61 Remember Somewhere out of sight in storage is a prefabricated - - PDF document

61 Remember Somewhere out of sight in storage is a prefabricated Temple

Israel came into existence in 1948. Jerusalem came to them in war in 1967. The Temple Mount instead of being valued by the Israeli government was sacrificed for what they valued more highly; peace with their neighbors. I suggest they should have seen it as an opportunity for the nation to turn to their God. Instead Moshe Dyan turned control of the Temple Mount over to the the Islamic religious authorities. The Jews were relegated to the Western Wall. Most people do not have their freedoms taken from them they simple do not use them. The whole nation should have risen up and demanded access to the Temple Mount. Granted some authorities in the Jewish religious world did not allow worship on the Temple Mount for fear of treading on the Holy of Holies. There has been for many years a Temple Mount Faithful Organization and Temple Institute which have been lobbying for a rebuilt Temple. They have made nearly all of the instruments needed for temple

• worship. In 2004 the Sanhedrin called for the prefabricated construction of the Temple. That was six

years ago and there is every reason to believe it is ready and in storage. When it is built it will

• ccur without the sound of hammer. It will be constructed on the Temple Mount in quietness. It

could be built in months. The menorah seen in the slide weighs 94 pounds of solid gold. Selection and training is under way for priests to serve in the temple. In March 2010 it was announced that a red heifer exists. The ashes from a red heifer are used in the purification of the temple. We might be assuming they no longer have a red heifer but the ashes of the red heifer. In 2007 the Sanhedrin requested permission to sacrifice a lamb on the temple mount for Passover. They were denied permission then and again in 2010. In 2010 they advertised on the internet for people worldwide to take part. March 16, 2010 was to be a Temple Mount Awareness day to bring attention to the Jewish desire and rights on the Temple Mount. One tradition believes that initiating the passover sacrifice

• n the Temple Mount accelerates the arrival of the Messiah. The Temple mount is quite a puzzle

because Islam currently is adamant that none but Muslims pray and worship on the Temple Mount. In the meantime Israel is determined that they not split Jerusalem. Nations and Universities and think tanks have all weighed in on how to solve this “cup of trembling”.

62 Location,Location,Location

When a Temple is built where on the Temple Mount should it be built? The Dome of the Rock contains a enclosed portion of the top of Mount Moriah where it is claimed that Mohamed with his horse ascended to Paradise. Mount Moriah was the scene of the Abraham’s offer of Isaac. It was the threshing floor for King

• David. It was also the site of the first and second Temples both of which were destroyed on the 9th
• f Av. A second favored site is the Dome of the Spirits on the other end of the quadrangle that is the

temple Mount. Others think the Holy of Holies is located at the Well of the Spirits which is seen in the slide as the Cupola structure. Some place it somewhere in front of the Dome of the Rock. If the current Sanhedrin has decided on a location outside of the Dome of the Rock I doubt they would announce to the world its location. They might then expect present day Muslims then to build a new structure

• ver that site.

History

The First Temple

In the 10th century BC, after King David captured the city of Jerusalem and made it the capital of the Israelites, he chose this high place as the site of a great temple to house the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 24:18-25). Prior to this, the Ark had moved among several sanctuaries, especially those of Shechem and Shiloh. The construction project was undertaken by David’s son, King Solomon, and completed in 957 BC. The Holy of Holies housed the Ark of the Covenant, which was accompanied by two cherubim carved of olive wood. It was also considered the dwelling place of the Divine Presence (Shekhinah). So sacred was this innermost sanctuary that it could be entered only by the high priest on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The Temple of Jerusalem was an important center of religious and national identity from the beginning, but it became even more important when Josiah (r.640–609 BC) abolished all other

sanctuaries and established Solomon’s Temple as the only acceptable place for sacrifice in the Kingdom of Judah. The First Temple was looted of its treasures – including the Ark of the Covenant -between 604 BC and 597 BC and totally destroyed in 587-86 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar II of

• Babylon. (Incidentally, Nebuchadnezzar’s palace gates can be seen at the Pergamon Museum in

Berlin.) The Jews were deported to Babylonia between 586 and 582 in what is known as the Babylonian Exile.

The Second Temple

In 538 BC, the Persian king Cyrus II (who had conquered Babylonia) allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. This was completed around515 BC as a modest version of the

• riginal, without the Ark or any other ritual objects. But the Temple resumed its role as the religious

center of Judaism, with elaborate rituals conducted by priests and Levites. The next few centuries saw Jerusalem subjugated to a number of foreign rulers. The Temple was respected by these (Persian and Hellenistic) rulers untilAntiochus IV Epiphanes, who plundered it in 169 BC and desecrated it in 167 BC, by commanding that sacrifices be made to Zeus inside. This sparked the Hasmonean revolt, after which Judas Maccabaeus rededicated the Temple. This event is still celebrated in the annual festival of Hanukkah. During the Roman era, Pompey entered (and thereby desecrated) the Holy of Holies in 63 BC, but left the Temple intact. In 54 BC, Crassus looted the Temple treasury. The Temple’s fortunes rose again, however, with King Herod the Greatof Judea, who began to rebuild it in 20 BC. The project was completed in 26 AD, after the birth of Jesus. Herod doubled the size of Temple Mount, surrounding it with retaining walls and gates. The Temple itself was enlarged and faced with large white stones. A series of “courts” allowed access to successively smaller groups of people: Jews and Gentiles; Jews only; Jewish men only; and priests

• nly. Although it still lacked the Ark, the Temple now housed the Scriptures and other Jewish
• writings. It also became the headquarters of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court of law during the

Roman period.

