PURIM IN ISRAEL TODAY

PURIM

THE BOOK OF ESTHER

Esther 1:1-22 King James Bible
1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)
2 That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,
3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:
4 When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.
5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;
6 Where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble.
7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king.
8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.
9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
13 Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment:
14 And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)
15 What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
17 For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
18 Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.
19 If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
20 And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
22 For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.

Esther 2:1-23 King James Bible
1 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2 Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
8 So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.
11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
12 Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)
13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house.
14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.
20 Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.
22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.
23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

Esther 3:1-15 King James Bible
1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
3 Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?
4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
12 Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.
13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

Esther 4:1-17 King James Bible
1 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
2 And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
3 And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.
5 Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.
6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.
7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.
9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;
11 All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
12 And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.
13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

Esther 5:1-14 King James Bible
1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.
4 And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.
5 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
6 And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is;
8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.
9 Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.
10 Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.
11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
12 Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king.
13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.
14 Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.

Esther 6:1-14 King James Bible
1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:
9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
14 And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Esther 7:1-10 King James Bible
1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2 And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.
5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7 And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.
9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.
10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

Esther 8:1-17 King James Bible
1 On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.
2 And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
3 And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
4 Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,
5 And said, If it please the king, and if I have favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:
6 For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?
7 Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.
8 Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.
9 Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
10 And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:
11 Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
12 Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
13 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.
15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
16 The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.
17 And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

Esther 9:1-32 King James Bible
1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
2 The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.
3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.
5 Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.
6 And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.
7 And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,
8 And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,
9 And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha,
10 The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.
11 On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.
12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.
13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.
14 And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.
15 For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.
16 But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,
17 On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
18 But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.
20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,
21 To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,
22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;
24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
25 But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,
27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;
28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.
29 Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.
30 And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
31 To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
32 And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

Esther 10:1-3 King James Bible
1 And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.
2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

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EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Earthquake shakes central New Zealand
www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-17 08:30:35

WELLINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake centered 70 km north of Picton shook central parts of New Zealand late Sunday, causing no damage or casualties, GNS Science said. The quake, at a depth of 100 km, registered 4.6 on the Richter scale. It was felt in the top of the South Island and the bottom of the North Island. The quake occurred at 11:20 pm local time Sunday (1020 GMT Sunday). The GNS science website, GeoNet, recorded that 125 households had felt and reported the quake overnight. Editor: Du Guodong.

Quake Hits Off Western Indonesia MAR 16,08

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A strong earthquake struck nearly 200 miles off western Indonesia late Saturday. There were no reports of injuries or damage.The magnitude 6.2 quake was centered 190 miles southwest of Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra, the U.S. Geological Survey said.Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheavals due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.In December 2004, a massive earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries, including 160,000 people in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 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;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 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.

Massive storm headed for Newfoundland
Mon Mar 17, 9:29 AM

People in Newfoundland are preparing for the third winter storm in one week.More than 30 centimetres of snow and winds up to 120 km/h are expected to hit the Avalon peninsula Monday evening and Tuesday.

The blizzard comes as people across the island dig out from a storm Sunday, and a two-day blizzard Thursday and Friday, when more than 50 centimetres of snow fell in parts of central Newfoundland, shutting down entire communities.Rob Carroll, meteorologist with Environment Canada's weather office in Gander, told CBC News Monday morning that the third blizzard is expected to be a big one.It's not looking too good right now. We're watching a pretty major storm,Carroll said.The weather system is stalled just south of Sable Island and Carroll said it is expected to hang around in that area for three days.The precipitation associated with that should spread to the Avalon by this afternoon in the form of snow, heavy snow at times and blowing snow, Carroll said. That will spread to much of the island overnight tonight.So we could see some pretty hefty amounts over the next three days.Snow is expected to begin Monday afternoon in eastern Newfoundland and continue west across the island overnight.Based on current predictions, the blizzard is not expected to hit Labrador.

Heavy rain and severe weather James Wilson
Mon Mar 17, 8:15 PM ET

Low pressure over Texas will be riding up to the northeast overnight through Tuesday. An associated cold front will swing through Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley. The result will be the development of strong to severe thunderstorms and a few tornadoes. Things get quite dicey Tuesday across eastern Texas (including Houston), western Louisana, southwest Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. There is a threat of severe thunderstorms, some with damaging winds, and large hail. A few tornadoes are likley, as well. Parts of the Plains and Midwest will see plenty of rain and flooding is likely to occur. Heavy rain should fall from the Ohio Valley south to northeastern Texas through Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Widespread rain amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected across this area with localized amounts up to 7 inches possible. Flood watches have been posted from extreme northwest Ohio southwest to central Texas in anticipation of the heavy rain. Flooding is already occurring on some rivers in Illinois and Indiana. To the north, some light snow is likely overnight over parts of northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Mozambican government seeks urgent food aid after cyclone
Mon Mar 17, 3:26 PM

MAPUTO (AFP) - The Mozambican government has made an urgent appeal to the UN World Food Programme to help more than 60,000 people left destitute when cyclone Jokwe hit northern and central parts of the country.The government has made an urgent appeal to the WFP for food to feed people who were affected by cyclone Jokwe, Joao Ribeiro, the deputy national director of Mozambique's government-run national disaster management institute (INGC) told AFP by telephone Monday.He said the INGC was working with non-governmental organizations, local and international, to assess the situation in the cyclone-hit Zambezia and Nampula provinces.So far, at least 60,000 people -- many of them living in areas also affected by flooding earlier in the year -- were thought to be in need of urgent food aid, said Ribeiro.The WFP said in a statement it would begin distributing food to needy Mozambican communities early next week using stocks that had been earmarked for other relief operations.WFP needs 550,000 US dollars (350,000 euros) to replenish these stocks as soon as possible, the United Nations food aid agency said.Ribeiro said the number of people requiring food aid could increase after the assessment.People were also receiving donated tents, clothes and materials to rebuild the homes they lost in the cyclone, he said.

Cyclone Jokwe, packing winds of 140 kilometres (87 miles) per hour, hit the Nampula province on March 8, killing at least 17 people, injuring scores and leaving thousands homeless as trees and electric pylons fell on houses.This prompted the government to declare a red alert along the Zambezi River.But as Jokwe turned for Madagascar last Friday, the Mozambican government downgraded the cyclone to a tropical depression, keeping the coastal regions on yellow alert in case it regained momentum.

