NEW WORLD Making Afghanistan: To spank ‘This too sense of America’s rapidly the graveyard or not shall shifting political landscape of empires to spank pass’ THE PHILADELPHIA

TRUMPETjanuary 2015 | thetrumpet.com

Israel vs. the World It is isolated and under siege. What will happen next? THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET January 2015 Vol. 26, No. 1 Circ. 314,408 “Mr. President, COVER STORY 10 Israel vs. the World it’s time to go The Jews face a bleak future alone. The next move by the Arabs, and Israel’s response, will affect us all. full speed ahead FEATURES 4 The Russia-China Axis Is Here with your And it is already changing the world.

6 Living Without Spanking executive Thoughts on the public debate over corporal punishment action.” 8 Taking Away the Punch Bowl The Fed threw the world’s biggest party— and it’s about to turn into a massive brawl. —USA TODAY

13 ‘This Too Shall Pass’ How to handle the breaks in life, both good and bad

15 Buried in Afghanistan America and Britain are the latest victims entombed in the graveyard of empires. 18 INFOGRAPHIC Spent in Vain 20 Stepping Into America’s Footprint Germany: a country with a grown-up foreign policy

24 What Do You Know About God? To most people, God is a mystery. But He need not be!

DEPARTMENTS 1 FROM THE EDITOR America: The Attack From Within Continues 26 INCREASE YOUR BIBLE IQ World Peace Coming Soon 28 WORLDWATCH UK to leave EU?, ignoring Hong Kong, desperation in Syria, Hamas eyes West Bank, etc. 32 SOCIETYWATCH Same-sex marriage, immigrants, etc. 33 PRINCIPLES OF LIVING Crack Open That Book 35 COMMENTARY Election Triumphs and False Hopes 34 DISCUSSION BOARD 36 TELEVISION LOG

Photo: The White House in Washington, D.C. (©istock.com/p _ wei) Cover illustration: Israel vs. the world (dmitri jackson for trumpet) FROM THE EDITOR America: The Attack From Within Continues What happens now, after elections isolated America’s president politically? by gerald flurry

n midterm elections in November, President Barack outdated document,” Louis Michael Seidman said. This man Obama and his Democratic Party took a shellacking. Voters teaches constitutional law at Georgetown University Law Center made clear that they were unhappy with the president’s in Washington, d.c., and was speaking on one of the big three I record over the last six years. Yet when the president spoke television networks! about the result, he acknowledged no fault or error on his part. In his most recent book, On Constitutional Disobedience, Immediately after the election, Mr. Obama renewed battles Seidman asked, “Why should we care about what the Constitu- over immigration and net neutrality. All indications show that tion says? Should we feel obligated to obey it? How can we make he is more determined than ever to rule by executive order. decisions today based on a document created more than 200 years Many in the media have tried to discount the election results ago?” That kind of reasoning can and is used concerning as meaningless. “Mr. President, it’s time to go full speed ahead the Bible—upon which much of the Constitution is based! with your executive action,” Raul Reyes wrote in USA Today. This type of anti-Constitution reasoning is suddenly becom- “[T]here are practical reasons why the president should make ing quite popular. Do you know why? It is because the Obama his immigration action as broad as possible. He is going to face intense pushback from gop lawmakers no matter what he does. This administration and the radically So why not go big on immigration?” (Nov. 11, 2014). Others in the media continue to say Mr. Obama’s only real left Democrats are very hostile to the problem has been that he hasn’t used executive actions to Constitution, and so is the media. enact radical policy enough. It is clear that many have grown disillusioned with the presi- However, our problem in the U.S. is dent. But remember, when Mr. Obama was first campaigning for much deeper than the radical left. president and in his early years as president, many journalists were practically spellbound by him! As the late reporter Michael administration is taking actions just about every week that raise Hastings said of the press corps, “When they’re near him, they constitutional questions and that threaten to undermine lose their minds sometimes. They start behaving in ways America’s foundational document. that are juvenile, and amateurish, and they SWOON” I find it intriguing that cbs broadcast this commentary right (msnbc, Jan. 24, 3013; emphasis mine throughout). at the beginning of the second term of the most radically liberal Can you explain that? What a terrible indictment against our president the United States has ever seen. This administration media! Reporters swooning and acting like nervous teenagers and the radically left Democrats are very hostile to the Consti- around a politician—is that normal? I don’t remember ever tution, and so is the media. However, our problem in the U.S. is reading anything like this in American politics! much deeper than the radical left. Even Hastings himself admitted to getting caught up in this behavior around the president. “Oh, I do,” he laughed in the msnbc Casting Truth to the Ground interview. “Oh, I totally—oh man!” This reporter considered this In September 2012, a panel of experts presented a list to the funny. Is it really funny? No, it is an unparalleled, colossal disaster! House Judiciary Committee of how President Barack Obama It seems these supposed professionals lost all consciousness has exceeded his constitutional constraints. HumanEvents. of their responsibility as journalists! And their failure to do their com summarized the panel’s findings this way: “As president, job is the big reason why this president was elected two times. Barack Obama has made a habit of bypassing or ignoring consti- But now the damage has already been done. tutional limitations on his power.” The panel gave several exam- Without a free and truthful media, our republic cannot survive! ples, including his abuse of executive power in connection with the Fast and Furious scandal; his decision to stop enforcing parts An Attack on Law of America’s immigration law; and his authorization of military On Jan. 27, 2013, CBS Sunday Morning aired a commentary by a action in Libya in 2011 without first consulting Congress. constitutional law professor suggesting that for America to solve One of the panel’s main points was how in 2012, the presi- its many problems, it needs to abandon the Constitution. dent sidestepped the Senate and made some unilateral “If we are to take back our own country, we have to start mak- “recess” appointments when the Senate was not even in 1 ing decisions for ourselves, and stop deferring to an ancient and recess. Later a federal court ruled that this move was THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 unconstitutional. Sen. Mike Lee, a noted constitutional scholar disdainful of the law that it is supposed to uphold! in Congress, “told the committee that Obama’s abuse of power This trend toward lawlessness is deadly! And I guarantee, by making recess appointments while the Senate was not actu- based on biblical prophecy, that it is going to get far worse. ally in recess was a historic first” (ibid). This has never hap- pened before in U.S. history! Will Worship This administration has repeatedly pushed past the limits of We must open our eyes to recognize the evil spiritual executive power. The New York Times wrote in April 22, 2012, force that is behind this push to undermine the law! “[I]ncreasingly in recent months, the administration has been We have been protected in America for a couple hundred seeking ways to act without Congress.” The media has years because we are recipients of the blessings God promised to faithful Abraham. We have not experienced the turmoil that many other nations have. Yes, we were involved in a civil war and “You may be frustrated two world wars, but God has given us victories and a lot of peace. sometimes with the pace As a result, our people seem to have settled into an unreality about what is really happening around us. They don’t understand of change. I promise you, how deadly dangerous it is! so am I sometimes. … But This is not God’s world. There is a lot of evil in this world. It is you know where I stand. full of tigers waiting to tear somebody apart. It has always been You know what I believe. that way. As Winston Churchill said, the history of man is the his- tory of war. Yet somehow we can’t come to grips with that today. You know I tell the truth.” Are you willing to face reality? Most people are not. A haze of deception enshrouds our world. It is absolutely stunning how easily the people in this land today are duped. Adolf Hitler said that if you tell a big lie and repeat it enough, eventually people will believe it. They cer- tainly did in Germany. We are seeing bold, blatant lies become a bigger and bigger known this is happening, but very little is being done to stop it! part of today’s political landscape. This is a sure sign of Satan’s How many people are even paying attention? growing power. We are seeing the work of this lying murderer at Do you realize how deadly dangerous this trend of lawless- his worst! He is the father of lies; there is no truth in him (John ness is? Very few people do. But it gives profound insight into 8:44). But he will still look you boldly in the eye and insist that the real nature of the threat facing America today. everything he says is the truth! People’s minds are getting conditioned to executive When the president was campaigning for a second term, he orders, which are primarily intended to circumvent said, “You may be frustrated sometimes with the pace of change. Congress and the Constitution. That is the aim. I promise you, so am I sometimes. … But you know where I This is quickly moving America toward rule by a dic- stand. You know what I believe. You know I tell the truth.” tatorship or a tyranny. Does the president tell the truth? Is anyone paying attention? President Obama’s use of drones has come under criticism Here is how Glenn Beck responded to the president’s state- because it is also expanding his grip on power. First, he has ment: “This is more a judgment on America and the press. I’ve launched 7.6 times more drone strikes than President Bush did never looked back and marveled at how many people will fall in the same amount of time. But critics are especially concerned for and accept, knowingly accept, a falsehood. I’ve never seen that, according to a 16-page document the Department of Jus- it before in my life.” tice leaked to nbc in February 2013, the administration believes Yes indeed, this is a “judgment on America” because of it is above the law and has power to kill any American citizens our sins. it considers a threat. Hitler said, “What you tell people in the mass, in a recep- Here is what Judge Andrew Napolitano wrote in the Washing- tive state of fanatic devotion, will remain like words received ton Times: “Mr. Obama has argued that he can kill Americans under a hypnotic influence, ineradicable, and impervious whose deaths he believes will keep us all safer, without any due to every reasonable explanation.” process whatsoever. No law authorizes that. His attorney general This is the type of influence we see holding a grip on many peo-

has argued that the president’s careful consideration of each target ple today. This hypnotic influence cannot be explained reasonably. brendan and the narrow use of deadly force are an adequate and constitu- Hitler continued: “A new age of magic interpretation of

tional substitute for due process. No court has ever approved that” the world is coming, of interpretation in terms of the smialowski (Feb. 7, 2013). Napolitano pointed out that this practice breaks state will and not of the intelligence.” That same spirit satu- and federal laws, executive orders prohibiting assassinations, lan- rates the radical left in American politics! / afp

guage in the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. The Apostle Paul talked about this very subject. He warned, / getty Perhaps many or even most of the people being tar- “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility

2 geted in these attacks are threats to the United States. and worshipping of [demons, it should read], intruding into those images But I am deeply troubled by an administration so things which he [has] seen [that is the correct translation], vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind …. Which things have indeed a disagree—they hate. They think if you didn’t come from Europe shew of wisdom in will worship …” (Colossians 2:18, 23). Will 30 years ago, you didn’t even make it. Some of them believe that worship. That is exactly what Hitler was talking about, but on slavery isn’t over, and they think they won the Civil War.” another level: “magic interpretation in terms of the will.” He said, These are abominable statements! Yet no one condemns them, Look, this is what it’s all about now. Your reasoning isn’t going to because that is the way so many of our politicians, academics stop us. That doesn’t mean anything to us. We follow this magic and media personalities think! interpretation today. What will be the outcome of such racist remarks? When Can you recognize it? The U.S. government is casting aside you accuse people of racism without any proof—which most of the foundational law of the land and telling us, Look—that is just them don’t have, they just spout out the words—you are fill- getting in the way. We don’t need that old law. We know what jus- ing your country with hatred and division that leads to a race tice is. You can trust us! war, civil war and violence! These commentators are either igno- That reasoning paves the way for tyrants! rant of what they are doing—or they want a race war. Some extremists do want a race war. And Bible prophecy tells Racism Everywhere us that they are going to get one. The 2008 presidential election was for the most powerful office in America at a critical and dangerous time in our history. Yet Time Is Short news anchor Tom Brokaw admitted that the press never What is happening to America’s leadership, its domestic pol- did vet candidate Barack Obama. They never conducted a icy and foreign policy is not just a quirk of history. The fact rigorous evaluation of this man. Why not? This man was never that Americans are casting the Constitution to the ground and vetted, never subjected to scrutiny—and he won the highest encouraging lawlessness in their marriages, in their government office in the land! Twice! The media admits it! Can you and in their policy toward other nations has a very definite cause. think of a better way to commit national suicide? The radical left is not our big problem. It is only leading the way. If you recall, many people said having a black leader would God is against three nations in particular, America, Britain and solve our nation’s racial problems. Has it? It has done the opposite. the Jewish nation, because of their unparalleled rebellion (Ezekiel All across America, the topic of race is dominating discussion 5:8). Not only is God not helping us, He is against us! (This is all more and more. Such issues as crime and punishment, employ- explained in our free book The United States and Britain in Prophecy.) ment, college admissions, income and poverty rates are increas- But this is only the beginning. God is about to punish all nations. ingly viewed through the lens of skin color. Many people scoff about there even being a devil—while he An nbc poll published on Nov. 4, 2014, said that only 20 per- is tearing them apart! They know little or nothing about their cent of Americans think race relations have improved under Mr. Bibles. They don’t understand anything about God, nor do they Obama, while 38 percent say they have gotten worse. Among know the devil. Until they do, the problems will only intensify. black Americans, it’s even higher, with 43 percent saying race rela- The only solution to our massive problems is repentance tions are now worse! An Investor’s Business Daily poll found that toward God (Ezekiel 33:11). almost half of American adults feel that race relations are worse Satan’s growing wrath against the nations of Israel as his time under Obama. And one in four say they are now “much worse.” grows shorter will climax in the worst suffering in human history— New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin wrote, “In a time what the Bible calls the Great Tribulation. After 2½ years will begin of stark political polarization, that agreement stands out as a rare the Day of the Lord, a full year of God’s punishment on the nations. piece of common ground among whites, black and Latinos” (Nov. 9, The good news, though, is revealed right there in the very same 2014). Goodwin also noted that race riots are “making a comeback.” prophecies that explain these events to us. Right after the Day of A majority of Americans who voted chose Barack Obama in the Lord, at last will come the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the past two presidential elections. Yet the radical-left bomb- solve all these problems forever! In Daniel 8:23‑25, when it speaks throwers still haven’t stopped: Racist accusations are flying and of the Satan-inspired political Antiochus leading the Holy Roman getting far worse each year! Empire, it gives this stirring conclusion: “he shall magnify him- Some political candidates in the Democratic camp can’t seem self in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also to talk about anything but racism. They use it to try stand up against the Prince of princes”—that is Jesus Christ! to frighten blacks into voting booths. They Inspired by the devil, this evil man will actually try to take on have said violence like the Trayvon Martin Christ Himself! And what will be the outcome? “[H]e shall be case and the shooting in Ferguson are evi- broken without hand”—that is, broken by the power of God! dence of whites hating blacks. Rep. Char- The events we see around us are deeply sobering. But they lie Rangel, for example, said on Oct. 30, should also fill us with hope—and anticipation of the great event 2014, that some Republicans “believe that they lead to: the Second Coming of Christ to this Earth! slavery isn’t over.” Once Christ banishes the devil and takes His rightful place The congressman said: “[E]verything on the throne over the Earth, we will have joy and happiness and we believe in—they hate. They don’t peace for the rest of eternity! Thank God for that! n

This article has excerpts from Gerald Flurry’s booklet America Under Attack. Request a free copy to learn more. 3

THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 ASIAN GIANTS Russia’s Vladimir Putin (left) and China’s Xi Jinping The meet at APEC in November. Russia- China Axis Is Here

And it is already changing the world. by jeremiah jacques

new axis has formed. It is so implications are huge.” One of the most coalition against American hegemony colossal, the world really could immediate huge implications is that, since the fall of the Berlin Wall.” spin on it. The Trumpet and its with this second deal, China will eclipse Gerald Walpin, former inspector gen- A predecessor have forecast it for Europe to become Russia’s largest and eral for the United States Corporation for more than five decades, but now the world most strategic natural gas consumer. Thus, National and Community Service, said, is catching on to this undeniable trend— Moscow will be able to punish the Euro- “Any fair [onlooker would] compare this and realizing the massive implications. pean Union by cutting off its gas flows at axis to the Hitler-Japan Axis that came The types of headlines that would less cost to the Russian economy. Europe’s close to defeating democracies, includ- have seemed strange 50 or 15 or even five already weak economy is certain to see ing [the] U.S., and resulted in 50 million years ago have now become common- energy costs skyrocket, forcing Europe- deaths throughout the world. The only place: “Time to Take the Russia-China ans to scramble for pricey alternatives in significant difference is that this new axis Axis Seriously” (Diplomat, Nov. 4, 2014), the middle of what forecasters expect to has nuclear weapons.” “Putin Accelerates Turn to China” (Cour- be an unusually cold winter. The Westerners’ concern about this cy’s Intelligence, Nov. 7, 2014), “Why In addition to those two mega energy anti-U.S. partnership is not ill founded. Chinese-Russian Friendship Is Here to deals, Putin and Xi signed 17 other “major And it takes on a bleak, Siberian iciness Stay” (Foreign Affairs, Oct. 29, 2014). bilateral business agreements” at the Asia- when you realize one of the main forces We’ve been looking for this seismic Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in welding Russia and China together has geopolitical event for half a century. And Beijing that ended on November 12. This been the United States. now, somewhat suddenly, it has arrived. followed 38 other major deals in October worth tens of billions of dollars. Washington’s Role Deals of the Century These colossal business agreements Rewind to the 1990s. The U.S. helped per- Last May, Russian President Vladimir are only the latest indications of a Russia- suade Ukraine to give up its nuclear weap- Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping inked China axis that is forging fast. This axis is ons—the same weapons that might have a gargantuan gas supply agreement worth reorienting 21st century geopolitics—and made Vladimir Putin think twice before $400 billion. Less than six months later, tilting the advantage away from the West. rolling tanks, troops and antiaircraft mis- they did it again. On November 9, they “The two longtime foes have drawn siles across the border. But now Ukraine signed another tentative agreement worth increasingly close together because of a is nuclear weaponless—and Putin is not. a sum of similar immensity. confluence of geostrategic, political and For a long time, America has also led

It is hard to comprehend the size and economic interests—all of which have a nato into unwittingly provoking Rus- REUTERS significance of these deals. To start with, common theme of diminishing, subvert- sia. Most U.S. leaders viewed attempts to

they are the two largest business transac- ing or displacing American power,” wrote expand nato into Ukraine from a liberal / KYUNG KIM tions in human history. Douglas E. Schoen and Melik Kaylan in worldview, seeing it as a benign promo- Kang Wu of FG Energy said the their new book The Russia-China Axis. tion of democracy. But the Russians saw

