A few years ago, I taught on the importance of the rise of the European Union in the light of bible prophecy. Recent developments there have brought a new twist to what is happening to fulfill events foretold thousands of years ago by the prophets in scripture.
The prophet Daniel records for us in chapter nine, that the Anti-Christ will be a prince/ruler that comes out of a revision of the old Roman Empire. Many people have assumed this to mean that he would be European but a closer look reveals that this is likely false, especially in light of current events.
In November 2009, we saw the nations of the EU elect a permanent president and a foreign policy chief (the EU presidency rotated every 6 months among different national leaders). Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of Sweden, which held the EU presidency until the year's end stated, “…what we were seeking were people to create continuity, to be able to put us together, to be the voice, the face and the presence of Europe throughout the world.”
In 2008, President Sarkozy of France, who was serving as the six-month EU president, brought into existence a new regional union—the Mediterranean Union or, as it's now officially called, the Union for the Mediterranean. The Associated Press reported, “It brought together around one table for the first time dignitaries of such rival nations as Israel and Syria, Algeria and Morocco, Turkey and Greece”. Its aim is to be “a means to end all hatreds, to make way for a great dream of peace and a great dream of civilization.”
Originally, Sarkozy meant it to be limited to nations bordering the Mediterranean with the intent of enhancing France's status. However, Germany and other northern EU states, however, were outraged at being cut out of this bloc and it was reshaped to include those countries.
Notably absent was Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who did send a representative. Angry that original plans were changed to include the whole EU and the Middle East, including Israel, Gaddafi boycotted the meeting, saying, “We shall have another Roman Empire and imperialist design.”
Recently, we have seen two new developments: Mevlut Cavusoglu was elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly at the Council of Europe today. “I am the first President of the Parliamentary Assembly born east of Vienna. For the last 60 years the Presidents have come from just ten countries,” Cavusoglu said, during his first meeting with the press.
Ahmad Massaadeh, a former Jordanian ambassador to the EU and NATO, has formally been named head of the Mediterranean Union project, making him the first leader of the forum created in 2008. “The appointment of the secretary general constitutes a decisive step in the institutional construction of the Union”, Bernard Kouchner said in a statement. The secretary general will be based in Barcelona and have Israeli, Palestinian, Turkish and Arab League deputies.
All of these actions simply point to the accuracy of the words told by the prophets of old. Along with these prophecies are the ones that point to the return of Jesus Christ to planet earth—and it’s getting closer with every passing day!
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