With great concern the whole world looks to the Middle East, especially to Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and, of course, Iraq. The terror is growing; we are receiving daily reports of related deaths. The number of the civilians who have died in Iraq during this so-called “war on terror” is already estimated to be a few hundred thousand. More than three thousand U.S. soldiers have also lost their lives. The problem was not solved when the U.S. government paid over twenty million dollars for the capture of Saddam Hussein. It will not be solved with his trial and subsequent verdict, and much less by implementing yet another new “Iraq strategy”. Unrest and disorder prevail. The Shiites are fighting with the Sunnis and vice versa. From the biblical point of view these are pre-labour pains, until Rev. 9:13-21 and other prophecies inevitably find their fulfilment. In this Scripture the sixth trumpet angel receives the following command, “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” At the moment when these forces are set free, one third of the world population will be killed. The Prophet Isaiah predicted this event, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt …” (Isa. 27:12).

No matter how we may perceive the current international situation, we must admit that peace has been taken from the earth, although the whole world yearns for it. Now that their initial euphoria has subsided, even the president of the USA and the prime minister of Great Britain are at a loss, although there are talks about winning the “war on terror”.

When we consider the way the heads of state, especially those in the Islamic world, speak about Israel and the USA, then one can sense how far things have deteriorated. Is it not significant, when during a UN plenum, where representatives from 192 countries were gathered, Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, steps behind the pulpit, crosses himself in accordance with Catholic tradition and says, “I smell brimstone … speaking here yesterday was the president of the USA, Satan personified.”? Then came the speech of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and all realised what time it is. The world will go up in flames, it makes no difference whether there are eight or ten powers with nuclear capabilities. In any case, now the countries of the North and the East are uniting with the enemies of Israel. This is precisely the constellation predicted in Bible prophecy.

By everything that is now happening worldwide in politics, the economy, and in the religious realm we recognise that the end of the time of grace is very near. In this context we can quote what our Lord said, “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Lk. 21:34-36). “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2. Pet. 3:10).

How can it be that especially the Islamic world denies Israel the right to existence and openly demands the annihilation of God’s people? Why can they not concede that the Israeli people have a right to dwell in their own country, as promised and given to them by God Himself? Manifested therein is the rebellion against the Almighty, Who said, ”And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.” (Gen. 12:3). Did not Mohammed himself say in regard to the people of Israel, “… return to the Holy Land that God has ordained for you!” (Sura 5:21)? Apparently these powers, whether they are religious or political, are so filled with hatred that they are ready to self-destruct for their cause. Nevertheless, in the end the whole world will have to recognise that Israel is God’s chosen people. Before the Kingdom of God is established on earth, the following prophecies must be visibly fulfilled. And it shall come to pass,

“For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land.” (Isa. 14:1)

“Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.” (Jer. 31:10)

“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.” (Ezek. 36:24)

“… and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joel 3:2)

As we were recently informed, the Vatican wanted to use the UN partition plan 181 from 1947, whereby Israel was to be split into a Jewish and an Arabic state, in order to put Jerusalem under the direct rule of the Roman Catholic Church. Only now, after being kept under lock and key for 55 years, the secret documents can be viewed. Back then the Vatican negotiated especially with the Catholic countries Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Italy to place Jerusalem under Catholic rule. On account of the world public this plan could not be executed when Israel became a nation in May 1948. But now the time seems to be at hand.

In the final phase Jerusalem will become the focal point of the disputes. It will become the burdensome stone for all the nations, as it is written, “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zech. 12:3)

Jerusalem is the city that God has chosen right from the beginning. Three thousand years ago David was anointed as the king over Israel, according to God’s Will. In the Bible Jerusalem is mentioned more than seven hundred times in connection with Israel. God Himself appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and chose Israel as His people through whom He showed forth His plan of Salvation with humanity, and it was put in writing by the prophets of Israel. The prophets had their main ministry in Jerusalem and so did the Lord Jesus Christ, there He suffered, died, rose again and ascended to heaven. The first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, when the New Testament Church was founded, was preached there by the Apostle Peter under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. The true Word, the true teaching came forth from Jerusalem, as ordained by God Himself (Isa. 2:2-5; Mic. 4:1-3; Acts 2; a. o.).

Now Jerusalem is placed in the center of world politics. The official statement is that Jerusalem supposedly belongs to the three religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. That could not be further from the truth. Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel. The Koran does not mention Jerusalem a single time. The security zone in southern Lebanon has been established and all their efforts will inevitably lead to the proclamation of “Peace and safety” (1. Thess. 5). From the latest news we can gather that the Vatican is now strongly urging the world community to present “a very concrete and final peace plan for the Middle East”. What remains is the “Jerusalem Question”. Why do they not debate over any other capital in the world? Why Jerusalem? Because God has chosen Jerusalem and Mount Zion for His reign on earth (Isa. 24:23). According to Dan. 9:27, the final thing will be a seven-year contract over Jerusalem. Shortly thereafter this present age will come to an end and the reign of Christ will begin.

