Part 4: Mysteries of Parables Revealed.
In this post I would like to bring to the attention of the Churches and every believer a few reminders for the faith in Christ.
For those who do not know Christ this article should also be an eye opener.
It is imperative to know the Parables that Jesus taught to understand future prophecies and what will occur. It is also important to know what God has intended and why He does certain things. No questions will arise that will not have an answer from God.
I believe that Jesus reveals all the secrets of God's Intentions because He wants all men to endure till the end. This is the picture on the puzzle box that we have been trying so desperately to arrange all the pieces to. Bear in mind, everything is related.
I will prove through the Word of God the following:
1. God's Intention
2. God's Plan
3. God's Execution of the Plan
4. God's Salvation
5. God's Judgement.
It is also necessary to know that after understanding these, only then can we understand Jesus's Teachings. There is no other way to understand His Teachings unless we tie everything together. The Past, the Present and the Future.
Now that in the Previous 3 parts of this Message, we have already explained the Past and explained the present, alongwith examples and fulfillments of certain Prophecies, We need to know what transpires in the future. Hence a warning for all, Men, Nations, and the Watchers.
Here I have mentioned a few points of contention that in my opinion need to be addressed properly. The reason being is that Jesus has mentioned many parables and given His teachings very clearly, which are not being followed, some of them being the following:
1. There can be no forced convertion to Christ.
2. There will be Christians left behind when the Rapture occurs.
3. Falling away from the basic faith of Christ will occur in the Church.
4. Church will have non-believers as well, who will try to act as if they belong there, because they think they are Christians.
5. No Church can demand or ask a person to first become pure, or Holy, or to do certain things or restrain from certain things if that person wishes to join the Church after he confesses Christ is Lord and believes in his heart.
6. No image, idol, or anything earthly or heavenly can be worshipped except Jesus and The Father in Heaven.
7. The Holy Spirit will write in each individuals heart the laws of God......This is a forgotten in Many Churches.
8. Pastors are the servants of the Church. Not the other way around.
9. The Church has forgotten that every individual has a different calling.
10. The Church has forgotten the Feasts of The Lord.
11. Christmas is not 25th December, The Church should stop preaching this, and find out the truth.
12. The Church is called to preach the Gospel of Grace. Most Churches have forgotten that as well.
13. Jesus is the Main focus and His return is the hope of all Christians, most Churches have forgotten that as well.
14. The Church is God's Spiritual Army. We are called to pray and fight against Powers, Principalities and Rulers of the Air. The Church is called to be fearless in this regard. The devil will rob, steal, lie, decieve and kill us, still we are called to fight in prayer and intercede for all Mankind and God's Will.
15. No Church is allowed to be compensated for Prayers rendered. No Church which demands these things from it's members is a true Church.
16. The Church has to stand up and make it's decision to follow the teachings of Christ instead of taking the world's view of what God needs and is.
17. The Churches have the prophecies. They are not teaching these, for fear of being ridiculed.
18. The Bible has all the answers to all questions, whether it be it for faith, family, relationships, emotions, problems, etc. Then why are certain Churches preaching other doctorines? One such false doctorine which I tend to hear on many occassions is the Doctorine of Self-Help/Self-Prosperity. This docotrine is contrary to everything that Jesus teaches. It is unbelieveable that such a Church spits in God's face by saying that a person can achieve anything if he puts his mind to it etc., shunning God's Grace and Mercy. That if a man or woman concentrates hard enough and works hard enough, they can be wealthy, healthy, wise and strong. I have even heard preachers telling their members that if want materialistic wealth and possessions all they have to do is concentrate on their desires and achieve it. If not they can bring their desires to God and He will fulfill their hearts desire.
How ridiculous! I actually get enraged by this!
19. The most important thing to remember is that Jesus was following the Jewish Torah and kept all of God's commandments. He was the only person in this entire world that was blameless. Jesus was a Jew, and still kept all the laws of Moses, without transgressing any one of them. So, believe it or not, God has His Feast days or Appointed Holy days which Jesus followed and so should the Church. For if it was not so, Jesus would not have done so. Another aspect that the Church has forgotten. Again, all the ancient prophets have declared God's Concealed One, also called the Elect One, ie. Jesus also called Yeshua whose name means Salvation.
20. The Book of Revelation where Jesus condemns all the Seven Churches of their failings is pretty explicit. And to every Church, He gives a stern common warning:
" I will come quickly and will not tarry."
These are just a few points that every member or a person that is considering to join a Church should verify before they make a decision.
Now that we are clear on what a Church should not do and not be decieved, let us proceed to the Parables of Jesus, I will explain those Parables clearly.
These Parables are in no particular order but I will go through each one.....starting from the Gospel of Matthew. Where I perceive that the ancient prophecies are relevant I will add them as well. A parable is a short story with a hidden meaning or moral behind it.
The disciples ask Jesus why he speaks in Parables to the masses, the same question that many people have, including Christians. The answer will surprise you as Jesus reveals exactly why He does so, in Matthew 13; 10-17.
Matthew 13: 10 And the disciples came and said to Him," Why do You speak to them in parables?"
11 He answered and said to them," Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12. for whosoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abdundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
13. THEREFORE,I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, hearing they do not hear nor do they understand."
14. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah id fulfilled, which says: Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15. For the heartsof this people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them"
16." But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;
17. " for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
I would like to comment on these passages.
Jesus if referring to Isaiah 6 :9 which is:
Isaiah's Commission
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" 9He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.' 10"Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."…
Thus Jesus fulfilled that Prophecy. Jesus fulfilled every Prophecy of Every Prophet, in deed and in Spirit, thus concluding that HE is the Messiah. So, if He had fulfilled all the Prophecies before, He will definitely fulfill the Prophecies of His Second coming.
I hereby post an article whereby the odds of fulfilling only 8 of the Messianic Prophecies by Jesus is 1 in 100000000000000000 chance. All prophecies have been fulfilled hence raising the probability to a number I can't even say. The Only Prophecies that have not been fulfilled are related to His Second coming and also in the Book of Revelation( on what this article is all about) which still needs to occur:
Prepared for your mind to be blown away?
Here is the article, confirmed by Prophets, all about one person fulfilling each prophecy by only one person, That Person being the Messiah, ie. Jesus Christ
| Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus |  |
For the faithful Jew, one of the most important events described by God in the Tanakh (the Old Testament) is the coming of the Messiah to assert God’s authority on earth, to redeem His chosen to Himself. Most Jewish scholars see this described in the Old Testament in two ways. There is outright prophecy, a description of some attribute the Messiah will have or some fact which will be true of Him. There are also pictures in advance, or “types” where events in history act as analogies to some truth about Messiah. As an example of types, consider the story of Joseph in the last few chapters of Genesis. The Bible records that Joseph saved his brothers from death even though they had tried to kill him and had, when they arrived in Egypt, failed to recognize him. Many consider this a picture, or analogy, of how the Messiah will be received by the Jews, God’s chosen people, when He comes. Of course, we, and the Messianic Jews, believe He has already come and that this picture matches the life of Jesus exactly. Although types make for very interesting study, they rely heavily on potentially subjective interpretations of the biblical texts. As we are after clear, undeniable evidence of the Messiah and Jesus, we will focus our attention on the outright prophecies. We will be taking special note of the many prophecies Jesus fulfilled which he could not have influenced if He were merely a man. God provided the Messiah we need to be able to have a relationship with Him because of His infinite love for us. That Messiah is Jesus.
For Jesus to truly be the Messiah described in the Old Testament, He would have to fulfill every Messianic prophecy. Depending on who you ask, the exact number of prophecies relating to the Messiah varys widely. But, there is a large list of Old Testament verses which most agree are descriptions of the Messiah. Let’s have a look at some of these and see how Jesus relates to them.
- The Lineage of Messiah
- Messiah Bears God’s Attributes
- What Messiah Will Do
- What Will Be Done To Messiah
- So Where Does All This Leave Us?
The Lineage of Messiah
Some of the more interesting and surprising statements about the Messiah in the Old Testament are those concerning His lineage. Contrary to what some might claim, there are very specific prophecies about this, each of which Jesus fulfilled. In talking to the serpent in Genesis 3:15, God said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.” This is taken by many as one of the earliest Messianic prophecies describing Satan’s brief vicory over Messiah and Messiah’s ultimate victory over Satan. It is mentioned here because the offspring (Messiah) is described as being of the woman (Eve). This is extraordinary as the nation of Israel has always been patriarchal; people are mentioned in terms of their fathers, not their mothers. Because of this, many see this verse as also being a prophecy of Messiah’s birth through a virgin (see below). Bearing this in mind, it is interesting to study what the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4, again referring to the sending of a Son through a woman. The Bible makes note of several other aspects of the earthly bloodline the Messiah will come from. In Genesis 12:3, God is making a promise to Abram (later, Abraham) about the influence his descendants will have over the earth and says, “In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed.” This is accepted as a statement that the Messiah would descend from Abraham as Messiah is the source of all true blessings. The bloodline is further refined to Isaac, son of Abraham in Genesis 17:19 and 21:12, to Jacob, son of Isaac in 28:14 and to Judah, son of Jacob (or Israel) in 49:10. Matthew, in the first chapter of his Gospel, begins his account of the life of Jesus by describing His lineage as coming from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Judah and so on. Luke echos this lineage for Jesus in Luke 3:33-34. Building on the specificity of Messiah’s lineage, God promises King David, through Nathan the prophet in 2 Samuel 7:12-13, that Messiah will not only come from his own bloodline, but will also inherit his throne. David’s throne is again promised as the seat of Messiah’s government in Isaiah 9:6-7, and in Jeremiah 23:5. Taking a look at the accounts of Jesus shows Him to be a descendant of King David in Matthew 1:1, 1:6 and in Luke 3:31. He is further described as heir to David’s throne with power by Paul in Romans 1:3-4. It is important to remember here that Paul was once a Pharisee, which in his time meant that he possessed a strong knowledge and understanding of the Old Testament. For him to claim Jesus as the foretold Messiah, was no small admission. The Jewish leaders, his ex-companions, were very clear on Paul’s position; they repeatedly tried to kill him for it (study the latter half of the book of Acts).
Messiah Bears God’s Attributes
Probably the most important claim the Old Testament makes about Messiah is that He is truly God. These claims are made in the form of ascribing God’s traits to Messiah and describing Messiah as God’s Son. One aspect of God is that He is eternal. The prophet Micah tells us in Micah 5:2 that the Messiah Himself is eternal when he, talking about Messiah, says, “...whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Compare this to the claim of eternality Jesus made in the New Testament in John 8:58. Paul describes many attributes of Jesus which indicate an eternal Messiah in Ephesians 1:3-14 and in Colossians 1:15-19. Another aspect of the Messiah is that He is the true and only Son of God, being Himself God. The writers of Psalms and Proverbs make this link for us in Psalms 2:7 and Proverbs 30:4. In Luke 1:32, an angel of God is telling Mary that she is about to become the mother of Jesus and says to her, “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father, David.” In Matthew 3:17, God Himself speaks at the baptism of Jesus and says of Him, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Old Testament gets even clearer about the fact that Messiah is God, that God Himself will be the Messiah, that the name of the Messiah is Y-H-W-H. Read the description of Messiah in Isaiah 9:6. There we read of a Son who will be given to govern the world. Of the five names listed that the Messiah will be known by, note that one of them is Mighty God. The prophet Jeremiah is even more blatant about applying the name of God to the Messiah in Jeremiah 23:6. Of course, the question is, does the Bible apply God’s name to Jesus? Noting that the name Y-H-W-H is above any other name in authority, read what Paul wrote about Jesus in Philippians 2:9. There he writes that God gave Jesus “the name which is above every name.” Jewish scholars have little doubt about the deity of the Messiah, but many people have a hard time accepting that Jesus is God. A more in depth discussion as to the deity of Jesus may be found here.
