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Balkan Vortex of Violence Threatens Kosovo

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article by John Ross Schroeder

Some 10 years ago Serbian troops invaded the mostly Muslim province of Kosovo. After U.S. air strikes and NATO intervention, the United Nations began administering the province. But the UN mandate recently expired and Kosovo threatens to declare full independence from Serbia. The behavior of Balkan countries continues to perplex the Western world. Will many more innocent lives be lost in their seemingly futile quest for a stable and peaceful existence? What is the only lasting solution?

The Balkan countries of southeastern Europe have not had an easy history. Few regions of the world have suffered so much violence, murder, ethnic cleansing and reverse ethnic cleansing, as first one nation and then another gained the upper hand. The Balkan catalog of human suffering in the 20th century alone overwhelms the imagination.
Balkan history is long and complicated. The Ottoman Turks crossed the Dardanelles in the 1320s. Serbia, Bosnia, Albania and Macedonia were among the Balkan nations conquered by the Turks, and they became a part of the Ottoman Empire. Many chafed under 600 years of Islamic rule. However, this enormous Turkish empire began to fray at the edges in the 19th century, and "in 1912-1913 three regional wars were fought in the Balkans" (Norman Davies, Europe: A History, 1997, p. 874).
Indeed it was an incident in the Balkans that proved to be the catalyst for the beginning of World War I (1914-1918). Norman Davies wrote: "The Bosnian crisis indicated where Europe's most likely flash-point lay. Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1908 without a shred of legal justification, having occupied and administered the country for the previous thirty years by international mandate" (ibid.).
So when in June 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, it provided the spark that eventually led to the loss of many millions of human lives of many nations. Much of the flower of British manhood died in Belgian trenches. Yet World War I also virtually ended the long Ottoman reign. Historians have generally assigned 1920 as the formal year of the empire's final dissolution.
The Balkan countries were now "free" to begin expressing their ethnic, nationalistic, cultural and religious differences by warring among themselves in earnest. Enter Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980) of Croatia.
Tito's reign and its aftermath
This formidable personality did what no other individual of that region had done in historical memory. In January 1946 he united virtually all of the Balkan nations and imposed a multinational federation called Yugoslavia but dominated by Serbia. In reality, this group of countries (the new Yugoslavia) constituted a communist dictatorship.
However, Marshall Tito practiced his own partially pro-Western brand of communism—not liking the Russian model of collectivized agriculture and favoring self-management of workers. He proved to be a lingering thorn in the side of the Soviet Union, and so the Soviets formally expelled him from the party in June 1948. His federation had never been part of the Warsaw Pact, and he later became prominently involved in the so-called nonaligned nations movement.
The historic nationality problems, long endemic in the Balkans, were effectively suppressed during Tito's long and ruthless dictatorship (1946-1980). But the cohesive, residual effects of his rule lasted only for about 10 years, and those years were marked by outbreaks of nationalistic restlessness. The formal breakup of the federation followed in the 1990s. "War in Yugoslavia broke out in early June 1991 as soon as the parliaments of Slovenia and Croatia voted for independence" (Misha Glenny, The Balkans, 1998, p. 637).
The leaders who survived Tito simply did not possess his charismatic powers and presence among the Balkan peoples. They could not hold the federation together.
(Marshall Tito's accomplishments are in a minor way indicative of what another far more powerful charismatic personality will bring about in uniting Central Europe—militarily, economically and politically. Ten European rulers will give their powers over to him. His reign will astonish the world. The book of Revelation in the Bible calls him "the beast." To know much more, request or download our free booklets You Can Understand Bible Prophecy , The Book of Revelation Unveiled and Are We Living in the Time of the End? )
