Start with this article about a guy who has made it his goal to replicate what the Temple looked like seen below.



Click on for another picture of how it might have looked.

Let's begin with a brief review of the temple and it's importance to the Jews. The temple was first built in 950 BC by Solomon, son of David (1 Kings 1:5-8). In 825 BC Jeoash, king of Israel attacked Jerusalem, broke down the walls, and plundered the Temple treasury(2 Kings 14:13-14). In 585 BC Jerusalem was invaded again by king Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon, who captured and destroyed the First Temple(2 Kings 25:8-10). In 535 BC after being "stirred up" by the Lord, King Cyrus of Persia, made the proclamation that called for the Jews to return home to jerusalem, so they could rebuild the Temple of God(Ezra 1:1-4)& (Ezra 6:3-15). In 515 BC a proclamation that King Cyrus made for the rebuilding of the Temple was not immediately acted upon. In fact, the decree remained filed away and forgotten until Zerubbabel rose to challenge of rebuilding the Temple. After some wrangling with government red tape, Zerubbabel received the blessings of king Darius to continue his work(Ezra 5:2-3) &(Ezra 6:1-12). In 170 BC Antiochus Epiphanes, King of Syria, plundered the temple and offered a pig on the Temple altar (Dan11:31). In 165 BC the Maccabees successfully revolted against Antiochus Epiphanes allowing for rededication of the Temple and a brief period of freedom for the Jewish people(The book of Maccabees). Finally, in 20 BC Herod the Great started a remodeling job on the Temple site, continuing until the point in time in Matthew 24(John 2:20).

So, you can see how the Jews had struggled to keep a temple and as a result, were very proud of it. After all, it was the only place where Jews could commune with God. Of course it was through a priest. At this point Jesus decides to reveal to them how their temple, which they possibly reveared more than Him at this point in their lives, would be destroyed. We must realize that they were not yet indwelt by the Holy Spirit, as we as believers are, and were primarially ruled by their flesh! Do you realize that there are groups intent on rebuilding the temple, today in Israel? Implements for resuming sacrifices and priestly garments are being completed, in preparation! The Temple Mount Faithfull Organization is a good place to start looking for this type of information. They have a "cornerstone" that they try, at least annually, to take to the temple mount, where they think it should be located! They keep getting turned away, for obvious reasons. Go here and read about an alternative location for the Temple! As we will read later, it appears that as the following prophecies unfold, there may be a temple built, which will be descecrated by a future "world" leader. Are these signs that we are in the "end times."

The Temple Priest's Robe has been finished for use in the new Temple.

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Here is an intriguing article about the Sanhedrin, which assisted the Romans in putting Jesus to death! It's forming is the first in 2000 years.

Sanhedrin Launched In Tiberias Wednesday, October 13, 2004 / 28 Tishrei 5765

A unique ceremony - probably only the 2nd of its kind in the past 1,600 years - took place in Tiberias today: The launching of a Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish-legal tribunal in the Land of Israel.

A unique ceremony - probably only the second of its kind in the past 1,600 years - is taking place in Tiberias today: The launching of a Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish-legal tribunal in the Land of Israel.

The Sanhedrin, a religious assembly that convened in one of the Holy Temple chambers in Jerusalem, comprised 71 sages and existed during the Tannaitic period, from several decades before the Common Era until roughly 425 C.E. Details of today's ceremony are still sketchy, but the organizers' announced their intention to convene 71 rabbis who have received special rabbinic ordination as specified by Maimonides.

An attempt to reconvene the Sanhedrin was made several centuries ago in Tzfat. The body in fact ordained such greats as Rabbi Yosef Karo, the author of the classic Jewish Law code Shulhan Arukh. However, the opposition of other leading rabbis soon forced the end of the endeavor.

One of the leaders of today's attempt to revive the Sanhedrin is Rabbi Yeshai Ba'avad of Beit El. He said that the 71 rabbis "from across the spectrum received the special ordination, in accordance with Maimonides' rulings, over the past several months." Rabbi Ba'avad explained that the membership of the new body is not permanent: "What is much more crucial is the establishment of this body. Those who are members of it today will not necessarily be its members tomorrow. But the goal is to have one rabbinic body in Jerusalem that will convene monthly and issue rulings on central issues. This is the need of the generation and of the hour."

Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, who heads the Temple institute in Jerusalem, is one of the participating rabbis. He told Arutz-7 today, "Whether this will be the actual Sanhedrin that we await, is a question of time - just like the establishment of the State; we rejoiced in it, but we are still awaiting something much more ideal. It's a process. Today's ceremony is really the continuation of the renewal of the Ordination process in Israel, which we marked several months ago. Our Talmudic Sages describe the ten stages of exile of the Sanhedrin from Jerusalem to other locations, until it ended in Tiberias - and this is the place where it was foretold that it would be renewed, and from here it will be relocated to Jerusalem."

Rabbi Ariel said that the rabbis there included many from the entire spectrum: "Hareidi, religious-Zionist, Sephardi, Ashkenazi, hassidi, and many others - such as Rabbi Yoel Schwartz, Rabbi Adin Shteinzaltz, and many others... We can't expect a great consensus; that's not how things work here. But sometimes that's how the process goes, from the bottom up."

Also, see this video on the current efforts to rebuild the temple. click here.

Read on and let the Holy Spirit assist you in making a determination, if you will!

He tells them, "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."(Mt.24:2)

This prompts them to ask, "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (Mt.24:3)

This is when Jesus began to respond with a series of statements that I believe not only applied to their generation but to ours!

Responding in Mat 24:4 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you."

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation 2 Corinthians 6:2b (NKJ)

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FALSE CHRISTS - MAITREYA & OTHERS

Mat 24:5 (Rev 6:2)"For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

Let us begin our discussion, especially in light of having just discussed the Temple, with how the Jews see the coming Messiah, relative to the Temple. The following article from Aish.com is intriguing and inciteful:

The Messiah In Judaism, who is the Messiah? The messiah is a God fearing, pious Jew, who is both a great Torah scholar and a great leader as well. He is a direct descendent of King David, and will be anointed as the new Jewish King. (In fact, the Hebrew word for messiah - "Moshiach" - means "anointed one."). When the messiah comes, there will be a universal recognition of the truth of Torah and the God Who gave that Torah at Mount Sinai. All Jews will return to the Land of Israel, where they will throw off the yoke of their enemies and undergo a complete spiritual revival. They will embrace the faith of their forefathers and dedicate themselves to God's service forever. They will re-build the Holy Temple, from where the Divine presence will shine forth, spreading the light of truth, justice, tolerance and peace throughout the world. Today, the world is beset by jealousy, greed, theft, violence, lying, impatience, intolerance, deception and fraud. We are suspicious of our neighbors and cynical of our leaders. We are factionalized, and we worship different gods. Rather than cooperate, we compete. We are manipulative and seek advantage at the expense of others. It's dog-eat-dog and every man for himself. We withdraw into our homes behind a curtain of satellite dishes, internet, and take-out food. We shield ourselves from the harsh realities and worst of all, we despair of the notion that things can be much better. We shrug our shoulders and lament, "That's just the way life is." Judaism says "No." When Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, God assured us of a path back. Statesmen may speak of "peace in our time," but the Jewish prophet said it best: "The lamb will lie down with the lion... and young children will play at the cobra's nest" (Isaiah 11:6). "Shalom," the Hebrew word for "peace," comes from the root "shaleim," which means complete or whole. "Shalom," says the Talmud, is one of the Names of God, for His unity encompasses all. This "one-ness" is the primary theme of the Jewish Pledge of Allegiance: "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One!" The word "Shalom" is also part of the name "Jeru-Salem." How can we hasten the coming of the Messiah? The best way is to love all humanity generously, to keep the mitzvahs of the Torah (as best we can), and to encourage others to keep them as well. We also must pray to God to hasten the coming of the Messiah. The Talmud says that one of the first questions a Jew is asked on Judgement Day is: "Did you yearn for the arrival of the Messiah?" Praying for such an event increases our sensitivity to what we currently lack, and demonstrates our sincere desire for the Messiah to arrive. If we so desire, he can come today.

The Jew: The Talmud says on Judgement Day, "Did you yearn for the arrival of the Messiah?" The Christian: looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2: 13(NKJ)

I heard a commentator say, a few years ago, that there are 2,000 individuals in Los Angelos, alone, who claim to be The Christ. Most of us remember, James Jones, who claimed divinity and several hundred followers found out the hard way that he really wasn't! David Koresh took his following to the grave with him and it wasn't the second coming! Heaven's Gate followed suite. And in 2000, as many as 450 members of the Ten Commandments of God doomsday cult were killed by setting themselves on fire. The list goes on and on.

The following individual is claimed to be the christ, by Benjamin Creme:

The Christ or Lord Maitreya (My-'tray-ah) has a sponsor which you can visit at Share International. Quoting from this site:

"He has been expected for generations by all of the major religions. Christians know Him as the Christ, and expect His imminent return. Jews await Him as the Messiah; Hindus look for the coming of Krishna; Buddhists expect Him as Maitreya Buddha; and Muslims anticipate the Imam Mahdi or Messiah."

You might find this site, Eastwood's World of Prophecy interesting, also. This guy has actually visited one of Benjamin Creme's teachings and definitely felt some type of demonic presence.

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UPDATE ON MAITREYA - Interview With Art Bell:

For those who listen to Art Bell (I am one who does not, but heard about his guest and listened to his archived interview) Benjamin Creme was interviewed on a Friday night in July, 1998. The following is a picture (courtesy of Eastwood's site) of Benjamin Creme:

In the interview, in which Art aptly called Maitreya "Batreya", Creme immediately began twisting scripture of Daniel & Revelation , with regard to the Antichrist. He said, I'm paraphrasing now, that the scriptures cannot be taken literally, but are symbolic and must be interpreted from today's world view. For example, the antichrist is not a man, but a destructive energy or force to break down world order to prepare the way for the christ or Maitreya. It was released under Nero, in Rome (circa 70 AD) to prepare for the emergence of the Christian church, then through Hilter, a group in Japan and around Mussolini to be defeated by the Axis powers to suppress this negative (antichrist) will for a time and times. This will allow the emergence of peace for 2,350-500 years during the Aquarinan Age until the true Armaggedon during the Capicorn Age, 3,000 years, occurs and the antichrist energy will no longer be released, but only the christ consciousness. This will be characterized by the world sharing the world's resources, instead of 1/3 of the world using all of the resources, like now. We will not need oil, which Art mentioned, because we will have a new technology from the sun to run everything, released by Maitreya when we are ready for it. Then peace will be achieved, also, because this energy source would be abused, if released too soon. Maitreya, gave inspiration to Mandela to seek release from prison and right S. Africa, he inspired Gorbachev to open up Russia and E. Germany and these are signs, according to Creme, that the world is changing and moving away from the antichrist energy. Maitreya, was not born as a baby, but as a man and can take on any shape through "esotaric" means and by directing his energy level can appear in any form or appear or disappear at will. He later says that although UFO's exist, abductions are only illusionary in the sense that people are seeing beings, because they are able to see in higher esoteric regions.

I visited Eastwood's site, recently and bless his heart, he has transcribed a lot of the discussion between Art and Creme, plus, he has the broadcast linked in realaudio, click on Creme Interview.

looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2: 13(NKJ)

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OTHER POSSIBLE FALSE CHRIST CANDIDATES:

The world is clamoring for peace in light of the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict, so much so that the following quote was from a November 26, 2000 article, "Now we are in urgent need of an objective and honest broker who shares the confidence of all sides to bring us to the negotiating table, while reducing tension and violence. America cannot do it, Russia has no serious clout. The solution must be found elsewhere, perhaps in one of the European Union countries. Someone must present both sides with a way out before it is too late for a peaceful solution." The stage seems to be setting for Mr. Antichrist to soon appear?

There are others, being watched by bible scholars, as possible candidates for the "mother" of all "false christs" the Antichrist. Understand that I am not saying any of these men are the Antichrist. They have traits that he will have. I hope to be raptured before he appears on the scene and is fully revealed. You will have to be the judge of whether or not he is. They are shown below:

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Sami Issac

This guy is not claiming to be God but one of the two witnesses spoken of in Revelation. Watch this video of his own statements. He indicates that 10 major things are going to take place from 2006 to 2010 with the opening of the 7th Seal (again from Revelation) with a large earthquake in June of 2006 and another one in October of 2006. Well it is October of 2008 as I write this and these things did not happen! So I am listing him here because he appears of the antichrist persuasion claiming to have divine knowledge from God and being the Daniel of the Old Testament! Here is his website if you want to research him yourself http://www.ministryofisaac.org . Well as of today, November 26, 2008, this website does not work! I suspect he has decided to rest his false prophecies and has gone into hiding? His youtube interview with Texas radio station has curiously been pulled, also!

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Osama Bin Laden

(1957 - )

I have been hesitant to name Osama but my wife just finished reading a biography about him, entitled "Ben Laden, The Man Behind The Terrorists," and things are revealed about him that have changed my mind. He is revered by muslims throughout the world and could bring peace immediately, just by calling in all of the world's terrorist. He has a degree in Economics and has extensive training in construction techniques. Yet he is a man of war. His mother is a syrian. So, he has Assyrian ancestory. Some say the Antichrist will be Assyrian. Some say he controls the world's heroin market, from the poppy fields in Afganistan and the Bible says the Antichrist will control people with drugs (pharmacea). He led a period in his life of secularism and knows how to dress and live the life of the globalist. Of course he was once revered in Saudi Arabia, also, but now sees them as bad muslims and has had a falling out with them. It is curious that in Ezk. 38, which I think describes a coming muslim-led attack against Israel, Saudia Arabia is quoted, by God, as asking what is Magog's plan, to take a spoil? So, a possible scenario could be that Osama leads a war against Israel and loses and decides to bring peace to the world, to gain time to rearm for Armageddon. Here is a partial summary of the book, by my wife, and we will be adding to this section as we research more about him. Click here for the entire article.

Osama bin Laden Looks Like Heading for Iraq DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

August 8, 2005, 11:52 PM (GMT+02:00)

Coded electronic signals bandied in recent days among al Qaeda Middle Eastern elements across secret Internet sites all carry the same message: the supreme leader, Osama bin Laden, has come out of hiding in Afghanistan and set out, or is about to set out, for Iraq. This is the sense gained from this correspondence by DEBKAfile’s exclusive counter-terror sources.

Some of the signals schedule his date of arrival as the second half of September (actually Ocober 4, 2005) when Ramadan is estimated to begin. His arrival in Iraq is planned to signal the launching of the biggest offensive his organization has ever launched against the US army. If these signals are a true representation of bin Laden’s plans and not a red herring, what is planned is a dramatic landmark battle in the global war on terror and the Iraqi conflict. Click Here for the entire article.

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Benjamin Netanyahu

(1949 - )

Hawkish Netanyahu picked to form govt

Published Date: February 21, 2009 JERUSALEM: Hawkish Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu was tasked yesterday with forming a new Israeli government, fuelling concerns that a right-wing coalition could torpedo the Middle East peace process.

Accepting the nomination from President Shimon Peres, the former premier named Iran as the main threat to Israel's existence and made no direct reference to peace talks with the Palestinians.

Peres handed Netanyahu a letter formally asking him to form a new government in the wake of the tight February 10 elections. Peres reached the decision after meeting separately with Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni of the centrist Kadima party in the hope of convincing them to form a broad government alliance.

Livni, the outgoing foreign minister emerged from the talks saying she would have nothing to do with a right-wing government. "I will not be a pawn in a government that would be against our ideals," she said.

We need a government based on a two-state solution," she added in reference to the concept of a viable Palestinian state being formed alongside Israel. But Netanyahu did not give up on his hopes of forging a broad coalition.

I turn to the Kadima and Labour leaders: let us close ranks and act together," he said at the ceremony at the president's residence in Jerusalem. "I want to meet you first and discuss the formation of a broad government coalition," he said.

In his brief speech, he did not directly mention Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and made no mention of the US-backed two-state solution, focusing instead on what he said was the threat from Iran.

Iran is seeking to obtain a nuclear weapon and constitutes the gravest threat to our existence since the war of independence," he said. "The responsibility we face is to achieve security for our country, peace with our neighbours and unity among us.

Reacting to the nomination, the Palestinian Authority said it will not deal with the new Israeli government if it is not committed to the peace process. "We will not deal with the Israeli government unless it accepts a two-state solution and accepts to halt settlements and to respect past accords," president Mahmud Abbas's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said.

Netanyahu believes the time is not ripe to discuss the key issues raised in the peace negotiations, including the borders of a proposed Palestinian state, and wants the talks to focus on improving daily life in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

He insists Jerusalem will remain Israel's undivided capital. Palestinians want east Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed, to be the capital of their future state.

Netanyahu, 59, has also insisted he would not be tied by a recent pledge by outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to withdraw settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory.

Go here for the rest of the article.

"Netanyahu" means "gift of God." "Benjamin" means "Son of the right hand!" One can make a lot of speculation about how these definitions could be used politically! Born in Tel­Aviv on October 21, 1949, Benjamin Netanyahu grew up in Jerusalem. He spent his high school years in the United States, where his father, the historian Professor Benzion Netanyahu, taught history. Returning to Israel in 1967, Mr. Netanyahu enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces and served in an elite commando unit.

Before entering political life, Mr. Netanyahu served as a soldier and officer in an elite anti­terror unit in the Israel Defense Forces (1967­-72). Mr. Netanyahu participated in various missions during the War of Attrition, including the Beirut Airport operation. He took part in the rescue of the hijacked Sabena Airlines hostages at Ben Gurion Airport, in which he was wounded. He was also cited for outstanding operational leadership by O.C. Northern Command, the late Maj. Gen. Motta Gur. He was discharged from the I.D.F. in 1972 and reached the rank of captain following the Yom Kippur War.

Mr. Netanyahu received a B.Sc. in Architecture and an M.Sc. in Management Studies from MIT. He also studied political science at MIT and Harvard University.

After completing his studies he was employed by the Boston Consulting Group, an international business consulting firm. He later joined the senior management of Rim Industries in Jerusalem.

In 1979 he initiated and organized an international conference against terrorism, under the auspices of the Jonathan Institute ­ a private foundation dedicated to the study of terrorism, which was named after his brother Jonathan who fell while leading the rescue party at Entebbe.

World leaders, including former U.S. President George Bush and former Secretary of State George Shultz, participated in this conference and a subsequent one in 1984. Mr. Netanyahu has been credited by Mr. Shultz for his central role in effecting a change in American policies on international terrorism.

In 1982, at the request of then ­Ambassador Moshe Arens, Mr. Netanyahu assumed the position of Deputy Chief of Mission in the Israeli Embassy in Washington. He was a member of the first delegation to the talks on strategic cooperation between Israel and the United States. Two years later he was appointed Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations and served there for four years. As U.N. ambassador, Mr. Netanyahu led the effort that opened the U.N. Nazi War Crimes Archives in 1987.

Returning to Israel in 1988, Mr. Netanyahu was elected to the 12th Knesset as a Likud member and was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister.