What Messiah Will Do
The Old Testament also describes several things the Messiah will do while here on earth. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses is addressing the people of Israel, and tells them, “Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me; to him you shall listen” identifying the Messiah as being a prophet just like Moses was. God assures us that it is the Messiah of whom Moses was speaking in verses 18-19 by the seriousness God places on those who will not listen to the coming prophet. Taking a look at the New Testament, John tells us in John 7:40 that many Jews who heard Jesus really believed that He was the prophet Moses mentioned. Also, Luke quotes the words of the Apostle Peter in Acts 3:19-22 who confirmed by his direct witness of Jesus that He was, in fact, the prophet Moses said was coming. Isaiah describes in Isaiah 61:1-2 some aspects of the ministry the Messiah will have. Compare this to the passage in Luke 4:18 where Jesus not only quotes the Old Testament passage but also claims to be its fulfillment. An in-depth study of the ministry of Jesus throughout the gospels reveals this as truth, and not just some idle boast. More specifically, Isaiah 35:5-6, describes a wonderful ministry of healing for any who need it. Jesus describes the works He has done in almost the exact same words in Matthew 11:5. Over and over and over again, all throughout the gospels, Jesus never turned away anyone who needed healing, even when He knew they would not turn to Him (note His healing of the ten lepers in Luke 17:12-19 though only one returned to give glory to God). All this for the deep love He feels for each one of them, and each one of us. He healed us even at the cost of His own life. Isaiah also tells us in Isaiah 9:1 that Messiah’s ministry would begin in the region of Galilee. All the gospels confirm to us that Jesus also began His ministry in Galilee. In Matthew 4:12-17, Matthew goes so far as to claim that Jesus did so as direct fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 9:1. In the Old Testament, there are many places where the character of Messiah is described. We see the same character traits exhibited by Jesus in the New Testament. In verses 40:11 and 42:3 of his book, Isaiah describes Messiah as demonstrating tenderness and compassion and in verse 12:15 of his gospel, Matthew says the same of Jesus when he relates that “Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.” As Matthew continues his narration, he even claims that what he is relating is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of verse 42:3. The Apostle Peter goes farther and claims that Jesus is completely without sin in 1 Peter 2:22 and that, by quoting it, this fulfills Isaiah 53:9. The Bible documents many more such parallels between the traits and actions of the Messiah and of Jesus. The following table shows just a few of these.
| The Messiah must... | Prophecy | Fulfillment by Jesus |
| Bear the reproaches and sin of others | Isaiah 53:12 | Romans 15:3 |
| Be a priest | Psalms 110:4 | Hebrews 5:5-6, 6:20, 7:15-17 |
| Enter Jerusalem on a donkey | Zechariah 9:9 | Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; John 12:12-16 |
| Enter the Temple with authority | Malachi 3:1 | Matthew 21:12; John 2:13-22 |
These are only a few of the prophecies about the things the Messiah will do from the Old Testament along with the descriptions of how Jesus fulfilled them. But, since a determined faker could try to mimic the prophecies about what the Messiah will do, let’s have a look at prophecies which no human could bring off.
What Will Be Done To Messiah
The Old Testament speaks even more about the things which will be done to Messiah and things about His life over which no ordinary human could have any control. These are important to understand as most of them would be impossible for a false Messiah to fake since they would be out of a normal person’s control. God loves us so much that He has given us the things to look for in Messiah in such a way that He cannot be impersonated successfully as long as we pay attention. These things make it quite clear that Jesus is the Messiah foretold by the Old Testament. One of the first things to note in the Old Testament is that God tells us exactly when Messiah would come to earth. In Daniel 9:24-26, he gives us a total of 69 “weeks” (a euphamism of the day meaning a period of 7 years) or 483 years after Jerusalem and its wall were commissioned to be rebuilt for when the Messiah would be ”cut off” for our sins. The best archaeological evidence dates the rebuilding of Jerusalem at approximately 453 B.C. Four hundred and eighty three years after the city was rebuilt, Jesus was being crucified outside its walls. We are given the historical information we need to accurately place Jesus’ birth in Matthew 2:1, 16 and 19 and Luke 3:1 and we know He was crucified 33 years later. Another trait about Messiah can be found in Isaiah 7:14 where we are told that He will be born of a virgin. There are many who contest the use of the word ”virgin” as the original Hebrew word simply means “young woman.” However, the context of the usage of this word all throughout the rest of the Old Testament provides the connotation of an “unsullied reputation.” Further proof of this lies in the Greek word chosen by the Jewish scholars who created the Septuagint (the original Greek Old Testament) written 200 years before Jesus was even born. They chose the greek word parthenos which really does mean virgin. Matthew uses this word when he quotes Isaiah in Matthew 1:23. The declaration of Jesus being born of a virgin may be found in Matthew 1:18-Matthew 2:1 and in Luke 1:26-35. We are also promised a messenger, one who would come before the Messiah to announce His arrival. Read what Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 40:3-5 and what Malachi wrote in Malachi 3:1. Both are statements of this promise from God. In the New Testament, Matthew records the claim that John the Baptizer made that he was this messenger fortold by Isaiah. John the Baptizer even quotes the Old Testament prophet in Matthew 3:1-3. Luke records in his gospel in chapter 1, verse 17 the words of an angel speaking to John’s father saying the same thing. Luke reiterates John as the fulfillment of Isaiah in Luke 3:2-6. At the other end of His earthly ministry, we are given several details about His execution. The Old Testament tells us that He will be “pierced.” The prophet Zechariah associates this with the death of the Messiah in 12:10 and Psalms 22:16 tells us that this piercing will be in the Messiah’s hands and feet. In Matthew 27:35 and John 19:18, we are told that Jesus is executed by crucifiction, which requires the piercing of the hands and feet. Luke confirms in 24:39 the piercing really did happen by asking His disciples to inspect the holes after His resurrection. John even claims this as fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10 in John 19:34-37. Despite the cruel nature of His execution, we are promised that none of the Messiah’s bones would be broken. In the Law of Moses, we are told that the Passover lamb should not have any of its bones broken (see Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12). Since the Messiah is the ultimate Passover Lamb whose blood protects the doorposts of our hearts, then His bones must remain unbroken as well. This is reiterated in Psalms 34:20. In John 19:33-36 we are told how the Roman soldiers did not need to break any of Jesus’ bones and that this was in direct fulfillment of the Scripture. We are promised that, after His death, Messiah will be raised from the dead in Psalms 16:10 with support from Isaiah 53:9-10 and Psalms 2:7. The descriptions of the resurrection of Jesus are found in Matthew 28:1-20 and Acts 2:23-36 and 13:33-37 which quotes Psalms 2:7. The Bible also promises that, after His resurrection, Messiah would ascend to heaven and sit at the right hand of God. The promise is found in Psalms 16:11, 68:18 and 110:1 and Jesus is described as fulfilling this in Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9-11 and 7:55 and Hebrews 1:3. Below is a table which lists more things which are true of Messiah. Read the Old Testament verses in their contexts and compare them with the New Testament descriptions of how Jesus fulfilled each and every one of them.
| The Messiah must... | Prophecy | Fulfillment by Jesus |
| Be born in Bethlehem | Micah 5:2 | Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7 |
| Be adored by great persons | Psalms 72:10-11 | Matthew 2:1-11 |
| Be annointed with the Spirit of God | Isaiah 11:2, 61:1 | Matthew 3:16; John 3:34; Acts 10:38 |
| Be hated without cause | Isaiah 49:7; Psalms 69:4 | John 15:24-25 |
| Be undesired and rejected by His own people | Isaiah 53:2, 63:3; Psalms 69:8 | Mark 6:3; Luke 9:58; John 1:11, |
| Be plotted against by Jews and Gentiles together | Psalms 2:1-2 | Acts 4:27 |
| Be betrayed by a friend | Psalms 41:9, 55:12-24 | Matthew 26:21-25, 47-50; John 13:18-21; Acts 1:16-18 |
| Be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver | Zechariah 11:12 | Matthew 26:16 |
| Have his price given for a potter’s field | Zechariah 11:13 | Matthew 27:7 |
| Be forsaken by His disciples | Zechariah 13:7 | Matthew 26:31, 56 |
| Be struck on the cheek | Micah 5:1 | Matthew 27:30 |
| Be spat on | Isaiah 50:6 | Matthew 26:67, 27:30 |
| Be mocked | Psalms 22:7-8 | Matthew 27:31, 39-44 |
| Be beaten | Isaiah 50:6 | Matthew 26:67, 27:26, 30 |
| Be thirsty during His execution | Psalms 22:15 | John 19:28 |
| Be given vinegar to quench that thirst | Psalms 69:21 | Matthew 27:34 |
| Be considered a transgressor | Isaiah 53:12 | Matthew 27:38 |
| Be buried with the rich when dead | Isaiah 53:9 | Matthew 27:57-60 |
| Be sought after by Gentiles as well as Jews | Isaiah 11:10, 42:1 | Acts 10:45 |
| Be accepted by the Gentiles | Isaiah 11:10, 42:1-4, 49:1-12 | Matthew 12:21; Acts 10:45; Romans 15:9-12 |
Now that you have seen this comparison, you must answer this question, “What will you do about Jesus?”
So Where Does All This Leave Us?
As described above, there is a significant amount of biblical evidence which can lead us to only one conclusion. Jesus is the Messiah. He claimed it. It was claimed by others of Him. But more importantly, He demonstrated it by His fulfillment of every messianic prophecy we know of, leaving no room for doubt. The mathematical probability that a person could fulfill even the prophecies listed here is astronomical, yet Jesus did it. To get a feel for the probabilities involved, consider this. An author and speaker named Josh McDowell calculated the odds of Jesus fulfilling only eight of the Messianic prophecies as 1 out of 1017 (a one followed by 17 zeros). This is equivalent to covering the entire state of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep, marking one of them, mixing them all up and having a blind-folded person select the marked one at random the first time. Only a few of the Messianic prophecies in the Bible have been presented here. There are many more, not even including the ones (mostly from the book of Revelation which are still outstanding (have not been fulfilled yet). Since Jesus is Messiah (and therefore God), then He is our creator and we are accountable to Him. All He wants is to be your Savior and the Lord of your life, to love you in tangible ways, to have a personal, one on one relationship with you. If you do not already have this relationship, you can read more here about how to get it started. Jesus is knocking. Will you open the door and let Him help you?
As you can see all the prophecies and the fulfillments have been listed, all with their respective Chapters and Verses.
As any student of Mathematics and Statistics would tell you, The Probabilities for one person to fulfill all these prophecies is astronomical, and yet against all odds, even a scientist would on the basis of these stats have to believe. Like it or not.
This why we needed to go back into history and know what happened.
Furthermore, I would like to add the following:
1. Jesus spoke in parables, the reason clearly stated. What is overlooked in many Churches is the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven", which were given to the disciples ( every believer of Christ), but not to an unbeliever. The Mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven are revealed in His Parables. Thus prompting Jesus to add that the Believer will get everything but the Unbeliever will lose even that which he has.
In effect when I explain the Parables it will show that the Unbeliever will lose his soul to darkness, for the absence of The Almighty God in a persons life is darkness indeed and how dark is that darkness!
Please keep this reasoning of Jesus in mind when you read the Parables and their explanations.
What prompts me to write this is that Jesus also proclaims that because of the hardness of their hearts they will not hear, see, perceive nor understand, Lest they believe and be turned and that God should heal them. So, if it is God's will to save every man from eternal hellfire, why does God cloud their minds? The Answer is in Jesus's Parables.
So I implore each and everyone to keep this passage in mind for every parable explained. In certain Parables, Jesus Himself gives the explanation.
Please refer back to the above passage in order to confirm. KEEP THESE ABOVE PASSAGES SPOKEN BY JESUS IN MIND!!!!!!
VERSE 16&17: "But blessed are your eyes......". What does Jesus mean by this?
Many Prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see? Hear what you hear? And still did not see and hear?
Jesus is talking about Himself. Many Prophets and righteous men were given prophecies about Jesus, His birth, His Ministry, His mission, His death, His resurrection, His ascent to Heaven, His Glory, His return, His Judgement, His everlasting Reign, His Godliness, His redemption. But no one, could see Him or hear Him speak, personally.
Jesus is saying that HE came down from Heaven as prophesied and the Prophets would have given anything to see His coming and Hear His righteousness and the word of Salvation Directly from Jesus, who being God dwelt with Man.
I would also like to inform you that Jesus uses the Kingdom of Heaven in most of His Parables hence each parable is indicative of some Mystery. We will list them as we go along. Certain Prophecies, as well are hidden in His parables. Which are to be noted if we wish to know the future of our souls.
Parable 1. The Sower and the Seeds. (The word of God and the righteous)
MATTHEW 13: 3-9, 18-23.
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
Explanation given by Jesus:
Matthew 13: 24-30
Explanation given by Jesus in verses 37-43:
40As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
Please refer back to the reasoning of Jesus. Remember why God says" Lest they understand and be turned and be Healed" ? Because some are Sons and Daughters of satan, the devil. Thus, they will be judged and cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. This is the same as the pre-flood era. Thus again confirming what Jesus meant about the "end of age" being that like in the days of Noah and Lot. This mystery has been solved.That is why it was necessary to study the events of the Pre- flood Era. I hope now this has been understood properly.
Again, at the end of age one Mystery has been cleared, as well as a prophecy:
1. The Angels will come forth and gather all the wicked and burn them in the lake of fire.
2. The "end of age" is the harvest.
END OF AGE : This has been my point of intrepretation in the past 3 posts. Jesus does use this term in Matthew 13: 39 and 13: 49.
