Bible in the News

Welcome to another edition of our weekly audio programme and print update--and again this week we have witnessed another important development as Russia's Vladimir Putin has pressed forward with a campaign through which he intends to penetrate the Middle East.

WELCOME to yet another edition of The Bible in The News--but in view of one news story this past week, we don’t know how many more we can expect. According to hundreds of scientists representing 113 governments, there is no doubt that planet earth is warming up--and unless some dramatic change occurs, it will time-out within a few decades.

Welcome to another edition of our weekly programme, The Bible in the News. This week we ask: What is the United States up to? Are they going to launch an attack on Iran--or are they about to make some kind of military sweep through Iraq? One thing is quite certain: there is a significant build-up of US military force taking place in and around the Middle East right now.

What if Nazi Germany had developed the atomic bomb? The prospect is unthinkable. Would there be an Israel today? Would there be any Jews today? Hello, this is Dave Billington with the January 24th edition of the Bible in the News. Today, the modern day Haman, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, has threatened on several occasions to wipe Israel of the map, and it is well known that his country is trying to develop nuclear weapons. There are different estimates as to how long it would be until Iran would be able to join the nuclear club, however, this week the Daily Telegraph in the UK had a headline that read: "North Korea helping Iran with nuclear testing." The Telegraph also reported that: "Under the terms of a new understanding between the two countries, the North Koreans have agreed to share all the data and information they received from their successful test last October with Teheran's nuclear scientists." With the help of North Korea Iran could have the bomb much faster. It's crunch time, the sea and the waves are roaring and it is a fearful time in the earth.

This is Paul Billington with another edition of the Bible in the News. Among the many events taking place this week--the resignation of Israel’s Military Chief of Staff, calls for the resignations of Israel’s Prime Minister Olmert--as well as his Minister of Defence, Peretz; there is clearly the sniff of change in the air. Germany’s Angela Merkel is looking for closer ties with Russia, while at the Vatican scandals and corruption have surfaced like scum. As we read in Revelation 17:4, she has a "golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication." She is "drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (verse 6). And so revelations of her priesthood in Poland having been working closely with the old Communist regime there, and informing against citizens is just more evidence of her double standards. She will work with ANY political crook: German, Russian or Iranian.

Russia cuts oil supplies to Europe this week for three days over a row with Belarus. This is Dave Billington at www.bibleinthenews.com with the weeks Bible in the News. Europe receives close to 30% of its oil and 40% of its gas from Russia. In a news analysis on the BBC website entitled: "Oil row highlights changing ties" we read the following:

Welcome to the first edition of Bible in the News for the year 2007. Well, during the last week there can be little doubt as to what the top story has been. The execution of Saddam Hussein has dominated the news, with pictures of the ex-leader of Iraq standing on the gallows with the hangman’s rope being placed upon his neck. Many have wondered whether it was necessary to display the graphic details of his last moments to the world quite like this, and so there has been some debate about it. Some see Saddam's death in terms of justice done. Others have taken it a step further, rejoicing in vengeance and seemingly taking pleasure in the death of the dictator. But then others again have sought to make political mileage out of the event and the pictures, in their campaign against the death penalty in the interests of what is called "human rights."

"Har HaBayit Be'Yadanu!" The Temple Mount is in our hands. These were the words of the Israeli commander Motta Gur as Israel took control of the Temple Mount in the 6-day war. Later Rabbi Shlomo Goren prayed at the western wall saying: "Blessed are thou Lord, who comforts Zion and builds Jerusalem." 1967 was an amazing time for the building of Jerusalem and returning to lands that had been liberated--it was like a Biblical Jubilee when God said in Leviticus 25:10 that "ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land... ye shall return every man unto his possession".

This IS The Bible in the News with Paul Billington-- and THIS week get out YOUR Bible and find the prophecy of Joel. While you are finding it I just want to mention a couple of news items. These are some headlines that we have gathered over the past few days:

This is the Bible in the News with Paul Billington talking with you this week about Iran, the Holocaust denial conference, and the response to it by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Centre in Jerusalem. To many of us, denying the Nazi Holocaust of World War II is only possible if you are a crank--a madman--and obsessed by a hatred of reality as well as of the Jews. It is hard to understand the mind of someone who would blind themselves to all the accumulated evidence that there is. Yet that is what a conference in Iran was engaged in during the week. As we will know, President Ahmadinejad of Iran not only denies the fact that six million Jews perished in the Nazi Holocaust, but he wants to repeat the terrible crime by (in his words) wiping Israel off the map. Israel, incidentally, has about 6 million Jews there today--so he really does intend to match the exploits of Adolf Hitler!

Welcome once again to another edition of the Bible in the News. This is Paul Billington speaking with you from Ontario in Canada. Things are not looking all that good for Israel these days--or for the Middle East in general for that matter. Many see the approach of another war. It is inevitable they say. Different views are expressed in the media about the prospects for peace--the left wing secularist press seems to think that peace between Israel and the Palestinians is attainable while others think not. As expressed by the Jerusalem Post’s Caroline Glick:

This is The Bible in the News brought to you again this week by Paul Billington, speaking from Ontario, Canada! This week finds the pope visiting Turkey and trying to make peace with his Orthodox counterpart and with his Islamic critics. His visit is significant and is part of the Vatican’s policy to unite the whole of Europe under the dominant spiritual headship of Rome. Istanbul--formerly Constantinople--is the hub of early Christendom as it was organized by Constantine the Great and later ruled by Justinian and other Emperors. In those days it was a united Christian (or rather Catholic) Roman Empire, and it remained that way until the Great Schism of 1054. That is when Roman Catholics in the west split from Orthodox Christians in the east. That divided the Empire along religious lines.

Welcome to another edition of the Bible in the News brought to you this week by Paul Billington in Jerusalem, Israel. While instability to the north of Israel is increased by the assassination of a Lebanon government minister this week, and the situation in the south is becoming worse due to continuing violence in Gaza--despite these items being in the news, there is hope among a section of Israel's youth, and we saw them expressing that hope vigorously and with amazing enthusiasm on Monday night as they danced, sang and prayed in a procession around the ancient gates of the old temple area.

Welcome to another edition of the Bible in the News brought to you this week by Paul Billington in Jerusalem, Israel. This is a city of controversy; especially religious controversy. That fact cannot be avoided when you visit this ancient city.

Welcome to another edition of the Bible in the News with Paul Billington here to talk about it! This week we bring you a shorter version than is usual due to time constraints which are upon us for several reasons. One reason is the preparation that we are making to go to Israel this coming weekend. This means that next week, God willing, we will speak with you from Jerusalem.