China-Russia energy deals “will Analyst Charles Krauthammer said, it quite differently. “Russians have contin- -H 4 really cement their relationship “[Russia and China’s] enhanced partner- ued to view it through the prism of geopol- OON in a big way, and the political ship marks the first emergence of a global itics where balance-of-power calculations drive threat assessments,” wrote James WORLDWATCH Kitfield, a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. Russia: Iran should have And they consider Ukraine to be a drive- way straight into the heart of Russia. more reactors, not less John Meersheimer, a political science expert at the University of Chicago, said: ussia and Iran formally announced a deal on Novem- “Western leaders thought geopolitics was R ber 11 to construct two new nuclear reactors in Iran. The How many more something that was killed and buried at deal further undermines already shaky efforts by the West to reactors will Iran get? the end of the Cold War, which allowed prevent the Islamic Republic from fielding nuclear weapons. them to ignore what the Russians were The new reactors will be built at the existing Bushehr nuclear power complex off the Persian saying. But if you look at the issue from Gulf coast. The contract also allows for two additional reactors to be built at this location and Russia’s realpolitik or realist point of view, four others at locations elsewhere in Iran. Iran’s deputy director of international affairs, Beh- this crisis was foreseeable.” rouz Kamalvandi, announced in September that construction on the new reactors will begin by Putin responded to nato’s encroach- March 21 and will finish in five to seven years. ment (and what he saw as U.S. meddling Iran insists its nuclear power program is for civilian use only; it has plans to build 20 more to topple Ukraine’s democratically elected reactors, ostensibly to wean itself off of oil. Western nations say the claim is suspect, noting leader) by annexing Crimea, destabilizing that Iran has one of the largest oil reserves in the world and that its reactors can produce the eastern Ukraine. type of nuclear material needed for weapons. The U.S. then levied several rounds of Iran’s announcement of the deal came less than two weeks before the scheduled P5+1 talks, economic sanctions on Russia as punish- in which the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France plus Germany were to ment. Europe followed suit, and the West discuss options for blocking Iran from constructing nuclear bombs. The timing of the announce- hoped Putin would feel the squeeze and ment speaks to Iran’s confidence—as well as Russia’s duplicity. back down. Instead Russia only intensi- Iran’s Islamist regime is the world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism, and it is deter- fied pressure on Ukraine. Then looked mined to add nuclear weapons to its terror arsenal. The Islamic Republic has proven it will not east, mostly to China, in order to recover surrender its ambition for these weapons of mass destruction. Now, with Russia and the West its economic losses. colliding over the crisis in Ukraine, Iran has a window in which it could finish and detonate its Under the current administration, first test—or terror—bomb. Bible prophecy indicates that Iran and radical Islam will indeed America has also revealed to Putin that its unleash widespread violence, part of a chain reaction that will lead to a nuclear World War III. populace is war-weary, its policymakers are disunited, and its leaders are power- thirsty at home but deliberately weak inter- So a fair amount of the hundreds of Russian military doctrine published in nationally. All of this served as a bright billions of dollars that China is paying December openly designates the U.S. as green light for Putin’s expansionism. Russia for these two mega gas deals and a “threat” and an “adversary.” What about China? How did it become the other economic agreements originally The Russia-China axis is no lon- such a cash-rich country that it can part- came from the United States. ger merely a forecast. It is here, and it is ner with its northern neighbor and changing the world. The world now faces finance Putin’s aggression? Is the Axis Dangerous? the most serious crisis since World War ii, America played a vital role in that too. A look at how Putin’s Russia has behaved and it is thanks in part to America’s bro- U.S. tycoons—eager to maximize short- in recent months since securing China’s ken will and mismanaged power. term profits despite long-term costs—have backing gives us a good idea of what this In their book, Schoen and Kaylan outsourced as much production as possi- Asian juggernaut might do in the future. argue that “only a rebirth of American ble, largely to Chinese companies. Most With China firmly behind him, Putin global leadership can counter the corro- Americans prefer to pay as little as possi- threatened in August to use nuclear weap- sive impact of this anti-democratic alli- ble for electronics, computers, clothes and ons to take control of Ukraine. In Sep- ance, which may soon threaten the peace other goods, even if it means many other tember, he sent a naval convoy to reopen and security of the world.” Americans lose their jobs. Thus, the trend a military base in the Arctic to back his Such a rebirth won’t come about by continues. From 1998 to 2010, U.S. manu- claims to the energy riches under the something as meaningless as “getting facturing, as measured by the number of ice cap. In November, he sent warships the gop back in the White House.” The jobs, plummeted 34 percent. Millions of to Australia’s northern maritime bor- nation’s illnesses are too numerous and these went to China. der and issued plans to send long-range too deep-rooted to be remedied by a topi- The U.S. also has an alarming trade bombers to patrol the Gulf of Mexico and cal balm of that kind. But there is a solu- deficit with China. In 2013 alone, Amer- the Caribbean, very near America’s terri- tion for America’s crisis in leadership, and ica bought $318.7 billion more from China torial waters. He has also taken opportu- for the increasing power, cooperation and than China bought from America. Since nities to disown the dollar in international belligerence of the Russia-China 2000, the total trade deficit has topped transactions, undermining its status as axis. To understand it, read 5 $3.2 trillion. the world’s reserve currency. And a new Russia and China in Prophecy. n THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 re you a parent with toddlers, The debate spawned by the Peterson case children or adolescents? If so, I shows huge disagreements about corporal would like to ask you a question. punishment among Americans regionally, AWhat are your thoughts about religiously and racially. spanking? It is a hot topic on the minds “From the macro data, it seems that of many. Are you wondering about it too? corporal punishment is becoming less Parental use of corporal punishment popular in the United States,” reported was thrust back into public debate in the Christian Science Monitor. “Evaluat- America in September when nfl running ing numerous national surveys taken over back Adrian Peterson was arrested on fel- the past decades, Murray Straus, an expert ony child abuse charges for using a switch on corporal punishment at the University to discipline his 4-year-old son. Peterson of New Hampshire in Durham, found that avoided jail time by pleading no contest the number of parents who say spanking is to a reduced charge of misdemeanor reck- sometimes necessary dropped from more less assault as part of a plea deal. Peterson than 90 percent in 1968 to about 65 or 70 was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and court percent in 1994, and then has remained costs, to take parenting classes and to per- steady through today” (Oct. 19, 2014). form 80 hours of community service. Other researchers have found that while Learning of the Peterson incident, child the number of parents using spanking has advocates rushed to condemn corporal decreased, Americans still use spanking punishment across the board. Evangeli- to discipline their children—much to the cals answered back with indignation. Sev- dismay of the academic voices against cor- eral op-ed writers threw the subject of race poral punishment. into the discussion. Parents began arguing It is likely that some parents are not with each other on social media and on being totally honest on surveys, or the call-in radio talk shows about the differ- surveys are not reaching parents who use ence between child abuse and spanking. corporal punishment. One of the lead- Some parents were hotly indignant, ing academic voices against spanking, stating that it is nobody’s business Prof. Elizabeth Gershoff of the University how they raise their children. of Texas at Austin, discovered in the late I personally believe there 2000s “that by the time American children exists a silent majority of par- reach high school, 85 percent have been ents in Western society who are physically punished by their parents” (ibid). confused and conflicted about Kenneth Dodge, family policy scholar at Living how to discipline their children, who Duke University, has found similar num- make their daily lives miserable because bers. Following hundreds of children in of unruly behavior. On a recent business longitudinal studies from pre-kindergar- Without trip, I felt really bad for a mom in an air- ten through adulthood, he found that 70 to port whose child was taking swings and 80 percent were corporally punished (ibid). hitting her because she was not doing Prof. Murray Straus believes 90 percent of Spanking what he wanted her to do. toddlers are still being physically punished. Officially, spanking is still used in Spanking and the Law many school districts across states that Thoughts on the public debate There is a global movement to eliminate permit it. U.S. Department of Education spanking. Forty-one nations prohibit all numbers say 200,000 students are physi- over corporal punishment corporal punishment of children: in the cally disciplined every year. In some school by dennis leap home, schools and other institutions districts in northern Florida, state statistics including penal systems. Twenty-seven show more than 1 in 10 students is paddled. of these nations passed their laws against The Arlington school district, located spanking in just the past decade. An addi- on the outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee, tional 78 nations prohibit physical punish- recently reinstated corporal punishment, ©

ment in schools. giving teachers “all possible tools at their istock In America, all 50 states allow corporal disposal.” It is clear that a majority of . com

punishment of children. Nineteen states, Americans use physical discipline. / mostly in the South, permit physical pun- Considering these facts, you may aldomurillo 6 ishment in schools. This does not mean wonder why the Peterson case drew the that all parents use physical punishment. attention it did. Child advocates against spanking took advantage of this tragic here in the U.S. with still a vast majority corporal punishment and children’s case to advance their cause to have spank- of people being in favor of spanking,” she aggressive behavior—particularly that ing outlawed in America. However, there told Siegel. “What’s interesting is that in children who were spanked often were are large groups in the American popula- other countries we’ve seen a very different likelier to be involved in partner-to-part- tion who are willing to fight for the right situation … because of the UN Conven- ner domestic violence as adults. Some to raise their families in the manner they tion on the Rights of the Child, which was studies also said that spanked children see fit, which includes the use of corporal ratified in 1989 … and because of that, 38 suffered academic and health risks and punishment when necessary. countries now have agreed that corporal fell behind in many other social indica- punishment of children, including spank- tors. The majority of these studies fol- The Case Against Spanking ing, violates children’s human rights.” lowed white Americans. Child advocates against spanking see Anti-spanking advocates see all cor- However, experts realized that they no difference between child abuse and poral punishment as a violation of chil- could not eliminate corporal punishment spanking. Just after the Peterson case dren’s rights, and outlawing spanking in unless they could replicate the same find- made news headlines, National Public the United States of America is their end Radio host Robert Siegel interviewed Eliz- goal. To that end, they also want to intim- There exists a silent abeth Gershoff about the history of cor- idate all parents who use spanking, even poral punishment. During the interview, if they use it as a part of a complete child- majority of parents in Siegel made this emotionally charged rearing program. Western society who are statement: “There are lots of people today who are parents who were disciplined by The Case for Spanking confused and conflicted their parents by being beaten and consider While the case against spanking didn’t about how to discipline it normal, and therefore beat their chil- really take hold in America until the 1960s, dren.” This is undeniably a broad, sweep- the case for proper spanking—adminis- their children. ing statement. tered by loving parents—is centuries old. Gershoff responded to Siegel’s procla- Robert Siegel also asked Gershoff: “You ings within other demographic groups. mation: “That’s true. We do see that cycle say the majority of parents physically pun- New longitudinal studies were conducted of violence continuing through genera- ish their children about once a year. How with a focus on African-American families. tions. Our own parents are our best exam- much does that practice vary by race, “What they found surprised and both- ple for how to parent. We live with our region, education level, class—whatever?” ered many of them,” stated the October parents for many years. And that’s the Gershoff answered: “It varies a fair amount. 19 Christian Science Monitor article. “In most close-up view of parenting we’ve We know that it varies by race or ethnic various studies, researchers found that the ever seen. But there are many parents group. African-American parents in par- effect of spanking on black children was who are breaking that cycle and realizing ticular spank more often than other groups. different than it was on white children. In that it is possible to raise children with- Whites and Latinos spank about the same. 2004, for instance, scholar Jennifer Lans- out hitting them.” Please take note that And Asian-Americans spank the least.” ford, who worked with Professor [Ken- Gershoff refers to spanking as a “cycle Gershoff gives a true observation here. neth] Dodge of Duke University, reported of violence.” Did Gershoff’s parents beat Northeast white parents are known to be findings from a diverse group of 585 chil- her? Do all parents who spank their chil- vocal about their anti-spanking views. dren they followed from prekindergarten dren beat them? Growing up in the 1950s, Most college-educated parents do not use through Grade 11. Rather than making I know that I was occasionally spanked as spanking. Southern blacks are vocal about black children as a group more aggressive a child—yet I was not beaten. their pro-spanking values. and worse off, some instances of corpo- Anti-spanking advocates view all Yet Gershoff fails to give an unbiased ral punishment within that demographic spanking as hitting, equating it with child view of the effects of spanking among seemed to correspond to better outcomes” abuse. The word hit conjures up horrible groups. She continued, “What we do also (emphasis added). That is different from images of violent punching and slapping know is that there are not differences what Gershoff claimed. during out-of-control confrontations. Yes, in the effects of spanking on children At first this study was labeled racist. Yet, sadly, child abuse does exist. Children by race or ethnic group. And so with a what Duke experts (who still oppose cor- have been hurt, physically, mentally and large national sample, we found that even poral punishment) determined is that any emotionally. All child abuse is definitely though African-American parents do damage caused to children by spanking, criminal against children and should be spank more often, it’s not more effective at paddling or other forms of punishment is punished severely. Yet, is a parent who increasing children’s positive behavior and not as much about the physical act as it is gives his or her unruly child several sting- in fact has the opposite effect and increases the psychological message imparted by the ing swats on the behind a child-beater? children’s aggressive behavior over time.” parent. Actually, the Duke study showed Gershoff estimates that a quarter of Other experts, however, say differently. that African-American parents were better American households today do not use It was in the early 1990s that academic at giving corporal punishment spanking at all while raising their chil- experts began releasing studies purport- than white parents they studied. 7 dren. “It’s been a very gradual decline ing to show a clear connection between ➤ SPANKING on page 23 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 frat house, but it could have owned the place for that much cash. Or it could have owned every gold mine in the world. Or (based on a Kiplinger’s esti- mate), it could have bought 146,997,060 new cars; 19,673,974 new homes; or 490,000,000,000 man-hours. Or, even on a one-year certificate of deposit at 1.29 percent, $3.5 trillion could have earned $45 billion in interest. But it bought temporary relief for some of our deeply flawed banks and our deeply flawed economy. Pouring that fiat money into the party dulled the immediate economic head- ache. Each additional drink kept the rev- elers happy a little longer and preoccupied them from yelling insults at the host at the top of their lungs. But it did nothing to make them feel better the morning after. Taking Away In fact, it made it worse. And when it comes time to cut them off, better call a bouncer. the Punch Bowl However, the Fed went ahead and spiked the punch bowl with about a keg The Fed threw the world’s biggest party—and it’s of quantitative easing. That move is cred- about to turn into a massive brawl. by robert morley ited with fueling today’s animal spirits. But it is increasingly evident that it didn’t n October 28, the Federal So Wall Street still exists—that’s one fundamentally fix anything. At best it put Reserve announced it was time celebratory blow of a party horn for quan- off the day of reckoning. At worst it may to end the free-money party. titative easing. And official unemploy- have set up the economy for an acidic big O With stock and bond markets ment is another toot on a kazoo: It’s back heave—or an intoxication-induced coma. jump-jiving to all-time highs and the down to 5.9 percent. During the last major financial cri- economy supposedly gyrating in robust But the cover charge was the steepest sis centering around the end of 2008, recovery, the Fed started walking off stimulus package in U.S. history. Adjusted one of the worst outcomes was the num- with the punch bowl. But was this party a for inflation, it’s almost as much as the ber of jobs lost. Between 2007 and 2009, good idea to begin with? The free-money nation spent fighting World War ii. the economy lost 8.7 million jobs. It took merry­making has set up the economy for a The Fed printed $3.5 trillion worth of until June 2014, more than five years, for massive hangover—and perhaps economic funny money to keep banking liquidity the economy to finally gain back the jobs convulsions. sloshing around the punch bowl and the it lost. It was the slowest recovery since “The final word on quantitative easing big banks quick-stepping to the music. the Great Depression. Even today, after will have to wait for historians,” Ambrose That is money that must be repaid—and adjusting for population growth, America Evans-Pritchard wrote in the Telegraph with interest. But was it money well spent? is still missing more than 6 million jobs. on October 29. “[T]he experiment was a And the jobs that came back were not huge success … [but] that quantitative $3,500,000,000,000 as good as the ones lost. High-paying easing contaminated the rest of the world Well, for that much cash the government manufacturing and banking jobs have in complicated ways and may have stored could have skipped bailing out the banks been replaced by low-paying positions up a greater crisis for the future.” and instead purchased every single pub- in restaurants, hotels and temp agencies, The Fed’s decision to print money like licly traded bank in America: Goldman which now account for a higher propor- confetti is seen by many as a success. For Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank tion of the total workforce. example: In 2008, the global system was sit- of America, BancFirst, Wells Fargo, Sun- While the government went wild ting on a financial time bomb. Sources told Trust, bb&t, American Express—and spending stimulus money, taxpayers trumpet the New York Post it was “500 trades away dozens more. Then it could have spent became less and less able to pay it back. / from Armageddon.” The Fed concocted the hundreds of billions left over on the According to the latest Census Bureau melissa

$105 billion out of thin air that day world’s biggest block party. report, median household income has barreiro 8 to pour into the system and keep Not that it’s good for Washington fallen to $51,939—about to where it was everyone from going berserk. to officially patronize the Wall Street in 1989. That’s even less than the $55,489 the median family earned in 2009, during And soon it will hand you the bill for promptly lend it back to the federal govern- the depths of the economic crisis. the party. ment at 2 percent on up to 5 percent. More No wonder public-opinion polling The post-2009 boom in financial free money for Wall Street courtesy of the shows that the typical American still markets has closely tracked the increase Federal Reserve. This further twisted the thinks the economy is pretty miserable. in money supply created by the Federal distortions in the market. It’s because it is. Reserve’s quantitative easing. After the For those in the know and with the True, unlike the 1930s, we don’t see Fed began creating money out of thin means, these last five years have been the food lines stretching from block to block. air in 2008, it used much of it to buy U.S. financial party of a lifetime. But what’s Instead, people get their handouts from government treasuries from the big Wall going to happen now that the Federal the government more conveniently. Street banks. That drove up treasury Reserve has taken their punch bowl away? Today, 46 million Americans are on food prices, drove down interest rates, and put Is the party over? stamps—one in five households. In some more money in the banks’ pockets. The Sooner or later, yes. cities, it’s one in three people. By the end banks then took that money and looked The Federal Reserve may not be hand- of 2013, almost 50 percent of the popu- for other places to invest. ing out free money anymore, but it is still lation received at least one form of gov- Since interest rates were manipulated keeping the band playing for now to keep ernment assistance. America’s vaunted down by the massive Fed buying, the the partygoers happy. If you are one of Wall free-market economy isn’t so free any banks looked elsewhere to get a return on Street’s finest, Uncle Sam in the red-and- more—or so vaunted. their money—thus they poured money white-striped party hat will still give you a Maybe we blew the kazoo too fast. into the stock market. The artificially near-zero-percent nine-figure loan. So even low interest rates also forced investors though it’s way past their bedtime, the mar- Follow the Money and pension funds to take on more risk, kets may hum along for a little longer. So if Main Street wasn’t enjoying the cel- as they too were pushed toward the stock On the other hand, there are a lot of ebration, who was? Surely somebody was and real estate markets to earn a return on sickly looking people who have clearly having the bash of a lifetime with the gov- investment. The hedge funds and sover- drunk and danced far too much. ernment’s $3.5 trillion. eign wealth funds from around the world Bret Arends from MarketWatch asks As it turns out, all those saw what was happening. Not this question: “What do the following Fed dollars did light up a Does your budget wanting to miss an opportu- years have in common: 1853, 1906, 1929, party—and a big one. You look like America’s? nity to exploit the Fed’s mar- 1969, 1999? … Those were the peaks of just weren’t invited. Request Solve Your ket intervention, they joined the five massive, generational stock-mar- Money Troubles! Since the 2009 economic to establish order the low-interest-rate, money- ket bubbles in U.S. history. crash, and the onset of Fed in your finances. is-confetti party too. “[W]e are back there again” (July 18, money printing, markets have The artificially manipu- 2014). been on a tear. The Dow Jones lated low interest rates had According to statistics quoted by tap-danced from under 10,000 one other, even more danger- Arends, the stock market at current levels to a record high of 17,390 at the ous side effect. They encour- may be 80 percent overvalued compared end of October. Bond mar- aged people to borrow mas- to where it would be without Federal ket investors are lip-syncing sive amounts of money. Reserve intervention. Could a genera- “Happy Days.” The Federal Reserve’s easy- Banks, for example, were allowed to bor- tional market crash be looming? money policy pushed interest rates to his- row money from the Federal Reserve at We haven’t seen that hard reality hit yet. torical lows and bond prices to record highs. close to zero percent. They then took this The drums are still banging away, the saxo- In many big coastal cities, even McMansion money and re-lent it to consumers in the phones are blazing, and inebriated partiers prices are setting new highs again. form of mortgages at 4 to 5 percent. Low have taken to the tabletops. The Fed threw Unfortunately, for most people the interest rates also allowed the banks to lend the party. It hired the band. It invited the soaring markets don’t mean much. Eighty money to investors who eagerly snapped up guests. It spiked the punch bowl. But now percent of financial assets, things like the low interest loans to invest in the stock the keg is empty and the party is getting stocks, bonds and real estate, are owned by and real estate markets both at home and out of hand. It hopes it can now walk off the top 10 percent of wealthiest households. around the world. In March 2014, margin without a brawl breaking out. Most people own few stocks and bonds. debt (money borrowed to invest in stocks) The partygoers are more than a little So, after the government’s well-inten- surpassed the record highs set in 2007. inebriated, and the odds of ending this tioned intervention, we find that the rich Perversely, perhaps criminally, the politely are about as good as the lady with have gotten richer. But if you are banks were also allowed to (and almost the lampshade on her head saying “quanti- among the 90 percent, all that universally did) borrow money at near- tative easing” without slurring her words. money-printing just left you zero percent from the Federal Reserve, When reality hits this party, there will out in the cold looking in. a quasi-governmental institution, and be nothing left of this house. n

Learn how the coming crash will end by requesting a free copy of the United States and Britain in Prophecy. 9

THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 But in recent months, Israel’s isolation has grown more acute. And threats to its survival have grown more dangerous. Israel’s few security alliances are frac- turing. Turkey is turning radically Islamic. Israel vs. Egypt’s 35-year peace accord with Israel is threatened by political instability. Strained relations with the Obama administration are getting even worse. The peace treaty with Jordan that secures Israel’s eastern border now appears borderline. the World Meanwhile, Jerusalem is engulfed in The Jews face a bleak future alone. its worst violence in a decade. And the Jews’ greatest nightmare—a nuclear- The next move by the Arabs, and armed Iran—has never been closer to Israel’s response, will affect us all. becoming reality. by joel hilliker Israel’s position is getting desperate. And what happens next in this explosive region has worldwide implications.