Matthew 13: 39" The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of age, and the reapers are the angels"
Matthew 13: 49 " So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, seperate the wicked from among the just."
Thus, According to the Parable, the wicked and the righteous have to be living side by side for this to happen. Which is taking place in todays society, which always has been the case since the beginning, but God has set a time of Harvest. Now if God has set the time of Harvest, there is a Feast of Weeks also called the Feast of Harvests also called Shavuot. Jesus also mentions that He will send out His Angels. This is significant. Why? Well God is the Ultimate Commander of Angels. The Angels were created by God and thus has the only Command over them. This again proves that Jesus is God. Because he uses the term Son of Man, which again in the Book of Enoch reveals that He(Son of Man) was created and Concealed from the Beginning by God and given all authority over the Universe. Hence fulfilling the Prophecy. That is why the study of the Book of Enoch is essential to all Christians. This is also what Enoch had been shown, where God made man but the fallen angels corrupted the genes of man and created the Nepphilim. The Parallels are not coincidence. Jesus confirms this.
That is why I also insisted that the Christian Church has to observe the Jewish Calender and the Feasts of the Lord. They are not Feasts of the Jews, God said, " These are my appointed and Holy Days."
Here is another article on this Topic: Shavuot
| Weeks | ||||||||||
The Feast of Weeks, also known as Harvest (Exodus 23:16), Shavuot (Hebrew), the Day of Firstfruits (Numbers 28:26), or Pentecost, was a festival of joy and thanksgiving celebrating the completion of the harvest season. It was the second major feast in which all able-bodied Jewish males were required to attend (the other two being Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles). It was celebrated as a sabbath with rest from ordinary labors and the calling of a holy convocation (Leviticus 23:21; Numbers 28:26). Essentially a harvest celebration, the term weeks was used to describe the time period from the grain harvest to the barley harvest and finally to the wheat harvest. It is called the Feast of Weeks because God specifically told the sons of Jacob that they were to count seven sevens of weeks (seven complete weeks) from Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9), and then on the "morrow" this fourth feast was to be observed (Luke 23:16). Seven sevens of weeks are forty-nine days. Add one additional day ("on the morrow"), and it brings the total number of days to fifty. This fourth feast was to occur precisely fifty days after Firstfruits (Christ's resurrection). Therefore, the feast was given the name "Pentecost" (Acts 2:1) which means "fifty." On this occasion, the children of Israel were not to simply bring the firstfruits of the wheat to the Temple (as they brought the firstfruit of the barley at the Feast of Firstfruits), but rather two loaves of bread. These two loaves were specifically commanded to be made with fine flour and baked with leaven (Leviticus 23:17), and they were to be used as a "wave offering" for the people. These two loaves, however, could not be eaten until after the ceremony was completed (Leviticus 23:14; Joshua 5:10-11) and could not be placed on the altar due to its leaven content. In addition to the wave offering, two lambs, one young bull, and two rams were to be offered as burnt offerings before the Lord (Leviticus 23:15-22; Numbers 28:26-31). The feast was concluded by the eating of communal meals to which the poor, the stranger, and the Levites were invited. What Does It All Mean? The Feast of Weeks is a symbolic festival which pointed to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church. The Son of God arose from the grave on Firstfruits. He then spent forty days with His disciples in post-resurrection ministry (Acts 1:3). Immediately after forty days, Jesus informed them that it was necessary that He leave them and ascend to His Father in Heaven (in order to apply the benefits of His once and for all sacrifice). However, He told His disciples that they would not be left abandoned and comfortless. He would then send them His Holy Spirit who would come alongside to help in His absence (John 14:16-17). The disciples were commanded to tarry at Jerusalem until He came (Acts 1:4), and they knew exactly how long they would have to wait. The coming of the Holy Spirit would occur on the next Jewish holiday - a festive time when Jews from different countries were to be in Jerusalem to celebrate the completion of the harvest season. This annual feast was none other than Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks. The disciples waited as they were commanded; however, their wait was not long - only ten days. And then it happened. The Spirit of God descended on those first-century believers. The two loaves which were brought to the Temple represented both Jew and Gentile; however they became one in Christ with the advent of the Spirit's coming. Writing to the Ephesian believers, Paul said" "For he is our peace, who hath made both (Jew and Gentile) one, and have broken down the middle wall of partition between us ... to make in himself of two (Jew and Gentile) one new man, so making peace" (Ephesians 2:14-15). There was to be leaven in those two loaves, for the Church had not yet been glorified. During this age, there is still sin within the Church. Messiah Yeshua (the head) is unleavened. On the other hand, the Church (the body) still has leaven within her. Therefore, leaven was to be included in those two loaves. |
| Feasts of the Lord | ||
| Introduction | Passover | Unleavened Bread |
|---|---|---|
| Firstfruits | Weeks | Trumpets |
| Yom Kippur | Tabernacles | Conclusion |
Parable 3. The Mustard Seed. (The Kingdom of Heaven)
Matthew 13: 31-32
If we understand the first parable of Jesus correctly ie. The parable of the Sower and the seeds and the following explanation by Him, then the Kingdom of Heaven is the word of God, which a righteous believer accepts in his heart and allows the Word to flourish within him (being the good ground). That in due season, the Word (which is God's Spirit) becomes manifested here on earth, and the righteous inherit the world.
Parable 4. The Leavening. (The Kingdom of Heaven)
Matthew 13:33
33Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened
Another example given by Jesus is the leavening. Leavening (normally yeast) is used to make bread. just a like a little yeast is needed to leaven the whole bread, so also is God's word, that a believer keeps in his heart, will increase and show in due time.
Parable 5. The Treasure in the Field. (The Kingdom of Heaven)
Matthew 13; 44
44Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field
This is interesting for me. To find a treasure hidden in field, the person has to be in the field doing something, either working or passing through. The man also has to have been looking and paying attention to his surroundings. Although this is only one verse, but it says everything.
We are called to look for the word of God. Not only that but God wants us to pay close attention to what is going on around us, lest we overlook the signs. There had to be an indicator that something was unusual in the field and when the person searched further found the treasure.
The thought process must have been" Hey, that piece of land looks strange....hmm let me go and see whats wrong.....hmmm let me dig up this piece of land.....Wow! I found a treasure!"
"Hmmmm, this land doesn't belong to me, let me hide this treasure and sell all that I have to purchase this land so that I can legally be the owner of this treasure."
So he goes out and sells all that he has to purchase the land.
Again what is interesting is that the landowner did not know that he had treasure buried there, had he known, he would not have sold the land, or his inheritance."
So a stranger bought the land that had the treasure from the actual person who probably had inherited it.
The stranger is the Gentile who is righteous, The original landowner is the Jew, The treasure is the Concealed one called Jesus and His Word
As you recall the prophecies, the Messiah had to be rejected by His own people, only to be accepted by the Gentiles. Thus the Gentiles recognizing the Messiah, gladly gave up their ways and everything they had to follow him, thus becoming the inheritors of the Kingdom of God. Remember the man did not disclose this material fact to the original landowner.
This is why I am writing this blog.
Parable 6. The Merchant and the Pearls. (The Kingdom of Heaven)
Matthew 13: 45-46
Again, one verse, but everything said.
A merchant was seeking goodly pearls, when he had found one of great price, he bought it selling everything that he had. This time around, the merchant knows about pearls, it's his job to know, he must have been trained for years. So he knows what to look for, the density, the purity and of course he must have asked the price.
He knows that it will profit him greatly if he buys the pearl no matter the price. He gladly goes and sells all that he has to procure it.
Thus, when the righteous know Jesus, and His Salvation, and know the signs and pay close attention to them, they will rejoice and go and give up all that they have so they may get eternal life.
We have to be like the Merchant, we should be trained to know what to look for.
Again that is why I am writing this article. So you know what to look for, learn and interrogate and investigate so you too can discern the price of this Word of God.
Parable 7. The Good Fish and The Bad Fish (The Kingdom of Heaven)
Matthew 13: 47-48.
Hence, fulfilling the Prophecy in The Book of Revealation Chapter 5 verse 9:
"And they sang a new song, saying: "
"You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood, Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
Prophecy to be noted: Jesus is the only one that is worthy because He was slain. He is alive. He has already redeemed the saints/ righteous by His Blood, which was the purchase price for all sin (as explained earlier). Thus, Prophecy being fulfilled, where the righteous shall reign on Earth, when He makes us Kings and Priests on His return to earth. That is why the only hope for a Christian is the return of Christ. Christ also reminds his disciples various times that He would come again and that our eyes should be on Him. Not only that but Jesus said that we have to be alert and watch. The parable will be explained thoroughly. I might be repeating things, but the only reason is to drive the point home.
8. The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. (The Righteous and the Kingdom of Heaven)
Matthew 18:1-20
A child is totally dependent on his parents. A child has no need for money, power, ego or revenge. A child is humble. So, not leaning on his own understanding and humbling oneself to the authority of God makes him the greatest in the Kingdom of God. A child does not work to support his family, The Father in Heaven is the one who takes care of His children. So, unless the heart is humble, and accepts the authority of God, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. That is the heritage of the saints and believers.
The rest of the verses are self -explanatory.
9. The Good and Evil Servant (Importance of Forgiveness and the Kingdom of Heaven)
Matthew 18: 22-35
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
The message here is that we should not seek revenge for those offences committed against us. We are made to be Kings and Priests. God's plan for us who belive is to be like His Son. Forgiving is not easy, especially in such a time where evil, corruption, madness, treachery, backstabbing, backsliding, intoxication, materialism, and general greed abound.
Please note 2 Timothy (where all the characterstics of men of the last days are listed.)
Were these not the Characterstics of those in the Days of Noah and Lot?
Are we not familiar with these characterstics in today's world? So, again we ask the question, ARE WE NOT IN THE LAST DAYS? The answer is YES. This is what I have been trying to explain. Looking at the past, looking at the present, the only conclusion according to the Prophets, is that we are in the last days. That is why I am giving details of current affairs as well. Jesus is the one who forgives our sins, so why can't we do the same. We have to try...and have to forgive.
This is another Mystery revealed by Jesus of the Kingdom of Heaven.
I will continue the Parables in part 5.
I would like to present some facts, Stats, and news articles to conclude part 4.
This is a world where we live in.........
Kids who kill: The most shocking child murderers in British history
IN THIS true crime special, we look at the children convicted of murder - and what drives them to kill
CHILD KILLER: Daniel Bartlam killed his own mother in a shocking crime for one so young [CATERS/PA]And the youngest was just 11 years old.
Between 2008 and 2011, 81 children were convicted of the crime in England and Wales.
The children behind these gruesome deaths are often as clever and calculating as adult murderers.
Next week, a fascinating new Channel 5 documentary, Kids Who Kill, examines some of the most shocking cases.
Top criminologist Professor David Wilson, who appears in the programme, says: “Some cases are truly chilling. There are different types of child killer but some clearly show psychopathic tendencies.”
Mary Bell became infamous for the manslaughter of Martin Brown and Brian Howe in 1968 when she was aged just 10.
And the murder of two-year-old James Bulger in 1993 horrified the nation.
Here, in a true crime special, we take a look at some of Britain’s worst recent cases and talk to Professor Wilson about what turns a seemingly innocent child into a killer.
KIDS WHO KILL, on Channel 5, Thursday January 30, at 10pm.
VICTIM: Daniel killed his mother Jacqui while his mother's former partner Simon Matters knew something was wrong [PA] Who: Daniel Bartlam
Age: 14
The crime: Daniel’s mum Jacqui split from his father when he was nine. But it was only after 2009 when the behaviour of the youngster, then 12, began to become worrying.
Jacqui had moved the family to a smaller house in Redhill, Nottingham. Daniel was also taken out of his private school and transferred to a state school.
He became reclusive, posting violent clips from his favourite soaps online, watching horror films and penning grisly stories.
Simon Matters, Jacqui’s ex-partner, says: “He would come down and show me a story, quite gory, about a kid who had killed another kid. He liked to shock people with things he did and said.
“He had many expensive figurines of Star Wars and Doctor Who characters and they would just all be ruined. He’d have plastic boxes full of figurines but he’d urinated in the boxes.
“He’d also defecated all over the bedroom in boxes. One of the things that disturbed me, but Jacqui laughed about it, I found he had a bag of her underwear. It was brushed over at the time, but later it appeared more sinister.”
On Easter Sunday, 2011, he decided to commit the perfect murder by killing his own mother.
That night, after calmly mowing the lawn and eating some Easter eggs, he sneaked into his mother’s bedroom and hit her on the head seven times with a claw hammer.
Daniel then covered her bloodied body with paper, doused it in petrol and set fire to it, hoping to destroy the evidence.