Destruction of the Temple

In 66 AD, a Jewish rebellion against Rome began and culminated in the near-complete destruction

• f the Temple (and the entire city) by Titus on August 10, 70 AD. This event is commemorated

(complete with a relief showing the looting of a menorah by Roman soldiers) on the Arch of titusin Rome. This hope seemed to be realized after Simon Bar Kochba led a major rebellion against the Romans (132 AD). Jerusalem was liberated for three years, during which reconstruction on the Temple probably began. But in 135, Roman armies retook Jerusalem and forbade Jews to enter the city. Emperor Hadrian continued his construction of the new Roman city (called Aeila Capitolina) and built aTemple to Jupiter Capitolinus on the site of the Temple.

Byzantine Period

Two centuries later, in 324, Emperor Constantine destroyed Hadrian’s pagan temple and built a church in its place. Excavations at Al-Asqua Mosque have uncovered an elaborate mosaic floor and fragments of an elaborate marble chancel screen, indicating that the Byzantine church was an elaborate and important one. Jewish hopes for rebuilding rose again briefly in 363, from a quite unexpected source – the Roman emperor Julian “the Apostate.” Julian rejected the Christianity in which he had been raised,

embraced a form of Roman paganism, and enthusiastically promoted the idea of rebuilding the Jewish Temple. The project was funded by Julian himself as well as donations from Jews around the world and construction began almost immediately. Tragically, however, as the site was cleared by workers, “fearful balls of fire, breaking out near the foundations, continued their attacks, till the workmen, after repeated scorchings, could approach no more: and he [the architect] gave up the attempt” (Ammianus Marcellinus). Emperor Julian died within the year and the project was abandoned. Early Christian authors record that some stones of the Temple were still visible, although only foundations remained. During the Byzantine period, Jews were permitted to visit the Temple at least

• nce a year, on the anniversary of the destruction in 70 AD. They would pour oil over a stone, weep

and tear their garments.

Islamic Period

In 614, Persian forces invaded Jerusalem, slaughtering the inhabitants and destroying the churches. Thus, Islamic historians record that when the Muslimscaptured the city in 638, Caliph Umar I found the Temple Mount completely destroyed and began immediately to repair it. In 688-91 the fifth Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwān built the ʿ Dome of the Rock on the restored platform. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem (specifically the Al Aqsa Mosque) is regarded by Muslims as the third holiest site outside the cities of Mecca and Medina. The main reasons are these:

• Verse 17:1 of the Qur’an speaks of the Prophet’s night journey to the “farthest Mosque” (al-

masjid al-Aqsa). The location is not given in the Qur’an, but Muslim tradition associates the site with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

• The Prophet Muhammad originally established Jerusalem as the qibla(direction of prayer)

before changing it to Mecca. When the Crusaders briefly controlled Jerusalem (1099-1187, 1229-39 and 1240-44), Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount was the headquarters of theTemplars. Their legacy can be seen in the three Romanesque central bays of the mosque’s main facade.

63 Temple VS Dome of the Rock

I am of the opinion that a Temple can be rebuilt within weeks to months and that according to Daniel 9:27 sacrifice and oblation is stopped in the midst of the seven years and not necessarily at the bisected midpoint. A rebuilt Temple need not exist if the sacrifice stopped is a Passover sacrifice. In Mathew 24 Jesus speaks of the Abomination of Desolation and Thessalonians speaks of the Antichrist taking on deity in either the temple or the Holy of Holies. Will the Dome of the Rock suffice? Others suggest an attempt to prevent even the Kosher killing of animals for general consumption will qualify as an attempt to “stop the sacrifice”.

64 The Rebirth of the Roman Empire

This completes the sectionon the historical return of the Jews to Palestine. Those who saw it and understood were exhilarated in 1948. Today many are asleep to the possibilities. I am sympathetic because it has been a slow process when compared to the human lifespan. It has taken 60 plus years to get this far. We may remind ourselves that if it is prophetic this generation shall not pass away until all these things be fulfilled. Next up The rebirth of the Roman Empire. I would wish to emphasize that I was born after the establishment of the state of Israel but have seen it acquire

• Jerusalem. I have watched and expected to see a Revised Roman Empire for forty years and more.

All during that time the great majority of those who I spoke to did not think Europe would manage to come together in any meaningful way. The reasons given have varied from “The

Germans will not give up the Deutsch Mark” to the “The British will never allow Europe to have its

• wn military”. When I expressed the opinion that someday East and West Berlin would be reunited

even as East and West Germany would come together I was told ” The Russians will never give up the Warsaw pact nations”. Let us take a look at the recent history of Europe.

65 European Union

The European Union has emerged on the scene so slowly with two steps forward and then one back that most have barely noticed. Most who have noticed are not aware of it having any prophetic

• importance. I have related the facts about Israel coming back into the land fairly dispassionately

because it had occurred before I was born and I did not have to debate with people about its future existence. The European Union is a different story for me. I have watched its development since 1970. The fulfillment of prophecy has provided for me spiritual excitement that I felt blessed to have in that I thought we were seeing what several earlier generations would have been truly excited to see. I have debated with church members and leaders since the mid 1980′s saying that a revised Roman Empire was likely in the light of Biblical prophecy. Most had no interest or no knowledge. A few argued with surety that Germany would never give up the Deutsch mark. An Englishman argued that Britain would never allow Europe a military. I am amazed that what I will report here generally does not cause anyone to sit up and notice. I am amazed that it produces no excitement for the general church. Now that Israel is in the land its existence puts all other theories out of court while a generation watches. There is simply no excuse. These are events written large in the events of the earth.