Back to Kosovo
This brings us to the Kosovo of just over 10 years ago. In April of 1996 a small number of ethnic Serbs were dining in a café in Kosovo. They were suddenly slaughtered by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) composed of ethnic Albanians. Three other attacks, all attributed to the KLA, occurred that same night. Muslim Albanians compose 90 percent of the population of Kosovo, with a 10 percent minority of Serbs. This is the nub of the problem since Kosovo is still legally and formally a province of Serbia.
In the words of author Misha Glenny, "In Kosovo the death toll mounted on both the Serbian and Albanian sides. The European Union and the United States were awakened to the possibility of war in the province" (ibid., p. 655). American and NATO military action followed in defense of Kosovo, and the UN was soon in virtual charge of the province.
But where are we now in Kosovo? This province wants to become the seventh independent nation to emerge out of the former Yugoslavian federation. The United States and some key European nations support this bid for independence. America is popular in Muslim Kosovo, a rarity in the Islamic world today.
But Serbia strongly opposes independence for Kosovo. Boris Tadic, president of Serbia, firmly stated: "As long as I am President of Serbia, I will never accept the independence of Kosovo" (quoted in Time, Dec. 31, 2007).
Serbia has a powerful backer in Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has clearly said in advance that he will vote against recognition of Kosovo in the United Nations Security Council. Besides sharing Slavic blood and ethnic ties with Serbia, Putin is trying to rebuild Russian clout and influence in the world. He is also leery of setting any precedents that might be interpreted as encouraging breakaway groups in Russian regions like Chechnya.
Would an independent Kosovo become another Taiwan? Would yet another vulnerable Balkan state be forever dependent on outside sources like NATO or the UN for its security? What would become of its Serbian minority?
Of course, Kosovo is far from the only problem in the Balkan mix. Bosnian Serbs would also like to form an independent country or possibly join forces with Serbia. Regional stability remains very far removed from reality and satisfaction among the citizenry is in very short supply. The abject suffering among the Balkan population is and has been immense. Some of these regional problems appear almost insurmountable.
What is the solution?
The apostle Paul sums up the New Testament solution to the kinds of difficulties that are endemic to the Balkans. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians:3:27-28 [27] For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
[28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus., emphasis added throughout). Many of these national and cultural differences fade in relative importance when we repent, become baptized and receive God's Holy Spirit (see Acts:2:38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.). We begin to see things in a far different light.
According to the Bible, to become truly converted is to lay aside the deeds of the darker side of our human nature. Murdering members of other ethnic groups is not an option for Christians. It is an evil work of the flesh in the biblical sense and a stark violation of the Ten Commandments.
Later Paul repeats the point to the church at Colosse. "But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him [God] who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all" (Colossians:3:8-11 [8] But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
[9] Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
[10] And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
[11] Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.).
We know that the Balkan population at large is highly unlikely to adopt this biblical solution en masse. But individuals there clearly could. For further help we offer our free booklets The Road to Eternal Life and Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion .
The long-term solution is the second coming of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the rule of the Kingdom of God on this earth. Christ's millennial reign will solve all of these world problems. Our free booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom , lays out the overall plan and purpose of God for humankind. You may request a copy in print or download it on our Web site. WNP

