Iceland rocked by more than 20,000 earthquakes in 10 days

Yahoo March 5, 2021

Southwest Iceland is currently experiencing a "swarm" of seismic activity, with more than 20,000 earthquakes recorded since February 24, according to the the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The office said magma movements are likely the cause of the current surge on the Reykjanes Peninsula, raising fears of a volcanic eruption. 

There have been more than 3,100 earthquakes on the peninsula in the past 48 hours alone, according to the office. At least 63 of them had a magnitude of 3 or higher. A magnitude 3 earthquake can be felt, but rarely causes damage; as the number increases, the earthquakes become more dangerous. 

Similar bursts of seismic activity in the country have previously caused volcanic eruptions, the office said. 

2/3 Since then two earthquakes over M5.0 detected. Occurred on Feb. 27th and March 1st. Over 20000 earthquakes have been detected in the area since activity started. At 19:14 an M4.2 earthquake was detected 2 km N of Grindavík. It was felt in the Grindavík and in the capital area

— Icelandic Meteorological Office - IMO (@Vedurstofan) March 5, 2021

The aviation color code for the Reykjanes Peninsula is at an orange level, meaning there is "heightened unrest" and that there is an "increased likelihood of eruption," according to the office. 

The government of Iceland said on its website Thursday that there was a volcanic tremor pulse near Mt. Keilir, which is located on the peninsula, on Wednesday. 

Earlier today a tremor pulse was detected south of Mt Keilir, in the Reykjanes Peninsula, SW Iceland. No eruption has yet been detected but due to risks related to volcanic activity, all traffic near Keilir and Mt Fagradalsfjall is prohibited, including drone flights.

A huge ball of fire was spotted falling from the sky and crashing into north-western China’s

 

MSN 24-12-2020

A huge ball of fire was spotted falling from the sky and crashing into north-western China’s Yushu city on Wednesday. In a footage of the incident shared on YouTube, a giant fireball can be spotted flashing across the sky, lighting the dark sky over southern China. In multiple footages captured by locals, a ball of fire, suspected as a meteor, lights up the sky and plummets into the county of Nanggian in north-western China’s Qinghai province. Locals have reported to have heard loud bangs and the incident is said to have occurred at 7 am on December 23.

According to a report by Daily Mail, it is not yet clear what the burning sphere is but the local media is suggesting that the unidentified object could be a bright meteor. It is also suggested by some experts that the object was a bolide, an extremely bright meteor. Chief writer of Chinese science website Guokr, Yu Jun while talking to media said that it looked like a bolide. It might also have dropped several meteorite fragments somewhere around the area. Thankfully, no causalities have been reported.

Paris in flames

Express  Nov 28, 2020

Thousands of people across France took to the streets to protest and demand a free press. The protests have been ongoing during the past week after a video of police allegedly beating Black music producer Michel Zecler sparked anger about a draft law that is seen as curbing the right of journalists to report on police brutality. In Paris, protesters set street furniture on fire and clashed with police as they tried to block access to certain streets. Gérald Darmanin, Mr Macron’s interior minister, tweeted: "37 police officers and gendarmes injured in provisional results during the demonstrations. I once again condemn the unacceptable violence against the police."

The Biblical locust plagues of 2020

BBC   6th August 2020

Drawn to an emaciated avocado drooping from a drying mother tree, Esther Ndavu wonders aloud if it will ever mature into the fist-sized oval fruit that keeps city residents going. Like many others at her farm in Mathyakani village in central-eastern Kenya, this avocado tree has been attacked by desert locusts. With a wide sweep of her right hand, Ndavu counts about 10 avocado, mango and paw paw trees that are losing their boughs after the infestation.

The locust invasion that swept over farms in rural Kenya from December 2019 has left farmers like Ndavu not only counting crop losses, but struggling with emerging environmental and health problems. The swarms have been the worst seen in Kenya for 70 years, and experts are concerned that swarms later in the year will be even larger.

Desert locusts, or Schistocerca gregaria, have often been called the world’s most devastating pest, and for good reason. Swarms form when locusts’ numbers increase and they become crowded. This causes a switch from a relatively harmless solitary phase, to a gregarious, sociable phase. In this phase, the insects are able to multiply 20-fold in three months and reach densities of 80 million per square kilometre. Each can consume 2g of vegetation every day – combined, a swarm of 80 million can consume food equivalent to that eaten by 35,000 people a day.

In 2020, locusts have swarmed in large numbers in dozens of countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia, Eritrea, India, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Oman and Saudi Arabia. When swarms affect several countries at once in very large numbers, it is known as a plague.

United Nations Claims It’s Politically Incorrect to Say “Husband” or “Wife”

Summit 18 May, 2020

The United Nations has put out a tweet asserting that people shouldn’t use politically incorrect terms like “boyfriend,” “girlfriend,” “husband” and “wife” in order to “help create a more equal world.”

“What you say matters. Help create a more equal world by using gender-neutral language if you’re unsure about someone’s gender or are referring to a group,” states the tweet.

It then lists a number of terms alongside their politically correct alternative.

These include mankind, chairman, congressman, policeman, landlord, boyfriend/girlfriend, manpower, maiden name, fireman and husband/wife.

