dogmatically that this passage mandates the existence of a physical Temple prior to Christ’s Return. We also read that the Millennial Temple in the book of Ezekiel must be cleansed—the reason being that it was polluted through the man of sin and the abominations which will take place in the Temple, as for instance described in the early pages of the book of Ezekiel and in the book of Daniel. For anybody who is willing to open his or her eyes, our literature is filled with proof that a physical Temple MUST be built before Christ CAN come back.

But who is going to build that Third Temple? I have been saying for quite some time that I strongly believe that Donald Trump will have an important role to fulfill in this regard. In fact, I recently said that I believe that Mr. Trump has been placed in power, among other reasons, to fulfill the biblical requirement of helping to build that Temple. I said this already during his first term, and I’m saying this again now. It is true that I strongly felt that events would happen faster—that Mr. Trump would be in the White House again more than four years ago. As it turned out, he was not then, but he is now. I explained at the time why I was four years ahead of my time (as many of the early apostles were and as Mr. Armstrong was as well)—and that I felt strongly that he would be back.

Apart from the fact that I believed (and believe) that the 2020 election was rigged and that Donald Trump should have been the rightful President, I also believed that God delayed the timing as the Church, as a whole, was not ready for the prophesied end-time events (cp. 2 Peter 3:9). Sadly, I don’t believe that the Church, as a whole, is ready now, but God’s patience has limits, and we are told that God will not delay the fulfillment any longer. In fact, God says that He will do a short Work (Romans 9:28) which can be accelerated (2 Peter 3:12). This is not to say that everyone in the Church will participate in the hastening of the Work and of Christ’s coming—some will be counted unworthy to go to the place of safety (even if they still believed in one) or to stand before the Son of Man.

When I mentioned Donald Trump in relation to the Third Temple, criticism ensued… as was expected: “What biblical Scripture do you have backing up this bizarre claim?” Of course, if someone does not believe that a physical Temple must be built, he obviously would not believe that Mr. Trump would have anything to do with such an endeavor. But if we believe in a physical building, how does President Trump come into play? Let’s be logical for a moment.

We are told in the Bible that foreigners (“they that are far off”) will come and build IN the Temple of the LORD (compare Zechariah 6:15, Authorized Version). It is obvious that Israel will not be able to build the Temple on its own; it would need support and protection. This protection can only be provided by the USA—and who would be better equipped and qualified to do so and to engage in such a building process than Donald Trump, who has been undeniably very successful in erecting monumental and significant buildings?

Of course, there is no Scripture which says: Donald Trump will build the Third Temple. Nor has there been a Scripture which says that divided Germany would reunite. But Herbert Armstrong powerfully proclaimed that it would reunite because he understood the entirety of prophecy in this regard, and he was guided by the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10; John 16:13). With that same spirit, he proclaimed that there would be no major war between Russia and America, and that America had won its last war. That spirit of prophecy is with God’s true servants today, and we proclaim as well that America will not win another war and that Russia will not attack America… but also, that a war will break out between Russia, Ukraine and Europe. After all, we read that God will do nothing unless He reveals His plan first to His servants (Amos 3:7).

And we believe that we are guided by that same spirit of prophecy which inspires us to see Mr. Trump’s role in building the Third Temple—provided, he is willing to fulfill this commission—even though this claim might sound strange to some people (compare Habakuk 1:5).

We are by far not the only ones who have seen the significance of Donald Trump being in power in relation to the Third Temple. Israel 365 News wrote on October 24:

“White House correspondent, Jake Turx, asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt whether President Donald Trump had ever discussed the prospect of supporting the Temple’s reconstruction in Jerusalem… after noting Trump’s reputation for large-scale building projects and his newly revealed plans for a White House ballroom…

“Leavitt pointedly did not reject the possibility that the president and real-estate tycoon would consider the project, responding, instead, ‘It has not. No it hasn’t. I’m sorry, Jake.’ The exchange was brief, but it immediately recalled one of the most symbolically potent moments of Trump’s first term: the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018… Following the embassy move, the Sanhedrin minted a ceremonial coin depicting Trump alongside the Persian King Cyrus, who facilitated the Jewish people’s return from Babylonian exile and rebuilding the Second Temple…”

The press reported in some articles that Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said that President Trump will not build the Third Temple. The Jerusalem Post had the following headline: “Leavitt: Donald Trump not rebuilding Jerusalem’s third temple.” This is clearly misleading, as Leavitt did NOT say that.

Also, Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to announce the building of a Third Temple about 7 years ago. You might want to listen again to our StandingWatch program from May 16, 2018, titled “Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple?” 

Books have been written about the Third Temple and Donald Trump’s involvement. One introduction reads: “Many believe that President Trump is Israel’s next King Cyrus, the facilitator and overseer of the building of the Third Temple and that his influential role in that pursuit is being guided by Hashem (God) Himself, in order to restore to His people the most sacred site of worship. Is a secret plan under development for [the] construction of the Third Temple? And as these plans are increasingly expedited, will Trump succeed in raising this landmark, only to usher in the end of days?”