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Nation Rising Against Nation
Observers are struck by the obvious interconnectedness of the various Balkan nations. Troublesome events in one country often affect neighboring nations negatively. The Balkan mix is continuously potentially explosive.
In spite of 16,000 NATO soldiers stationed in Kosovo, the Slovenian foreign minister described the situation there as "a risk—it is very serious." Slovenia assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on Jan. 1. He saw Kosovo as potentially the biggest challenge to the Slovenian presidency. The Financial Times headlined its article, "Slovenia Fears Kosovo Partition."
The general history of the Balkans is punctuated with either nations fighting one another or ethnic groups within nations warring with each other. The conflicts there bring to mind the Olivet Prophecy recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.
It was first spoken and later recorded in writing to inform us about what would happen in the time of the end. In it Jesus Christ warned that "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Matthew:24:7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.). You may want to request our free booklet Are We Living in the Time of the End? WNP

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"Intifada of the Crossings"

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article by Cecil Maranville

Tiny, but forever pivotal to world politics, Israel is struggling with a new intifada, a concerted attack on all the Gaza crossings and one in particular—the crossing at Rafah. The strategic importance of "crossings" is identified in Bible prophecy, only by another name.

Biblical Abraham was the common ancestor of both Arabs and Jews. Genesis 22 records a momentous event, when Abraham demonstrated his absolute loyalty and trust for God; it's celebrated by Arab and Jew alike (although they differ on whether the child involved was Ishmael or Isaac).
Verses 16-17 relate directly to explosive events unfolding in Israel today: "By Myself I have sworn, says the L ord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies."
A few decades later, when the son of Abraham was taking a wife, her relatives pronounced this unusual-sounding blessing on her: "Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands; and may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them" (Genesis:24:60And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.).
A "gate" in this context is symbolic of a choke point, a pivotal passageway, one that controls entrance and exit from the nation. If a nation controlled the "gates" of its enemies, it could defend against attacks.
The "gates" are today's "crossings"
Today in Israel, a term for these gates is crossings . When the political arm of the terrorist group Hamas took power in Gaza in 2005, Israel sealed all crossings going to and from this narrow strip, home to 1.5 million Palestinian Arabs.
One of these has been in the news all year—the crossing at Rafah, located in the southeast corner of the Gaza Strip. Rafah is Gaza's main gateway to the outside world, since Gaza has no seaport or airport.
You can pull up a satellite view of it on Internet map programs and witness a sprawling city of 200,000 on the Israeli side of the border and a much smaller city of 40,000 on the Egyptian side. You can even see the wall that Hamas breached in late January this year.
Until 1982, Rafah was one city. It was divided into two as part of the Camp David Peace Accord. But instead of guaranteeing peace for the families and friends living in Rafah, it ended up dividing them. Initially, they traversed the border with relative ease, but mounting violence within Gaza by the late 1980s and early '90s changed that and the border tightened.
By 2000, Gaza's Rafah was one of the region's most violent cities, and the Israelis constructed the present wall (destroying a swath of homes to open up enough land to do so). And when Hamas took power, the Rafah crossing was almost completely closed.
Terrorists and thieves continue to cross the border through a network of tunnels to smuggle arms and other contraband. But the average citizen is unable to go back and forth easily if at all; many haven't seen relatives or friends for years.
When Hamas broke open the border in January, one Gazan resident of Rafah told of reuniting with his six siblings after an 11-year separation, as well as of visiting his father's grave in Egypt's Rafah for the first time. The man wasn't permitted to cross to attend his father's funeral at the time (Ibrahim Barzak and Omar Sinan, "Border Town United by Gaza Border Breach," AP, Jan. 26, 2008).
Among the first to cross was Naimeh Bayah, a wheelchair-bound mother, traveling from Jabaliya refugee camp to Egypt for surgery. A 52-year-old woman from central Gaza came to Egypt to buy the cement she needed to construct a proper Muslim grave for her son who had been killed in fighting between Hamas and Fatah. (Cement is but one of countless essentials in short supply in Gaza.)
Another Gazan on crutches slipped and fell in front of TV cameras, knocked down by the press of bodies rushing to get through the breaches in the wall between the two Rafahs.
Eighty percent of Gazans must rely on international charity for food. They poured into Egypt for nearly everything imaginable, including cows, camels, electronics, fertilizer, building materials and medicine.
But compelling as they are, these stories give only part of the picture.
Breaching the wall at Rafah far from spontaneous
The Egyptian government believes that Hamas conspired with the Muslim Brotherhood (an Egyptian-based terrorist group and the parent organization of Hamas) to breach the wall at Rafah. An editorial in the Middle East Times cast doubt on the suggestion that anything about it was spontaneous.
"Hamas knew that Egyptian troops guarding the Rafah border crossing would not fire on fellow Arabs and Muslims. Had they done so, the results would have reverberated across the Muslim world" ("Gazans' March on Israeli Border," Feb. 25, 2008).