WORLD TERRORISM

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

2 PETER 2:5
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

2 PETER 3:7
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men

LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

Female suicide bomber kills 43 in Iraq By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer Mon Mar 17, 6:21 PM ET

BAGHDAD - A female suicide bomber struck Shiite worshippers in the holy city of Karbala on Monday, an official and a witness said, killing at least 43 people and leaving pools of blood on the street leading to one of Iraq's most revered mosques. The blast was the deadliest in a series of attacks that left at least 72 Iraqis dead, including six youths killed when mortar rounds slammed into a soccer field in eastern Baghdad.Two U.S. soldiers also were killed Monday in a roadside bombing north of Baghdad, bringing the American death toll closer to 4,000 as the U.S.-led war enters its sixth year. At least 3,990 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.The violence marred overlapping trips by Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John McCain to Baghdad. Their visits were aimed at touting recent security gains and stressing Washington's long-term commitment to fighting insurgents in Iraq.

The U.S. Embassy and military issued a joint statement blaming al-Qaida in Iraq for the Karbala attack.The bomber struck after the worshippers had gathered at a sacred historical site about half a mile from the golden domed shrine of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who was killed in a seventh-century battle.

A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, said the attacker was a woman — as did a witness.The U.S. military described the attack as a suicide operation but put the casualty toll at 40 Iraqis killed and 65 wounded. The U.S. statement said the identity of the bomber remained unknown.Brig. Gen. Raed Shakir Jawdat, Karbala's police chief, said 43 people were killed and 73 wounded. He denied it was a suicide attack, saying a bomb had been planted in the area. The discrepancies could not immediately be resolved.Karim Khazim, the city's chief health official, said seven of those killed were Iranian pilgrims who had traveled to the holy site.

AP Television News footage showed a man carefully picking up pieces of flesh and wires apparently from a fuse as evening prayer services were broadcast from loudspeakers nearby.The witness, who did not identify himself, told AP Television News that a woman in the crowd had blown herself up.If true, it would be among the deadliest attacks carried out by women during the Iraq conflict.

Female suicide bombers have been involved in at least 20 attacks or attempted attacks since the war began, including the grisly bombings of two pet markets in Baghdad that killed nearly 100 people last month.The U.S. military has warned that insurgents are using female attackers because they can more easily avoid checkpoint searches and can hide the explosives under traditional all-encompassing black Islamic robes.Police closed the area around the twin golden dome mosques and blocked all roads leading to the sites, which include tombs of Imam Hussein and his half brother, also a Shiite saint.Ali Hassan, 30, a clothing merchant who was wounded in the blast, said he was standing near his stall when I heard a big explosion and I felt strong fire throwing me in the air.
The only thing I know is there was a big explosion and I saw bodies flying in the air, said Hassan Khazim, 36, who was wounded in the face. All the tight security measures designed to protect us were in vain.The predominantly Shiite city of Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, enjoys tight security. Monday's attack was the deadliest in Karbala since a suicide car bomber killed at least 63 people on April 28, 2007. Explosions also struck earlier Monday not far from the capital's heavily fortified Green Zone, shortly after Cheney arrived. Helicopter gunships circled central Baghdad. Despite several high-profile bombings, violence levels have dropped sharply in recent months with a U.S. troop buildup, a Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and a cease-fire by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia. But noting the fragility of the security gains, Cheney warned against large drawdowns of American troops, saying it is very important that we not quit before the job is done.McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee who has linked his political future to military success in Iraq, also promised to uphold a long-term military commitment to the country so long as al-Qaida in Iraq is not defeated. Both men met in back-to-back meetings with Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose government has been accused of failing to make sufficient political progress. Al-Maliki said he and the vice president discussed ongoing negotiations over a long-term security agreement between the two countries that would replace the U.N. mandate for foreign troops set to expire at the end of the year. This visit is very important. It is about the nature of the relations between the two countries, the future of those relations and the agreement in this respect,the prime minister told reporters. We also discussed the security in Iraq, the development of the economy and reconstruction and terrorism.McCain stressed it was important to maintain the U.S. commitment in Iraq, where a U.S.-Iraq operation is under way to clear al-Qaida in Iraq from what the military says is the terror group's last urban stronghold of Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad. We recognize that al-Qaida is on the run, but they are not defeated, McCain said after meeting al-Maliki. Al-Qaida continues to pose a great threat to the security and very existence of Iraq as a democracy. So we know there's still a lot more of work to be done.McCain, who arrived in Iraq on Sunday, told reporters that he also discussed with the Shiite leader the need for progress on political reforms, including laws on holding provincial elections and the equitable distribution of Iraq's oil riches. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., speaking to reporters from Kuwait after a visit to Iraq, said Iraq should begin picking up more of the bills. We're paying for things that Iraqis clearly should be paying for, Levin said. They have the capability, the surplus funds to do their own reconstruction, and to do their own weapons purchases and other things which we're paying for and they need to pay for.Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

Stocks widely mixed on Bear Stearns news By MADLEN READ, AP Business Writer Mon Mar 17, 6:12 PM ET

NEW YORK - Wall Street ended a temperamental session widely mixed Monday after investors grappled with JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s government-backed buyout of the stricken investment bank Bear Stearns Cos. The Dow Jones industrials recovered from an initial drop of nearly 200 points to finish up about 21 points. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq composite indexes ended lower as investors bailed out of investment banks and small-cap stocks and fled instead to large companies apt to be reliable during a weak economy.You move to the defensive names in times of market uncertainty — safer, consumer names, said Ryan Detrick, senior technical strategist at Schaeffer's Investment Research.The buyout of Bear Stearns was certainly more appealing than the alternative: letting the investment bank collapse and causing huge losses for anyone linked to it. And some unprecedented moves by the Federal Reserve gave investors a bit of solace on what many predicted would be a day of precipitous losses in the stock market.Besides supporting the buyout, the Fed lowered the rate it charges to loan directly to banks by a quarter-point on Sunday night — two days before its scheduled meeting Tuesday. The central bank also set up a lending option for firms, including many non-bank financial services firms, to secure short-term loans for a broad range of collateral.