The blueprint for building the Third Temple exists. Musical instruments, over 60 vessels, and priestly garments like the ephod, breastplate, robe and the high priest’s crown have already been prepared. These are not replicas or models, but authentic vessels, made from gold, copper, silver and wood. Also, the menorah has been made of one piece of pure gold. Even a replica of the ark of the covenant (made of gold and three tons of Egyptian Acacia wood) was painstakingly constructed to exact specifications of the Torah and was displayed for the first time in October of 2024 in Jerusalem. Descendants of the tribe of Levi, known as Levites, are actively being identified and trained for the future Third Temple service, including both the priestly “Kohanim” and other Levites for supportive roles.

Can one really believe that all these preparations have been done without God’s involvement or inspiration?

So, before being accused of proclaiming something bizarre and weird, let’s just patiently wait and see what the future holds. Maybe, our critics will end up very embarrassed and become silent when they will have to realize that true prophecy had been proclaimed to them (cp. Ezekiel 33:33).

by Norbert Link

We begin with events pertaining to Israel and the Third Temple, as well as Hamas; speak on Trump’s possible “third term”; the new ballroom and threats to revoke the naturalization of Americans; the continuing shutdown; Putin’s new maneuverings; and Europe’s steps to secure “defense” readiness against major attacks by 2030. We also point out disturbing developments in Germany.

Please view in this regard our new StandingWatch program, titled,  “Germany Continues to Embrace Dictatorship.” 

We also report on a new trade controversy between the USA and Canada; a TikTok deal in the making; Kennedy’s position on saturated fats; and the death of Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit.

Please note our new message, “Will Trump Build the Third Temple?—Comments on News and Prophecy, October 26, 2025” 

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

Cutting Ties With Israel?

Newsmax wrote on October 23:

“President Donald Trump said the United States would cut ties with Israel if the Jewish state attempted to annex the West Bank. Trump made the remark in an interview with Time magazine conducted Oct. 15 at the White House and published Thursday. The interview occurred about a week before Israel’s Knesset advanced legislation to annex the territory. 

“‘It won’t happen. It won’t happen,’ Trump told Time. ‘It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries… Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.’ 

“In what is seen as an embarrassment to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Knesset on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would extend Israeli sovereignty to all West Bank settlements…  It also passed a more limited bill to annex a major settlement city. The votes came despite opposition from Netanyahu and most of his Likud party. They argued the move was ill-timed, given the fragility of a ceasefire deal brokered by the Trump administration between Israel and Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists. 

“Vice President JD Vance said Thursday, before leaving Israel, that he was ‘insulted’ by the Knesset vote. Vance told reporters… that he was told the measure was merely symbolic and part of a ‘political stunt with no practical significance… If it was a political stunt, it was a stupid one, and I take some insult to it,’ Vance said. He emphasized that the Trump administration’s policy is that ‘the West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel.’ 

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday night that the Knesset’s move toward annexation could threaten Trump’s plan to end the two-year-old conflict in the Gaza Strip. ‘The president has made clear that’s not something we’d be supportive of right now,’ Rubio told reporters before departing for Israel. ‘We think there’s potential for [it to be] threatening to the peace deal.’” 

Rubio’s emphasis on “right now” is interesting. 

Does Trump Plan to Build the Third Temple? 

Israel 365 News wrote on October 24: 

“Eyebrows were raised when a question about rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) was asked in the White House press briefing room on Thursday, bringing a subject usually found in Jewish study halls and prophetic discussions directly into U.S. political conversation. Mishpacha’s White House correspondent, Jake Turx, asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt whether President Donald Trump had ever discussed the prospect of supporting the Temple’s reconstruction in Jerusalem… after noting Trump’s reputation for large-scale building projects and his newly revealed plans for a White House ballroom… 

“Leavitt pointedly did not reject the possibility that the president and real-estate tycoon would consider the project, responding, instead, ‘It has not. No it hasn’t. I’m sorry, Jake.’ The exchange was brief, but it immediately recalled one of the most symbolically potent moments of Trump’s first term: the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018… Following the embassy move, the Sanhedrin minted a ceremonial coin depicting Trump alongside the Persian King Cyrus, who facilitated the Jewish people’s return from Babylonian exile and rebuilding the Second Temple… 

“The idea of a Third Temple is not speculative within the Hebrew Bible… Several years ago, mentioning the Temple in a White House briefing would have been treated as marginal. Today, it was asked plainly — without laughter, without dismissal, and without scandal.” 

The press reported in some articles that Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said that Trump will not build the Third Temple. This, the White House has clearly NOT said. The twists and misrepresentations of the mass media are staggering.