The word conspired may seem inappropriate in light of how Hamas' action was portrayed in the Western media and even more so in the Arab press. Blasting and bulldozing holes in the border wall was described in heroic terms, including, "The greatest jail breakout in history."
However, the reason that Israel closed the Gaza Strip crossings is the continuing terrorist acts upon Israel by Hamas and various other Arab terrorist cells. Hamas hardly should receive praise for pulling people from a burning building that Hamas itself set on fire!
That seems lost on throngs who poured through the 15 holes Hamas blasted through the wall at Rafah. Estimates run as high as several hundred thousand people, or nearly half of the entire population of the Gaza Strip! Hamas gunmen are thus both the liberators of the Gazans and also the cause of their captivity.
"The intifada of the crossings"
The crossing at Rafah is under a strange security arrangement. Supposedly, the control of it passed from the hands of the Israelis after 40 years in November 2005.
At that time, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the new crossing "is intended to give the Palestinian people freedom to move, to trade, to live ordinary lives," adding, "for the first time since 1967, Palestinians will gain control over entry and exit from their territory" (David Morrison, "How the EU Helps Israel to Strangle Gaza," The Electronic Intifada, Feb. 14, 2008).
In reality, it's a mess and far from Palestinian control. The Palestinian Authority has only a token force of police at Rafah. Egypt, by treaty can have only a small military contingent on the border. The entire operation is under the supervision of the EU, which also garrisons a small military contingent at Rafah.
However, even though the Israeli Defense Force no longer guards the crossing, the treaty stipulates that Israel must have personnel monitoring TV cameras posted at the crossing—or the EU won't open it! So, to shut the border, all Israel has to do is not make anyone available to watch the TV monitors! As silly as that might sound, it effectively leaves the power to close the crossing in the hands of the Israelis.
And for the present, Israel still possesses this gate of its enemies (the terrorists within the Palestinians).
Roni Shaked wrote in an opinion piece for Ynetnews.com, "The battle of the crossings, launched several months ago [the Rafah 'breakout' being part of it], took a great leap forward Thursday [May 22, 2008]. Hamas leaders, disappointed with the failure to bring about a ceasefire and remove the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, are encouraging the ongoing activity against the crossings and are trying to instigate a third intifada— the intifada of the crossings" ("Thursday's Truck Bomb Part of Hamas' Attempt to Force Israel to Lift Seize on Gaza," May 24, 2008, emphasis added).
So, it's war on the crossings, on "the gates" spoken of in the ancient Scripture, showing that the Bible is remarkably relevant to this perennially peaceless land.
The breaching of Rafah's wall was part of a strategic effort by Hamas, calculated to bring international pressure on Israel to open all the crossings. In late May, Hamas demanded that Israel open Rafah immediately or that Egypt step in to take over. Hamas believes that Egypt can't openly resist such pressure, lest it seem to be against fellow Arab Muslims.
However, Egypt has good reason to resist, because it is afraid of Hamas. How could that be, when Egypt has more than 50 times the population of Gaza and 2,800 times the landmass?
A Hamas-Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy against Egypt
Bret Stephens, a reporter for The Australian wrote in January: "Egypt—not Israel—is the country that has the most to fear from a statelet that is at once the toehold, the sanctuary and the springboard of the Islamist revolution" ("The Gaza Breakout," The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 29, 2008).
Stephens noted that Egypt's reaction to the Gaza breach was "near hysterical." Hamas' parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, launched approximately 70 demonstrations of support in Egypt simultaneously with Hamas' blasting open the border.
Stephens called the Hamas plan "a masterstroke." Breaching the wall was technically an act of war against Egypt, but Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood masterfully presented it as a humanitarian crisis and a bid for freedom. Because of the abundant publicity gained by Hamas in framing the crisis as precipitated by "cruel Israeli policies," Egypt would have great difficulty turning Gazans away.
Internal politics in Egypt put the government in a precarious position. The Muslim Brotherhood has a political foothold there, as well as continuing to sponsor terrorism. With the help of Hamas and the international publicity over the Rafah crossing, the Muslim Brotherhood has a real chance of seizing control of Egypt, making it an Islamic state.
The octogenarian Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has groomed his son to succeed him in the presidency, but the younger Mubarak has no military experience in a country where the generals have a great deal to say about who will lead the nation.
Only the beginning of trouble at the crossings of Israel
So, the intifada of the crossings is on. For its part, Israel recently announced plans to build yet another wall at Rafah within the next 18 months; it will be as large as the wall Israel has been building in the West Bank!
God warned Israel of old that should it fail to live by His laws, He would allow Israel's enemies to "besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land"; that "your enemy shall distress you at all your gates" (Deuteronomy:28:52And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee., 55).
Like its brother and great ally, the United States, the nation of Israel today is a generous and prosperous nation. Yet these descendants of the people to whom Deuteronomy was written break the laws of God in countless ways. Although they are both powerful nations still, the handwriting is on the wall for trouble "at the gates."
For more information, see our booklets The Middle East in Bible Prophecy , The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy and You Can Understand Bible Prophecy . WNP