It was a tactical move by Pope Benedict XVI to hide what he wanted to say behind a statement that was made about Mohammed in the 14^th century. Thereby he could reproach the other party with what they had done in the past, when the Muslim Turks slaughtered one and a half million Christian Armenians in World War I. Representatives of the Islamic religion, in turn, reminded the Catholic side of the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, wherein many Muslims were killed. Then the pope emphasised that his controversial statement had been misunderstood. He stressed that he very much respects all great world religions, especially Islam, and once again called for the continuation of the dialogue between the religions. His predecessor had already done a good job paving the way when he kissed the special Koran presented to him by the Patriarch and Imam of Baghdad on the occasion of his visit to the Vatican on May 14^th, 1999. The Vatican has the advantage of being able to manoeuvre both the religious and the political scene, and therefore is bound to achieve its objective, one way or another.

Although they all speak about God, everyone is talking about something else, even another God, all the while actually bypassing the one and only Almighty and Eternal One. The assertion is made that Jews, Christians, and Muslims supposedly all believe in the same God. That is not true at all! The truth is that the only Eternal One gave His people of Israel the statement of faith through His prophet Moses, to whom He spoke face to face, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD!” (Dt. 6:4-9). That statement was confirmed by our Lord in the New Testament (Mk. 12:28-33). The Bible does not know a triune, three-person God, nor does it know a God called Allah.

The one and only true God manifested Himself in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, Who was born in Bethlehem, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and died on the cross of Calvary, thus reconciling the world with Himself (2. Cor. 5:14-21). God appeared to humanity personally only in Jesus Christ, only in Him did God come to us, and only through Him can we come to God. In Him alone do we have the redemption and the forgiveness of our sins. Only by the blood of the Lamb, in which there was divine life, we have found grace with God and have received eternal life.

The true testimony states, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (Jn. 17:3). “… God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1. Jn. 5:11-12).

In the 114 suras of the Koran there is nothing said about forgiveness, redemption and reconciliation with God, about conquering death, or receiving eternal life. Of what value is a promise of going to paradise, if we do not know or call upon the One Who said, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Lk. 23:34). A promise made by a man has no divine guarantee. Only what the Redeemer promised to the redeemed He has given to them by His grace, only someone who has received eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour can live eternally.

The religions are the actual obstacles between God and humanity. Every religion has its founder and is the invention of a man. This remains true for ever: God’s way to us is our sole way to God.

With great concern the whole world looks to the Middle East, especially to Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and, of course, Iraq. The terror is growing; we are receiving daily reports of related deaths. The number of the civilians who have died in Iraq during this so-called “war on terror” is already estimated to be a few hundred thousand. More than three thousand U.S. soldiers have also lost their lives. The problem was not solved when the U.S. government paid over twenty million dollars for the capture of Saddam Hussein. It will not be solved with his trial and subsequent verdict, and much less by implementing yet another new “Iraq strategy”. Unrest and disorder prevail. The Shiites are fighting with the Sunnis and vice versa. From the biblical point of view these are pre-labour pains, until Rev. 9:13-21 and other prophecies inevitably find their fulfilment. In this Scripture the sixth trumpet angel receives the following command, “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” At the moment when these forces are set free, one third of the world population will be killed. The Prophet Isaiah predicted this event, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt …” (Isa. 27:12).

No matter how we may perceive the current international situation, we must admit that peace has been taken from the earth, although the whole world yearns for it. Now that their initial euphoria has subsided, even the president of the USA and the prime minister of Great Britain are at a loss, although there are talks about winning the “war on terror”.

When we consider the way the heads of state, especially those in the Islamic world, speak about Israel and the USA, then one can sense how far things have deteriorated. Is it not significant, when during a UN plenum, where representatives from 192 countries were gathered, Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, steps behind the pulpit, crosses himself in accordance with Catholic tradition and says, “I smell brimstone … speaking here yesterday was the president of the USA, Satan personified.”? Then came the speech of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and all realised what time it is. The world will go up in flames, it makes no difference whether there are eight or ten powers with nuclear capabilities. In any case, now the countries of the North and the East are uniting with the enemies of Israel. This is precisely the constellation predicted in Bible prophecy.

By everything that is now happening worldwide in politics, the economy, and in the religious realm we recognise that the end of the time of grace is very near. In this context we can quote what our Lord said, “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Lk. 21:34-36). “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2. Pet. 3:10).

