By Lee E. Warren B.A., D.D. (© 1998 PLIM REPORT)
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This is a new section that will be added to every issue of the "PLIM REPORT."
Yelstin met the Pope at the Vatican
Russian President Boris Yelstin met the Pope on February 10, 1998, at the Vatican. This meeting was special, for both are men in failing health and face pressing world problems.
The Pope said to President Yelstin, "Let us hope we will go together toward the third millennium," which he has declared a Jubilee year for Roman Catholics (see "Jubilee and Debt in the U.S.A. Economy," p. 12 in the 1997 Vol. 6, No. 6 issue of the "PLIM REPORT"). One of the issues they discussed was the current Iraq crisis. Both want a peaceful resolution to this problem.
If the United States uses force, this could lead to a wider conflict. On many occasions Yelstin and other Russian officials have said that force used on Iraq could throw the whole world into WW III. Clearly, heads of states of great nations realize that the Book of Revelation will be fulfilled if all nations of this earth do not repent in their hearts and mind and embrace the principles of Truth. The Apostle John in the book of Revelation said the whores wine or dogma had made the nations mad (Rev. 17:3; Jer. 51:3).
The Pope in Cuba
Pope John Paul II visited Cuba for one week in January 1998. Fidel Castros Cuba is one of the last bastions of Communism left in the world. This was the first time a Pope had visited Cuba since it became Communistic in the 1960s. Due to the American economic boycott and Castros unwillingness to make a change from Communism, the country is deeply impoverished. The Pope admonished the Cuban government to give the people freedom and told the U.S.A. to lift its economic boycotts.
One of the most interesting things about Cuba is its religious beliefs. Although Cuba is officially an atheistic country, the majority of the people practice Santeria, a mixture of an African slave religion and Roman Catholicism. In many aspects it is similar to Voodoo. The combination of pagan and Christian customs just makes one wonder what is the Pope doing there?
The Popes trip to Cuba was overshadowed by accusations of infidelity made against President Clinton for his alleged sexual exploits. The Pope never regained national recognition after the Clinton scandal hit the media. He quietly returned to Rome without fanfare.
U.S. Threatens to Bomb Iraq
It is apparent that the nation is hell bent on going to war with their new war gadgets. The propaganda media has whipped the people into a war frizzy. Whether or not a political solution can be achieved, time will reveal. It is very ironic that a movie "Wag the Dog" opened in the midst of all the presidents accusations. The movie features a U.S. President that starts a war to divert attention from his sexual scandal. Is art reflecting real life? Clearly, Yahweh is trying to tell the nation something.
Will President Clinton finish his second term?
El Nino
California is taking a beating from the constant rainstorms of El Nino. Mudslides and floods are regular occurrences. The bad news is that weather forecasters are predicting that this weather pattern will continue until the month of May. Most of these areas have been designated disaster areas so that they can receive federal funds. Now funds for natural disasters during the last ten years have exceeded the disaster aid in the last thirty years. Clearly, the rate of frequency for all type of disasters are up and apparently increasing.
Wall Street is at an all time High
In the midst of the Asians imploding economies and the downsizing of Americas white-collar workforce, the stock market is roaring, setting new records at over 8300 on the Dow Jones Average. The irony is that many investors expect the stock market to continue going up forever. The United States economy has been on a seven-year roll without a recession. Now the number seven symbolizes completion in Jewish theology (see Gen. 41:29-30). People should be preparing for a severe slow down in the economy. Many may be surprised in what the third millennium holds for them economically.
Home grown terrorists with Anthrax
While street gangs terrorize the inner city, two home grown American white terrorists were caught with the biological chemical anthrax, a deadly poison that attacks the respiratory system. The FBI did not say what their target was. The media stated that the men planned to release the poison in the subway. Clearly, this is a sign that mankind has become mad on an individual level. They are playing with the same weapons of mass extermination as the nations of the world. To those that have eyes to see, they are fulfilling the Apostle Johns prophecy that one-third of humanity (Rev. 8:7-12) will die as the result of this madness.