The following articles are compiled by:

Rick Allinson

Rick@WatchmenWatching.com

 

 

 

The coming Middle East war
Source: Jpost
 

18 October 2007 – The warning signs are everywhere, yet no one wishes to see them. Israel's foes are gearing up for war, and it's time that we opened our eyes to the danger that confronts us.

The conflict may be just weeks or even months away, or perhaps a bit longer. How it will start is anyone's guess, but make no mistake, a major outbreak of hostilities is almost certainly around the corner.

If this sounds like scare-mongering or even an advanced case of paranoia to you, just take a glance at the newspapers from the past few weeks. If you read them with a discerning eye, you will see exactly what I mean.

For whichever direction one chooses to look, be it north, south or east of us, trouble - major trouble - is brewing.

…

 

And so, Israel now finds itself surrounded by an arc of hate stretching from Beirut and Damascus in the north, to Teheran in the east, and back to Gaza in the south. Along each chord of this arc, our foes are diligently arming themselves and preparing for battle, both verbally and in practice. It seems safe to assume that these coordinated efforts are no coincidence, and that they are all linked to the seemingly inevitable confrontation that is looming over the region regarding Iran's nuclear program.

Just as Iran sought to send a message to Israel and the US this summer by provoking an outbreak of hostilities in Lebanon, so too Teheran now appears determined to lay the groundwork for a much greater, and far more ambitious, flare-up, one that would threaten to consume the entire region. The Iranians presumably view this as their trump card, thinking that it will give them the means of forestalling a possible US or Israeli attack on their nuclear facilities.    

 

Comments:  Update; There are so many articles in the news pointing to the Prospects for Peace or Winds of War? I have covered this subject quite a bit over the last two months and I’m sure there will be no shortage of news about this coming war in the future. Both of these articles go into detail about the threat Israel is facing from all sides and I would encourage everyone to read them.   

 

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Deal on EU treaty reached, sources confirm
Source: M&C
 

18 October 2007 – European Union leaders have reached a deal on a landmark treaty reforming the 27-member bloc, sources close to the Portuguese presidency of the EU confirmed Thursday.

The sources said the two main obstacles standing in the way of an agreement had both been solved.

Poland was granted its request to have a mechanism allowing a minority of member states to delay EU decisions made legally binding in the treaty.

And Italy was given an extra member of the European Parliament, as had been demanded by Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

The Reform Treaty overhauls the 50-year-old organization, making it easier to take decisions and strengthening the union's diplomatic clout.   

 

Comments:  After many months of uncertainty and countless meetings, the 27 EU leaders finally reach a deal on the new EU treaty. As far as I know, this new treaty will be called the Lisbon Treaty and we will be hearing about this frequently in the news. This treaty is probably the most important document the European Union has endorsed in their 50 year history. This is the beginning of an EU super state where the 27 countries have now given their authority and all control to Brussels.

 

Now it is up to the 27 individual countries to ratify the document but for the most part this shouldn’t be a problem. When this document comes into force sometime in 2009 the EU beast will be a reality.

 

In the bible Daniel Chapter 7 tells us where this fourth Beast Empire will emerge. The great sea (example map) is the Mediterranean Sea and the bible explains that all the 4 beast empires emerge from this region. The first was Babylon, followed by Medo Persia (map above), Greece and finally the revived Roman Empire the EU.

When John was in Patmos (map) he was standing upon the sand of the Great Sea (The Mediterranean Sea) and saw the same beast as Daniel but with a little more description. The beast John saw had 7 heads and 10 horns. The seven heads are 1. Egypt 2. Assyria 3. Babylon 4. Medo Persia 5. Greece 6. Rome and 7. Revived Rome the European Union (map).

 

This new treaty is the last stage of the European Union beast rising. The beast is an empire and it is also a man.  

 

 

Da 7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

 

Da 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

 

Re 1:9 ¶ I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

 

Re 13:1 ¶ And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns... 

 

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Flood-hit N Korea 'faces famine' 
Source: BBC News

 

 

18 October 2007 – Impoverished North Korea could face a famine next year after devastating floods destroyed crops and farm land in August, South Korean researchers say.

 

North Korea has a 1.4m-tonne food shortfall after floods worsened already chronic shortages, the state-run Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) said.

Other experts say a rise in food production may prevent major famine.

 

Flooding and drought in the 1990s caused a famine that killed up to 2m people, according to some estimates.

 

The isolated state already needed food aid to supply 20% (one million tonnes) of its requirements before the August floods.

 

Countries including South Korea and China, as well as aid agencies such as the UN's World Food Programme, are the main donors.

 

 

Comments:  2 million people died in the last famine in North Korea. This new threat (famine) is one reason why NK is dismantling their nuclear program so that they can feed their people and not live with punishing sanctions that would cripple their country. The only problem with their nuclear dismantlement is that they were in the process of shipping this nuclear equipment to Syria and building a nuclear reactor of some sort. Israel bombed this facility on September the 6^th 2007 and put that on project on hold. Israeli jets bypassed the new Russian radar system that Syria was using and sent Russia, Syria, Iran and North Korea into a panic. The following day all the Russian engineers at the Bushehr Nuclear in Iran packed their bags and went home. Why? Israel and the U.S. had cracked the new Russian radar systems and left them (Syria & Iran) blind to any pre-emptive strike.

The bottom line is… NK should concentrate on feeding their people.

 

Lu 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

 

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Crude Oil Rises to Record $90 After Dollar Drops Against Euro
Source: Bloomberg  

18 October 2007 – Crude oil rose to a record $90 a barrel in New York after the U.S. dollar fell against the euro, enhancing the appeal of commodities as an investment.

Investors purchased oil on speculation the Federal Reserve will cut borrowing costs to bolster the U.S. economy when the bank next meets Oct. 31. Interest-rate futures show a 70 percent likelihood the Fed will lower its target rate for overnight loans a quarter-percentage point to 4.5 percent.

``There's still no end in sight in terms of what people are willing to pay,'' said Bob Frye, commodity broker at Access Futures & Options Trading in Woodlake, California. ``With the weakness in the dollar'' we may get to $96 if prices stay much above $90, he said.   

 

Comments:  A new milestone has been reached today ($90.00) and it won’t be long before we hit the century mark for Oil. The U.S. dollar is in a nose dive and Gold is pushing for $800.00 an oz. These are just some of the economic signs of our times. A war in the Middle East could put the world’s economy on its knees and maybe even to a grinding halt. What would you do?

 

 

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

 

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Keep watching (Matt 24:42)!

 

Until next time,

Shalom!

 

 

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