“Welcome to Hotel Hamas”

 The Daily Mail wrote on October 25: 

“Hamas terrorists released under the Gaza peace deal are staying in a five-star hotel [the Marriott’s Renaissance Cairo Mirage City Hotel] alongside unsuspecting Western tourists. Experts warned of a radical new threat to global security after the Daily Mail tracked down more than 150 of the highly dangerous extremists to a luxury hotel in Cairo. Israel was forced to empty its prisons of nearly all its most feared jihadists held on life sentences as part of Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan… 

“Undercover journalists booked into the resort and stayed amongst the murderous jihadists, who include a member of Isis and a senior Hamas special forces commander… The Daily Mail understands that some may soon be moved on to live in nearby tourist destinations such as Qatar, Turkey and Tunisia which are hugely popular with British holidaymakers… 

“Professor Anthony Glees, emeritus professor at the University of Buckingham, said: ‘These people are our sworn enemies. They will cut off the heads of British soldiers and kill left, right and centre… 

“A former Israeli intelligence officer known as Guy C added: ‘There are no restrictions on their movements in these countries. They can walk freely, travel to Europe – even the UK… The first thing these terrorists will do when they reach Turkey or Qatar is contact their associates in Gaza and the West Bank to send money and re-establish their networks. They will quickly regroup and form new terror cells.’”

Hamas won’t go away. For Israel to have to set free “nearly all its most feared jihadists held on life sentences” was insane and terribly short-sighted.

Gaza Ceasefire Over? 

Yeshiva World News wrote on October 28: 

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the IDF to carry out immediate, powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip. The directive comes after an incident in Rafah earlier today in which terrorists opened fire on IDF forces. At least one soldier was seriously wounded in the attack and evacuated for medical treatment. 

“The escalation follows mounting tensions over the handling of hostages’ remains. Last night Hamas returned remains that Israel says were already buried, yet claimed they were a newly recovered body — fueling Israeli outrage and contributing to today’s security response.” 

NBC News wrote on October 29: 

“Israel said Wednesday that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was back on after it carried out intense strikes across the Palestinian enclave that killed 100 people… The Israeli military said it had ‘begun the renewed enforcement’ of the fragile ceasefire…”

Trump’s Third Term? 

The New Republic wrote on October 24: 

“… commentator and former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon says the president will serve a third term despite being barred by the Constitution. In a video interview with The Economist published Thursday, Bannon said, ‘Well, he’s gonna get a third term… Trump is gonna be president in ’28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that’… brushing off concerns about the Twenty-Eight Amendment. ‘There’s many different alternatives. At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is, but there’s a plan and President Trump will be the president in ’28,’ Bannon added… 

“It’s not even the first time Bannon has mentioned plans to keep Trump in office longer [he spoke about this in an interview earlier this month]… One of Trump’s lawyers was also exploring the possibility of Trump violating the Constitution’s term limits back in 2023, and Trump encouraged calls for a third term at a Michigan rally in April. The response from other conservatives, such as Senator Lindsey Graham and even Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has not been reassuring.   

“While Trump has claimed to be ‘joking,’ he still is selling ‘Trump 2028’ merchandise, and should be taken seriously…” 

We don’t believe either that Trump is just joking about this.

Trump Would Not Run for Vice President 

Newsmax wrote on October 27: 

“President Donald Trump said on Monday he would rule out running for the vice presidency in the 2028 U.S. election, an approach some of his supporters have floated to allow the Republican president to serve an additional term in office. ‘I’d be allowed to do that,’ Trump said, in an exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One. But he added: ‘I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute… I think the people wouldn’t like that… it wouldn’t be right.’… 

“Some have suggested… for Trump to stand as vice president, while another candidate stood for president and resigned, letting Trump again assume the presidency.” 

Trump’s $300+ Million Ballroom 

The Daily Mail wrote on October 25:

“The White House has stated that the [$300million] ballroom will be completed before Trump leaves office in January 2029 but have not offered a specific timeline. Experts have said that this goal is ambitious… 

“Trump has repeatedly claimed he plans to donate millions of dollars of his own to the ballroom’s construction. The project’s private donors includes executives from world’s top technology corporations, including Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft.  

“As part of the ballroom’s construction, the entire East Wing of the White House was destroyed. Trump had originally claimed that the 83-year-old building wouldn’t be touched in the construction of the… privately funded ballroom. But when a backhoe was pictured on Monday smashing through the walls of the historic building, it set off alarm bells. 

“First Lady Melania Trump, meanwhile, has been silent about the demolition despite the fact the East Wing holds the offices of her entire staff.” 

Is Trump really constructing the ballroom just for his successor? 

Denaturalizing American Citizens? 

The New York Post wrote on October 25: 

“House Republicans want to strip Zohran Mamdani of citizenship, possibly deport NYC mayoral frontrunner over form omissions… Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) last week demanded the feds ‘review every naturalization of the past 30 years – starting with Mamdani.’ ‘I just think we need to take a hard look at how these folks became citizens, and if there is any fraud or any violation of the rules we need to denaturalize and deport,’ Fine told the Post. 

“Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani became a US Citizen after moving here as a child from Uganda. A pair of House Republicans want him probed for possible ‘denaturalization’ for making allegedly false statements during his process… [Fine] also called for a probe of anti-Israel ‘Squad’ member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who was born in Somalia and is one of the first two women Muslims to serve in Congress. 

