January 6, 2009
Steve Collins
Many Christians have expected that Europe would be the region from which a “beast” power or “anti-Christ” ruler will emerge. One should always keep an open mind to all possibilities as we progress deeper into the end times, but on-going events are revealing Europe to be a continent in rapid decline. Ever since World War II, Europe has been incapable of meaningful self-defense–it has depended on the USA for its military security “umbrella.”
After the dismemberment of the USSR, the European NATO nations allowed their military forces to become very hollow indeed. NATO is technically a military alliance, but it lacks serious military power. Russia exposed the hollowness of the NATO alliance in the recent war it fought in Georgia. Georgia and the Ukraine want NATO membership, but the Russian-Georgian war starkly showed that NATO has no military forces to back up its “military” alliance. NATO has become a “paper tiger.” European NATO nations are hard-pressed to find barely a few thousand troops to send to Afghanistan and many of them are mere “show” troops essentially confined to their bases so they won’t have to face combat.
Europe’s internal demographic weakness is also well-known. The Moslems are a rapidly-growing minority within many European nations and media reports have confirmed that some areas of European cities are now essentially under “Sharia” law and de-facto Moslem control as they have become “no-go” zones for European police. European nations are so at risk from radicalized Moslem elements within their nations that Europe’s national leaders are fearful of offending them. That may explain the venality of so many European nations in condemning the Israelis for attacking Hamas in an effort to stop the relentless Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel. If Europe has a “backbone” anywhere, someone better launch a search party to go find where it has been hidden.
Now there is even more evidence of European weakness. Russia recently cut off Ukrainian gas supplies over a contract dispute (at least that was the story put out to the press). I think that action was just the first step in a much broader agenda. Russia has been harmed severely by the collapse of oil and energy prices. A blog a few months ago at this website cited a Newsweek magazine column in which CFR- and Trilateral Commission-Board Member called for a drop in oil prices to punish Russia for its invasion of Georgia. Obediently, oil prices collapsed soon after his article appeared in print, taking the entire commodity index down with the drop in oil prices. I think Russia is starting to fight back, and it is (logically) going after the weak link in the western alliance–Europe.
The first link below (from Fox News) reports that Russia has quickly expanded its cut-off of natural gas supplies to a widening group of European nations. The contract dispute with Ukraine (through which much of Europe’s natural gas transits) gives Russia plausible deniability for putting the squeeze on Europe, but Russia’s point is very clear nonetheless. The point is that Europe better be responsive to Moscow’s wishes or Europe will find itself very cold in winter time. Europe has lost control of its own destiny. It’s natural gas supply is in the hands of Russia. Europe will have natural gas only when Russia chooses to let Europe have natural gas supplies. This has huge political ramifications.
Of course, it is in Russia’s interests to sell gas supplies to Europe, but….at a higher price. I think Russia is sending a message to European nations that their natural gas supplies will be more “secure” if Russia’s demand for higher energy prices is met. Looking at this from Russia’s point of view, it is a logical power play on their part. Indeed, Putin is playing his chess pieces well on the world stage.
The first link documents that many European nations are now suffering from Russia’s reductions in natural gas shipments. Nations hurt by gas shortages now include Bulgaria, Turkey, Hungary, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Slovakia was “considering a state of emergency…after its gas deliveries from Russia were down by 70%.” As Russia puts the squeeze on these nations, all of them might discover that it is in their interest to lobby the USA to help push oil and gas prices back up to where Russia will resume reliable deliveries (indeed, oil prices have started back up on world markets). This whole matter will be underreported in much of the establishment media (we mustn’t upset the consumers you know!). A perspective on this Russian squeeze play on Europe (from the British press) is also included below in the second link.
A third link below (from Bloomberg) confirms the Europeans are not only showing their weakness in the gas supply issue with Russia, but also in their confused efforts to broker a Mideast peace in the Israeli-Hamas war. Europe can’t get its act together and speak with one voice. The Czech Republic, which just took over the rotating EU Presidency, echoed the US position by issuing a statement favoring the Israeli position. France just lost the EU Presidency, but its national President Sarkozy has been jetting to the Mideast and his statements that I have seen had tended to favor the Hamas position. While not in the links below, I watch the BBC news often on the USA’s PBS network and the BBC is embarrassingly pro-Hamas in its coverage, in my opinion. Italy, on the other hand issued a gentle rebuke to Sarkozy for his lone-wolf diplomacy in the Israeli-Hamas war.
While Europe craves a central role in global politics, it is increasingly becoming less relevant. Europe is becoming a dependency of the new imperial Russia in energy matters. Europe is also learning that nations lacking significant military forces don’t have much clout in diplomatic matters either.
As those who have read my books realize, many European nations in NATO are descended from the ancient “ten tribes of Israel” who were prophesied in the Bible to become very numerous after they went into exile from the ancient Promised Land in the 8th century BC (Hosea 1:10). The USA and the British nations are primarily the dominant tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, but the other modern Israelite tribes are their allies within NATO and/or the western alliance. The Bible refers to the ten tribes of Israel as “the house of Israel” in its historical narratives and prophecies. Ezekiel 38-39 warn that “Israel” will be attacked in the latter-days by an alliance including Russia, China and Iran. The phrase “house of Israel” (addressing not just the USA and the UK, but many other European nations) is used in Ezekiel 39 several times. I do not “set dates” but God has already guided world events to place modern Russia, China, Iran and other nations in an anti-western, anti-NATO alliance…just as he prophesied would happen at the end of our age. Russia is putting the squeeze on Europe right now to put Europe into a vassal-status to Russia on energy matters. Ezekiel 38 prophesies the nations of modern “Israel” will be invaded by Russia and its allies someday at the climax of this age. God himself guarantees that event (Ezekiel 38:4 and 10). Europe has “all but abandoned” Christianity, so Europe should expect God to “all but abandon” them too. When Russia’s invasion occurs in the future, Europe will wish they had not forgotten God. They will also wish they had built up a serious military force.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,476565,00.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/4140405/Russia-halts-gas-supplies-to-European-countries.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aNwXGqFNdu_M
