10 Nation European Union Newspaper Exegesis of Dan 7:24 & Rev 13:1

[Mark]

10 Nation European Union Newspaper Exegesis of Dan 7:24 & Rev 13:1

Here is some unabashed “newspaper exegesis”  based on: “As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.” (Da 7:24) and “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.”(Re 13:1)

I don’t know if my newspaper exegesis is accurate but what are we to make of the fact that Hal Lindsay believed in a “ten nation confederacy of European nations” (Late Great Planet Earth, 1970)? As well as Dallas Theological Seminary President and prophecy scholar John Walvoord anticipating the formation of a revived Roman Empire composed of a ten-nation confederacy? Walvoord wrote on Daniel 7:24:

    The interpreter of the vision states plainly in verse 23 that the fourth beast represents the fourth kingdom, an earthly kingdom which will be different from the preceding kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, that is, be worldwide in its sway. In the process, it will tread down and break in pieces the preceding kingdoms. By so much, the interpretation eliminates the idea that the fifth kingdom refers to the rule of God in the new heavens and the new earth (Rev 21 and 22) or that it is merely a spiritual kingdom which gradually gains sway by persuasion, such as the kingdom of God in the earth at the present time. By its terminology the interpretation of verses 23–27 demands that, for the fifth kingdom to overcome the fourth, the fifth must be basically a sovereign and political kingdom, whatever its spiritual characteristics. By so much, it also demands that this be a future fulfillment, inasmuch as nothing in history corresponds to this.
    The ten horns of the vision in verse 24 are declared to be ten kings that shall arise. They clearly are simultaneous in their reign because three of them are disrupted by the little horn which is another ruler, but not given the title of king here. He also will be different from the first, that is, from the ten horns, and shall subdue three of them.
    The endless explanation of critical scholars attempting to find these ten kings in the history of the Grecian Empire or to find them later in Rome, by their very disagreement among themselves demonstrate the impossibility of satisfactorily explaining this verse as past history. If the ten kings are in power at the end of the age, which also seems to be supported by the ten kings of Revelation 13:1; 17:12, it follows that they must be still future. The fact that they appear in the book of Revelation, written long after the fall of the Grecian Empire, plainly relates them to the Roman Empire in its final stage.

    John F. Walvoord, Daniel: The Key To Prophetic Revelation, 174.

And in his Revelation commentary:

    The monstrosity of seven heads and ten horns probably refers to the remnants of the confederacy which formed the Roman Empire in the beginning, namely, the ten nations of which three were overthrown by the little horn of Daniel 7:8. The ten crowns, therefore, refer to the diadems or symbols of governmental authority. The fact that they have the names of blasphemy (“names” is properly plural) indicates their blasphemous opposition to God and to Christ.

    John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, 198.

with that in mind read the below:

    10 countries for a United States of Europe

    Die Presse, 20 June 2012

    Ten EU foreign ministers participating in a “study group for the future of Europe” aim to exert pressure to transform the EU into a federation along the lines of the US. Together they have prepared what the front-page headline in Die Presse describes as a “Plan for transformation into a European state.” On 19 June, the ten ministers* presented an initial report to the EU officials who will likely benefit the most from the initiative: Commission President José Manuel Barroso, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker.

    More: http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/2211991-10-countries-united-states-europe

http://www.logosapologia.org/?p=3950

[Mark]

Merkel To Europe: "Prepare To Cede Sovereignty"

The liquidity tsunami that started in September of 2012 in the Marriner Eccles building and continued with the BOJ's own epic QEasing expansion three weeks ago, has so far provided the impetus for Europe to kick the can of its inevitable dissolution for a few more months, yet slowly but surely the market is starting to read through the artificial levels implied by Italian and Spanish bonds, driven by recycled ECB funding via bank and repo conduits and of course Japanese carry cash, and rumblings of a return to crisis conditions are back.

And as always happens, once the crisis talk is back, so is discussion of a fiscal union. Sure enough, earlier today Germany's Angela Merkel once again reminded everyone just what the stakes are in order to achieve a truly stable, and sustainable European union: nothing short of ceding sovereignty to Germany. And with that we are back to square one, because that has always been the trade off - want a unified, fiscally and monetarily, Europe? You can get it: just bow down to Merkel.

From Reuters:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that euro zone members must be prepared to cede control over certain policy domains to European institutions if the bloc is truly to overcome its debt crisis and win back foreign investors.

Speaking at an event hosted by Deutsche Bank in Berlin alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Merkel also defended her approach to the crisis against critics who argue she has put too much emphasis on austerity, saying Europe must find a way to deliver both growth and solid finances.

The comments came two months before European leaders are due to gather in Brussels to discuss moving towards a so-called "fiscal union".

The punchline:

"We seem to find common solutions when we are staring over the abyss," Merkel said. "But as soon as the pressure eases, people say they want to go their own way.