“Mamdani is a threat to the nation, he continued. ‘I know that there’s a lot of us that are very, very concerned about the enemy within – people who have come to this country to become citizens, to destroy it.’ He dismissed logistical concerns about yanking the citizenship of naturalized Americans after they got elected to top jobs. ‘If they’re not Americans, they can’t be in office,’ he said… 

“Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has pushed for a Justice Department probe of Mamdani… ‘In 2018 when he was naturalized, he failed to disclose some of the things that he had been doing, one of which was joining the [Democratic] Socialists of America. That’s a communist organization which, quite frankly, at that time, would have disqualified him from becoming a United States citizen,’ Ogles told Newsmax… 

“US immigration law declares inadmissible those who have ‘been a member of or affiliated with the Communist or any other totalitarian party.’ The current form asks would-be citizens to disclose if they have ever been associated ‘in any way’ with ‘any Communist or totalitarian party anywhere in the world.’ President Trump has called Mamdani a ‘communist lunatic.’ Mamdani specifically denies being a communist. 

Are we going to see a repeat of the McCarthy communist witch hunt? The McCarthy communist ‘witch hunt’ refers to the aggressive anti-communist campaign led by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the United States during the Second Red Scare of the early 1950s. The term ‘McCarthyism’ has become a byname for making sweeping, unsubstantiated accusations of disloyalty or subversion. 

Shutdown Continues 

Reuters wrote on October 28: 

“U.S. air travel turmoil deepened as nearly 7,000 flights were delayed nationwide on Monday, with air traffic controller absences surging as the federal government shutdown reached its 27th day… Roughly 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work without pay… More than 8,800 flights were delayed on Sunday.” 

CBS News reported on October 28:

“The Senate failed to advance a Republican-backed funding bill to end the government shutdown for the 13th time. The final vote was 54 to 45, falling short of the 60 votes needed to move forward… 

“Democrats are under increasing pressure to back down after the largest union representing federal government employees said that ‘it’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown’ on Monday. Federal employees missed their first full paycheck at the end of last week, and upcoming paychecks, including for the military, could be in jeopardy. 

“The Department of Agriculture has warned that ‘the well has run dry’ for SNAP (“Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”), and federal food aid will not go out on Nov. 1. Forty-two million Americans rely on the program to help buy food.” 

Disappointed in Putin 

The U.S. Sun wrote on October 26: 

“DONALD Trump is ‘disappointed’ in Vladimir Putin and has ruled out meeting the tyrant until he stops ‘wasting his time’… It comes after a turbulent week has pushed back any hopes of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine. 

“Trump slapped punishing sanctions on two Russian oil companies on Wednesday… US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the companies are responsible for ‘funding the Kremlin‘s war machine’… 

“US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call… to iron out details ahead of the [planned] meeting [between Trump and Putin in Hungary]. But hours after Rubio put the phone down, any idea of a meeting was suddenly axed. One source familiar with the matter believes Rubio and Lavrov had widely differing expectations about how to end Russia’s invasion during their call. This prompted Rubio to speak to US officials about his concerns as it was later announced that Trump wouldn’t be speaking to Putin anytime soon…” 

Far from being a “productive” phone call between Rubio and Lavrov, the phone call apparently established that no peace deal was in the making. 

Nuclear Flying Chernobyl 

The U.S. Sun wrote on October 26: 

“VLADIMIR Putin claims Russia has test-launched a new nuclear-powered missile dubbed the ‘Flying Chernobyl’ – and has vowed it will soon be ready for war. 

“The Russian president said his menacing 9M730 Burevestnik missile – assigned the codename ‘Skyfall’ by Nato – was a ‘weapon of unlimited range powered by a nuclear engine’… Putin also boasted his new weapon was ‘invincible’ in the face of current and future missile defence systems…. He said: ‘It is a truly unique system – one that no other country in the world possesses’… 

“… the Burevestnik missile is about 12 metres long and carries a thermonuclear warhead…

“The nuclear energy core in theory could let it fly around the world several times before hitting its target… It can also follow a flat flight path at extremely low altitudes, making it ‘invisible’ as it flies below the range of most missile detection systems.” 

Norway Alarmed 

“Putin is amassing nuclear weapons and attack submarines in the Arctic Circle as his country prepares for war with NATO, Norway has said.  Norway’s Defence Minister Tore Sandvik claimed his country had found Russia had been increasing its military presence in the Arctic, particularly in the Kola peninsula.  

“The politician also said Vladimir Putin had been attempting to take over the Arctic region where its fleet is based to block shipping routes to Nato allies if war broke out… ‘They [the nuclear weapons] are not only pointed towards Norway, but towards the UK and over the pole towards Canada and the US. 

“Although the Kremlin may be struggling in the Ukraine war, its nuclear warheads and ‘second-strike’ capacity allow it to maintain its superpower status… the Russian fleet include[s] at least 16 nuclear-powered submarines and the advanced Tsirkon hypersonic missile – capable of traveling at speeds up to eight times the speed of sound…. ‘Even if we have a peace deal in Ukraine, with boots on the ground and a stable situation, one analysis is that he will mobilise millions of soldiers up close to the border with Finland.‘” 

Russia will not use those and other nuclear weapons against the USA or Canada, but against a united Europe. Note the next articles. 