A New Intifada “There’s a sense of free fall in Jerusalem, of events spinning out of control,” wrote David Brinn in the Jerusalem Post. “Any- one who lived here through the first and second intifadas will recognize the same jittery, nervous spirit in the streets. It used to be unsafe to board a bus; now it’s unsafe to stand at a bus stop or light rail station. Pedestrians look suspiciously out of the corner of their eyes as they walk on the street” (Nov. 5, 2014). It started this past summer, under a rain of rockets on Israeli towns launched from the Gaza Strip by the terrorist group Hamas. Then Hamas members kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. When Israel he nation of Israel is used A bbc poll last June found that global responded by arresting hundreds of Pal- to tough odds. From the day perception of Israel ranks alongside North estinians, the rocket attacks increased. it was born in 1948, it has had Korea, Pakistan and Iran as worst in the At last Israel began bombing Gaza. It sent to scratch, scrap and battle for world. In a 2014 multinational Gallup troops to destroy tunnels Hamas had bur- survival. poll, this tiny Mideast democracy tied rowed into Israeli territory. It is encircled by hostile with Tehran and Pyongyang—an Islamist Most of Israel’s Jewish citizens viewed TArab peoples that have repeatedly tried theocracy that leads the world in sponsor- Operation Protective Edge as a just war. to stamp it out. It has faced continual ing terrorism, and a murderous, nuclear- It was careful and precise, aimed at lim- censure from the United Nations—an armed totalitarian state—as the biggest iting civilian casualties as much as possi- organization stacked with Arab, Muslim threat to world peace. ble. But that goal was made far tougher by and Third World dictatorships and des- The Jews are used to this. They over- Hamas’s efforts to maximize Palestinian potisms. It has defended itself from ter- look the endless rhetoric from imams casualties in order to evoke global outrage rorism even as international opinion has and mullahs demanding their extermi- against Israel. condemned it for doing so. nation. They have grown accustomed to True to Hamas’s aims, many people The world’s motley menagerie of nations mounting evidence of anti-Semitism ris- in the West blamed the Jews for the esca- never agrees on much. But if any single ing in Europe and elsewhere. They have lation of the Gaza War. Israel’s already getty issue produces something close learned not to take personally the inexpli- poor international reputation was fur-

10 to a consensus, it is irrational cable sympathy toward Islamists exhib- ther trashed. A poll that summer asked images enmity toward the Jewish state. ited by Western liberals and academics. Israeli Jews, “How do you feel about the famous saying ‘the whole world is against sensitivity of 1.5 billion Muslims around As Mr. Netanyahu has sounded those us’?” Nearly two thirds said yes, that pretty the world.” Jordan recalled its ambassador warnings, the Obama administration has well sums up our life. from Tel Aviv. Days later, King Abdullah repeatedly pulled punches with the Islamic Since the war, leading Arabs and Mus- canceled his nation’s participation in a regime. It has legitimized the radicals in lims have incited their peoples, including ceremony marking the 20th anniversary power and disregarded popular moder- Israeli Arabs, to rise up in violence. What of the treaty with Israel. Amman warned ate opposition. It has continued negotia- has resulted looks uniquely terrifying. it would reevaluate its diplomatic ties and tions despite Iranian deceit. It has blunted The New York Times called it “a new kind even the peace accord itself. punitive measures against Tehran. It has of armed struggle, a leaderless uprising Amman’s highest leaders might still shown childish credulity and perplexing of sporadic outbursts.” Israeli Jews have value their relationship with Israel; they eagerness to make a deal at any cost. been targeted in thousands of random, need Israel to manage the Palestinians If only Washington dealt with the Jew- violent attacks using thrown rocks, Molo- and suppress Arab unrest that could spill ish state so favorably. To Israel it has been tov cocktails, weaponized fireworks, stab- over into Jordan. But the official hard line demanding, insistent, rude, insulting and bings, shootings, and even vehicles ram- reveals that the government sees a need to even profane. Mr. Netanyahu has made ming into groups of pedestrians. CITY WITHOUT PEACE The aftermath Escalation of a deadly terrorist attack near the Then, on October 29, a Palestinian gun- junction of east and west Jerusalem man shot Yehuda Glick, an Israeli activist campaigning for Jews’ rights to pray at al- Aqsa Mosque. The next day, Israeli police killed the suspected shooter, then shut down the Temple Mount. They entered al- Aqsa Mosque in order to track down riot- ers. Inside they found a cache of stones, bottles and Molotov cocktails—proof of this “place of worship” being an incubator for faith-based violence. Justified as this intrusion proved to be, however, it enraged Palestinians. A spokes- man for leader Mahmoud Abbas called it “a placate its large Palestinian population and numerous concessions to accommodate declaration of war on the Palestinian people many other Jordanians who dislike Jews. President Barack Obama’s demands—set- and its sacred places and on the Arab and Anxious Israeli leaders responded by tlement freezes, prisoner releases, nego- Islamic nation.” Abbas himself avowed, “We backing away from the Temple Mount and tiation attempts, military restraint, even will not allow our holy places to be contami- reassuring Amman that its role there will agreeing to recognize a Palestinian state. nated”—meaning “contaminated” by Jews. not change. The last thing Israel needs is But he has only received more slaps in Other Muslim leaders picked up the the loss of another valuable alliance. the face. This nation that has been Isra- banner of grievance against Israel. Turk- el’s most valuable ally—its strongest sup- ish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, for Breaking the Brotherhood porter and the biggest outside guarantor example, called Israel’s presence on the The danger Israel faces is perhaps best of its security—is now publicly hostile. Temple Mount “cruelty to the core.” encapsulated in the extraordinary situa- In October, U.S. administration offi- Among the nations tion that has developed cials publicly snubbed Israel’s defense min- expressing outrage was Bible prophecy indicates with America and Iran. ister during his visit to Washington. Soon Jordan. This is one of that hostility against Israel Israel considers the after, a senior official, speaking to promi- the few Arab states Israel will eventually prevail in Islamic Republic of Iran nent Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg has been able to rely Jordan. To learn more, read its gravest threat. The on the record, called Israel’s prime min- on for amity. Its peace “A Mysterious Alliance” at barbaric Islamic State ister a vulgar epithet signifying a lack of treaty, signed in 1994, theTrumpet.com/go/784. has stolen Middle East- courage or manliness. “The good thing has contributed greatly ern headlines, but Israeli about Netanyahu is that he’s scared to to Israel’s security. The Temple Mount Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launch wars,” the official explained. A sec- compound is administered by a Jordanian tried to keep the world focused on the far ond official told Goldberg that the White images organization; Jordan’s guardianship of the more dangerous menace posed by Iran—a House thinks Mr. Netanyahu is bluffing getty / site has existed for decades and is codified powerful state, governed by a radical ide- about preemptively striking Iran’s nuclear afp / in the 1994 treaty. ology, actively seeking regional hegemony, facilities, and called him a “coward.” arabli

h After the al-Aqsa incident, Jordan’s on the cusp of nuclear capacity, and still These comments dramati- g foreign minister insisted, “These viola- legitimized by many nations, including cally summarize the reality of mad h 11 a tions are infuriating the emotions and the giants like Russia, China and India. America’s betrayal. Firstly and THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 obviously, they epitomize the open ran- that it has found one—in Europe. Clear- Yet remarkably, the Bible’s prophe- cor that now characterizes the relationship eyed observation reveals, however, that cies foretell that the Jews, in their time between American and Israeli govern- this is a false, even dangerously naive, hope. of direst need, will still turn to Europe ments. “The crumbling of camaraderie,” The most recent evidence came in for help! The most explicit of these can David Horovitz called it in the Times of November, when Italy’s Federica Mogh- be found in Hosea 5:13 and is thoroughly Israel. This language exactly mirrors the erini became the European Union’s new explained in Trumpet editor in chief Ger- end-time prophecy of Zechariah 11:14 high representative for foreign affairs and ald Flurry’s booklet Jerusalem in Prophecy describing a “breaking of brotherhood” security policy. As her first move in office, (free upon request). between these two peoples. (Modern Israel she visited Israel. It showed the priority she Before that happens, events are cer- is biblical “Judah”—Jew is short for Judah; expects to give Israeli-Palestinian relations. tain to get worse for Israel. Zechariah 14:2 the U.S. descends from ancient Israel and Is this the alliance Israel hopes for? describes a time, to be fulfilled very soon, is called Israel in biblical prophecy.) Just before she touched down, Mogherini when half of Jerusalem will be sacked. This will be fulfilled by an intensification of As the Jews’ exactly the sort of vio- seclusion has lence engulfing that city even today! And grown, so has as Jerusalem in Proph- its yearning ecy explains, that cri- sis will trigger a cata- for a new ally. strophic chain of events. In many ways The war it ignites will engulf not only Israel it is exhibiting and the Palestinians, a strong hope but also Iran, Europe, LAST RESORT Israel’s Netanyahu America—and the (right) may soon turn to Mogherini that it has found entire world! That is (left) and the European Union. one—in Europe. what the Bible foretells. However, look Beyond that, these comments announced her ultimate goal to the French closer at Zechariah’s prophecy. In the strengthen Iran’s leverage in its quest daily Le Monde: “What would make me very same context of that eruption of for nuclear weapons. Credible evidence happy is if a Palestinian state existed at violence in Jerusalem, it describes the that Mr. Netanyahu is bluffing nullifies the end of my term.” Then, while visiting most awesome event to occur in history: an important bargaining chip for those the West Bank town of Ramallah, she said the Second Coming of Jesus Christ! (e.g. trying to thwart an Iranian nuke, while Jerusalem needs to be divided. “I think verse 4). Even the first half of verse 2 is simultaneously emboldening Tehran. Jerusalem can be and should be the capi- describing a climactic battle that will Thus the comments align with so many tal of two states,” she explained. occur at Christ’s return. “Consider it: other actions of this White House: effec- However disheartening to Israelis The Day of the Lord and the dispute over tively anti-Israel and pro-Iran. these statements may be, they reflect a one half of Jerusalem are presented in the Yet again, Israel is left even more iso- consensus sweeping through Europe. same context,” Mr. Flurry writes. “That lated and vulnerable. Shortly before Mogherini’s trip, Sweden is because when half of Jerusalem goes became the first major European nation into captivity, that crisis triggers a series Israel’s Next Ally? to unilaterally recognize a sovereign Pal- of events that lead to the return of Jesus In its young lifetime, the modern Jewish estinian state. And Sweden is unlikely to Christ! … In other words, the current state has reached out to allies with very be the last. As one senior official from dispute over East Jerusalem is a strong mixed results. At first it largely turned to another European country said, “We’re sign that the Day of the Lord is almost a little-known superpower: God. It won not going to wait forever” to recognize a here! We must wake up!” one miracle victory after another: 1948, Palestinian state. “Other European coun- Watch vigilantly as tensions start to 1967, 1973. But then it began turning to tries are poised to follow Sweden” (Wall rip Jerusalem apart. Compare the head- other allies, treaties and “peace” nego- Street Journal, Nov. 7, 2014). Both France lines to the time line of prophetic events jim

tiations. Once it did so, the miracle vic- and Britain have already introduced leg- in Zechariah and elsewhere. Watch Jeru- h ollander tories ceased, and the problems began to islation to recognize such a state, regard- salem! Events right now are following that multiply. less of Israel’s preconditions. pattern and rapidly building toward a ful- / afp

Now, with its friends peeling away and This is the best Israel can do: a potential fillment of the Bible’s prophecies about / getty its seclusion growing, Israel is “ally” with a world-war- and holocaust- what will befall Jerusalem in the very end

12 yearning for a new ally. In many stained record that wants to start things time! Watch—and recognize the immi- images ways it is exhibiting a strong hope off by splitting it and its capital in two. nence of the return of Jesus Christ. n ‘This Too Shall Pass’ What do you think would make you happier in the long term: winning the lottery—or permanently losing use of your legs in an accident? The answer may surprise you. by jeremiah jacques

any years ago, a young sul- Solomon listened. points to discoveries of ancient rings and tan ruled over a tract of terri- “Return to me in one month’s time. I’ll amulets bearing the Hebrew version of tory along the shores of the be able to help you then.” the phrase as substantiation of the Jewish M Red Sea. Each time a burst of The sultan went back to his palace, claims. Still, some versions of the Jewish prosperity came his way, the sultan’s spirits feeling elated, proud and immortal. After account depict Solomon not as authoring soared to the loftiest altitudes of pride and the prescribed duration had passed, he the proverb, but as receiving it from another. self-importance. But during times of adver- returned to Jerusalem and entered Solo- Regardless of the phrase’s origins, its sity, he always fell to the depths of discour- mon’s court. The king handed him a small wisdom and value are beyond debate. agement. His temper never knew a medium. box and told him to open it. Inside was a It is not just applicable to the wildly The sultan was frustrated by complica- ring with this Hebrew phrase etched onto intemperate sultan in the account, but to tions that entered into his life as a result of its surface: Gam zeh ya’avor. every person alive. Abraham Lincoln once the wide swings in his temperament, but This too shall pass. praised the succinct brilliance of the prov- he wasn’t sure how to pinpoint the prob- “This proverb will serve as a constant erb, saying, “How much it expresses! How lem, much less remedy it. reminder that all material conditions, pos- chastening in the hour of pride! How con- One day, news came to this sultan of a itive or negative, are temporary,” Solomon soling in the depths of affliction.” ruler in a nearby kingdom who was said said. “Wear it, remember it, and live by it.” to have boundless wisdom: Solomon, king Some have attributed the well-known Consolation in the Depths of Affliction of Judah. proverb, not to Solomon, but to medieval When a person is in the middle of a trial, Accounts of Solomon’s bewildering Persian Sufi poets, early Turkish writers or there is a tendency to think it will last wisdom made the sultan eager to seek others. The account of King Solomon and indefinitely. We have a nearly impossible his counsel. He traveled to Jerusalem and the sultan isn’t recorded in the Holy Bible, time occupying a certain moment—espe- was granted an audience with the king. He but only passed down by Jewish oral tradi- cially an emotionally difficult moment— explained his erratic nature and provided tion, so it isn’t possible to dogmatically say and imagining a future in which Solomon with examples of the oscillations the Jewish king was its author. However, in we feel differently than we do at 13 trumpet in his mood. his book This Too Shall Pass, Avi Solomon that moment. Yet, every one of us THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 can reflect back on trials that seemed hope- were abnormally difficult, and were more doesn’t mean we should limit our exposure lessly dark at one point, but eventually mel- than they could stand. The Apostle Paul to life like some kind of monk or stoic. We lowed, softened and brightened up. Time wrote to them, “There hath no temptation can drink deeply from the wells of life, but goes on, winter gives way to spring, and taken you but such as is common to man: must remember that times of prosperity as King Solomon definitely said, “the sun but God is faithful, who will not suffer are not guaranteed to last. That will help also rises” (Ecclesiastes 1:5; American King [allow] you to be tempted above that ye us avoid arrogance and extravagance—and James translation). are able; but will with the temptation also the suffering that comes with them. If we can remember that adversity will make a way to escape, that ye may be able pass, we can weather life’s storms in a way to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). This Shall NOT Pass that speeds and facilitates our growth. Man has an astonishing capacity for King Solomon said that when a person’s But what about profoundly trauma- resiliency! In the thick of a trial, we often life ends, he “shall take nothing of his tizing events? Does the sun also rise on feel like it’s more than we can bear. But rely- labour, which he may carry away in his these? Will the “this” pass even when it ing on God for help means we can bear and hand” (Ecclesiastes 5:15). You might make involves soul-grinding suffering? escape it, and build godly character in the arrangements for all of the shiny mate- In his book Stumbling on Happiness, process. When suffering comes, we should rial things you’ve collected to be crammed Daniel Gilbert says that even in the most strive to learn from it. When the time is into your coffin when you die, but it won’t extreme trials we generally bounce back. right, we should let it pass like water flow- matter. Only one thing will remain after “[R]ather than being the fragile flowers ing over a rock. this life ends. that a century of psychologists have made “[T]he spirit shall return unto God us out to be, most people are surprisingly Caution: Conquests, Too, Will Pass who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). This verse resilient in the face of trauma,” he wrote. As tough as it can be to remember dur- describes the spirit in man, which is the Gilbert cites studies that tracked people ing the throes of hardship that it will pass, depository of a person’s memory and who had suffered the loss of loved ones or it’s often even harder to keep in mind that character. (You can learn more about this had been paralyzed from the waist down times of abundance are subject to change. spirit from our free booklet What Science Can’t Discover About the Human Mind.) When someone dies, this spirit returns to God, Life is experience. It is rife with victories and who keeps it “on file” until the time of judgment described in Revelation 20:12- disappointments, prosperity and trials. We can allow 15 and other passages. them to shove us all over the emotional spectrum, The only thing that remains after death is the character a person built during life. letting prosperity rush us into extravagance, and How is that character built? In the way the person responds to all experiences, allowing adversity to hurry us into grief. both high and low, in this life. If a person built righteous character in accidents. The researchers discovered We can be joyous when we are granted with God’s help, it will never pass. that after just one year passes, almost all a victory. But we should remain grounded The Bible foretells a time when sorrow, people—whether they had permanently in gratitude toward God, and wary of rid- pain and even death will pass (e.g. Rev- lost use of their legs or a loved one—return ing an emotional high. elation 21:4; 20:14). The entire surface of to their baseline pre-loss levels of happi- One of the studies that Dr. Gilbert cited the Earth will pass away and be replaced ness. “Although more than half the peo- in his book tracked happiness levels of peo- by a “new earth” (Matthew 24:35; Revela- ple in the United States will experience a ple who won the lottery. Unsurprisingly, tion 21:1; Psalm 102:25-26). trauma such as rape, physical assault or there’s a big surge in the levels of happi- Life is experience. It is rife with vic- natural disaster in their lifetimes, only a ness that the winners report in the months tories and disappointments, prosperity small fraction will ever develop any post- just after the fortune befalls them. But the and trials. We can allow them to shove traumatic pathology,” he wrote. elation is short-lived. In fact, after one year us all over the emotional spectrum, letting This doesn’t mean the suffering from passes, the data shows that the lottery win- prosperity rush us into extravagance, and all traumas and tribulations always com- ners and the paralyzed people were equally allowing adversity to hurry us into grief. pletely dissipates. The scarring from some happy with their lives. Or we can view our experiences with a experiences is deep and may leave us with People often allow times of prosper- wider view, remembering that this phys- long-term vulnerabilities. But in most ity to inflate their egos and fill them ical life is so fleeting, and that the only cases, we are tougher than we think, and with hubris. This stifles growth, and may thing that will never pass is godly char- we have some say in how long we remain compel a person to take credit they don’t acter. With this truth firmly in mind, we injured, and to what degree. deserve, to burn interpersonal bridges, or can learn to temper our reactions. We can In the first century, some to take the prosperity for granted. learn to speed our development of temper- 14 members of the Church in Remaining mindful of the imperma- ance and other traits of godly character. Corinth believed their trials nence of prosperous physical circumstances We can learn that this too shall pass. n AFGHANISTAN Buried in Afghanistan America and Britain are the latest victims entombed in the graveyard of empires. by anthony chibarirwe

onflict comes and goes—and in Helmand province. United States two-story, 64,000-square-foot operations comes again—in Afghanistan. Marines at adjoining Camp Leatherneck center; paved roads and streets with stop- Powers rise and fall, invaders similarly left with hardly a goodbye. lights and names like Echo and 5th. C appear and disappear, occupiers Britain joined the United States in the Now, these bases are mostly dusty enter and exit. This is where superpow- “War on Terror” in Afghanistan in 2001. In ghost towns. ers go to be humiliated and then fade into 2006, the British set up camp in the Hel- With the troops gone, perhaps it is obscurity. And one after another, the head- mand province and built a military base time to ask: At what cost? Some of that stones go up in this graveyard of empires. the size of a small city to take the fight to cost is quantifiable. In terms of treasure: On October 26, Britain joined the list the Taliban in its stronghold. Camp Bas- $30 billion for the British and over $760 of demeaned world powers that failed tion housed 26,000 soldiers and became billion for the U.S. In terms of blood: to accomplish their military missions Britain’s biggest overseas military base 453 British, 2,350 Americans, and tens of in Afghanistan. It was the fourth time since World War ii. The Americans built thousands of Afghan allies. dorning

in Britain’s history. After eight years, their adjacent military city just as big: In terms of prestige: incalculable.