The Fed appears to be pledging to do everything in its power to keep the credit crisis from decimating the financial industry and the economy. Policy makers at the central bank are expected to reduce the target fed funds rate — the rate banks charge each other for overnight loans — by at least a half-point on Tuesday, and perhaps even a full point.But the market remained extremely volatile. The sale of Bear Stearns — at a minuscule $2.21 a share as of Monday's close, or a total of $260.5 million — stirred fear among investors worldwide about other banks' exposure to the troubled credit markets.The market has absolutely no idea what's going on, said Dan Alpert, managing director of Westwood Capital. Some people have accused them of whistling past the graveyard — I don't think they even know where the graveyard is.He added that short-covering — the unwinding of bets that stocks will fall — ahead of Tuesday's Fed meeting contributed to the market's atypical movements.The Dow rose 21.16, or 0.18 percent, to 11,972.25, after falling nearly 200 and rising more than 100. The blue chip index was supported partially by JPMorgan, by far the biggest gainer among the 30 component stocks. JPMorgan rose $3.77, or 10.3 percent, to $40.31.The Dow got a lift as investors aimed for large-cap stocks such as AT&T Inc., up 76 cents at $35.79, Verizon, up 79 cents at $34.61, and pharmaceutical maker Johnson & Johnson, up $1.39 at $64.04.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 11.54, or 0.90 percent, to 1,276.60. The Nasdaq composite index, heavily populated by small and high-tech companies, fell 35.48, or 1.60 percent, to 2,177.01. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 12.42, or 1.87 percent, to 650.48.Declining issues outnumbered advancers by about 5 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 5.69 billion shares, up from 5.18 billion Friday.Bond prices rose. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.30 percent from 3.44 percent late Friday.The simple fact that Bear Stearns was valued at around $2 a share heightened investors' worries about how much of a blow the credit markets are dealing the financial industry. How widespread is it? Nobody knows, Detrick said.The pain for stockholders in Bear Stearns, which succumbed to losing bets on souring mortgages for borrowers with poor credit, will be sizable. JPMorgan is buying Bear, including its midtown Manhattan headquarters, for about 1 percent of the investment bank's worth little more than two weeks ago. Bear Stearns' buyout arrives after a short-term bailout Friday organized by the Fed and involving JPMorgan.Bear Stearns shares fell 86 percent to $4.10 — still above the buyout price, implying that some shareholders believe the deal terms might change.Some investors worry Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. might be next to fall. Lehman — the investment bank considered most similar to Bear Stearns — and other major investment banks are slated this week to report quarterly results. DBS Group Holdings Ltd., Southeast Asia's largest bank, reportedly instructed traders in an e-mail early Monday not to do business with the bank. According to Dow Jones Newswires, DBS Group later told traders to disregard the earlier e-mail. Lehman denied there were any problems with DBS.

Lehman fell $7.51, or 19 percent, to $31.75.

While investors focused on the financial sector, fresh economic news offered little solace. The Fed said output at the country's factories, mines and utilities fell by 0.5 percent in February, the biggest decline last October. Many analysts had been expecting a slight increase of one-tenth of one percent. The Commerce Department also said Monday the current account deficit, the broadest measure of foreign trade, fell slightly in 2007 as stronger growth in U.S. exports offset a spiking foreign oil bill.

The dollar sank to a record low against the euro and hit a 12 1/2 year low against the Japanese yen, while gold prices rose to another record high. Crude oil plunged from record levels by $4.53 to settle at $105.68 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 3.71 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 5.18 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 3.86 percent, Germany's DAX index dropped 4.18 percent, and France's CAC-40 lost 3.51 percent. On the Net: New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com . Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS

REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.

REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries (DRUGS), nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Cocaine may cause heart attack symptoms By JAMIE STENGLE, Associated Press Writer Mon Mar 17, 11:05 PM ET

DALLAS - Younger ER patients with heart attack symptoms should be asked if they've recently used cocaine, which can cause similar chest pain, the American Heart Association warns doctors. For these patients, honesty can be a matter of life or death: Some heart attack treatments can be deadly to someone using cocaine. New guidelines published online Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation say that emergency room doctors need to be aware that symptoms of a heart attack in younger patients with no heart disease risk factors may be caused by cocaine use.The drug can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, palpitations, dizziness, nausea and heavy sweating — all symptoms of a heart attack.Not knowing what you are dealing with and giving the wrong therapies could mean death rather than benefit, said Dr. James Reiffel, professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital.

The number of cocaine-related users visiting ERs rose 47 percent from 1995 to 2002, increasing from 135,711 to 199,198, according to the government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (That's a tiny percentage of the more than 100 million patient visits to emergency rooms each year.)The symptoms that they get with the cocaine are very similar to a heart attack, said Dr. James McCord, who chaired the statement writing committee.

Cocaine can cause a heart attack, but only about 1 percent to 6 percent of patients with cocaine-associated chest pain actually have a heart attack, the statement says. Still, doctors say it's important for anyone with chest pain to get it checked out.Cocaine increases blood pressure and the heart rate, constricting arteries into the heart, said McCord, cardiology director of the chest pain unit for the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.Your heart rate goes up because your heart needs more oxygen, then it shrinks the arteries to the heart, McCord said.The statement says that since most cocaine-associated chest pain isn't a heart attack, such patients should be monitored instead of being admitted to the hospital. They would have an electrocardiogram and other tests to rule out a heart attack.If you admit everyone to hospital with chest pain, you use valuable resources, said Reiffel.Two typical heart attack treatments can be dangerous to those using cocaine:

Clot-busting drugs carry an extra risk of bleeding into the brain in patients whose blood pressure is high due to cocaine use.

Betablockers that can lower blood pressure without constricting arteries in typical heart attack patients have the opposite effect in cocaine users, raising blood pressure and squeezing cocaine-narrowed arteries.

Reiffel said doctors should explain why it's important to know if a patient is using cocaine. He said that admitting use of an illegal substance is confidential information that won't be reported to law enforcement. The caregiver is not here to judge.

The statement also recommends that cocaine users who do have a coronary artery blockage get a bare metal stent instead of a drug-coated one since chronic drug users may not reliably take the medication needed to prevent new blockages.McCord said that the drug counseling available in observation units varies among hospitals, and that more could to improve the counseling cocaine-using patients get.I think an ideal scenario would be someone whose job is to talk to them about this — explain the extent of the health problems, give them information about resources to help them quit cocaine, McCord said. On the Net: American Heart Association, http://www.americanheart.org

DISEASES

REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

WHO: Progress in fighting TB slows By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer Mon Mar 17, 6:32 PM ET

LONDON - The fight against the global tuberculosis epidemic has slowed to a crawl, the World Health Organization said in a report Monday. The worldwide rate of TB infection has been declining for several years. But between 2005 and 2006, the rate of new cases fell by less than 1 percent, far less than the annual decrease of 5 to 7 percent sought by health officials. At the same time, drug-resistant TB is growing faster than ever, the WHO said last month.

Independent health experts criticized the WHO's TB policy as too passive, and urged a more proactive strategy.WHO conceded the most recent decline in the overall infection rate is very modest, and is not as fast as we would like it to be, said Dr. Marcos Espinal, executive secretary of the organization's Stop TB Partnership.