Europe Ready by 2030?

Politico wrote on October 15: 

“By 2030, Europe needs a sufficiently strong European defence posture to credibly deter its adversaries, as well as respond to any aggressions,’ says the draft plan [of the European Commission]… 

“The Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 is a sign of the EU’s growing role in military affairs, a reaction to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump’s unclear commitment to European security… 

“While EU countries are rapidly increasing their defense budgets, much of that spending ‘remains overwhelmingly national, leading to fragmentation, cost-inflation and lack of 
interoperability,’ says the 16-page document. The EU executive body is pushing capitals to buy weapons together and wants at least 40 percent of defense procurement to be joint contracts by the end of 2027 — up from less than a fifth now…”

Politico added on October 22: 

“Top generals and politicians from EU and NATO countries have warned that Moscow could attack the alliance in the coming years, with timelines varying from 2027 to 2030.”  

On October 23, the European Council “threw its weight behind a new plan to grow Europe’s defense by 2030 (Breaking Defense, October 23). 

aa.com.tr added on October 24: 

“The EU leaders have agreed to accelerate plans to strengthen Europe’s defense and security, setting a clear goal to ramp up readiness by 2030 in response to growing threats to its security… 

“The European Council also condemned recent ‘violations of the airspace of several Member States’ and stressed the need to defend ‘all EU land, air and maritime borders,’ with particular attention to threats on the eastern flank.” 

Berlin Inevitably Becomes the EU’s Dominant Military Power 

Politico wrote on October 1: 

“An age-old French nightmare — that of growing German military might — is resurfacing in a new form… French President Emmanuel Macron… fears an invasion — not of French territory, but of his country’s preeminent position as the EU’s most effective military-diplomatic power…

“In theory, both countries are bound by NATO members’ new pledge to spend 3.5 percent of GDP on defense by 2035. But while Germany has a credible plan to reach that target by 2029…, France has no obvious way to both honor its NATO commitment and cut its budget deficit to 3 percent of GDP in four years… By 2029…, Germany expects to be spending €150 billion a year; while France, even with its newly expanded defense plans, will be spending €80 billion at best… 

“Will the German military build-up help forge a more strategically autonomous European defense industry, create European jobs and strengthen European economic power?…  the sheer scale of Berlin’s spending in the years ahead will inevitably make its defense industry the key player in European military innovation and procurement… the truth is, there can never be a solid European military-industrial base unless EU countries come together to develop the weapons of the future. 

“It is, therefore, vital that Berlin and Paris immediately establish a pattern for the upcoming boom years, and double down on their political commitment to Franco-German cooperation in defense innovation, training and procurement… France will be looking at the decade ahead anxiously, as Germany will retain its status as Europe’s industrial powerhouse, as well as become — just by sheer size — the dominant military power within the EU. 

“The uncomfortable truth for France is that when it comes to the creation of a European defense industry, and even the potential rapid increase of France’s own military capacity, strategic autonomy is now in Germany’s hands…” 

Also, Volkswagen is exploring a move into the defense industry by 2026, potentially through a partnership with Rheinmetall, to utilize idle production capacity like the Osnabrück plant, which is scheduled to cease production in 2026. This potential transition is driven by declining automotive sales and Europe’s increased military spending, and the company’s CEO has expressed openness to the idea, noting VW’s past experience with military production. The famous Volkswagen bug (“Kaefer”) was famously called Hitler’s “car for the people” or “People’s Car” (“Wagen fuers Volk”). 

The Sinister Power of Reporting Portals

Bild Online wrote on October 27:

“Four police officers rang the doorbell of author [of Die Welt magazine] Norbert Bolz on Thursday because of a satirical tweet: house search! It later emerged that the state-run portal ‘HessenGegenHetze’ (Hesse Against Hate) had forwarded the post to the authorities, thus setting the whole case in motion… A BILD investigation revealed that there are more than 50 such state-run reporting centers in the country. In addition, there are dozens of private portals. These centers cover, among other things, anti-Muslim, anti-Black, and anti-Asian racism, queerphobia, antisemitism, and extremism. Most federal states operate their own reporting centers; some are direct partners of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).

“Anyone who finds such content online can report it anonymously to the portals with just a few clicks. Staff there (including political and social scientists) evaluate the posts. Anything they deem inappropriate is forwarded to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s actually criminally relevant. A mere feeling of unease is enough to start with…

“The criticism of internet surveillance is therefore massive. The accusation: The state is engaging in opinion control and deliberately intimidating critical voices. Furthermore, the terms ‘hate speech’ and ‘incitement to hatred’ are not found in the law. Legally, it is unclear what they are supposed to mean…

“State governments recently supported these portals with several million euros. Rhineland-Palatinate, for example, subsidized the reporting and documentation center for hate speech incidents with €188,000. ‘HessenGegenHetze’ received €1.18 million from Hesse’s Ministry of the Interior in 2024.”

Sounds just like methods used in the Third Reich or the former GDR.