gary Britain’s combat operations ended with power plant; water and sewer treatment What was gained is dif- / the dramatic withdrawal from its mas- plants; grocery stores; movie theaters; ficult to ascertain and even 15 trumpet sive military complex at Camp Bastion gymnasiums; churches; a $34 million, harder to measure—especially THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 LEAVING IT BEHIND American soldiers military transport aircraft as they whisked not refugees or anything, but it kind of en route home from Afghanistan (above) away army personnel in a less-than-glori- reminded me of scenes of Vietnam, of have left behind thriving Afghan opium production, as well as a thriving Taliban. ous airborne parade that lasted 20 hours. people running to the helicopters.” Despite General Thomson’s assur- ances, the scene was starkly reminis- The Corpses in the Graves considering the circumstances of the cent of 1975 and the final withdrawal of From the onset of the latest war in departure. the United States from Saigon, Vietnam. Afghanistan, the coalition forces knew British troops kept the flag-lowering With the North Vietnamese closing in, what challenges they were up against. observance in Helmand low-key amid the U.S. embarked on the largest heli- The United States and Britain knew lives grave concerns that the Taliban would copter evacuation in history. The North would be lost. They knew billions of dol- punctuate Britain’s withdrawal with an Vietnamese had successfully attacked lars would be spent. They also knew the attack. The impression it left was that the airport runways, leaving the U.S. nature of the enemies: the Taliban, al Britain slinked away from Afghanistan with helicopter withdrawal as the only Qaeda, and their sympathizers. That’s with its tail between its legs. British offi- option. Even the choppers were report- because these were the very people the cials didn’t even speak during the cere- edly tracked by Vietnamese anti-aircraft Central Intelligence Agency had helped mony—only a U.S. general did. Back in batteries, but rather than choosing to fire, fight the Soviets. They knew the rugged

Britain, there would be no fanfare or the Communists were content to let the geographical barriers they would have to vyac

cheering crowds or marches or grand last Americans scamper away. battle. They also knew that the terrain h eslav speeches or formation fly-pasts to wel- They left behind millions of people was notorious for swallowing empires. come the lads home. in the clutches of Viet Cong and Khmer With all that foreknowledge, it is oseledko Brig. Gen. Robert Thomson, the senior Rouge monsters, who tortured, mutilated, remarkable how commanders and pol- / afp

British officer at Camp Bastion, knew what massacred, dismembered, disembow- iticians allowed the Afghanistan cam- / getty the situation looked like. But he assured eled and murdered tens of thousands or paign to deteriorate to the extent it did. the Telegraph, “This is not an evacuation. hundreds of thousands of civilian men, But it reinforces the veracity of the Bible’s images ,

I am standing here without body armor, women, children and babies. prophecies regarding the British and noorulla and we are going at walking pace.” “It was an amazing moment, but sur- American peoples today. As Herbert W.

Yet filling the skies above were assault real,” said Capt. Anthony Nguyen, a Armstrong proved in The h

s h helicopters and warplanes to cover the Vietnamese-American, after arriv- United States and Britain irzada departures of dozens of C-130 cargo planes, ing at Kandahar Airfield from in Prophecy, these nations / afp

Chinook heavy helicopters and other Helmand, Afghanistan. “We are descended from Abraham. / getty They are the recipients of

images 16 Why can’t America win a war? Request our free booklet He Was Right to learn why. the national blessings God promised for his unwavering AFGHANISTAN

British and U.S. forces were technolog- attrition rates. Between March 2012 ically superior too. and August 2014, over 2,850 Afghan After Alexander, Afghanistan was troops died in combat, and between Sep- largely left alone until around a.d. 652, tember 2013 and August 2014, over 36,000 when Arab armies of Mohammed’s soldiers deserted or were dismissed. followers conquered Herat in western As for the capabilities of the Afghan Afghanistan. But they too could not over- military, the public will never know whelm the country’s mountain tribes. them exactly because that information Learning from history, however, was abruptly classified by the United isn’t America’s or Britain’s strong point. States-led coalition. A U.S. Army The Britons have invaded Afghanistan spokesman explained that the decision before—also to their detriment. During was intended to fulfill coalition forces’ the first Anglo-Afghan War of 1839-1849, “responsibility to protect data that could in one battle alone, 16,000 British troops jeopardize the operational security of were exterminated, leaving behind a sin- our Afghan partners” during the transfer gle survivor. The second Anglo-Afghan of security responsibilities. It was more War of 1878 was another quagmire that likely intended to obscure the prospect again ended with the withdrawal of the that the Afghan Army—like the Iraqi technologically superior army. Army, and the South Vietnamese Army The Soviet Union gave Afghanistan before it—will collapse after Western its best shot beginning in 1979 in a cam- forces leave. paign against the Mujahideen. It ended in That will leave behind a population a humiliating stalemate in 1989. Months once again in the bloodstained hands later, the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet of the Taliban, whose religious leaders obedience. But now, because Abraham’s Empire collapsed. commit suicide bombings, enslavement, modern descendants are unquestion- When the war on terror began, the starvation, systematic massacres, rape, ably and adamantly disobedient, God is United States and Britain had all this his- torture, murder and terrorism—mostly removing those blessings and replacing tory to learn from. But in they went. And funded by extorting a narcotic crop and them with curses. (Request your free copy now out they are coming. making it available for heroin addicts. of The United States and Britain in Prophecy.) Only nations operating under a curse, Speaking of the Taliban’s favorite cash Shortly after 9/11 in 2001, then-Secre- knowing such tragic history, would repeat crop, has the coalition curbed Afghani- tary of State Colin Powell told the nation it. The Bible shows that while God once stan’s poppy production? Unfortunately, on nbc’s Meet the Press, “I can assure you mightily blessed the United States and even after $10 billion spent on counter- that our military will have plans that will Britain, He is withdrawing those bless- narcotics over the past decade, the opium go against their weaknesses, and not get ings. He is removing “[t]he mighty man, hectarage in Afghanistan has more than trapped in ways that previous armies have and the man of war, the judge, and the doubled—from 91,000 hectares in 1999 to gotten trapped in Afghanistan.” prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 209,000 hectares in 2013. That’s enough Those previous armies that have been The captain of fifty, and the honourable opium to supply 90 percent of the world’s trapped in Afghanistan go all the way man, and the counsellor, and the cunning demand—while bankrolling the Taliban. back to the Hellenic army of Alexan- artificer, and the eloquent orator” from And which Afghan province grows 48 der the Great. Afghanistan was one of the leadership in these nations (Isaiah percent of the nation’s opium-producing Alexander’s most difficult expeditions, 3:2-3). He is breaking “the pride of [their] crop? Helmand province. as Seth Jones notes in his book In the power,” and as a consequence, these Afghanistan’s leadership crisis has Graveyard of Empires: America’s War nations’ “strength shall be spent in vain” been another shameful debacle. A pres- in Afghanistan. “His adversaries were (Leviticus 26:19-20). idential election was supposed to have not conventional European armies facilitated Afghanistan’s first-ever peace- but tribesmen and horse warriors who Something to Show? ful democratic transfer of power. And yet, inhabited the steppes and mountains Britain and the United States have little when rival candidates Abdullah Abdullah of the region. Both sides fought barba- to show for all they have expended in and Ashraf Ghani refused to accept the rously. Alexander’s army was techni- Afghanistan. Reconstruction efforts have results of a run-off election, they essen- cally superior to the local forces they been pricey—and largely unsuccessful. tially pushed the nation to the brink of faced, but it needed to clear and hold Take for instance the effort to rebuild ethnic civil war. an expansive territory. … Despite the the Afghan Army. In October, the Office This turmoil was another demonstra- bloodletting, his army failed to subju- of the Special Inspector General for tion of a supposedly liberated nation com- gate Afghanistan’s population, and his Afghanistan Reconstruction reported ing unhinged, and the Taliban tenuous grasp on the region collapsed to Congress that Afghan security forces reveled in it. After bombing 17 after his death in 323 b.c.” faced significant war casualties and high ➤ AFGHANISTAN on page 36 THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 SPENT IN VAIN hen America was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, it declared a war on terror. For the next 13 years, it W fought to defeat tyranny, destroy weapons of mass destruction, and promote democracy and Western ideals. American firepower would make the world a better place— it was hoped. The opposite happened. In the Iraq and Afghanistan battlefields alone, some 2.5 million United States troops put their lives on the line. Yet an Iraqi civil war and an indefatigable Taliban are destroying all America built. In Somalia and Yemen, American drones hover in the skies above and rain fire on enemies below. Yet America’s allies are on the run. In Egypt, U.S. pressure helped topple a dictator ally and replace him with a democratically elected terrorist who hated America. Another coup soon followed, and a new dictator. In Libya, America bombed Muammar Qadhafi. In his wake came warring militias with terrorist links, a dead U.S. ambassador, and an ongoing deadly civil war that has killed tens of thousands. America has great power, but in theater after theater U.S. policy is failing dramatically. Why? The simple truth is that America is being cursed by God. Leviticus 26 describes: “And I will break the pride of your power lorenz … And your strength shall be spent in vain” (verseskiall 19-20). The following examples dramatically illustrate how true that prophecy has become. IRAQ In 2003, Iraq was invaded by a U.S.-led coalition to remove LIBYA Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, destroy weapons of mass destruction, and create a democracy. Eight years later, 7,888 In 1967, Col. Muammar Qadhafi inherited one of the poorest U.S. soldiers and contractors were dead, along with 190,000 nations in Africa. By the time he was assassinated, Libya Iraqi civilians. Total cost including reconstruction: $2.2 trillion. was Africa’s wealthiest nation. Libya had the highest life Less than two years after America declared “mission complete,” expectancy and highest gross domestic product per capita mgkaya the U.S.-built Iraqi Army had virtually collapsed, the radical / on the continent. Fewer people lived below the poverty line com Islamic State had proclaimed a caliphate, Iraq was engulfed in . than in the Netherlands. In some respects, it was considered civil war, and over 24,000 more people were dead. Today, Iraq istock the Switzerland of Africa. Wealth was being generated; is essentially split into three warring regions: the area controlled , © schools and hospitals were running, and were free. In 2011, by the Islamic State in the middle, a Kurdish autonomous the U.S. led an air campaign supporting the “Arab Spring,” blackred region in the north, and a Shiite-controlled south. On Nov. 7, / ousting Qadhafi from power. The result was catastrophic. Oil com

. 2014, President Barack Obama announced he would send 1,500 production was halved to 810,000 barrels per day. Since 2011, additional troops back to Iraq to support the 1,500 who already istock 32,000 people have been killed. The nation is locked in war.

, © returned to the country America just withdrew from. 18 It is a terrorist haven, and some 250 militias now “run” what trumpet once was the wealthiest country in Africa. AFGHANISTAN After more than 13 years of war and the death of Osama bin Laden, America is bringing its troops home. The war cost $710 billion and 2,349 lives of American soldiers. The result: After spending $56 billion to equip the Afghan Army, it is unclear whether it will continue the fight the Taliban—or switch sides and join it. At the start of the war, the Taliban fielded an estimated 2,000 soldiers. Now, that number has swelled to 60,000. The mission is a failure in other ways too. America invested $7.6 billion in programs to counter opium production, but opium production is now twice what it was when America first invaded. Afghan leaders now appear to be cutting deals with the Taliban in preparation for America’s complete withdrawal.

YEMEN

In 2009, President Obama approved a drone- bombing campaign to help the Yemeni government combat Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the north. America’s involvement turned the local populace against the ruling government. By 2011, the Yemeni Army and American drones were also fighting al Qaeda in the south. Today the country is mixed in civil war, its capital city is controlled by the Houthi, and the U.S.-backed government faces collapse.

EGYPT SOMALIA In February 2011, America helped push long-standing ally Hosni Mubarak from the presidency. This ushered in an era of Washington is trying to help the Somali government to instability and violence. Three leaders later, GDP growth is cut 1) retake control of vast parts of its country lost to the Iranian- in half from 4 percent to less than 2 percent; unemployment sponsored terrorist group al-Shabaab, and 2) maintain a has jumped from 9 percent to 12 percent; external debt foothold on the strategic Gulf of Aden waterway. In October has climbed from $34.7 billion to $45.3 billion. Meanwhile, 2013, President Obama approved U.S. boots on the ground vehicle thefts have increased fourfold, homicides have tripled, to act as advisers. About 220 terrorist operatives have been and armed robberies have risen from 233 the year before killed by U.S. drone strikes. About $700 million has been Mubarak’s resignation to 2,807 in 2012. Politically, America’s spent propping up the Somali National Army and training one-time ally now regards the U.S. with skepticism. African Union forces to combat al-Shabaab. So far, al-Shabaab remains undeterred. 19 BOOTS ON THE GROUND Berlin isn’t afraid to deploy its troops where others fear to tread, like the roads of Kunduz.

Stepping Into America’s Footprint Germany: a country with a grown-up foreign policy by richard palmer

n October, Britain slunk ignomin- is becoming more assertive. As America dependable ally—the one least likely to cut iously out of Afghanistan. The United retreats from the world, Germany is start- and run. In fact, the Germans seem more States is also itching to get out. “The ing to fill the footprints it has left behind. dependable than the Americans them- bottom line is, it’s time to turn the selves. It would not be inconceivable for I Policing the Middle East page on more than a decade in which so Germany to stay put even after America much of our foreign policy was focused Britain’s politicians may be trying to con- adds Afghanistan to the list of countries on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,” U.S. vince the public that Afghanistan is a job it has messily left behind. President Barack Obama said in May 2014, well done, but Germany’s are not. The best Meanwhile, Germany has sent a team sticking to his self-imposed withdrawal German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter to Irbil in Kurdistan to decide whether the deadline of 2016. Steinmeier could bring himself to say in Bundeswehr should deploy there to train But there is one country in no hurry to an Oct. 12, 2014, newspaper column was the Kurds. Germany has already joined leave: Germany. that, compared to Iraq and Syria, “the America, Britain, France and other West- German Chancellor Angela Merkel results in Afghanistan are fairly respect- ern nations in arming the Kurds, and has wants America to extend the nato mis- able” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntag- flown some Kurdish soldiers back to Ger- sion beyond 2016, German newsmaga- szeitung). many for training. Berlin has deployed a zine Spiegel reported on October 12, citing But Steinmeier didn’t just denounce the handful of soldiers to Iraq to train the anonymous sources. Chancellor Merkel mission with faint praise. He also implic- Kurds and is now considering a more sub- reportedly told a parliamentary commit- itly campaigned to extend it. He warned stantial deployment. Steinmeier said he’d tee that she doubted that local security against “hastily leaving the country, like received “signals” from other European forces will be competent by the time Ger- the Americans did in Vietnam in 1975”— Union nations that they may be interested man soldiers are scheduled to leave. and have been prone to do ever since. in joining such an effort. Meanwhile, Germany is investigating With Britain drawing its forces down, Germany is also considering going the possibility of sending soldiers to Iraq. Germany could become the second-largest beyond Kurdistan and training Sunni And the Green Party—one of the nation’s foreign force in Afghanistan. The German fighters in Iraq as well. On October 31, alex

sc

most pacifist political groups—has called force has come a long way during 13 years Chancellor Merkel said, “If we were asked, h midt for German boots on the ground in Syria of war there. Berlin began the mission as we would consider training Sunni soldiers, / afp

as part of a United Nations mission. a finicky partner to the U.S., undertak- not just Kurds.” Merkel said the Sunnis / getty America’s foreign policy is ing only certain missions and pointing to had been “badly treated” by the previous

20 becoming increasingly disas- its pacifist constitution and reluctant pub- Shiite-dominated government in Bagh- images trous. Meanwhile, Germany’s lic. Yet now Germany is America’s most dad, oppression that has given Islamic AFGHANISTAN