Without new tools, we will not be able to break the back of this epidemic, he said, citing a lack of vaccines, outdated drugs, obsolete diagnostic tests and overwhelmed health systems as contributing to the slowdown against TB.In 2006, there were an estimated 9.2 million new tuberculosis cases and 1.5 million deaths, the WHO said in its report, which was based on government data from 202 countries and regions.India and China have the most cases, followed by Indonesia, South Africa and Nigeria, the report said.By region, Asia has 55 percent of all TB cases, and Africa has 31 percent.WHO acknowledged its treatment programs have not yet had a major impact on TB transmission and incidence, according to the report, which assessed the WHO's efforts for the past 12 years.

WHO primarily works by recommending how governments and donors can best fight TB, and it is up to individual countries to decide how to spend funds. Last year, countries and donors spent about $2.3 billion on TB control. This year, WHO estimates that $3.1 billion will be needed to identify and treat TB patients.The report said TB infection rates were stable in Europe, and declined about 3 percent in the United States.In Africa, however, they were still increasing as the AIDS epidemic fuels transmission. TB in Africa has increased at least fivefold since the 1990s.The report said 30 million people — or 84.7 percent of identified TB patients — have been cured through treatment.Espinal acknowledged that WHO may not have enough evidence to show that its treatment strategy reduces transmission. The strategy works to cure people, he said, not necessarily to reduce the disease's spread.Other experts countered that if treatment rates were as high as WHO claimed, there would be less drug-resistant tuberculosis.Last month, WHO said drug-resistant TB was spreading faster than ever. Globally, there are about 500,000 new cases of drug-resistant TB every year, about 5 percent of the 9 million new TB cases, WHO said.Independent experts also criticized the WHO's reporting, saying it did not take into account those who are infected but not diagnosed, and was gathered from governments without being verified independently.This is a compilation of what the countries want to show, said Dr. Francis Varaine, coordinator of Medecins Sans Frontieres' tuberculosis working group. Some of these data are too good to be true.In developing countries, WHO's main tuberculosis treatment program depends on patients volunteering to be tested, instead of doctors seeking out patients. WHO's Espinal estimated that only about 60 percent of infected patients are diagnosed.

By the time a TB patient turns up, they have been coughing for weeks and have probably infected most of their family, friends, work mates and anyone else they were in contact with, said Ruth McNerney, a TB expert at London's School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She said WHO's strategy was like shutting the door after the horse has bolted.

REVELATION 1:5-85 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

IN THE FUTURE WHEN JESUS RETURNS TO EARTH BODILY WITH THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS, THE WHOLE WORLD WILL SEE THIS ON A GLOBAL TV NETWORK, COULD THIS MOBILE TV BE THAT ONE TO FULFILL THIS PROPHECY.

EU picks mobile TV standard By AOIFE WHITE, AP Business Writer
Mon Mar 17, 4:50 PM ET

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union on Monday chose a mobile TV broadcast standard and suggested that its member governments now ask cell carriers to favor it. EU commissioners chose DVB-H, or Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds, the most widely used mobile TV format in Europe, over rival standards such as Qualcomm Inc.'s MediaFLO and another known as DMB that is favored by Chinese and South Korean manufacturers.DVB-H is supported by the world's largest handset maker, Nokia, as well as Motorola, Philips, Sagem, Sony, Ericsson, Samsung and major European cell phone operators Vodafone, O2 and T-Mobile. By contrast, Qualcomm's technology has signed up the two biggest players in the United States — Verizon Wireless and AT&T.The European Commission said it had to order EU nations to favor DVB-H to create economies of scale and get the nascent technology off the ground.They can do that by labeling, they can do that by promoting it in attributing licenses and so on, said EU spokesman Martin Selmayr.

The EU called on other nations to follow its example.

The EU's executive is entitled to make decisions on some technical standards on behalf of member governments, which it did, for instance, in pushing the Global System for Mobile communications, or GSM, for mobile phones.That decision is recognized as leading Europeans to switch to cell phones faster than people in the United States have.Selmayr said the European Commission believed it was important to forestall a war on standards that could have held back mobile broadcasting in Europe.The impact of the EU's choice is limited: EU nations can choose to avoid making decisions favoring the format and are under no obligation to eliminate other standards.

Ovum analyst Matthew Howett said the development and use of other technologies is still possible although EU backing for one standard creates some certainty for operators planning mobile broadcasting services and manufacturers making phones and chips.The EU cited research forecasts of a steep increase in demand for mobile TV in 2009, with the worldwide market reaching $31 billion in sales by 2011.

REVELATION 9:1-6
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

IN THE FUTURE DEMONIC LOCUSTS WILL TORTURE SINNERS FOR 5 MONTHS.

Millions of bees close California highway after truck flips over Mon Mar 17, 12:44 AM By The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Millions of swarming honey bees are on the loose after a truck carrying crates of the insects flipped over on a California highway. The California Highway Patrol says eight million to 12 million bees escaped Sunday from the crates in which they were stored and swarmed over an area of Highway 99 and stung officers, firefighters and tow truck drivers trying to clear the accident. CHP Officer Michael Bradley says a tractor trailer flipped over while entering the highway on its way to Yakima, Wash. The flatbed was carrying bee crates each filled with up to 30,000 bees. Bradley says several beekeepers driving by the accident stopped to assist in the bee wrangling. The bees had been used in the San Joaquin Valley to pollinate crops.

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

Gaddafi says Med Union risks running into sand
Sat 15 Mar 2008, 8:45 GMT

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi welcomed the idea of deeper cooperation between Mediterranean countries but said a planned north-south partnership endorsed by European Union leaders on Friday risked going nowhere.French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented a plan for a Mediterranean Union at an EU summit in Brussels earlier on Friday, but the outline was far more modest than a grand design initially proposed by Paris.Germany feared the original project for a smaller grouping of Mediterranean coastal states with nine new agencies and a bank would have split the EU and siphoned off common funds for the benefit of a few members and their former colonies.Gaddafi said the Union in its new form risked going the way of the Barcelona Process, an attempt to boost north-south ties, nudge southern economies to more economic growth and democracy and establish a free trade that appears to have lost steam.