Bild Online published the following commentary on October 24:

“‘The home is inviolable,’ states the Basic Law (Article 13). On Thursday, this fundamental right was violated: Four police officers entered the apartment of Berlin professor Norbert Bolz… According to the Basic Law, such an intrusion into a home is only permitted ‘in cases of imminent danger’ or with the authorization of a judge. A Berlin magistrate had authorized the search – that’s the problem…

“…three authorities had previously failed: The state reporting agency ‘HessenGegenHetze’ reported the professor to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), even though the accusation was clearly unfounded. The BKA forwarded the report to the public prosecutor, who applied for the search warrant. Now the judge [Magistrate Dr. Fricke] should have put a stop to it. He didn’t…

“One might want to laugh about it, but it’s not funny. In Bolz’s case, the instruments meant to protect citizens from the state have failed. That is very disturbing.”

And this is by no means the first time in Germany that the state has been guilty of unlawful and arbitrary measures against German citizens. This seems to be gradually becoming routine.

In another comment from October 24th, Bild says:

“The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the public prosecutor’s office, and the local court have made themselves ridiculous, or they acted in a politically motivated manner, which they are not allowed to do.”

Will the BKA, the public prosecutor’s office, and the local court therefore be held accountable? The answer should be clear. 

The Public Prosecutor’s Office Investigates Reichelt for Incitement to Hatred

TAZ wrote on October 27:

“The Berlin public prosecutor’s office is investigating Julian Reichelt, editor-in-chief of the news portal ‘Nius,’ on suspicion of incitement to hatred. The investigation concerns a post on the platform X from April 1…

“In it, Reichelt claimed that Germany would experience ‘first the infiltration and then the takeover of our police force’ by officers with a migration background in the coming years. Die Welt (Monday) was the first to report on this.

“Reichelt continued in the post: ‘In ten years, the police in our cities will be dominated by Arabs. Have fun!’ The former editor-in-chief of Bild was referring to a report in the tabloid newspaper, according to which two federal police officers named Ahmet K. and Hakan A. were allegedly involved in drug trafficking.

“In response to an inquiry from Welt, Reichelt explained his post: ‘That’s exactly my opinion. As a journalist who closely follows news about organized crime and also conducts my own research, for example by speaking with police officers as well as prominent members of large families, I am absolutely convinced that this is precisely what will happen.’

“Reichelt also referred to a ZDF documentary that reported on the infiltration of the police by criminal clans.”

The Rheinische Post added on October 27:

“Nius is a German-language online media outlet founded in 2022, which is classified as a right-wing populist portal in the style of Fox News.”

Seriously? Unbelievable conditions in Germany! 

Trade Controversy Between USA and Canada 

The New York Post wrote on October 25: 

“President Donald Trump escalated his trade war with Canada Saturday, announcing a 10% hike on tariffs after blasting Ontario’s anti-tariff ad campaign as ‘fraudulent’ and accusing the US neighbor of misusing Ronald Reagan’s legacy. Canada had been ‘caught, red handed’ using ‘selective audio and video’ of Reagan’s 1987 radio address in an ad opposing tariffs, the president wrote on Truth Social, claiming the move was designed to sway an upcoming US Supreme Court case on his authority to issue the levies. 

“‘Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social…

“The ads — which use clips of Reagan warning that tariffs ‘hurt’ Americans — triggered Trump on Thursday to terminate trade negotiations with Canada… 

“The Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said the Ontario government ‘did not seek nor receive permission’ to use Reagan’s remarks and was ‘reviewing its legal options.’ The foundation accused the province of misrepresenting Reagan’s speech, bolstering Trump’s claims that the ad was deceptive… 

“The new increase announced on Saturday widens that penalty further, raising fears of another full-blown trade war between the two allies….” 

Trump and the Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute are clearly misrepresenting what Reagan said in his address. He made clear that tariffs hurt the American people, but he imposed tariffs on Japan as they had violated a trade agreement and were engaging in unfair trade practices. Overall, his speech was clearly against imposing tariffs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t5QK03KXPc 

Trump-Xi-TikTok Deal 

Daily Mail wrote on October 26: 

“Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping have finalized a deal to transfer TikTok to new owners after a years-long struggle… 

“Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CBS News’s Face The Nation that the two world leaders will ‘consummate’ the deal when they meet in Korea on Thursday. ‘All the details are ironed out,’ Bessent said as he delivered the news on Sunday. 

“This marks a historic end to the power struggle over the app – which has quickly become one the world’s most popular social media platforms.” 

Kennedy on Saturated Fats 

The Guardian wrote on October 25: 

“Robert F Kennedy Jr., the health and human services (HHS) secretary, is planning to issue guidance encouraging Americans to eat more saturated fats… Kennedy has indicated that new dietary guidelines will ‘stress the need to eat saturated fats of dairy, of good meat, of fresh meat and vegetables … When we release those, it will give everybody the rationale for driving it into our schools,’ according to recent reporting in the Hill… 

“… research shows that ‘saturated fat is relatively neutral’ compared with what scientists have believed in the past… reducing saturated fat intake is only beneficial if you replace it with the right things… replacing saturated fats with sugars and carbohydrates can actually increase heart disease risk.” 