Plague of locusts threatens East African economies as UN sounds emergency alarm

NTEB February 21, 2020

I honestly thought that the current locust swarming would have stopped by now, or at the very least lessened, but just the opposite is taking place. It is increasing in intensity, with the locusts eating the food of 35,000 people in a single day. Interestingly, the locust swarms seem to be affecting nations that reject the God of the bible who commands the locusts at His will.

“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;” 2 Chronicles 7:13 (KJB)

“Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?” Job 38:22,23 (KJB)

The book of Job tells us that God uses the weather as a weapon, and it is more powerful than anything the militaries of the world can command. Read the book of Revelation sometime and see how God is going to use weather to judge this world. Hydrogen bombs are nothing more than mere firecrackers compared to what God will rain down upon this earth in the coming time of the great Tribulation. I am starting to think that this relentless locust plague is more than a seasonal outbreak, as it is rapidly approaching biblical territory. Birth pangs, perhaps? Time will tell.

Plague of locusts threatens East African economies as UN sounds emergency alarm

FROM CNBC: In recent days, locust swarms have begun to impact South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania, having already decimated crops throughout Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, Eritrea and Djibouti. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations earlier this week called the situation “extremely alarming.”

The UN warned of an unprecedented threat to food security in a part of the world where millions face hunger, and the FAO estimated that 70,000 hectares of crops in Kenya and around 30,000 hectares in Ethiopia had been infested. It added that locusts had attacked coffee and tea crops that account for approximately 30% of Ethiopia’s exports.

The FAO also estimated that around 8.5 million Ethiopians and 3.1 million Kenyans already face food insecurity. The locusts have now begun breeding along both sides of the Red Sea in Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia.

Desert locusts can travel up to 150km (95 miles) a day, and a one-square-kilometer swarm can devour as much food as 35,000 people in a single day, according to the UN.

They thought it was judgment day

Irish Times   Nov 11, 2019

November 1833. As the night skies exploded and the stars fell on America’s Deep South, the slavers on one plantation in Tennessee – terrified of the end of the world – attempted to make restitution to those they had enslaved.

Every year, in mid-November, the Earth passes through the Leonids, a huge meteor cloud left behind by the Comet Tempel-Tuttle. Each year sees impressive displays, with certain nights offering particularly spectacular meteor showers.

I

t is 186 years since the Leonids put on that striking show over the US south, and it is still remembered there as “The Night the Stars Fell”. The 1930s jazz standard Stars Fell on Alabama immortalised the night.

“On the night of November 12th to 13th, 1833,” wrote Victorian astronomy writer Agnes Clerke, “a tempest of falling stars broke over the Earth.

“The sky was scored in every direction with shining tracks and illuminated with majestic fireballs. At Boston, the frequency of meteors was estimated to be about half that of flakes of snow in an average snowstorm. Their numbers ... were quite beyond counting; but as it waned, a reckoning was attempted, from which it was computed, on the basis of that much-diminished rate, that 240,000 must have been visible during the nine hours they continued to fall.”

In Alabama, the Florence Gazette reported there were: “thousands of luminous bodies shooting across the firmament in every direction.

“There was little wind and not a trace of clouds, and the meteors succeeded each other in quick succession.”

Worldwide weather events

Protests and demonstrations have rocked every corner of the world in recent days

RT  21 Oct, 2019

Protests and demonstrations have rocked every corner of the world in recent days, with tax hikes, corruption and supposed environmental injustice all raising public anger. But why have they spread?

Watching the news over the last week, one would be convinced that the world has devolved into a series of flashpoints, with corrupt governments across the political spectrum facing the wrath of their enraged citizens. To be fair, that’s not far from the truth.

Four continents have seen anti-government demonstrations over the last week, many of them sparked by seemingly innocuous taxes or changes to the law. In Lebanon, protesters have set Beirut ablaze in response to a proposed fee of 20 cents per day on internet voice calls, dubbed the “WhatsApp tax.” Chileans set metro stations on fire following a $1.17 increase in public transport fares, and the streets of Ecuador are filled with rubble after a planned removal of fuel subsidies triggered mass unrest.

Elsewhere, perennial corruption has the West African nation of Liberia in a state of near-constant protest; a change to presidential term limits in Guinea caused deadly riots; Mexicans are demonstrating against corruption and drug cartel violence; and masked rioters in Hong Kong are still rallying against their government, months after the withdrawal of the Chinese extradition bill that sparked their anger.

Europe, meanwhile, has seen a general strike and mass marches in Barcelona following the jailing of Catalonian independence leaders on Monday. Dutch farmers have also shut down the country’s motorways after the government introduced new emissions regulations; and in France, already rocked by almost a year of ‘Yellow Vests’ demonstrations, thousands of firefighters have marched for more funding and better working conditions.

Why are insects in decline, and can we do anything about it?

The Guardian  10 Feb 2019
The world’s insects are hurtling down the path to extinction, threatening a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems”, according to the first global scientific review.

More than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered, the analysis found. The rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. The total mass of insects is falling by a precipitous 2.5% a year, according to the best data available, suggesting they could vanish within a century.

 The planet is at the start of a sixth mass extinction in its history, with huge losses already reported in larger animals that are easier to study. But insects are by far the most varied and abundant animals, outweighing humanity by 17 times. They are “essential” for the proper functioning of all ecosystems, the researchers say, as food for other creatures, pollinators and recyclers of nutrients.