The idea of true cooperation between the countries located around one sea on the lines of President Sarkozy's initiative deserves support, Gaddafi said in a statement carried by state news agency JANA. For my part, I was very enthusiastic about it but it now appears the idea has been aborted or put off.It might follow the same trend as the Barcelona Process which failed and died, although it was not buried.He said that to succeed the new union must show material benefits for its members and should only include the countries that adjoin the Mediterranean.It must avoid referring to the hateful maps of the old empires, such as the Ottoman, Roman, Carthage and Muslim empires, and the maps of modern colonialism, Gaddafi said.

Finally, he said, it must be a common project designed from the start by all the union's members.There is a clear ignorance of the will and voice of the south, Gaddafi added.The project presented on Friday would take the form of a regular summit of EU and Mediterranean countries with a joint presidency and a small secretariat. Reuters 2008.

The two-president vision By Haaretz ediorial MAR 16,08

What does the visit to France by President Shimon Peres, whom Nicolas Sarkozy chose as the first leader to be received by him in an official state ceremony, really symbolize: a second honeymoon, or merely the illusion of one? Admiration for a leader who symbolizes the golden age of Israeli-French relations, or a salute to a popular country that is now celebrating its 60th anniversary? Or perhaps it was nothing but a bear hug meant to hasten the establishment of a Palestinian state? Gerard Araud, currently Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's political director and previously the French ambassador to Israel, believes that if this is a honeymoon, it is a lengthy one. The wedding, he says, was celebrated back in 2002, during the tenure of Sarkozy's predecessor as president, Jacques Chirac. Peres' visit crowned six years of a renewed and happy marriage, he said. Simone Veil, former president of the European Parliament and a former health minister of France, told Haaretz, The relationship has indeed deepened in recent years, but President Peres' visit was different from all previous state visits.She expressed pleasure over the second honeymoon for France and Israel, adding: Today, the two presidents have identical visions.Long live Israel, long live France and long live the friendship between France and Israel, is how Sarkozy ended his speech at the gala dinner he hosted for Peres. The French media preferred to emphasize the home truths that Sarkozy included in his speech: At least three times - in different formulations - he reiterated the motto that Israel's security depends on establishing a Palestinian state and halting the settlements. Le Monde wrote in its editorial that during his 10 months in office, Sarkozy has conducted a very active pro-Arab policy, and the principal change during his tenure is one of atmosphere, not content.

But however one interprets Sarkozy's policies, it does nothing to reduce Peres' impressive achievement: He enlisted France - one of the world's most important countries - behind his visions of the Dead Sea Canal and the Peace Valley; he extracted a pledge from Sarkozy to make the issue of upgrading Israel's relationship with the European Union one of his priorities during his term as the EU's rotating president, which begins in July; he obtained a French commitment to fight Iran's nuclearization; and he was told of its complete solidarity with Israel's war on terror and its intention to continue working for the release of Israel's kidnapped soldiers.

Settlements and a Palestinian state? As Peres himself told Israeli journalists in Paris, in the end, French policy on this issue is based on adherence to the principles adopted by the Quartet, which Israel also signed off on. In this sense, Peres seconded Simone Veil's statement about a shared vision. Sarkozy, along with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and, especially, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will be visiting Israel this week, create a constellation of broad support for Israel in the three key European capitals. In these rare circumstances, all that remains for Israel to do is to prove to its supporters that its president's words and its vision of a Palestinian state - which naturally entails a halt to settlement and the dismantling of illegal outposts - is indeed identical to their vision.

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.

DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)

NATO, EU should pool defence resources: Scheffer
15 March 2008, 23:14 CET

(BRUSSELS) - NATO and the European Union should pool defence resources to cut costs and ensure that equipment and troops can be found when needed, NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Saturday.

I would like to see much more pooling of our capabilities, especially in areas such as vital enablers -- transport, helicopters, or in research and development, or in harmonising force structures and training methods, he said.It is absolutely critical that all of the capabilities that we are able to generate from this pool of forces are equally available to both NATO and the European Union, Scheffer said at the Brussels Forum conference.

If we duplicate, or worse go off in different directions, we will both fail, he said.Twenty-one EU nations are also members of NATO, and many have been stretched by military commitments in security and peacekeeping operations in places like Afghanistan, Kosovo and Chad.Helicopters -- both attack and transport -- are notoriously hard to find.We need to exploit the opportunities of common capabilities -- strategic airlift, logistics -- far more energetically, Scheffer said, and look for more synergies with the European Union.Scheffer said that NATO nations must also increase defence spending to match their security ambitions, with very few of the allies spending the target two percent of gross domestic product.I think that NATO nations are soon going to have to increase NATO's budget to match the growing list of responsibilities he said.Our resources have to match our priorities, and you cannot reconcile forever more performance with a zero growth budget.2008 AFP. 2008 EUbusiness Ltd.

FAMINE

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)

Egypt army to tackle bread crisis MAR 17,08

President Mubarak said all bread queues must be eliminated
Egypt's president has ordered the army to increase the production and distribution of bread, in an attempt to cope with serious shortages. Rising prices and alleged corruption have sparked recent clashes at bakeries in poorer neighbourhoods, leading to several deaths. Hosni Mubarak said eradicating bread queues was imperative.

The army and interior ministry control numerous bakeries normally used to supply bread for troops and police. Mr Mubarak issued his order to the army at a meeting of cabinet ministers on Sunday that was called to address the growing crisis, his spokesman said. Bread should be provided to the citizens and the lines should disappear, Suleiman Awwad quoted Mr Mubarak as saying. The price of wheat has more than tripled on international markets since last summer. Mr Mubarak has ordered the government to use some foreign reserves to buy additional wheat from the international market, the spokesman said. Many of Egypt's 70m population, about half of whom live below the poverty line, survive on subsidised bread. Unsubsidised bread is 10-12 times more expensive than the subsidised five-piaster loafs (less that $0.01).

OZONE DEPLETION

ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 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.

Glaciers suffer record shrinkage MAR 17,08

Some glaciers in Europe have suffered significant losses
The rate at which some of the world's glaciers are melting has more than doubled, data from the United Nations Environment Programme has shown. Average glacial shrinkage has risen from 30 centimetres per year between 1980 and 1999, to 1.5 metres in 2006. Some of the biggest losses have occurred in the Alps and Pyrenees mountain ranges in Europe. Experts have called for immediate action to reverse the trend, which is seen as a key climate change indicator.

Estimates for 2006 indicate shrinkage of 1.4 metres of water equivalent compared to half a metre in 2005. Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary General of the UN and executive director of its environment programme (UNEP), said: Millions if not billions of people depend directly or indirectly on these natural water storage facilities for drinking water, agriculture, industry and power generation during key parts of the year. There are many canaries emerging in the climate change coal mine. The glaciers are perhaps among those making the most noise and it is absolutely essential that everyone sits up and takes notice.