66 Romulus Remus and Rome Revisited

Look closely at the background painting by Michaelangelo and you will see Romulus and Remus suckling at a the wolf. The hall where the Treaty of Rome was signed has paintings by Michaelangelo . The hall and its painting depict stories from the legends of the founding of

• Rome. The Statue of a Pope from the Papacy in its days of power provide a powerful imagery

mixing current political affairs with the pomp of the Roman Catholic Church and ancient Rome. This section is dedicated to the task of looking at the unification process in Europe. Secondarily it is dedicated to considering the more nebulous issue of identifying it as the Roman Empire. Most who know the rudiments of European history are aware that Charlemagne was crowned by the Roman Pope on Christmas day 800 AD. The people of the day lived in the shadow of the glory that had belonged to the Roman Empire and there remained a residual hope that those days were not lost forever. The ROMAN Catholic Church both by its location in the city of Rome and by the organizational structure of the curia had become to some extent the heir to the organizational, intellectual and imaginative spirit of the Roman Empire. Over time the Papacy and its leader the Ponitifice Maximus had inherited both the title and primacy among Bishops of the church that had once belonged to the city of Rome in its relationship politically to the other regions of the Empire. It became the depository of the authority both of the Christian faith in claiming a lineage to Peter and to the Roman Empires heritage by its location in Rome and by connections to whatever vestigial Roman political structure and learning it could maintain. Its influence waxed and waned over time but for a time it was all that the western remnant of the Roman empire retained. And so it was the Pope who both accepted Charlemagnes protection and gave him additional legitimacy when Charles the Great was crowned on that day in the “dark” ages of

• Europe. However dark it may or may not have appeared to the people living at the time the

legendary power and glory that had belonged to the Roman Empire in its ascendancy retained a very strong hold on the popular imagination. The Church in Rome over time was seen as the rightful heir to both the secular and ecclesiastical founts of power. Many a feudal European King in penitent obeisance reached out to Rome and its Roman Pope in the midst of the political and religious struggles of the day to receive forgiveness both for his personal sins and kingly sins against God and man. The kingly sins against man usually meant sins against his fellow warring

• kings. For a time in these centuries the Pope could bless or curse in both the spiritual and secular

worlds. The book of Revelation was written at a time and in a format that it may have references to the city

• f Rome. Those who believe the book is not a prophetic book but rather was a letter
• f encouragement written to the Christians of the day during the persecutions of the church by

Rome identify Rome by its reference in Revelation to a city built on seven hills. The evil of the day is ascribed to the secular and pagan authorities of Rome of that time. Several of these hills became famous in Roman history and the Capitoline hill and the Palatine hill are well know to the student

• f history. The Capitoline hill now hosts the city hall and the Palatine hill is an archeological site.

Important protestant leaders of the reformation saw Rome identified in Revelation to be the evil previously assigned to the Caesars but now ascribed to the evils of the Roman Catholic Church in their day. The Protestant Reformation was more than simply a turn to faith versus works theology but it became a struggle against those who saw the Pope as either the Antichrist or the women who was riding the Roman beast. It is no wonder that the eschatology of the Roman Catholic Church is profoundly different from those who see Catholicism as a fallen women and the harlot church who has committed adultery in all of its historical unions with the kings of Europe if not the whole earth. It was these influences that kept the United States which was early on a protestant nation from recognizing the Vatican diplomatically until the time of Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was raised in a home in which one parent was Catholic. By the 1980′s the strength of Protestantism in America had waned considerably allowing such a move and one seldom even hears the term Protestant used any longer. Only the Baptist Church protested and retained its protestant character. The Roman churches persecution of the protestants and other reformers over the centuries is seen by some to have intoxicated the Roman Church with her own power. If she is truly the women who rides the beast in the book of Revelation then we might look to see her having something to do with the rise

• f the revised Roman Empire. The Treaty of Rome establishing the Common Market and

universally acknowledged as a milestone in the process of unification was signed in Rome in the city Hall on the Capitoline hill. The Treaty of Rome signing ceremony, at the Palazzo dei Conservatori on Capitoline hill occurred under a dramatic painting of Romulus and Remus suckling at the wolf. In the foreground is a gigantic bronze of Pope Urban VIII pope from 1623 to

• 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent

patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions. The photographs of the signing are a compelling mixture of imagery mixing current political affairs with the Roman Catholic Church and ancient Rome.

67 Politics makes Strange Bedfellows

The current theory which considers the Roman Catholic church as a possible candidate for the women who rides the beast is by its nature not only extremely unflattering but damning in its commentary on the errors the church has made over the centuries. The allegory of it being a harlot that has slept with the Kings of the earth states it has prostituted itself for earthly

• gain. It requires a recognition that the Roman Catholic Church is a church however and one

need recognize the vast good it has done both for salvation and social good over time and across the globe. Nevertheless the theory regards it as a corrupt central administration that will in its further pusuit of power and influence help bring to power an end time kingdom and ruler that will in the end despise it and “burn it with fire”. It is not easy to ride a beast and dismount without injury to oneself. During the late 1980′s and 1990′s it was possible to read articles in the news which implied the Roman Catholic Church was an important actor in bringing down the Iron curtain of the cold war era. The election of a Polish Pope set the stage for a confrontation between the Europe of the Roman Catholic church and the atheism of the Russian Empire. Rumors abounded as to possible influence of the Pontiff during the days of the shipyard strikes in Gdansk, Poland.

