Letters From Our Readers: September/October 2025

Winds of Change in Europe

In our May-June 2025 issue, Europe’s change in diplomatic posture amid war in Ukraine and a new administration in the United States put a spotlight on the global political landscape the Bible reveals will exist at the time of Jesus Christ’s return.

I feel some pushback is called for when Paul Kieffer claims that Europeans are dismayed that America is “defaulting” on its commitments to defend Europe. Since the Second World War has been over for 80 years and Europe has recovered and rebuilt its industrial and economic systems, it’s high time they stop relying on someone else to protect them. The U.S. supplied the money for the Marshall Plan and, ever since 1945, the military umbrella that allowed Europe to thrive. Few if any European nations have paid the agreed-upon amount to support NATO and for the past 80 years have placed steep tariffs on U.S. goods. To claim that it’s the U.S. that is defaulting is to ignore reality. It’s Europe that is defaulting on its responsibilities. Europe needs to take down its tariffs on U.S. goods since there is no longer any need for them. -- From the Internet

From author Paul Kieffer: Thank you for your comments. My article does state, “The sentiment of many Europeans is that America has now defaulted on its position as long-recognized leader of the free world.” However, it does not address NATO spending imbalances. European leaders like French President Macron and previous German Chancellor Scholz have acknowledged the need for Europe to increase defense spending. Nowhere does the article claim Europeans are “dismayed” by U.S. NATO commitments. It notes Ukraine is not a NATO member so that any European peacekeeping force would lack NATO protection—fueling Europe’s growing desire for defense independence.

I stand by the assessment that the current Trump administration has intensified Europe’s drive for unity and self-reliance more than any situation has since World War II (from the vantage point of an American living in Europe since 1971). With that trend escalating, my article addresses our beliefs on prophecy regarding the future course of U.S.-European relations.

“How 8 False Feasts Supplanted God’s True Feasts”

The article states, “In fact Sunday is never mentioned in Scripture as being a weekly holy day or one of God’s feasts.” What about Pentecost, which is always on Sunday? Also, it says, “The Feast of Tabernacles of late fall looks ahead to the time when Christ will rule . . .” The Feast of Tabernacles always falls in early fall, not late fall. -- From the Internet

The Day of Pentecost does always fall on the first day of the week, Saturday sunset to Sunday sunset. However, that is once a year. It is not “a weekly holy day.” It is the Feast of Pentecost that is holy, not the day of the week in that case. The point is that God did not command Sunday to be observed as a weekly Sabbath or festival day. God commands us to keep every seventh day of the week, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, as His Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:1-3), and He commands us to keep seven annual feasts (Leviticus 23:4-37). Sunday is not on the list of days to be observed and kept holy.

Regarding the Feast of Tabernacles being in late fall, that was inadvertent, the intent having been to note that it comes late in the fall feast season—it and the Eighth Day concluding the annual festival cycle. The Feast of Tabernacles actually comes in the first half of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s often in October, which is commonly regarded as mid fall, yet still before the midpoint of early November. In 2027, for instance, the Feast will end on October 22. Thanks for the catch.

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