How he was caught: Daniel fled the blazing house, saving his younger brother and dog and then told police an intruder had attacked his mum.
But police found the murder weapon in Daniel’s bedroom.
They also found he had been watching video footage from ITV soap Coronation Street in which killer John Stape commits a similar crime.
Simon adds: “I still can’t believe that someone could go to those lengths at that age to do something like that, not to anybody, but his own mum.”
The outcome: In April 2012, he was jailed for life in Nottingham.
Professor Wilson’s verdict: “This is a young man who is cunning, he is cool. It’s a cluster of behaviours that would lead me to want to label him a psychopath.”
Who: Robert Thompson and Jon Venables
Age: 10
The crime: On February 12, 1993 two-year-old James Bulger went missing from outside a butcher’s shop in the Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside.
At around 3.40pm his mum Denise had turned away to pay for some meat and found James gone when she turned back.
But James hadn’t just wandered off.
He had been led away by two 10-year-olds who had been playing truant – Robert Thompson and the “angelic-looking” Jon Venables.
They took him to the upper floor of the shopping centre and then outside.
The next day James’ distraught parents made an emotional TV appeal for the return of their son.
But, two days later on February 14, James’ body was found three miles from the shopping centre on the embankment of a freight railway line.
It emerged that after being abducted James had been stripped from the waist.
Paint had been thrown in his eyes and he had been beaten to death with bricks and an iron bar.
It had been an horrific attack resulting in skull fractures and a total of 42 separate injuries.
His body had even been carefully placed so that it might be hit by a train and his death could then appear to be an accident.
SHOCKING: The murder of James Bulger remains one of Britain's most infamous crimes [REX/PH/CHANNEL 5] A member of the public eventually identified them and Robert and Jon were arrested on February 18.
They were taken to separate police stations, though detectives were still unconvinced that two young children could commit such a gruesome murder.
But paint found on the boys’ clothes was matched to that on James’ body and his blood was on the suspects’ shoes.
During questioning both boys initially denied they were involved and then blamed each other.
Finally Jon confessed and the two of them were charged.
The outcome: When the pair went on trial at Preston Crown Court an angry mob threw stones outside, with many branding the boys “evil” and “freaks of nature”.
The judge described their crime as an act of “unparalleled evil and barbarity”.
They were convicted on November 24, 1993, becoming the youngest murders in modern English criminal history.
They were both ordered to stay in custody until they were 18 and released on a lifelong licence in 2001 with new identities.
In 2010 Jon Venables was recalled to prison after he was found in possession of child pornography.
Professor Wilson’s verdict: “The level of violence used against James was extreme.
“They were clearly conscious of the fact that what they were doing was wrong.
“They understood what they had done and, therefore, could be legally held responsible.”
DARE: The Doran brothers and Simon Evans carried out an unspeakable crime in Liverpool [PA] Who: Connor Doran, Simon Evans and Brandon Doran.
Ages: 14-17
The crime: The Doran brothers were from a troubled background and only rarely went to school.
Their mother, Linda, was a pathetic and tragic character, who had no control over her sons.
Connor and Brandon’s older brother Ryan, 23, was already in prison for murdering a stranger with a bottle in a fish and chip shop.
And the younger brothers spent much of their time roaming the streets of Liverpool in darkness.
On the night of August 17, 2012, the boys were running wild through the streets of the city as usual with their friend Simon.
At 5.30am they were outside an Iceland supermarket in Walton where they found homeless Kevin Bennett, 53, sleeping rough in a doorway.
Connor, 17, said to Simon, 14: “I bet you haven’t got it in you to do him in.”
Then, while Brandon, 14, far right, kept watch, Connor and Simon, middle, proceeded to kick Kevin to death. Connor even climbed on to a storage cage so he could jump on his chest.
Suffering a fractured eye socket, a collapsed lung and a broken ribcage Kevin died in hospital six days later from blood poisoning.
How they were caught: The morning after the attack, Simon confessed to his mother that “something terrible” had happened.
He also told a friend: “I started kicking him, I booted him, now he’s dead.”
CCTV showed the three boys leaving the murder scene checking Connor’s trousers for blood stains.
After being arrested they tried to blame each other for the murder.
The outcome: In April 2013, at Liverpool Crown Court, all three were sentenced for murder despite denying killing their victim.
“Pack leader” Connor was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years, Simon to eight years and Brandon, for six.
Linda Doran, 42, was jailed for 30 months for perverting justice after providing false alibis.
She had told detectives that Connor had been sick in bed at the time of the murder.
Judge Clement Goldstone said: “I think it is a desperately sad reflection on this society that each of you was party to serious violence purely for the sake of it.”
Professor Wilson’s verdict: “If you’re a child growing up in an environment in which you’re told violence is desirable, you’re going to express that in your own behaviour.
CONTRACT KILLER: Santre Sanchez blasted Gayle Gulistan Subasi from point-blank range [CHANNEL 5/REX] Who: Santre Sanchez Gayle
Age: 15
The crime: Santre Sanchez Gayle came from a dysfunctional family and had been left to fend for himself from a young age.
His half-brother and cousin had already been convicted over other killings and he was part of a criminal gang in North West London called the Kensal Green Boys.
Known by his street name “Riot” the Xbox-obsessed 15-year-old had convictions for violence and robbery and was out to gain status with fellow gang members.
In 2010 he was approached by another man, Izak Billy, to kill a complete stranger, Turkish mum Gulistan Subasi.
The 26-year-old was in Britain to visit her six-year-old son who lived in London.
On March 21 Santre carried out a reconnaissance of the flat of Gulistan’s mother in Hackney where she was staying.
The next evening, at 8.30pm, he arrived by taxi carrying a sawn-off shotgun.
Santre rang the doorbell. Gulistan went to the open it hoping that it was her son who she was hoping to give a present for his birthday.
When his victim opened the door Santre calmly and efficiently blasted her in the chest, leaving a tennis ball-sized wound.
He then fled the scene.
Poor Gulistan died in her mother’s arms. Paid just £200 to carry out the coldblooded killing, the twisted teenager then used his fee to buy a gold Dolce and Gabbana beanie hat.
How he was caught: The crime was caught on CCTV but the unknown culprit was careful to disguise himself in a hooded white boiler suit, left.
It appeared to be the work of a professional hitman.
At first Gulistan’s estranged husband was thought to be behind the murder but he was later acquitted.
Santre would almost certainly have got away with the shooting if he hadn’t boasted about it to a friend who then went to the police.
When detectives arrested Santre they were amazed to discover that the nonchalant killer was just 15.
The outcome: Showing no remorse, Santre denied murder at his trial at the Old Bailey. But in May 2011 he was jailed for a life with minimum term of 20 years. Judge Stephen Kramer described his crime as “an efficient, ruthless and calculated execution”.
Izak Billy, then 22, was also convicted of murder. Police still believe it was a hit, but to this day it’s unclear who might have ordered Gulistan’s murder.
Professor Wilson’s verdict: “His is the most chilling case for me. His confidence and calmness is unbelievable. This was a well planned crime and if he hadn’t wanted to brag to others he would have got away with it.”
RUSH HOUR MURDER: The Victoria Station crimes stunned London [PA] Who: A gang of 20 teenagers.
Ages: 15-18
The crime: They seemed like role model students studying for their A-levels at St Charles Catholic sixth form in West London.
But for this particular group of teenagers a dangerous pack mentality had kicked in as they whipped themselves into a murderous frenzy over a feud with another school in Fulham.
The night before they murdered a 15-year-old boy, the culprits planned what they were going to do on social media sites.
One even sourced a set of knives at Argos during her school lunchbreak.
Then, on March 25 2010, the gang of teenagers headed for London’s Victoria Station, to defend what they saw as their “territory”.
Many wore a single glove to identify themselves.
They were armed with knives, metal bars and even a samurai sword for the clash.
Schoolboy and promising footballer Sofyen Belamouadden was unlucky to become the target of their wrath.
They chased him down an escalator and into the station’s ticket hall, where a smaller group pushed him to the floor and then hacked and kicked him to death.
The brutal 12-second attack was acted out brazenly in front of hundreds of commuters.
The Rev Canon Anthony Ball, who witnessed the attack, said: “I saw one of the attackers had a long implement in their hand and they made a kind of stabbing motion on the boy who was being attacked.
“He was trying to get himself off the floor and he was just being kicked and attacked.
"After the stabbing the attackers kind of fled and the boy was left on the floor. He had no chance...”
Sofyen, stabbed nine times, suffered wounds to his heart, a lung and major blood vessels. He was rushed to hospital but doctors could not save him.
How they were caught: The police went through hours of CCTV footage to identify the culprits and analysed communications between them on Facebook and via BlackBerry Messenger.
Initially all 20 were initially charged with murder in the biggest joint-enterprise murder prosecution ever brought to court in England and Wales.
The outcome: After several trials over two years three of the teenagers were convicted of murder.
Ringleaders Samson Odegbune and Christopher Omoregie, who were 16 at the time and Obi Nwokeh, who was 17, were sentenced to minimum terms of 18 years behind bars in April 2012.
Five others were convicted of manslaughter including the only woman to be charged, Victoria Oseteku, 18, who had sourced the knives and was seen on CCTV kicking Sofyen in the head as he lay dying.
Nine others were convicted of lesser charges and three were cleared. In total the jail terms handed out added up to 140 years behind bars.
Professor Wilson’s verdict: “A pack mentality can make children behave in a way that they might never dream of if they were on their own. It tends to escalate your behaviour rather than control your behaviour. Being part of a gang can make you feel invincible.”
BREAK DOWN: The victims break down during the court case [GETTY] Who: Two twisted brothers nicknamed “The Devils”
Ages: 10 and 11
The crime: The brothers behind the notorious Edlington attacks already had a reputation for bad behaviour, including animal cruelty, and attacking a teacher and another young boy.
In 2009, the pair, who still cannot be named for legal reasons, took things a stage further. On Saturday April 4 they targeted two boys aged 11 and nine who were out riding their BMX bikes.
The boys – an uncle and nephew – were persuaded to go to a piece of waste ground near Edlington in South Yorkshire, where in a senseless 90-minute attack the ‘Devils’ viciously tortured them.
The victims were beaten, burned and strangled with any weapons that came to hand including sticks, broken glass and barbed wire.
One was stripped naked and forced to perform a sex act. Lumps of a broken sink were dropped on the head of the older boy.
Some of the attack was filmed on a mobile phone. The culprits then fled, leaving the other boys for dead.
The younger victim was later found wandering in the street with knife wounds while the 11-year-old was discovered lying face down on a muddy river bank. A doctor who the older boy’s injuries as life-threatening.
How they were caught: The “Devils” were arrested the next day at their father’s allotment.
Confessing to the attack, they told police they had only stopped when they became too tired to continue.
Asked why they did it one said: “Cos there were nowt to do.”
The outcome: In January 2010 at Sheffield Crown Court the judge described the attacks as “appalling and terrible” but decided showed no emotion as they were locked up for a minimum of five years – convicted for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Professor Wilson’s verdict: “This has echoes of the Bulger case. Again we’re dealing with two children who encourage two younger boys to go with them to waste ground where they subjected them to an horrific attack.
“They came from a dysfunctional family where violence was the order of the day; it was a recipe for disaster.”
THE EXPERT: Professor David Wilson, from Birmingham City University, says: “Some children, like Daniel Bartlam, are incredibly charming and present a very plausible to story to the police [CHANNEL 5] TV CRIMINOLOGIST Professor David Wilson, from Birmingham City University, says: “Some children, like Daniel Bartlam, are incredibly charming and present a very plausible to story to the police.
"He had difficulty separating reality and fantasy and can be labelled psychopathic.
“But in my view, when children kill it’s always a mixture of factors including characteristics they are born with and because of the kind of environment or influences they have grown up in.
“The difference between child and adult murderers is that it is possible for kids to grow out of the behaviours that led them to kill in the first place.
"In the Bulger case, for example, Robert Thompson seems to have modified his behaviour, while Jon Venables hasn’t.
“We have to be prepared to intervene in these youngsters’ lives. Parents, neighbours and schools all have a role to play in taking notice of unacceptable behaviour and to look for the warning signs.
“But, however chilling these cases might be, we should also bear in mind that they are rare and that children are still more likely to be the victims of murder than the perpetrators.”
India | Reported by Rahul Shrivastava | Wednesday August 6, 2014
The cabinet has approved a draft bill to amend the Juvenile Justice Act, through which minors above the age of 16 who are accused of heinous crimes like rape and murder can be tried as adults. But in view of concerns about child rights, the decision ...
India | Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Wednesday August 6, 2014
A private cab driver attached to a south Delhi school has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a five-year-old girl.