These early changes in the political landscape were followed with interest because I saw them as the initial changes which would bring down the Iron curtain and allow first Germany and then all of Europe to unite. Many a secular writer in the major news sources of the day expressed profound shock as to the speed with which the iron curtain Warsaw pact empire finally fell. For my part it was an expectation based on a prophetic theory. The Roman Catholic Church it appears became involved in the construction of the European Union in a self interested attempt to fortify its historical and geographical base . The church

• ver the centuries had succeeded in becoming worldwide even as its historical base in

Europe succumbed to secular atheism and capitalistic commercialism. The debate about the entry of an Islamic Turkey into the European Union was discussed in the years just prior to the Lisbon Treaty in multiple visits between the new German Pope and Angela Merkel chancellor of Germany. Germany has remained one of the countries opposing entry of Turkey. The position of the Catholic Church in the public forum is less clear. These articles show that “Yes” indeed the Church used its influence to help bring about the passage

• f the Lisbon Treaty. How much influence the church has had over the complete development of the

European Union extending back to the Treaty of Rome is less clear. It is illustrative that Pope John Paul the II was given the Charlemagne Award in 2004. It was a Pope who crowned Charlemagne in 800 AD. A Pope was at the ceremony for the Coronation of many a Holy Roman Emperor as well as for Napoleon in his time. It would seem that in name at least Charlemagne has reached across the years and awarded the Pope honors not only for his work in this time but for the work of the church

• ver these many centuries .

68 Neither Rome nor the European Union was built in a Day

If one picture is worth a thousand words then this slide is to represent nine thousand words.

The crucial point in the development of the European Union was likely reached with the signing of the Lisbon Treaty and its entry into effect on December 1, 2009. The reason for this evaluation relates to the ability of advancement of the interests of the European Union by mechanisms of the treaty allowing for groups of nations within the European Union to agree to move forward in cooperative action. In the past further integration was allowed for

• nly by the renegotiation of the treaties between ALL members of the European polity

whatever it may have been called at the time i.e European Coal and Steel Community, Common Market, European Community, or as of November 1,1993 the European Union. There has been increased cooperation of the military of Europe using the mechanisms of NATO and the Western European Union which occurred outside of the official channels of the European Union. In this manner the military has moved forward in cooperation with a core group of nations even though members such as Denmark have opted out of the military agreements back at the time of the Maastricht Treaty which was a precursor treaty to the Lisbon Treaty of 2009. The Lisbon Treaty now allows for the increased cooperation of a minimal number of nations to move forward even when others are not interested. The mechanism provided by the Western European Union may no longer be needed. The same ten nations of the Western European Union may form a group for increased cooperative action within the European Union and continue to increase their cooperation. Other nations could then join them. Currently there are sixteen members of the “Eurozone” which is comprised of those nations using the common currency of the European Union called the euro. The current difficulties with the Greek debt debacle may not require the entire reworking of the Lisbon Treaty if they can find the minimal number of nations willing to go forward with ever closer union in order to deal with the issue. (I believe the minimal number required by the Lisbon treaty is determined by both number of nations and population) Undoubtedly the European Union does not wish to have to many of these sub groups as to complicate the governing issues but it does represent a way forward in days of crisis. The European Union has already a core of responsibilities as defined by the Lisbon Treaty

• verlying all of the other multiple circles of power which have arisen historically in the course of

the development of the European Union. Another example would be the Schengen countries which allow passage amongst themselves without continual presentation of a passport. It is a passport free

• zone. At this point the military powers and defense agreements had resided in the Western

European Union but which with ever accelerating determination has been moving into and under the auspices of the European Union. That process will be completed within the next year. We will

discuss more on that later. This slide shows the currency, passport, parliament building ( artistically designed to look like the tower of babel), the flag and parliament in session. Each of these arrived in the history of the European Union at different times. The parliament first met in 1979. The currency was agreed upon in 1995 but was launched in the early part of this decade. The European Union now includes 27 nations and includes most of Western Europe. There has not yet been agreement as to the actual endpoint in expansion for the European Union. Some of the Slavic countries from the break up of Yugoslavia are still in the entry to joining. Turkey and the Ukraine are less likely to join.

69 A Nation of the Leaders by the Leaders and for the Leaders

The consensus appears to be that the European Union should be able to handle future crisis situations or the need for reform without resorting to the intergovernmental conferences of all member states required in the past. There is the ability to deal with change within the framework of the government. the statement by the Princeton University Union Program may also have prophetic implications for those wonder when might we be able to say the Roman Empire is completed and has arrived. According to this article the EU has reached its mature

• state. The Roman Empire might be considered to have arrived. We will discuss this further in

an additional slide.

70 “We Will Have No More Wars”

Georgie Anne Geyer: Price of peace, unity in Europe Published: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 By Georgie Anne Geyer Universal Press Syndicate WASHINGTON — The last time I visited the European Union offices in Brussels its top official quickly got to the core underlying hope for the unity of Europe in this era. “After this, we will have no more wars,” the impressive Spaniard Javier Solana stated firmly, but also with a touch of wonder, “because our states will simply be too intertwined for that to be possible.”Unquestionably, that single noble thought captured the passion behind the determination of many post-World War II Europeans who, since the 1950s, had patiently hammered out the principles and institutions of a united

• Europe. And today, their accomplishments, with 27 members in the EU and 16 members

in the eurozone, are impressive indeed.” In the light of prophecy I am reminded of the comment by the political humorist Ambrose Pierce who said ” the definition of an alliance is to nations with their hands so deeply in each others pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third.”

71 In Need of Crisis and Tragedy

The European Union appears to be in a crisis over the debts of some of its member states. It has been called the worst crisis in its history. How will the EU respond? This article highlights comments by a previous President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi He thinks the EU need a crisis to come to the world stage. Will a crisis some day cause a fast forward move by a core of ten nations of the EU (using its new Lisbon treaty powers) and make it the final dictatorial revised Roman empire of prophecy?

72 Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste.

At least one European leader has said that he thinks the European Union is using the crisis to gain power in the EU for itself. Also an American columnist, Dick Morris, has stated the economic crisis is being used to grab power from the US. In the light of prophecy these are chilling comments. To those who suspect nothing prophetic is

• ccurring they imagine just politics as usual.