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The Bible is Full of Real People and Places!

by Randy Stiver

Source: Amanda Stiver

There are real people in the Bible! They lived in, travelled to, fought and fell in love in real places!
The Bible is not Star Trek , Star Wars or even Galaxy Quest . Those are detailed, science-fictional stories about fictional people in fictional places. Granted, they are interesting stories about interesting though unreal people—if, like me, you like that sort of thing.
We can envision the fictional drama of their made-up lives, and most importantly, we can relate to those made-up folks. Sometimes we can see a little of ourselves in their characters. We can imagine their lives that led to the vignettes in the books and films. It’s like our minds filled in the gaps of time and space so we can see and hear what they saw and heard. We reason and feel what they thought and felt. We like those stories in part because we can envision the characters and places in our minds’ eye.

Behold the Bible!

If you love the dramatic, then this is it. Out of the physical nothingness but spirit fullness of deep eternity—suddenly life as we know it enters the scene! People live, breathe and do bad, foolish, destructive things (just like in the movies—and real life). But they do some good things, too, mostly because of the pervading, dynamic force and inspiration of God Himself.
The people in the Bible built societies like our modern nations, provinces and cities. They fought wars which destroyed those places and many of the humans in them. They rebuilt from the rubble—actually, because stone was cheap and handy, they usually rebuilt on top of the rubble. Over the few thousand years of human history, those destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed again city locations became mounds or hills of rubble which archeologists in the Middle East call a “tel” because the Hebrew word for mound is tel.
Every one of those biblical cities is a genuine, geographical location. That’s the difference between science fiction and science fact—or between just plain fiction and fact. The Bible is fact.

Samson

There was a super strong man called Samson in the Bible. His real life and adventures could have easily been the fabled basis for Hercules. God used Samson’s intelligence and strength (which He gave him in the first place) to free the beleaguered Israelites from the oppressive Philistines—at least for a few decades. Read about this real man and the real places he lived, travelled to and fought over in the book of Judges from chapter 13 to 16 (Judges:13:1-25 [1] And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
[2] And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
[3] And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
[4] Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
[5] For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
[6] Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
[7] But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
[8] Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
[9] And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.
[10] And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.
[11] And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.
[12] And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?
[13] And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
[14] She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
[15] And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
[16] And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.
[17] And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
[18] And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
[19] So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.
[20] For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
[21] But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.
[22] And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
[23] But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.
[24] And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
[25] And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol., Judges:14:1-20 [1] And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
[2] And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
[3] Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
[4] But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
[5] Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
[6] And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
[7] And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
[8] And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
[9] And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
[10] So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
[11] And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
[12] And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
[13] But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
[14] And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
[15] And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?
[16] And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
[17] And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
[18] And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
[19] And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
[20] But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend., Judges:15:1-20 [1] But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.
[2] And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.
[3] And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
[4] And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.
[5] And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.
[6] Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.
[7] And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.
[8] And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
[9] Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
[10] And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.
[11] Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
[12] And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
[13] And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.
[14] And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
[15] And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
[16] And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
[17] And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.
[18] And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
[19] But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.
[20] And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years., Judges:16:1-31 [1] Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.
[2] And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
[3] And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
[4] And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
[5] And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
[6] And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
[7] And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
[8] Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
[9] Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.
[10] And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
[11] And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
[12] Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.
[13] And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
[14] And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
[15] And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
[16] And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
[17] That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
[18] And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
[19] And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
[20] And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
[21] But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
[22] Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
[23] Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
[24] And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
[25] And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.
[26] And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.
[27] Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
[28] And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
[29] And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
[30] And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
[31] Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.).
It won’t take you long, but while you’re reading, imagine. See Samson, his parents, Delilah, the unfortunate lion, the foxes and the frustrated and angry Philistine leaders—all in your mind’s eye. Marvel at the “special effects” (the foxes again). Relate to Samson’s love for his parents and shake your head at his foolish relationships, especially the toxic one with Delilah. In the end, over your favorite cup of tea or coffee, think about what the true drama of Samson’s life. What can you learn from it?