Our Planet in Distress

World of Signs

An End Times Ambiance

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

Luke 21:25-28

"And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows."

Mark 13:7-8

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will examine the events of recent weeks which have left a foreboding impression that the world we live in is facing great peril in the days ahead. It is truly remarkable how much has happened in just the short time since I wrote the September issue of this newsletter. Against the backdrop of devastating hurricanes, heatwaves, massive wildfires, powerful earthquakes, and a growing possibility of war between the United States and North Korea, many people are starting to wonder if we could be living in the end times. In fact, even the New York Times published an article on September 8, 2017, with the headline, "Apocalyptic Thoughts Amid Nature's Chaos? You Could Be Forgiven." (1) The article cites science fiction writer John Scalzi who recently wrote that it "feels like the end times are getting a few dress rehearsals right about now." (2) Richard Hecht, a professor specializing in religious studies at the University of California in Santa Barbara was also quoted by the Times. "End of times fantasies have been a central part of American religiosity since the beginning, so it shouldn't be any surprise," Hecht stated. He further goes on to say, "It's one thing to believe the ministers' or preachers' calculations of the end of days. But now you have objective truths: Charlottesville, the solar eclipse, Hurricane Harvey, the earthquake in Mexico, Hurricane Irma. These are events no one can dispute. It's not the same order of a preacher saying that on September 8, at 10 o'clock, the world will end." (3) While the point of the article is to reassure the reader that the world is not really ending soon, the fact that it was written at all is indicative of the end time ambiance that many people are feeling today.

In Luke 21:25-28 we are warned by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." We are also told in Mark 13:7-8, "And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows." Jesus specifically told us to watch for "the sea and the waves roaring," "men's hearts failing them for fear," nations rising against nations, and earthquakes in divers or various places in the days leading up to His return. All of these things are happening now, and while we cannot say with any certainty that the world as we know it will end in the next five, ten, or even twenty years, it certainly feels like it could. In Matthew 24:35-36 we are told by Jesus, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." Therefore we continue to watch, pray, and wait for the great and notable day of our Lord's coming.

The Sea And The Waves Roaring

The rapid succession of tropical storms and hurricanes forming in the Atlantic Ocean over the last four weeks is a cause of great concern to scientists. While such storms are a normal fact of life and regularly appear each year during hurricane season, news outlets are reporting that these storms appear to be intensifying. First there was Hurricane Harvey, which became especially active in late August 2017, followed by Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose, Hurricane Katia, and Hurricane Maria, all within the month of September 2017. (4) In fact, the month of September was so active for hurricanes that Irma, Jose, and Katia were all churning at the same time. (5) Regarding the recent spate of hurricanes, meteorologist Bob Henson was quoted as saying, "The season has been an overachiever by almost every index. We've had more than a year's worth of named storms when you look at the long-term average, and that's being just past the midpoint of the season." Mr. Henson then warned that there will probably be more storms. "I would be shocked if we didn't get at least two more," he said. (6)

Hurricane Harvey, which first made landfall in Texas on August 25, 2017, as a Category 4 hurricane with 130 miles-per-hour winds, (7) was truly a storm of Biblical proportions. In fact, the storm dumped a trillion gallons of water on the state of Texas with Cedar Bayou, a city about 30 miles from Houston, receiving a record-breaking 51.88 inches of rain. (8) At least 82 people were killed in the storm (9) and between 30,000 and 40,000 homes in the Houston area were completely destroyed. (10) In total about 100,000 homes were damaged by the storm, which prompted Brock Long, the administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to say "The state of Texas is about to undergo one of the largest housing recovery missions the nation has ever seen." (11) The damage in economic terms is also mind-boggling. According to Accuweather founder Dr. Joel N. Myers, the losses caused by Harvey could reach a whopping 190 billion dollars. "This is the costliest and worst natural disaster in American history," Dr. Myers opined. (12)

On September 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma made landfall in the state of Florida. This storm is notable for many reasons. With Hurricane Harvey previously hitting Texas, the arrival of Irma marked the first time since records have been kept that two Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes have hit the United States mainland in the same hurricane season. (13) Prior to hitting the United States, Hurricane Irma gained force and became a Category 5 hurricane after reaching a sustained wind speed of 185 miles-per-hour. This wind speed was the second highest ever recorded for an Atlantic hurricane, trailing only behind Hurricane Allen of 1980. (14) Not only did Irma have a wind speed of 185 miles-per-hour, but this speed was constant for 37 consecutive hours, which is another record. (15) Irma was enormous too. At its peak, the storm covered a distance of 800 miles. Irma made its way through ten different Caribbean countries and caused great devastation. According to the Prime Minister of Barbuda, Irma left the island "barely habitable" with 95 percent of its buildings suffering damage. (16) The island has been completely evacuated in the wake of the storm's destruction. "The damage is complete. For the first time in 300 years, there's not a single living person on the island of Barbuda - a civilization that has existed on that island for over 300 years has now been extinguished," the island's Ambassador to the United States Ronald Sanders lamented. (17)

In total, this brutal storm caused the death of 73 people in the Caribbean and the American states of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. (18) Amazingly enough, Hurricane Irma weakened significantly after making landfall in Florida. Although the state still suffered significant damage, the storm was diminished to a Category 1 hurricane by the time it reached the city of Tampa. (19) It could have been a lot worse, and I know that many of God's people were praying.