During the Gulf War he served as Israel's principal representative in the international arena. In October 1991, he was a senior member of the Israeli delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference, which initiated the first direct negotiations between Israel and Syria, Lebanon, and a joint Jordanian­Palestinian delegation.

On March 25, 1993, he was elected Likud Party Chairman and the party's candidate for Prime Minister.

As Chairman of the Likud Party since 1993, Benjamin Netanyahu was elected Prime Minister of Israel in May 1996 in the first direct election of prime minister in Israel, serving in this position until July 1999. Following his defeat in the 1999 elections, he resigned from the chairmanship of the Likud and from the 15th Knesset.

In November 2002 Benjamin Netanyahu was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Netanyahu is the author and editor of several books:

Self Portrait of a Hero: From the Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu 1963-1976 (Edited 1978)

International Terrorism: Challenge and Response (Edited 1979)

Terrorism: How the West Can Win. (Edited 1986)

A Place Among Nations: Israel and the World (1992)

Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorists (1995)

Mr. Netanyahu is married to Sara, and is the father of Noa, Yair and Avner.

He was the only one invited to speak to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Terror. He received a standing ovation! An attribute of the future antichrist will be "peace and safety." Go to his site for more information. He has hosted several conferences on international terrorism (1979 and 1984).

Born in Telaviv, he grew in Jerusalem, and spent his high school years in the US, with his father. In 1967, he returned to Jerusalem and served in an IDF Commando Unit.

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Netanyahu quits over Gaza pullout Binyamin Netanyahu has been a fierce opponent of the pullout plan Israeli Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has resigned in protest against this month's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The resignation was announced as the cabinet approved the removal of a first group of Jewish settlers from the area. Mr Netanyahu, a former prime minister, has been a fierce critic of the pullout plan championed by his Likud party rival, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been appointed to succeed him. Mr Netanyahu had threatened to resign last year unless the Gaza plan was put to a referendum but later lifted the ultimatum. He submitted his resignation letter on Sunday, shortly before the cabinet voted by 17 to five to approve the initial phase of withdrawals. Click Here for the entire article

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Well, with the results of the election, I guess JFK becomes less of a candidate, for the time being anyway! I will leave him up, however, because only God knows, if he will be back, and he is an interesting fella!

John Forbes Kerry (Kohn)(JFK), current democratic challenger, against George W. Bush, is known as the most liberal senator in the senate! Why would I place him as someone to watch as a possible "antichrist?" Read on! He is a walking paradox! I was not even considering him until I found out that he is JEWISH!!!! Yeah, he is a "skull and bonesman" and an obvious "globalist." He also is married to a wealthy former-republican (just a year ago)who has between 50 and 60 factories overseas (what about the exporting jobs controversey?)! He claims Irish decent (bunch of malarky?) and catholic with the initial JFK! What more do you need to succeed in Massachusetts?

Click on News of candidate’s Jewish roots adds another flavor to campaign and A JEWISH CZECH IN JOHN KERRY'S COURT for some interesting articles.

It is interesting that Kerry, covers a broad spectrum of "appeal potential," in that he is a lawyer, like Clinton and can control the courts, tall and attractive for the ladies, a radical environmentalist and a veteran (although suspicious as to his true colors)!

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Bashar Assad, the appointed dictator of Syria is shown along side the picture of his late father, who coincidently died on the jewish feast of Pentecost. He also died on the date, in 1967, when Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Curiously, many years ago Hafez, changed his family name from Wahash to Assad, according to a recent article in the Jersalem Post. So what you say! Well "Wahash" means "beast" and "Assad" means "lion." Is it not curious that a name applied to the Antichrist is also "beast." Also, a name applied to Christ is "Lion" or "Lion of Juda." It gets even more interesting, however. Bashra also mean "astute or wise." So for those who might think Bashra might be a candidate, his name translates, "wise beast." The antichrist will try to appear christ-like and chosing a name similiar to that applied to the real Christ might be a ploy.

Click on Assad for the complete article.

It is interesting that Bashra, was trained in medicine in England and is very familiar with western ways, much unlike his late father. He is said to enjoy the internet, also. Some think the internet may some day be used to track people and curiously, WWW which stands for the World Wide Web can be translated, in Hebrew, to stand for "666." This is another identifier of the antichrist. He is also approximately the age of Christ when He was crucified-34 years of age. His father began preparing him when he was 33, however. May be these are all coincidences or maybe not?

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The Pope (Wojtek Laski). We now know Karol Wojtyla is not the antichrist or false prophet, however, he exemplified the qualities that the bible predicts for "the beast of the sea!" He was the most ecumenical man on the planet, trying to unite the world's three major religions. He also made strides towards deifying Mary because he thought she saved him from dying with the assasination attempt because she caused him to bend over to look at a picture (prayer card I think) on a visitor, keeping the bullet from hitting him directly. He then dreamed of a woman with 12 stars about her head and interpreted this to be Mary, totally ignoring scripture in Revelation showing that this is Israel with the 12 tribes shown about her! The new pope has many of these same qualities and we discuss him next.

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Cardinal Ratzinger
1927 -

Well the guessing is over - the catholics have a new pope. As Pope John Paul II's chief doctrinal officer and key advisor, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has been Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 1981. He is the most revered prelate, scholar, theologian, teacher and Catholic author of our time, under Pope John Paul II - having spoken on everything from sexual consumerism, private revelation and the "crisis of faith," to human rights, roles of men and women today, marriage, the priesthood, and the future of the world.

Yet, the depth, candor and humble servitude of this highest-ranking Cardinal will likely be his lasting hallmark, as he is most engaging in God and the World (Ignatius, 2002), perhaps even more than in previous writings.

Ratzinger was born in Germany (Bavaria) on Holy Saturday, April 16, 1927, and baptized that same day. He has said of his early baptism, "To be the first person baptized with the new water was seen as a significant act of Providence. I have always been filled with thanksgiving for having had my life immersed in this way in the Easter Mystery…".

His father worked as a rural policeman, which kept his family continually moving from town to town. In his memoirs about his early life (prior to his appointment as Archbishop of Munich), Milestones: Memoirs 1927 - 1977 (Ignatius, 1999), Ratzinger depicts his family life as quite happy. Family and Church were, for him, inseparable - and he clearly saw Hitler and the Third Reich as the enemy to both. He has said of his father, "…He saw that a victory of Hitler would not be a victory for Germany but a victory of the Antichrist…".

Following his father's retirement while Joseph Ratzinger was a teenager, the younger Ratzinger initiated study of classical languages, and in 1939, entered the minor seminary in Traunstein. In 1943 while still in seminary, he was drafted at age 16 into the German anti-aircraft corps. (Though he was opposed to the Nazis, he was forced to join at a young age.) Ratzinger then trained in the German infantry, but a subsequent illness precluded him from the usual rigors of military duty. As the Allied front drew closer to his post in 1945, he escaped from the Nazis and returned to his family's home in Traunstein, just as American troops established their headquarters in the Ratzinger household. As a German soldier, he was put in a POW camp but was released a few months later at the end of the War in summer 1945. He re-entered the seminary, along with his brother Georg, in November of that year.

Ratzinger and his brother Georg were ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 1951, in the Cathedral of Freising on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. He received his doctorate in theology in 1953 from the University of Munich. Beginning in 1959, he taught theology at the University of Bonn.

Ratzinger became more widely known when, during the Second Vatican Council and at the age of 35, he was appointed chief theological advisor for the Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joseph Frings, for the four-year duration of the Council. After continuing his teaching at several German universities, Ratzinger was appointed by Pope Paul VI in March 1977 as Archbishop of Munich and Freising. In June 1977, he was elevated to Cardinal.

Pope John Paul II summoned Cardinal Ratzinger to Rome in November 1981, and named him Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and President of the International Theological Commission. He has published several best-selling books which clarify faith practice and Catholic doctrine for today's Catholic and Christian: The Ratzinger Report (1985); Salt of the Earth (1996); The Spirit of the Liturgy (2000); God and the World (2002), and the recently published God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, The Heart of Life (2003).

He has also written an intriguing book, for endtime prophecy scholars, called, "Many Religions-One Convenant!"

Additionally, he worked with some 40 collaborators and over a thousand bishops to produce the 900+ page Catechism of the Catholic Church. Ratzinger works more closely with Pope John Paul II than perhaps anyone else. On Tuesdays, Ratzinger and members of the Congregation meet with the Pope for an hour-and-a-half lunch meeting. Then Ratzinger meets alone with the Pope every Friday evening to discuss critical problems facing the Church and the deliberations of the Congregation. "Then the Pope decides," says Ratzinger.

Ratzinger has wielded spiritual influence and worldwide respect even from those who don't hold to the Catholic faith. As papal biographer for John Paul II, George Weigel, has said, "…not even his [Ratzinger's] implacable enemies ever questioned Joseph Ratzinger's erudition: his encyclopedic knowledge of theology; his command of biblical, patristic, scholastic, and contemporary sources; his elegance as a thinker and writer." Go here for the complete article.

The following article was almost prophetic, with hindsight!

Here is an update from Herb Peters of fullfilled prophecy.com. Courting the Beast Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is gone. And, it appears to me John Paul II will soon be next.

The reason I say this is because the Vatican is already preparing. According to this report, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the most powerful Catholic figure besides the pope himself, has begun posturing to become John Paul's replacement. The report says:

A leading contender to become the next Pope launched a fierce attack on the forces of secularism yesterday, arguing that they were fostering intolerance in Europe and forcing Christianity underground. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 77, one of the Vatican's most powerful figures, issued a rallying cry to the faithful, saying that the liberal consensus had now evolved into a "worrying and aggressive" ideology Read about it here.

The problem I have with Ratzinger is, this is the guy who recently declared that the Christ-rejecting Jewish relgious leaders were also part of God's household. And, this wasn't just any ordinary opinion. Ratzinger, you see, is the man in the Vatican who is responsible for Catholic doctrine. In other words, when Ratzinger made this declaration, he was establishing official Catholic doctrine.

Another thing interesting about this report is how Ratzinger is acknowledging the Catholic Church has utterly failed in its mission to promote Christianity in Europe. And, if you read between the lines, it appears Ratzinger may be asking other continents -- like America -- for help. The report says:

He said that even though "churches were emptying" and people were "no longer able to believe," Christian faith was "not dead". He said he remained convinced of hope's inner strength, even if the future of the Church lay more in "other continents" than Europe.

I must admit, I enjoy the geopolitical puzzle. I think the reason I enjoy it so much is, if you know Bible prophecy, you have an edge over those who don't. When you already know where it's going, it's easier to connect the dots.

Where is this going? The Bible tells us, along with the rise of the 10-horned beast from the sea -- the revived Roman Empire -- another two horned beast from the earth will appear (Revelation chapter 13). This second beast will be a powerful false prophet who will promote a godless religion. It will be so wicked, this religion will become drunk with the blood of the saints. In fact, it will be the same old mystery religion of pagan Rome. But, instead of promoting Emperor worship, it will promote the worship of the Antichrist.

You see, if Ratzinger -- or some other Catholic leader -- can't find a way to save the Christian faith in Europe, it's not hard to believe this leader may decide any faith will do. After all, the issue is saving religion in Europe. And, if Ratzinger is right, if Christ-rejecting Jews are also part of God's household, why not the rest of the Christ-rejecting world?

The Vatican could begin courting the beast.

11-20-2004

Copyright 2004 Herbert L. Peters. All rights reserved.

The following article, by Jan Markell, sums up the pope-coverage frenzy and the possible reason for it, quite well in my opinion.

Deceptive Tolerance: The One World Religion--Jan Markell Olive Tree Ministries, Inc. www.olivetreeviews.org

Semi-Weekly Review of the News - April 21, 2005

There's been a "Vatican watch" for weeks....even months. When Pope John Paul II first became ill, reporters from around the world camped outside of the hospital or the Vatican with coverage 24/7. Some networks covered the scene without interruption keeping a constant eye on Rome. When the crisis moved on, TV cameras then focused on a chimney for two days. Unbelievable. And why were non-Catholics so caught up in this? Why was a chimney such an epic world event?

The fact that a pope is a world leader, not just a spiritual head, was revealed the days following his death. He "united" Muslims, Hindus, New Agers, evangelicals, atheists, kings, mullahs, presidents, generals, and more. Many called him a "man of peace" which reveals the world's longing for such a man.

Until I studied eschatology, none of this would have caught my serious attention. However, I do feel it has apocalyptic overtones and no, the pope is not going to be the Antichrist. All of this bears watching, however, because of the deceptive "tolerance" that was accentuated through all of this. Ecumenicity has a new meaning right now: Let's reach out and embrace all who profess God, regardless of who their god is. If it's Baal, Allah, Krishna, "mother earth," Druids, Wiccans, Satanists, or self, I can almost hear the Antichrist saying, "Just give me your allegiance and I will guarantee your freedom to worship as you please." Absolute truth will be forbidden as only the Antichrist and the False Prophet will have that.

Pope Benedictine 16th wants to unite all of Christianity and reach out to all religions. If you have your eye on the sky, bells and whistles should be going off. The book of Revelation talks a lot about the "one world" theme. There will be an end-time system according to Revelation 13 and all will be one. John Lennon would be pleased based on his song "Imagine" there's no Heaven or hell and the world will be one. But Benedictine wants to have "an open and sincere dialogue" with all religions and says he will do anything in his power to improve the ecumenical cause.

Revelation 13 talks about the "religious beast" who would be the False Prophet. The "political beast" is the Antichrist. The "system" they will ride will be called "Mystery Babylon." In Revelation 17 it is clear that the system will operate out of a city on seven hills. Yes, there are several cities on seven hills including the most prominent, Rome. Apostate religious leaders will unite under the False Prophet but there must be a system in place over which they can unite.

I have many wonderful Catholic friends who have been telling me for years that there is coming a future pope who is wicked. I knew nothing of this. And no, Benedictine 16th does not qualify in my opinion even though he's big on ecumenism. He is likely a temporary pope. Could his successor be a wicked pope and fill the role of the False Prophet? I believe he could but that is speculation based in part on Scripture.

The global religious system must be large enough and centralized enough to legitimize a new system of pseudo-Christianity modified so it would accommodate all religions in the world, but it would exclude all those who put their trust in Jesus Christ as Savior.

I will talk about this on air this weekend with Mike Gendron of "Proclaiming the Gospel" ministry. Mike has a major ministry that reaches out to Catholics. See my Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org for listening options. Anyone anywhere in the world can listen live Saturdays, 9 - 11 AM CST and Sunday, 12 - 2 PM CST by going to www.kkms.com and clicking on "Listen Live."

You can get more related information at my Web site under the category of "Prophecy Watch."

Awaiting His return, Jan Markell You may pass on these items or have folks sign up on the Home page of the Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org. We update "Current Headlines" twice a day and you can listen to two years' of radio programming on our "Radio Archives." Please remember us prayerfully and financially. Contact: Olive Tree Ministries, Box 1452, Maple Grove, MN 55311.

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Cardinal Lustiger
1926 -

The Next Pope (From Prophecy-Center.com)

The answer to our question comes from Time magazine, a 1994 issue. This tiny sub article titled "Who will be next among us" ,found under the Man of the year cover story, covered who would be the next Pope. Here is a Quote from the article:

"The Europeans have other papabili, among them Godfried Cardinal Danneels, 61, of Belgium. And then there is another prominent convert: Jean-Marie Lustiger, 68, the Archbishop of Paris. Lustiger was born a Jew, the son of Polish emigres to France (his mother would die in Auschwitz). Abandoning his original name, Aaron, he adopted Catholicism as a teenager, a move that hurt his parents terribly. Lustiger is a trusted confidant of John Paul’s; when he first visited the Pope, John Paul’s secretary, Monsignor Stanislaw Dziwisz, grabbed the Frenchman’s arm and told him, “Remember, you are the fruit of the prayers of the Pope. The Pope prayed long and hard over his choice.”

TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1994 Dec. 26, 1994 Man of the Year:PopeJohn Paul II COVER/MAN OF THE YEAR, Page 72 Who Will Be First Among Us?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Kevin Fedarko--Reported by Greg Burke/Rome and Thomas Sancton/Paris

The next question raised is the prophetic impact of a Jew being the next Pope. In Bible prophecy we are told that the Antichrist will 'sit in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God' (II Thessalonians 2) What is even more interesting is that this Jewish cardinal is incorporating Judaisim into the Catholic mass, and even criticizing those who say anything about Israeli policies. Lets take a look at another article.

Unstoppable LE TEMPS IRREPARABLE 23 June 1996

THE PARIS CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP FORBIDS ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAELI POLICIES

"After many weeks of silence, Cardinal Lustiger, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Paris launched an violent attack against the most revered priest of France, the abbe Pierre who gave his support to the revisionist book of Roger Garaudy., . Reviled by an almost unanimous condemnation by the press of his position but strengthened by a recent poll showing he had lost only 2% of the favorable views expressed by the French public opinion, the abbe Pierre delivered a heavy blast, blaming the fictitious unanimity of the press on the ."

The article continues on and calls him :

"A, intellectual priest, his career has been very quick. In books and interviews, he maintains that he is at the same time a Jew and a Christian, although this seems difficult to understand to his more simple-minded parishioners. The intellectual establishment and the press love it."

To further express his blame to the Abbe Pierre Lustiger chose the "Tribune juive" , a Jewish weekly, where he stated :

"What is at stake, he said, is an attack against Israeli policies and, on par with it, against Zionism and the Jews in general."

Now if You have read the FIG TREE SIGN, you will understand that Zionism is at the root of what brings the Antichrist to power. This Zionism Lustiger speaks of is not true Zionism, but false Zionism. True Zionism calls for a true messiah , that is Jesus Christ, and will not happen until after the second coming.

This false Zionism is mass marketed by the media to the public by the name, "The Peace Process".

The question now is, If elected next Pope, will he complete the peace process and become a MESSIAH for the Jewish nation.

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Otto Von Hapsburg of the ruling house of AUSTRIA (1282-1918). The family originally held lands in Alsace and NW Switzerland, and Otto (d. 1111) took the name Hapsburg when he was made count. In 1273 Count Rudolf IV became king of the Germans as RUDOLF I; his war with Ottocar II of Bohemia resulted in Ottocar's defeat (1278) and confirmation of Hapsburg possession of Austria, Carniola, and Styria. These lands and the Austrian ducal title were declared hereditary in 1282, and in 1335 Carinthia, too, was claimed. The possessions were divided (1365) between the Albertine and the Leopoldine lines but were reunited under Holy Roman Emperor MAXIMILIAN I in the late 15th cent. Tyrol (1363), NE Istria (1374), and Trieste (1382) were added to the Hapsburg domain. From the election (1438) of Albert II as German king, the head of the Hapsburgs, with one exception, was chosen German king and Holy Roman emperor. Through marriage the Hapsburgs gained most of the Low Countries, and Hapsburg power reached its zenith under Emperor CHARLES V, who had inherited (1516) the crown of Spain. Charles was succeeded in Spain by his son, PHILIP II, and in Austria by his brother, Emperor FERDINAND I. The Spanish Hapsburgs died out in 1700. In Austria the PRAGMATIC SANCTION (1713) guaranteed the indivisibility of the Hapsburg domains and the succession of MARIA THERESA. Her son, Emperor JOSEPH II, began the line of Hapsburg-Lorraine. In 1806 Holy Roman Emperor FRANCIS II abdicated and assumed the title emperor of Austria. In 1867 the Hapsburg empire was reorganized into the AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN MONARCHY, which was dissolved at the end of WORLD WAR I.