State terrorists a strong following among of North Africa into a new battleground in force as any other. German leaders Sunnis. the war against terror. Terrorism surged in revealed recently that they are inves- Overall, Germany’s foreign policy Algeria. The West had to step in to prevent tigating a new military mission every few seems to be quickly coming of age. For Mali being completely overrun. Radical weeks. example, Germany wants to confront the Islamists gained control of some of Qad- To this point, however, the nation Islamic State and bring order to the chaos hafi’s advanced weapons. And Libya is still has made this transformation without in Iraq—but not in such a way that hands suffering under civil war—a deadly no- increasing its military budget. Germany the whole region over to Iran. Therefore man’s land and playground for terrorists. is doing more with less. And the only way Merkel suggests that Germany work with The whole region would be far better it has managed to do so is by cutting back Iran’s Sunni adversaries. America’s short- off had the West followed Germany’s lead, on maintenance. sighted thinking means it usually focuses not America’s. The result has been a series of embar- only on the crisis at hand. Here Germany rassing breakdowns. Only 42 of Germa- is thinking of the future. Pushed to the Limit ny’s 109 Eurofighters and 38 of its 89 Tor- Confronting the Islamic State has sup- In January 2014, Germany’s top lead- nados are flightworthy. Only 70 of the port from across Germany’s political ers announced a new direction for the army’s 180 armored vehicles are opera- spectrum. Even the Green Party, which nation’s foreign policy. “[W]e Germans tional. Its navy has similar problems: Only can usually be counted on to oppose any are advancing towards a form of respon- 7 of its 11 ships and a quarter of its subma- use of the German Army, favors the mis- sibility that has not yet become routine rines are combat-ready. sion, given the right conditions. “[The for us,” German President Joachim Gauck Defense Minister von der Leyen was so Islamic State] can only be beaten militar- told the Munich Security Conference. concerned by the problems that she com- ily,” Greens parliamentary leader Katrin “In my opinion, Germany should make missioned external auditors to examine Göring-Eckardt told the Süddeutsche a more substantial contribution, and it the state of the Army. The auditors con- Zeitung on October 13. Germany “must should make it earlier and more decisively cluded that the military cannot handle be prepared to deploy the Bundeswehr in if it is to be good partner.” any more missions. an operation,” she said. She was clear that German Defense Minister Ursula von Yet Germany keeps pushing on. In she wanted a United Nations mandate for a der Leyen and Foreign Minister Steinmeier addition to the possible new mission in mission—but still, for the Green Party this made similar statements. It was a call to Iraq, it is now considering sending drones marked a rare call to arms. action, and even a call to arms, from the top and 200 soldiers to Ukraine. Steinmeier ruled out any German decision makers in German government. deployment to Syria. But boots on the The change in Germany’s foreign pol- Fixing the Weakness ground is not the only option. The Stiftung icy was not immediate. It was not as sim- These maintenance troubles are prompt- Wissenschaft und Politik (swp) think tank, ple as turning the German foreign policy ing a national debate about the mili- which advises the German parliament, has switch from “off” to “on.” But nearly a tary budget. Once again, former Ger- called for the establishment of a no-fly zone. year down the line, there is a clear differ- man Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu ence in Germany’s military complexion. Guttenberg has led the way, writing in Wise Restraint Berlin currently has the Bundeswehr the September 3 Wall Street Journal, “It is Of course, a mature foreign policy doesn’t deployed in 16 foreign missions. Most appalling that Germany recently decided mean sending in the army at every sign of recently, Germany agreed to deploy up to to cut military spending by about €800 trouble. When it comes to withholding its 100 soldiers to Senegal to combat the spread million (us$1.05 billion) in 2015.” military, Germany has also proved wiser of Ebola. With 1,537 soldiers in Afghanistan, By the end of the month Germany’s than Britain and America. 677 in Kosovo, 290 fighting piracy off the whole political class was “pondering aloud In 2011, Britain, France and Amer- coast of East Africa, 145 patrolling south- the possible revision of what has long been ica led a military intervention in Libya, ern Lebanon, 251 manning missile batter- a political no-go: raising the budget for enforcing a no-fly zone in the air and ies in Turkey, 151 training soldiers in Mali, defense spending,” as the New York Times deploying special forces on the ground. 4 conducting a similar training mission in put it (Sept. 29, 2014). Germany, by contrast, refused to get Somalia, 247 patrolling the Mediterranean, “Now I am being asked whether we involved. In many circles within Germa- as well as many other smaller deployments, should spend more money,” German ny’s current government, that was viewed the German military is being stretched to defense expert Thomas Wiegold said. as a mistake. Immediately after the attack, its limits. It is a military developed in the “That has never happened before” (ibid). Germany’s nato allies labeled it as “an Cold War to fight Russian tanks in Europe. America has the resources, the army unreliable partner,” and America and It was specifically designed not to be and the power to take responsibility for France lost trust in Berlin. deployed abroad. Though the reform pro- many of the problems around the world. Now, however, trust lost has been cess has begun, Germany is clearly strug- But it lacks the will. regained. Look at the disastrous results gling to meet the demands being made of it. Germany doesn’t have the same of the Libyan intervention. Muammar Nonetheless, in just under a year, Ger- resources as America does, yet. Qadhafi was a brutal dictator, but at least many has gone from being a reluctant mil- But it has will and foresight that 21 he opposed radical Islam. His fall turned all itary power to one just as willing to use America lacks. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 nation’s foreign has been smitten and slain by the David ONE AFTER ANOTHER A German soldier stands on a Soviet relic in Feyzabad. policy, but, at the who had both.” same time, it is Diplomacy “will tap the hidden sources welding entire bri- of national strength and transform them gades onto itself. fully and securely into political realities,” he continued, since it gives direction to The Vital the national effort. Importance of This gets to the heart of America’s Wise Diplomacy weakness and Germany’s strength. Amer- “Of all the factors ica has abundant resources and has spent that make for the vast amounts on its military. Yet it is power of a nation, wasted because of the childish diplomacy the most impor- at its head. Germany lacks the resources t a nt , howe ve r and the huge army, air force and navy. Yet unstable, is the it is much better at handling what it has. quality of diplo- We are witnessing the rise of one power Of the two, the shortfall in equipment macy,” Hans J. Morgenthau, one of the and the fall of another. Great powers that is far easier to make up for. 20th century’s greatest thinkers on the act foolishly do not last long. Meanwhile, As we enter 2015, Germany seems poised subject of international relations, wrote Germany is already acting like a great to upgrade its military to match its for- in his book Politics Among Nations. power, even though it does not yet have eign-policy ambitions. Once it commits To Morgenthau, diplomacy meant the world-class military of one. Mogherini’s to spending the money, Germany will not more than polite niceties and getting This is a reversal the Trumpet has fore- take long to solve its maintenance troubles. along with other nations. When he used cast for years. During that time, Germany It is far easier to order the spare parts of a the term diplomacy, he was talking about has gone from being a divided nation and bunch of planes than to order new squad- the nation’s decision making, its foreign the sick man of Europe to the undisputed rons. And Germany has an even more pow- policy, how it uses the resources at its dis- leader of the Continent. erful option on the table: military-sharing. posal and how it confronts problems. This rise, and this transformation into If Europe’s militaries work together, “All of the other factors that determine a power willing to take responsibility for they will have the necessary resources national power are, as it were, the raw its neighborhood with military force, is to replace America in their neighboring material out of which the power of a nation one of the top trends to watch in 2015. regions of North Africa and the Middle is fashioned,” Morgenthau wrote. “The The changes we have seen in the last few East. And Germany is leading the way in quality of a nation’s diplomacy combines months are certain to accelerate. But bibli- this cooperation. The Dutch Airmobile those different factors into an integrated cal prophecy reveals the ultimate outcome Brigade has already been subordinated to whole, gives them direction and weight, of this development. It will be a repeat of the German Army, and one of its mecha- and awakens their slumbering potential- the role Germany has frequently played nized brigades is preparing to follow suit. ities by giving them the breath of actual throughout history: that of instigating On Oct. 29, 2014, von der Leyen signed power.” war. The next time, though, that war will an agreement with Polish Deputy Prime “[A] competent diplomacy can increase unfold on a horrific scale, eclipsing any- Minister and Defense Minister Tomasz the power of a nation beyond what one thing the world has experienced before. Siemoniak to tie the Polish Army more would expect it to be in view of all the fac- To read about this prophesied war, tightly to the German Army. tors combined,” he wrote. “Often in his- request our free booklet Germany and the Under the agreement, a Polish bat- tory the Goliath without brains or soul Holy Roman Empire. n talion will serve under a German bri- gade, and vice versa. The two armies will conduct training and exercises together, exchange officers, and develop common What happened the rules and standards so they can integrate more closely in the future. last time Germany “The hour has come, finally, for con- crete steps towards a European army,” Hans-Peter Bartels, chairman of the Ger- built up its military? man parliament’s defense committee, said Like today, the world was unconcerned—at first. this past summer. “Germany is driving

To see what happened and how history getty the European army project,” wrote Die

Welt at the time. will repeat itself, request our free booklet images Germany’s army may be Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.

22 (2) struggling to keep up with the ➤ SPANKING from page 7 Parents Are Teachers American parents, need to think deeply “To the extent that the child under- Robert Siegel stated this at the beginning about. After referring to the use of the stands and appreciates genuinely that the of his interview with Elizabeth Gershoff: Bible to support physical punishment, child is loved by the parent, and that even “The principle of spare the rod and spoil he said, “Kids need discipline. How and though it hurts, the parent’s intent is to the child was commonly observed until when did this change for so many Ameri- help the child—to the extent that the child not long ago. Those who beat their chil- cans?” At one time, especially in America, understands that, the consequences are dren could cite the Bible. The book of parents did rely on the Bible to instruct not negative,” Professor Dodge told Chris- Proverbs equates not physically punish- them how to raise families. Our Founding tian Science Monitor. ing a son with hating him. Kids need dis- Fathers built a societal foundation predi- “If the child interprets it as a parent cipline. How and when did this change for cated on families following the principles who is out of control, or a parent who does so many Americans?” of the Bible to live, grow and build a suc- not love the child—a parent being hurt- The expression “spare the rod and cessful nation. Our generation has lost ful and hateful—that is the bad message spoil the child” is not found in the Bible. sight of this primary American value. and the mechanism by which [the neg- However, the proverb he referred to is What is the result? Our families are ative outcome] happens,” Dodge contin- Proverbs 13:24: “He that spareth his rod dysfunctional, and the nation they consti- ued. This is the most important point to hateth his son: but he that loveth him tute is now in obvious and serious decline. consider in regard to the whole corporal chasteneth him betimes.” A more mod- America has become a nation living with- punishment issue. ern translation reads, “Whoever spares out more than spanking. We are a nation Instead of getting rid of corporal pun- the rod hates his son, but he who loves ishment, educators should work to pro- him is diligent to discipline him” (Eng- Spanking isn’t Mogherini’s vide the right education for parents on lish Standard Version). the real question. how to properly raise their children, Many academic, scholarly and liberal- including clear instruction on when and minded people hold contempt for the Holy The real question how to use corporal punishment. Bible. You can sense that contempt in Sie- is: What is the right gel’s words, “Those who beat their chil- way to raise children? The New Spanking dren could cite the Bible.” Nowhere in Some scholars warn against the serious the Bible are parents given permission to guilty of allowing our children to comfort, psychological harm done to children physically abuse their children. However, teach and nurture themselves. In bitter- when parents use non-spanking pun- parents are instructed to be loving teach- ness and resentment, our children have ishment such as screaming at children. ers. In the Authorized Version the Eng- become our oppressors (Isaiah 3:12). Study Screaming is now called the “new spank- lish word chasteneth is translated from this verse. It is more than a condemnation ing.” This is common in the more permis- the Hebrew musar, which means to give of children—it is an indictment against sive, white, educated families. instruction, warning, reproof and rebuke. parents who fail to build proper families. Some experts now believe that when When God created family, He gave The Bible is full of examples of what a parent “loses it” or verbally “goes bal- parents a full-time responsibility to raise happens to families and nations that listic” on their children, it can be more their children to be respectful, obedient, desire to live without godly spanking damaging psychologically than spank- hardworking, law-abiding, socially con- and the love, teaching, chastening, guid- ing. Yet no one is advocating a legal ban tributing, happy adults. This complete ing and nurturing that goes with it. Study on moms and dads screaming at their child-rearing package requires time and the life of our first parents, Adam and Eve. children. considerable effort. Notice carefully that They chose to disbelieve God, and they While the Peterson case certainly rebuke—which at times requires physi- ended up raising a delinquent son who flushed the furor and disagreement over cal punishment, or “the rod”—is only murdered his brother (Genesis 3 and 4). spanking back into the limelight, doesn’t a part of proper child rearing. Anyone This common tragedy of dysfunctional it also reveal a bigger problem—the tragic truly wanting to help their children and parenting does not have to happen to you state of confusion and disarray in Amer- fix their family problems must get back and your family. ican families? Spanking does not cause to a Bible-based formula for child rearing. Request a free copy of Herbert W. Arm- child abuse, partner-to-partner abuse or Family was created by God. And God strong’s groundbreaking classic book The wrecked marriages. Our selfish, self-cen- has an incredible purpose for this insti- Incredible Human Potential. This book will tered human nature does. tution that few understand. God wants reveal to you the true nature of God and No academic study can help us here. every human being to be born into His His purpose for the human family. If you Who in this country, or in this world, own divine Family (e.g. Genesis 1:26; John want to do further study on proper ways to knows how to make family work? Who 3:1-8). He is a Father, and He wants His rear children, request a free subscription knows how to build strong families that children raised to meet their potential! to the Royal Vision magazine. You can also will not tear down society, but will help visit our informative website featuring build it up? Spanking isn’t the real ques- Living Without Spanking hundreds of articles on Chris- tion. The real question is: What is the Knowingly or not, Siegel makes an impor- tian living subjects such as child 23 right way to raise children? tant point all parents, but especially rearing at www.pcog.org. n THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:18-22; Revised Standard Version). The billions now living on Earth not only are ignorant of the most important knowledge—who and what God is— What Do You they seem not to want to know! They are willingly in ignorance of this most impor- tant knowledge and relationship possible Know About God? in human life! Astonishing—but true! To most people, God is a mystery. And why have humans been willingly But He need not be! ignorant of man’s most important rela- tionship? One explanation, only, is pos- by herbert w armstrong . sible! All nations have been deceived (Rev- elation 12:9). was returning to my hotel in And this was spoken of ancient Israel, New Delhi some years ago from a a nation to which God had revealed Him- First Century A.D. Concept private conference with the late Mrs. self by many evidences and miracles. How Coming to the New Testament, we catch I Indira Gandhi, Prime Minis- much less do other nations know a glimpse of the ignorance of any knowl- ter of India. Ever since about God—about edge about God. The scholarly of the arriving in India I who and what world in the first century were the Athe- had noticed cows God is! nian intellectuals. Some of them encoun- and oxen wan- Neverthe- tered the Apostle Paul in Athens. dering through less, other nations “Then certain philosophers of the Epi- the streets. I had are human beings cureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered never seen such just like the nation him. And some said, What will this bab- animals straying Israel. It is impor- bler say? other some, He seemeth to be a loosely through tant that you setter forth of strange gods: because he city streets in any notice God calls preached unto them Jesus, and the resur- other country. these humans His rection. And they took him, and brought “Don’t these cattle stray own children. Many people him unto Areopagus [atop Mars Hill], quite a distance from home?” I asked of say, “God just doesn’t seem real to saying, May we know what this new doc- the car driver. me.” God is a great mystery to them. Their trine, whereof thou speakest, is? … “Oh yes,” he answered. own human fathers don’t seem like a mys- “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ “But when,” I asked, “they wander all tery. They seem real. hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I per- over the streets so far away, how do their God does reveal Himself to us in the ceive that in all things ye are too supersti- owners find them, to drive them back Bible, if we will just understand it, so that tious. For as I passed by, and beheld your home for the night?” He will seem real to us. devotions [objects of worship—Revised The car driver smiled. “The owners Standard Version], I found an altar with don’t. But the cattle and oxen know their Why Does God Seem Unreal? this inscription, to the unknown God. owners and where they live. They find Of the peoples of the Roman Empire, God Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, their own way home in the evening.” inspired the Apostle Paul to write: “For him declare I unto you. God that made Immediately I thought of the scripture the wrath of God is revealed from heaven the world and all things therein, seeing in the first chapter of Isaiah, which I had against all ungodliness and wickedness that he is Lord of heaven and earth … never understood so perfectly before this of men who by their wickedness suppress he giveth to all life, and breath, and all living explanation. the truth. For what can be known about things; And hath made of one blood all “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: God is plain to them, because God has nations of men for to dwell on … the earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished shown it to them. Ever since the creation … For in him we live, and move, and have and brought up children, and they have of the world his invisible nature, namely, our being …” (Acts 17:18-19, 22-26, 28). rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his his eternal power and deity [spiritual], has And now what of the scholarly of our owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but been clearly perceived in the things that Western world today? Education has Israel doth not know, my people doth not have been made [physical]. So they are become a matter of memory instillation. trumpet consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden without excuse; for although they knew From elementary grades to higher grad- / with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children [about] God they did not honor him uate levels of study, our educational sys- melissa

that are corrupters: they have for- as God or give thanks to him, but they tems inject ready-made concepts, ideol- barreiro 24 saken the Lord, … they are gone became futile in their thinking and their ogies and a mixture of facts and fables away backward” (Isaiah 1:2-4). senseless minds were darkened. Claiming into the unsuspecting minds of children, THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 youths and young adults. Students in But why? God, Creator of Universe our school systems are graded according Why willingly ignorant? In Romans 8:7 God is Creator of all—of everything in to how well they accept, memorize and it is stated plainly that the natural mind of the vast universe—the stars, the galax- can recite or write in tests what has been humans is hostile against God. This does ies in endless space, this Earth, man and taught—whether true or false. not necessarily mean that all unconverted everything in the Earth. Modern education has given univer- human minds are actively, intentionally, That is what God is—what He does. sal acceptance to the fable of evolution. maliciously hostile. Most humans are He creates! He designs, forms and Evolution is the agnostic’s or atheist’s passively hostile against God. They sim- shapes. He gives life! He is the great attempt to explain the existence of a cre- ply do not normally think about God. If giver. And His law—His way of life—is ation without the preexistence of the Cre- God is mentioned they become embar- the way of giving, not getting, which is ator. It removes God from the picture. It rassed and often try to change the subject. the way of this world. blinds itself to the mystery by attempting They probably do not realize, in their own But what is God like? Who is God? to remove God altogether. minds, that they have a hostile attitude There have been many conceptions. Some toward God. Yet that is the very reason, believe God is merely the good or good Material Creation Seems Real psychologically, why they want to avoid intentions within each human—merely The creation is material, visible, and the subject. In other words, the average some part of each human individual. therefore seems real. The system of mod- person has an unrealized passive hostility Some have imagined God was some kind ern education has become entirely mate- against God. Without realizing it actively, of idol composed of gold or silver, or rialistic. The modern scientific concept they want God to “keep His nose out of carved out of wood, stone or other mate- denies the invisible and the spiritual as their business”—except at a time when rial. The Israelites thought, while Moses having existence. Yet all our seemingly they are in deep trouble and they cry out was communing with God on Mount unsolvable problems and the evils in this for God’s help. Sinai, that God was, or looked like, a world are spiritual in nature. Spiritual things—invisible things—are golden calf. I quoted above from the first chapter of a mystery to them. They do not under- Many think God is a single individual the book of Romans. The 28th verse says, stand those things, real though they supreme Personage. Some thought He was “… they did not like to retain God in their are, because they cannot see them. They a spirit. But the generally accepted teach- knowledge.” Little or nothing is taught remain a deep mystery so they deny their ing of traditional Christianity is that God about God, but even in the elementary existence. is a trinity—God in three persons: Father, grades the basic concept—the approach What does the Bible reveal about Son and Holy Spirit, which they call a to knowledge—is evolution. who and what is God? It is only in this “Ghost.” The word trinity is not found in Is it any wonder, then, that the schol- inspired book that God reveals Him- the Bible, nor does the Bible teach this arly do not know who or what God is? self. But mankind in general has never doctrine. They believe what they have been taught. believed God—that is, what God says! So what does the Bible teach? n Who is God? That’s just the first question!

This article is an excerpt from Chapter 1 ofMystery of the Ages, by Herbert W. Armstrong. This one book will lead you through a comprehensive overview of the entire Bible. Order your FREE copy for the Bible’s answers to life’s seven most important mysteries:

• Who and What Is God? • Mystery of Angels and Evil Spirits • Mystery of Man • Mystery of Civilization • Mystery of Israel • Mystery of the Church • Mystery of the Kingdom of God 25 trumpet INCREASE YOUR BIBLE IQ World Peace Coming Soon Our world is full of war and violence. Will we ever have peace?