And there’s more…

When you pick up the Bible, you’re holding in your hands the most important collection of true stories about true people and true places. In addition to Samson, there are prequels and sequels to keep you enlightened with true “entertainment” and great wisdom for your whole life or at least until the end of the world as we know it and then the beginning of an incredible “world tomorrow!” A time coming when Jesus Christ returns to the earth. Those are called future stories, or prophecies—don’t miss them!

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The EU: A Seventh Roman Revival in the Making?

In the devastated aftermath of World War II, it seemed unimaginable that Europe could rise again. Many venerable cities had been bombed into rubble. The dead were counted in the tens of millions. Old institutions and organizations ceased to exist.

What happened next, fueled by U.S. dollars supplied under the Marshall Plan, was an economic miracle: Western Europe rebuilt and retooled its industry.
Modernized from the ground up, in the 1950s and 60s many of defeated Germany's factories began to outclass the factories of its national benefactor, the United States. The old dream of a peaceful European union led to an organization known as the European Common Market.
In the last half of the 20th century the Common Market gave way to the European Union, a powerful alliance with old enemies France and Germany at the center. The amount of international integration achieved under the European Union is staggering.
But it is not in the form that it will be when Jesus Christ returns.
Returning to Revelation 17, we see that John "marveled with great amazement" at the vision he had seen of the woman and the beast (Revelation:17:6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.). An angel then explained to John that "the beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit …" When they see it, people "will marvel…when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is " (Revelation:17:8The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.).

What does such unusual wording mean?

Having gone through this historical background, we can now understand how an empire could once exist, then disappear, then reappear in a somewhat different form. The fact that this beast, symbolic of an empire, " was, and is not, and yet is " tells us that the Roman Empire, which does not exist at this time as such, will be restored yet again in the near future.
It " was ," meaning it existed in the past, it currently " is not ," meaning it doesn't exist at this moment, and " yet is ," for it remains an undercurrent in European politics, and " will ascend out of the bottomless pit "—meaning it is destined to rise yet again.
Revelation:17:10And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. prophesies that there would be seven kings or rulers who would lead resurrections of the Roman Empire in cooperation with the Roman church. We've seen that so far, there have been six. A seventh revival, called "the beast" and linked in prophecy to God's intervention in human affairs with Christ's return, lies ahead.
In 1957 six Western European nations—West Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium—came together to create the European Economic Community through the Treaty of Rome. These groundbreaking steps toward European unification were taken in the ancient capital city of the Roman Empire and home to one of the world's oldest and major religions.
Paul Henri Spaak, former secretary-general of NATO, later remarked on that signing in a BBC documentary: "We felt like Romans on that day…we were consciously recreating the Roman Empire once more."
Europe's long dream of unity retains its hold on European leaders. Although slow to come together, and certainly not yet in its final form, that union will emerge as a global superpower that will stun and shock the world.
The European Union is now the world's greatest economic power, accounting for more than a third of the globe's total gross domestic product. It's the largest exporter in the world. The euro, the EU's common currency, has increased in value almost 50 percent against the U.S. dollar since its introduction in 2002.
Some EU leaders believe that the union isn't developing fast enough or flexing enough muscle on the world scene. There has even been discussion of forming a coalition within the European Union, led by France and Germany, that would speed up political unity.
Not all Europeans are greeting the concept of an EU military force with open arms. The joint U.S.-European incursion into Kosovo in the late 1990s revealed the general reluctance of many European states to play a part in using military force. The combined EU members sent only 50,000 troops to the Balkans, when they have almost 2 million men under arms.
Meanwhile the United States, with its major military commitment in Afghanistan and other forces scattered worldwide in the war on terror, is showing considerable weariness in acting as the world's policeman. Instead of pursuing force with Syria after that country's president Bashir al-Assad used chemical weapons on its own people, the administration of Barack Obama has pursued diplomacy instead. Likewise a recent diplomatic deal with Iran has taken shape instead of the typical threat of armed conflict and sanctions that have been used in the past.