"We need to be ready to accept that Europe has the last word in certain areas. Otherwise we won't be able to continue to build Europe," she added.

Two conclusions here: Europe will be "staring over the abyss" very soon once again, and where Merkel says "Europe" she means Germany.

This is confirmed by the immediate denial of precisely this, adding "it would be "dangerous" if other countries in Europe felt Germany was imposing its own economic model across the entire bloc."

Oh, ok then.

So just what is Germany's vision for "Europe":

"We don't always need to give up national practices but we need to be compatible," Merkel said. "It is chaos right now."

"We need to be prepared to break with the past in order to leap forward. I'm ready to do this," she said.

So... just give up national practices sometimes. And yes, Merkel is of course ready to head the asset-stripmined continent. The question is who else in Europe is willing to hand over their liberties to the next iteration of the German Reich?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-04-22/merkel-europe-prepare-cede-sovereignty

[Psalm 51:17]

If so, this isn't the first time in history where the main road goes back to Germany.

[Kilika]

Considering history, why would they look to Germany as the leader of Europe? That is plain stupid at best.

[Mark]

EU Leader: Federal Europe to Become 'a Reality'

Jose Manuel Barroso, the most powerful leader in the European Union, says Europe will become a united political federation within the next few years.
     
The European Commission president is laying out plans for an "intensified political union" that matches the economic cooperation in the EU. That includes plans for an elected "president of Europe."
 
"This is about the economic and monetary union but for the EU as a whole," The London Telegraph quoted Barroso as saying. "The commission will, therefore, set out its views and explicit ideas for treaty change in order for them to be debated before the European elections."

"We want to put all the elements on the table, in a clear and consistent way, even if some of them may sound like political science fiction today. They will be reality in a few years' time," he vowed.
 
The Telegraph reports Barroso will call for efforts to create a "European federation" before the next EU parliamentary elections in 2014.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/May/EU-Leader-Federal-Europe-to-Become-a-Reality/

[Mark]

Merkel and Pope talk about a 'strong' Europe

Pope Francis met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday during a quick trip to Rome. The two spoke privately for 45 minutes.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, mindful of the importance of Christian voters in September elections, met with Pope Francis on Saturday during a quick trip to Rome that focused on helping victims of Europe's economic crisis and emphasizing the continent's Christian roots.

Merkel spoke privately for 45 minutes with the pope at the Apostolic Palace, after exchanging cordial greetings in German.

Her Christian Democrat party depends heavily on support from Protestant and Catholic voters, and the chat and photo opportunity could be a welcome campaign boost for a leader largely identified by Europe's economically suffering citizens as a champion of debt reduction, including painful austerity across much of the continent.

For its part, the Vatican is eager for allies in its campaign to win over more Catholics. Francis was leading a sort of pep rally for the faith in St. Peter's Square Saturday evening, attended by about 150,000 people.

Most were from Europe but many came from the pope's native South America. They sang and prayed during an hours-long gathering ahead of the pope's appearance.

On Thursday, Francis blasted what he called a "cult of money" in a global financial system that ends up tyrannizing, not helping, the world's poor.

Asked whether they had also talked about the pope's recent criticism, Merkel said they spoke about the regulation of the financial markets.

"The regulation of the financial markets is our central problem, our central task," Merkel told reporters on the Vatican grounds. "We are moving ahead, but we are not yet where we want to be, where we could say that a derailment of the guard rails of social market won't happen again."

Merkel added: "It ought to be like this: the economy is there to serve the people. In the last few years, this hasn't been the case at all everywhere."

Italy, Spain, Ireland, Portugal and especially Greece have seen governments concentrate on debt reduction while slashing state spending. With growth stymied, unemployment, especially among young people, has soared. Businesses, many of them family-run in southern Europe, have failed as bank lending dried up.

The chancellor said the pope had stressed the world needs a strong and just Europe, and she described the overall conversation has encouraging.

Merkel is currently campaigning for re-election in September's general elections. Half of Germany's population is Catholic. In Bavaria especially there is a strong conservative and Catholic tradition.

According to a Vatican statement, Francis and Merkel discussed the socio-political, economic and religious situation in Europe and in the world, including "safeguarding human rights, the persecutions faced by Christians" and religious freedom.

Francis, who is Argentine, has picked up on campaigns by the two previous popes, the Polish John Paul II and German Benedict XVI, to reinvigorate what the Catholic church sees as flagging religious enthusiasm on a continent with Christian roots, including dwindling number of churchgoers in much of Western Europe.

"I see continuity in the missionary aspect, in becoming aware of the importance of Christianity for our Christian roots," said Merkel, adding that the "simple and touching words" of Francis, who was elected pontiff two months ago, are already reaching people.

The Vatican also uses papal visits with major leaders to seek allies in lobbying on behalf of Christians who face discrimination and in some cases physical violence in parts of the world.