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Charles, Prince of Wales 1948-, prince of Wales, eldest son of ELIZABETH II of Great Britain and heir apparent to the British throne. He was created prince of Wales in 1958. Prince Charles has become an outspoken critic of modern architecture, and in 1992 he established an architectural institute to promote more traditional approaches to building. In 1981 he married Lady Diana Spencer (see DIANA, princess of Wales); they separated in 1992. They have two sons, William and Henry. Some conspiricists believe that the tragic car crash, in which Diana was killed, was planned to silence or get rid of her because of the embarassment her affair was having on the monarchy.

The BBC had an interesting article on the Prince in 1994

"so much of what I try to do is behind the scenes. So it is difficult for people to understand how all the things fit together." - Prince of Wales, BBC's "Newsnight" 1994."

If you think the Prince of Wales is just another ineffective figurehead - THINK AGAIN! Not only does he state on his website that he "refuses to be a figurehead" but endevours to only join or found organizations that are effective and that he can effect. What he has accomplished is simply astounding. He has formed the world's largest global intra-organization made up of all the key government bodies, corporations, businesses, and civil organizations - all under his personal directorship! It is called the Corporate Social Responsibility Forum formerly known as the Prince's Business Leaders Forum. And it stands to be the most influencial entity ever known - directing world government and economic development policies. Never have all these organizations joined together in unity, and many have never submitted to any other organization before. Such impressive members as the European Union and the United Nations!

The following list of main CSR members does not included the vast list of other important organizations the prince directs. He is president of 370 organizations not including chivalric orders such as the Order of the Garter in which he presides over such notable persons as Prince Michael, the Duke of Kent and Grandmaster of Freemasonry. Now these are not dutiless honourary titles nor unfilled seats, on the contrary, the prince is completely active and effective in his role as president of each one.

The prince has realised that the position that affords him the greatest leverage in the world is not as king, nor as a government administer, but rather as the pre-eminant policy maker through international banking, economics, and corporations - the real and effective power in the world.

This CSR list also does not include the thousands of banks and corporations already sworn under the crown of england in London nor such powerful entities founded by Britain such as the CFR or Royal Institute of Foreign Affairs, or the Bilderbergers. This is all in addition to the Prince's other global projects such as the U.N. Global Security Programme, the U.N. Charter 99 for Global Government, and the Rio Summit. This conglomerate power is in addition to the 51 nation block known as the British Commonwealth which takes up 1/3 of all the seats in the U.N. One could go on about the already well established British system of international corporations, and non-governmental agencies that shape the world in which we live - but even without all those, the following list is impressive and powerful. If we could add in all the others, the amount of accumulated power and influence is simply immense. There simply is no comparable position in the world to that which the Prince of Wales currently occupies. Remember that the he now stands in a position of directorship over these entities, determining their course of policy in the future. [note: CSR is also the monogram for CAESAR] Click here for the entire list of CSR members and the full article.

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King Carlos, was in the news with his pre-thanksgiving day lunch, with President Bush and the first Lady, at their ranch, November 24, 2004. Attempting to heal wounds made by the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq, he is trying to get back in the saddle with the President, since his prime minister could not do it, experiencing several rebuffs!

Juan Carlos - King of Spain

Juan Carlos I 1938-, king of Spain (1975-). The grandson of ALFONSO XIII, he married (1962) Princess Sophia of Greece. Francisco FRANCO named him (1969) his successor as ruler. Upon Franco's death (1975), he became the first Spanish king since his grandfather was deposed in 1931. Personally popular, he has proven to be a strong force for Spanish political stability and democracy. In Feb. 1981 he successfully foiled a right-wing military coup.

Israel has requested that Juan Carlos help mediate the latest Mideast peace negotiations. Some say this could be a "confirmation" of a covenant. Click here for more on Reasons Juan Carlos may be the Antichrist . Also, go here to see the book written by Dr. Charles Taylor, if you want even more info. about this theory!

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Romano Prodi - President of the European Commission

Nationality: ItalianPersonal details: Born 9th August 1939, Scandiano, (Reggio Emilia) Italy. Married, two sons. Education Degree in Law, Catholic University of Milan. Postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics. Academic career 1963-1971 Assistant in Political Economics at the University of Bologna. 1971-1999 Professor of Industrial Organisation and Industrial Policy at the University of Bologna. 1963-1964 Researcher at the Lombard Institute of Economic and Social Studies (ILSES). 1968 Researcher at Stanford Research Institute. 1973-1974 Professor of Economics and Industrial Politics at the Free University of Trento. 1974 Visiting Professor at Harvard University. Political career: 1978-1979 Minister for Industry. 1982-1989 Chairman of the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI). 1993-1994 Re-appointed Chairman of the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI). 1995 Chairman of the Ulivo, the centre left coalition. 1996-1999 Member of Parliament. 1996-1998 President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic. 1999 President of the European Commission.

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Silvio Berlusconi - Italy Prime Minister

Note the picture of Berlusconi and his salute. If you do it right-handed you form 3-sixes! I know it is a stretch, but it is interesting. Maybe it will be the salute of the future antichrist?

Rallying supporters, Silvio Berlusconi refers to himself as a blue collar worker, an entrepreneur, a man in tune with farmers and a craftsman.

Opponents have compared him to Zelig, the Woody Allen movie character whose appearance blends in with every person he talks to.

The the leader of the Forza Italia party and head of the centre-right coalition known as Casa delle Libertà (House of liberties) sees himself as the "best political leader in Europe and in the world."

"Because of my personal history, my professional skills and my business achievements, I am a man nobody can expect to compare himself with."

Born in Milan 65 years ago to a housewife and a bank clerk, Berlusconi is now Italy's richest man.

In 1999, he declared an income of 16.2 billion lira ($7.4 million), while his personal wealth was estimated by Forbes magazine at $12.8 million. Berlusconi is a self-made man, a master of his own fate, whose early work experience was gathered as a singer on cruise ships.

In the 1960s, he used loans to create a firm of contractors that built Milano 2, a large suburban area near Italy's second largest city.

Ten years later, he moved into the rapidly developing television industry. Today, Berlusconi and his family own Fininvest, a company that controls the three commercial TV channels belonging to Mediaset, Italy's major private network.

Married twice, Berlusconi has five children. Marina and Piersilvio from his first marriage help manage the family business. The three younger children are from Berlusconi's second marriage with former actress Veronica Lario.

The Berlusconi family empire is vast, from telecommunications to insurance and building. It includes top football team AC Milan, the Mediolanum bank, Italy's largest publishing house Mondadori, leading daily newspaper Il Giornale and the popular news magazine Panorama.

Opponents say there would be too many conflicts of interest for him to become prime minister for the second time. However, he just recently was elected Prime Minister!

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King Abdullah- King of Jordan, Wife and Parents

His Majesty King Abdullah bin al-Hussein is the 43rd generation direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammed. King Abdullah assumed his constitutional powers as King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on February 7, 1999, the day his father, the late King Hussein, passed away. King Abdullah is committed to building on the legacy left by the late King Hussein to further Jordan's democratic institutionalization and political pluralism, while working for a just and comprehensive peace in a climate of openness and tolerance.

Born in Amman on January 30, 1962, His Majesty is the eldest son of the late King Hussein and has four brothers and six sisters. King Abdullah began his education at the Islamic Educational College and received his secondary education at St. Edmund's School in Surrey, England, Eaglebrook School in Massachusetts, then at Deerfield Academy in the United States of America. In 1980, King Abdullah entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, where he received his military education.

King Abdullah attended Oxford University in 1984, undergoing a one year Special Studies course in International Politics and World Affairs. Upon returning home, His Majesty continued his military path, gaining experience and working his way to the rank of Captain and the Commander of a Tank Company in the 91st Armored Brigade. From 1986 -1987, also as Captain, his Majesty was attached to the Royal Jordanian Air Force's Helicopter Anti-Tank Wing as a Tactics Instructor, where he received qualification as a Cobra Attack Helicopter Pilot.

In 1987, King Abdullah attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and was in residence as a Mid-Career Fellow. He undertook Advanced Study and Research in International Affairs under the auspices of the Master of Science in Foreign Service Program.

Upon returning home, His Majesty was assigned to the 17th Tank Battalion, 2nd Royal Guards Brigade and in the summer of 1989, he became Battalion 2nd-in-Command, with the rank of Major. In 1991, King Abdullah was the Armor Representative in the Office of the Inspector General. He was promoted to Lt. Colonel at the end of the year and assumed command of the 2nd Armored Car Regiment in the 10th Brigade.

Upon handing over the battalion in January 1993, King Abdullah was promoted to full Colonel and assigned as Deputy Commander of the Jordanian Special Forces. In June 1994, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, and assumed command of the Royal Jordanian Special Forces, after having served as Deputy Commander for six months. His Majesty was appointed commander of the Special Operations Command on October 1997, and in May 1998, he was promoted to the rank of Major General.

In addition to his career as an army officer, King Abdullah has served his country many times in the official capacity of Regent in the absence of His Majesty King Hussein, and he regularly traveled with the late King Hussein. Before his accession to the throne, King Abdullah represented Jordan and his late father on visits to many countries throughout the world, and developed close relationships with leaders and officials of a number of Arab countries during the course of his career.

King Abdullah married Queen Rania on June 10, 1993. Their Majesties have two sons, and two daughters.

King Abdullah is a qualified frogman, pilot and a free-fall parachutist. His other interests are car racing (he is a former Jordanian National Rally Racing Champion), water sports, scuba diving and collecting ancient weapons and armaments.!

For an interesting commentary about King Abdullah's possibilities of being the Antichrist, by Brother Sal, in light of recent developments, click here .

Jordan's King Abdullah Meets Jewish Rabbis in Washington

By Stephanie Ho

Washington

22 September 2005

Jordan's King Abdullah is stressing that Muslims and Jews have more in common than their current bitter rivalry in the Middle East would suggest. His efforts to reach out to the Jewish community included a meeting in Washington, with 70 American rabbis.

But in his first-ever meeting with American Jewish religious leaders, King Abdullah pointed out that these two peoples share strong connections. Among these, he said, are a common ancestor, Abraham, and a belief in one god.

"Jews and Muslims are tied together by culture and history as well," he said. "For over a thousand years, both our peoples have contributed to the complex tapestry of Middle Eastern civilization. Throughout the Middle East, Jews and Muslims borrowed a great deal from each other in the areas of philosophy, science, mysticism and law."

The Jordanian monarch has spoken often of a moderate and traditional Islam, which values life and which he has advocated in the face of more fundamentalist and militant interpretations of the religion. Muslim extremists were behind the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

At the same time, though, King Abdullah pointed out that Jews face their own radicals, such as the man who assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.

"We face a common threat, extremist distortions of religion and the wanton acts of violence that derive therefrom," he reminded. "Such abominations have already divided us from without for far too long. We all too often fail to acknowledge that they also threaten to destroy us from within. This is not simply a matter of importance to Jews and Muslims. It is something that confronts and threatens the whole of humanity."

King Abdullah added that Muslims and Jews need to unite to defeat extremism.

"The only antidote is that we work together in the spirit of mutual co-operation and respect to defeat this common enemy," he said. "We must move beyond the language of mere tolerance toward true acceptance."

In the Washington meeting, King Abdullah's words were met with warm applause and four standing ovations.

One of the event coordinators, Rabbi Marc Gopin, of George Mason University, presented the Jordanian king with a special version of the Jewish holy book, the Torah.

"Gratitude is the foundation of the most ancient Jewish prayers, from the book of Psalms to our ancient prayer book. I want to thank you, Your Majesty, for every act of courage, every visionary gesture, that you and your family have offered the world. We stand in appreciation of your family's vision, courage and friendship to all, even to adversaries," he said.

The Jewish religious leader specifically applauded King Abdullah for setting what he called a hopeful example for Jordanians and for other Muslims around the world.

"I think the king is leading his people, and he is trying to set a direction that people can follow, in a very complicated world, in which there are very serious political conflicts, conflicts over territory, deep wounds of history," he said.

In his closing comments, the Jordanian monarch said he wants his message of reconciliation to have a wider audience than just the rabbis who attended the meeting.

"It is my hope that we, as children of Abraham, can go forth from this gathering with a common mission, to work together towards peace, justice and reconciliation," said King Abdullah. "The point on the religious calendar at which we find ourselves can inspire us in this endeavor. This year marks an unusual concurrence of the High Holy Days on the Jewish calendar and Ramadan on the Islamic calendar, each of which begins next month."

He pointed out that these religiously significant periods would provide perfect opportunities, not only for self-examination, reflection, repentance and atonement, but also for forgiveness and renewal.

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Is there any wonder that Jesus re-emphazised the importance of "false christs" in vs. 11 and 24. He never repeated Himself this much in one teaching that we have record of. I think He is telling us that this deception will be very pronounced just before His return! Do you realize that those professing the New Age belief, claim to be God. Remember the movie, "Out On A Limb" with Shirley McClain? Standing on the beach, her teacher got her to say, "I am God." This is what Satan was telling Eve, in the garden, that if she would eat of the "tree of knowledge" she would be all knowledgeable or a god!

Did we see (May 10, 2002) the precusor to the "Mark of the Beast (Antichrist)" revealed on Good Morning America (Rev. 13), in the form of an implanted computer chip? The Bible says that this will take place in the last 7 years, before Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom. We must be close. See Good Morning America Article for the complete story!

looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2: 13(NKJ)

RETURN TO CONTENTS

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RUMORS OF WARS

He goes on in Matthew 24:6 (Dan 9:27) (Rev 6:4)"And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that you are not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. " And in Matthew 24:7 "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:"

The word "nation" actually is "ethnos" in the original Greek, which means "multitude living together or ethnic group." So Jesus seems to be saying there will be ethnic uprisings!

In 1994, I saw an article in the Dayton Daily News:

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Study: 17 nations in peril
U.N. tally of likely trouble spots includes Mexico

LONDON (AP) - Mexico, Egypt, Nigeria and 14 other nations are in danger of social disintegration, a report to the United Nations warned Wednesday....

Some key findings: The nature of conflict has changed in the past 50 years from strife between nations to discord within nations. Of 82 conflicts in the past three years with more than 1,000 battle-related deaths, 79 were within nations and only three between nations....

For the complete article click Trouble Spots!

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Is there any question that this is still the trend today and recently, what with the Serbs vs. the Croats, Ruandans slaughtering each others tribes, Sadam and his Kurds, Palestinians vs. Jews and on and on! And this was touted by former President Clinton, before the UN, "We now see fewer wars between nations, but more wars within them," Clinton said, adding that the U.N. must find a way to not only protect sovereign borders, but also the people who live within them.

"Everywhere in every land people of every station matter. Everyone counts," he said. "Everyone has a role to play. We all do better when we help each other." Click on Clinton's speech at the UN for the complete article.

And Professor Samuel Huntington of Harvard University writes in his book: "The Clash of Civilizations" that future wars will be without borders. They will not be between countries but between civilizations. Eastern pagan civilizations such as Islam, Mandarin China and India will modernize, but will not westernize, because westernization means Judeo-Christian western civilization. Huntington shows how these three systems await the decline and demise of western civilization during the coming 50 years.

The Associated Press came out with its list of the year's 2001 Wars! There were 59! Click on 2001 Wars for the complete article.

Are we preparing for war? Ever since the World Trade Center destruction we have been taking on "terrorism" head on. With all that is going on in Israel and with the "sabre-ratteling" going on with the Palestinians, Lebonese, Syrians, etc., war may be on the horizon. See the following article, possibly predicting a calamity, in the Mideast:

Zechariah calls Israel to repent and gives them visions of comfort as he lays out their future - one of becoming a "burdensome stone," being attacked, but being saved by God, Who then removes "the blinders" from their eyes!

In (Zech. 8:7) God says, "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. (Zech. 8:8) "I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem".... Looks like present day to me!

In (Zech. 8:12) He says, "The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. (8:13) As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong." Again, sounds like today to me! Israel is one of the world's largest exporters of fruits and vegetables!

Then in Zech. 9 He begins to lay out "Judgement on Israel's Enemies." Curiously He begins speaking against "Damascus" (Zech. 9:1) and "Tyre (devoured by fire) and Sidon" (Zech. 9:2) - Lebanon! Could this be where the "Coalition" or Israel strikes at terrorists next?

He goes on to speak of others in (9:5). "Ashkelon will see it (destruction of Damascus and Lebanon) and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither." "Gaza will lose her king (could this be Arafat's recent death) and Ashkelon will be deserted." (9:6) "Foreigners (Hezbolla, Hamas?) will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines (Palestinians?)."

It can be said that these verses portray the conquering of these areas, by Alexander the Great, in 332 BC, but like all prophecy, I think they have dual applications.

In Zech. 12 He lays out an attack on Israel. (vs. 2) "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem" (see Is. 51:17). In vs. 4, "In that day, I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness;.... See Ezek. 38:4 for the similarities. Israel strikes back through God in vs. 6, "...like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place-Jerusalem." Israel just completed the development of a defensive missle system called the "arrow." Could this be what Zechariah is describing here?

Could this all be describing an action by Israel on Syria and Lebonan and the possible backlash allowing God to put "the hooks into the jaws" of Gog/Magog and dragging them to attack Israel, as spoken of in Ezk. 38?

One can argue that this is describing Armageddon, but the following chapters seem to more aptly describe this when it says, "the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity,..." (Zech. 14:2).

"On September 11, 2001 planet earth embarked in earnest on what I believe to be World War IV. The Cold War fought directly and by proxy between the USA and the West against the USSR and World Communism being World War III." This is an article written by Sean Osborne, Network Analyst Northeast Intelligence Network www.HomelandSecurityUS.com . He goes on to say:

World War IV began as the War on Terrorism. Its proper name is Operation Enduring Freedom and the United States engaged in actual ground combat in this war when US Special Forces entered northern Afghanistan and began organizing, training and fighting with the Northern Alliance against the radical Muslim Taliban and alQaeda fighters who were primarily responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001. We took the prosecution of the war in a military tactic known as preemptive strike to Afghanistan to remove their biggest base of operations. Ultimately as forces were amassed regular ground combat troops like the light infantry 10th Mountain Division, the elite "All American's of the 82nd Airborne Division and the "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Air Assault Division of the US Army and thousands of US Marines entered the ground war an obliterated the rag tag armies of the terrorist enemy and their benefactors. Afghanistan remains a battleground with intermittent alQaeda terrorist attacks and an unruly group of Afghan warlords hampering efforts to bring the peace the Afghan people want.

With the recent events in Russia by the Chechens, his following statements are very intriguing.

