So said Winston Churchill in 1956 after Great Britain's disastrous attempt to regain control of the Suez Canal. America, under then President Dwight Eisenhower, had opposed the move Britain and France had undertaken. The result was a diminished role in the world for Britain and an impetus for France to promote the development of the European Union as a counterweight to America. Fifty years later America is still the dominant superpower and the European Union continues to grow, its future still to be defined.

Next year British Prime Minister Tony Blair will step down and the new leader is likely to chart a different course with America. Blair decided to support President George Bush's invasion of Iraq. He has taken heat from his electorate for doing so, and his successor could decide to withdraw British troops and support from the engagement. The top British general in Iraq recently said that Iraq could be only a short step away from all-out civil war. British politicians are reflecting a change in mood that could lead to a major alteration in the historic alliance between the two countries. Should that happen, we could see other changes on the world scene, perhaps a strengthening of a European hand in trouble spots like the Middle East.

Tony Blair with George W. Bush It is not uncommon to see references to the "special relationship" that exists between the United States and Great Britain. British historian Paul Johnson recently wrote that the relationship between Bush and Blair was on par with that of Roosevelt and Churchill when the free world stood against the tyranny of Hitler's aggression. He wrote that the relationship "is the axis on which the security of the West and ultimately the peace of the world turns." Johnson concludes that Bush and Blair are "painfully conscious of the weight of responsibility that their two nations jointly carry… [and] in the last resort it falls to the U.S. and Britain to protect the world from calamitous evil" (Forbes, Sept. 18, 2006, p. 41).

What is not understood today is the biblical foundation of this unique national relationship. America and Britain share a common ancestor in the patriarch Joseph. That story is told in detail in our booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. See the chapter titled, "Two Nations That Changed the World." This knowledge is a vital key to understanding the crisis gripping our present world.

World affairs are heating up. Those who would do harm to the existing world order, thus tearing apart and reshaping power structures, are growing bolder with each passing season. Our world is poised on the brink of epochal changes that occur only in the times appointed by the creator God. You and I live in those times and are witnessing events that will lead to the time spoken of by Christ in His Olivet prophecy.

WNP just posted to the Web

The November 2006 issue of World News and Prophecy has been posted to our wnponline.org Web site. Among the articles you'll find in this issue is one by Melvin Rhodes asking, "Will Iraq Be America's Suez?"

Also in the current issue of World News and Prophecy, we go into the meaning of the recent nuclear bomb blast by North Korea. Diplomatic talks continue to work toward a solution in this crisis, but the implication for America's Asian role is critical.

You will also find an article on the growing problem of obesity. The toll on personal health is important for all of us to understand. You will want to read this informative article.

A final thought…

Where I live the autumn leaves are reaching their peak. The sunlight is filtering through them, creating a golden hue that keeps lifting my eyes from the computer screen to my backyard scene. That tells me it is time to close this letter and take a walk on this beautiful Indian summer day. We are approaching the American Thanksgiving holiday, and in my next letter I will offer some thoughts for that occasion.

Keep watching,

	© 1995-2010 United Church of God, an International Association \| Request Free Literature \| Privacy Policy Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. All correspondence and questions should be sent to info@wnponline.org. Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to webmaster@wnponline.org.