Cities | Press Trust of India | Tuesday August 5, 2014
A youth convicted for raping a 16-year-old girl has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Delhi court which held that the testimony of the victim was "trustworthy".
Cities | Indo-Asian News Service | Tuesday July 29, 2014
A teenaged girl was allegedly gang raped at gunpoint by five people known to her in a west Delhi house, police said on Tuesday.
India | Press Trust of India | Tuesday July 22, 2014
A minor girl was allegedly gangraped by two persons in Chandausi area, police said in Sambhal today.
India | Press Trust of India | Tuesday July 15, 2014
A minor girl was allegedly molested by an unidentified man inside her school premises in Jadavpur area, police said today.
India | Alok Pandey | Friday July 11, 2014
On Tuesday evening, a 10-year-old girl was dragged from her home, as the entire village watched, to a nearby forest, where she was raped by a 25-year-old man.
Cities | Edited by Zoya Anna Thomas | Thursday July 10, 2014
A class seven student of a government high school in Ludhiana's Sanet area has been arrested for allegedly raping his classmate, a minor, during school hours on Tuesday.
India | Press Trust of India | Friday June 20, 2014
A 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a watchman in the TP Nagar area in meerut, police said.
South | Written by J Sam Daniel Stalin | Thursday June 12, 2014
Two minor girls were allegedly raped on a church campus in Pollachi in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu.
Cities | Harsha Kumari Singh | Wednesday June 4, 2014
Jhalawar, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's constituency, is at the centre of a political storm because of the alleged rapes of two minor girls there.
Cities | Edited by Abhinav Bhatt | Monday June 2, 2014
A Class 6 student in West Bengal's Birbhum district was allegedly gang-raped by three students of her school on Thursday.
Cities | Press Trust of India | Sunday June 1, 2014
A man, awarded a seven-year jail term by a trial court for raping a minor, has been acquitted in the 15-year-old case by the Delhi High Court which held that physical relations between them were consensual.
India | Written by Anant Zanane | Friday May 30, 2014
A station officer and two constables have been booked for allegedly gang-raping a minor in the Rasoolpur police station in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad district.
Cities | Press Trust of India | Monday May 26, 2014
A man, who was convicted for raping his 14-year-old neighbour after tying her with a cloth, has been sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by a Delhi court.
South | Press Trust of India | Friday May 23, 2014
A teenaged boy was arrested today for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl at her residence at Puduchatram in the Salem district in Tamil Nadu.
Cities | Press Trust of India | Wednesday May 21, 2014
A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth on gun-point in Shernagar village here, police said today.
Cities | Press Trust of India | Sunday May 18, 2014
A man has been sentenced to seven years in jail for raping a minor by a Delhi court which refused to take a lenient view towards him merely on the ground that he later got married to the girl.
South | Press Trust of India | Thursday May 15, 2014
A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed by an unknown person when her mother, a construction labourer, was away at work near Hosur in the district today.
Cities | Press Trust of India | Wednesday May 14, 2014
Q&A: Why kids kill parents
Learn more about parricide, matricide and the behaviors behind the acts
Kathleen M. Heide, PhD is professor of criminology at the University of South Florida, Tampa. She has published two widely acclaimed books on juvenile homicide, "Why Kids Kill Parents: Child Abuse and Adolescent Homicide" and "Young Killers: The Challenge of Juvenile Homicide," and a third, coauthored with Linda Merz-Perez, on "Animal Cruelty: Pathway to Violence Against People." Her latest book, "Understanding Parricide: When Sons and Daughters Kill Parents" will be published by Oxford University Press in November 2012. She is a licensed mental health counselor and a court-appointed expert in matters relating to homicide, and children and families. She is a frequent consultant to the national print and electronic media and numerous international newspapers and magazines.
Parricide: technically refers to the killing of a close relative but has become increasingly synonymous with a child killing his or her parents.
Matricide: term used to refer to the killing of one's mother.
Patricide: term used to refer to the killing of one's father.
How often do children kill parents, particularly mothers, in the United States?
What are the characteristics of children who kill their mothers in the U.S.?
I began evaluating juvenile killers in the early 1980s. Some of these youths had killed their parents. When I heard the stories and investigated the backgrounds of youths who killed their mothers, fathers, or both parents, it was clear that abuse and neglect typically played a role in these killings. The cases of kids who killed parents were very different from adolescents who killed under other circumstances, such as during the commission of a robbery or a burglary. I found cases of young people killing their parents very disturbing and unsettling.
I decided to write my first book, "Why Kids Kill Parents: Child Abuse and Adolescent Parricide," after receiving a phone call from "a good kid" who killed his mother and father. The record established that both parents were alcoholics and abused him for years. During the phone call, the boy said, "Dr. Heide, someone has to tell the story about kids like me." Three petitions alleging abuse had been filed by the state social services agency in this case prior to the killings. This boy had been removed from the home for a period of time after it was established in court that that the parents had physically abused him. The boy was later returned to live with the parents. Nine months after the social services agency ended its supervision, this boy killed his parents. He was in the process of running away when the deadly confrontation happened. This adolescent was sentenced to life in prison by the same judge who had presided over the child abuse proceedings a few years before the killings.
Your study says that youth parricide can not be predicted - are there no warning signs?
It is not possible to predict that a particular boy or girl will kill a parent. The reason that parricide cannot be predicted is because parricide is such a statistically unusual event. For example, in 2010, law enforcement agencies across the United States reported to the FBI the victim-offender relationship for 12,996 of the14,748 victims classified as murdered during that year. Of these, 107 were mothers and 135 were fathers slain by their biological children. These 242 victims represent about 2 percent of murder victims.
Most of the offspring who killed their parents, as we have seen, were actually adult children, meaning they were over 18 years of age. Over the 32-year period examined, the number of juvenile parricide offenders was substantially lower. On the average, juveniles killed 31 fathers and 18 mothers per year.
In addition to the small number of cases of parricides in relation to all homicides, studies have shown that it is hard to predict violent behavior, unless there is a history of violent behavior by a particular individual.
Although it is not possible to predict that a youth will kill his or her parent, research has indicated there are certain factors, if present, that increase the likelihood of a youth killing a parent. These include:
When these conditions are present, parents or other adults need to take action to get help. When I see families in these situations, one of the first things I ask is whether there is a firearm in the home. If so, I advise the parents to remove the gun from the home until conditions improve substantially. My research and studies by others show that in the majority of cases, children and adolescents use guns to kill both fathers and mothers. My analyses of thousands of cases show that youths under 18 are significantly more likely to use firearms to kill their parents than adult offenders.
Is there an age when a child is more likely to kill their parent (juvenile versus adult)? And is there an overwhelming motivation?
There is no specific age. However, age is indeed relevant when looking at likely motivations or factors contributing to the homicide. Motivations for the killing are very important, as they are related to how much risk the parricide offender is to society and what should be done in terms of justice.
Children and adolescents are most likely to kill to end abuse or to get their own way. Sometimes they kill because of severe mental illness. However, severe mental illness is not as much of a factor with young parricide offenders as with older parricide offenders.
Adults who kill their parents, particularly those who are middle-aged, are likely to kill their aging parents because of severe mental illness, such as psychosis or severe depression. They also kill for antisocial reasons, such as to get their parent's assets. Abuse alone is rarely the driving force for an older adult to kill a parent because a healthy adult has options a child under 18 does not have. A healthy adult, for example, can leave the home of the aging parent or cut ties with an abusive parent. When conditions warrant it, such as the deteriorating health of an aging parent, perhaps, complicated with substance abuse, a healthy adult can take action to have the parent hospitalized or put in a nursing facility.
In your book and in your article, "Matricide: A Critique of the Literature," you profile three distinct categories of parricide offenders. Can you detail them for us?
From my review of others' reports and my own clinical evaluations, I have found that most cases can be categorized into three primary types of parricide offenders: the severely abused child, the dangerously antisocial child, and the severely mentally ill child. Among children, adolescents, and young adults, the severely abused child and the dangerously antisocial child are most common. Among older adults, the severely mentally ill and the dangerously antisocial types predominate.
How do you determine the type of parricide offender? Is it as straightforward as it seems?
Determining the type of parricide offender is not as easy as it may seem. An accurate assessment takes time and serious study. The adage "You can't judge a book by its cover" often applies here. For example, in parricide cases involving young offenders, severe mental illness is typically ruled out. In many cases, the question becomes, is the boy or girl a severely abused or dangerously antisocial child? On the one hand, I have had several cases of youths who initially appeared dangerously antisocial, but careful evaluation revealed otherwise. Some youths who have been severely abused may adopt a tough exterior that suggests to others that they may be antisocial when they are not. On the other hand, I have encountered youths where extensive abuse was evident and who were extremely dangerous. Even when abuse is present, the critical question remains: What propelled the youth to kill the parent?
Making this judgment requires an in-depth evaluation by a mental health professional who is knowledgeable about family violence. In my practice, I focus on juveniles, adolescents, and young adults who kill parents. In my cases, I spend hours evaluating the parricide offender and routinely consult with surviving family members. I also speak with the offender's friends and teachers when possible. Family members are essential in corroborating abuse, the early history of the child, and family dynamics. Friends and teachers can provide important information about what the youth is like, how the youth handles stress, and what changes occurred in the youth's behavior over time. I review police reports, depositions of witnesses, school and medical records, and social services records if they exist with respect to dependency and delinquency histories. I routinely consult with other mental health professionals who may have had earlier contact with the child.
Can you talk about the importance of boundary setting and parental respect for children in regards to their parents?
Setting boundaries is very important in raising children. Good parenting requires setting limits and disciplining children when they do not abide by them. From the time they are toddlers, children test limits and challenge parents. For example, a three year old wants an ice cream sandwich right before dinner. The mother says no, explaining that they will be eating dinner soon. The child screams, cries, and kicks his feet in protest. If the mother, exhausted from a long day, gives in, thinking it is not worth the hassle, the child has learned an important lesson. The child can wear his mother out and get what he wants by temper tantrums and bad behavior. Unless the mother changes that behavior, the child will continue to challenge her and his bad behavior will escalate.
In parricide cases, I have seen good parents overindulge their children with fatal results. These parents often love their children very much and do not want to fight with them over "little things." These parents reason that these challenges - staying up late, getting another toy at the store - are not really important. The problem is that over time the "little things" become bigger and bigger issues. At 15, 16, or 17 years of age, the son or daughter is now saying "I am going out, I am taking the car, I am dating who I want." The parent appropriately steps in and says "no." However, the adolescent has not learned to respect the parent and to accept the parent's authority. The youth has not learned that you do not always get your way. The youth has no frustration tolerance, meaning that he does not know how to deal with disappointment, and gets angry. Sometimes the anger is so intense that it erupts into deadly rage.
Is matricide more prevalent in single parent families?
That question is a hard one to answer because there are no national data that record family composition of matricide victims. I have had cases of male and female adolescents who have killed mothers that came from both two parent and one parent families. Case reports from other clinicians and researchers also are mixed with respect to family composition when it comes to adolescents who kill mothers. Clearly more research is needed to better understand this important area.
With respect to adult matricide offenders, the picture is clearer than with younger offenders. Adult sons and daughters who kill their mothers are much more likely to be living alone with them than with both parents.
What conclusions can you draw from children who choose knives over firearms?
Most juveniles and adolescents who kill parents use firearms as their weapons of destruction. In matricide cases, firearms are the weapon of first choice followed by knives and then other weapons, including blunt objects, personal weapons, strangulation, asphyxiation, or other means such as poison, drugs, explosives, pushing their victims out windows or drowning them.
Interestingly, my analyses of over 1400 cases of parents killed by juveniles under 18 over the 32 year period 1976-2007 revealed that the percentages of daughters and sons who used knives to kill mothers was the same - 23 percent. Thus, about one in four juvenile matricide offenders stabbed their mothers to death.
Adolescents who kill parents often act impulsively. Those who select knives are even more likely to act due to strong feelings rather than to conscientiously plan the killing. Knives are readily available in homes. Grabbing a knife and wielding it requires little planning.
What does it mean when a victim is stabbed multiple times?
It is often indicative of the release of very strong negative emotion. Studies in rats have demonstrated that a positive feedback loop exists between the aggression center in the brain and the release of stress hormones by the adrenal cortex. This feedback loop amplifies aggressive behavior. In essence, stress and aggression form a rapid positive feedback loop. When stress increases, aggression increases. Conversely, aggressive behavior leads to the release of stress hormones.