Part III: The Chechen Connection

It is my belief that one of the direct causes of the end of the Cold War (WWIII) in addition to the massive defense build-up of the U.S. Reagan Administration was the clandestinely controlled disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This intricate plan of deception can be found in two related and sequential books on the subject by the highest-ranking KGB operative ever to defect to the West, Mr. Anatoliy Golitsyn. His works entitled "New Lies For Old" and "The Perestroika Deception" are uncanny in their "predictions" -- which aren't really predictions as much are they are informed insight and direct knowledge. One of the key points made by Golitsyn was that there would be a staged ollapse of Communism in Eastern Europe and in the USSR itself. This clearly did occur as forecast by Golitsyn, but the proof in the pudding is contained in a quote by Mikhail Gorbachev in a speech made to the Soviet Politboro in 1987:

"Gentlemen, comrades, do not be concerned about all you hear about glasnost and perestroika and democracy in the coming years. These are primarily for outward consumption. There will be no significant internal change within the Soviet Union, other than for cosmetic purposes. Our purpose is to disarm the Americans and let them fall asleep."

Indeed, and a great many of us have been slumbering ever since. However, in recent years many of us have awoken to the reality of this deception and the words of writers such as Golitsyn, Nemets, Lunev, Noikov, Nyquist and others have served as a everlasting tablet of Maximum Strength NoDoz. But we also have current events with which to use as indications of the continuing plot whose ultimate objective it is to subjugate America within a world order of totalitarianist socialism. The events in Russia of the past month which we are all witnessing, but perhaps not paying attention to or understanding completely for what they really are, are the greatest indicator we have that the plan is in its final phase of execution. The false front of what has been the political situatin in Russia is now actively being scrapped by the real power in Russia ˆ the KGB and its current head, Vladimir Putin.

One of the tools of the effort as has been mentioned earlier is terrorism, and the USSR is the architect of the terrorism we continue to face. This terrorist implement has also been used within Russia itself. There are strong indications that one of the principle Chechen separatist leaders is a Russian GRU agent. Concerning the school siege in Beslan, Russia, Shamill Basaev is reported in Russian -- and subsequently in the West -- media as claiming responsibility for that atrocity. Basaev was also blamed for the hostage situation at the Nord-Ost musical performance in the Moscow theater incident of 2002.

He goes on to say:

In light of the above, are we to take at face value reports coming from Russian media that Shamil Basaev conducted the siege and mass murder at the Beslan school? I think not. Yet the results of that operation are manifest in the consolidation of absolute power by Vladimir Putin and the KGB in the Kremlin. They will also be manifest in what I believe will be a major Russian military move to re-conquer the entire Caucasus region. The master puppeteers in the Kremlin have decided to adapt the legitimate US policy of pre-empting terrorism with forward deployment of military forces and engagement of the terrorist enemy and the states which support them to their own purposes, and they are masking this coming conquest with the charades we have seeing since August ˆ the twin airliner disasters, Moscow subway bombings and Beslan. There is also raw intelligence information directly from the mouth of a Russian general that the US Pentagon is actively planning to detonate a nuclear weapon in the Moscow underground and that recent bombings there were but a dry run. As events continue to unfold in the coming days please keep that in mind because World War IV is well underway and an event such as a "rouge" nuke going off in the US or Russia will be the event which triggers the uncontrollable paradigm shift of your current understanding and of the war itself. Rest assured that if a nuclear weapon is detonated in the United States or in Russia -- the weapon will most certainly be of Russian manufacture and the reason for the detonation was hatched in the Kremlin as part of the final phase of their operation to destroy America.

To read the entire article click here

In light of this article, isn't it interesting that Putin has further cracked down on the media and tried to steal the election in Kiev? At this time, the re-election appears to have defeated Putin's attempts, but it is more evidence that the Soviet Union may be back (assuming it ever completely went away or just retreated enough to get aid for rearmament from the west-perestroika)! My understanding is that this is the 6th time the Soviet Union has done this throughout history!

Before leaving this topic of wars among nations, here is an interesting article to read from Blessed Hope Ministry called the "Palestinian Paradox." The author (unknown) gives a great argument of why the vast area of former Israel and Jordon were part of the "Palestine Region," not a Palestinian country, speaking the same language as other Arabs and having very few distinguishing features. And thus, the Palestinians never existed, at least as a unique country, consisting of roving bedouin tribes. Arabs did not seriously start to immigrate there until the Israeli's began to bring the desert wasteland back to life (fullfillment of Ezk. 36). The author notes that this is a fullfillment of Deut. 32. "It is interesting to note that the Bible makes reference to a fictitious nation confronting Israel. They have provoked me to jealously by worshipping a non-god, angered me with their vanities. I will provoke them with a non-nation; anger them with a foolish nation (Deuteronomy 32:21). Click on the link above, for the entire article!

For God did not appoint us (Christians) to suffer wrath..., 1 Thessalonians 5: 9(NKJ)

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FAMINE

Jesus went on to say in the rest of Mat 24:7 (Rev 6:5)" and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." In Luke 21 He adds " and fearful events and great signs from heaven."

Is it obvious that famine is here to stay and arguably getting worse? See what some recent articles have to say:

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A history of famine in Africa

Weekend News Today
Source: BBC

Wed May 6 ,1998 -- In recent years, major famines have ravaged parts of Africa. The most badly affected area is in the northeast where the populations of Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan have all been victims of periodic privation. In 1974 World Food Conference leaders promised that "within a decade no child would go hungry". But in 1996, governments admitted that more than 800 million people were not getting enough food to meet their most basic needs. Droughts in Kenya: In January 1997 the Kenyan Government declared a state of national disaster after severe droughts threatened the livelihoods of two million people. Oxfam joined the Kenya Government to distribute food to about 150,000 people.

Starving Africa: The United Nations said in 1996 that about 22 million people in sub-Sahara Africa were facing starvation.

War ration: The civil war in Sudan led to 2.5 million Sudanese needing emergency food in February 1994. In the spring, almost seven million people were threatened by food shortages in Ethiopia. Despite a large relief effort and generous donations, between 5,000 and 10,000 people died.

Starvation in Somalia: World attention focused on Somalia in 1992 when more than two million people faced possible starvation. About 25,000 American troops working for the United Nations helped deliver food.

Ethiopia plight: In 1988, widespread famine caused by drought put six million of Ethiopia's 46 million population at risk of starvation.

The great famine: The largest famine to hit Ethiopia killed almost one million people between 1984 and 1985. Pop singer Bob Geldof brought about the recording of the Band Aid single leading to a concert which raised more than $100m to help alleviate the crisis.

And here is another article:

Starvation looms in Angola

Weekend News Today
By Staff Writer
Source: BBC

Fri Dec 25 , 1998 -- Aid workers in Angola are warning of a humanitarian disaster following new fighting in the central area of the country. The town of Kuito in the province of Bie has come under renewed artillery attack from Unita rebels. A spokeswoman for the Red Cross said Kuito was also facing difficulties from an influx of refugees and wounded people, and there was no means of bringing in medicine or food. The fighting around Kuito has destroyed the harvest, and left 100,000 refugees, many of them on the brink of starvation. Refugees are heading for the food centres which have been established in Huambo, some 150km to the west. According to UN World Food Programme, many arriving malnourished and sick after walking long distances in the rain Kuito itself has been inaccessible by road or by air since the beginning of December, preventing access for humanitarian aid. The hospital there is already full with casualties of the war.

And look what is projected for this year by the UN:

UN Says 1999 Will Be Hungry Year

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Washington Post

Wed Dec 30 , 1998 -- A U.N. agency warned Wednesday that in 1999 more people around the world will face food shortages because of this year's man-made and natural disasters. ``We have to enter 1999 with the understanding that we may face an increased threat of famine, malnutrition and endemic hunger,'' Catherine Bertini, executive director of the World Food Program, said in a statement. Bertini pointed to the continuing effects of crises such as Hurricane Mitch, which ravaged Central America in October, and economic crises in Asia and Russia, which still show few signs of abating. She also said flare-ups of civil warfare in Kosovo and Angola threaten food supplies. The Rome-based World Food Program is responsible for distributing emergency food aid.

And here is a picture of famine brought on by communism's inhumane neglect of its people so that its military machine can continue to thrive in N. Korea:

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PESTILENCE

How about Pestilence? Is it on the increase? Hal Lindsay, well known Bible teacher and author of "Late Great Planet Earth", written in 1968, commented recently that in his book he mentioned the bible speaks of disease increasing in the future. His doctor friends, at the time, kidded him about being foolish to put that in the book because physicians were on the verge of curing all known diseases! So has that happened? Has the incidence of disease worldwide gone down? The World Health Organization warned in 1995 that the world is ripe for super plageues of apocalyptic proportions. Read what the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Hiroshi Nogagima, said in 1996,

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Spread of untreatable forms of malaria and tuberculosis, overuse of medicines, human settlement of uninhabited rainforest areas, international travel and poverty have caused the spread of infectious diseases on a plaguelevel. Spread of untreatable forms of malaria and tuberculosis and emergence of killers such as aids and ebolia threaten to undermine recent advances in health care. We are standing on the brink of a global crises in infectious diseases. The optimism of a relatively few years ago that these deseases could be brought under control has led to a fatal complacency costing millions of lives. More than 50,000 people die every day and 18 million per year from infectious diseases alone. During the past 20 years at least 30 new diseases have emerged to threaten the health of hundreds of millions of people on this planet."

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World Health: World in Grave Danger --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disturbing e-mail, weekly newsletter to healthcare providers, from the Arkansas Department of Health today: Arkansas Department of Health Division of Health Paul K. Halverson, DrPH, Director P.O. Box 1437, Slot H-48, Little Rock, AR 72203-1437 August 18, 2005 H5N1 in Russia - Russia's chief sanitary doctor said that bird flu of the H5N1 strain that can be transmitted to humans had been found in three Siberian regions, with sickness also observed among birds in two other Siberian regions. "There is every reason to believe that... the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been transferred by wild birds from Southeast Asia to the three above-mentioned areas," RIA-Novosti quoted Gennady Onishchenko as saying, referring to the Siberian regions of Novosibirsk, Altai and Omsk. Bird flu was also circulating among wild fowl in the Siberian regions of Tyumen and Kurgan, Onishchenko said, without specifying the sub-type of the virus found in those regions. Russia has begun mass poultry culls in the affected areas after cases of suspected avian influenza were first noted on July 10. Authorities have imposed controls on movement of poultry and poultry products in the affected areas. Elsewhere in the country some poultry farmers have set up patrols to shoot down wild birds approaching their facilities, Russian media has said. Health experts have said the westward spread of bird flu to Russia was predictable following outbreaks in neighboring areas of western China. H5N1 Vaccine – Not Ready Yet: Enthusiasm over the news that U.S. researchers have proven a vaccine is effective against the H5N1 avian flu strain was tempered Monday with word that it took massive doses - roughly 12 times the normal amount - to produce a protective response in humans. Given that manufacturers can only make enough vaccine for a fraction of the world's population in normal times with regular dosing schedules, experts said the findings underscore the urgent need to find ways to produce the same response with smaller doses of vaccine. ``I think these results suggest the world is even less prepared than more prepared,'' said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “And unfortunately many policy makers might take this announcement as being `We've hit the gold mine'- when in fact I would suggest we are having a hard time even finding water.'' In light of the American findings, federal officials said studies into a yet-to-be-made Canadian H5N1 vaccine will key in on the role antigen-sparing techniques could play in pandemic vaccine production. ``It's of great interest to us to look at these types of antigen-sparing strategies, whether it be adjuvants or whole viruses.'' said . Theresa Tam, associate director of respiratory diseases at the Public Health Agency of Canada. Adjuvants are chemicals that, when mixed with vaccine, kick the body's immune response up several notches, allowing a smaller dose of vaccine to produce a bigger effect. Vaccines made of whole viruses, rather than viral particles, are known to provoke greater immune responses as well but are also known to produce more side-effects on administration. It is hoped the Canadian studies will begin late next summer. February's federal budget set aside $34 million for production of trial batches of an H5N1 vaccine. But Canada's flu vaccine manufacturer, ID Biomedical, still has not been given the go-ahead to do the work. 2 The U.S. teams found it took two doses of 90 micrograms each to induce the immune system to churn out good levels of neutralizing antibodies, the immune system warriors that protect against invaders. The primer and booster shots were given 28 days apart. ``We know that neutralizing antibodies should predict protection,'' said Dr. John Treanor, head of the vaccine trials group at the University of Rochester (N.Y.), one of three teams involved in the study. Because human immune systems have no experience with the H5N1 avian flu virus, it had been anticipated high antigen doses might be needed. Still, it was hoped protection might be achieved at somewhat lower levels. As a result, the groups also tested doses of 7.5 mg, 15 mg and 45 mg. ``We know that 45 plus 45 gives you somewhat of an adequate response, but not optimal enough for us to feel comfortable with it,'' said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, which funded the trials. Annual flu shots contain 45 mg of antigen _ 15 mg each for two influenza A and one influenza B strains. Because adult humans have had prior exposure to circulating human influenza strains a single dose a year suffices. If a pandemic flu vaccine regime required two doses of 90 mg apiece, the combined annual output of the globe's flu vaccine makers could be as low as 75 million doses - enough to protect a small portion of the world's people. ``It makes the production of this (pandemic vaccine) even more problematic than it would be anyway,'' Fauci said of the high doses needed. He said researchers funded by his institute will begin work testing antigen-sparing strategies later this year. But vaccine expert Dr. David Fedson said that work should already be underway. ``These guys are playing dice. They are operating as if we have got all the time in the world,'' said Fedson, a retired academic and flu vaccine industry executive who has been one of the most vocal proponents of pandemic flu vaccine work. ``They have no sense of emergency.'' A spokesperson for the World Health Organization acknowledged that given the current limited capacity to produce vaccine - and the high amount needed to protect a single person - policy planners need to be looking at ``a constellation'' of tools to deal with a pandemic. ``This is just the first step down the road to having a pandemic vaccine. And I can't see that it's going to be available to everybody who's going to want it anytime soon,'' **** Thompson, of the agency's communicable diseases division, said from Geneva. ``So we have to think through things like social distancing, school closures. Who's going to get the limited antivirals and vaccines that do become available? And how do we live with people who don't-_ what do we say to them?''

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GRAVEST DANGER OF FLU PANDEMIC, OFFICIAL WARNS By TINI TRAN, AP Reuters Dr. Shigeru Omi said the world is "now overdue" for a major flu pandemic. HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (Feb. 23) - World Health Organization officials urged governments on Wednesday to act swiftly to control the spread of the bird flu, warning that the world is in grave danger of a deadly pandemic triggered by the virus. The bird flu has killed 45 people in Asia over the past year, in cases largely traced to contact with sick birds, and experts have warned the H5N1 virus could become far deadlier if it mutates into a form that can be easily transmitted among humans. A global pandemic could kill millions, they say. "We at WHO believe that the world is now in the gravest possible danger of a pandemic,'' Dr. Shigeru Omi, the WHO's Western Pacific regional director, said Wednesday. He said the world is "now overdue'' for an influenza pandemic, since mass epidemics have occurred every 20-30 years. It has been nearly 40 years since the last one. Speaking at the opening of a three-day bird flu conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Omi said it is critical that the international community better coordinate its fight against the virus. In recent outbreaks, bird flu has become more deadly than the strain found in 1997 in Hong Kong, making the situation more urgent, he said. The mortality rate among identified patients who contract the disease from chickens and ducks is about 72 percent, Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Monday. She added that her agency was preparing for a possible pandemic next year. "If the virus becomes highly contagious among humans, the health impact in terms of deaths and sickness will be enormous, and certainly much greater than SARS,'' Omi said, referring to severe acute respiratory syndrome, which killed nearly 800 people in 2003. "This is why we are urging all governments to work now on a pandemic preparedness plan - so that even in an emergency such as this they will be able to provide basic public services such as transport, sanitation and power,'' he said. The disease, which devastated the region's poultry industry last year as it swept through nearly a dozen countries, has killed 32 Vietnamese, 12 Thais and one Cambodian over the past year. Officials acknowledge that one of the biggest challenges in controlling avian flu is in altering traditional farming practices in Asia where animals live in close, often unsanitary quarters with people. "There is an increasing risk of avian influenza spread that no poultry-keeping country can afford to ignore,'' said Dr. Samuel Jutzi, of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization in the conference's opening address. Jutzi, director of the FAO's animal health and production division, said the avian flu virus will persist in Asia for years and coordinated efforts need to focus on controlling it at its source - in animals. "This means addressing the transmission of the virus where the disease occurs, in poultry, specifically free-range chickens and wetland dwelling ducks, and thus curbing the disease occurrence in the region before it spreads to other parts of the world,'' he said. The challenge for many countries affected by the virus is the lack of effective diagnostic tools and surveillance systems needed for early warning and timely response, he said. The regional conference held in southern Ho Chi Minh City near the Mekong Delta where the latest outbreaks emerged this year has brought together scientists and representatives from more than two dozen countries. Bird flu's reemergence in Vietnam, where 12 people have died this year alone, has shown the virus is now endemic in parts of the region. "The longer the virus is circulating in animals, including chickens and ducks, the greater the risk of human cases - and consequently, the higher the risk of a pandemic virus emerging through genetic changes in the virus,'' Omi said. The virus has proven to be "very versatile and very resilient,'' and has even been found in animals such as tigers and cats that weren't believed to be susceptible to influenza, he added. 02/23/05 05:12 EST

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"Great plague": smallpox? SARS?

Smallpox, because of its high case-fatality rates and transmissibility, now represents one of the most serious bioterrorist threats to the civilian population. Over the centuries, naturally occurring smallpox, with its case-fatality rate of 30 percent or more and its ability to spread in any climate and season, has been universally feared as the most devastating of all the infectious diseases....

Russia still possesses an industrial facility that is capable of producing tons of smallpox virus annually and also maintains a research program that is thought to be seeking to produce more virulent and contagious strains. An aerosol release of smallpox virus would disseminate readily given its considerable stability in aerosol form and epidemiological evidence suggesting the infectious dose is very small. Even as few as 50-100 cases would likely generate widespread concern or panic and a need to invoke large-scale, perhaps national emergency control measures.

Several factors fuel the concern: the disease has historically been feared as one of the most serious of all pestilential diseases; it is physically disfiguring; it bears a 30 percent case-fatality rate; there is no treatment; it is communicable from person to person; and no one in the U.S. has been vaccinated during the past 25 years. Vaccination ceased in this country in 1972, and vaccination immunity acquired before that time has undoubtedly waned. (Johns Hopkins University, "Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies")

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a respiratory illness that has been reported in Asia, North America and Europe. It is an atypical pneumonia of unknown aetiology, and was recognized at the end of February 2003. Symptoms include:

• Fever greater than 100.4°F • Headache • Overall feeling of discomfort • Body aches • Some people experience mild respiratory symptoms. • After 2 to 7 days, SARS patients may develop dry cough and have trouble breathing.

SARS appears to be primarily spread by close person-to-person contact. Most cases have involved people who cared for or lived with someone with SARS, or who had direct contact with infectious material (such as respiratory secretions) from an infected person.

Potential ways in which SARS can be spread include touching the skin of contaminated people or objects and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. This can happen when a SARS-infected person coughs or sneezes droplets on themselves, other people or nearby surfaces.

It also is possible that SARS can be spread more broadly through the air or by other ways that are currently unknown.