The Philadelphia he world is at war. Islamic State terror- was this messenger, and what was His message? Mat- Trumpet, in conjunction ists are slashing their way across the Middle thew 4:23. with the Herbert W. East. Iran continues building nuclear weap- Jesus Christ was a news reporter who brought Armstrong College ons. The United States and North Korea are in advance news. He reported news before it had hap- Bible Correspondence T a nuclear standoff. People in Africa, South America, pened! He delivered a sensational announcement of Course, presents this Asia and even Europe are suffering armed conflicts, the most colossal future event ever to occur in human brief excursion into and terror continuously threatens the free world. history. His message was the gospel, or “good news,” the fascinating study Right now, there are over 20 wars or significant armed of a coming government—the Kingdom of God. This of the Bible. Simply conflicts taking place around the globe, directly or government will be a literal, world-ruling govern- turn to and read in indirectly affecting the lives of millions. On top of ment established here on Earth. your Bible each verse all this, we suffer violence, corruption, crime, greed 4. Who will lead that impending world-ruling given in answer to the and deceit in our nations, our cities and our homes. regime? Luke 1:30-33; John 18:36-37; Revelation 11:15. questions. You will be Today, the number one problem facing us is actu- 5. But where is Jesus Christ now? Will He return amazed at the new ally human survival! to Earth? Acts 1:11; John 14:3. understanding gained Will we ever see world peace? Many leaders in 6. What will be His primary task when He comes from this short study! government, science and education agree that world back? Acts 3:20-21. peace is possible only through world government. But Verse 21 talks about a restitution, or restoration, of they also agree that such a government is impossible. all things. As we will see, at one time the world was Is universal peace impossible? Is world govern- at peace. Christ is looking forward to His return so ment just a theory? Are we doomed to live in this He can restore that peace to the whole Earth! violent world until it finally explodes? 7. When He returns, what will His office be? Zech- You need to understand what the Bible says about ariah 14:9. this. It accurately describes our modern world and In order to restore all things, Christ will return as specifies that it is headed for even worse violence in King of kings and begin by restoring the government of the immediate future. But it also forecasts a future God over the entire Earth (Revelation 19:16; Isaiah 9:6-7). filled with hope—to occur in your lifetime! Open your Bible and answer the questions in this study The Cause of World Violence directly from the Scriptures, and prove this inspir- At one time, perhaps millions of years ago, the peace- ing vision of soon-coming peace! producing government of God existed on this planet. God placed angels here to administer that govern- A Coming World Government ment and beautify His creation (see Job 38:4-7, where God revealed the course of future history to a young they are called “morning stars” and “sons of God”). man more than 2,500 years ago. During the time of But these angels failed at this job when Lucifer, the the great Chaldean Empire (circa 626-539 b.c.), King archangel over them, rebelled against God (Isaiah Nebuchadnezzar had a startling dream. None of his 14:12; Ezekiel 28:14-15; Jude 6). magicians and astrologers could tell him the dream. 1. What was Lucifer’s sin? Isaiah 14:13-14. But the dream and its meaning were revealed to a 2. Lucifer rebelled against his Creator. Did man do young Jew named Daniel. In Daniel 2, we see that this the same thing? Genesis 3:2-6. dream actually revealed the scope of world events that God gave the first human beings a choice. They would flow from that time right up to the present day! could obey Him and restore His government, or they 1. What was the dream? Daniel 2:31-35. And what could create a society of their own making—not was the interpretation? Verses 36-43. based on His perfect law and government, but on 2. After viewing the last symbol in this succession their own ideas, influenced by Lucifer (now named of world-ruling empires, what did Nebuchadnezzar Satan) and his adversarial lifestyle of hatred, compe- see in his dream? Verses 44-45. tition, envy and war. Adam and Eve chose the latter, This final empire that will crush everything that founding the world we live in today. went before it will actually be the Kingdom of the God allowed the first human beings to make this luz

great God! choice, but He did not give up on restoring His gov- bract

3. God also sent a very special messenger to the ernment—nor did He give up on mankind. He allowed h 26 er Earth with important news for all humanity. Who our Satan-influenced world to continue to develop to demonstrate to mankind the ugliness and violence produced by godless civilization. As our current sit- God allowed the first human uation proves, the result of humankind’s experiment with self-government is impending self-destruction! beings to make this choice, but 3. Jesus Christ prophesied that He would return. He did not give up on restoring Do we know when? Matthew 24:36; 25:13. Yet can we know approximately when it will take place? Mat- His government—nor did He thew 24:32-33. give up on mankind. 4. What signs did Jesus say would precede His Sec- ond Coming? Verses 3-31. Many of these problems have existed throughout human history. Does Christ give us Satan’s End—and Renewed Peace! specifics about world conditions immediately before 1. What will happen to Satan after Christ returns? His return? Verse 21. What would be the end result Revelation 20:1-3. of this Tribulation if it continued unabated? Verse 22. 2. Is Satan responsible for influencing mankind to Has there ever been a time like that before? Mark 13:19. sin? Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12:9. These verses show us how serious the threat of When the source of all evil is no longer constantly this nuclear age really is! Not until modern times has broadcasting his attitudes, the violent results of this man had the weaponry to extinguish all life from satanic influence will subside. this planet. Only in an age of nuclear, biological and 3. What will Christ and the saints do then? Rev- chemical weapons has such destruction been possible. elation 2:26-27; 20:4; Daniel 7:22. These and many other verses in the Old and New Tes- Only the Spirit-born Family of God will serve in taments refer to this impending catastrophe. positions of authority in the Kingdom of God. 5. Did God say whether He would allow this cata- 4. What will Christ’s rule be like? Isaiah 2:1-5; Mat- clysm to wipe out all human life? Verse 20. thew 20:25-28. Thank God that Christ will return to stop the Christ and His assistants will rule with love and annihilation of the human race! outgoing concern for all their subjects. 5. Will this influence people’s attitudes toward Mankind’s Response government? Isaiah 2:2-3. What will this change in 1. Will mankind witness the return of Jesus Christ? attitude produce? Verse 4; Micah 4:3-5. Matthew 24:30. Once the world is at peace, Christ and His The greatest event in human history—the Second assistants will be able to reeducate the world Coming of the Son of God—will be an unmissable, in a way of life that is based on give instead of earthshaking event. get—God’s way of love, which mankind has been 2. Will Christ be alone when He returns? Matthew deprived of for millennia! 25:31; Revelation 19:14. Will any others accompany 6. How will this change of government affect Christ? Zechariah 14:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:14-17. the animal realm? Isaiah 11:6-8. Christ will be escorted by a powerful army of mil- 7. Will this peace spread throughout the Earth? lions of angels, as well as the saints, those people who Verse 9. received God’s Holy Spirit by repentance and baptism All mankind will learn a new way of life—God’s and who will have become Spirit-born members of way of outgoing concern for others. That loving way This short study the God Family! of life will be based upon every man, woman and is a sample of the 3. After thousands of years of violence and the child living by God’s spiritual law, the Ten Com- method employed bloodiest tribulation of all time, how will people mandments. Read about the results of that way of in each lesson of respond to this new government? Revelation 16:13- life in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. the free Herbert 14; 17:14. What a contrast that world will be to the wretched, W. Armstrong 4. Mankind will actually war against God! But violent misery of the world we live in today! If you read College Bible how will this battle against Christ conclude? Zecha- and study the remaining verses in Deuteronomy 28, Correspondence riah 14:12; Revelation 19:11-16. you will see an apt description of the world around you. Course. Over 100,000 The Bible prophesies that many people will rebel The Bible says this wonderful world to come is people have enrolled against Christ’s authority, perhaps thinking He is an very near. Soon a utopia of peace, abundance and in this exciting, enemy alien. They will attack Him. He will therefore happiness will be here for all mankind. To learn more dynamic course. have to subdue the world with a “rod of iron” (see also about what that world will be like, request our free Ordering information Revelation 2:27). At first, Christ will have to force booklet The Wonderful World Tomorrow—What It Will Be is on the back cover of n konradlew humanity to submit to His loving rule. Like by Herbert W. Armstrong. this magazine. / com

. But under that rule, the nations will finally learn through experience that Christ is a righteous ruler You can read previous articles in this series online at trmpt.co/bibleiq istock 27 © who brings peace, happiness and prosperity. THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 WORLDWATCH Even ahead of the Euro- EU—Britain will not remain pean Commission’s bill, on in the EU. October 9, the UK Indepen- “Britain is going to look dence Party (ukip), which is back on Monday, Jan. 1, 1973, devoted to getting Britain out in all probability, as a most of the EU, won its first seats in tragically historic date—a Britain’s Parliament. date fraught with ominous Think tank Stratfor noticed potentialities!” wrote Her- Britain’s political shift: “[ukip bert W. Armstrong, founder leader Nigel] Farage’s rapid rise of the Trumpet’s predecessor, Germany’s Merkel in British politics has moved the Plain Truth. “For that date and Britain’s Cameron the entire British political spec- marked the United Kingdom’s trum toward more euroskepti- entry into the European Com- cal positions, and no major munity” (March 1973). Britain about to leave EU? party is impervious to ukip’s “Probably Germany will influence. … Britain’s tradi- lead and dominate the coming n October 23, the Euro- before you’ve got to pay it. tional party system dominated United States of Europe,” Mr. O pean Commission slapped If it behaves in this way, it by the Tories [Conservatives] Armstrong wrote in 1956. “But Britain with a bill of $2.7 bil- shouldn’t get surprised when and Labor will undergo a tough Britain will be no part of it!” lion. European officials recal- its members say this cannot test in 2015” (Oct. 15, 2014). This forecast is coming to culated national payments to go on and it’s got to change.” Even with a very small pass. Germany leads and dom- the European Union based on The timing was bad for number of parliamentary inates the eurozone today. And member nations’ economic Cameron, who has been try- seats, ukip is forcing Britain to economic and military hazards progress since 1995. Due to ing to persuade right-of-cen- take a tougher stance against could soon push it into con- Britain’s perceived economic ter voters to support Britain’s the EU. Even Labor has com- solidating power in a United growth, it was ordered to pay continued EU membership. mitted to holding a referen- States of Europe. It is clear that this additional amount. Add- The $2.7 billion surprise did dum before any new powers Britain will not be part of that. ing salt to the wound, Eurocrats not help his cause. are given to Brussels. This Mr. Armstrong understood demanded that Britain pay the The immediate crisis was political shift shows that more enough about Europe, Brit- bill by December 1—or face a averted when a compromise and more Britons are strongly ain and, most especially, Bible $64 million fine (2.5 percent) was negotiated allowing Brit- opposed to their country’s prophecy to make these fore- every month it went unpaid. ain to pay the bill in two install- position in the EU. Which- casts beginning nearly 70 years This surprise bill outraged ments, one in July and one in ever parties come out on top in ago. For more information on British politicians. Prime Min- September, and that it would the elections, this groundswell what else he knew about Brit- ister David Cameron said, “If be offset by London’s annual against the EU won’t change. ain’s future, read “Britain people think I am paying that rebate, to be paid in advance. One way or another—either Was Warned!” in our freshly bill on 1 December, they have But the larger issue of UK-EU pulled out by angry voters or updated booklet He Was Right, another think coming. … It is relations isn’t going away. pushed out by an impatient available free upon request. n an unacceptable way for this organization to work—to sud- denly present a bill like this for A DE-DOLLARIZED WORLD a BRICS central bank. Its currency swaps will facil- such a vast sum of money with itate the ability to bypass the dollar in a number of so little time to pay it.” or 70 years, the United States dollar has dom- international transactions. Given China’s economic bbc reported that Cameron F inated global commerce—especially the oil power, analysts believe the renminbi will become “sounded like a prime minister market. For many years, the “petrodollar” was the the central bank’s official currency. unleashed; by turns scornful only currency used to buy oil in global markets. China has made other moves to circumvent and furious, lectern thump- However, this is changing as Russia and other the dollar. In June, Beijing started direct trade ing, downright angry” (Oct. powers drop the dollar. between the yuan and British pound. On Septem- 24, 2014). In August, the Russian government-controlled ber 30, China began direct trading between the Asked how this bill would Gazprom energy company started taking payment yuan and euro. China has been slowly growing impact Britain remaining in rubles for its oil shipments from the Arctic to the list of countries with which it has direct cur- part of the EU, Mr. Cam- European ports. It will take payment in Chinese rency trade: the United States, the United Kingdom, eron responded, “You do not renminbi for the oil it ships through the Eastern Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. join an association that sud- Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline. While the U.S. dollar is currently rallying, it is getty denly thumps you In July, BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, simultaneously losing its status in some quarters

28 with a bill for €2 China and South Africa) announced plans for as a world reserve currency. images billion three weeks China unmoved by protesters

rotesters in Hong Kong streets. They congested many Pwant full democracy for of the city’s major traffic arter- the 2017 election of the city’s ies, and sparked occasional top civil position of chief exec- skirmishes between dem- utive. On August 31, China onstrators and police, who announced that the people of sometimes used pepper spray, Hong Kong can vote in that elec- batons and tear gas. Some ana- An Eastern Siberian section of the pipeline tion—but only for candidates lysts believed the protests could that could change Asia’s political calculus who have been preapproved by spread into the rest of China, the Communist Party’s Polit- and viewed them as a legiti- years. It will also pump gas to buro in Beijing. This announce- mate threat to the Communist Russia, China’s eastern Russia. ment triggered protests, with Party. But as the weeks have Putin told the audience demonstrators decrying “fake” gone by, the number of protest- new pipeline at the ceremony that the new Chinese-style democracy. They ers has been falling. Both Hong pipeline will “significantly demand an unrestricted choice Kong and Beijing have said the ussia began construc- strengthen the economic coop- of candidates. students’ demands are impossi- R tion on a new pipeline to eration with countries in the In 1997, when the Brit- ble. On October 21, Hong Kong China on September 1, with Asia-Pacific region and—above ish handed back Hong Kong officials finally held a round of Russian President Vladimir all—our key partner China.” to China, the Chinese prom- talks with students and prom- Putin and Chinese Vice Pre- Putin and Zhang called it ised the special administrative ised to deliver a report to mier Zhang Gaoli attending the world’s largest construc- region “a high degree of auton- Beijing about their demands. a ribbon-cutting ceremony in tion project. Investment from omy” for 50 years. Now resi- But no change resulted from the Siberian city of Yakutsk. both nations will be more than dents say that the freedom that the talks, and little is expected. Called the Power of Siberia, $70 billion. The completed distinguishes the city from the China’s refusal to concede the new pipeline is scheduled project will create the world’s rest of China is rapidly disin- to or even give the protesters to start pumping gas to China largest fuel network and will tegrating. real recognition affirms that in early 2019. It is expected to give Russia the ability to link The Hong Kong protests even in Hong Kong, the ulti- move 4 trillion cubic meters of its European gas pipeline with drew tens of thousands to the mate authority is Beijing. n gas to China over the next 30 its eastern network. The deal will greatly reduce Russia’s dependence on Euro- much for Russia and deserves to govern Russia pean buyers, lessening the until the end of his days, and then hand power effect of economic sanctions over by inheritance to one of his sons or daughters.” placed on Russia for its role Russia was ruled by monarchs from the mid- in the Ukrainian crisis. More ninth century until 1917 when Emperor of Rus- importantly, it will give Russia sia Nicholas II abdicated and then was murdered the ability to stop gas deliver- Putin celebrates along with his family by Marxist revolutionaries, ies to Europe while still selling another Victory Day. destroying czarist autocracy and bringing about gas to Asia, potentially revolu- the Soviet Union. tionizing Moscow’s relations RUSSIANS SEEK ‘CZAR PUTIN’ Several weeks before the earliest tensions of with Europe. the Ukraine crisis began, Trumpet editor in chief Putin said Russia will soon campaign is underway in Russia to crown Gerald Flurry identified Vladimir Putin as the “prince be able to “more effectively A Russian President Vladimir Putin as the nation’s of Rosh” discussed in Bible prophecy. Since then, implement gas flows—either czar, according to a September 9 report by Ukrai- Putin’s power has increased and his popularity more to the West or to the East— vasily nian website Eizvestia.com. among his people has soared. He has increasingly depending on world markets.”

The Moscow-based movement called “For the wielded that power like a mighty monarch. The Based on Bible prophecy, the maximov Coronation of the Russian President” is collecting comparatively small czarist movement is unlikely to Trumpet has forecast Russia’s / signatures for its petition both online and at its crown the president, but it adds to the growing body afp return as a major world power / getty offices across Russia. of evidence suggesting a monarchical component that will ally itself with China (2)

The organization’s stated mission is to “reinsti- of the reign of Vladimir Putin, the “prince of Rosh.” and break its dependence on images images , tute a monarchy in Russia and to appoint Vladimir To understand the jaw-dropping significance of Europe. Russia’s new pipeline getty Putin to the position of czar.” The organization’s Putin’s reign, read “Vladimir Putin Is the Prophesied getty and investment deal

/ images

afp website states, “We believe Putin has done so ‘Prince of Russia,’” theTrumpet.com/go/11979. / is a huge step in this 29 str direction. n THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 WORLDWATCH hearing, Gen. Martin Dempsey admitted that Assad has killed more rebels than the Islamic State has. When ques- tioned by Sen. John McCain whether the rebels the U.S. plans to train would only fight against the Islamic State and not the Assad regime, General Dempsey said he believed that “as we train them and develop a military chain of command linked to a political structure, that we can establish objec- Syrians in the aftermath of a reported tives that defer that challenge government air strike in the city of Aleppo into the future. We do not have to deal with it now.” When Rubio asked Secretary Syria: Desperate times, desperate measures of State John Kerry whether the U.S. may need to protect ou know the situation up of former doctors, farm- were stepping up their fight those “moderate” rebels from Y must be bad when politi- ers, pharmacists and so forth, against the “moderate” rebels Assad, Kerry’s response was cians leave partisan bickering and [expect them to confront] that are battling both Assad similar to Dempsey’s: “[Islamic aside for a moment during an a well-armed state backed by and the Islamic State. Assad’s State] first. That’s our policy.” It election year and vote over- Russia, backed by Iran, a bat- rationale is that eliminating the doesn’t bode well for the world whelmingly for intervention tle-hardened Hezbollah—that moderates would leave him as if America’s military leaders in a war-ravaged nation in the was never in the cards.” Yet the only tolerable alternative say their best option is to defer Middle East tinderbox. now, that “fantasy” is reality, for the U.S. to collaborate with core problems to the future. On September 17, the and Congress is supporting it. against the Islamic State. The The crisis in Syria is a dis- United States House of Rep- At a Senate Foreign Rela- U.S. seeks to avoid that possi- turbing spectacle of the lack of resentatives voted 273 to 156 tions Committee hearing the bility by arming the moderates. leadership in the United States. in favor of authorizing the day before casting his “yes” vote, “What we are asked to do now is This fulfills Isaiah 3:2-3: gone Obama administration to Sen. Marco Rubio cited “cred- approve funding to arm mod- is “[t]he mighty man, and the arm and train “moderate” Syr- ible reports” that asserted that erate rebel elements in Syria,” man of war, the judge, and ian rebels against the Islamic the biggest enemy facing the Rubio explained. “There is no the prophet, and the prudent, State. The following day, the “moderate” opposition forces in guarantee of success. There is and the ancient, The captain Senate voted 78 to 22 for the Syria is the Assad regime—not none. But there is a guarantee of fifty, and the honourable same authorization. The U.S. necessarily the Islamic State. of failure if we do not even try.” man, and the counsellor, and can now legally spend $500 Those reports said that Syrian At a September 16 Senate the cunning artificer, and the million to arm and train about President Bashar Assad’s forces Armed Services Committee eloquent orator.” n 5,000 “vetted” rebels in Syria to fight the Islamic State’s nearly 20,000 militants. FACING RADICAL ISLAM, CHRISTIANS LOOK TO ROME

That is the extent to which zein

al the Syrian crisis has deterio- any Christians, even non-Catholics, Church has both a great oppor- - rifai look to the Catholic Church to lead the tunity and also a great respon- rated. / M afp

defense against radical Islam. That is what Church sibility.’” / As recently as August, getty President Barack Obama was of England Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali said during a Evangelicals and other against arming any of Syria’s speech on October 2. The church’s press release Christian groups that just a images , rebels. In a New York Times about the speech states: “Bishop Nazir-Ali said few decades ago viewed the Pope Francis andreas interview, he said that “it has that with the growth of Islamic militancy and the Catholic Church with suspicion always been a fantasy—this persecution of Christians worldwide, many peo- or hostility are now looking to Rome for leadership. solaro idea that we could provide ple were now looking to Rome as the voice that This marks a remarkable shift in religious history. / afp

some light arms or even more could stem the tide. He said these people included The rise of Islamist groups like the Islamic State and / getty sophisticated arms to many evangelicals he knew who never, in the past, the worldwide persecution of Christians are just