On September 18, 2017, Maria, another Category 5 hurricane, made landfall at the Caribbean island of Dominica. (20) The devastation was swift and severe. "The country is in a daze - no electricity, no running water - as a result of uprooted pipes in most communities and definitely no landline or cellphone services on island, and that will be for quite a while," said Hartley Henry, who is principal advisor to the island's prime minister. Henry then went on to say, "In summary, the island has been devastated." (21) Maria became the third hurricane to wreak havoc on the United States this year when it made landfall at the American territory of Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. (22) So widespread was the damage that the entire island lost access to electricity. (23) In the aftermath of Maria's destruction, Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner, Jennifer Gonzalez, was quoted as saying, "The devastation in Puerto Rico has set us back nearly 20 to 30 years. I can't deny that the Puerto Rico of now is different from that of a week ago. The destruction of properties, of flattened structures, of families without homes, of debris everywhere. The island's greenery is gone." (24) The hurricane season of 2017 will be remembered for quite some time. Without a doubt, the sea and the waves have been roaring.

A Scorched Earth

For those who live in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, the wildfires of this year have been unrelenting. In early September 2017, it was reported that 137 significant wildfires, covering an area of 7.8 million acres, were burning out west. (25) These fires covered the entire state of Washington in smoke, while residents in Portland, Oregon, reported that it was "snowing ash." Emergencies were declared in California and Washington due to the hazardous air quality imposed by these cruel blazes. (26) To further worsen matters, there were 153 active wildfires in British Columbia, Canada, as of September 2017. Incredibly, smoke from the fires in the United States and Canada has even reached Europe in recent weeks according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA. (27)

Europe has been contending with devastating wildfires too. These fires have thrived because of a scorching heatwave that Europeans have nicknamed "Lucifer." In an article published in August 2017 by Popular Science Magazine, we are told, "If you load up the European Commission's fire map, it looks like the end of the world, especially in Italy and Romania." (28) This same article states that wildfires have also afflicted the Siberian region of Russia. (29) It is interesting that Popular Science would mention "the end of the world" in their report. In Revelation 16, we are told that one of the end times' punishments of God upon mankind will be a scorching heat. Revelation 16:8-7 declares, "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory." While the current wildfires and heatwaves now happening may not be precisely what these verses are speaking of, the present affliction of fire and heat are a preview of things to come. When that vial of judgment is poured out, I do not believe that mankind will even recognize it as judgment. Rather, the great heat by which men are scorched will be blamed on climate change and global warming. Perhaps the people of earth should ask themselves: What if the coming disasters attributed to climate change are in reality the fulfillment of Bible prophecy?

Planet Earth Is Rumbling

Students of the Bible have always taken a keen interest in earthquakes. It is a sign that Jesus Christ specifically told us to watch for, warning His people that there would be "earthquakes in divers places." Earthquakes have become so common in this modern age that few people even take notice of them anymore. News reports will cover significant earthquakes, but the vast majority of seismic events that happen every day are never mentioned. According to the US Geological Survey, there have been 1,764 earthquakes in the last thirty days as of September 25, 2017. This amounts to nearly sixty quakes per day! (30) Some areas of the world are especially prone to seismic shakings. For example, New Zealand suffered a record-breaking 32,828 earthquakes in 2016. (31) Unless you happen to live in New Zealand, you probably did not hear about most of them.

Unfortunately, human civilizations have a propensity to build large cities in areas that are prone to earthquakes. This holds true of Mexico City in Mexico, which was originally called Tenochtitlan by the Aztecs upon its founding in 1325. The site was chosen based on a superstitious Aztec prophecy which asserted that the location of their new city would be marked by an eagle aloft a cactus eating a snake. (32) As it turns out, this is a dangerous location for a large city. On September 19, 1985, a powerful earthquake measuring 8.1 in magnitude, shook Mexico City and killed thousands of people. Oddly enough, exactly thirty-two years later, Mexico City suffered another devastating earthquake on September 19, 2017. (33) The powerful temblor, which measured 7.1 in magnitude, has claimed the lives of at least 320 individuals in Mexico City and the surrounding areas as of this writing, while leaving thousands upon thousands of people homeless. (34) The Mexico City quake came just days after an 8.2 magnitude earthquake shook the southern region of Mexico on September 7, 2017. The quake in southern Mexico was said to be the most powerful earthquake to strike the country in 100 years. (35) According to the National Seismological Service in Mexico, there have been an astonishing 4846 aftershocks in the region as of September 25, 2017. (36) At least 96 people died and 16,000 homes were destroyed in the Mexican states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. (37)

How Technology Will Induce Subservience

In recent issues of this newsletter, we have covered the topic of microchip implants in-depth. I still find it an amazing thing that American citizens are being microchipped today, and it is even more incredible that it is happening in my home state of Wisconsin. The announcement made in July 2017 that a company from River Falls, Wisconsin, known as Three Square Market, would begin microchipping its employees in August of this year was big news, making headlines all over our state and sending shockwaves throughout the nation. On August 23, 2017, I was stunned to find that our local newspaper, the Daily Citizen, had republished an article originally from the Chicago Tribune which extolled the so-called virtues of these new microchip implants. "Imagine walking into the bank and not wracking your brain for your ATM pin code. Or never wondering where you left your credit card, transit pass, or ID. Imagine sailing through airport security without producing a driver's license or passport. Or through your security gate at work without fumbling for an ID card that you left in your other jacket," wrote the article's author, James Brooks. He later went on to write, "No more wallets, keys, credit cards? Everything available with a flick of the wrist? Sounds great." (38) The author also claimed that these chips would be a wonderful safety device for young children and people with memory issues, (39) which is something I predicted would be said when I wrote about this topic in the August 2017 issue of the Last Trumpet. Sadly, if this article is any indicator, there are many men and women in this country who will not only accept these microchip implants, but are eager to do so.