How can it be that especially the Islamic world denies Israel the right to existence and openly demands the annihilation of God’s people? Why can they not concede that the Israeli people have a right to dwell in their own country, as promised and given to them by God Himself? Manifested therein is the rebellion against the Almighty, Who said, ”And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.” (Gen. 12:3). Did not Mohammed himself say in regard to the people of Israel, “… return to the Holy Land that God has ordained for you!” (Sura 5:21)? Apparently these powers, whether they are religious or political, are so filled with hatred that they are ready to self-destruct for their cause. Nevertheless, in the end the whole world will have to recognise that Israel is God’s chosen people. Before the Kingdom of God is established on earth, the following prophecies must be visibly fulfilled. And it shall come to pass,

“For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land.” (Isa. 14:1)

“Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.” (Jer. 31:10)

“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.” (Ezek. 36:24)

“… and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joel 3:2)

As we were recently informed, the Vatican wanted to use the UN partition plan 181 from 1947, whereby Israel was to be split into a Jewish and an Arabic state, in order to put Jerusalem under the direct rule of the Roman Catholic Church. Only now, after being kept under lock and key for 55 years, the secret documents can be viewed. Back then the Vatican negotiated especially with the Catholic countries Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Italy to place Jerusalem under Catholic rule. On account of the world public this plan could not be executed when Israel became a nation in May 1948. But now the time seems to be at hand.

In the final phase Jerusalem will become the focal point of the disputes. It will become the burdensome stone for all the nations, as it is written, “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zech. 12:3)

Jerusalem is the city that God has chosen right from the beginning. Three thousand years ago David was anointed as the king over Israel, according to God’s Will. In the Bible Jerusalem is mentioned more than seven hundred times in connection with Israel. God Himself appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and chose Israel as His people through whom He showed forth His plan of Salvation with humanity, and it was put in writing by the prophets of Israel. The prophets had their main ministry in Jerusalem and so did the Lord Jesus Christ, there He suffered, died, rose again and ascended to heaven. The first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, when the New Testament Church was founded, was preached there by the Apostle Peter under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. The true Word, the true teaching came forth from Jerusalem, as ordained by God Himself (Isa. 2:2-5; Mic. 4:1-3; Acts 2; a. o.).

Now Jerusalem is placed in the center of world politics. The official statement is that Jerusalem supposedly belongs to the three religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. That could not be further from the truth. Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel. The Koran does not mention Jerusalem a single time. The security zone in southern Lebanon has been established and all their efforts will inevitably lead to the proclamation of “Peace and safety” (1. Thess. 5). From the latest news we can gather that the Vatican is now strongly urging the world community to present “a very concrete and final peace plan for the Middle East”. What remains is the “Jerusalem Question”. Why do they not debate over any other capital in the world? Why Jerusalem? Because God has chosen Jerusalem and Mount Zion for His reign on earth (Isa. 24:23). According to Dan. 9:27, the final thing will be a seven-year contract over Jerusalem. Shortly thereafter this present age will come to an end and the reign of Christ will begin.

It was a tactical move by Pope Benedict XVI to hide what he wanted to say behind a statement that was made about Mohammed in the 14th century. Thereby he could reproach the other party with what they had done in the past, when the Muslim Turks slaughtered one and a half million Christian Armenians in World War I. Representatives of the Islamic religion, in turn, reminded the Catholic side of the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, wherein many Muslims were killed. Then the pope emphasised that his controversial statement had been misunderstood. He stressed that he very much respects all great world religions, especially Islam, and once again called for the continuation of the dialogue between the religions. His predecessor had already done a good job paving the way when he kissed the special Koran presented to him by the Patriarch and Imam of Baghdad on the occasion of his visit to the Vatican on May 14th, 1999. The Vatican has the advantage of being able to manoeuvre both the religious and the political scene, and therefore is bound to achieve its objective, one way or another.

Although they all speak about God, everyone is talking about something else, even another God, all the while actually bypassing the one and only Almighty and Eternal One. The assertion is made that Jews, Christians, and Muslims supposedly all believe in the same God. That is not true at all! The truth is that the only Eternal One gave His people of Israel the statement of faith through His prophet Moses, to whom He spoke face to face, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD!” (Dt. 6:4-9). That statement was confirmed by our Lord in the New Testament (Mk. 12:28-33). The Bible does not know a triune, three-person God, nor does it know a God called Allah.

The one and only true God manifested Himself in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, Who was born in Bethlehem, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and died on the cross of Calvary, thus reconciling the world with Himself (2. Cor. 5:14-21). God appeared to humanity personally only in Jesus Christ, only in Him did God come to us, and only through Him can we come to God. In Him alone do we have the redemption and the forgiveness of our sins. Only by the blood of the Lamb, in which there was divine life, we have found grace with God and have received eternal life.

The true testimony states, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (Jn. 17:3). “… God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1. Jn. 5:11-12).

In the 114 suras of the Koran there is nothing said about forgiveness, redemption and reconciliation with God, about conquering death, or receiving eternal life. Of what value is a promise of going to paradise, if we do not know or call upon the One Who said, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Lk. 23:34). A promise made by a man has no divine guarantee. Only what the Redeemer promised to the redeemed He has given to them by His grace, only someone who has received eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour can live eternally.

The religions are the actual obstacles between God and humanity. Every religion has its founder and is the invention of a man. This remains true for ever: God’s way to us is our sole way to God.