Litmus test

He said that action was already being taken and pointed out that the elements of a green economy were emerging from the more the money invested in renewable energies. Mr Steiner went on: The litmus test will come in late 2009 at the climate convention meeting in Copenhagen. Here governments must agree on a decisive new emissions reduction and adaptation-focused regime. Otherwise, and like the glaciers, our room for manoeuvre and the opportunity to act may simply melt away.Dr Ian Willis, of the Scott Polar Research Institute, said: It is not too late to stop the shrinkage of these ice sheets but we need to take action immediately.The findings were compiled by the World Glacier Monitoring Service which is supported by UNEP. Thickening and thinning is calculated in terms of water equivalent. laciers across nine mountain ranges were analysed.

Glaciers have been monitored for more than a century

Dr. Wilfried Haeberli, director of the service, said: The latest figures are part of what appears to be an accelerating trend with no apparent end in sight. This continues the trend in accelerated ice loss during the past two and a half decades and brings the total loss since 1980 to more than 10.5 metres of water equivalent.
During 1980-1999, average loss rates had been 0.3 metres per year. Since the turn of the millennium, this rate had increased to about half a metre per year. The record annual loss during these two decades - 0.7 metres in 1998 - has now been exceeded by three out of the past six year (2003, 2004 and 2006). On average, one metre water equivalent corresponds to 1.1 metres in ice thickness. That suggests a further shrinking in 2006 of 1.5 actual metres and since 1980 a total reduction in thickness of ice of just over 11.5 metres or almost 38 feet. In its entirety, the research includes figures from around 100 glaciers, with data showing significant shrinkage taking place in European countries including Austria, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Norway's Breidalblikkbrea glacier thinned by almost 3.1 metres in one of the largest reductions.

Monday March 17, 11:22 PM
Vatican to issue conciliatory note to Jews: sources

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict has approved a conciliatory statement for Jews upset by a Good Friday prayer that many saw as a call for their conversion, Catholic and Jewish sources said on Monday.The statement, likely to take the form of a letter from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone to the chief rabbi of Israel, is expected to be released soon but perhaps not in time for this Good Friday on March 21.Bertone is second only to the Pope in the Vatican hierarchy, meaning the clarification is coming from the highest levels, as had been requested by the Jews, the sources said.The Vatican last month revised a contested Latin prayer used by a traditionalist minority on Good Friday, the day marking Jesus Christ's crucifixion, removing a reference to Jewish blindness over Christ and deleting a phrase asking God to remove the veil from their hearts.Jews criticized the new version because it still says they should recognize Jesus Christ as the savior of all men. It asks that all Israel may be saved and Jews say it keeps an underlying call to conversion that they had wanted removed.

But Cardinal Bertone will say in the letter that the new prayer is not a call for conversion or proselytism and that there was no turning back on dialogue between the two religions.The letter is expected to stress the concept that all salvation, including that of Israel, is in God's hands and that the prayer is not a call for missionary activity.Jewish groups complained last year when the Pope issued a decree allowing wider use of the old-style Latin Mass and a missal, or prayer book, that was phased out after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which met from 1962 to 1965.They protested against the re-introduction of the old prayer for conversion of the Jews and asked the Pope to change it.Jewish organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee and the International Jewish Committee on Inter-religious Consultations criticized the new version of the Good Friday prayer.According to sources familiar with drafts of the letter, it will say that the Vatican still takes as its reference point the landmark 1965 declaration Nostra Aetate (In our time).

This repudiated the concept of collective Jewish guilt for the killing of Christ and urged dialogue with Jews.Rabbis around the world had asked the Vatican to clarify the new prayer. Italy's Jewish community was particularly tough, saying the new prayer was a serious step backward that posed a fundamental obstacle to continued Catholic-Jewish relations.Sources on both sides said they hoped Bertone's letter to the chief rabbi would end the controversy.

They said it would say that the Church had no intention of returning to what one source called the language of contempt it had used in the past and wanted to stress mutual respect.The prayer will be heard only by a tiny minority of Catholics who attend services on Good Friday that are held in Latin rather than in their local languages as usual.(Reporting by Philip Pullella, editing by Tim Pearce)

Vatican plans to open church in Saudi Arabia
By Malcolm Moore in Rome 2:37am GMT 18/03/2008

The Vatican is in negotiations with Saudi Arabia to open the first Catholic church in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia's camel love affair

Archbishop Mounged El-Hachem, the papal envoy to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates said talks had started a few weeks ago, in the wake of King Abdullah’s visit to Pope Benedict last November. Currently, all Saudi citizens are required by law to be Muslim, and the Mutaween, or religious police, strictly prohibits the public practice of non-Muslim religions. The last Christian priest was expelled from the kingdom in 1985.

However, the Vatican’s relationship with the Muslim world is improving rapidly, and Qatar opened its first Catholic church on Sunday. Mgr El-Hachem said a church in Saudi Arabia would be an important sign of reciprocity between the faiths.Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican's head of relations with Islam, has established a permanent body for dialogue between the religions.

However, he criticised the Archbishop of Canterbury for going too far in suggesting elements of Sharia law would inevitably be incorporated into the British legal system.

CHINA MARKETS TAKE HIT

JPMorgan to buy Bear for $2 a share By JOE BEL BRUNO and MADLEN READ, AP Business Writers MAR 17,08

NEW YORK - Just four days after Bear Stearns Chief Executive Alan Schwartz assured Wall Street that his company was not in trouble, he was forced on Sunday to sell the investment bank to competitor JPMorgan Chase for a bargain-basement price of $2 a share, or $236.2million. The stunning last-minute buyout was aimed at averting a Bear Stearns bankruptcy and a spreading crisis of confidence in the global financial system sparked by the collapse in the subprime mortgage market. Bear Stearns was the most exposed to risky bets on the loans; it is now the first major bank to be undone by that market's collapse.The Federal Reserve and the U.S. government swiftly approved the all-stock buyout, showing the urgency of completing the deal before world markets opened. The Fed also essentially made the takeover risk-free by saying it would guarantee up to $30 billion of the troubled mortgage and other assets that got the nation's fifth-largest investment bank into trouble.

