Bible-UK.com
A Dawn Christadelphian Website.
What's going on in the world?.
(IN the world, but not OF it)
The War in Ukraine
In February 2022, the Russian President ordered his armies to invade Ukraine. Such are the myths surrounding the mighty Russian war machine that many expected Mr. Putin to steam-roller over their neighbour in a matter of days, if not hours.
Those Bible students who have long fancied Russia as the Gog mentioned in Ezekiel 38, who will sweep down with a confederation of nations and attack Israel, proclaimed that the prophecy was coming true in the present time.
That might still be the case, but the resistence of the Ukrainians, equipped with weaponry and training from the West, has revealed the truth about Russia's ill-equipped and badly led army of demotivated constripts who appear to be retreating at the time of writing (November 2022).
What will happen next? Is this the start of the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 or another example of the "wars and rumours of war" mentioned in Matthew chaper 24?
"6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. 8 But all these things are the beginning of birth pains."
Whichever proves to be the case, we can gain encouragement from the fact that God is in control; every twist and turn of world events had been known from the beginning of time. If these are the Last Days before the return of Jesus to earth as all the signs suggest (read the rest of Matthew 24 for more evidence), then shouldn't we be ready?
The Pope and Climate Change
Statements by Pope Francis on global warming were welcomed by many politicians and environmental campaigners. When a world leader such as the Pope, adds his voice to a cause, it is bound to have an effect on the issue. The Vatican has issued a 192-page "encyclical" document, blaming global warming on consumerism and greed. He calls on a new partnership between science and religion to combat human-driven climate change. "The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth" Francis wrote, blaming a toxic cocktail of overconsumption, consumerism, dependence on fossil fuels and the errant indifference of the powerful and wealthy. He described a hell on Earth should nothing be done, one filled with more methane and carbon dioxide, acidification of oceans and the crippling of the global food supply." quotes the Washington Post.
Elsewhere, well-intentioned and passionate campaigners, such as Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion are crying out for humanity, particularly in the West, to drastically change their lifestyles to reduce our impact on climate and Nature. It is likely many of them do not appreciate that God is in overall control of all things, so nothing can happen unless it is part of God's plan.
This all begs several questions: Should Christians get involved in such campaigns? Is that the Pope's job or primary concern? How does this fit with the Bible view of the future of this planet? What do you think?
Should Christians get involved in Politics?
In the UK, in creent years we have had general elections and by-elections and Christian organizations actually started a campaign, called "Christians In Politics" to encourage individual Christians to get involved and "make a difference". They say there is a biblical precedent for this, citing Esther, Daniel and Joseph as examples. There are a few major flaws with the reasoning. The first is that none of those three examples were Christians, they were Jews. Secondly, they were each used by God in a direct and specific way to bring about His will and purpose. They did not decide to "get involved"; that decision was taken for them. If we turn to the New Testament, can we find other examples the organizers of this campaign could have used to illustrate the point? Significantly, there is no example of a Christian supporting a political leader or standing for office themselves. Why is this? What do you think?Signs of the Times and the Last Days
The first thing to understand about the Last Days is that Jesus Christ will return to Earth to establish his Father's Kingdom. The Bible says so quite plainly. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11) "The Last Days" is the term used to describe the period of time immediately before the actual re-appearance of Jesus. This is why the subject is of such great interest to Christians today. The "Signs of the Times" are those events, which suggest to us that the return of Christ is imminent. This is a great source of encouragement for Christians and a warning sign to those who have not committed themselves to Christ that their window of opportunity is closing.
Israel - A Nation Always in the News
It seems that Israel is never out of the headlines for long. Despite its small size and insignificance compared to the G8 nations, the spotlight of the world's attention falls frequently on this troubled country. a current map of israel The World could give a few reasons why this might be; A (generally) pro-western state surrounded by (generally) anti-western neighbours. A (nominally) Judaistic nation surrounded by (nominally) Islamic Nations. The powerful Jewish lobby in the United States and elsewhere, mustering support. A capital city (Jerusalem), holy to three different (and often conflicting) religions; Judaism, Islam and Christianity. One piece of land (Canaan), occupied by two nations, Israel and Palestine However, the Bible Old Testament (a book holy to Islam, Judaism and Christianity) has a simpler explanation: Want to find out more?