Europe's Prophesied Future

The events in Europe are following a historical pattern—an attempt to unite the Spanish and Italians, Germans and Slavs, French and Scandinavians into one empire.
The current moves to expand and solidify the European Union appear to be setting the stage for the emergence of the end-time power Daniel prophesied as being made of partly of iron and partly of clay. In light of what Bible prophecy reveals, it's fascinating to note the roots of the movement to unify Europe.
The idea of founding a renewed Roman Empire was certainly on the minds of those whose efforts have led to the current organization of European nations. That union has continued to strengthen with greater cooperation and integration in economic and political affairs.
The 10 kings who will give their power and authority to the beast will not understand how monstrously evil their creation will become, ultimately plunging the world into catastrophe.
Revelation:17:14These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. clearly states the time setting for this prophecy: "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them…" The Lamb, of course, is Jesus Christ. He will not return until this prophecy of 10 rulers who form an end-time superpower is fulfilled. Yet all indications are that His return must be soon (a forthcoming study aid Seven Prophetic Signs Before Jesus' Return will cover this topic in greater detail)—and the appearance of this empire will of course be even sooner.
As history shows, the Roman Empire has fallen, risen and fallen several times in the past. Be assured that it will rise once more, yet soon afterward will be destroyed and replaced by the final superpower—the Kingdom of God, ruled by Jesus Christ, which will never be destroyed!

The Final Fall

The dreams of Julius Caesar, Justinian, Charlemagne, Napoleon and Mussolini have never died. They will resurge once more—yet will end in utter disaster. In Revelation 19 we find out who destroys this final empire. Here the apostle John writes about a vision he received concerning the future: "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God" (Revelation:19:11-13 [11] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
[12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
[13] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.). This is the One we know as Jesus Christ.
Continuing: "And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Revelation:19:14-16 [14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
[15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
[16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.; see also Revelation:19:17-21 [17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
[18] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
[19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
[20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
[21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.).
The last superpower of men described in Bible prophecy will be replaced by the final superpower—the Kingdom of God, led by Jesus Christ, which will rule the entire world. Prophecy was given by God to guide us through changing world conditions, strengthen our faith and give us hope for the future. Our faith must be in Him and our lives must be dedicated to doing His will so we might ultimately be a part of that Kingdom.
This is what Bible prophecy reveals regarding the end time. The foundation is laid, the structure is being built, and the time for the seventh revival of the Roman Empire—the beast—draws ever closer.
Will you be ready to face these events that are destined to transform the world?

‹ Roman Revivals of a United Europeup Why Europe and Not the United States? ›

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Conflict Again in Iraq, Why It Matters

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by Darris McNeely

Source: Darwinek/Wikimedia Commons

It’s Sunni versus Shiite once again in Iraq and this time America is not around to keep the peace. How far will sectarian strife escalate during this round of fighting in this ancient region?
A group of Arab fighters calling themselves the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) have come back in force in northern Iraq and taken control of key cities of Tikrit and Mosul. Thought to have been weakened and out of the game, this group has had a resurgence of support in northern Iraq and eastern Syria. Coupled with the utter collapse of Iraqi forces in that region, their display of force over the past few days has created the largest threat to stability and security in Iraq since the American-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s government in 2003. Without American ground troops in the region, the fate of the country is uncertain. It appears that predictions of the Iraqi army's lack of preparedness, coupled with the political weakness of the country's leadership have come true. Tens of thousands of civilians fleeing their homes is the usual, and unfortunate, result of these conflicts.
This current conflict is on our mind: last week we recorded an episode of Beyond Today  to air close to the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I in August. We showed in the program how the current conflicts in the Middle East—and Iraq and Syria in particular—are a result of the decisions made in the aftermath of that war. The lines of the current Middle East nations were drawn during the Paris Peace Conference after the war. The lines dividing the countries did not always take into consideration the religious and ethnic differences. What we are seeing in today’s news out of the region is part of that story.
The problem is compounded today because of a vacuum of power created by America’s reluctance to police this failed region. America is going through a crisis of confidence in its role as the sole superpower in today’s world. The American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 “broke” the fragile glue that held the nation together. Since having pulled out all troops, the country was left to police itself. Unfortunately, as this week’s events show, Iraq does not have a strong enough army and government to effectively maintain control.
Jesus Christ listed the rise of conflict among nations (nation shall rise agains nation) in Matthew:24:6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. as one of the signs of the end of this present age. The word nation here is ethnos and more accurately refers to ethnic strife between the smaller grouping of peoples within larger nations. These intractable conflicts are what drag larger nations into war against one another.
Bible prophecy shows the Middle East will again drag larger nations into the region. What we are seeing in Iraq today shows us how this could be done in the future. That is why what is happening today in Iraq and Syria matters.