In the future, microchips may not only be used to implement a global cashless society, but they may also be used to control the population of the world. In 2014 it was announced that Microsoft founder Bill Gates was funding the research of a contraceptive microchip. When implanted in women, this chip would have the capability to deliver birth control to their bloodstreams every day for up to sixteen years. A wireless remote control would allow for the microchip to be turned on or off at will, (40) although there is no guarantee that women who have these chips would have access to the remote control. Such technology could easily become a nightmare with Big Brother deciding who can have children and when they can have them.

Even as microchip implants are being given to American citizens, recent news reports indicate that there is a renewed interest in establishing universal basic incomes for the American people. In other words, every American would be given money each month simply for existing with no requirement for employment. We are told this will be necessary because so many jobs are being lost to automation and people in the coming decades will be left with no work to perform. For this reason, it was announced in September 2017 that lawmakers in the state of Hawaii have voted to research the concept of a basic income for their citizens. "Our economy is changing far more rapidly than anybody expected," said Representative Chris Lee of Hawaii. Lee further stated that it is important "to be sure that everybody will benefit from the technological revolution that we're seeing to make sure that no one's left behind." (41) An article published by CNBC on August 31, 2017, also promoted the universal basic income concept. Citing a report from the Roosevelt Institute, the article asserts that giving every adult in the United States a thousand dollars each month would grow the American economy by 2.5 trillion dollars by the year 2025. (42) While the idea of receiving free money likely sounds fantastic to a majority of the population, I cannot help but wonder if those who receive this monetary benefit will be required to receive a microchip implant first. It is an easy way to implement this invasive technology, and I am sure that many people would gladly accept it!

Meanwhile, the United States government seems determined to get driverless cars on American roads. In September 2017, the United States House of Representatives unanimously approved a new initiative that will allow up to 25,000 autonomous vehicles to be deployed all over the country without meeting existing safety requirem"The autonomous vehicle bill just passed by the House leaves a wild west without adequate safety protections for consumers. It pre-empts any state safety standards, but there are none at the naents. The plan calls for another 100,000 of these vehicles to be deployed on American roads each year for the next three years. (43) This new law, which must still pass in the Senate, was quickly panned by a group known as Consumer Watchdog. tional level," the group said in a statement. (44) Why the sudden rush to bring driverless cars to American roadways? Autonomous vehicles will be yet another way that the American people are forced to cede their independence. It is a technology, which along with microchips, would induce subservience to a global one world government.

Is The United States Dangerously Close To War?

In recent weeks, the rhetoric between the United States and North Korea has intensified. North Korea has continued to test ballistic missiles while threatening to develop nuclear weapons and attack the United States. American President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un have insulted and threatened each other repeatedly. Could we be close to war? Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov seems to think so. Speaking of the bad blood between the United States and North Korea, Lavrov was quoted as saying in August 2017, "The risks are very high, especially regarding the rhetoric [between the two countries]. We hear direct threats to use force. At the same time, US Secretary of Defense Mattis stated once again, Yes, this will involve a huge number of human casualties, and yet talks about a pre-emptive strike on North Korea, talks in Pyongyang [North Korea], that it is necessary to strike the Island of Guam, where several US military bases are located, do not stop." (45) China, which is North Korea's strongest ally, also weighed in on the controversy. In August 2017, a Chinese newspaper known as The Global Times, which serves as a state-run mouthpiece for the Chinese communist government, indicated that China would stand by North Korea in the event of a pre-emptive strike by the United States on North Korean territory. "China should make clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten U.S. soil first and the U.S. retaliates, China will stay neutral," the newspaper said. It then went on to say, "If the U.S. and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so." (46) Simply put, the article indicates that if North Korea attacks the United States, China will stay out of it. However, the warning indicates that if the United States or its allies attack North Korea, then China will intervene. In which case, a war with North Korea could also mean a war with China.

In September 2017, Donald Trump's administration implemented new economic sanctions against North Korea. The two leaders then traded insults with each other. "Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before," Trump wrote. (47) In response to a speech given at the United Nations wherein Trump heavily criticized North Korea, Kim Jong Un issued a statement calling Trump a "mentally deranged dotard." He then went on to say, "I will make the man holding the prerogative of the supreme command in the U.S. pay dearly for his speech. I am now thinking hard about what response he could have expected when he allowed such eccentric words to trip off his tongue. Whatever Trump might have expected, he will face results beyond his expectations." (48) I cannot help but imagine the North Korean dictator furiously studying a thesaurus before issuing his threat.