** Mad Cow Disease (BSE)

In 1986, Dr. Richard Lacey of Leeds University warned that Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease; called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or CJD in humans) was in the British meat supply, and that a wave of human deaths would hit Britain. He said that people should stop eating beef and that the newspapers should start warning people of the possibility of infection. Funding for Lacey's research was cancelled and he was fired from his research position at Leed's University. Dr. Lacey's warning were ignored and suppressed.

In 1987, 700 BSE infected cows were reported in Britain. By the summer of 1988, the number had climbed to 7,000. By late 1994, the figure had risen to 36,000.

In June 1988, the British government ordered the compulsory slaughter and destruction of the carcasses of all affected cattle. But it was already too late. BSE infection had already flooded into the meat supply and infected many unsuspecting British citizens.

John Collinge of St Mary's Hospital in London says that a major epidemic could still occur. "It may only involve hundreds, but it could be Europe-wide and become a disaster of biblical proportions," Dr Collinge said. "We have to face the possibility of a disaster with tens of thousands of cases."

BSE has subsequently spread across Europe to cattle in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and as of June 2001 to the Czech Republic. To date, almost 200,000 cattle are known to have contracted BSE.

Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United States now exclude blood donations from anyone who has resided in Britain for 6 months or more during 1980 to 1996. In January 17, 2001, the FDA ordered a ban on blood donations in the U.S. from anyone who has lived in Britain or Ireland longer than six months, between the years 1980 and December 1996. This ban on donating blood is for life!

In an article by Lynette J. Dumble entitled "Mad Cow Disease: A Manmade Pandemic Set to Put AIDS in the Shade," 1 microbiologist Dr. Stephen Dealler states, "At the moment the number of cases of CJD we are seeing are doubling every year. If they double for a long time then the numbers are in millions...."

1. The Touchstone [Texas A & M University], Summer 2001, Vol. XI, No. 3, by Lynette J. Dumble.

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EARTHQUAKES & NATURAL DISASTERS

EARTHQUAKES

ADDITIONAL CURRENT EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION

What about earthquakes?

Jesus goes on to say that the famine and earthquakes are:"...the beginning of birth pangs.

The context seems to be that just as birth pangs increase for a woman in childbirth, these things will increase. Also, they may tend to occur in unlikely places.

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Midwest quake felt far and wide (CNN) -- People nearly 900 miles away felt a magnitude-5.2 earthquake that shook southern Illinois early Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

There were no immediate reports of major damage after the predawn quake, which struck at 4:36 a.m. (5:36 a.m. ET).

However, some minor damage occurred in the region.

In Mount Carmel, Illinois, a porch collapsed, briefly trapping a woman in her home, The Associated Press reported. She wasn't hurt and was freed quickly, police told the AP.

Debris fell on a sidewalk and shattered in Louisville, Kentucky, after part of a cornice fell off a brick building, according to footage from the city's CNN affiliate WHAS-TV.

Go Here for the entire article.

As I stated earlier Jesus indicates that earthquakes will occur in diverse or unusual places just before His return! And I felt this quake in NE Missouri also. We don't expect a quake in this area but more likely in SE Missouri near New Madrid, where the mega earthquake occurred in the 1800's.

And here is an article on the most devastating earthquake to occur this century thus far! updated 3:12 a.m. EDT, Sat September 15, 2007

Experts warn 'big one' may yet hit Indonesia

PADANG, Indonesia (CNN) -- Days of colossal earthquakes and tsunami warnings have forced traumatized Indonesian villagers to seek safety in the last place imaginable: graveyards.

With only plastic sheeting to keep her family dry, Dasima joined hundreds camping in the mud between headstones on the flat, high ground, far from the ocean's reach.

"I am very afraid of another tsunami," the 50-year-old said two days after an 8.4-magnitude temblor sent a towering wave into her remote fishing village. "We will stay here until we feel it is safe."

Seismologists warn, however, the worst may be yet to come.

Kerry Sieh of the California Institute of Technology has spent decades studying the fault line that runs along Indonesia's western coast. He is among several experts predicting a repeat of the powerful earthquake that triggered the 2004 Asian tsunami, which killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen Indian Ocean nations.

"No one can say whether it will be in 30 seconds or 30 years," he said. "But what happened the other day, I think is quite possibly a sequence of smaller earthquakes leading up to the bigger one."

Wednesday's quake shook four Southeast Asian countries, damaged hundreds of houses and spawned a 10-foot-high tsunami. At least 17 people were killed. A series of powerful earthquakes and dozens of strong aftershocks followed -- including one measuring 7.8 and another 7.1.

The wall of water that slammed into several fishing villages along Sumatra island's coast Wednesday swept away nearly a dozen houses, but overall damage was "minimal," Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after an air force aerial survey.

For more: go here

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Another Powerful Quake Strikes Indonesia

By ANTHONY DEUTSCH Updated: 2 hours, 30 minutes ago PADANG, Indonesia - The second powerful earthquake in as many days shook western Indonesia Thursday, collapsing buildings in a coastal city and triggering tsunami alerts around the region.

At least nine people were killed and 49 injured in the twin tremors, which caused tall buildings to sway in at least three countries.

On Wednesday, an 8.4-magnitude earthquake shook Southeast Asia. That tremor triggered a small non-destructive tsunami off the coastal city of Padang on Sumatra, the Indonesian island ravaged by the 2004 tsunami disaster. A tsunami warning was issued for wide areas of the region and nations as far away as Africa.

Thursday's magnitude-7.8 quake rattled the same area of Sumatra and caused extensive damage in Padang. "Many buildings collapsed after this morning's quake," Fauzi Bahar, the mayor, told El Shinta radio. "We're still trying to find out about victims."

Thousands of frightened people piled in trucks or sought shelter on high ground.

Rafael Abreu, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado, said Thursday's quake did not appear to be an aftershock to the temblor the day before. But the centers of both were close together.

"We are not calling it an aftershock at this point. It's fairly large itself. It seems to be a different earthquake," Abreu said.

"The quake seems to be pretty shallow," he said. "These are the quakes that can produce tsunamis."

Curiously, earthquakes over 8.0 ended up higher in 2007, than they have been for many years past. The USGS table says the average for earthquakes greater than 8.0 have only averaged 1.0 since the year 1900. See the table below. Jesus said they would become more intense as we approached His coming much like the increase in a woman's labor pains which become more frequent and more intense the closer she gets to child birth!

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Hundreds Dead in Powerful Asian Earthquake

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 45 minutes ago, October 8, 2005

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake reduced villages to rubble in Pakistan and India on Saturday, killing hundreds of people. Pakistan's army described the damage as widespread and said it included villages buried in quake-induced landslides.

Pakistan's Geo television quoted Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the Pakistani army's chief spokesman, as saying 1,000 people were feared dead. Pakistani army officials who flew over quake-hit areas reported seeing hundreds of flattened homes in villages north of the capital Islamabad.

"The damage and casualties could be massive and it is a national tragedy," Sultan told The Associated Press. "The is the worst earthquake in recent times."

The U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site the quake hit at 8:50 a.m. local time and had a magnitude of 7.6. It was centered about 60 miles northeast of Islamabad in the forested mountains of Pakistani Kashmir.

Damage was extensive in Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan territory divided between India and Pakistan. Officials in the Indian-controlled portion reported 157 killed, including 14 soldiers who perished in a landslide. At least 600 were injured.

Air force and army soldiers helped civilian authorities rescue people trapped under buildings. Telephone lines were down. Bridges had developed cracks, but traffic was passing over them.

At least 100 people died in Mansehra district in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, and 70 percent of mud-brick homes in quake-hit areas collapsed, said Asif Iqbal, the provincial information minister. Casualty tolls from other districts were being compiled.

In eastern Afghanistan, an 11-year-old girl was crushed to death when a wall in her home collapsed, said police official Gafar Khan.

The quake brought down a 10-story apartment building in Islamabad and dozens of people were feared trapped in the rubble. Rescuers pulled out at least 20 injured people. Some residents were Westerners, a building employee said.

A man named Rehmatullah who lived nearby said he saw dust from the buckled building from his bathroom window. "I rushed down, and for some time you could not see anything because of the dust. Then we began to look for people in the rubble," said Rehmatullah, who only gave one name. "We pulled out one man by cutting off his legs."

"It was like hell," said Nauman Ali, who lived in a nearby top-floor apartment. "It was terrible. I was tossed up in my bed and the ceiling fan struck against the roof."

Aided by two large cranes, hundreds of police and soldiers helped remove chunks of concrete. A concrete slab was splattered with blood. One rescue worker said he initially heard faint cries from people trapped in the rubble.

Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz ordered the military to extend "all-out help" to quake-hit areas and appealed to the nation to stay calm.

Pakistani troops and helicopters deployed to earthquake-hit areas. Landslides were hindering rescue efforts in some areas.

Sultan, the army spokesman, said the worst-hit areas were in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, including Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, and the towns of Bagh and Rawalakot. The districts of Batagram, Balakot, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Patan in northwestern Pakistan were also badly hit, he said.

Dozens of homes, schools, mosques and government offices were damaged in those areas, and hundreds of injured people were taken to hospitals.

In the capitals of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, buildings shook and walls swayed for about a minute. Panicked people ran from their homes and offices. Tremors continued for hours afterward.

U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara said the quake was felt at Bagram, the main American base in Afghanistan, but he had no reports of damage at bases around the country.

"It was so strong that I saw buildings swaying. It was terrifying," said Hari Singh, a guard in an apartment complex in a suburb of India's capital, New Delhi. Hundreds of residents raced down from their apartments after their furniture started shaking.

The quake also jolted parts of Bangladesh, but no casualties or damage were reported there.

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We ended 2004 with an earthquake of "Biblical Proportions." See the following article claiming it is the "most powerful in 40years." Of course, 40 years is the number of "Judgement." Is this God's Judgement on someone or something, for some reason? I have updated the total tally of earthquakes for 2004 through 2007. Go to the end of this article for the results!

JAKARTA, Indonesia - The world’s most powerful earthquake in 40 years struck deep under the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra on Sunday, triggering tidal waves up to 20 feet high that obliterated villages and seaside resorts in six countries across southern and southeast Asia. The death toll in an Asian earthquake and tsunami on Sunday jumped to nearly 9,500 according to officials and local media.

Figures tabulated by Reuters put the death toll at 9,438. Tourists, fishermen, homes and cars were swept away by walls of water that rolled across the Bay of Bengal, unleashed by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake (Now ruled a 9.0, this is now the fourth largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and is the largest since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska earthquake, USGS). The tsunami waves barreled nearly 3,000 miles across the ocean to Africa, where at least nine people were killed in Somalia.

In Sri Lanka, 1,000 miles west of the epicenter, more than 3,000 people were killed, the country’s top police official said. At least 2,200 died in Indonesia, and more than 2,300 along the southern coasts of India. At least 289 were confirmed dead in Thailand, 42 in Malaysia and 2 in Bangladesh. But officials expected the death toll to continue to rise, with hundreds reported missing and all communications cut off to towns in the Indonesian island of Sumatra that were closest to the epicenter. Hundreds of bodies were found on various beaches along India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, and more were expected to be washed in by the sea, officials said. We now know the death toll could reach 200,000 or more. ‘All the planet is vibrating’

The rush of tsunami waves brought sudden disaster to people carrying out their daily activities on the ocean’s edge: Sunbathers on the beaches of the Thai resort of Phuket were washed away; a group of 32 Indians — including 15 children — were killed while taking a ritual Hindu bath to mark the full moon day; fishing boats, with their owners clinging to their sides, were picked up by the waves and tossed away. “All the planet is vibrating” from the quake, said Enzo Boschi, the head of Italy’s National Geophysics Institute. Speaking on SKY TG24 TV, Boschi said the quake even disturbed the Earth’s rotation.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 8.9 (now 9.0). Geophysicist Julie Martinez said it was the world’s fifth-largest (now fourth-largest) since 1900 and the largest since a 9.2 temblor hit Prince William Sound Alaska in 1964. The epicenter was located 155 miles south-southeast of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province on Sumatra, and six miles under the seabed of the Indian Ocean. There were at least a half-dozen powerful aftershocks, ranging in magnitude from almost 6 and 7.3.

Devastation on Sumatra On Sumatra, the quake destroyed dozens of buildings — but as elsewhere, it was the wall of water that followed that caused the most deaths and devastation. “People that were snorkeling were dragged along the coral and washed up on the beach, and people that were sunbathing got washed into the sea,” said Simon Clark, 29, a photographer from London vacationing on Ngai island.

On Phuket, Somboon Wangnaitham, deputy director of the Wachira Hospital, said one of the worst hit areas was the populous Patong beach, where at least 32 people died and 500 were injured.

Another survivor on Phuket was Natalia Moyano, 22, of Sydney, Australia, who was being treated for torn ligaments. “The water kept rising. It was very slow at first, then all of a sudden, it went right up,” Moyano said. “At first I didn’t think there was any danger, but when I realized the water kept rising so quickly, I tried to jump over a fence, but it broke.” 'Foreigners missing in the sea' On Phi Phi island — where the Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Beach” was shot — 200 bungalows at two resorts were swept out to sea. “I am afraid that there will be a high figure of foreigners missing in the sea, and also my staff,” said Chan Marongtaechar, owner of the PP Princess Resort and PP Charlie Beach Resort.

Some 200 seriously injured people, most of them foreigners, were evacuated by helicopter from the island after dark, said Maj. Gen. Winai Nilasri of the Border Patrol Police. He said the island, which was crammed with tourist facilities, was without electricity. There was no tsunami threat for western North America or Hawaii, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Warning system studied Scientists said the catastrophic death toll across the region might have been reduced if India and Sri Lanka had been part of an international warning system designed to advise coastal communities that a potentially killer wave was approaching. The system relies on a network of earthquake seismic sensors and tidal gauges attached to buoys in the oceans. Indonesia, a country of 17,000 islands, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the margins of tectonic plates that make up the so-called Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean basin.

The Indonesian quake struck just three days after an 8.1 quake struck the ocean floor between Australia and Antarctica, causing buildings to shake hundreds of miles away but no serious damage or injury. Quakes reaching a magnitude 8 are very rare. A quake registering magnitude 8 rocked Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido on Sept. 25, 2003, injuring nearly 600 people. An 8.4 magnitude tremor that stuck off the coast of Peru on June 23, 2001, killed 74.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

It is worth noting that the majority of these deaths are of the muslim faith, especially because Indonesia is the largest muslim country (17,000 islands) in the world. Some are saying this is God's way of punishing or at least getting their attention. God only knows, for He is God and we are not!!! We know He let it happen for some reason and it did not take Him by surprise. We should pray that for whatever reason, they will be drawn to the only true God, especially as they see the generosity of the US, which they mistakenly think is a truly Christian nation!

The following table lists earthquakes for the last century that had a magnitude of at least 6.0 on the richter scale, which a projection into the next century's 1st decade. And although earthquakes over 7.0 are projected to decrease, we just saw the 9.0 Sumatra quake which was the 4th largest in recorded history and the largest in the last 40 years. So, the large earthquakes are increasing in intensity if not frequency. See the analysis below concerning the US Geological Society's claim that earthquakes appear to be increasing because we have more monitoring equipment, now, and we are just sensing more. However, as the years 1980 through the present, which they address, show an increase in frequency and intensity recently.

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HISTORY OF EARTHQUAKES

(Earthquakes greater than 6.0 )

YEAR	NUMBER
1890-1970	39
1970-1979	51
1980-1989	980
1990-1999	1320
*2000-2010	1688
⊃ *Projected From 2000-2006 Data

This table clearly shows an increase in frequency! Also, characteristic of "birth pangs" are that they increase in intensity. The following table shows the frequency of what are considered "killer" quakes, having a magnitude of at least 7.0.

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HISTORY OF EARTHQUAKES

(Earthquakes greater than 7.0)

YEAR	NUMBER
Before 1900	1/10 Years
1900-1949	3/10 Years
1950-1959	9
1960-1969	13
1970-1979	56
1980-1989	101
1990-1999	174
*2000-2010	152
⊃ *Projected From 2000-2006 Data

This table also clearly shows that not only are the number of earthquakes increasing but they are getting more intense! Could the Lord's return be getting close?

The following articles show how not only are earthquakes increasing but are happening in places which don't normally experience them. This is the context of "in diverse places."

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Rare earthquake hits Kansas City

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Yahoo!

Fri May 14 , 1999 -- A small but rare earthquake with magnitude 3.0 shook a 40-block span of Kansas City early Thursday, damaging a medical building with about 100 people inside, AP reported. The quake was considered weak but uncommon for a Midwestern state like Kansas. John Minsch, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said he knew of just one other instance of an earthquake registered in the area. That quake registered 3.8 in 1931.

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I can personally relate to this earthquake because I used to live just 30 miles North of Kansas City and we didn't worry about earthquakes except for the possibility of one on the New Madrid fault, but that was on the opposite side of the state (east side), where I now live, curiously, in St. Louis.

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The following are additional articles, of interest, about earthquakes:

In Trinidad, Colorado, rumors fly about series of unusual quakes

Weekend News Today
By Faith
Source: Rocky Mountain News ( Colorado)

Sat Sep 8,2001 -- Depending on which rumor you believe, this scenic border town is about to be washed away by an epic flood or leveled by the Big One. There's no evidence to support either claim, but that doesn't stop the people in this town that has now been rattled by 8 magnitude 3.4 to 4.5 earthquakes since Aug. 28. Some Las Animas County residents are convinced that the earthen dam that holds back Trinidad Lake, only 3 miles upstream from Trinidad, is about to burst, sweeping away the town. Many others say the quakes are Mother Nature's payback for pumping too much natural gas -- and that bigger quakes may be coming. Since 1995, more than 1,300 permits to drill for methane gas have been issued here. The U.S. Geological Survey's national seismic network has recorded 8 quakes in the area since Aug. 28, while Hutto said he's felt at least 25 during that time. He owns a century-old brick house and an adobe store in Segundo; walls in both structures cracked during the magnitude 4.5 quake Wednesday, he said. Magnitude 2.5 to 3 quakes are the smallest generally felt by people. Magnitude 4 quakes can cause moderate damage. To help figure this out, the USGS is helping out. To pinpoint the source of the quakes and to help determine why they're happening, the Geological Survey is now installing 7 portable digital seismographs in the area. There are no mapped faults in the Trinidad area. Before the current quakes, the last tremors recorded there by the U.S. National Seismic Network occurred in 1973, said Geological Survey geophysicist Mark Meremonte. "There was no activity for 28 years. Then, all of a sudden, there is a flurry of activity, a swarm of activity," Meremonte said. "For some place along the San Andreas Fault that may not be unusual, but for this area it's unusual." Preliminary analysis of data from the quakes suggests there may be a previously unknown fault WSW of Trinidad, running from the NE to the SW. Early data suggest it may be what's termed a "normal" fault, meaning a type of fracture produced by tensional stress. There is no indication that the recent quakes are precursors to a larger one, Geological Survey researchers say. These are preliminary findings. The Trinidad-area earthquakes appear to be originating about 3 miles beneath the surface, but that too is a preliminary finding, said Anthony Crone, assistant chief scientist on the Geological Survey's geologic hazards team in Golden. The portable seismographs should help agency researchers get a clearer picture. Another group getting involved at Trinidad Lake, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has stepped up inspections of the 6,860-foot-long earthen dam above the town. Some inspections that were done weekly or monthly are now done daily, said reservoir manager Key Merchant. No damage and nothing unusual has been observed at the dam since the quakes started, Merchant said Friday. Nevertheless, some residents believe the structure is about to fail and wipe out the town of 10,000 residents, due to the unknown nature of the unusual quakes.

