Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Your Papers Please
The post-9-11 environment has been a boon for security companies, especially those that sell biometric ID technology (the kind that is keyed to your body, like your fingerprints, the shape of your face, or your iris). What we have now is a race between the security needs of government and industry and terrorists who are intent on finding the flaws in the new technology. I suspect that ultimately we will find that the most secure form of ID is the kind that is redundant, placed in and on your body in various locations and using various methods. It is interesting to track these trends as they evolve, as one day one of them will become the dreaded Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18). In this latest news, the U.S. government is upgrading border security by requiring biometric identification and letting people know they should get used to it (Reuters - Get used to biometric tests, U.S. tells travelers). The U.S. is also encouraging international standards (Independent - US wants to be able to access Britons' ID cards) so that biometric data can easily be shared among the responsible authorities.

Monday, May 30, 2005

French Reject EU Constitution
Many people dislike the Book of Revelation because it is a book of symbols. It takes careful study and a knowledge of both the Old Testament and the New Testament to even begin to start uncovering the meaning of the symbols used in the last book of the Bible. However, in some cases, the Book of Revelation is more direct and a knowledge of Biblical symbols is unnecessary. The Ten Kings prophecy of Rev 17:12-14 says plainly that ten future kings will give their power and authority to one person, who will rule the entire world for a short time. This person is popularly called the Antichrist, though he is referred to as a beast in the Book of Revelation, one of two beasts who will rule at the end of this age. While many people like to get caught up in speculation about the identity of the antichrist, others speculate about the identity of the ten kings. Some Bible prophecy commentators believe that the ten kings represent leaders of the EU (primarily because of the Daniel 9:26-27 prophecy about the prince they infer to be Roman), and have continued to hold to this view even as the EU expanded beyond ten members. Others (like me) looked to alternative political alliances that could one day form the power base of the first beast, like the U.N. Security Council or the G8 economic forum. The recent vote by the people of France to reject the proposed EU constitution (France Rejects Europe Charter - Yahoo! News) may give momentum to the EU camp if the EU now fractures into a two-tier system. Nine members of the EU have already approved the new constitution, France would have been the tenth. All 25 members of the EU must approve the constitution for it to be ratified. So, what will happen? Stay tuned.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Iran Backs Down
The latest news on the nuclear crisis in Iran. "The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany persuaded Iran on Wednesday to continue its freeze on nuclear activities, averting a diplomatic crisis that could have led to punitive international measures against Iran," The New York Times (Europe Convinces Iran to Continue Nuclear Freeze) reports. [Persia, Ezekiel 38:5]
Future Famine
The U.N. says (Global warming will increase world hunger-U.N. - Yahoo! News) there will be more famine in the future because of...global warming? [famine, Matthew 24:7]

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Zarqawi Dead?
This is just a rumor, it has not been confirmed, but there is a chance that terrorist leader MAZ is either injured or dead (Militant leader Zarqawi wounded in Iraq - Web - Yahoo! News). It has been suggested that this is disinformation put out to throw the U.S. military off the trail. So, take it for what it's worth. [Rumor of War, Matthew 24:6]

Monday, May 23, 2005

Flu Warnings
The World Health Organization is warning governments to prepare for the next flu pandemic (VOA - WHO Urges Countries to Prepare for Influenza Pandemic). It is, as they say, only a matter of time, and now is the time to prepare. [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Pandemic Fears
Scientists are closely watching developments Indonesia, where bird flu has been found in pigs. As this Voice of America reportnotes, this is dangerous because, "Pigs have genetic similarities to humans, and can carry both human and animal viruses... if a pig became infected with both types of virus at the same time, it could act as a "mixing vessel," creating a new strain that could become a serious threat to humans." The potential exists for a new pandemic similar to the Spanish flu of 1918, which killed between 20 to 40 million people worldwide. Submitted for your files on pestilence (Luke 21:11).

Saturday, May 07, 2005

Weekly News Summary
Sorry for not having posted recently. I've been very busy. My original goal was to make at least one post a day and to encourage the other team members to do the same. Unfortunately, it has not worked out that way. Before I offer a list of some of the more interesting news reports of this week, I'd like to make another call for bloggers to join the team. With the phenomenal success of the Left Behind series, I know there are many Christians out there with a newfound interest in following events, and that is why we are here, to offer quick links to news reports of prophetic interest, to do this in real-time with team members standing by, ready to post breaking news. To do this right, we need a bigger team. So, if you share our interest, please consider joining the team. We are especially interested in recruiting those with high bandwidth (like students) and those with lots of free time (like retirees). If you are interested, please see the "about the blog team" link over on the left, and then contact us. Ok, now for an admittedly incomplete list of some of the more interesting news reports for the week of May 2-7, 2005.

Official: N. Korea May Test Nuclear Weapon - Yahoo! News

Four dead, 26 hurt as strong quake jolts western Iran - Yahoo! News

Nearly four million Ethiopians now in urgent need of food aid - Yahoo! News

French Pedophilia Trial Hears Sordid Tales - Yahoo! News

Christianity taking over planet? - World Net Daily

Polio cases in Indonesia raise fears of wider outbreak - Yahoo! News

New Method Predicts Monster Waves - Yahoo! News

Scientists: Earth's Energy Is Imbalanced - Yahoo! News

Clinton: Peace in Mideast a 'Tough Slog' - Yahoo! News

Women's group looks to Temple Mount and Future Jewish Temple - Jerusalem Post

Survey: TV for Mobile Phones Set to Reach Masses - Yahoo! News

Real ID Act edges closer to passage - Yahoo! News

Implanted chip ID tags are getting under the skin - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Japan Steps Up Quest for UN Security Council Seat - Yahoo! News

Putin struggles to allay Israeli fears over Syria, Iran deals - Yahoo! News

Moscow to help Egypt reboot its nuke program - World Tribune

Sunday, May 01, 2005

Persecuted Church
If you are looking for news and information on persecution (Matthew 24:8), check out a new site called Christian Monitor. They collect news reports from all over the world and make them easily available to their readers. I'm very impressed with the work they do and encourage you to visit their site and share it with others.