As a further escalation of tension between the United States and North Korea, the North Korean government has asserted that the United States has declared war, and as such, they claim a right to shoot down American planes. "The whole world should clearly remember it was the U.S. who first declared war on our country. Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make countermeasures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they are not inside the airspace border of our country." (49)

If a war with North Korea should break out, those who suffer the most will likely be poor North Korean citizens who will die as military offensives are carried out. This is truly sad, for if we believe the reports we have seen of the brutal North Korean regime, most North Korean people are hostages in their own country suffering through a meager existence with little hope for a better future. I feel compelled to pray for the North Korean people who are trapped in this mess. Perhaps God will intervene and topple the regime of Kim Jong Un in another way.

In closing, the world we live in today has become a messy place. We are feeling the pressure of the times we live in, and there truly is an end times ambiance right now. Yet, Isaiah the Prophet tells us of our God in Isaiah 25:4, "For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall." The best thing we can do right now is put our hope and our trust in God. If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.

As always, we are grateful to our readers and supporters. Thank you for your kindness which enables us to operate this ministry. If you have any prayer requests, great or small, please do not hesitate to send them our way. We give each prayer request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Samuel Meyer - Last Trumpet

Acknowledgements
01. The New York Times, September 8, 2017, By Henry Fountain, http://nytimes.com.
02. Ibid.
03. Ibid.
04. Wikipedia, 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season, http://wikipedia.org.
05. The Daily Caller, September 6, 2017, By Michael Bastasch, http://dailycaller.com.
06. The New York Times, September 19, 2017, By Maggie Astor, http://nytimes.com.
07. Chicago Tribune, September 3, 2017, By Tom Skilling, http://chicagotribune.com.
08. ABC News, August 30, 2017, By Michael Edison Hayden, http://abcnews.go.com.
09. The Washington Post, September 14, 2017, By Eva Ruth Moravec, http://washingtonpost.com.
10. The New York Post, August 30, 2017, By Lia Eustachewich, http://nypost.com.
11. National Public Radio, September 1, 2017, By Pam Fessler, http://npr.org.
12. Accuweather, September 1, 2017, By Accuweather, http://accuweather.com.
13. The Weather Channel, September 10, 2017, By Chris Dolce, http://weather.com.
14. NJ Advance Media, September 7, 2017, By Len Melisurgo, http://nj.com.
15. Wired UK, September 11, 2017, By Matt Burgess, http://wired.co.uk.
16. Ibid.
17. Public Radio International, September 14, 2017, By TJ Raphael, http://pri.org.
18. The Weather Channel, September 21, 2017, By Sean Breslin, http://weather.com.
19. Slate, September 11, 2017, By Daniel Politi, http://slate.com.
20. The New York Times, September 18, 2017, By Azam Ahmed and Kirk Semple, http://nytimes.com.
21. USA Today, September 20, 2017, By Trevor Hughes, http://usatoday.com.
22. Fox 6 Now, September 20, 2017, By Tribune Media Wire Service, http://fox6now.com.
23. National Public Radio, September 20, 2017, By Doreen McCallister and Amy Held, http://npr.org.
24. Associated Press, September 24, 2017, By Danica Coto, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
25. Futurism, September 21, 2017, By Claudia Geib, http://futurism.com.
26. The New York Times, September 16, 2017, By Troy Griggs, K.K. Rebecca Lai, Jeremy Ashkenas, and Jugal K. Patel, http://nytimes.com.
27. Atlas Obscura, September 15, 2017, By Atlas Obscura, http://atlasobscura.com.
28. Popular Science Magazine, August 4, 2017, By Kendra Pierre-Louis, http://popsci.com.
29. Ibid.
30. US Geological Survey, September 25, 2017, http://earthquakes.usgs.gov.
31. Stuff News, January 2, 2017, By John Kirk-Anderson, http://stuff.co.nz.
32. The New Yorker, September 22, 2017, By Marcia Bjornerud, http://newyorker.com.
33. Ibid.
34. New York Daily News, September 25, 2017, By Reuven Blau, http://nydailynews.com.
35. The New York Times, September 8, 2017, By Paulina Villegas, Elisabeth Malkin and Kirk Semple, http://nytimes.com.
36. National Seismological Service, September 25, 2017, http://twitter.com/SismologicoMX.
37. Insurance Journal, September 12, 2017, By Christopher Sherman, http://insurancejournal.com.
38. The Daily Citizen, August 23, 2017, By James Brooks, http://wiscnews.com/bdc.
39. Ibid.
40. The Washington Post, July 17, 2017, By Dominic Basulto, http://washingtonpost.com.
41. Associated Press, September 4, 2017, By Cathy Bussewitz, http://hosted.ap.org.
42. CNBC, August 31, 2017, By Catherine Clifford, http://cnbc.com.
43. Reuters News Service, September 6, 2017, By David Shepardson, http://reuters.com.
44. Ibid.
45. Sputnik International, August 11, 2017, By Sputnik International, http://sputniknews.com.
46. Reuters News Service, August 10, 2017, By Reuters Staff, http://reuters.com.
47. The Washington Post, September 22, 2017, By David Nakamura and Anne Gearan, http://washingtonpost.com.
48. Ibid.
49. The Washington Post, September 25, 2017, By Carol Morello, http://washingtonpost.com.

2017 Is Strange

Wall Street Banks say end of market boom is nigh

By Sid Verm,  August 23, 2017

HSBC Holdings Plc, Citigroup Inc. and Morgan Stanley see mounting evidence that global markets are in the last stage of their rallies before a downturn in the business cycle.