Thailand’s Queen Mother Dead 

Reuters wrote on October 25: 

“Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit… has died aged 93, the Thai Royal Household Bureau said on Saturday. The palace said she had been hospitalised since 2019 due to several illnesses and developed a bloodstream infection on October 17 before passing away late on Friday. A mourning period of one year has been declared for members of the royal family and household. The government said public offices would fly flags at half-mast for a month and asked government officials to observe mourning for one year… 

“Sirikit’s husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was Thailand’s longest-reigning monarch, with 70 years on the throne since 1946. She was at his side for much of that, winning over hearts at home with their charity work… 

“For more than four decades, she frequently travelled with the king to remote Thai villages, promoting development projects for the rural poor… Her only son, now King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, succeeded Bhumibol after his death in 2016 and upon his coronation in 2019, Sirikit’s formal title became the Queen Mother… Sirikit is survived by her son, the king, as well as three daughters.” 

The Daily Mail added on October 26: 

“Her body will now lie in state at the seat of the Thai royalty for one year before she is cremated… The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and portraits hanging in public and in private homes…” 

Herbert W. Armstrong (who died in January of 1986), the late leader of the now defunct Worldwide Church of God and President of Ambassador College and the Ambassador Foundation, had an especially good relationship with Queen Sirikit. We are quoting below an article of the Los Angeles Times from March 22, 1985: 

“There was a royal welcome awaiting Thailand’s Queen Sirikit when she arrived… at Pasadena’s Ambassador College on Wednesday night. There was Herbert W. Armstrong, the white-haired patriarch of the Ambassador Foundation and the college, to escort her into Ambassador Auditorium and later the mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley, and Pasadena Mayor William J. Bogaard greeted her with gifts…

“The party for the queen was small (about 130) and select… The party moved to the auditorium for the receiving line where Queen Sirikit stood with Armstrong, the Ambassador Foundation’s Ellis La Ravia… and his wife and a few other foundation representatives… 

“Dinner was served in the auditorium’s lounge… Armstrong spoke of his admiration and long friendship with Thailand’s King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit and their country. And then the queen, in soft accented English made a graceful toast to Armstrong. Among those raising their glasses were Mrs. Robert Finch with Mrs. Kenneth Schechter, Mrs. George Fritzinger with Eunice Forester, Diane and Guilford Glazer, Atty. Gen. and Mrs. John Van de Kamp, Mrs. H. J. Van de Kamp (the attorney general’s mother) with Milo Bixby, Mrs. Bhirapongse Kasemsri, wife of the Thai ambassador to the United Nations, and David Hulme, who is with Ambassador Foundation, and his Australian-born wife…” 

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.

True Christians—those who are called by God to His Way of Life—may be referred to as Christian soldiers, ambassadors for Christ, disciples, followers and pilgrims.   In this Q&A, we will look at what it means to be a Christian pilgrim.

There are many religions that have pilgrimages to certain “holy” places, but as these are not of the One True God, they will not be addressed.  What we will look at in this three-part Q&A is the act of being a Christian pilgrim.

In bibledictionarytoday.com, we read this definition of a pilgrim:

“The term ‘pilgrim’ comes from the Latin word peregrinus, which means ‘foreigner’ or ‘wanderer.’ In the biblical sense, it refers to individuals who are on a journey, often with a divine purpose. The concept of being a pilgrim encapsulates the idea of living as a stranger in a foreign land, seeking a spiritual homeland.

“In a more symbolic sense, pilgrimage can be viewed as a metaphor for the Christian life. Just as pilgrims journey toward sacred destinations, believers are called to navigate their spiritual path, encountering trials and growth along the way.”

In Psalm 84:5-7, we read:

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion.”

One writer made these comments about the above verses:

“Those with their hearts set on pilgrimage embark on a spiritual journey towards growth, enlightenment, or closeness with the divine, just as pilgrims do on a physical journey with a specific purpose or goal in mind. This verse encourages us to approach life as a pilgrimage, with our hearts focused on spiritual growth and connection with our higher purpose. It beckons us to remain steadfast in our faith and committed to our spiritual journey, finding strength and solace in our beliefs along the way.” 

In a more symbolic sense, pilgrimage can be viewed as a metaphor for the Christian life. True believers are called to navigate their spiritual path, encountering trials and growth along the way.

We read in Hebrews 11:13-14:

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.” 

This passage emphasises the idea that life itself is a pilgrimage.  Believers are urged to focus on the future in God’s Kingdom, while striving towards spiritual maturity and faithfulness. God’s rule will soon be established on this earth at the return of Jesus Christ, not in heaven as mainstream Christianity believes. 

All of the people in the examples given in Hebrews 11 did not receive God’s promises before they died. They saw these in a spiritual way, in the distance and lived their lives in their walk of faith, recognizing that they lived as strangers on the earth, as we still do today as God’s people.

Wikipedia observes: 

“‘He Who Would Valiant Be’ is a Christian hymn by John Bunyan, first published in 1684, which encourages perseverance and faith in the face of challenges, likening life to a pilgrimage.”   