This mechanism may help to explain how stressors rapidly generate and exacerbate violent behavior. I have had several cases where matricide and other homicide offenders stabbed their victims multiple times. Once in this positive feedback loop, the offender continues to act out violently until his or her rage has dissipated. At this point, the offender is completely exhausted. Often offenders in this situation report later that they are stunned by what they did. It is almost as though they were on "automatic pilot" and suddenly woke up to see the violence that they had inflicted. The prosecution may suggest that, in the case of a victim who has been stabbed 30 times, the offender made 30 conscious decisions as he or she inflicted each wound. Advances in biological research suggest quite the opposite. Once the offender began the assault, his or her ability to stop, think, and conscientiously make choices was severely compromised.
It is normal for teens to test boundaries - when are the clues that adolescent behavior has gone from normal to something more dangerous?
It is indeed normal for teens to test boundaries. They are yearning for independence and trying to establish their own identify and move towards adulthood. Parents should be concerned when youths are engaging in behavior that is reckless and unhealthy, such as drinking, taking drugs, participating in unprotected or indiscriminate sex, staying out late, skipping school, or being involved in a gang activity or delinquent acts. Parents also need to be aware of the violent imagery to which their children are exposed and to set limits with respect to excessively graphic and violent videogames, role play games, movies, and music. Parents need to make explicit what behavior is acceptable and what behavior is not.
When is it time for parents to seek out professional help?
It is normal for teens to be upset and to sulk when they do not get their own way. However, if the youth withdraws, becomes noncommunicative, or belligerent, it is time to get help. Threats by a youth against a person should always be taken seriously by parents as a call for immediate intervention. Parents should reassure their children that they love them and that they care enough about them to get a third party involved to help the family work through the conflict. Youths will often accept going to a mental health professional if the whole family participates in the therapy. It is important for parents to communicate with their children, to listen, and to be the parents. In some of the parricide cases I have had, parents tried to be their children's friends. Children need their parents to be adults and not try to act as one of their peers. Kids may openly buck the structure. Inwardly, they need, and often crave, stability and reassurance that their parents have the strength to remain in charge
TERMS
Parricide: technically refers to the killing of a close relative but has become increasingly synonymous with a child killing his or her parents.
Matricide: term used to refer to the killing of one's mother.
Patricide: term used to refer to the killing of one's father.
STATISTICS
How often do children kill parents, particularly mothers, in the United States?
- On the average, about five parents are killed by their biological children in the United States every week. Matricide and patricide are both very rare events when considered in terms of the thousands of individuals arrested every year for murder. Killings of mothers and fathers each constitute about 1 percent of all homicides in the United States in which the victim-offender relationship is known.
- Over the period of 1976-2007, 113 offenders were arrested on the average each year in connection with the killings of mothers.
What are the characteristics of children who kill their mothers in the U.S.?
- The overwhelming majority of offspring arrested for killing mothers from 1976-2007 were adults (age 18 and older.) The percentage of matricide offenders who were adults averaged 84 percent over the 32-year period; juveniles (age 17 and under) made up only 16 percent of matricide offenders over the years.
- Interestingly, the percentage involvement of females in arrests for matricide was higher for juveniles than adults. Daughters comprised nearly one out of four (23 percent) juveniles arrested for killing their mothers, compared to about one of six (16 percent) adults arrested for matricide.
- Approximately 82 percent of matricide offenders acted alone when they killed their mothers. On the average, in the period I studied, about 10 offenders were arrested each year for acting with codefendants to kill mothers.
- Important gender and age difference emerged in examining matricides in which codefendants were involved. Interestingly, 38 percent of the offenders involved in these multiple-offender incidents were females. Juveniles were significantly more likely than adult offenders to use accomplices in killing mothers (22 percent vs. 6 percent). Relative to males arrested for matricide, a significantly higher percentage of both juvenile females (44 percent vs. 16 percent) and adult females (13 percent vs. 5 percent) employed codefendants to kill mothers.
- About a dozen offenders each year were arrested for killing mothers and other victims during the same incident. Those arrested in multiple-victim situations were male offenders in nearly 90 percent of the cases.
- Analyses of data from 1976-2007 provide no evidence that the incidence of matricide is increasing. Available data suggest, in contrast, that the killings of mothers, as well as fathers, have decreased over the last 30 years.
Q&A
What prompted your study of parricide?I began evaluating juvenile killers in the early 1980s. Some of these youths had killed their parents. When I heard the stories and investigated the backgrounds of youths who killed their mothers, fathers, or both parents, it was clear that abuse and neglect typically played a role in these killings. The cases of kids who killed parents were very different from adolescents who killed under other circumstances, such as during the commission of a robbery or a burglary. I found cases of young people killing their parents very disturbing and unsettling.
I decided to write my first book, "Why Kids Kill Parents: Child Abuse and Adolescent Parricide," after receiving a phone call from "a good kid" who killed his mother and father. The record established that both parents were alcoholics and abused him for years. During the phone call, the boy said, "Dr. Heide, someone has to tell the story about kids like me." Three petitions alleging abuse had been filed by the state social services agency in this case prior to the killings. This boy had been removed from the home for a period of time after it was established in court that that the parents had physically abused him. The boy was later returned to live with the parents. Nine months after the social services agency ended its supervision, this boy killed his parents. He was in the process of running away when the deadly confrontation happened. This adolescent was sentenced to life in prison by the same judge who had presided over the child abuse proceedings a few years before the killings.
Your study says that youth parricide can not be predicted - are there no warning signs?
It is not possible to predict that a particular boy or girl will kill a parent. The reason that parricide cannot be predicted is because parricide is such a statistically unusual event. For example, in 2010, law enforcement agencies across the United States reported to the FBI the victim-offender relationship for 12,996 of the14,748 victims classified as murdered during that year. Of these, 107 were mothers and 135 were fathers slain by their biological children. These 242 victims represent about 2 percent of murder victims.
Most of the offspring who killed their parents, as we have seen, were actually adult children, meaning they were over 18 years of age. Over the 32-year period examined, the number of juvenile parricide offenders was substantially lower. On the average, juveniles killed 31 fathers and 18 mothers per year.
In addition to the small number of cases of parricides in relation to all homicides, studies have shown that it is hard to predict violent behavior, unless there is a history of violent behavior by a particular individual.
Although it is not possible to predict that a youth will kill his or her parent, research has indicated there are certain factors, if present, that increase the likelihood of a youth killing a parent. These include:
- 1. The youth is raised in a chemically dependent or other dysfunctional family
- 2. An ongoing pattern of family violence exists in the home
- 3. Conditions in the home worsen, and violence escalates.
- 4. The youth becomes increasingly vulnerable to stressors in the home environment.
- 5. A firearm is readily available in the home environment.
When these conditions are present, parents or other adults need to take action to get help. When I see families in these situations, one of the first things I ask is whether there is a firearm in the home. If so, I advise the parents to remove the gun from the home until conditions improve substantially. My research and studies by others show that in the majority of cases, children and adolescents use guns to kill both fathers and mothers. My analyses of thousands of cases show that youths under 18 are significantly more likely to use firearms to kill their parents than adult offenders.
Is there an age when a child is more likely to kill their parent (juvenile versus adult)? And is there an overwhelming motivation?
There is no specific age. However, age is indeed relevant when looking at likely motivations or factors contributing to the homicide. Motivations for the killing are very important, as they are related to how much risk the parricide offender is to society and what should be done in terms of justice.
Children and adolescents are most likely to kill to end abuse or to get their own way. Sometimes they kill because of severe mental illness. However, severe mental illness is not as much of a factor with young parricide offenders as with older parricide offenders.
Adults who kill their parents, particularly those who are middle-aged, are likely to kill their aging parents because of severe mental illness, such as psychosis or severe depression. They also kill for antisocial reasons, such as to get their parent's assets. Abuse alone is rarely the driving force for an older adult to kill a parent because a healthy adult has options a child under 18 does not have. A healthy adult, for example, can leave the home of the aging parent or cut ties with an abusive parent. When conditions warrant it, such as the deteriorating health of an aging parent, perhaps, complicated with substance abuse, a healthy adult can take action to have the parent hospitalized or put in a nursing facility.
In your book and in your article, "Matricide: A Critique of the Literature," you profile three distinct categories of parricide offenders. Can you detail them for us?
From my review of others' reports and my own clinical evaluations, I have found that most cases can be categorized into three primary types of parricide offenders: the severely abused child, the dangerously antisocial child, and the severely mentally ill child. Among children, adolescents, and young adults, the severely abused child and the dangerously antisocial child are most common. Among older adults, the severely mentally ill and the dangerously antisocial types predominate.
- Severely abused children (SAC) kill their abusive parent to end the abuse. These individuals have been abused by their parent(s) for years. The abuse is typically known to others. SAC have sought help from others and, yet, the abuse has continued. They often have tried to run away, considered suicide, and, in some cases, have attempted to kill themselves. Over time, the violence in the home escalates and these individuals become increasingly stressed. They kill the abusive parent because they are terrified that they or other family members will be seriously harmed or killed. They are typically desperate and see no other way out but murder. These individuals typically have a longstanding history of depression and meet the diagnostic criteria for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Dangerously antisocial children (DAC) kill the parent to further their own goals. In these cases, the parent is an obstacle in their path to getting what they want. These individuals, for example, may kill to have more freedom, to continue dating a person to whom the parents object, and to inherit money they believe is eventually coming to them. DAC have a pattern of violating the rights of others when it suits them. Typically this behavioral pattern begins in childhood. Youths who continuously defy adults, do what they want on their own timeframe, and do not accept responsibility for their actions over a significant period of time will likely be diagnosed as having Oppositional Defiant Disorder. If this behavioral pattern is not corrected, the youth often will engage in criminal activities that may include violence towards people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and/or serious violations of rules by parents, such as staying out all night or being truant from school. At this point, the youth will likely be diagnosed as having a Conduct Disorder. If this pattern of violating the rights of others continues past age 18, it is likely that this individual may be diagnosed as having an Antisocial Personality Disorder. This type of parricide offender is far more dangerous to society than the first in terms of re-offending and hurting other people in the future.
- Severely mentally ill children (SMIC) kill the parent largely as a result of severe mental illness. Diagnoses commonly made include psychosis and severe depression. A longstanding history of mental illness is generally easy to document in these cases. SMIC are typically on psychotropic medication and are most apt to kill when they stop taking it. They may kill the parent, for example, because they have delusions (bizarre and irrational beliefs) that the parent is the devil. They may report hearing God's voice commanding them (an hallucination -- false sensory experience) to kill the parent.
How do you determine the type of parricide offender? Is it as straightforward as it seems?
Determining the type of parricide offender is not as easy as it may seem. An accurate assessment takes time and serious study. The adage "You can't judge a book by its cover" often applies here. For example, in parricide cases involving young offenders, severe mental illness is typically ruled out. In many cases, the question becomes, is the boy or girl a severely abused or dangerously antisocial child? On the one hand, I have had several cases of youths who initially appeared dangerously antisocial, but careful evaluation revealed otherwise. Some youths who have been severely abused may adopt a tough exterior that suggests to others that they may be antisocial when they are not. On the other hand, I have encountered youths where extensive abuse was evident and who were extremely dangerous. Even when abuse is present, the critical question remains: What propelled the youth to kill the parent?
Making this judgment requires an in-depth evaluation by a mental health professional who is knowledgeable about family violence. In my practice, I focus on juveniles, adolescents, and young adults who kill parents. In my cases, I spend hours evaluating the parricide offender and routinely consult with surviving family members. I also speak with the offender's friends and teachers when possible. Family members are essential in corroborating abuse, the early history of the child, and family dynamics. Friends and teachers can provide important information about what the youth is like, how the youth handles stress, and what changes occurred in the youth's behavior over time. I review police reports, depositions of witnesses, school and medical records, and social services records if they exist with respect to dependency and delinquency histories. I routinely consult with other mental health professionals who may have had earlier contact with the child.
Can you talk about the importance of boundary setting and parental respect for children in regards to their parents?
Setting boundaries is very important in raising children. Good parenting requires setting limits and disciplining children when they do not abide by them. From the time they are toddlers, children test limits and challenge parents. For example, a three year old wants an ice cream sandwich right before dinner. The mother says no, explaining that they will be eating dinner soon. The child screams, cries, and kicks his feet in protest. If the mother, exhausted from a long day, gives in, thinking it is not worth the hassle, the child has learned an important lesson. The child can wear his mother out and get what he wants by temper tantrums and bad behavior. Unless the mother changes that behavior, the child will continue to challenge her and his bad behavior will escalate.
In parricide cases, I have seen good parents overindulge their children with fatal results. These parents often love their children very much and do not want to fight with them over "little things." These parents reason that these challenges - staying up late, getting another toy at the store - are not really important. The problem is that over time the "little things" become bigger and bigger issues. At 15, 16, or 17 years of age, the son or daughter is now saying "I am going out, I am taking the car, I am dating who I want." The parent appropriately steps in and says "no." However, the adolescent has not learned to respect the parent and to accept the parent's authority. The youth has not learned that you do not always get your way. The youth has no frustration tolerance, meaning that he does not know how to deal with disappointment, and gets angry. Sometimes the anger is so intense that it erupts into deadly rage.