Analysts at the Wall Street behemoths cite signals including the breakdown of long-standing relationships between stocks, bonds and commodities as well as investors ignoring valuation fundamentals and data. It all means stock and credit markets are at risk of a painful drop.

“Equities have become less correlated with FX, FX has become less correlated with rates, and everything has become less sensitive to oil,” Andrew Sheets, Morgan Stanley’s chief cross-asset strategist, wrote in a note published Tuesday.

His bank’s model shows assets across the world are the least correlated in almost a decade, even after U.S. stocks joined high-yield credit in a selloff triggered this month by President Donald Trump’s political standoff with North Korea and racial violence in Virginia.         More

Astonishing Events In A Rapidly Changing World

"Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."

Mark 13:33-37

"Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."

I Thessalonians 5:5-6

"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."

Revelation 3:3

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will consider the amazing times in which we live. It is truly more needful than ever that we as God's children watch and pray in these perilous times. It is imperative that we pay attention to what is happening around us because our world is changing rapidly, and these changes will affect every man, woman, and child on this planet which we presently occupy.

Over the course of the last seven years that I have written this newsletter, I have noticed that the mainstream news cycle can be quite repetitive. Each year, news outlets, seemingly working in concert, unleash a flood of stories regarding the devastating consequences of climate change. This fear mongering serves its purpose by emotionally and mentally battering the people of the world into submission. We are told over and over again that we all must "go green," and if we refuse to do so, it will lead to the demise of our planet and life as we know it. However, I think it is important that we ask: what does going green really mean?

In the minds of environmental extremists, people should be required to do far more than recycle bottles and cans, putter around town in a Toyota Prius, and buy wind generated power from the electric company. In July 2017 Lund University in Sweden published a study which calls for drastic action. A portion of the paper declares, "From analyzing 148 scenarios of the climate impact of individual behaviors in ten individual countries (with some studies additionally considering the whole EU [European Union] region), drawn from 39 sources, we have identified a dozen actions, including four recommended actions that are of substantial magnitude throughout the developed world: having one fewer child, living car free, avoiding air travel, and eating a plant-based diet." (1) Liberal news sources immediately latched on to this study, even prompting The Guardian to publish a headline which admonishes, "Want to fight climate change? Have fewer children." (2) As such, we see yet another method in which the traditional family is being villainized. What this report is really telling us is that having a large family is the worst thing anyone could do. I cannot help but think of the words of Jesus that we find in Luke 23:29 which says, "For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck." Indeed, in this modern age, children are often regarded as a burden rather than a blessing.

I have no doubt in my mind that organizations such as the United Nations will use climate change as an excuse to establish a one world government. People will be told that the world must unite to avert devastation, and human activity will be greatly restricted and controlled. Consider the Paris Agreement, which was signed in December 2015. This agreement, which calls on the nations of the world to unite in an effort to prevent global surface temperatures from rising 1.5 degrees Celsius, from where they say it was before the Industrial Revolution, has been joined by nearly every country in the world, including North Korea. Only the countries of Nicaragua and Syria refused to sign on. (3) Remarkably, American President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement on June 1, 2017, which prompted outrage around the world. (4) "Generations from now, Americans will look back at Donald Trump's decision to leave the Paris Agreement as one of the most ignorant and dangerous actions ever taken by any President," said Michael Brune, who is the executive director at the Sierra Club. (5) The famed astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking, was also livid about Trump's decision. "Trump's action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees (Celsius) and raining sulfuric acid," Hawking insisted. (6)

Meanwhile, former American Vice President Al Gore has made a sequel to his film known as An Inconvenient Truth. The original film, which was released in 2006, famously informed its audience that if drastic measures were not taken to stop climate change immediately, "The world would reach a point of no return within 10 years." Of course, more than 10 years have passed since this prediction and the world is still here. In an effort to legitimize his prognostication, Gore was quoted as saying, "Unfortunately, some levels of the Earth system have crossed a point of no return." The new film, which is titled "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," is scheduled for a nationwide release in the United States on August 4, 2017. (7) Based on the movie trailer, it seems that this film is intended to serve as a rebuke to Donald Trump.

It is certainly clear that environmentalists would like to foist severe restrictions on the people of the world. However, former American President Barack Obama must feel that these rules should not apply to him. In May 2017 Obama traveled to Milan, Italy, to speak at an event known as Seed & Chips: The Global Food Innovation Summit. Not only did Obama travel to this event in a private jet, but his entourage included a convoy of 14 automobiles and a helicopter overhead. This vast consumption of fossil fuel enabled the former President to lecture the world about the overconsumption of meat. (8) "I think people naturally understand that big smokestacks have pollution in them and they understand air pollution, so they can easily make the connection between energy production and the idea of greenhouse gases. People aren't as familiar with the impact of cows and methane, unless you're a farmer," Obama said. He then went on to say, "That doesn't mean that we can't teach you and me to have a smaller steak, for our own health. It doesn't mean we can't make progress in educating the advanced world about the need to reduce, just for dietary reasons, the amount of meat that we consume at any given meal." After hearing Obama's comments, former White House chef and food policy advisor Sam Kass indicated that he had probably prepared thousands of steaks for Obama over the years. To this assertion Obama replied, "I don't know about thousands. Maybe hundreds." (9) While this story may seem silly, it does demonstrate the rampant hypocrisy amongst elitists such as Barack Obama.

