Europe
World events continue to follow predictable trends. That is, predictable if you apply biblical understanding from prophecy. The trends are probably more important than individual prognostications of actual events. Specific details are difficult to fill in from the overview of scripture and doing so often lead to errors of judgment – as we all know!
A trend that is worth keeping an eye on is what is happening within Europe. It has been my personal belief for a long time that there are a lot of things happening in Europe that fly beneath the radar of the secular press. We just don’t hear about them.
Take this report published just two weeks ago:
Just this week, Brussels unveiled its plan to pump €500 million into European factories producing ammunition shells. Some of that rearmament money will be taken out of EU Cohesion funds and Recovery and Resilience funds. In case anybody didn’t get the militarisation-first message, European Commission industry chief Thierry Breton urged European manufacturers to get into “war economy mode.”
This is the third of EU leaders’ current three tracks for increased military spending. Track two commits the EU to spend €1 billion on procuring arms and missiles over the next year. In March Josep Borrell, the Commission’s foreign relations chief, rejoiced that the EU’s historic shift towards investing in arms “will put the European Defence Agency into orbit!”
Back on Planet Earth of course, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine provides EU leaders with a plausible pretext for their new ‘war economy’ policies. But let’s be clear, they have been working to turn their dream of a centralised EU security policy into reality for many years: from Juncker’s call for an EU army in 2015, through Chancellor Merkel and President Macron’s explicit endorsement of that idea in 2018, to the EU’s 2022 ‘Military Mobility 2.0’ action plan for the rapid movement of large-scale forces. The European Conservative, May 5, 2023.
Germany provides an interesting window into current European developments. Since WWII, public opinion and internal legislation made it impossible for Germany to attain any kind of military might. Now, with the Ukraine situation, all has changed. Within the last several months the Bundestag changed course and OKed the investment of more than 100 billion euros into the Germany military machine. Also several billions have been sent to Ukraine. (It is also interesting that they sent only older, used tanks and equipment. Oh well, now we have to produce some new ones!) What used to be a drosseled, intentionally weak fighting capability is now rapidly becoming the greatest military might in Europe.
We have reason to be watchful of European developments because prophecy speaks of a king of the North who will have a huge impact on the world. Currently we see China and Russia on center stage. They have a part to play, but the catalyst is a king of the North.
We have long believed that the king of the North refers to a European confederacy identified symbolically as the “Beast.” The biblical “king of the North” was Syria. But Rome conquered Syria and made it a Roman province and from that point, Roman emperors assumed the dominant role.
The Beast with his 10 horns represents a confederation of 10 nations or groups of nations, as depicted by the fourth kingdom of Daniel’s image. This final “Beast” kingdom will be a revival of the Roman Empire.
We are told in the book of Daniel that, “For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment” (Daniel 11:13).
Is it possible that under the guise of needing to defend Europe (NATO countries) from the perceived Russian aggression, that the “much equipment” is being prepared?
Maybe this is a good time to dig out some older church literature and refresh our memories on some things the Church has taught for years. Some mistakes were made regarding timing, but being aware of overall trends is of value to us today.
Suggested reading: Daniel chapters 2 and 11, Revelation chapter 13, and “The Middle East in Prophecy.’
Brian Orchard and Cliff Veal