73 If it Quacks like a Duck it’s a Duck (Versus) A Rose by any

• ther Name would still

?

If I were a lawyer in court and some one challenged me to prove the profession of a particular person on trial I would see if I could find evidence from the persons own words, then a friend, a foe, and a business partner. Look at the comments on this slide. The accused: EU Commission President Barroso calls EU the “worlds’ first non- imperial empire “ July , 2007 TELEGRAPH UK A Friend: US President George Bush: Sounds like the Roman Empire , The Economist Dec. 2003 A Foe: Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi – who has called it “another Roman empire” July 2009 A Business Partner: Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon ”EU, like Rome before” December 2009 Attorney: I rest my case stand. Judge: Case Closed. May 2010 Addendum: May 24 , 2010 As you already know, ladies and gentlemen, not only am I pleased to be back here in Brussels for the second time as Vice President — as you probably know, some American politicians and American journalists refer to Washington, DC as the “capital of the free world.” But it seems to me that this great city, which boasts 1,000 years of history and which serves as the capital of Belgium, the home of the European Union, and the headquarters for NATO, this city has its own legitimate

claim to that title. United States Vice President Biden called the home city of the European Union “capital of the free world” I would consider that to be circumstantial supporting evidence.

74 How Much Closer Can You Get?

I believe it is proven that Israel is back in the land and that an empire has arisen in Europe that can be called a revision and revival of the earlier Roman Empire. The leaders of the EU are unlikely to say this directly to the people as the Roman Empire has both good and bad connotations. Now that we see both Israel in the land and Rome revised let us consider a little of their interaction. Deutsche World July 21, 2009 The flag which has the Star of David encircled by the 12 Stars of the the EU flag is the symbol of the of the Israel/EU chamber of Commerce. (You cannot get much closely connected than that!) Voltaire .net October 22, 2009 For the second consecutive year, Israeli President Shimon Peres has convened an imposing conference: Facing Tomorrow (Jerusalem, 20-22 October 2009) where 3,500 people were registered. Among the key speakers were British ecologist Baron David Mayer de Rothschild; Skype CEO Josh Silverman; the founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales; spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (who teaches transcendental meditation to Iraqi leaders) and Publicis CEO Maurice Levy. The list of political speakers notably comprised Susan Rice (US Ambassador to the UN), Gjorge Ivanov (President of Macedonia), Stjepan Mesić (President of Croatia), Radosław Sikorski (Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs), José Maria Aznar (former Spanish Prime-Minister), Tony Blair (former British Prime-Minister), Leonid Kuchma (former President of Ukraine). France was represented by Anne-Marie Idrac (Foreign Trade Minister). But it was the round table on “Turning Crisis into Opportunity” that created a sensation. The participants were artificial intelligence specialist Raymond Kurzweil (member of the US Army Science Advisory Board), French essayist Bernard-Henri Levy, jurist Ruth Gavinson (former member of the Winograd Commission) and diplomat Javier Solana (former NATO Secretary- General and, currently, High Representative of the European Union. A very fit Solana declared: “Allow me to say that Israel is a member of the European Union without being a member of its institutions”. He added that Israel is an “integral part of all EU

programmes”, contributing with its eminent know-how in leading technologies. He pointed out that while not being a candidate for admission, Israel has closer ties to the European Union than even those countries which are poised for membership. He assured the audience that Brussels was doing its utmost on the Iranian issue. He concluded by saying that Israel was not responsible for the sluggish pace of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which was simply due to a problem of methodology.

75 Follow the Money

We have Israel back in the land. There is also the European Union arising at the same time . We have seen that the EU reminds the elite rulers of the world of the earlier ancient Roman

• Empire. We are ready now o consider the other aspects of prophecy that we would expect to

present themselves to our view if prophecy were being fulfilled. To consider these things we need to go back and look at the history of the European Union in greater detail. Economics Let us take a close look at the introduction of the Euro as a currency. The currency was under planning and preparation for many years. The name ‘euro’ was adopted for the new European currency by the Fifteen at the Madrid European Council December 1995. Hans van den Broek, Member of the European Commission Jacques Santer, President of the European Commission; Felipe González, Spanish Prime Minister; and Javier Solana, Spanish Foreign Minister. You may identify each of these leaders in the photo from 1995. The 1992 Maastricht Treaty obliged all EU member states to adopt the euro upon meeting certain monetary and budgetary requirements, however, not all states had done so. The United Kingdom and Denmark negotiated exemptions while Sweden turned down the euro in a 2003 referendum, and has circumvented the obligation to adopt the euro by not meeting the monetary and budgetary

• requirements. All nations that have joined the EU since the 1993 have pledged to adopt the euro in

due course. The euro to date has been successful as of May 2010 it has come under some concern because of the debt to income ratios of some of the members of the “Euro club”. Greece as well as some of the

• ther nations after meeting the criteria for entry ceased to hold to those criteria and expanded debt

beyond that which was initially considered necessary for the stability of the euro. The economic problems which arise from having a common currency but inadequate budgetary controls over the nations using the currency has led to calls for central budgetary oversight from the EU in Brussels.

76 Many Beginnings

This slide is to introduce some history of the EU which will be helpful in understanding some potential prophetic implications. Left Top: Shumen agreement 1952 in Paris, This was the start of some of the earliest agreements to pool the coal and steel industries of Europe. It was felt that if the countries means to make industry were linked then they would be less likely to ever go to war against each other. Right Top: Treaty of Rome 1958, This set up the Common Market of the initial five nations Left Bottom: Constitution of 2005, Also signed in Rome (Failed to pass national referendums) The Constitution would have served to establish a true Union based on the electoral process. Because the French and Danish voted “No”. The EU instead had to move forward using the process

• f Treaty.

