Bible in the News

Israel, it seems, is in deep trouble. Forty years after the stunning victory of June 1967, we find her groping around for a rational policy, for meaningful and trustworthy leadership, and for a pathway to peace. What Israel needs to do is to turn to the Bible; her troubles exist today because she has forgotten her God. The front cover of THE ECONOMIST this week declares more than its editors realize when it says: "Israel's Wasted Victory..."

The competition for power in the Middle East has been hotting up this week with Palestinians fighting each other in Gaza, with Lebanese troops pounding Palestinian refugee camps, Arabs talking tough to one another--and to Iran--while the United States puts on a show of force in the Gulf. Not to mention rockets being fired into Israel and some retaliation to that. With such madness and a mixed-up picture of events before us, how can we make any sense of it all?

This is another edition of the Bible in the News brought to you this week by Paul Billington. Welcome to some thought-provoking analysis of the news from a Bible perspective--and a different approach from those shallow and meaningless news digests that you could read for yourself or hear on the radio. Our purpose is to stimulate interest and thought--not only about the news headlines--but also about the Bible passages that throw light upon both the issue at hand, and also on the background to it.

This is Paul Billington with another edition of the Bible in the News--a weekly look at a selected news item from a Bible perspective.

Today Israel is a country without leadership. One commentator on the Israeli Ynet News wrote: "It is time to call elections because we are going nowhere. There is no leadership. We are in the pits politically, militarily and socially." There is extensive corruption in the ruling elite--there are suspicions against the finance minister, the president Moshe Katsav has suspended himself because of rape allegations. The Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is a lame duck who only about 4 percent of the public feel should continue his job. He too is pursued by corruption scandals. The preliminary findings of the Winograd commission, established to examine the failure of the Lebanon war last summer, were released this week. Much of the blame was placed upon Ehud Olmert for hasty decision making. After only a year in office it seems his days are numbered.

Hello once again: This is Paul Billington with another edition of the Bible in the News. The Bible IS in the News constantly. As we survey the scene today--and especially in the Middle East, Europe and Russia--we see how Bible prophecy is being fulfilled as nations, and blocks of nations move into the positions foretold many centuries ago. The Middle East seems to be dividing in a North-South orientation--with Arab nations falling in with either the Islamic Sunni-led group, or else the Islamic Shiite-led group. Nations like Saudi-Arabia, Egypt and the Gulf States are concerned about Iran, Syria and sections of Iraq, so much so that there are even moves being made so as to come to terms with Israel. Amazing developments are taking place right in line with the prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel.

Welcome to another edition of the Bible in the News. This is Paul Billington back with you after a few weeks absence during which we have been overseas, taking part in a prophecy day in Kent UK, and gathering material for another edition of the Bible Magazine which will be due out in early July.

Welcome to www.bibleinthenews.com, this is David Billington with the April 11 edition. There is much to discuss in the news this week. The headline of the Guardian newspaper in the UK today reads: "Russia threatening new cold war over missile defense. Kremlin accuses US of deception on east European interceptor bases." The first paragraph reads: "Russia is preparing its own military response to the US's controversial plans to build a new missile defence system in eastern Europe, according to Kremlin officials, in a move likely to increase fears of a cold war-style arms race." From a Bible prophecy standpoint it is interesting to note that some of the United States' NATO allies are also "nervous" and "They include Germany, where the Social Democrat leader, Kurt Beck, warned last month that the US and Russia were on the brink of another arms race "on European soil"." This is the difference. The Europeans wanted US defense in the cold war, now they don't. They are far more comfortable with Russia, whose foreign policy is very similar to their own. Concerning relations between Russia and the US the article states: "The threat of a new arms race comes at a time when relations between Russia and the US are at their worst for a decade." As we get closer to the thief like return of Jesus Christ to the earth we wouldn't expect relations between Russia and the US to be cozy -- or should we say, between the king of the north and the king of the south. In which case I would refer you back to Bible in the News from two weeks ago, where we considered that subject in the light of events in Iran.

The Iranians have succeeded in making Great Britain look weak, parading their apologetic soldiers on television. Aside from draining every ounce of propaganda from the incident the Iranians may have received much more. The Telegraph in the UK reported that: "It is not yet clear what conditions, if any, were attached to the release of the sailors, though Mr Ahmadinejad said that he had received assurances from the British that there would be no further incursions into Iranian territory." If this is true it will leave the British marines in the According to the latest reports the British Captives are being freed. Persian Gulf in a precarious predicament trying to carry out their mandate. There will always be fear of straying into Iranian waters and if it does happen we could expect Iran to be more resolute in their stand. However, there could be further implications if the United States and Britain decided to do something about Iran's nuclear program. It doesn't leave Britain in a good position if they have "promised" not to enter Iranian waters. When all is said and done one cannot claim that "Britannia ruled the waves" in this incident, it was definitely Iran that called the shots.

"At the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind..." So reads Daniel chapter 11 verse 40. What does this have to do with the escalating situation between Britain and Iran? Who is the king of the south? Who is the king of the north? Stay tuned as we find out! This is Dave Billington with you for this weeks Bible in the News.

Hello, and welcome to another edition of the Bible in the News--This is Jonathan Bowen filling in for Paul Billington who is on assignment in England and Europe. Once again this week's news is packed full of headlines which demonstrate the words of Daniel 4:17, "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men".

Hello, and welcome to another edition of the Bible in the News--This is Paul Billington back with you after a short absence due to pressure of work here at the Bible Magazine headquarters. The news this week is amazing news to those who understand the prophetic picture that is given to us in the Bible. For many years--for well over a hundred years in fact--students of prophecy have been looking for a coming together of Russia and the Vatican. At one time this looked impossible but here we are this week talking about Vladimir Putin's visit to Pope Benedict at the Vatican in Rome.

Welcome back to Bible in the News, this is Dave Billington with you for this week. On Friday 27 members of the German Bishop's Conference that was visiting Israel, made a first-time historic visit to Yad Vashem--the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem. Does that sound like a nice gesture to you?

Hello to all our listeners this is Dave Billington with this weeks Bible in the News, thanks for tuning in. A new documentary is claiming that the burial site of Jesus' family has been found, including the coffin of Jesus himself. It's amazing how unbelievers scoff at every piece of evidence proving the historical Jesus and yet when they find something that they think could prove that Jesus is dead they hype it up and make a documentary about it.

Welcome to this week's edition of the Bible in the News--This is Paul Billington speaking with you from Ontario in Canada. The news story that we have chosen to focus on this week is the one from the TIMES newspaper in England, which announces plans to unite the Church of England under the pope. The word to notice in the TIMES front page headline is "under." If this plan goes ahead it will completely change the character of what was once "Great Britain," and will be one more step in bringing the country into line with the rest of Catholic Europe.