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June 28, 2004

Monday earthquake rocks local counties

By Donna Barker BCR Staff

BUREAU COUNTY -- At 1:11 a.m. Monday, the Bureau County area experienced its first 4.5 magnitude earthquake in 32 years.

Mike Phillips, geology instructor at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, said the epicenter of Monday's earthquake was about two miles northeast of Utica. The last time Bureau County experienced a similar earthquake was in 1972 when an 4.5 earthquake was registered about 10 miles south of Dixon.

No reports of significant damage from Monday's earthquake were reported to area law enforcement agencies. A 4.5 earthquake is still considered mild and causes very little damage, Phillips said.

According to Phillips, an earthquake is the result of a pressure deep inside the earth's crust. That pressure, which could be three to four miles below the earth's surface, needs to be relieved. In Illinois, the earth's crust is very thick, about 20 miles deep, Phillips said.

The geologist said Bureau County residents do not have to be concerned about aftershocks from Monday's earthquake. Any aftershocks would be minimal and probably not felt by many people, he said.

A team of geologists from the U.S. Geographical Survey is expected to come to the LaSalle County area within the next few weeks to set up monitoring equipment around the epicenter site. Using past geological records, another earthquake of the 4.5 magnitude wouldn't be expected for at least another 10-15 years, Phillips said.

Monday's earthquake centered in LaSalle County was not connected to the New Madrid fault line in southern Illinois. The New Madrid fault line has been responsible for the majority of the more serious earthquakes in the state. Northern Illinois does have some inactive fault lines, meaning geologists have seen no evidence of earth moving in probably a couple of million years.

Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson said his department received very few calls and no reports of damage concerning the earthquake.

On a personal note, Thompson, who lives in Ladd, said he was sleeping when the earthquake happened.

"I had no clue at first what happened, but I heard the rumbling and felt the shaking," Thompson said. "The shaking was so noticeable, I thought, at first, something must have hit my house."

In Spring Valley, Police Chief Doug Bernabei said his department got numerous 911 calls as soon as the earthquake hit. Bernabei had an off-duty dispatcher come into the police station to help field the calls from concerned residents.

The calls to the Spring Valley station were heavy for about 20 minutes, Bernabei said. Most of the people were simply inquiring about what had happened. One man called from Ottawa, saying he was calling every police station in the area. Finally, he got through to the Spring Valley station to see what was happening. Other people said they thought there had been an explosion somewhere in town or some kind of problem in their neighborhoods.

Bernabei said he sent his officers out to respond to several calls in specific neighborhoods, but the officers didn't find any problems -- just lots of people outside looking to see what had happened.

Bernabei was home sleeping when the earthquake hit about 1:10 a.m. Monday.

"Initially, I thought it was an explosion of some kind, but within 20 to 30 seconds I was convinced it was an earthquake," Bernabei said Monday.

Through his police radio, Bernabei heard his officers talking about what had happened, and he heard reports of the noise and ground shaking from as far away as the Walnut area. An earthquake was the only explanation, Bernabei said. The reports of the earthquake actually eased his mind, knowing his department would not have to deal with the aftermath of an explosion or plane crash, Bernabei said.

Although his wife slept through the earthquake, Bernabei said for those who were awake, it was hopefully a once-in-lifetime experience that will not be repeated in this area.

Bureau County Emergency Services Disaster Agency coordinator Kris Donarski said she was not contacted Monday about the earthquake. Her office is contacted only when an emergency arises that local authorities cannot handle without additional help, she said.

Monday earthquake rocks local counties

BUREAU COUNTY -- At 1:11 a.m. Monday, the Bureau County area experienced its first 4.5 magnitude earthquake in 32 years.

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So, don't become complacent and think an earthquake cannot happen near you, because if we are in the endtimes of Mt. 24, they will increase in frequency and intensity everywhere.

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Since posting these charts it has been brought to my attention that the statistics may be distorted due to the increase in the use of monitoring equipment. This is discussed at the following site USGS Center For Earthquake Information. However, use of its detailed statistics for the 1980's and 1990's seem to show an increase over the past two decades, ruling out the argument for the increase in monitoring. In the 6.0 to 6.9 range, there were a total of 960 in the 1980's and they increased to 1320 in the 1990's. From 7.0 to 7.9 in intensity, there were 73 more (174 vs. 101) in the 1990's. And finally, in the over 8.0 range there is a 225 % increase (9 vs. 4). In year 2000 there were 152 (equalling 1,520 projected over the next 10 yrs. vs. 1,320 in the 90's) in the 6.0 to 6.9 range. There were 17 (equalling 170 projected over the next 10 yrs. vs. 174 in the 90's) in the 7.0 to 7.9 range. And lastly, there were 4 (equalling 40 projected over the next 10 yrs. vs. 9 in the 90's) in the 8.0 range. So, except for the 7.0 to 7.9 range, earthquakes continued to increase!

Click on 1980 Earthquakes and 1990 Earthquakes for a look at these detailed charts.

As noted previously, 2004 ended with the 4th largest earthquake in history with associated deaths exceeding almost all previous quakes, due to the large tsunami waves. The 2006 statistics show that although total earthquakes and intense, large ones are down over the past few years, they are still up over the previous decades. And total earthquakes for 2008 is greater than 2007. Go to Earthquake Statistics for all of the data.

Number of Earthquakes Worldwide for 2000 - 2009 Located by the US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center
Magnitude	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
8.0 to 9.9	1	1	0	1	2	1	2	4	0	0
7.0 to 7.9	14	15	13	14	14	10	9	14	12	5
6.0 to 6.9	146	121	127	140	141	140	142	178	167	25
5.0 to 5.9	1344	1224	1201	1203	1515	1693	1712	2074	1672	374
4.0 to 4.9	8008	7991	8541	8462	10888	13917	12838	12078	12391	1631
3.0 to 3.9	4827	6266	7068	7624	7932	9191	9990	9889	11729	533
2.0 to 2.9	3765	4164	6419	7727	6316	4636	4027	3597	3858	476
1.0 to 1.9	1026	944	1137	2506	1344	26	18	42	22	4
0.1 to 0.9	5	1	10	134	103	0	2	2	0	1
No Magnitude	3120	2807	2938	3608	2939	864	828	1807	1926	9
Total	22256	23534	27454	31419	31194	30478	29568	29685	* 31777	* 3058
Estimated Deaths	231	21357	1685	33819	228802	82364	6605	712	88011	46

Here is the USGS's estimated average earthquakes we can expect by intensity. Note that the average for over 8.0 is only 1 whereas 2007 ended with 4 such quakes!

Frequency of Occurrence of Earthquakes

Descriptor	Magnitude	Average Annually
Great	8 and higher	1 ¹
Major	7 - 7.9	17 ²
Strong	6 - 6.9	134 ²
Moderate	5 - 5.9	1319 ²
Light	4 - 4.9	13,000 (estimated)
Minor	3 - 3.9	130,000 (estimated)
Very Minor	2 - 2.9	1,300,000 (estimated)
¹ Based on observations since 1900. ² Based on onservations since 1990.

The USGS estimates that several million earthquakes occur in the world each year. Many go undetected because they hit remote areas or have very small magnitudes. The NEIC now locates about 50 earthquakes each day, or about 20,000 a year.

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Read this article published at the end of 2000.

2001 began with enough major earthquakes that experts are having to head off possible concerns!

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Experts say recent worldwide quakes not related.
Rescuers strive to find survivors after Friday's deadly earthquake in India.

January 26, 2001 Web posted at: 5:31 PM EST (2231 GMT)

DENVER (Reuters) -- Is the earth coming apart at its geological seams? With thousands feared dead after a powerful earthquake struck India on Friday, another that earlier devastated El Salvador, a tremor off Kyushu Island, Japan, and even a minor quake in Ohio late on Thursday and a minor quake recently in New York City, people start wondering. Relax. "These earthquakes are not related," said Waverly Person, director of the Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado, which tracks earthquakes worldwide. "We locate about 50 quakes every day. But you only hear about them if people are killed or if they're felt very strongly in the United States," Person said, rushing from one media interview to another. The center was established in Washington in 1966 and has been working out of Golden since 1973. It tracks earthquakes worldwide and often provides the first news of a tremor. Phone banks started lighting up at the center, operated by the U.S. Geological Service, before dawn on Friday with news that the worst earthquake in 50 years had hit India. The tremor has killed more than 1,800 people, and officials in India said the final toll may be much higher. The quake was measured at 7.9 on the Richter scale by the earthquake center. The most murderous recorded quake in history killed an estimated 830,000 people in Shaanxi, central China, on February 2, 1556. Events ranking about 4.5 or greater -- of which there may be several thousand every year -- are strong enough to be recorded by sensitive instruments all over the world. Person said there is no reason to believe the quake that rocked El Salvador on January 13 also triggered events that led to Friday's earthquake in the Indian sub-continent. The quakes occurred on separate tectonic plates and a quake on one does not set up a domino effect in another. According to records, about 18 major quakes -- measuring between 7.0 and 7.9 on the Richter scale and one great quake, measuring 8.0 and above -- can be expected each year. Many of these, however, may strike uninhabited parts of the world. But does it make life scarier for people living in quake zones? "What it does is bring forth awareness in places like California and Alaska. It brings it up in their mind," Person said. "But they're not more afraid."

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NATURAL DISASTERS

The following articles summarize the increase in extreme weather patterns, catastrophes and natural disasters that are occurring. The bible seems to predict these events will become the norm at Jesus' return. Is this happening?

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The following article is written by the secular press but is saying what the Bible says! However, it blames these increase in "natural disasters" on global warning. And this may be true but as an engineer with computer modeling skills and having read about some of the climate modeling plus a wealth of other information, I am skeptical of global warming even happening what's more being caused by man! Regardless the world is confirming what the Bible said thousands of years ago! Go here for an alternate viewpoint!

Natural disasters have quadrupled in two decades: study Nov 25, 2007

LONDON (AFP) — More than four times the number of natural disasters are occurring now than did two decades ago, British charity Oxfam said in a study Sunday that largely blamed global warming.

"Oxfam... says that rising green house gas emissions are the major cause of weather-related disasters and must be tackled," the organisation said, adding that the world's poorest people were being hit the hardest.

The world suffered about 120 natural disasters per year in the early 1980s, which compared with the current figure of about 500 per year, according to the report.

"This year we have seen floods in South Asia, across the breadth of Africa and Mexico that have affected more than 250 million people," noted Oxfam director Barbara Stocking.

"This is no freak year. It follows a pattern of more frequent, more erratic, more unpredictable and more extreme weather events that are affecting more people."

She added: "Action is needed now to prepare for more disasters otherwise humanitarian assistance will be overwhelmed and recent advances in human development will go into reverse."

The number of people affected by extreme natural disasters, meanwhile, has surged by almost 70 percent, from 174 million a year between 1985 to 1994, to 254 million people a year between 1995 to 2004, Oxfam said.

Floods and wind-storms have increased from 60 events in 1980 to 240 last year, with flooding itself up six-fold.

But the number of geothermal events, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, has barely changed.

Oxfam urged Western governments to push hard for a deal on climate change at a key international meeting that runs December 3-14 on the Indonesian island of Bali.

Rich Western nations and the United Nations must act to "make humanitarian aid faster, fairer and more flexible and to improve ways to prepare for and reduce the risk of disasters," it said.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Bali aims to see countries agree to launch a roadmap for negotiating cuts in climate-changing carbon emissions from 2012.

The Oxfam study was compiled using data from the Red Cross, the United Nations and specialist researchers at Louvain University in Belgium.

Myanmar cyclone toll climbs to nearly 22,500

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government raised its death toll from Cyclone Nargis on Tuesday to nearly 22,500 with a further 41,000 missing, nearly all of them from a massive storm surge that swept into the Irrawaddy delta.

The United Nations' World Food Program began doling out emergency rice in Yangon and the first batch of more than $10 million worth of foreign aid arrived from Thailand on Tuesday, but a lack of specialized equipment slowed distribution.

Despite the magnitude of the disaster -- the most devastating cyclone to hit Asia since 1991, when 143,000 people died in Bangladesh -- France said the ruling generals were still placing too many conditions on aid.

Go Here for the complete article.

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Vince First Tropical Storm to Reach Land in Iberia PORTUGAL:
October 12, 2005

LISBON - Tropical storm Vince became the first tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in Iberia on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain and winds to southern Spain and Portugal, meteorologists said.

Vince developed into a hurricane in an unusual location near Madeira in the mid-Atlantic on Sunday but gradually lost strength as it moved northeast towards Iberia, skimming Portugal's south before hitting land in Spain early on Tuesday. Vince was downgraded on Monday to a tropical storm by the US National Hurricane Center in Miami.

"The historical record shows no tropical cyclone ever making landfall on the Iberian peninsula," the center said.

Hurricanes and tropical storms usually form in warmer waters much further south than the islands of Madeira, which are about 2,000 km (1,200 miles) southwest of Portugal.

Portugal's Meteorological Institute said the storm caused downpours and strong gusts of winds in the Algarve, Portugal's main tourist area in the south. The strongest recorded winds reached 43 mph (68 kph), it said in a statement.

It made landfall mid-morning on Tuesday in southern Spain, just over the border from Portugal.

Vince was expected to continue moving east-northeast over Spain before dissipating in the next six to 12 hours, the institute said.

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Alaskian Volcanos Rumbling

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Anchorage residents could see a cloud of steam over the weekend from a volcano 900 miles away -- one of three Alaska volcanoes showing signs of unrest.

The three volcanoes, including two located on remote Aleutian islands distant from any population centers, are setting off frequent tremors and minor bursts of ash or steam, seismologists said on Tuesday.

Cleveland Volcano, 900 miles southwest of Anchorage, had a small eruption on Friday, said the Alaska Volcano Observatory, which monitors Alaska's more than 40 active volcanoes.

Its ash plume rose to a height of nearly 15,000 feet (4.6 km) above sea level, observatory scientists said.

A cloud of steam from the 5,676-foot (1,730-m) volcano's peak was visible from Anchorage over the weekend.

The volcano has had periodic but minor ash emissions and some debris flow caused by melted snow, said Dave Schneider, a U.S. Geological Survey volcanologist and acting scientist-in-charge at the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

Ash emissions "are a lot easier to see now than they were in the summer because you have fresh snow," Schneider said.

Cleveland Volcano, which comprises the western half of uninhabited Chuginadak Island, last erupted in 2001. The closest community, 45 miles to the east, is Nikolski, an Aleut village of 36 people.

The other volcanoes showing unrest are 5,925-foot (1,800-m) Tanaga Volcano and 11,070-foot (3,400-m) Mount Spurr, 75 miles west of Anchorage.

Is it unusual for 3 volcanoes to be active in the same area at the same time.

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As an update to the following article Munich Re says 2007 the worst year so far financially!

27 December 2007

Press release Natural catastrophe figures for 2007: Higher losses despite absence of megacatastrophes, very many loss events / Overall economic losses of US$ 75bn / Board member Dr. Torsten Jeworrek: Loss figures in line with the rising trend in natural catastrophes, Munich Re is prepared!

The insurance industry had to cope with far higher natural catastrophe losses in 2007 than in 2006, with its unusually low loss figures. Despite the general absence of extreme events, overall economic losses had reached US$ 75bn by the end of December – an increase of 50% on 2006 (US$ 50bn). However, the loss figures were well short of 2005’s record US$ 220bn. At just under US$ 30bn, insured losses were almost double those of 2006 (US$ 15bn). The number of natural catastrophes recorded in 2007 was 950 (compared with 850 in 2006), the highest figure since 1974, when Munich Re began keeping systematic records in its NatCatService database.

GoHere for the entire article!

Thursday December 28 1:06 PM ET

Natural Disasters Reported at Record Level in 2000 )

MUNICH (Reuters) - The world was hit by a record number of natural disasters in 2000 and global warming and a rising population are likely to make future years even worse, the world's largest reinsurer said Thursday. Munich Re said the number of what it categorizes as natural disasters rose by more than 100 to 850 in 2000, although the number of deaths was much lower than in 1999 because less populated areas were affected. It said 10,000 people died as a result of natural disasters in 2000 compared to 75,000 in 1999. Material damage was put at more than $30 billion in 2000. ``Accounting for the growth in world population and the rise in the concentration of property values, the losses caused by natural disasters must be expected to continue to rise in the future,'' Munich Re said. ``Global warming has to be slowed down. Otherwise the risk situation for insurers in many of the world's regions will intensify,'' said Gerhard Berz, head of its geo-science research group. Munich Re said that since only $7.5 billion of the estimated damage caused by natural disasters in 2000 had been covered by insurance, it had actually been a relatively inexpensive year for policy underwriters. Storms were clearly at the top of the list of disasters, accounting for 73 percent of all insured losses, while floods accounted for 23 percent of insured losses. Flooding which hit Mozambique in February making half a million people homeless was the year's biggest catastrophe. A series of devastating forest fires in the United States was the other major disaster, causing losses of more than $1 billion despite the fact that relatively few houses caught fire. Dry weather and drought in Europe caused losses of more than $300 million when a severe heat wave in May and June destroyed crops in southeast Europe, particularly in Romania. The cyclone season in the Pacific and North Atlantic produced a typical number of hurricanes and typhoons and cyclones, it said. The countries affected came off relatively lightly.

Economic losses and deaths made 1998 a black year for natural catastrophes

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: (AFP)

Tue Dec 29 , 1998 -- 1998 was a black year for natural catastrophes, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people around the planet, the world's largest reinsurer Munich Re said on Tuesday. Economic losses as a result of the catastrophes exceeded 90 billion dollars in 1998 compared with only 30 billion dollars in 1997 when 13,000 people lost their lives as a result of natural disasters. 1995 had seen the highest economic losses ever--of 180 billion dollars--due to the Kobe earthquake. Munich Re recorded more than 700 "large loss events" in 1998, compared with between 530 and 600 during recent years. The most frequent natural catastrophes were windstorms (240) and floods (170), which accounted for 85 percent of the total economic losses. A cyclone in the west Indian province of Gujurat in June was the severest in human terms, claiming more than 10,000 lives. And Hurricane Mitch led to more than 9,000 fatalities when it swept over Honduras and Nicaragua at the end of October. In Europe, the biggest catastrophe was the cold spell in mid-November, during which more than 215 people froze to death. The most costly disaster in economic terms were the floods in China between May and September, causing 30 billion dollars in damage and more than 3,600 deaths. Hurricane Georges, which battered the Caribbean in September, caused 10 billion dollars in damage.

Alarm over freak weather worldwide
Date: 7/7/2003
Published on the web by the Daily News of South Africa on July 4, 2003.