30 what was essentially would have thought about Rome: ‘So the Catholic two of several pushes in this direction. images an opposition made Speaking to the Ramallah- In Gaza, Hamas has a gov- based Palestinian newspa- ernment, installations from per, Zahar explained: “[Some] which it can launch missiles at have said Hamas wants to cre- Israeli civilians (as it did dur- ate an Islamic emirate in Gaza. ing Operation Protective Edge), We won’t do that, but we will and a thriving hotbed for rabid build an Islamic state in Pales- anti-Semitism and terrorism. tine, all of Palestine.” Hamas also enjoys majority To those who doubt support in Gaza, and that sup- Masked Hamas militants Hamas’s capabilities, Zahar port has been swelling in the claim victory in Gaza in August. bragged, “We know exactly West Bank, which is currently how to liberate the land of Pal- controlled by Hamas’s political estine, and we know how to hit opponent, Fatah. Hamas: bold West Bank aims every inch of Palestine with our According to an opinion hands, brains and money.” If poll by the Palestinian Center f you wonder whether co-founder and political Hamas were to “transfer what for Policy and Survey Research, IHamas deep down wants bureau member, told Al- it has or just a small part of it 57 percent of West Bank Pales- peace with Israel, a senior Ayyam newspaper on Octo- to the West Bank,” he said, “we tinians support Hamas leader Hamas leader has an answer ber 1 that his group wants to would be able to settle the bat- Ismail Haniyeh, compared to for you. Mahmoud al-Zahar, seize the West Bank and then tle of the final promise with a 33 percent who support Pal- the terrorist organization’s destroy Israel. speed that no one can imagine.” estinian Authority Presi- dent Mahmoud Abbas. An August report from Israel’s LEVERAGE: IRAN AND THE ISLAMIC STATE internal security agency, Shin Bet, revealed that while Hamas ince its inception in 1979, Islamist Iran has relied in Iraq. Iran was fighting Israel from the S on connections with terrorists to force its will on later denied Gaza Strip, it was simultane- other nations. During the P5+1 talks in September over that report and ously working on an elaborate Iran’s nuclear program, its mullahs hinted that they has since been plan to unleash mass murder were ready to use a new lever: Islamic State terrorists. much more on Israeli civilians and use the An Iranian official who spoke with Reuters on critical of the turmoil to violently overthrow September 21 said his country was ready to help United States. Fatah’s Palestinian Authority apply pressure against the Islamic State. The equal On Sep- Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant and take over of the West Bank. and opposite reaction? The West must ease the pres- tember 17, Palestinian Media Watch sure against Iran’s nuclear program. Western nations Khamenei said Iran would not cooperate with the explained that the “final have already promised incentives for Iran to disman- U.S. against the Islamic State, saying America’s promise” Zahar mentioned is tle about 90 percent of its uranium-enrichment cen- “hands were dirty and intentions murky.” President a reference to a Koranic pas- trifuges, saying it does not need them all if Tehran Hassan Rouhani derided U.S. strategy as “ridiculous.” sage about Jerusalem and its is, in fact, using them only for peaceful purposes. As far back as June, U.S. Secretary of State John total destruction. Iran insists on keeping all 19,000 of the centri- Kerry spoke of the possibility of working with Iran. At the United Nations Gen- fuges—10,000 of which are operational. The West He said the U.S. was “open to discussions” with Iran eral Assembly on September 29, has been hesitant to reach full agreement in the and that it “would not rule out anything.” But Kerry Israeli Prime Minister Benja- talks out of concern for Iran’s potential breakout responded to questions raised by Sen. Marco Rubio min Netanyahu likened Hamas capacity to produce nuclear weapons. at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to the Islamic State. Yet the images

The possibility of cooperating militarily is com- on September 17 by insisting he “never said any- United States (and much of the plex and controversial for Iran and the United thing about coordinating” with Iran or Syria. But, he world) characterizes the terror- getty /

afp States, which Iranians refer to as the Great Satan. said, “if we are failing and failing miserably, who ist organization more positively. / But it has not only been entertained—it has now knows what choice they might make” in an effort The longer the leash on kenare been fairly openly publicized. to “take on [the Islamic State].” Two days later, Sec- Hamas extends, the more vul- atta , Iran has indirectly cooperated with the U.S. by retary Kerry said at a United Nations Security Coun- nerable Israel becomes. The supporting Shia and Kurdish Peshmerga militants in cil meeting on Iraq that “there is a role for nearly Bible prophesies that half of images their fight against the Islamic State. On September every country in the world to play, including Iran.” Jerusalem will soon be violently getty / 5, BBC reported that, according to sources in Teh- The murkiness surrounding United States-Iran overtaken (read about this in afp / ran, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had authorized cooperation shows just how much leverage Iran our free booklet Jerusalem in midt h

sc Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of Iran’s elite can wield in nuclear negotiations when it comes Prophecy). This most

Quds Force, to work with the U.S. against terrorists to fighting the Islamic State. likely will be orches- 31 roberto trated by Hamas. n THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 SOCIETYWATCH was struck down by the federal ‘Compromise district court, the appeals court and the Supreme Court, which or else’ declined to hear the state’s case. The Knapps’ federal lawsuit merica, “land of the says the city is coercing Chris- A free,” is now a place where tian ministers “in violation of citizens are being threatened their religious beliefs, their with financial ruin and jail as ordination vows and their punishment for religious beliefs. consciences.” The Knapps Donald and Evelyn Knapp, have since stated they will only who operate the Hitch- perform marriage ceremonies ing Post Wedding Chapel in between “one biological male Immigrants transform Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, politely and biological female.” declined to perform a marriage The city has not yet cited society through language ceremony for two homosexu- the Knapps, as the Alliance als on October 17 since their Defending Freedom non-profit merica is different from facing this problem. A primary belief in the has filed suit in A the nation it used to be; you school in Worcestershire, Eng- Bible prohibits For more on how the federal court can tell by its language. Statis- land, recently blocked Eng- it. The next day, homosexual movement on their behalf. tics show that 64 million peo- lish-speaking students from the city threat- is transforming religious The Knapps’ ple who live in the United States attending a school excursion ened them freedom and morality chapel is an now speak English as a second to the zoo. The excursion was with 180 days in America, request incorporated language in their homes. That’s for foreign-language-speak- in jail and a Redefining Family. business for 20 percent of the population, ing students only. The Eng- $1,000 fine for profit. Homo- double what it was 30 years ago. lish-speaking students were each day they refuse to “cele- sexual supporters say this is Today, 38 million people required to stay at school and brate the same-sex wedding.” one reason why the govern- in the United States mainly complete their regular classes. Idaho’s house of represen- ment has the jurisdiction to speak Spanish, 12 percent of This is Britain, the mother of tatives, senate and governor infringe on their constitution- the entire population. In fact, all English-speaking nations. passed laws in 1993 to define ally protected freedom of reli- on October 4 two congressio- When did countries start dis- marriage as between a man and gion and either force them to nal candidates in California criminating against their own a woman. In 2006, the legisla- perform same-sex unions or held their debate entirely en language in favor of foreign- ture and Idaho voters passed a jail them and fine them into español in hopes of winning language students? n similar measure. But the law bankruptcy. n more of the Latino vote. Mean- while, in schools in California, Texas, Nevada and New Mex- CHOOSING NOT TO MARRY percent of those polled said society is just as well ico, between 31 and 45 percent off if people have priorities other than getting of student populations speak September 24 Pew Research study revealed married and starting a family. This belief has a Spanish as their first language. A that one in five Americans over the age of 25 two-thirds majority among those ages 18 to 29. The actual composition are now choosing to remain unmarried. In 1960, To many, marriage is becoming obsolete. A 2010 of the U.S. has altered due to only 9 percent of Americans in the Pew study found that nearly 40 percent foreigners who choose not same age bracket were unmarried. of Americans viewed the institution as to adopt the nation’s culture, But for most of these 42 million outdated. Many feel cohabitation is an heritage and/or language. In Americans, abandoning marriage does acceptable alternative. The same study previous generations, immi- not mean abandoning sex. In fact, a showed that a minority of Americans grants generally worked to 2012 study found that 24 percent of (43 percent) believed cohabitation was assimilate into American soci- never-married young adults ages 25 to harmful to society; an equal minority © ety. Migrants learned English 34 are living with a partner. believed that unmarried couples rais- istock . and became “Americanized.” Even among those who are marry- ing children was detrimental to society. com / Today, millions among the ing, many are pushing it off. The study found that the Is marriage obsolete? The late Herbert W. atakan average age for a first marriage had risen significantly. Armstrong wrote on the subject in 1968, when this increasing influx of migrants , © are keeping their languages In 1960, the average age was 20 for women and 23 trend was far less advanced. He recognized its danger istock for men; today, it’s 27 for women and 29 for men. and its trajectory. To understand why this institution and cultures. The result is a . com

divided society. One factor contributing to this trend is a belief is under attack—and whether it matters—request a / s h America is not that marriage and family are not priorities. Fifty free copy of Why Marriage—Soon Obsolete? elma

32 1 the only country PRINCIPLES OF LIVING

Crack Open That Book

A simple pleasure in a digital age by stephen flurry

oing paperless is simpler than ever. Like many of it,” he writes. The end result, he says, would not be a library of you, I go online to shop, make travel arrangements, books—but one of snippets. manage bank accounts, pay utility bills and read the While reading the pages of Carr’s book, I kept thinking of a G news. But when it comes to my bookshelves and file wonderful little book, written in 1905—one that has been on my cabinets, it’s difficult for me to imagine a paperless environment. shelf for nearly 20 years. In The Art of Thinking, French philoso- Along two of the walls in my office, I have five rows of book- pher Ernest Dimnet said, “Do not read good books—life is too shelves sitting atop 30 file cabinet drawers. I haven’t read all the short for that—only read the best.” He recommended a personal books on the shelves, and I know library of just 20 or 30 volumes—clas- there are files in those drawers I What good is sic works that you return to over and haven’t opened in years. But it is a an extensive again for greater depth and under- large collection of commentaries, library that fills standing. What good is an extensive encyclopedias, biographies, histories, our shelves, library that fills our shelves, Dimnet periodicals, booklets, articles, clip- if it doesn’t fill argued, if it doesn’t fill our minds? Or, pings and notes I have accumulated our minds? given the massive amounts of infor- over decades. mation available today, what good is a Except for the news I skim online computer database containing every every day, I usually mark or highlight book known to man if all we do is what I read and study. This is why skim the surface for snippets? I generally buy my own books and Even some educators recognize print out or photocopy important the dangerous pitfalls of online articles I run across in my research. multi­tasking and cursory reading. A I still use the Internet a lot, par- few are calling for us to return to the ticularly for my news writing and television scripts. There is tried and tested method of slowly poring over the printed word. A no substitute for the speed at which you can obtain informa- 2010 Associated Press report told of one teacher who was “encour- tion that used to take hours to find in a library. But at the same aging schools from elementary through college to return to old time, there is simply no online equivalent to the thoughts and strategies such as reading aloud and memorization as a way to ideas I have tucked away in the drawers and shelves of my per- help students truly ‘taste’ the words. He uses those techniques sonal library. in his own classroom, where students have told him that they’ve Besides that, studies show that the way we read and study become so accustomed to flitting from page to page online that online is much more superficial than the way we used to study they have trouble concentrating while reading printed books.” the printed word. When reading online, we tend to skim and Scanning a book for a salient quote certainly has its place. So bounce around the page. We’re often distracted by the numer- does skimming text to get the gist of the author’s intent. Even ous links embedded into the text and the flashing advertisements occasional Web surfing might help one get a feel for current events. designed to grab our attention. But none of this should be confused with studying the printed Because of this, as Nicholas Carr wrote in The Shallows, “Our word. In the case of God’s Word, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Study attachment to any one text becomes more tenuous, more provi- to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth sional. Searches also lead to the fragmentation of online works. not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timo- A search engine often draws our attention to a particular snip- thy 2:15). The Greek word for “workman” is referring to one who pet of text, a few words or sentences that have strong relevance exerts strenuous effort to study the right way. to whatever we’re searching for at the moment, while providing Online Bible helps can offer valuable assistance in this little incentive for taking in the work as a whole. We don’t see regard. But if you are really serious about plumbing the depths the forest when we search the Web. We don’t even see the trees. of God’s inspired Word, crack open the Book alongside a com-

planbstudio We see twigs and leaves” (emphasis added throughout). panion article or booklet, grab a pen and highlighter, and start / com

. Carr believes Google’s ambitious plan to digitize all the reading. Don’t skim through the information as fast books ever printed will only make matters worse. “To make a as possible. Slow down—make sure what you do read istock 33 © book discoverable and searchable online is also to dismember gets through to you. n THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 DISCUSSION BOARD Don’t ignore this In my 62 years of living in my home country of The problem is most are not watching the England, I’ve seen with my own eyes the vast news (“‘The World Is Descending Into Chaos,’” changes of demographics. The sheer scale and November-December, theTrumpet.com/ speed of foreign immigrants, whether they be go/12148). It is so bad that their solution is legal, illegal or asylum-seeking, pouring into the to ignore it and pretend it’s not happening. country in my lifetime has changed the face of They say things like, “Oh, I don’t allow myself our once Great Britain. In fact, you are better to get depressed by watching all of that off just calling us the United Kingdom and drop negative stuff.” Christ knew this would be the Britain altogether, just in case it offends our eth- mindset today, which is why He instructed us nic minorities, which are soon to be majorities. in this end time to “watch therefore and pray The Germans used to call us “Little Englanders” always.” Majella Tesoriero—AUSTRALIA during World War II, and boy do I feel little right now. As for our United Kingdom, well thanks to Yawn the recent Scottish vote we are still somewhat Wow, what a super article that is urgently united, but for how much longer? needed (“As the World Burns (Yawn),” Novem- Phil Holmes—UNITED KINGDOM ber-December, theTrumpet.com/go/12150). It is so easy to have a nonchalant attitude Hope for Rotherham To view this issue online, visit nowadays. The only good thing about It grieves me how innocent children are being theTrumpet.com/go/Nov2014 complacency, if you are in it, is to be able to subjected to such wickedness (“Hope for recognize that fact and then do something the Child Victims of Rotherham,” November- about it, like put these five positive steps into December, theTrumpet.com/go/12154). One ONLINE HIGHLIGHTS action. If we don’t, we run a certain risk of day soon all this madness will be done away; being complacent and not recognizing it. then we will be able to teach people God’s Gary Miner—NORTH CAROLINA way of love. I pray that Christ returns swiftly! Gail Eisele—NORTH DAKOTA This is such an eye-opener! So very true and too easy to fall into! Thank you for the wake- See it through God’s eyes up call! Catherine Arman—UNITED KINGDOM This leaves us in awe of the creative power of God (“A God’s-Eye View of the Universe,” Love for the Children November-December, theTrumpet.com/ How awesome is this! (“The Camelback go/12163). Thank you for sharing this vision. Library,” November-December, theTrumpet. Clara Ines Parra De Orozco—COLOMBIA Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg: com/go/12152). I believe God will definitely continue to bless this man and provide for his How to be a better dad Positioned for a Comeback? needs to carry this on. Thank you for sharing Thank you for this article (“The Number One theTrumpet.com/go/12140 this man’s life of love for the children with us! Thing to Make You a Better Husband and Monica Lucas—NORTH CAROLINA Dad,” November-December, theTrumpet.com/ A De-Dollarized World go/12162). It was so encouraging to know that I love the photo! This could be a child if a man does this he can make one beautiful theTrumpet.com/go/12176 anywhere in the world. Imagine when good husband and dad. I hope you write an article books are available to children everywhere one day titled “The Number One Thing to Make and illiteracy is wiped out (along with all the You a Better Wife and Mum.” Imagine these Follow our writers on Twitter other ills this world is dying from). attitudes and efforts coming from both sides! James Rush—CANADA What a beautiful marriage that would make. I’m @StephenFlurry eager to learn more. The valuable lessons here @Joel_Hilliker Britain’s immigration mess are worth remembering and living by. Peter The concept of the American melting pot has @Brad_M007 been largely misunderstood (“The Beheader Scary race riots @MorleyRobert With a British Accent,” November-December, There is a lot of bitterness in a message like @js_jacques theTrumpet.com/go/12156). Immigrants were this, but there is also sweetness that many to adopt the core values of the Declaration of may not see (“Where America’s Race Riots Are @DennisLeap Independence and the Constitution. The prob- Leading,” November-December, theTrumpet. lem is Americans have themselves rejected com/go/12158). Revelation from God is sweet; getty those timeless values, leaving a vacuum that He is speaking to this world today so that

materialism and multiculturalism are filling. some might respond and avoid the catastrophe. images 34 Kofi Appiah—CALIFORNIA John Mooney—MASSACHUSETTS COMMENTARY