Is matricide more prevalent in single parent families?
That question is a hard one to answer because there are no national data that record family composition of matricide victims. I have had cases of male and female adolescents who have killed mothers that came from both two parent and one parent families. Case reports from other clinicians and researchers also are mixed with respect to family composition when it comes to adolescents who kill mothers. Clearly more research is needed to better understand this important area.
With respect to adult matricide offenders, the picture is clearer than with younger offenders. Adult sons and daughters who kill their mothers are much more likely to be living alone with them than with both parents.
What conclusions can you draw from children who choose knives over firearms?
Most juveniles and adolescents who kill parents use firearms as their weapons of destruction. In matricide cases, firearms are the weapon of first choice followed by knives and then other weapons, including blunt objects, personal weapons, strangulation, asphyxiation, or other means such as poison, drugs, explosives, pushing their victims out windows or drowning them.
Interestingly, my analyses of over 1400 cases of parents killed by juveniles under 18 over the 32 year period 1976-2007 revealed that the percentages of daughters and sons who used knives to kill mothers was the same - 23 percent. Thus, about one in four juvenile matricide offenders stabbed their mothers to death.
Adolescents who kill parents often act impulsively. Those who select knives are even more likely to act due to strong feelings rather than to conscientiously plan the killing. Knives are readily available in homes. Grabbing a knife and wielding it requires little planning.
What does it mean when a victim is stabbed multiple times?
It is often indicative of the release of very strong negative emotion. Studies in rats have demonstrated that a positive feedback loop exists between the aggression center in the brain and the release of stress hormones by the adrenal cortex. This feedback loop amplifies aggressive behavior. In essence, stress and aggression form a rapid positive feedback loop. When stress increases, aggression increases. Conversely, aggressive behavior leads to the release of stress hormones.
This mechanism may help to explain how stressors rapidly generate and exacerbate violent behavior. I have had several cases where matricide and other homicide offenders stabbed their victims multiple times. Once in this positive feedback loop, the offender continues to act out violently until his or her rage has dissipated. At this point, the offender is completely exhausted. Often offenders in this situation report later that they are stunned by what they did. It is almost as though they were on "automatic pilot" and suddenly woke up to see the violence that they had inflicted. The prosecution may suggest that, in the case of a victim who has been stabbed 30 times, the offender made 30 conscious decisions as he or she inflicted each wound. Advances in biological research suggest quite the opposite. Once the offender began the assault, his or her ability to stop, think, and conscientiously make choices was severely compromised.
It is normal for teens to test boundaries - when are the clues that adolescent behavior has gone from normal to something more dangerous?
It is indeed normal for teens to test boundaries. They are yearning for independence and trying to establish their own identify and move towards adulthood. Parents should be concerned when youths are engaging in behavior that is reckless and unhealthy, such as drinking, taking drugs, participating in unprotected or indiscriminate sex, staying out late, skipping school, or being involved in a gang activity or delinquent acts. Parents also need to be aware of the violent imagery to which their children are exposed and to set limits with respect to excessively graphic and violent videogames, role play games, movies, and music. Parents need to make explicit what behavior is acceptable and what behavior is not.
When is it time for parents to seek out professional help?
It is normal for teens to be upset and to sulk when they do not get their own way. However, if the youth withdraws, becomes noncommunicative, or belligerent, it is time to get help. Threats by a youth against a person should always be taken seriously by parents as a call for immediate intervention. Parents should reassure their children that they love them and that they care enough about them to get a third party involved to help the family work through the conflict. Youths will often accept going to a mental health professional if the whole family participates in the therapy. It is important for parents to communicate with their children, to listen, and to be the parents. In some of the parricide cases I have had, parents tried to be their children's friends. Children need their parents to be adults and not try to act as one of their peers. Kids may openly buck the structure. Inwardly, they need, and often crave, stability and reassurance that their parents have the strength to remain in charge
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World Divorce Statistics
| Percentage of New Marriages which End in Divorce, in Selected Countries (2002) | ||||||
| Country | Divorces (as % of marriages) | |||||
| Sweden Belarus Finland Luxembourg Estonia Australia United States Denmark Belgium Austria Czech Republic Russia United Kingdom Norway Ukraine Iceland Germany Lithuania France Netherlands Hungary Canada Latvia Moldova Slovakia Portugal Switzerland Bulgaria Slovenia Romania Poland Singapore Greece Croatia Spain Israel Albania Azerbaijan Italy Georgia Armenia Turkey Bosnia and Herzegovina Macedonia Sri Lanka India | 54.9 52.9 51.2 47.4 46.7 46 45.8 44.5 44 43.4 43.3 43.3 42.6 40.4 40 39.5 39.4 38.9 38.3 38.3 37.5 37 34.4 28.1 26.9 26.2 25.5 21.1 20.7 19.1 17.2 17.2 15.7 15.5 15.2 14.8 10.9 10.3 10 6.6 6 6 5 5 1.5 1.1 | |||||
Divorce Rates of Selected Countries (2002) | ||||||
| Country | Divorce Rate (per 1,000 population per year) | |||||
| Maldives Guam Belarus Russia United States Ukraine Puerto Rico Cuba Estonia Czech Republic Lithuania Switzerland Finland Denmark Moldova New Zealand United Kingdom Australia Belgium Latvia Sweden Austria Hungary Kazakhstan Germany Luxembourg Canada Norway South Korea Netherlands Costa Rica Uruguay France Hong Kong Japan Portugal Iceland Cyprus Slovakia Kuwait Israel Romania Bahamas Singapore Bahrein Bulgaria Kyrgyzstan Surinam Jordan Barbados Egypt Dominican Republic Poland Slovenia Turkmenistan Tunisia Trinidad and Tobago Qatar Greece Yugoslavia Spain Thailand Mauritius United Arab Emirates South Africa Croatia Venezuela China Ecuador Syria Brunei Macedonia Azerbaijan Iran Macau SAR Panama Uzbekistan Italy Albania Brazil Belize Jamaica Turkey El Salvador Mexico Chile Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgia Mongolia Armenia Libya Sri Lanka Guatemala | 10.97 4.34 4.3 4.3 4.1 4 3.82 3.54 3.1 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.65 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.35 2.3 2.3 2.28 2.2 2.12 2.1 2.04 2.01 2 1.96 1.92 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.58 1.56 1.4 1.37 1.31 1.31 1.3 1.3 1.23 1.22 1.21 1.18 1.17 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.04 1 0.97 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.87 0.87 0.81 0.8 0.79 0.79 0.73 0.73 0.72 0.7 0.7 0.69 0.65 0.65 0.61 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.58 0.55 0.5 0.49 0.48 0.42 0.4 0.4 0.38 0.3 0.24 0.15 0.13 | |||||
| (Source: Americans for Divorce Reform) For more World divorce statistics, click here. For more divorce statistics, click here. To find a divorce lawyer by state or province, click here. To find a divorce lawyer by city, click here. For FAQs on divorce, click here. | ||||||
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Animal Attacks
Why Increased Aggression!
A Rottweiler scalps a five-year-old boy—wild elephants terrorize
villagers—sharks invade popular beaches. What is behind the recent surge in
unusual wildlife behavior?
Fierce retaliation: A chained wolf retaliates against two
dogs during a hunting festival in the village of Bokonbayevo, Kyrgyzstan (Oct.
18, 2008).Source: Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images
After tucking their nine-month-old twin girls into bed, two parents and their
four-year-old son watch television downstairs in their suburban row house in
Britain. As they unwind, a fox fearlessly sneaks through an open door and into
the twins’ bedroom. Oblivious to the peril of their little ones, the parents
realize the girls are in danger only upon hearing strange muffled wails from
upstairs. As the parents flip on the bedroom light, they are shocked to find a
fox viciously attacking one of the babies.Behind the Bizarre
Expand Image
On the loose: A leopard attacks a person in a residential
colony in Nashik, India (Jan. 17, 2007). After going on a rampage in the city,
the animal was finally caught.Source: Vivek Bokil/AFP/Getty Images
Undernourished and Stressed
Missing Element
What to Learn
| UNODC murder rates most recent year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Region | Rate | Count |
| Africa | 12.5 | 134,881 |
| Americas | 17.0 | 161,865 |
| Asia | 2.9 | 122,229 |
| Europe | 3.0 | 21,990 |
| Oceania | 3.0 | 1,108 |
| World | 6.3 | 442,073 |
By subregion[edit]
| UNODC murder rates most recent year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Subregion | Rate | Count | Region |
| Eastern Africa | 11.1 | 38,888 | Africa |
| Middle Africa | 18.5 | 24,595 | Africa |
| Northern Africa | 3.8 | 8,184 | Africa |
| Southern Africa | 31.0 | 18,195 | Africa |
| Western Africa | 14.1 | 45,019 | Africa |
| Caribbean | 15.8 | 6,599 | Americas |
| Central America | 31.1 | 49,734 | Americas |
| Northern America | 4.2 | 14,722 | Americas |
| South America | 22.6 | 90,810 | Americas |
| Central Asia | 5.8 | 3,603 | Asia |
| Eastern Asia | 1.0 | 16,555 | Asia |
| South-Eastern Asia | 4.3 | 26,376 | Asia |
| Southern Asia | 3.9 | 67,962 | Asia |
| Western Asia | 3.9 | 7,733 | Asia |
| Eastern Europe | 5.9 | 17103 | Europe |
| Northern Europe | 1.4 | 1,398 | Europe |
| Southern Europe | 1.1 | 1,708 | Europe |
| Western Europe | 0.9 | 1,781 | Europe |
| Australasia | 1.1 | 295 | Oceania |
| Melanesia | 8.6 | 787 | Oceania |
| Micronesia | 3.9 | 17 | Oceania |
| Polynesia | 1.5 | 9 | Oceania |
By country[edit]
Count total and rate per 100,000 population. Countries listed alphabetically and in order of region, subregion (by rank).| UNODC murder rates most recent year (full table here) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Rate | Count | Region | Subregion | Year listed |
 Burundi | 8.0 | 790 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Comoros | 10.0 | 72 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Djibouti | 10.1 | 87 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Eritrea | 7.1 | 437 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Ethiopia | 12.0 | 11,048 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Kenya | 6.4 | 2,761 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Madagascar | 11.1 | 2,465 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Malawi | 1.8 | 279 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Mauritius | 2.8 | 34 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2011 |
 Mayotte (France) | 6.0 | 12 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2009 |
 Mozambique | 12.4 | 3,133 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
| Réunion (France) | 1.8 | 15 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2009 |
 Rwanda | 23.1 | 2,648 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Seychelles | 9.5 | 9 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Somalia | 8.0 | 819+ | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 South Sudan | 13.9 | 1,504++ | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Uganda | 10.7 | 3,753 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2011 |
 Tanzania | 12.7 | 6,071 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Zambia | 10.7 | 1,501 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Zimbabwe | 10.6 | 1,450 | Africa | Eastern Africa | 2012 |
 Angola | 10.0 | 2,079 | Africa | Middle Africa | 2012 |
 Cameroon | 7.6 | 1,654 | Africa | Middle Africa | 2012 |
 Central African Republic | 11.8 | 532+ | Africa | Middle Africa | 2012 |
 Chad | 7.3 | 907 | Africa | Middle Africa | 2012 |
 Congo | 12.5 | 541 | Africa | Middle Africa | 2012 |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 28.3 | 18,586 | Africa | Middle Africa | 2012 |
 Equatorial Guinea | 19.3 | 142 | Africa | Middle Africa | 2012 |
 Gabon | 9.1 | 148 | Africa | Middle Africa | 2012 |
 São Tomé and Príncipe | 3.3 | 6 | Africa | Middle Africa | 2011 |
 Algeria | 0.7 | 280 | Africa | Northern Africa | 2011 |
 Egypt | 3.4 | 2,703 | Africa | Northern Africa | 2011 |