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The World Cup: Counting the Cost

A commentary by Larry Murray

Posted July 8, 2010

South Africa spent huge sums to host the World Cup. In a country suffering growing problems, was it worth the cost?

World Cup fever!
For a small African country, hosting the world's most-watched sporting championship is a once-in-a-lifetime event! It's an event that South Africa has been looking forward to for six years.
But what of the cost of staging such a world-class event?
The $1.2 billion that FIFA (the world soccer federation) has spent on South Africa is more than for any World Cup (WC) in history, according to Business Report (June 17, 2010). Roadto2010WorldCupFinal.blogspot.com estimated the total costs to the country to be around $3.7 billion (March 19, 2008).
"Some more mind boggling numbers to consider," declares SportandDev.org (June 2, 2010): "More than $400 million was spent to renovate the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg; Green Point Stadium in Cape Town was built for $600 million; and a 70,000-seat stadium was built in Durban for $450 million, and that's just a sampling of the money trail.
"Should these jaw-dropping sums of money be spent to erect soccer stadiums in cities where countless children living in the shadows of these extravagant structures don't have...even the equipment to play?"
The New York Times wondered: "How could there be money for a 46,000-seat stadium [in Nelspruit] while many of [the local people] still fetch water from dirty puddles and live without electricity or toilets?" (March 12, 2010).
According to Forbes.com ,"South Africa will be saddled with 10 new or newly renovated football stadiums that are much too large for domestic demand and require a large amount of spending for upkeep and maintenance" (June 21, 2010).

Other costs to consider

What about other indirect costs?
Pretoria News Weekend reported June 19 that around $3 million of public money had been spent so far by government departments and state entities on tournament tickets. "Trade Union Nehawu blasted the spending by 'shameless bureaucratic fatcats. Our union finds it totally unacceptable that our townships are burning because of poor service delivery and millions go hungry every day—yet the...state bureaucrats are stealing taxpayers' money to watch soccer.'"
Telegraph.co.uk had this scathing assessment on June 21: "Present estimates of total cost are 757% above the original guesstimates... The WC expenditure has displaced investment in projects with more intrinsic and long-term priorities such as health and education. It is estimated that WC-related infrastructure spending is equivalent to ten years of housing investment . For every seven seats in the new stadiums a fully equipped school library could have been built—only 7% of South Africa's schools have functioning libraries...
"When South Africa was announced as the host for FIFA's premier event, it was vaunted as a great expression of the so-called Rainbow Nation to bridge social, economic and political interests.
"Here is the reality: The trade unions have been instructed not to strike for the duration of the WC; the matches are not accessible to most local people due to relative remoteness and prohibitive cost; an unofficial 'blind eye' has been turned to human trafficking...leading up to WC; and...South Africa's sometimes shameful behaviour towards other Africans is rearing its head with reports of renewed hostility towards [African] refugees, professionals and business people. Frankly the government was asking a lot from a small leather soccer ball to resolve the country's complex social dilemmas.
"Soccer is historically the sport of the black working class majority and it is this majority who have greatest need of any benefits derived from this event. Unemployment stands at over 40% and youth unemployment stands at nearly 70%" (emphasis added).

The future

Indeed, it could take years for the economy of South Africa to return to normal. But why is it that this country is now facing such an arsenal of maladies?
The loss of God's blessings is hardly surprising considering the way many South Africans (in keeping with the norms of the modern world) continue to ignore the religious and moral standards upon which their nation was built. Too many allow decadence, immorality and pleasure seeking to consume their lives, as our whole world moves farther and farther away from God.
The incredible news is that a better world is in the making, one in which hunger, poverty, pestilence and disease will be unknown. At that time the entire world will learn the way of peace! All nations will live by God's righteous laws! And "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord" (Isaiah:11:9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.).
You can be a part of this wonderful world! To find out more, download or request our free booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom . It will be a decision you won't regret!