Right Bottom, The Lisbon Treaty, (same as the Constitution of 2005 according to Valery Giscard d’Estaing former Prime Minister of France who helped draft the Constitution of 2005) Timeline Note : The WEU started in 1948 and preceded both NATO and the EU and continues within the European Union to the present. The WEU was a precipitating event to the formation of NATO. Those who were desirous of the United States remaining involed with Europe helped initiate the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

It was said about NATO “NATO was designed to keep the “Russians Out”, “The United States In”, and “the Germans Down”. The Western European Union is a military alliance which started in 1948. It began with France, Britain and the Benelux Countries. The initial treaty was called the Brussels Treaty Powers but over time the alliance grew and its name was changed to the Western European Union. It is a mutual defense pact. The State of Israel was initiated in 1948 and the European Union traces its earliest beginnings to 1948 as well. Those who believed the Bible showed that ”the restoration

• f Palestine to the Jews is closely connected with the revival of the Roman Empire”

seems to have been correct.

77 Who Leads Europe?

These pictures show the ruling bodies of the European Union. The ruling body of the WEU is also

• shown. The WEU was the initiating organization which began the long process of formation of the

EU. The WEU has been undergoing a process of being brought into the EU since 1999. The process of assimilation is nearly complete. Lower Left: Council of the WEU (began 1948) Lower Right: Council of the European Union ( began 1957) Upper Left: Parliament of the European Union ( began 1979) Upper Right: European Union Commission (began 1951)

78 Making Sense of Byzantium

These pictures show the ruling bodies of the EU reduced to the organizational essentials. Each

• f the organizations has a President.

The EU Council represents the leadership of each of the 27 nations. The prime Minister of each country has a seat at the table. One of these Prime Ministers serves as the president of the council rotating every 6 months on a prearranged schedule. The Lisbon Treaty of 2009 has added an additional president serving 2 1/2 years. The rotating 6 month presidents continue to serve. Because the new president designated by the Lisbon Treaty is elected by the 27 Prime Ministers and because he serves for 2 and 1/2 years compared to the non elected 6 month serving presidents the new president is becoming the more powerful position. Their is also a Secretary General appointed by the EU Council who has served as the day to day executive. The EU Parliament has approximately 700 plus members elected directly for local elections in all the 27 nations across the EU. The Parliament elects a president. The EU commission has a president elected by the EU Council and approved by the EU Parliament. The WEU has grown to ten full members plus the additional members of the EU for a total of 27. It has a Council as well as its own parliament. It has a president who also serves 6 month terms. The position rotates only among the ten nations who are full members. Their is also a Secretary General appointed by the WEU Council who serves as the actual functional day to day leader. It is apparent to many observers that the EU government with these four groupings is “Byzantine”. It is difficult to know who will take full charge in a crisis (aka war) . Much depends on force of personality. Much to this day is being worked out.

79 A Glimpse of Pride

Let us now take a look at the history and development of the military of the European Union. The slide shows the military marching for the first time with all 27 member states represented. They were invited to the Bastille day celebrations in Paris July 14, 2007. They had been invited by the French Prime Minister in celebration of the Lisbon Treaty initiated just weeks before. It still remained for each of the 27 nations to approve back home but the plans were underway. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France is seen speaking with Javier Solana the then serving Secretary General of the EU Council and Secretary General of the WEU. (It was Javier Solana’s birthday and not just the birthday of France.) The military mutual defense pact of the WEU is gradually being replaced by the Lisbon Treaty which has similar defense components. It is still a work in progress. The WEU has a European

Defense Agency, a Defense College, A Satellite Center, and a think tank. There is a separate command center. In essence there are all of the components of a military industrial complex developing for Europe. The degree to which it is functional has not been

• tested. In addition in the event of war the WEU and the EU would draw on all of the

military capabilities of the European countries. France and Britain are nuclear powers.

80 WEU before EU

A review of the history of the Western European Union will be helpful. It has been an

• rganization largely unnoticed by casual observers of European politics. The first slide shows

the flag of the WEU which displays the ten stars of its member states. The EU flag has 12 stars. The second slide is a quote by the Czech President acknowledging that the EU had its beginnings

in the WEU. The third slide is from the 2010 handbook for the European Common Foreign and Defense Policy. It acknowledges the WEU in 1954 as it expanded as an important part of the history of the development of the EU.

81 WEU goes active!

We see that the Western European Union became the defense agreement of Europe first as the Brussels Treaty Powers and then as the Western European Union. NATO was started soon afterwards SPECIFICALLY to help keep the other western nations linked to the protection of

• Europe. The cold war and the rise of the Warsaw pact in eastern Europe led by the USSR

became the foil for NATO and while the Western European Union grew larger by adding

members it became a hidden shadow alliance and NATO was in the spotlight. In the one slide you may see the headquarters of the WEU and a meeting of the Council. The Council had nine voting members from the nine full members at the end of 1994. The WEU enjoyed a renewed interest in the mid 1990′s when there was a growing desire to provide a unique military for Europe. The year 1995 was a busy year for the Western European Union. May 15, 1995, in Lisbon the Western European Union (WEU) Council of Ministers of France, Italy, Portugal and Spain established two multinational forces, a ground force (Eurofor) and a maritime force (Euromarfor). Among the initiators of these new forces was a rising figure in European affairs the Spaniard Javier Solana . He may be seen in the front row. You may read an article he wrote for a major Spanish newspaper “El Pais”. In the article he called for bringing the Western European Union into the European Union.