The world's weather is going haywire in 2003, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) warned this week in an astonishing announcement about global warming and extreme weather occurring around the globe. In a short but dramatic press release, the organisation, which normally produces detailed scientific reports and staid statistics at the year's end, highlighted record extremes in weather and climate occurring all over the world in the past few weeks, from the hottest-ever June in Switzerland to the record month for tornadoes in the United States - and linked them to climate change. The unprecedented warning takes its force and significance from the fact that it is not coming from Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth, but from an impeccably respected UN organisation which is not given to hyperbole - although environmentalists everywhere will seize on it to claim that their direst predictions of climate change are being borne out. The Geneva-based body, to which the national weather services of 185 countries contribute, clearly takes the view that what has been happening this year - in widely separated locations in Europe, America and Asia - is so remarkable that the world as a whole needs to be made aware of it immediately. The extreme weather it documented, which includes record high and low temperatures, record rainfall and record storms in different parts of the world, are consistent with global warming predictions. Supercomputer models of the global climate show that as the atmosphere warms, the climate will not only become hotter, but much more unstable. "Recent scientific assessments indicate that, as the global temperatures continue to warm due to climate change, the number and intensity of extreme events might increase," the WMO said in its release. Its announcement this week presented a series of examples: · In southern France, record high temperatures were recorded in June, with maximum temperatures exceeding 40C in parts of south-west France. This resulted in June average temperatures of 5C to 7C above the long-term average. · In the United States, there were 562 tornadoes during May, which resulted in 41 deaths. This was a record for the number of tornadoes in any month. The previous record was 399 tornadoes in June 1992. · In India, this year's pre-monsoon heatwave brought peak temperatures of more than 45C. At least 1 400 people died because of the hot weather. · In Sri Lanka, heavy rainfalls from Tropical Cyclone 01B exacerbated already wet conditions, resulting in flooding and landslides that left at least 300 people dead. "These record extreme events all go into calculating the monthly and annual averages which, for temperatures, have been gradually increasing over the past 100 years," the WMO said. "New record extreme events occur every year somewhere in the globe, but in recent years the number of such extremes have been increasing ... the increase in temperature in the 20th century is likely to have been the largest in any century during the past 1000 years." It is quite possible that 2003 will be the hottest year ever recorded. The 10 hottest years in the 143-year-old global temperature record have all occurred since 1990, with the three hottest being 1998, 2002 and 2001, in that order. The unstable world of climate change has long been a prediction. Now, the WMO is saying, it is a reality. - Independent Foreign Service

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear when the earth changes, when mountains are slipping into the midst of the seas. Let its waters roar and foam; let the mountains shake with the swelling of it. Selah." (Ps46:1-3)

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RETURN TO CONTENTS

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PERSECUTION

Jesus now assures His disciples and future believers (I believe Us) that just because they see all of the birth pangs, do not be alarmed because the end is not coming yet. This will characterize the time in which we live, if it is the end times.

He then skips forward to the future tribulation, probably during the middle or last half of the 7-years and tells believers how they will be persecuted for their faith. " Then they will deliver you over into tribulation, and they will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of Me (Matt. 24:9) (Rev 6:9). "

He goes on in verse 10 to continue this theme emphasizing that persecution will increase for the believer until He returns. " And then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another (Matt. 24:10)."

And He tells them because of the persecution, many of the so-called believers will actually turn on the genuine believers (see parable of the seed hitting the rocky places-Matt. 13:21).

Ray Stedman does a great job of outlining the increase of persecution that has occurred since Jesus uttered these words. " Here the peril is a religious persecution. This began shortly after the day of Pentecost when Stephen and James were slain and disciples were scattered. Who is not familiar with the terrible stories of Christians who were thrown to lions, burned as human torches, mangled by wild beasts, killed by gladiators, tortured, torn apart by wild horses, or martyred in other dreadful ways? Another great period of martyrdom broke out at the time of the Reformation in the 16th and 17th centuries. We can read the accounts in all their gruesome details in Fox's Book of Martyrs.

But do you know what is the most tortuous century of all? The century in which more Christians have died for their faith than in any other is the 20th century! It is estimated that more Christians were tortured and slain in twelve months during World War II than died under Rome in all the early centuries. In the city of Seoul, Korea, ten thousand Christians have already suffered martyrdom for their faith. Some authorities claim that over fifteen million Christians have been slaughtered in Russia, Soviet-controlled Europe and other Communist countries. Since Christianity began, no generation has seen such world-wide persecution as is now in progress.

We can scarcely realize the cost of discipleship in certain places of the world. Recently a Christian magazine contained the account of a young Arab who had turned from Islam to Christ. The magazine told his story only because it could add in a footnote, "His body now lies buried on a hillside in his own native land. (He was slain by his own relatives.) We can now print his testimony because he can no longer suffer recrimination for it." Ask yourself, how many have wanted to be Christians, have heard the message, have been drawn to Christ by the preaching of the good news, but have taken a long look at the price they must pay in terms of misunderstanding, exclusion and ridicule, and have quietly melted back into the crowd? Jesus spoke of seed that would fall on shallow ground and spring up, but when the sun came out in burning heat, it would wither and die. How many in America would disappear from our churches if persecution began to break out? What an enemy to faith it is. How the heart trembles and quavers before the thought of torture, or sometimes even of misunderstanding!"

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Here is a great article written by Charles Spurgeon, who puts persecution in perspective, for the average Christian, just trying to do God's Will where they are at:

‘BLESSED IS HE THAT WATCHETH’

Charles H. Spurgeon

"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Revelation 16:15

'We die daily,' said the apostle. This was the life of the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands. We are not in this day called to pass through the same fearful persecutions: if we were, the Lord would give us grace to bear the test; but the tests of Christian life, at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are yet more likely to overcome us than even those of the fiery age.

We have to bear the sneer of the world—that is little; its blandishments, its soft words, its oily speeches, its fawning, its hypocrisy, are far worse.

Our danger is lest we grow rich and become proud, lest we give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world, and lose our faith. Or if wealth be not the trial, worldly care is quite as mischievous. If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, if we may be hugged to death by the bear, the devil little cares which it is, so long as he destroys our love to Christ, and our confidence in Him.

I fear me that the Christian church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and silken days than in those rougher times. We must be awake now, for we traverse the enchanted ground, and are most likely to fall asleep to our own undoing, unless our faith in Jesus be a reality, and our love to Jesus a vehement flame. Many in these days of easy profession are likely to prove tares, and not wheat; hypocrites with fair masks on their faces, but not the true-born children of the living God.

Christian, do not think that these are times in which you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardour; you need these things more than ever, and may God the eternal Spirit display His omnipotence in you, that you may be able to say, in all these softer things, as well as in the rougher, 'We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.'"

As christians, we tend to get hung up in the idea that unless we are being beaten, we are not being persecuted. And if you are being beaten, God gives you the resolve to handle it. Spurgeon understood that mental pesecution can be as bad or worse! We all have to deal with it, constantly, in our every day walk, whether it be backstabbing, belittling our faith, watching the homesexuals take over all areas of our life, millions of babies be aborted, etc. If one is a true christian in today's world, they are severely persecuted, constantly.

I would also argue, that we in the US suffer extreme "mental" persecution because we (true Christians, which are few-the road is narrow) are constantly subjected to "humanism" through TV, Radio and Newspapers with blatant occultism splashed all over as though it is normal, not to mention being treated as "homophobic" and on and on and on! God tells us He will not subject us (those who love Him) to more than we can tolerate. So, I feel persecution, whether physical or mental is severe and will continue to be, for true believers, until He returns for us in what is referred to as "the Rapture." (1 Thes. 4: 14-17) This is our "safety valve" to avoid the coming Trials and Tribulations that the Olivet Discourse especially addresses.

Just recently the French decided to "limit the spread of what French officials have called 173 "dangerous sects" in France. These include Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientologists and Unificationists, among others, but also well-known evangelistic denominations such as the Baptists.

The proposed crime, which critics say could cover many religious, advertising and interest groups, is to "exercise serious and repeated pressure on a person in order to create or exploit a state of dependence." The bill would allow the French government to shut down a religious group when two representatives are found guilty of at least one legal infraction.

The legislation must be reconciled with a less stringent bill approved in the French Senate in December. It then would go to President Jacques Chirac for approval.

Once approved, French law could proscribe incidents of evangelism even by the religious faith of President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, who are both Southern Baptists (this is debatable-comment mine)." Click on The Washington Times Article for the full text

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Just as KNOWLEDGE WILL INCREASE so will persecution in the form of adversity. The secular press is even acknowledging it.

Here are some interesting points from the "secular" point of view of which I am not promoting, but I am a firm believer that God allows certain "experiences" so we can relate to people where they are at as they go thru similiar experiences. At the same time, hopefully they will see Jesus in us. I have added my thoughts (the Holy Spirit's) in parenthesis.

"People face an average of 23 adversities/day, ranging from minor annoyances to major life events, according to San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based researcher and author Paul Stoltz. 10 yr. ago, the number was about 7/day. (Curious, just like knowledge will increase, so will adversity, hmm).

Today, everyone faces mounting adversities, ...requiring us to develop new capacity in the form of higher-level skills and accessible wisdom, per Stoltz in Adversity Quotient @ Work. (I would argue that the higher power is the Holy Spirit). His work is based on surveys of 112,000 people.

By responding well to adversity-taking it in stride, keeping your mind focused on possibilities (God's Plan) and refusing to accept defeat for long-you maximize the learning you gain from life experiences. Great lessons come in time of adversity, even if we're not always able to perceive them.

To learn all you can from these adverse experiences in the past, present and future, he goes on to suggest you ask yourself several questions:

1) What is the moral, if any?

2) If it reoccurs, what will I do differently?

3) What did I learn and what part do I want to hold onto?

4) If I wanted to offer someone close to me advice from what I experienced, what would it be?

5) How did I benefit most from it?

6) If I could erase it, would I? If not, why? (He will wipe away every tear).

He ends the article by suggesting we go to people and ask if they have ever experienced a similar situation, which honors them (I would say go to Jesus, because He experienced it all and then some) and it teaches you how to be receptive and open to life's lessons. (I would say it opens you to God's lessons)."

(It is interesting how close secular man can get to the truth, but be so far from it. He will confound the wise).

RETURN TO CONTENTS

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CYNICISM

Jesus then repeats the theme of false prophets and how not to let them lead you astray. And still in the future tribulation, probably during the middle or last half of the 7-years Jesus tells believers how people will become apathetic and the world's love will grow cold. " ...and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people(Matt. 24:11). Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,...(Matt. 24:12)"

Again Stedman does a fabulous job of explaining this.

In close connection with this Jesus adds, "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold." Here the peril is cynicism. It is cold and brutal indifference which arises out of the teaching of "false prophets." Do not read this as though these are religious men, necessarily. The false Christs the Lord mentioned earlier were unquestionably religious, but here he uses the term "prophet." It refers to any who speak authoritatively-philosophers, professors, scientists, statesmen-those leaders of thought who shape and mold the thinking of common man. What they will teach is the sanctity of self-interest, the insistence on having "my rights" no matter what happens to the other fellow. The true prophet insists on the rights of God, but the false prophet upholds only the rights of man. Jesus predicts that a tragic and inevitable sequence will follow. First, many will be led astray by the false teaching of the leaders of thought; "because [of this], wickedness [will be] multiplied" (the Greek word used here for wickedness is "anomia," lawlessness); and the result of lawlessness is, "most men's love will grow cold."

One needs only to read the daily papers to see how true this is. The overthrow of moral limits always destroys the fire and glow of love. The psychologists and philosophers who seek to measure the pulse of our times tell us that the major problem of our age is meaninglessness-the loss of fire in life, the coldness of the human heart. Since men cannot live without fire they replace true love with the false fire of lust, and its inevitable consequence, hate. Watch those who feel they can, with impunity, step over the moral bounds of the past. See how they grow hard and callous and cynical. Life becomes for them an increasing tangle of emptiness.

There seems little reason to doubt that here is the explanation for the rocketing divorce rates of our day and for the rapidly increasing frequency of sex crimes and crimes of violence. Often these are accompanied by moral apathy and callous indifference to cruelty. Only recently the papers reported the cases of two mothers who lost all natural affection. One threw her baby in the path of a truck, and the other left hers on a dump heap. How true these words are: "because wickedness is multiplied...love...grow[s] cold."

RETURN TO CONTENTS

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GOSPEL

But Jesus goes on to encourage those who perservere the persecution and cynicism will be saved. And then He states that His Gospel will be preached to all the world. " ...but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.(Matt. 24:13). And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and THEN THE END WILL COME (emphasis mine).(Matt. 24:14). "

Has the gospel been spread throughout the earth? Great strides have been made recently and I think another great tool has been unleashed which will further bring this to fruition. You are using it right now to view this site. You guessed it! The Internet! I get several hits per day on this site from all over the world. A feat I could not begin to do otherwise. And I am not spending any money and am using this server for free, I hope at the Holy Spirit's guiding! So, I think we are getting close to fullfilling this prophecy. What do you think?

Here is an interesting article on the explosion of the internet:

Report predicts 1.2 billion Web users by 2005

Weekend News Today
Lead: Leo
Source: NewsMax.com

Sat Feb 10,2001 -- The number of worldwide Internet users surpassed 400 million last year and will increase to more than 1 billion by 2005, according to a report by research firm eTForecasts. Growth will be fueled by surging numbers of wireless users who access the Internet via cell phones and PDAs, and by 2005 they will constitute a majority of Internet users, according to the report. An estimated 414 million people worldwide used the Internet by the end of 2000, with wireless users accounting for 40 million, or about 9.6 percent of the total. By 2002, the report said, the total will increase to 673 million people, and 225 million of them - about a third of all users - will have wireless access. By 2005, there should be a total of 1.2 billion people on the Internet, with 730 million wireless users accounting for 62.1 percent of the total.

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I would add that many christians seem to expect a great revival just before the rapture, but Revelation 14:6 says " And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. "This verse comes just after John's discussion of the emergence of the 144,000 evangelists! So, maybe this revival is during the last 7 years before Jesus' return? He tells us that the path (to heaven) is narrow and few will tread it! So, why are christians expecting millions of people to disappear in the rapture, so much that our economy will be disrupted, taking us out of the picture painted for the last 7 years? It is just my opinion, but I think we will be surprised how many "alleged" christians will be left at the rapture. The world, in general may not even notice the disappearances that much!

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COVENANT

But then Jesus seems to back track. Most scholars believe He begins to set the stage for the 7-year Tribulation period and gives us a very definitive measure of when it will be half over and when He will pour out all of His wrath on a totally corrupt world.

" When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)(Matt. 24:15). Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains(Matt. 24:16). Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house.(Matt. 24:17). Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.(Matt. 24:18) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!(Matt. 24:19) But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.(Matt. 24:20) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matt. 24:21) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.(Matt. 24:22) "

What begins this seven period? We have the answer in Daniel.

" And he shall CONFIRM THE COVENANT (emphasis mine) with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.(Dan. 9:27) "

This passage speaks of a covenant. Some scholars think this is a peace treaty that the Antichrist makes with Israel and the rest of the world. However, it seems to say "confirm" in the context of referring to something already in place. View the following Jerusalem Covenant, adopted in 1992, by clicking on COVENANT. Could this be the covenant which is already in place, just waiting for the Antichrist to endorse it? It could not just be approved by anyone, because by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capitol, world war III could erupt with the muslim nations. This would take some one with great power and influence!

In order for a "desolation" to take place it seems likely that a place has to exist. This is seen by prohecy scholars to be a reference to the rebuilding of the Temple. Jews also understand this and tie it to the return of the Messiah. Again Aish.com offers an excellent article on their perspective:

"Why Hasn't the Temple Been Rebuilt?

Because the Temple was a great privilege for the Jewish People, it came along with great responsibilities as well. (Such is the nature of privileges.) These responsibilities meant that the Jews were to serve G-d with more devotion than ever before and to be a guiding light for all of the nations of the world. When, unfortunately, the Jewish People did not live up to these responsibilities, as a consequence they lost the Temple. (see The Temple & Jewish Unity)

The re-building will begin when the Messiah comes. This Third Temple will be on the Temple Mount, exactly where it previously stood. In fact, Maimonides writes that one sign that the Messiah is the real Messiah (and not an imposter) will be when he re-builds the Temple on the Temple Mount.

Today, the Jewish People are striving to return to a level whereby they will merit once again to have the Temple. It can be rebuilt at any moment. The Midrash says that the Third Temple has already been constructed in heaven, and merely awaits our preparations here on earth. Furthermore, in every generation an individual exists with the capacity to step into the role of the Messiah.

We must feel the pain of exile if we have any hope of reversing it. Like orphans who never knew their parents, we risk going about our daily lives insensitive to the lack of a healthy spiritual world. If we hope to have the Temple rebuilt, we must strive to understand what the loss of the Temple means - and how we can connect with our destiny, our struggle, our mission and our identity as a people.

The story is told of Napoleon walking through the streets of Paris. As he passes by a synagogue, he hears the sounds of people weeping inside. So he turns to his assistant and asks, "What's going on with the Jews?" "Today is Tisha B'Av ," came the reply, "and the Jews are mourning the loss of their Temple." Napoleon looked toward the synagogue and said, "If the Jews are still crying after 1800 years, then I am certain the Temple will one day be rebuilt!" The tears we shed for the destruction, are precisely those tears which bring about redemption.

The Jewish People are clearly heading toward redemption. One apparent sign is that the Jewish People have returned to the Land of Israel and made it bloom once again. A major movement is afoot of young Jews returning to Torah tradition.

G-d is ready when we are. For as King David writes in Psalms 95:7: "(Redemption will come) today - if you hearken to His voice."

It seems as though, the Jews are being set up to accept the coming Antichrist, who will bring them temporary peace and possibly let them rebuild the Temple. Realize, however, that they don't see the Messiah as God and when he stands in the Holy Place and says he is, their eyes will be opened, they will flee, and persecution and the last 3 and 1/2 years of the Trials and Tribulations will begin!

RETURN TO CONTENTS

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KNOWLEDGE WILL INCREASE

While in Daniel I would like to point out another passage about how he is told to" ...shut up the words (put them in code), and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."(Dan. 12:4)

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A good place to begin understanding how knowledge has increased is to start with this movie trailer about the "Transcendent Man" which introduces the life and ideas of Ray Kurzweil, the renowned futurist who journeys the world offering his vision of a future in which we will merge with our machines and can live forever!

Here is a series of (3) videos showing a conference on the singularity!

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Another example of the increase in knowledge is The Mandelbrot Set:

March 1980 Benoit Mandelbrot, at IBM, took a closer look at a simple mathematical equation first discovered by a Frenchman in 1917 and with the aid of one of the early computers made a hither to unavailable discovery! Until the invention of the computer mathematicians could not carry out the millions of times per second of calculations to get a full set with this formula. A simple equation, requiring just addition and multiplication and not logarithms or geometry, it has been found, when graphed by coordinates, to form a never ending fractal-like structure. This simple equation Z = ZXZ + C (the original sum) was thus named after this mathematician and labeled the Mandelbrot Set. According to Arthur Clark, well known science fiction writer, they started with a set of only 6 inches across and zoomed in on it until it would be equivalent to a mile wide and still could not find the end of it. See this you tube video below:

Because of its complexity and shape, the Mandelbrot Set has been called the "Thumb" or "Finger Print" of God! Also, because of the radiating spline like features it has also been called the "Vine" of God!