 Libya | 1.7 | 103+ | Africa | Northern Africa | 2012 |
 Morocco | 2.2 | 704 | Africa | Northern Africa | 2012 |
 Sudan | 11.2 | 4,159++ | Africa | Northern Africa | 2012 |
 Tunisia | 2.2 | 235 | Africa | Northern Africa | 2012 |
 Botswana | 18.4 | 368 | Africa | Southern Africa | 2012 |
 Lesotho | 38.0 | 764 | Africa | Southern Africa | 2010 |
 Namibia | 17.2 | 388 | Africa | Southern Africa | 2012 |
 South Africa | 31.0 | 16,259 | Africa | Southern Africa | 2012 |
 Swaziland | 33.8 | 416 | Africa | Southern Africa | 2012 |
 Benin | 8.4 | 848 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Burkina Faso | 8.0 | 1,311 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Cape Verde | 10.3 | 51 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Ivory Coast | 13.6 | 2,691 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Gambia | 10.2 | 182 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Ghana | 6.1 | 1,537 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Guinea | 8.9 | 1,018 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Guinea-Bissau | 8.4 | 140 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Liberia | 3.2 | 135 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Mali | 7.5 | 1,119 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Mauritania | 5.0 | 191 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Niger | 4.7 | 803 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Nigeria | 20.0 | 33,817 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Senegal | 2.8 | 379 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Sierra Leone | 1.9 | 113 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Togo | 10.3 | 684 | Africa | Western Africa | 2012 |
 Anguilla (UK) | 7.5 | 1 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Antigua and Barbuda | 11.2 | 10 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Aruba (Netherlands) | 3.9 | 4 | Americas | Caribbean | 2010 |
 Bahamas | 29.8 | 111 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Barbados | 7.4 | 21 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 British Virgin Islands (UK) | 8.4 | 2 | Americas | Caribbean | 2006 |
 Cayman Islands (UK) | 14.7 | 8 | Americas | Caribbean | 2009 |
 Cuba | 4.2 | 477 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Dominica | 21.1 | 15 | Americas | Caribbean | 2010 |
 Dominican Republic | 22.1 | 2,268 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Grenada | 13.3 | 14 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
| Guadeloupe (France) | 7.9 | 36 | Americas | Caribbean | 2009 |
 Haiti | 10.2 | 1,033 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Jamaica | 39.3 | 1,087 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
| Martinique (France) | 2.7 | 11 | Americas | Caribbean | 2009 |
 Montserrat (UK) | 20.4 | 1 | Americas | Caribbean | 2008 |
 Puerto Rico (USA) | 26.5 | 978 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 33.6 | 18 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Saint Lucia | 21.6 | 39 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 25.6 | 28 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 28.3 | 379 | Americas | Caribbean | 2012 |
 Turks and Caicos Islands (UK) | 6.6 | 2 | Americas | Caribbean | 2009 |
 U.S. Virgin Islands (USA) | 35.5 | 38 [8] | Americas | Caribbean | 2013 |
 Belize | 44.7 | 145 | Americas | Central America | 2012 |
 Costa Rica | 8.5 | 407 | Americas | Central America | 2012 |
 El Salvador | 41.2 | 2,594 | Americas | Central America | 2012 |
 Guatemala | 39.9 | 6,025 | Americas | Central America | 2012 |
 Honduras | 90.4 | 7,172 | Americas | Central America | 2012 |
 Mexico | 21.5 | 26,037+ | Americas | Central America | 2012 |
 Nicaragua | 11.3 | 675 | Americas | Central America | 2012 |
 Panama | 17.2 | 654 | Americas | Central America | 2012 |
 Bermuda (UK) | 7.7 | 5 | Americas | Northern America | 2012 |
 Canada | 1.6 | 543 | Americas | Northern America | 2012 |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France) | 16.5 | 1 | Americas | Northern America | 2009 |
 United States | 4.8[9] | 14,173 | Americas | Northern America | 2012 |
 Argentina | 5.5 | 2,237 | Americas | South America | 2010 |
 Bolivia | 12.1 | 1,270 | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Brazil | 25.2 | 50,108 | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Chile | 3.1 | 550 | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Colombia | 30.8 | 14,670+ | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Ecuador | 12.4 | 1,924 | Americas | South America | 2012 |
| French Guiana (France) | 13.3 | 30 | Americas | South America | 2009 |
 Guyana | 17.0 | 135 | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Paraguay | 9.7 | 649 | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Peru | 9.6 | 2,865 | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Suriname | 6.1 | 33 | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Uruguay | 7.9 | 267 | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Venezuela | 53.7 | 16,072+[10] | Americas | South America | 2012 |
 Kazakhstan | 7.8 | 1,263 | Asia | Central Asia | 2012 |
 Kyrgyzstan | 9.1 | 494 | Asia | Central Asia | 2011 |
 Tajikistan | 1.6 | 126 | Asia | Central Asia | 2011 |
 Turkmenistan | 12.8 | 660 | Asia | Central Asia | 2012 |
 Uzbekistan | 3.7 | 1,060 | Asia | Central Asia | 2012 |
 China | 1.0 | 13,410 | Asia | Eastern Asia | 2010 |
 Hong Kong | 0.4 | 27 | Asia | Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Macau | 0.7 | 4 | Asia | Eastern Asia | 2010 |
 North Korea | 5.2 | 1,293 | Asia | Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Japan | 0.3 | 442 | Asia | Eastern Asia | 2011 |
 Mongolia | 9.7 | 266 | Asia | Eastern Asia | 2011 |
 South Korea[note 1][note 2] | 0.9 | 427 | Asia | Eastern Asia | 2011 |
 Taiwan | 3.0 | 686 | Asia | Eastern Asia | 2011 |
 Brunei | 2.0 | 8 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Cambodia | 6.5 | 964 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Indonesia | 0.6 | 1,456 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Laos | 5.9 | 392 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Malaysia | 2.3 | 652 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Myanmar | 15.2 | 8,044 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Philippines | 8.8 | 8,484 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Singapore | 0.2 | 11 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Thailand | 5.0 | 3,307 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2011 |
 Timor-Leste | 3.6 | 39 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2010 |
 Vietnam | 3.3 | 3,037 | Asia | South-Eastern Asia | 2012 |
 Afghanistan | 6.5 | 1,948+ | Asia | Southern Asia | 2012 |
 Bangladesh | 2.7 | 4,169 | Asia | Southern Asia | 2012 |
 Bhutan | 1.7 | 12 | Asia | Southern Asia | 2012 |
 India | 3.5 | 43,355 | Asia | Southern Asia | 2012 |
 Iran | 3.9 | 3,126 | Asia | Southern Asia | 2012 |
 Maldives | 3.9 | 13 | Asia | Southern Asia | 2012 |
 Nepal | 2.9 | 786 | Asia | Southern Asia | 2011 |
 Pakistan | 7.7 | 13,846+ | Asia | Southern Asia | 2012 |
 Sri Lanka | 3.4 | 707 | Asia | Southern Asia | 2011 |
 Armenia | 1.8 | 54 | Asia | Western Asia | 2012 |
 Azerbaijan | 2.1 | 194 | Asia | Western Asia | 2010 |
 Bahrain | 0.5 | 7 | Asia | Western Asia | 2011 |
 Cyprus | 2.0 | 23 | Asia | Western Asia | 2012 |
 Georgia | 4.3 | 187 | Asia | Western Asia | 2010 |
 Iraq | 8.0 | 2,628+ | Asia | Western Asia | 2012 |
 Israel | 1.8 | 134+ | Asia | Western Asia | 2012 |
 Jordan | 2.0 | 133 | Asia | Western Asia | 2011 |
 Kuwait | 0.4 | 12 | Asia | Western Asia | 2012 |
 Lebanon | 2.2 | 95 | Asia | Western Asia | 2010 |
 Palestine | 7.4 | 312+ | Asia | Western Asia | 2012 |
 Oman | 1.1 | 34 | Asia | Western Asia | 2011 |
 Qatar | 1.1 | 23 | Asia | Western Asia | 2012 |
 Saudi Arabia | 0.8 | 234 | Asia | Western Asia | 2012 |
 Syria | 2.2 | 463+ | Asia | Western Asia | 2010 |
 Turkey | 2.6 | 1,866 | Asia | Western Asia | 2011 |
 United Arab Emirates | 2.6 | 235 | Asia | Western Asia | 2012 |
 Yemen | 4.8 | 1,099+ | Asia | Western Asia | 2010 |
 Belarus | 5.1 | 486 | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2010 |
 Bulgaria | 1.9 | 141 | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2012 |
 Czech Republic | 1.0 | 105 | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2012 |
 Hungary | 1.3 | 132 | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2012 |
 Poland | 1.2 | 449 | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2011 |
 Moldova | 6.5 | 229 | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2012 |
 Romania | 1.7 | 378 | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2012 |
 Russia | 9.2 | 13,120 | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2012 |
 Slovakia | 1.4 | 75 | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2012 |
 Ukraine | 4.3 | 1,988+ | Europe | Eastern Europe | 2010 |
 Denmark | 0.8 | 47 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2012 |
 Estonia | 5.0 | 65 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2012 |
 Finland | 1.6 | 89 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2012 |
 Greenland (Denmark) | 19.4 | 11 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2009 |
 Iceland | 0.3 | 1 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2012 |
 Ireland | 1.2 | 54 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2012 |
 Latvia | 4.7 | 97 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2012 |
 Lithuania | 6.7 | 202 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2012 |
 Norway | 0.9 | 45 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2013[11] |
 Sweden | 0.7 | 68 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2012 |
 United Kingdom | 1.0 | 653 | Europe | Northern Europe | 2011 |
 Albania | 5.0 | 157 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 Andorra | 1.3 | 1 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2010 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1.3 | 51 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2011 |
 Croatia | 1.2 | 51 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 Greece | 1.7 | 184 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2011 |
 Italy | 0.9 | 530 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 Kosovo | 3.6 | 64 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2010 |
 Malta | 2.8 | 12 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 Montenegro | 2.7 | 17 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 Portugal | 1.2 | 122 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 San Marino | 0.7 | 0[a] | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 Serbia | 1.2 | 111 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 Slovenia | 0.7 | 14 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 Spain | 0.8 | 364 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2012 |
 Macedonia | 1.4 | 30 | Europe | Southern Europe | 2011 |
 Austria | 0.9 | 77 | Europe | Western Europe | 2012 |
 Belgium | 1.6 | 182 | Europe | Western Europe | 2012 |
| France | 1.0 | 665 | Europe | Western Europe | 2012 |
 Germany | 0.8 | 662 | Europe | Western Europe | 2011 |
 Liechtenstein | 0.0 | 0 | Europe | Western Europe | 2012 |
 Luxembourg | 0.8 | 4 | Europe | Western Europe | 2011 |
 Monaco | 0.0 | 0 | Europe | Western Europe | 2008 |
 Netherlands | 0.9 | 145 | Europe | Western Europe | 2012 |
 Switzerland | 0.6 | 46 | Europe | Western Europe | 2011 |
 Australia | 1.1 | 254 | Oceania | Australasia | 2012 |
 New Zealand | 0.9 | 41 | Oceania | Australasia | 2012 |
 Fiji | 4.0 | 35 | Oceania | Melanesia | 2012 |
 New Caledonia (France) | 3.3 | 8 | Oceania | Melanesia | 2009 |
 Papua New Guinea | 10.4 | 713 | Oceania | Melanesia | 2010 |
 Solomon Islands | 4.3 | 24 | Oceania | Melanesia | 2012 |
 Vanuatu | 2.9 | 7 | Oceania | Melanesia | 2012 |
 Guam (USA) | 2.5 | 4 | Oceania | Micronesia | 2011 |
 Kiribati | 8.2 | 8 | Oceania | Micronesia | 2011 |
 F.S. Micronesia | 4.6 | 5 | Oceania | Micronesia | 2012 |
 Nauru | 1.3 | 0[a] | Oceania | Micronesia | 2012 |
 Palau | 3.1 | 0[a] | Oceania | Micronesia | 2012 |
 Cook Islands | 3.1 | 0[a] | Oceania | Polynesia | 2012 |
 French Polynesia (France) | 0.4 | 1 | Oceania | Polynesia | 2009 |
 Niue | 3.6 | 0[a] | Oceania | Polynesia | 2012 |
 Samoa | 3.6 | 7 | Oceania | Polynesia | 2012 |
 Tonga | 1.0 | 1 | Oceania | Polynesia | 2012 |
 Tuvalu | 4.2 | 0[a] | Oceania | Polynesia | 2012 |
Top 10 highest rates since 1995[edit]
| Top 10 Highest Homicide Rates by Country since 1995 [7] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Country | Year | Rate | Count |
| 1 | El Salvador | 1995 | 139.1 | 7,977 |
| 2 | El Salvador | 1996 | 117.3 | 6,792 |
| 3 | El Salvador | 1997 | 112.6 | 6,573 |
| 4 | El Salvador | 1998 | 95.0 | 5,584 |
| 5 | Honduras | 2011 | 91.4 | 7,104 |
| 6 | Honduras | 2012 | 90.4 | 7,172 |
| 7 | Honduras | 2010 | 81.8 | 6,236 |
| 8 | Colombia | 1996 | 71.8 | 26,642 |
| 9 | El Salvador | 2009 | 70.9 | 4,382 |
| 10 | Honduras | 2009 | 70.7 | 5,280 |
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