82 Greece makes TEN!

In 1995 the western European Union grew to ten Members. Greece was the next nation of Europe to join as a full member. Greece became a member of the WEU in 1995 the very year that some such as Javier Solana were beginning to campaign for bringing the WEU into the

• EU. The European Union came into existence on November 1, 1993 and was looking to

develop a military capacity of its own. We have seen that in May 1995 they started building both a maritime and land based force. The Western European Union was certainly developing under the radar as far as most of the rest of the world was concerned. It was part of the slightly hidden arena of world diplomacy and treaties. Only a few Christians noticed the arrival of this ten nation

• grouping. Herb Peters wondered about this ten nation military alliance in Europe. and

asked could these be the ten horns of Daniel? Some writers in the years past had written about the meaning of the ten horns in the book of Daniel. They surmised that even as the horns of the goat and the ram in another dream in Daniel represented military power

so too might these ten horns represent military power. Were the ten kingdoms of the WEU the ten horns of the book of Daniel. It was suspicious enough all by itself but it was now a reasonable question for a Christian to ask because Israel was back in the land.

83 Not so fast! Join NATO First

In May 1995, 18 former ambassadors wrote to then-secretary of State Warren Christopher recommending that he examine the possibility of offering the East-Central European states membership in WEU, the nascent defensive alliance of the European Union, instead of in

• NATO. In July, then-assistant secretary for European Affairs Richard C. Holbrooke rejected

this recommendation because “it fails to satisfy the desire of the Central Europeans for full integration into Western structures, which include the United States.” He added, “Offering full membership in the WEU to non-NATO countries would deeply damage Western

institutions and especially NATO.” Holbrooke went on: “The close link between the respective Article V commitments {to regard an attack on one signatory as an attack on all the others} of the WEU and NATO means that any nation which joins the WEU as a full member has a de facto `back door’ security guarantee from NATO as well . . . {T}o avoid such problems . . . . the U.S. and most other Allies believe that any full member of the WEU must also be a full member of NATO.” It was decided that before the WEU grew bigger the nations of eastern Europe would join NATO

• first. What was Europe to do? Who could do this for Europe?

84 Victim of “political murder ?

In September 1994, Mr. Claes was nominated by NATO Foreign Ministers to succeed Manfred Wörner as Secretary General of NATO. He took up his appointment as Secretary General on 17 October 1994. New mission In February 1995, former Nato secretary-general Willy Claes defined the new role of the military alliance as confronting the “threat of Islamic fundamentalism”. But this statement, which was presented in an awkward manner, provoked a wave of public anger throughout the Islamic world, forcing Washington to dismiss it out of hand. Oct 7, 1995 CHIEF SAYS HE IS INNOCENT, WON’T STEP DOWN Evidence against him is purely circumstantial The committee decided narrowly in favor of prosecution, a vote of 6 to 5. Thursday’s parliamentary appearance will force Mr. Claes to miss two vital meetings at NATO headquarters, underscoring how the affair was hindering his ability to lead the alliance October 22, 1995 - Former NATO Secretary-General Willy Claes abruptly resigned to face corruption charges In resigning, Claes said he was a victim of “political murder” and was innocent October 24, 1995 As NATO Searches For Its New Leader : Chess Match Begins

NATO saw little prospect on Monday of quickly finding a new secretary-general for the alliance as consultations failed to produce a consensus on either of two leading candidates. U.S. Blocks Lubbers From NATO Post; Dutch Withdraw Candidacy of Ex-Premier Backed by Europeans. Christopher in Madrid, hails NATO selection MADRID – The United States backed Spain’s foreign minister as the new NATO chief in part because of Spain’s contribution of troops and planes to Bosnia, Secretary of State Warren Christopher said yesterday. Willy Claes was succeeded by Mr. Javier Solana in December 1995. The pictures in the slide show the first day of Javier Solana on the job as Secretary General of NATO as well as other important events and visitors between 1995 and

• 1999. One picture shows President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madelyn

Albright standing with Javier Solana. In 2010 Madelyn Albright has been working with NATO on a new document outlining a mission statement and process for the next decade of NATO.

85 A Brilliant Diplomat Chosen to Lead NATO

USA Minister of Defence Warren M. Christopher welcomes the NATO Secretary-General to be, the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs Javier Solana at a NATO meeting in Brussels DEC. 5, 1995. 1995 was a busy year for Javier Solana. In May he helped initiate the new military forces for the

• WEU. Next in the summer and Fall of 1995 he negotiated successfully in the start of a major

diplomatic initiative for the EU. Both Israel and Syria needed persuasion to enter into the Barcelona Euro-Mediterranean conference. His persuasion in getting these two antagonistic nations to sign up impressed others and led to his appointment as NATO chief. Javier Solana was now going to be able to help bring about the growth of the WEU by helping NATO grow first. The world was rejoicing at the fall of the Russian empire and hoped to see a new time of world peace. Hall Garner recognized the world was at a dangerous crossroads and he wrote a book of that title.

86 U(s) Paid so NATO could expand so WEU could join EU

Paris Summit , NATO signed a Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security. Both sides state they do not see each other as adversaries, and have political commitment to cooperate at creating “lasting and inclusive” peace in Euro-Atlantic area. Solana was given a standing ovation on returning to NATO headquarters. It is reported that as Yeltsin ran for reelection he said he should be elected because he was the only

• ne who could stand up to Solana.

Map of NATO expansion The Green countries are Partnership for Peace The Brown countries were in a Mediterranean Dialogue. Most of the Partnership countries had large amounts of American money spent to make them militarily compatible with NATO. The US essentially has paid to enlarge NATO so that they might also join the WEU so that they might join the EU

87 Dark Eyes,seductive shrug, clever politician and diplomat.

February 22, 1997 Byline: Steven Erlanger The New York Times Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright tried to assure President Boris N. Yeltsin and the Russian people Friday that NATO is “no longer a situation of you vs. us,” but she seemed to make little headway in easing Moscow’s anxiety about expansion of the Western alliance. Albright took her campaign to satisfy Russian concerns to Yeltsin’s Kremlin office in a 50- minute meeting, his first with a senior American official since July. She tried to make her case for a new, benign NATO to the Russian public in a news conference. But Foreign Minister Yevgeny M. Primakov said Friday that Russia remained (unconvinced).

