Sabbath 14/12/35/120

Dear Friends

Today is the beginning of the Feast of Purim.  It represents the saving of Judah from annihilation and genocide.

It is appropriate that we look into the matter of the attempts of the Last Days to wipe out Judah again as it was attempted as recorded in the Book of Esther. The matter is discussed in the paper Commentary on Esther Part II: Purim in the Last Days (No. 063B).

The Muslim Brotherhood operating in Egypt has shown its alliance with Iran and a professor from Egypt in 2012 declared on Iranian TV that they both hoped to accomplish the genocide of Israel in 2013. One would have thought that would be enough to focus Israel on its survival and stop internal bickering. The biggest problem the Israeli Prime minister faced this week was the political fuss caused by the parties in the Knesset making a public issue about the Prime Minister’s ice cream bill of US $2700 per annum for his entertaining. He likes pistachio and his wife likes vanilla and the fact that they serve it to their guests is a matter of public discussion and scrutiny. They seem to think that $50 per week for feeding their guests ice cream for dessert, not to mention themselves, is a public scandal. The sale of ice cream at their supplier has gone through the roof since the matter was raised publicly. Everyone can eat it except the Prime Minister. One would laugh if it was not so tragic and they were so close to annihilation. 

It is a serious matter and it does not appear that people can actually face the facts of the seriousness of these last days or even that they are the Last Days and we are about to enter the Day of the Lord. It appears that the Churches of God have been so brainwashed by the Armstrong Place of Safety false doctrine (see the paper The Place of Safety (No. 194)) and the SDAs by the Ellen G. White false doctrine of the Heavenly Millennium that they are incapable of facing reality (see also the papers The Millennium and the Rapture (No. 095) and the Warning of the Last Days (No. 044); cf. also Jer. 4:15 and 31:6).

It is useful to study these papers and look at what God is doing in these Last Days (see the paper The Day of the Lord and the Last Days (No. 192)).

There is always a difficulty in getting people to see what is happening and facing up to a reality they do not wish to view. The fact that Islam is capable of blowing itself to pieces let alone Christianity and other religions is simply not understood or accepted. Fundamentalist Islam is incapable of existing with any religious system even those of its own sectarian factions.  War is inevitable and the Bible is quite clear that the Northern Forces will be forced to war and to invade the Middle East in the Last Days and then move north in a massive escalation of the wars due to Russian incompetence and assumed self interest.

The aspect is also covered in the papers War of Hamon-Gog (No. 294) and Wars of the Last Days and the Vials of the Wrath of God (No. 141b).

Please pray and study for this Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. In 17 Days is the New Moon of Abib and the New Year of the 36th Year of the 120 Jubilee. The First Year of the New Cycle begins. The tithing obligations then begin in earnest again (see the paper Tithing No. 161)).

Wade Cox
Coordinator General