This is going to go down in very historic terms, said Peter Dunay, chief investment strategist for New York-based Meridian Equity Partners. This is about credit being overextended, and how bad it is for major financial institutions and for individuals. This is why we're probably heading into a recession.JPMorgan Chase & Co. said it will guarantee all business — such as trading and investment banking — until Bear Stearns' shareholders approve the deal, which is expected to be completed during the second quarter. The acquisition includes Bear Stearns' midtown Manhattan headquarters.JPMorgan Chief Financial Officer Michael Cavanagh did not say what would happen to Bear Stearns' 14,000 employees worldwide or whether the 85-year-old Bear Stearns name would live on after surviving the Great Depression, two World Wars and a slew of recessions. He told analysts and investors on a conference call that JPMorgan was most interested in buying Bear Stearns' prime brokerage business, which completes trades for big investors such as hedge funds.At almost the same time as the deal for control of Bear Stearns was announced, the Federal Reserve said it approved a cut in its lending rate to banks to 3.25 percent from 3.50 percent and created another lending facility for big investment banks. The central bank's official meeting is on Tuesday. Before the emergency move to lower the discount rate, which is the rate at which banks lend each other money, the Fed was widely expected to again cut its headline rate by as much as a full point to 2 percent.

Having taking Bear Stearns out of the problem category, and the strong action by the Federal Reserve, we would anticipate the market will behave quite differently on Monday than it was Thursday or Friday,Cavanagh said.Some analysts expected it to be a brutal day for global stocks, nevertheless. Shortly after the news broke, Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index plunged more than 3 percent in morning trading.A bankruptcy protection filing of Bear Stearns could have heightened anxiety in world financial markets amid a deepening credit crunch. So far, global banks have written down some $200 billion worth of securities slammed amid the credit crisis — more write-downs could come. Last week, a bond fund controlled by private equity firm Carlyle Group faltered near collapse because of investments linked to mortgage-backed securities.JPMorgan's acquisition of Bear Stearns represents roughly 1 percent of what the investment bank was worth just 16 days ago. It marked a 93.3 percent discount to Bear Stearns' market capitalization as of Friday, and roughly a 98.8 percent discount to its book value as of Feb. 29.The past week has been an incredibly difficult time for Bear Stearns, Schwartz said in a statement. This represents the best outcome for all of our constituencies based upon the current circumstances.Wall Street analysts say the bid to rescue Bear Stearns was more than just saving one of the world's largest investments banks — it was a prop for the U.S. economy and the global financial system. An outright failure would cause huge losses for banks, hedge funds and other investors to which Bear Stearns is connected.After days of denials that it had liquidity problems, Bear was forced into a JPMorgan-led, government-backed bailout on Friday. The arrangement, the first of its kind since the 1930s, resulted in Bear getting a 28-day loan from JPMorgan with the government's guarantee that JPMorgan would not suffer any losses on the deal.

This is not the first time Bear Stearns has earned a place in Wall Street history. A decade ago, Bear Stearns refused to help bail out a hedge fund that was deemed too big to fail. On Friday, the tables had turned, with the now-struggling investment bank in need of the same kind of aid.Bear Stearns was founded in 1923 and in recent years was best known for its aggressive investing in mortgage-backed securities — and what was once a cash cow turned into the investment bank's undoing.In June, two Bear-managed hedge funds worth billions of dollars collapsed. The funds were heavily invested in securities backed by subprime mortgages. Until that point, subprime mortgage-backed securities were immensely popular with investors because of their profitability.The funds' demise and subsequent problems in the credit markets called into question Bear Stearns' ability to manage its own risk and the leadership ability of then-Chief Executive James Cayne. Critics of the company said Cayne spent too much time away from the office last year playing golf and bridge as the problems unfolded. Cayne is the same executive who refused to let Bear Stearns provide support as part of a Federal Reserve-led plan to rescue Long-Term Capital Management in 1998. His reticence was said to deeply anger some of his fellow Wall Street CEOs, and the episode came up every time Bear was reported to be in trouble in recent months.

Cayne took over from the legendary Alan Ace Greenberg in 1993. Greenberg joined Bear Stearns as a clerk, working his way up through the ranks to eventually take over as CEO in 1978. Greenberg was known for his irreverent style, and his regular memos to employees were turned into a book called Memos from the Chairman.
Before Greenberg's ascendancy to CEO, Bear Stearns began to expand from its New York roots throughout the 1950s and 1960s, opening international offices and expanding its U.S. operations. AP Business Writers Jeannine Aversa in Washington and Stephen Bernard contributed to this story.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

Asian stocks tumble on Bear Stearns news By KELLY OLSEN, AP Business Writer MAR 17,08

SEOUL, South Korea - Asian stocks plunged and the dollar sank Monday after JPMorgan Chase said it would acquire troubled U.S. investment bank Bear Stearns, signaling to investors the depths of the credit crisis. Oil prices hit a record in Asian trading and U.S. stock index futures were down sharply, suggesting Wall Street would open lower later Monday.JPMorgan said Sunday it would acquire Bear Stearns for $236.2 million — or $2 a share — in a deal that represents a stunning collapse for one of the world's largest and most venerable investment banks.The buyout was aimed at averting a bankruptcy and a spreading crisis of confidence in the global financial system.But to Asian investors the move suggested that the credit problems, triggered by defaults on risky U.S. mortgages, are far from over — and fanned worries that other big American banks could face serious troubles.There is persistent credit uncertainty. Market players have been repeatedly let down which shows the subprime mortgage problems are so deep-rooted, said Atsuji Ohara, global strategist of Shinko Securities in Tokyo.Just buying an investment bank does not solve the problem, he said. Markets are prodding (the U.S. government) to inject public funds.News of the acquisition of Bear Stearns stunned investors just before markets opened in Tokyo and Seoul.

Japan's benchmark 225 index sank 4.5 percent in early afternoon trading to 11,691.00 points, its lowest since July 2005. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index plunged as much as 5.4 percent before trimming some losses to trade at 21,304.38, down 4.2 percent.Across Asia, all major stock indexes were down, including markets in Australia, China, Indonesia and South Korea.We are worried about what comes next, Shim Jae-youb, a strategist at Meritz Securities in Seoul, said of concerns that other banks may face collapse.He said investors were on guard ahead of the release of quarterly earnings reports from big U.S. investment banks this week, including Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and Morgan Stanley. Bear Stearns had been scheduled to report its results Monday, though it wasn't clear if it would go ahead with that plan.In an extraordinarily rare weekend move, the Federal Reserve took bold action Sunday evening by cutting the discount rate, its lending rate to financial institutions, to 3.25 percent from 3.5 percent, effective immediately. The Fed also created another lending facility for big investment banks to secure short-term loans that would be available to big Wall Street firms on Monday.The Fed was also widely expected to again cut its headline interest rate by as much as a full percentage point to 2 percent at a regular meeting set for Tuesday.In currency trading, the dollar plunged to 95.72 yen — its lowest since August 1995 — driven down by a gloomy outlook for the American economy and prospects for lower interest rates. The euro rose to $1.5839.