Rather than acknowledge failure and fire guilty officials, the Election Triumphs administration has consistently deflected blame and doubled down. Will it suddenly be contrite since a few senators lost their jobs? For six years the president’s administration treated constitu- and False Hopes tional limits on executive power like a doormat beneath its agenda. It has ignored laws or parts of laws. It has bypassed Congress. November’s elections in the U.S. brought What is the president going to do now that Congress is even more opposed to his agenda? Transform into a consensus builder? Republicans big victories. Has hope and change politico reported this before the election: “Administra- finally come to America? by joel hilliker tion officials tell us that Obama’s political and policy teams are planning a big counterattack if the Republicans win the Senate— epublicans are jubilant. On election day they introducing a slate of legislative proposals and executive actions picked up at least seven seats and the majority in the on immigration, infrastructure and early childhood education Senate, increased their majority in the House of Repre- that are popular with the Democratic base and that he will dare R sentatives, and won several key governors’ races. It was the gop to oppose” (Nov. 2, 2014). a big win, bigger than most analysts expected. abc’s Jon Karl reported on election day that administration Republican optimism swelled. Sen. Mitch McConnell called officials said the president “is prepared to aggressively pursue this “a chance to begin to save this his agenda using his power of exec- country.” Is he right? utive authority, where he can’t work A lot of Americans agree the with Congress ….” The White House country needs saving. It’s suffering stated this outright. runaway debt, economic inequality, About a year ago, Oklahoma Sen. unemployment, immigration con- James Lankford participated in talks cerns, racial tension and violence, with the president on a government foreign-policy blunders, waning shutdown. He told the Trumpet staff global influence. Two thirds of vot- that the two sides appeared close ers—including 89 percent of Repub- to an agreement. Rumors of a deal licans and 71 percent of unaffiliated Now this is the election that emerged. The stock market rose. The voters—say the U.S. is headed in the will change everything—right? next day, right after the stock market wrong direction. closed for the holiday weekend, the Though President Barack Obama wasn’t on any ballot, Repub- White House said, All deals are off, no negotiations, my way or no licans worked hard to link him to their Democrat opponents and way. Lankford said, “All of us that were sitting there said, what turn their races into referendums on his unpopular policies. Polls was that? What just happened?” show dissatisfaction and anger with the administration (and with “Speaker Boehner has told us over and over again, every nego- congressional leadership and both parties). Now, Republicans view tiation he’s had with the president has been that way,” Lank- their victories as a strong message from voters to the president. ford said. “He’ll sit down one-on-one and talk through stuff, but But we have no reason to expect this president to take any cor- within 24 hours, all the rules change ….” rection from these elections. This administration views virtually They don’t understand the spirit they are dealing with and everything it has done over the last six years as a terrific success. what it all means. Only our booklet America Under Attack explains. Look at its foreign-policy record, for example. It has authored (Request your free copy.) stunning failures in Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria and elsewhere in In his post-election press conference, the president refused to the Middle East; it has effectively aided Iran’s pursuit of nuclear admit any need to change. He is now unconcerned about reelec- weapons; it has been a spectator at the rise of the Islamic State; it tion. And he has every motivation to sidestep Congress; he has has ravaged alliances with Israel, Britain, Poland, Germany and a phone, a pen and an agenda. other nations; it has been embarrassed by a militant Russia and Americans have much to be concerned about. Even amid a belligerent China. Yet the administration sees its leadership as election-year rallies and rhetoric, many citizens recognize that having improved global tranquility and enhanced prospects for they’re not actually about to “take back Washington,” “send a peace on “every fundamental issue of conflict today.” message,” “fix the system” and save the country. Republicans Despite presiding over a stagnant economy, chronic unem- have a congressional majority, but they don’t have the White ployment and a $7 trillion increase in national debt, the president House—and more importantly, they just don’t have the answers. praises his economic accomplishments (though no Democrats ran As the Prophet Jeremiah once wrote, “Thus saith the Lord; on that record). Despite proof that lax immigration policies encour- Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.” aged more illegal immigration, the administration wants to also This country does need saving. But no politicians will be able grant amnesty to millions of resident illegals. It shrugs off scan- to deliver. The nation is being cursed for placing its trust in man. dal after scandal—Fast and Furious, Benghazi, the irs, fbi drone Jeremiah continued: “Blessed is the man that trusteth images surveillance, illegal Department of Justice and National Security in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.” In whom have 35 getty Agency monitoring and journalist intimidation to name a few. you placed your trust? n THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 ➤ AFGHANISTAN from page 17 government buildings on September 4, it released a state- ment taunting the leaders gathered at nato’s summit in Wales: “Their 13-year-old occupation is now seen as a his- torical shame.” The Taliban sneered, “It was planned that Afghanistan’s next leader would participate in the Wales sum- mit. Now their plans have come to naught.” After three months of squabbling, a power-sharing gov- ernment finally emerged on September 21 with Ashraf Ghani as its leader. Ghani replaced Hamid Karzai—Afghanistan’s ALL TIMES ARE A.M. LOCAL TIME UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED only president since 2001. After 13 years and all the efforts of UNITED STATES West Palm Beach WPXP 6:00, Fri the United States, Britain and their allies, Karzai made this Nationwide Satellite Georgia, Albany WSWG-DT 9:30, Sun stunning observation during his farewell address, Septem- Galaxy 3 Trans. 17 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu Atlanta WPXA 6:00, Fri Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu Augusta-Aiken WAGT-DT 9:30, Sun ber 23: “We don’t have peace because Americans didn’t want Direct TV Brunswick WPXC 6:00, Fri peace. … If the U.S. wants Afghanistan to be a good friend, CW Plus, Chan. 34, 9:30 ET/PT, Sun Columbus WLTZ-DT 9:30, Sun Discovery, Chan. 278, 6:30 ET/PT, Sun Macon WMAZ-DT 9:30, Sun it needs to match its words with actions.” ION, Chan. 305, 6:00 ET, Fri Savannah WGSA-DT 9:30, Sun In other words, even America’s supposed allies—the peo- WGN, Chan. 307, 8:00 ET, Sun Thomasville WTLF/WTLH-DT 9:30, Sun Dish Network Hawaii, Hawaii Na Leo Chan. 54 6:30, ple we went over there to help—despise it. Discovery, Chan. 182, 6:30 ET/PT, Sun Sun; 8:30, Wed In The United States and Britain in Prophecy, Herbert W. ION, Chan. 216, 6:00 ET, Fri Kaui Ho’ Ike Chan. 52 9:30, Tue WGN, Chan. 239, 8:00 ET, Sun Maui/Lanaii/Molokai/Niihau/Akaku Armstrong thoroughly explained the roles of America and Nationwide Cable Chan. 52 6:30 pm, Sun; 3:30, Mon Britain in Bible prophecy. He explained how these nations CW Plus, 9:30 ET/PT, Sun Oahu Focus Chan. 49 7:00 am, Sat Discovery, 6:30 ET/PT, Sun Chan. 27 5:00 am, Fri KPXO inherited the national blessings promised to Abraham pre- ION, 6:00 ET, Fri Idaho, Boise KYUU-LP/KBOI-DT 8:30, Sun cisely at the time the Bible reveals they would! WGN, 8:00 ET, Sun Idaho Falls KIFI-DT 8:30, Sun Alabama, Birmingham WPXH 5:00, Fri; Pocatello KIFI-DT 8:30, Sun “Between them,” he wrote, “the British and American WVUA 1:00 p.m., Sun Twin Falls KMVT-DT 8:30, Sun peoples had acquired more than two thirds—almost three Dothan WTVY-DT 8:30, Sun Illinois, Bloomington WHOI-DT 8:30, Sun Mobile WFGX 7:30, Sun Chicago WCUU 7:00, Mon-Fri; WCIU fourths—of all the cultivated physical resources and wealth Montgomery WBMM-DT/WVCF-DT 9:30, Sun; WCPX 5:00, Fri of the world [by 1804]. All other nations combined possessed 8:30, Sun Peoria WHOI-DT 8:30, Sun Alaska, Anchorage KYUR-DT 8:30, Sun Rockford WREX-DT 8:30, Sun barely more than a fourth. Britannia ruled the waves—and Fairbanks KATN-DT 8:30, Sun Quincy WGEM-DT 8:30, Sun the world’s commerce was carried on by water. The sun never Juneau KJUD-DT 8:30, Sun Indiana, Fort Wayne WPTA-DT 21.2 Arizona, Phoenix KPPX 5:00, Fri; KAZT 9:30, Sun set on British possessions. … And yet, precisely as prophesied, 8:00, Sun Indianapolis WIPX 6:00, Fri Britain’s sun has now set.” Yuma KECY-DT 8:30, Sun Terre Haute WBI 9:30, Sun Arkansas, El Dorado KNOE-DT 8:30, Sun Iowa, Cedar Rapids KPXR 5:00, Fri And so has America’s. “Today America finds herself Fayetteville KHBS-DT/KHOG-DT 8:30, Des Moines KFPX 5:00, Fri heir to just about all the international problems and head- Sun Keokuk WGEM-DT 8:30, Sun Fort Smith KHBS-DT/KHOG-DT 8:30, Sun Mason City KTTC-DT 8:30, Sun aches in this post-World War ii, chaotic, violent world,” Mr. Jonesboro KJOS 8:30, Sun Ottumwa KWOT 8:30, Sun Armstrong wrote. “And the United States has won her last Rogers KHBS-DT/KHOG-DT 8:30, Sun Sioux City KTIV-DT 8:30, Sun Springdale KHBS-DT/KHOG-DT 8:30, Sun Kansas, Topeka KTKA-DT 8:30, Sun war—even little North Vietnam held her at bay.” California, Bakersfield KGET-DT 9:30, Sun Pittsburg KSXF 8:30, Sun In the Plain Truth newsmagazine, predecessor to the Phil- Chico KHSL-DT 9:30, Sun; KRCR 9:00, Sun Kentucky, Bowling Green WBKO-DT El Centro KECY-DT 8:30, Sun 8:30, Sun adelphia Trumpet, Mr. Armstrong wrote in October 1961: Eureka KUVU-LP/KVIQ-DT 9:30, Sun Lexington WUPX 6:00, Fri “[U]nless or until the United States as a whole repents and Los Angeles KPXN 6:00, Fri; Louisiana, Alexandria KBCA-DT 8:30, Sun TVCLT-Bilingual, 7:30 Sun Monroe KNOE-DT 8:30, Sun returns to what has become a hollow slogan on its dollars, Monterey KION 9:30, Sun Lafayette KADN 7:30, Sun; KATC-DT ‘In God we trust,’ the United States of America has won its Palm Springs KCWQ/KESQ-DT 9:30, Sun 8:30, Sun Redding KHSL-DT 9:30, Sun; KRCR Lake Charles KVHP-DT 8:30, Sun last war!” The United States and Britain may have won bat- 9:00, Sun New Orleans WPXL 5:00, Fri tles and skirmishes since World War ii, but they have never Sacramento KSPX 6:00, Fri; Maine, Bangor WABI-DT 9:30, Sun TVCLT-Bilingual, 7:30 Sun Presque Isle WBPQ 9:30, Sun won a war—from Korea to Cuba to Vietnam to the Balkans Salinas KION 9:30, Sun Maryland, Salisbury WMDT-DT 9:30, Sun to Somalia to Iraq to Libya and now Afghanistan. San Diego TVCLT-Bilingual, 7:30 Sun Massachusetts, Holyoke WBQT 9:30, Sun San Francisco KKPX 6:00, Fri Springfield WBQT 9:30, Sun The United States and Britain were powerful empires Santa Barbara-Santa Maria KSBY-DT Michigan, Alpena WBAE 9:30, Sun because God can, and desires to, bountifully bless mankind. 9:30, Sun Cadillac WBVC 9:30, Sun Sun City-Menifee TVCLT-Bilingual, Detroit WPXD 6:00, Fri; WADL 10:00, Sun Afghanistan shows that He is definitely not blessing America 7:30 Sun Grand Rapids WZPX 5:00, Fri and Britain anymore. In fact, this graveyard of empires shows Colorado, Denver KPXC 5:00, Fri Lansing WLAJ-DT 9:30, Sun Grand Junction KJCT-DT 8:30, Sun Marquette WBKP-DT/WBUP-DT 9:30, how much God is now cursing these nations. Montrose KJCT-DT 8:30, Sun Sun And yet, as surely as He blessed them in the past, He Connecticut, Hartford WHPX 6:00, Fri Traverse City WBVC 9:30, Sun Florida, Gainesville WCJB-DT 9:30, Sun Minnesota, Duluth KDLH-DT 8:30, Sun will bless them again in the near future once these nations Jacksonville WPXC/WPXJ-LP 6:00, Fri Mankato KWYE 8:30, Sun learn to obey God. The difference is that then—in the new Miami WPXM 6:00, Fri Minneapolis KPXM 5:00, Fri Orlando WOPX 6:00, Fri Rochester-Austin KTTC-DC 8:30, Sun world established after Christ’s return to Earth—those Panama City WJHG-DT 8:30, Sun Sioux Fall (Mitchell) KWSD/KSWD-DT blessings will be grander, and they will be perma- Pensacola WFGX 7:30, Sun 8:30, Sun Tallahassee WTXL 7:30, Sun; WTLF/ Mississippi, Biloxi WBGP 8:30, Sun 36 nent. That is the prophesied future of the United WTLH-DT 9:30, Sun Columbus WCBI-DT 8:30, Sun States and Britain. n Tampa WXPX 6:00, Fri Greenville WBWD 8:30, Sun THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET | JANUARY 2015 Philadelphia Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry appears each week on The Key of David explaining the meaning behind world events and teaching the inspiring truths of the Bible. The program is also available at keyofdavid.com

Greenwood WBWD 8:30, Sun Fargo WDAY-DT/WDAZ-DT 8:30, Sun Victoria KWVB 8:30, Sun Alberta, Red Deer KAYU 8:30, Sun Gulfport WBGP 8:30, Sun Minot KWMK 8:30, Sun Weslaco KCWT/KNVO-DT 8:30, Sun Calgary KAYU 8:30, Sun Hattiesburg WHPM-DT 8:30, Sun Valley City WDAY-DT/WDAZ-DT 8:30, Sun Wichita Falls KAUZ-DT 8:30, Sun Edmonton KAYU 8:30, Sun Laurel WHPM-DT 8:30, Sun Ohio, Cleveland WVPX 6:00, Fri Utah, Salt Lake City KUPX 5:00, Fri Medicine Hat KAYU 8:30, Sun Meridian WTOK-DT 8:30, Sun Cincinnati WSTR 8:30, Sun Vermont, Burlington WVNY 10:00, Sun; Lethbridge KAYU 8:30, Sun Tupelo WCBI-DT 8:30, Sun Lima WBOH 9:30, Sun WPTZ-DT 9:30 British Columbia, Vancouver Missouri, Columbia KOMU-DT 8:30, Sun Steubenville WBWO 9:30, Sun Virginia, Charlottesville WVIR-DT 9:30, Sun CHEK 9:00, Sun; CHNU 5:30 pm, Sun; Hannibal WGEM-DT 8:30, Sun Zanesville WBZV 9:30, Sun Harrisonburg WVIR-DT 9:30, Sun KCPQ 7:00, Sun Jefferson City KOMU-DT 8:30, Sun Oklahoma, Ada KTEN-DT 8:30, Sun Norfolk WPXV 6:00, Fri Victoria CHNU 5:30 pm, Sun Joplin KSXF 8:30, Sun Lawton KAUZ-DT 8:30, Sun Roanoke WPXR 6:00, Fri Manitoba, Winnipeg WUHF 8:30, Sun; Kansas City KPXE 5:00, Fri Oklahoma City KOPX 5:00, Fri Washington D.C. WPXW 6:00, Fri CIIT Joy TV 11:00, Sun Kirksville KWOT 8:30, Sun Tulsa KTPX 5:00, Fri Washington, Pasco KIMA-DT/KEPR-DT Nova Scotia, Halifax WUHF 8:30, Sun St. Joseph KBJO/KNPN-DT 8:30, Sun Oregon, Bend KTVZ-DT 9:30, Sun 9:30, Sun Sydney WUHF 8:30, Sun Montana, Billings KTVQ-DT 8:30, Sun Eugene KEVU-TV 10:00, Sun; KLSR 8:30, Richland KIMA-DT/KEPR-DT 9:30, Sun Ontario, Ottawa CJOH 5:30, Sun Bozeman-Butte KBZK-DT/KXLF-DT Sun; KMTR-DT 9:30, Sun Seattle-Tacoma KWPX 6:00, Fri Toronto WADL 10:00 Sun; 8:30, Sun Medford-Klamath Falls KTVL-DT Seattle KCPQ 7:00, Sun WUTV 10:00, Sun; CHNU 8:30 pm, Sun Glendive KWZB 8:30, Sun 9:30, Sun Spokane KGPX 6:00, Fri; KAYU 7:30, Sun P.E.I., Charlottetown WUHF 8:30, Sun Great Falls KRTV-DT 8:30, Sun Portland KPXG 6:00, Fri Yakima KIMA 6:30, Sun; KIMA-DT/KEPR- Quebec, Montreal WVNY 10:00, Sun Helena KMTF-DT 8:30, Sun Pennsylvania, Erie WSEE-DT/WICU-DT DT 9:30, Sun Saskatchewan, Saskatoon WUHF Missoula KPAX-DT 8:30, Sun 9:30, Sun West Virginia, Beckley WVVA-DT 8:30, Sun Nebraska, Lincoln-Hastings Philadelphia WPPX 6:00, Fri 9:30, Sun KWBL 8:30, Sun Wilkes Barre WQPX 6:00, Fri Bluefield WVVA-DT 9:30, Sun CARIBBEAN Kearney KWBL 8:30, Sun Rhode Island, Providence WPXQ 6:00, Fri Charleston WLPX 6:00, Fri Regional satellite North Platte KNOP 10:30, Sun; KWPL South Carolina, Charleston WCBD-DT Clarksburg WVFX-DT 9:30, Sun Galaxy 3 Trans. 17 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu 8:30, Sun 9:30, Sun Oak Hill WVVA-DT 9:30, Sun Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu Scottsbluff KGWN-DT/KCHW 8:30, Sun Florence WWMB-DT 9:30, Sun Parkersburg WCWP 9:30, Sun Aruba WGN 8:00, Sun Nevada, Reno KRNS-CA/KREN-DT 9:30, Myrtle Beach WWMB-DT 9:30, Sun Weston WVFX-DT 9:30, Sun Bahamas Discovery Chan. 26, 6:30, Sun Sun South Dakota, Rapid City KWBH/ Wheeling WBWO 9:30, Sun FOX W Chan. 216, 10:30, Sun New York, Albany WYPX 6:00, Fri KNBN-DT 8:30, Sun Wisconsin, Eau Claire WXOW-DT 8:30, Belize WGN 7:00, Sun Binghamton WBNG-DT 9:30, Sun Sioux Falls (Mitchell) KSFY-DT 8:30, Sun Sun Cuba WGN 8:00, Sun Buffalo WPXJ 6:00, Fri; WUTV 10:00, Sun Tennessee, Jackson WBJK 8:30, Sun La Crosse WXOW-DT 8:30, Sun Dominican Republic WGN 8:00, Sun Elmira (Corning) WENY-DT 9:30, Sun Knoxville WPXK 6:00, Fri Milwaukee WPXE 5:00, Fri Haiti WGN 7:00, Sun New York City TVCLT-Bilingual, 10:30 Sun Memphis WPXX 5:00, Fri Rhinelander WAOW/WYOW 8:30, Sun Jamaica WGN 9:00, Sun WPXN 6:00, Fri; WZME-TV 7:00, Sun; Nashville WNPX 5:00, Fri Superior KDLH-DT 8:30, Sun Puerto Rico WGN 8:00, Sun WZME-TV 8:00, Tue-Fri Texas, Abilene KTWS-DT 8:30, Sun Wausau WAOW-DT/WYOW-DT 8:30, Sun Trinidad and Tobago WGN 8:00, Sun Plattsburgh WPTZ-DT 9:30, Sun Amarillo KVII-DT/KVIH-DT 8:30, Sun Wyoming, Casper KWYF/KFNB-DT 8:30, Rochester WUHF 8:30, Sun Beaumont KFDM-DT 8:30, Sun Sun LATIN AMERICA Syracuse WSPX 6:00, Fri Brownsville KCWT/KNVO-DT 8:30, Sun Cheyenne KGWN-DT/KCHW 8:30, Sun Regional satellite Utica WKTV-DT 9:30, Sun Corpus Christi KRIS-DT 8:30, Sun Riverton KWYF/KFNB-DT 8:30, Sun Galaxy 3 Trans. 17 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu Watertown WWTI-DT 9:30, Sun Dallas KDAF 7:00, Sun; TVCLT-Bilingual, Galaxy 3 Trans. 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu North Carolina, Durham WRPX 6:00, Fri; 9:30 Sun BRITAIN AND EUROPE El Salvador WGN 6:00, Sun 9:00 am, Sun Harlingen KCWT/KNVO-DT 8:30, Sun Britain, Europe, the Middle East and Guatemala WGN 6:00, Sun Fayetteville WFPX 6:00, Fri Houston KPXB 5:00, Fri Africa CBS Reality 8:00 B.S.T., Sun Honduras WGN 6:00, Sun Greensboro WGPX 6:00, Fri Laredo KTXW 8:30, Sun Mexico TVCLT-Bilingual, 7:30 Sun; Greenville WEPX 6:00, Fri; WNCT-DT Longview KYTX-DT 8:30, Sun CANADA WGN 7:00, Sun 9:30, Sun Lubbock KLCW-DT 8:30, Sun Nationwide satellite Panama WGN 7:00, Sun Lumber Bridge WFPX 6:00, Fri Midland KWES-DT 8:30, Sun Galaxy 3 Trans. 17, 21 11:30 ET, Tue/Thu New Bern WNCT-DT 9:30, Sun Odessa KWES-DT 8:30, Sun Nationwide cable AUSTRALASIA Raleigh WRPX 6:00, Fri; 9:00 am, Sun Port Arthur KFDM 8:30, Sun WGN 8:00 ET, Sun Australia Washington WNCT-DT 9:30, Sun San Angelo KWSA 8:30, Sun Discovery 6:30 ET/PT, Sun Adelaide TV44 11:30, Sun; 10:00, Sat Wilmington WWAY-DT 9:30, Sun San Antonio KPXL 5:00, Fri Vision TV 4:30 pm ET, Sun Perth WTV, 11:30, Sun/Wed North Dakota, Bismarck KWMK 8:30, Sun Sherman KTEN-DT 8:30, Sun CHCH 11:30 ET, Sun New Zealand TVNZ, 5:30, Sun Dickinson KWMK 8:30, Sun Tyler KYTX-DT 8:30, Sun Grace Television Network 11:00 ET, Sun Philippines TV4 9:30 PHT, Sun For a free subscription to The Philadelphia Trumpet in the U.S. and Canada, call 1-800-772-8577

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