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China web users outnumber US population: report Jul 26 12:27 AM US/Eastern

The number of Internet users in China is now greater than the entire population of the United States, after rising to 338 million by the end of June, state media reported Sunday.

China's online population, the largest in the world, rose by 40 million in the first six months of 2009, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing a report by the China Internet Network Information Center.

The number of broadband Internet connections rose by 10 million to 93.5 million in the first half of the year, the report said.

About 95 percent of townships were connected to broadband by early June and 92.5 percent of villages had telephone lines that could be used for Internet access, Xinhua said, citing the official data.

Rural coverage is expected to improve as the country's three telecoms operators, China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom invest 280 billion yuan (40 billion dollars) in a national 3G network over the next year, China Mobile vice president Lu Xiangdong was quoted as saying last week.

China's fast-growing online population has made the Internet a forum for the country's citizens to express their opinions in a way rarely seen in the traditional, strictly government-controlled media.

The growing strength and influence of the web population has prompted concern in Beijing about potential social unrest, and the government has stepped up its control over the Internet in recent years.

After rioting early this month in the capital of the restive northwest Xinjiang region, the government cut off online access to most of the area, in one of the largest known Internet blackouts in China yet.

It has also blocked access to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and a range of other sites used for networking and sharing content. Go here for the complete article.

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And again a good place to start from a spiritual perspective is with Hal Lindsey who says on his site,

"Alvin Toffler saw this phenomenon developing. This was the basis of his 1970 best-seller "Future Shock." Toffler defines future shock as "the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time." Toffler predicted, "Millions of ordinary, psychologically normal people will face an abrupt collision with the future."

We live in much greater stress and anxiety because of the "exponential rate of change" that is accelerating in our world. The world into which I was born ceased to exist a long time ago. But the change was gradual enough to allow me time to adjust. The world into which people were born in the year 2000 is already disappearing. It will not exist by 2012.

Just try to figure what the impact of the following facts will be. There are 3,000 new books published every single day. We've gone from information overload to information explosion. More new information will be generated this year than in the previous five thousand years. Go here for the whole you tube video, "Future Facts.".

I also think this is an extremely important passage for us today, beginning in the 20th century and it continues to accelerate into the 21st! It is said that from the birth of Jesus until 1750, knowledge doubled. Then it only took from 1750 until 1900 to double again! The attainment of knowledge continued to explode, doubling from 1900 to 1950. And then with the invention of the computer and the laser (note that Israel became a nation at this time, also) the accumulation of knowledge accelerated even more, doubling again from 1950 to 1960. More recently it is claimed that knowledge doubles approximately every two years! The following are portions of a recent study from the University of California at Berkeley, which claim that with the continuing advancements in the computer and the proliferation of access to the internet, knowledge will increase even faster. Then read the following articles showing how fast technology is advancing and an interesting article on the advancement of the computer and chip size.

More information will be produced in the next 3 years than for all time!

Today's info., if stored on floppy diskettes, would create a pile 24 million (that's 24 million) miles high!

Last year the world produced about 1.5 Billion Gigabytes of info. or 250 Megabytes for each man, woman and child. And this number is likely to double every year.

Someday households will be storing more than 1,000 Gigabytes(one Terabyte) of personal info., including medical records, financial documents, photographs and video!

See this cool you tube video on about the new tv.

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Friday, November 14, 2008 The Coming Wireless Revolution Gadgets that operate over television frequencies promise to transform the wireless landscape. By Kate Greene

If you believe some radio researchers and engineers, within the next couple of years, high-bandwidth, far-reaching wireless Internet signals will soon blanket the nation. Thanks to a decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last week, megahertz frequency bands that were previously allocated to television broadcasters will be opened to other device manufacturers. The frequency liberation means that future wireless gadgets will be able to blast tens of megabits per second of data over hundreds of kilometers. They will cover previously unreachable parts of the country with Internet signals, enable faster Web browsing on mobile devices, and even make in-car Internet and car-to-car wireless communication more realistic.

Go here for the complete article.

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Circuit behind the Internet Age turns 50 years old

The computer chip industry on Friday celebrated the 50th birthday of the integrated circuit, a breakthrough that set the stage for the Internet and the Digital Age.

A half-century ago a young engineer named Jack Kilby first demonstrated an integrated circuit he designed while working through the summer at his Texas Instruments job because he didn't have enough vacation time for a holiday.

Kilby used a sliver of conductive germanium to connect a transistor and other bits, dubbing the soldered assembly an "integrated circuit" (IC).

"It's been only 50 years, but think of the dramatic improvements in everything we do around the world today," Intel spokesman Bill Calder told AFP.

"In the scheme of inventions, certainly the integrated circuit has to be one of the greatest inventions of our time. This world of bytes we live in today would not be possible without them."

Berlin says that integrated circuits are at the core of the microchip industry mantra of "smaller, faster, cheaper" and can likely be found in anything with an on-off switch. go here for the full article.

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AT&T: Internet to hit full capacity by 2010

By , Posted on ZDNet News: Apr 18, 2008 2:17:00 PM U.S. telecommunications giant AT&T has claimed that, without investment, the Internet's current network architecture will reach the limits of its capacity by 2010.

Speaking at a Westminster eForum on Web 2.0 this week in London, Jim Cicconi, vice president of legislative affairs for AT&T, warned that the current systems that constitute the Internet will not be able to cope with the increasing amounts of video and user-generated content being uploaded.

"The surge in online content is at the center of the most dramatic changes affecting the Internet today," he said. "In three years' time, 20 typical households will generate more traffic than the entire Internet today."

Cicconi, who was speaking at the event as part of a wider series of meetings with U.K. government officials, said that at least $55 billion worth of investment was needed in new infrastructure in the next three years in the U.S. alone, with the figure rising to $130 billion to improve the network worldwide. "We are going to be butting up against the physical capacity of the Internet by 2010," he said.

He claimed that the "unprecedented new wave of broadband traffic" would increase 50-fold by 2015 and that AT&T is investing $19 billion to maintain its network and upgrade its backbone network.

Cicconi added that more demand for high-definition video will put an increasing strain on the Internet infrastructure. "Eight hours of video is loaded onto YouTube every minute. Everything will become HD very soon, and HD is 7 to 10 times more bandwidth-hungry than typical video today. Video will be 80 percent of all traffic by 2010, up from 30 percent today," he said.

The AT&T executive pointed out that the Internet exists, thanks to the infrastructure provided by a group of mostly private companies. "There is nothing magic or ethereal about the Internet--it is no more ethereal than the highway system. It is not created by an act of God, but upgraded and maintained by private investors," he said........

"I think people agree why the Internet is successful. My personal view is that government has widely chosen to...keep a light touch and let innovators develop it," he said. "The reason I resist using the term 'Net neutrality' is that I don't think government intervention is the right way to do this kind of thing. I don't think government can anticipate these kinds of technical problems. Right now, I think Net neutrality is a solution in search of a problem."............

"However well-intentioned, regulatory restraints can inefficiently skew investment, delay innovation, and diminish consumer welfare, and there is reason to believe that the kinds of broad marketplace restrictions proposed in the name of 'neutrality' would do just that, with respect to the Internet," the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement last year................

Go Here for the complete article.

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Redefining the Architecture of Memory

By JOHN MARKOFF Published: September 11, 2007

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The ability to cram more data into less space on a memory chip or a hard drive has been the crucial force propelling consumer electronics companies to make ever smaller devices.

It shrank the mainframe computer to fit on the desktop, shrank it again to fit on our laps and again to fit into our shirt pockets.

Now, if an idea that Stuart S. P. Parkin is kicking around in an I.B.M. lab here is on the money, electronic devices could hold 10 to 100 times the data in the same amount of space. That means the iPod that today can hold up to 200 hours of video could store every single TV program broadcast during a week on 120 channels.

The tech world, obsessed with data density, is taking notice because Mr. Parkin has done it before. An I.B.M. research fellow largely unknown outside a small fraternity of physicists, Mr. Parkin puttered for two years in a lab in the early 1990s, trying to find a way to commercialize an odd magnetic effect of quantum mechanics he had observed at supercold temperatures. With the help of a research assistant, he was able to manipulate the alignment of electronics to alter the magnetic state of tiny areas of a magnetic data storage disc, making it possible to store and retrieve information in a smaller amount of space. The huge increases in digital storage made possible by giant magnetoresistance, or GMR, made consumer audio and video iPods, as well as Google-style data centers, a reality.

Mr. Parkin thinks he is poised to bring about another breakthrough that could increase the amount of data stored on a chip or a hard drive by a factor of a hundred. If he proves successful in his quest, he will create a “universal” computer memory, one that can potentially replace dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, and flash memory chips, and even make a “disk drive on a chip” possible.

It could begin to replace flash memory in three to five years, scientists say. Not only would it allow every consumer to carry data equivalent to a college library on small portable devices, but a tenfold or hundredfold increase in memory would be disruptive enough to existing storage technologies that it would undoubtedly unleash the creativity of engineers who would develop totally new entertainment, communication and information products. Go here for the rest of the article.

The following table explains where we are headed, with some nice analogies:

BYTE AMOUNT	DEFINITION
Byte	8 bits, or a single character. 10 bytes is a single word
Kilobyte	1,000 bytes. 2 kilobytes is 1 typed page
Megabyte	1 million bytes, or a small novel
Gigabyte	1 billion bytes, or 1 Pick Up Truck filled with paper
Terabyte	1 trillion bytes. 1 Research Library is 2 terabytes
Petabyte	1 quadrillion bytes. The WEB is 8 petabytes
Exabyte	1 quintillion bytes. 2 exabytes is all data produced annually

Lucent Technologies" Bell Labs is exploring the outer limits of bandwidth, recently calculating that it is theoretically possible to send about 100 terabits of information-or roughly 20 billion one page emails-simultaneously on each strand of a fiber optic cable.

And at MIT's celebrated Media Laboratory researchers are exploring the meaning of identity in the age of the Internet, developing virtual reality "tele-actors" (image of the beast comes to mind) that can interact with the world or represent a group or individual (picture a news anchor). As far as artificial intelligence goes, however, researchers say, "they have only succeeded in replicating the intelligence of an insect." "The blending of human and machine is happening at all scales, most obviously -as digital technology moves onto - and it becomes apparent that the researchers are not just testing out plot points for science-fiction novels."

And read this recent article at the Guardian about the information explosion:

World drowning in a rising sea of information

Neil McIntosh Saturday November 1, 2003 The Guardian

Academics in California have confirmed what every office worker in the land has known for years: we are drowning in a rising sea of information. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, say the amount of information being generated worldwide has increased by 30% each year since 1999, and that the amount being stored has doubled in that time.

That means 800 megabytes of data - roughly equivalent to 800 books - was created for every man, woman and child in 2002.

The research team studied information stored on paper, film, and optical and magnetic media, and measured the vast flows of information across the internet. They found the new information, stored on everything from hard disk drives to paper, added up to 5m terabytes - or 5 million million MB - last year alone.

Attempting to make that figure a little more imaginable, the team estimated this adds up to the contents of half a million new Libraries of Congress.

These libraries, however, would not hold many masterpieces in their electronic soup. Much of the information came not from books and journals, but from the more mundane: office documents and mail.

Peter Lyman, one of the leaders of the research team, said the surge in information was due to a new-found desire to document all that happens around us. "All of a sudden, almost every aspect of life around the world is being recorded and stored in some information format," he said.

But last night David Lewis, a psychologist who works with big business to tackle stress and information-overload problems, said: "I certainly think there's a data overload - and an awful lot of the data that is generated is entirely redundant. Information is something which is valuable, which you can use. Data is just junk."

Dr Lewis said today's infonauts would need to learn new ways to sift through information by developing reading skills to rapidly extract useful information. "Have a reading purpose in mind when you go to any piece of information," he advised. "If there is no purpose, and you're not reading for pleasure, then just don't bother."

And William Dutton, director of the Oxford Internet Institute, also warned the numbers used in the report could be a little misleading. "Clearly the report puts some numbers on an essentially valid trend," he said. "But it lacks some base validity by measuring it in bits - the complete works of Shakespeare is less than three high-resolution photographs."

Here is an interesting article (courtesy of "How Stuff Works" www.howstuffworks.com) about the invention of the chip and microprocessor which shows how fast knowledge has increased for sure.

The computer you are using to read this page uses a microprocessor to do its work. The microprocessor is the heart of any normal computer, whether it is a desktop machine, a server or a laptop. The microprocessor you are using might be a Pentium, a K6, a PowerPC, a Sparc or any of the many other brands and types of microprocessors, but they all do approximately the same thing in approximately the same way.

If you have ever wondered what the microprocessor in your computer is doing, or if you have ever wondered about the differences between types of microprocessors, then read on. In this article, you will learn how fairly simple digital logic techniques allow a computer to do its job, whether its playing a game or spell checking a document!

 

Microprocessor History

Intel 4004 chip

A microprocessor -- also known as a CPU or central processing unit -- is a complete computation engine that is fabricated on a single chip. The first microprocessor was the Intel 4004, introduced in 1971. The 4004 was not very powerful -- all it could do was add and subtract, and it could only do that 4 bits at a time. But it was amazing that everything was on one chip. Prior to the 4004, engineers built computers either from collections of chips or from discrete components (transistors wired one at a time). The 4004 powered one of the first portable electronic calculators.

Intel 8080

The first microprocessor to make it into a home computer was the Intel 8080, a complete 8-bit computer on one chip, introduced in 1974. The first microprocessor to make a real splash in the market was the Intel 8088, introduced in 1979 and incorporated into the IBM PC (which first appeared around 1982). If you are familiar with the PC market and its history, you know that the PC market moved from the 8088 to the 80286 to the 80386 to the 80486 to the Pentium to the Pentium II to the Pentium III to the Pentium 4. All of these microprocessors are made by Intel and all of them are improvements on the basic design of the 8088. The Pentium 4 can execute any piece of code that ran on the original 8088, but it does it about 5,000 times faster!

Microprocessor Progression: Intel
The following table helps you to understand the differences between the different processors that Intel has introduced over the years.

Name	Date	Transistors	Microns	Clock speed	Data width	MIPS
8080	1974	6,000	6	2 MHz	8 bits	0.64
8088	1979	29,000	3	5 MHz	16 bits 8-bit bus	0.33
80286	1982	134,000	1.5	6 MHz	16 bits	1
80386	1985	275,000	1.5	16 MHz	32 bits	5
80486	1989	1,200,000	1	25 MHz	32 bits	20
Pentium	1993	3,100,000	0.8	60 MHz	32 bits 64-bit bus	100
Pentium II	1997	7,500,000	0.35	233 MHz	32 bits 64-bit bus	~300
Pentium III	1999	9,500,000	0.25	450 MHz	32 bits 64-bit bus	~510
Pentium 4	2000	42,000,000	0.18	1.5 GHz	32 bits 64-bit bus	~1,700

Compiled from The Intel Microprocessor Quick Reference Guide and TSCP Benchmark Scores

Information about this table:

• The date is the year that the processor was first introduced. Many processors are re-introduced at higher clock speeds for many years after the original release date.
• Transistors is the number of transistors on the chip. You can see that the number of transistors on a single chip has risen steadily over the years.

From the informative site about information:

RETURN TO CONTENTS

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Jesus, then returns to the most prevalent theme in this discourse-false christs and false prophets! This antichrist spirit and man is so important for us to be watchful of and not be lured into, as the world will! This is why I try to present possible candidates, even though we (born again) christians will not be here to see him reign, but just incase someone visits this site (assuming it still exists), post rapture, possibly it will give them some insight on current events!

" (Mat 24:23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not.

(Mat 24:24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

(Mat 24:25) Behold, I have told you before.

(Mat 24:26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not.

(Mat 24:27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. "

Complete Matthew 24 Text

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to [him] for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Behold, I have told you before.

Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not.

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh:

So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors.

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

And shall begin to smite [his] fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of,

And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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The Rapture - the real separation of church and state!

RAPTURE

FOR YOU WHO HAVE JUST COME TO THIS SITE FROM MY DESK TOP LINK

This warning (...so shall the coming of the Son of man be, Mat 24:27) is coming after the rapture (when Jesus comes back in the clouds to take believers to heaven) and all Christians will disappear! If you have just linked to this site from my desk top icon, because we have disappeared, I am trying to explain what has possibly happened and prepare you for the next seven years, as seemingly peace breaks out all over earth, followed by "all hell breaking out," instead. Watch this video or or this video if you don't understand the rapture! Christ is warning those (in the previous scripture, Mat 24:26), still on earth during the Tribulation period (for 7 years following the rapture), that anyone saying they are Christ, are imposters, because the world will not see Jesus until He returns, at the close of the last 7 years, to usher in the next thousand years. And at that time everyone will see Him, in the air!

What will happen next, is a great leader (we call the Antichrist, because he is opposed to Jesus) will come on the scene and make peace, which no one thought could happen. He will seemingly help Israel, which may have been attacked by many Muslim nations, and guarantee their safety! He may let them resume animal sacrifices, as described in the Old Testament. They will do this on an altar, possibly next to the Muslim Dome of the Rock, or possibly in a rebuilt Temple, in the same location. In 3 and 1/2 years he will turn against the jews, however, and go to the altar or into the Temple and declare himself god and begin to persecute the jews. That is what this last seven years is mainly for when God causes the jews to again worship Him, as they once did in the Old Testament. It is also a time for you to accept Jesus and be prepared to enter the next thousand years, when he will reign on earth and truly bring peace to us! God bless you and keep you during these troubling times! Remember Jesus loves you and has a plan for you!

For God did not appoint us (Christians) to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1Thessalonians 5: 9(NKJ)

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I will continue to work on this page. I have a feeling it will never be finished until Jesus comes back because these events just keep on happenin! SO COME BACK OFTEN AND HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE MORE!! If you would like to give me your comments or would like to see any other topics covered, email me at

john_hrrsn@yahoo.com

RETURN TO CONTENTS

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Here is a fabulous new Christian book, written by a dear friend and fellow engineer, Tim Hargrove, which I recommend purchasing at the following link.

THE SUM OF ALL HOPE BY TIM C. HARGROVE

About the Book

THE SUM OF ALL HOPE finally fulfills the hope of many people for a book which can effectively summarize the Bible in a quick, easy and understandable format. If you have trouble reading and understanding the Bible, or if you have not had the time to read the Bible, this book is for you!

This book breaks the Bible down into 62 summarizing events presented in the order they happen or will happen in the Bible. From the very first act of creation, to the great climatic events to come, this book was written in a style to get the information into the reader’s heart and mind.

It is fast moving, written with as few words as possible but not fewer than needed. Each sentence brings the reader face to face with the Bible’s great truths. With a clear and concise style, THE SUM OF ALL HOPE presents a short and fast moving explanation of each event. Scriptures are then presented to support the explanation of the event from a Biblical perspective. Each section ends in a short summary of the event along with unique and haunting visual art that imprints the event into the reader’s mind. Understand the Bible and be prepared for the climatic events that are about to happen!

Go Here to purchase the book

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