This poem is uplifting and encouraging and we reproduce it below:

“He who would valiant be
‘gainst all disaster,
let him in constancy
follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement
shall make him once relent
his first avowed intent
to be a pilgrim.

“Who so beset him round
with dismal stories
do but themselves confound
his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might;
though he with giants fight,
he will make good his right
to be a pilgrim.

“Since, Lord, thou dost defend
us with thy Spirit,
We know we at the end,
shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away!
I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labor night and day
to be a pilgrim.”

Uplifting and encouraging words!   

We will now begin to look at a number of ways that describe the Christian pilgrim. 

First and foremost, it is important to understand that even though we have to live in the world, we are not to be part of it.   Just before His crucifixion, Jesus made this very point.   We find this assertion in John 15:18-19:

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ^If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Two chapters later, in John 17:14-17, Jesus reiterates this same theme in His prayer to the Father:

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. ^They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”  

Jesus did not pray that we should be taken out of the world where we could, no doubt, sit in splendid isolation somewhere, but that we were to be kept from the evil one – and we all know who that is.   If we were to be taken out of the world, how could we let our “lights shine” and set the Christian example?   It would be impossible.   But we are not to be part of the world and its ways – the system that envelopes the world controlled by Satan.

We are set apart by the Truth that God has revealed to us, as we read in John 17:17: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

Let us review several qualities needed to be a pilgrim, hoping that the following will give everyone some food for thought.

(1)  A PILGRIM clearly sees the vision.

We, in fact, have to see the vision of what God’s Holy Days mean – His Master Plan for all of mankind. When putting all of the Scriptures together, the future in the Kingdom of God is something that will exceed our wildest expectations.    That must be correct because God has limited our faculties and abilities and will only give us full understanding at the resurrection.

Vision is an act or faculty of seeing further than the end of our nose.   We can get so bogged down with the everyday concerns of being a breadwinner, of working, of looking after a family and any number of other everyday activities, that spiritual vision of our future in God’s Kingdom is a quality that can elude us.   But we ought to keep in mind our calling at all times, and what God has in store for those of us who are faithful to the very end.   Maybe, with all of the things that are part and parcel of our everyday life, it may be that we can be distracted, at times, and have our attention diverted away from the promises that we have been given for the future.  

Satan tries to keep us so busy with other matters that we can become deluded into thinking that we have little or no time for the spiritually essential areas. He does this by offering many attractive and appealing but unprofitable and harmful alternatives.   In addition, the environment around us offers many perfectly wholesome and right pursuits that can, nevertheless, distract us if we overemphasize them or place them before our spiritual obligations. 

And as we become so busy in these everyday activities, we can lose the vision for the future. For those who have gone back into the world, or who have embraced theology contrary to what the Scriptures clearly teach, their vision of the future will be at variance with that which we have, if indeed they have any vision at all.   It is a sad state of affairs, but one which should spur us on to greater effort to make sure that we don’t fall into the same error.

Vision is quite different from daydreaming, where someone may wish that this, that, or the other may happen.   Dreaming can be a wish list – but vision in the Christian context is believing what the Scripture says about our future and praying, “Your Kingdom Come”.   And we have sufficient biblical information to be able to put together a picture, however incomplete it may be at this time, of the World Tomorrow.   But because of our human limitations, whatever vision we have will, undoubtedly, be exceeded by reality.   But vision is a necessary quality of being a pilgrim.

Proverbs 29:18 backs up the need for this quality:

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.” The margin in the New King James Bible explains that the meaning of “revelation” in this passage is “prophetic vision.” The passage can also be rendered that people without vision “perish.”

Colossians 3:1-2 shows where our vision should be:

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

We are to seek those things that will last for eternity.

We will live out our physical lives, but in relation to eternity, our life now is less than the twinkling of an eye.   Our future is assured if we are faithful to the end. We must have that vision of a wonderful future, something that pales our current mortal life into total insignificance.   

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Germany Continues to Embrace Dictatorship” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:  

This program discusses an alarming example of dictatorial conduct in Germany, and it is by no means an isolated incident. It is becoming increasingly dangerous to even report and comment on those occurrences, as we do in this broadcast. Germany’s descent into a dictatorship reminiscent of Russia, the Third Reich or the GDR is unmistakable. 

“Deutschlands fortschreitender Abfall in die Diktatur” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

“Will Trump Build the Third Temple?—Comments on News and Prophecy, October 26, 2025,” a message presented by Evangelist Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Is there any validity to the claim that Donald Trump is supposed to help building the prophesied Third Temple in Jerusalem? Is the peace deal with Hamas destined to failure? And will Trump stay in power after his second term?

“Warum Christen die Wehrpflicht ablehnen!” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Why Christians Reject Compulsory Military Service!”

“Herzensangelegenheiten,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Daniel Blasinger, is now posted. Title in English: “Matters of the Heart.”

“Rejoice when Suffering?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Why does suffering often follow joy? And why does God tell us to find joy in suffering? How is that even possible? This sermon will give you the answer.