Climate change is a topic that instills a great deal of hostility today. This is evident in recent comments made by famous scientist Bill Nye. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Nye was quoted as saying, "Climate change deniers, by way of example, are older. It's generational. So we're just going to have to wait for those people to 'age out,' as they say. 'Age out' is a euphemism for 'die.' But it'll happen, I guarantee you - that'll happen." (10) It is truly a sad state of affairs when a world renowned scientist suggests that the death of an entire generation is a necessity that will help rectify climate change. Yet, this is likely the mentality of many liberal people today, even if they do not say so outright. Nye's remarks were reminiscent of comments made by television star Oprah Winfrey in 2013, who made the claim that too many older Americans are still racist and "they just have to die." (11)

My father used to say, "The problem isn't global warming, it's global sinning." It is undeniable that this planet we live on is in trouble. We often hear stories of drought, famine, flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, record breaking cold temperatures, record breaking hot temperatures, animal die-offs, and other calamitous disruptions. Yet, people become so fixated on climate change that they never cry out to God, seeking rather to solve these problems themselves. Declining to have children, ditching your car, and adopting a vegan diet will not save the world. Isaiah 55:6-7 tells us, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."       More

One mystery trader has made an extremely large bet that the stock market is going to crash by October

By Michael Snyder, on July 23rd, 2017 

One mystery trader has made an extremely large bet that the stock market is going to crash by October, and if he is right he could potentially make up to 262 million dollars on the deal.  Fortunes were made and lost during the great financial crisis of 2008, and the same thing will happen again the next time we see a major stock market crash.  But will that stock market crash take place before 2017 is over?  Without a doubt, we are in the midst of one of the largest stock market bubbles in U.S. history, and many prominent investors are loudly warning of an imminent stock market collapse.  It doesn’t take a genius to see that this stock market bubble is going to end very badly just like all of the other stock market bubbles throughout history have, but if you could know the precise timing that it will end you could set yourself up financially for the rest of your life.

I want to be very clear about the fact that I do not know what will or will not happen by the end of October.  But one mystery investor is extremely convinced that market volatility is going to increase over the next few months, and if he is correct he will make an astounding amount of money.  According to Business Insider, the following is how the trade was set up…

• To fund it, the investor sold 262,000 VIX puts expiring in October, with a strike price of 12.
• The trader then used those proceeds to buy a VIX 1×2 call spread, which involves buying 262,000 October contracts with a strike price of 15 and selling 524,000 October contracts with a strike price of 25.
• For reference, bullish call spreads are used when a moderate rise in the underlying asset is expected. Traders buy call options at a specific strike price while selling the same number of calls of the same asset and expiration date at a higher strike.
• In a perfect scenario, where the VIX hits but doesn’t exceed 25 before October expiration, the trader would see a whopping $262 million payout.

I will be watching to see what happens.  If this mystery investor is correct, it will essentially be like winning the lottery.

But just because he has made this wager does not mean that he has some special knowledge about what is going to happen.

For example, just look at what Ruffer LLP has been doing.  They are a $20 billion investment fund based in London, and they have been betting tens of millions of dollars on a stock market crash which has failed to materialize so far.  But even though they have lost so much money already, they continue to make extremely large bearish bets…                  More

Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation

Joel Stein May 20, 2013

I am about to do what old people have done throughout history: call those younger than me lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow. But I have studies! I have statistics! I have quotes from respected academics! Unlike my parents, my grandparents and my great-grandparents, I have proof.

Here's the cold, hard data: The incidence of narcissistic personality disorder is nearly three times as high for people in their 20s as for the generation that's now 65 or older, according to the National Institutes of Health; 58% more college students scored higher on a narcissism scale in 2009 than in 1982. Millennials got so many participation trophies growing up that a recent study showed that 40% believe they should be promoted every two years, regardless of performance. They are fame-obsessed: three times as many middle school girls want to grow up to be a personal assistant to a famous person as want to be a Senator, according to a 2007 survey; four times as many would pick the assistant job over CEO of a major corporation. They're so convinced of their own greatness that the National Study of Youth and Religion found the guiding morality of 60% of millennials in any situation is that they'll just be able to feel what's right. Their development is stunted: more people ages 18 to 29 live with their parents than with a spouse, according to the 2012 Clark University Poll of Emerging Adults. And they are lazy. In 1992, the nonprofit Families and Work Institute reported that 80% of people under 23 wanted to one day have a job with greater responsibility; 10 years later, only 60% did.

Millennials consist, depending on whom you ask, of people born from 1980 to 2000. To put it more simply for them, since they grew up not having to do a lot of math in their heads, thanks to computers, the group is made up mostly of teens and 20-somethings. At 80 million strong, they are the biggest age grouping in American history. Each country's millennials are different, but because of globalization, social media, the exporting of Western culture and the speed of change, millennials worldwide are more similar to one another than to older generations within their nations. Even in China, where family history is more important than any individual, the Internet, urbanization and the one-child policy have created a generation as overconfident and self-involved as the Western one. And these aren't just rich-kid problems: poor millennials have even higher rates of narcissism, materialism and technology addiction in their ghetto-fabulous lives.      Time

Donald Trump and Social Engineering

People are starving in Venezuela