Oil prices, meanwhile, hit an all-time trading high in Asia as the greenback's tumble and decline in stock markets prompted investors to seek shelter in commodities such as crude oil. Light, sweet crude for April delivery spiked to a record $111.42 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.On Friday, U.S. stocks sank after the announcement of a Fed plan in conjunction with JPMorgan to alleviate the liquidity crisis at Bear Stearns touched off concerns about the severity of credit troubles in the world's largest economy. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 194.65, or 1.60 percent, to 11,951.09.Wall Street appeared poised for another drop when trading resumed Monday morning. Dow index futures were down 232 points, or 1.9 percent, to 11,750, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index was down 21.7 points or 1.65 percent, to 1,291.6. Associated Press writers Chisaki Watanabe in Tokyo, Gillian Wong in Singapore and Anthony Deutsch in Jakarta contributed to this report.

Fed takes new steps to ease crisis By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer MAR 17,08

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve, in an extraordinarily rare weekend move, took bold action Sunday evening to provide cash to financially squeezed Wall Street investment houses, a fresh effort to prevent a spreading credit crisis from sinking the U.S. economy.

The central bank approved a cut in its emergency lending rate to financial institutions to 3.25 percent from 3.50 percent, effective immediately, and created a lending facility for big investment banks to secure short-term loans. The new lending facility will be available to big Wall Street firms on Monday.These steps will provide financial institutions with greater assurance of access to funds, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told reporters in a brief conference call Sunday evening.The Fed acted just after JP Morgan Chase & Co. agreed to buy rival Bear Stearns Cos. for $236.2 million in a deal that represents a stunning collapse for one of the world's largest and most venerable investment banks. Just on Friday the Fed had raced to provide emergency financing to cash-strapped Bear Stearns through JP Morgan. Days earlier the Fed announced a set of other unconventional steps to thaw out a credit market in danger of freezing shut.It seems as if Bernanke & Co. are pulling out all the stops to avoid a serious financial market meltdown, Richard Yamarone, an economist at Argus Research, said Sunday evening.On world financial markets, Asian stocks plunged early Monday after the JPMorgan and Fed announcements. Markets in Australia and New Zealand also fell.The new lending facility — described as a cousin to the Fed's emergency lending discount window for banks — is geared to give major investment houses a source of short-term cash on a regular basis — if they need it.

It will be in place for at least six months and may be extended as conditions warrant, the Fed said. The interest rate will be 3.25 percent and a range of collateral — including investment-grade mortgage backed securities — will be accepted to back the overnight loans.This is the Fed as the Yucca Mountain of securitized debt, but it is no doubt necessary, said Terry Connelly, dean of Golden Gate University's Ageno School of Business, referring to the government's underground dump in Nevada for nuclear waste.Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said he was pleased by Sunday's developments.Last Friday, I said that market participants are addressing challenges and I am pleased with recent developments. I appreciate the additional actions taken this evening by the Federal Reserve to enhance the stability, liquidity and orderliness of our markets, he said.We appreciate the actions taken by the Federal Reserve this evening, said White House press secretary Dana Perino. Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke are actively engaged in addressing issues affecting our financial markets. Secretary Paulson has kept the president briefed on recent developments. The discount rate cut announced Sunday applies only to the short-term loans that financial institutions get directly from the Federal Reserve. It doesn't apply to individual borrowers.

The Fed's actions are the latest in a recent string of innovative steps to deal with a worsening credit crisis that has unhinged Wall Street. And, the action comes just two days before the central bank's scheduled meeting on Tuesday, where another big cut to a key interest rate that affects millions of people and businesses is expected to be ordered. That key rate is now at 3 percent and is expected to be cut by at least one-half percentage point on Tuesday. Analysts said the Fed's new steps may lessen pressure for a super-sized cut to that rate.The Fed said in a statement that the steps are designed to bolster market liquidity and promote orderly market functioning ... essential for the promotion of economic growth.Even with the Fed's aggressive moves, economic and financial conditions keep deteriorating. An increasing number of economists believe the country already has slipped into its first recession since 2001. Many economists think that the economy is shrinking now in the January-to-March quarter. The first government figures on first-quarter economic activity will be released in late April.

The Fed on Sunday also approved the financing arrangement through which JPMorgan will acquire Bear Stearns. JP Morgan said the Fed will provide special financing for the deal. The central bank has agreed to fund up to $30 billion of Bear Stearns' less liquid assets, according to JP Morgan.The housing collapse and credit crisis has dealt a one-two punch against financial companies and the economy as a whole. Financial institutions have racked up multibillion-dollar losses when mortgage-backed investments soured. Foreclosures have hit record highs as distressed borrowers — hit by slumping home prices and higher mortgage rates — couldn't make their monthly payments. It has become a vicious cycle. The Fed this past week said it would pour as much as $200 billion into big Wall Street banks and investment houses and allow them to put up risky home-loan packages as collateral to borrow much-in-demand Treasury securities. This maneuver — slated to start on March 27 — was intended to bring sorely needed relief in the market for mortgage securities. The Fed also has offered as much as $200 billion in short-term loans to banks and large financial institutions. AP Business writers Joe Bel Bruno and Madlen Read contributed to this report from New York.

INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.

2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).

MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Israel test-fires missile to intercept Gaza rockets Sun Mar 16, 4:05PM ET

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel last week test-fired a missile capable of intercepting short-range rockets like those fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, Channel 10 television reported Sunday. This weapons system will be operational in 2010, said General Dany Gotlib, who is in charge of research at the Israeli defence ministry.Television showed pictures of the test-firing which it said took place in southern Israel.In December the Israeli government earmarked more than 200 million dollars (140 million euros) for the development of an advanced defence system dubbed Iron Dome aimed at countering rocket fire from Gaza and Lebanon.

Israel's Rafael Advanced Defence Systems arms firm is developing the system which is capable of knocking down rockets with a range from 4-70 kilometres (2.5-43.4 miles), such as the homemade Qassam used by Palestinian militants.Iron Dome is part of a multi-layered defence system aimed at protecting Israel from short-range missiles and rockets fired by militants in Gaza or Lebanon, and longer-range missiles in the arsenals of regional foes Iran and Syria.The Israeli army has had little success in ending the nearly daily rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, which has killed 14 people in southern Israel since the start of the second Palestinian uprising in September 2000.