The prophecies are not just about pointing to literal events prophesied to happen, such as the destruction of Damascus or the attack by Iran and Russia on Israel. The prophesies also describe the states of mind and emotional turmoil that will accompany the conditions that God is setting up for His final pieces to be fulfilled. This essay is about the emotional and mental conditions that are prophesied and are already here. First, this excerpt from the Sydney Morning Herald–
EU leaders roll the dice as eurogeddon looms
‘Eurogeddon’? Interesting way to put it.
“Could the Euro be saved? After an all-night session of crisis talks Brussels, European leaders came up with a plan to tackle the growing debt crisis, but it split the European Union. According to the President, 26 were open to a new treaty with strict budget oversight, but Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain won’t be joining. … The treaty changes Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, proposed in Paris this week would have been inconceivable at the beginning of the crisis, since it requires states to cede a significant degree of economic sovereignty. It is a process that many observers, in particular the populist British media, say is well under way. German dominance of the euro zone, they say, with Dr Merkel as the unofficial but unchallenged leader of Europe, has already arrived.”
Ceding sovereign authority is a Tribulation condition, as the world is re-drawn into ten kingdoms with one currency. (Revelation 17:12, Revelation 13:16-17)
The article continues in easy-to-read fashion, focusing on Dr. Merkel as a person and a leader, and illustrating the rise of Germany (which is never good for Europe). She is known as The Iron Chancellor, and is seen potentially as the “savior of Europe”. No she is not the antichrist, that is going to be a man. (Daniel 7:24-25). But the profile of Germany’s prominence as a nation and its current leader at this juncture as the European Union teeters, is an interesting read, especially keeping in mind the role that Europe plays in prophecy as the revived Roman Empire.
The treaty they mention as the basis for their talks is the Treaty of Lisbon (Lisbon Treaty). “The Lisbon Treaty is the latest of the Treaties which, to date, have amended previous Treaties on the basis of which the Communities and the European Union were founded, such as the Single European Act (1986), the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) (1992), the Amsterdam Treaty (1997) and the Treaty of Nice (2001).” (source)
Because European leaders are mentioning a treaty at this time, we wonder if the Lisbon Treaty is THE treaty, or THE covenant that Daniel mentioned the antichrist will make strong. I do not think that it is the same one.
Daniel 9:27 says: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
In the Hebrew lexicon, “covenant” is just what it says, a covenant or a league or a treaty. To make strong; is an interesting word translation: in the Hebrew it means “prevailed” and also “conduct himself arrogantly” and/or “to strengthen.” Given the Antichrist’s other qualities that also include flattery and arrogance (Dan 7:8, 7:20), we can see a picture emerge of this prophesied treaty in which this evil man boastfully pressures the other leaders into accepting a treaty in which his version prevails. The antichrist is one among many of the league who sets the treaty in place but he himself will not be made known until halfway through the 7 years of the prophesied length of the treaty, when he puts a stop to the sacrifices in the temple. But he will have been one of the group that strengthens the covenant three and a half years earlier, which dwindles the potential candidates from anyone in the world, to one who is involved with a covenant that is made strong by a small group of leaders. The Church may or may not be here to see the treaty being signed but we will definitely not be here to see the antichrist revealed. Personally, I’m looking for Jesus the Sinless One, not the Man of Sin.
In looking at the lexicon, (source), Daniel 9:27 is presented as a list in each phrase with definitions. Removing the definitions, the verse reads like this: “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations desolate, even until a complete destruction one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
To me, because the verse speaks of a covenant, a length of time, and in the same sentence the breaking of the covenant by breaking the sacrificial activities, the verse seems to indicate one is tied to the other. That the treaty will have in place a method for allowing sacrifices inherent as one of the clauses. If this is so, then the Lisbon Treaty is NOT the treaty the antichrist makes strong.
So what does all this Euro/EU brouhaha have to do with prophetic times? First of all, it is setting conditions that will allow the antichrist to come to power and be accepted by the world. If Angela Merkel does not ‘save the European Union’ it will be all the more a devastating collapse. Secondly, it has to do with this, a condition that is prophesied:
This: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” (Luke 21:25)
I’ve mentioned before that the ‘sea and the waves roaring’ in my opinion has to do with the populations in unrest. A figurative tsunami of anger and outcry, if you will. I believe this because in Isaiah 17:12 mentions the definition of sea when it is used figuratively, “Oh, the raging of many nations–they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples–they roar like the roaring of great waters!” Interestingly it is from the chapter of Prophecy of the destruction of Damascus, an event that is also predicted to happen in future times, which is almost presently upon us.
The word perplexity literally translates as “I am in difficulties, am at my wits end.” The Greek word aporeo is from a compound word, “to have no way out, i.e. Be at a loss (mentally) — (stand in) doubt, be perplexed.” In the Luke verse, the Greek word for roaring is literally, “rumor or report“.
So now let’s put the Luke verse together. You can picture the people roaring as currency crashes, or hyperinflation arrives, or anger as their leaders are in perplexity as to how to solve these unsolvable issues. Don’t forget that there will also be a lengthy period of wars and rumors of wars. You know how wearing rumors are. If a rumor ever swept your workplace that layoffs are coming, you know the emotional exhaustion that accompanies rumors and reports. The longer it goes on the more angry and upset you get. You know how relieved you feel when you get actual information and actual solutions. Even if you are one who got laid off you almost feel relieved because now at least you can make plans and go forward. Now magnify that feeling by all the world’s population and the global distress and perplexity over years of time, and you have a picture of the state of mind of the people of the world that accepts the antichrist.
The verses from Isaiah, Luke, and Daniel illustrate both literal events and states of mind that lead to the treaty’s signing, and the attendant relief that accompanies this seeming resolution. Now this last quote from investor Jim Sinclair, interviewed this week on the events in the European Union about the currency and financial issues in an article titled Why the financial system is imploding:
“There is no one out there who has a plan that has a practical application which can change what is now. There is no practical solution being offered. There is no politician who has the courage to do the necessary and if the necessary was done, the system is so fragile that it would totally implode.”
No one has an answer! Perplexity… Rumors… Reports… Anger… Fear… An entire continent is consumed with feeling these things, and it does not bode well for the immediate future.
Or, as the Sydney Morning Herald titled it in the article I opened with: EU leaders roll the dice as eurogeddon looms.
“Implode”, “Eurogeddon” … and when they ‘roll the dice’, we already know from the bible that what comes up is snake eyes.
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