Merkel said she has reflected on how she and Francis both had spent part of their lives in countries once under dictatorships — her native East Germany under Soviet-influenced communist rule, and the pope's Argentine homeland, once ruled by a bloody military dictatorship.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/05/18/merkel-and-pope-talk-about-a--strong-europe/2308757/

[Mark]

EU Gone Bad: Islam, Tribalism & Economic Crisis

On May 21, French historian Dominique Venner shocked France when he walked into Notre Dame Cathedral, put a letter on the altar and shot himself in the head. It was a protest against Islamization and France's new gay marriage law, and he said he hoped his suicide would wake up the nation.
 
But it looks like Europe has no choice. It's being forced to awaken because parts of Europe are literally on fire.

In Sweden, a few weeks ago predominantly Muslim immigrants set fires for several nights. In Britain, a soldier was butchered on a London street by a Muslim. In France, a recent convert to Islam tried to do the same thing to a French soldier at a Paris metro stop, but only wounded him.

Breeding Grounds for Radicalism
 
Amidst failing economies Europe is continuing to fracture into ethnic tribes that hate one another. Some European leaders have admitted that multiculturalism has failed. It has created immigrant ghettos inside European cities that are breeding grounds for radicalism and hostility to mainstream society.
 
In Paris, CBN News asked Guy Milliere, author of the new book l'islam Radical est une Arme de Destruction Massive, or Radical Islam is a Weapon of Mass Destruction, why the European establishment continues to allow and encourage Islam to spread while suppressing Christianity.
 
"The connection between radical Muslims and the Left in Europe is that both are totalitarian," he replied. "(The Left) sees something in common between themselves and radical Muslims."
 
Most European leaders still seem to fear political correctness more than Islamic terrorism.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said, "There is nothing in Islam that justified the beheading of British soldier Lee Rigby by a Muslim," ignoring the many verses in the Quran that command Muslims to behead unbelievers.

Cameron instead called the murder "a betrayal of Islam." It took the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab to correct Cameron in a series of tweets, saying that the gruesome killing wasn't a "betrayal" of Islam, but a "portrayal" of Islam.
 
Enough is Enough
 
The Rigby murder caused rioting across Britain. At a demonstration over the killing, the head of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson said, "Our message is, 'Enough's enough.'"

"We have weak leaders, weak police," he charged. "Our police, our leaders tiptoe around this issue. This issue is political Islam. It's political Islam that's spreading across this country."
 
Across the English Channel in France opponents of the new gay marriage and adoption law now talk openly of revolution. One group even calls itself the "French Spring" ("Printemps Francais"). They view the new law as a tool of the Left to tear down French tradition, and it seems to have galvanized hatred for the leftist government of Francois Hollande. 

"I think the main aim of the French government is to destroy traditional families. They speak about rights; they speak about equality. But it's not a question of rights. It's not a question of equality -- it's a question of the destruction of the family," Milliere said.
 
In Eastern Europe, fascism is on the march. Hungary's Jobbik is the third largest party in parliament.

"Only a show of strength is effective against the unscrupulous Zionist advance," Marton Gyongyosi, one of Jobbik's leaders, said at a recent demonstration.
 
Jobbik wants a national registry drawn up listing all the Jews in the country. Similar movements are active in Greece, Poland and Slovakia.
 
European Union a Failure?
 
Meanwhile, the European Union continues to fail economically, and a recent Pew poll shows that for the first time most EU citizens don't like the idea of the European Union. 

"Europeans' faith in and belief in the European project--the fact that economic integration should be good for them--they don't believe that any more," Bruce Stokes, director of Pew's Global Economic Program, said.
 
"Europe should be written off, not Italy. It's Europe that's not working," according to an Italian taxi driver.
 
Reports across Europe seemingly substantiate his claims: homeless are squatting in unsold apartment buildings in Spain, and in Greece former members of the middle class find themselves sleeping outdoors.

It's no longer just ghettos that are breeding grounds for radicalism. Today trouble is brewing all across Europe.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/June/EU-Gone-Bad-Islam-Tribalism--Economic-Crisis/

[Psalm 51:17]

Yeah, with all of the fears et al how the USA President is a Muslim, has Muslim cabinet members/advisors, etc, and is trying to push Sharia Law et al in this country - to be frank, it isn't as bad as it looks(at least for now) b/c look at Great Britain and France(for example). It is FAR worse over there. Don't think they have Sharia Law yet there, but nonetheless it's not like David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy are Muslims themselves(Cameron and Sarkozy are self-professing conservatives).

And look at the gay marriage issue as well - Obama may be the "First gay President", but at least this issue is going through the courts here, while Cameron and Hollande in England and France have been pushing this through their respective Parliaments.

So yeah, we who are in America should all be thankful. I know things will be getting worse, but nonetheless it could be much worse.