New York Times November 9, 1997 “ A physicist with the dark eyes and seductive shrug of a Mastroanni, Mr. Solana is well known in Europe as a clever politician and diplomat. ”Solana is NATO with warm and fuzzy feelings,” said Charles A. Kupchan, professor of international relations at Georgetown University. ”He puts his arm around your shoulder and holds your hand. He’s especially appropriate for the enlargement debate because he makes everyone feel included. But his biggest diplomatic coup was playing deal maker in coaxing Moscow to agree last May to enter into a new partnership with NATO. When the Russian Foreign Minister, Yevgeny M. Primakov, initially dismissed him as an American puppet and resisted meeting him, Mr. Solana knew exactly what to do. He won the full backing — in writing — of NATO’s political arm and relentlessly wooed the Russians, sending Mr. Primakov a bottle of Carlos Primero brandy along the way. When agreement was reached, he told the Russians he ”wanted to celebrate” by touring Russia on his annual August vacation with his wife and two children. ”I told them I wanted my kids to know this great country while they were young,” he said. ”You have to show respect. We’re talking about a great country, a great people who have suffered so

• much. They were so moved. Yeltsin put his personal plane at my disposal.”

But Mr. Solana’s charm can deceive. Even NATO diplomats with extraordinary sang-froid acknowledge his fiery temper can rattle them.

88 The power of this man was more than equal to the power of the moment.

Speech by Secretary of Defense William Cohen September 1997 “The Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award is the highest civilian award given by the United States Department of Defense. This award and accompanying Distinguished Civilian Service Medal is the Department’s highest award given to career DoD civilian employees whose careers reflect exceptional devotion to duty and whose contributions to the efficiency, economy, or other improvements in DoD

• perations are of a significantly broad scope let me express to all of you my thanks for

being here to pay tribute to a special man. Somerset Maugham once said that “the secret of Spain’s greatness lay not in its culture but in the leaders that it produces. The preeminence in Spain,” he wrote, “is in its preeminence of character.” He said, “In Spain it’s the men that are the poems, the pictures, the buildings and the philosophies. The Spanish excel in what is greater than art in man.” So today we’re taking just a few moments to express our gratitude and appreciation to

• ne of the great men, indeed one of the great leaders that Spain has produced. He’s a

leader whose career reflects excellence not only in that rarified world of theoretical physics but in the rough hewn world of politics….. He faced the immediate task of coordinating what was then the largest military deployment ever undertaken by NATO, a multinational force of 60,000 soldiers preparing to enter Bosnia. General Clark is here to bear witness to the leadership that Javier exhibited at that time He faced the unexpected opportunity of re-integrating France into NATO’s active military operations after an absence of nearly three decades. He faced the historic challenges of expanding the membership of NATO, of reaching

• ut to embrace old foes as allies and redefining NATO’s mission to prepare for a new

century. And more than any other individual in our alliance, the man that we honor today helped to accomplish all of those goals and more…. So while we honor him for bringing the reborn nations of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland into NATO, we also thank him for his vision and vigilance that he brought to the growing partnership with nations beyond NATO such as Russia and Ukraine and more. The poet Matthew Arnold once observed that “for the creation of a masterpiece two powers must concur. The power of the moment and the power of the man.“…But Javier, in the eye of this unexpected storm, maintained his focus and he used his talents to create a diplomacy, a masterpiece of diplomacy that will be studied for years to come….

Indeed, we are fortunate that the power of this man was more than equal to the power of the moment….. “Mr. Solana oversaw the development of NATO’s relations with Russia and the Ukraine; the strengthening of NATO’s Partnership for Peace; and the building of a foundation for European security and defense identity strongly linked to the alliance…….. NATO Secretary General Javier Solana (right) is escorted by Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (left) as he inspects the joint services honor guard at the Pentagon on Sept. 23, 1999. Cohen is honoring the outgoing Solana for his leadership of NATO over the past four years.

89 Success at NATO

The first slide shows the global reach of NATO and countries in association and dialogue. The two photos show the two ceremonies where the new nations entered NATO. One of the ceremonies was in the White House in 2004. The following description of the duties of the Secretary General of NATO gives an idea of the extent of the difficulties of the job as well as the type of skills learned. After serving in this position a Secretary General certainly knows the military its strengths and weaknesses. The NATO Secretary General chairs several of the senior decision-making bodies of NATO. In addition to the North Atlantic Council, he chairs the Defence Planning Committee and the Nuclear Planning Committee, two of NATO’s important military organizations. The Secretary General also leads the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the Mediterranean Cooperation Group, and serves as Join Chairman of the Permanent Joint Council and the NATO-Ukraine Commission. In a second role, the Secretary General leads the staff of NATO. He directs the International Staff of the organization, and the Office of the Secretary General. The Secretary General also directs his or her own Private Office. All of these bodies draw personnel from all members of NATO, so the Secretary General must carefully coordinate. For assistance in his responsibilities, the Secretary General also has a deputy appointed by the organization. The last slide shows Javier Solana’s last day in Office in 1999 meeting the Spanish Press.

90 Move the WEU to the EU? Germans and French get the Credit.

From the debate discussed in this article one would think it was a new proposal. We have already read an article by Javier Solana in “El Pais” in 1995 suggesting blending the WEU into the EU. Exactly where the idea originated is difficult to determine but in order for the proposal to fly Germany and France would certainly need to be on board. This was controversial for some nations. Tony Blair was essential for gently guiding Britain further in military integration in the EU.