There is no doubt from a scriptural perspective that Europe is to draw ever closer together, while Britain is to exit the Union. We don’t come to this conclusion due to any political prognostication prowess, by reading geopolitical tealeaves, or European entrails. Rather it is the clear indication of the scriptures.

The prophecies of Ezekiel clearly indicate that nations who come to destroy Israel at the time of the end are a conglomeration, largely European lead by Russia:

“Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.” (Ezekiel 38:2–7)

The nations that cover the geographical area of Russia (Rosh), Moscow (Meshech), Eastern Europe (Magog), and France & Germany (Gomer), along with Iran, Libya and Ethiopia are the ones who unite in a final crusade against what the Almighty terms, “my people of Israel” in v16. This prophecy is paralleled in Daniel where he describes two opposing powers – the King of the North and the King of the South:

“And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.” (Daniel 11:40–42)

The King of the North equates with the Gogian confederacy of Europe which is to enter the glorious land (Israel), and is opposed by the King of the South. In Ezekiel the King of he South are the merchant nations linked with Arabia, who protest the invasion:

“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Ezekiel 38:13)

Britain is the Tarshish power, united with her independent whelps, the young lions who do not participate with the invading force, but protest against it. They are united with Sheba and Dedan, the nations who cover the geographical territory of Arabia – who we know today as the Gulf States.

That is the clear picture of the Scriptures. It matters not what current events are presently displaying, this will be the picture at “the time of the end”. Added to this is the prophecy of Revelation 17, where the nations of Europe are united together in what is described as “the beast” under the influence of a false religious system termed “the Harlot.” Eventually, their crusade into the Middle East, their hatred of God’s people, and their desire not to be brought under the yoke of the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns to set up God’s kingdom, which will crush all worldly kingdom’s will bring them into direct conflict with Christ, a conflict they will lose:

“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14)

On the other hand, the mercantile nations associate with Tarshish and Sheba will submit to the rule of Christ:

It is for this reason that Bible Students have been predicting and ever closer European Union, and Britain’s departure from it. This is why it is so exciting to watch the Bible in the News as we see the nations being prepared for their roles at the time of the end.

Gomer and Rosh Drawing Ever Closer Together

The Terrorist attacks in France and Belgium have helped France and Russia draw closer together.

It was fascinating to see headlines in the news this week where France is calling for an end to the anti-Russian sanctions in Europe. Members of the Republicans Party in France called for a parliamentary debate calling for an end to EU Sanctions. Marc Le Fur, of France's Union for a Popular Movement, told the French Assembly:

"We are demanding to lift the sanctions because they are totally ineffective and they are dangerous for our economy, let's say it clearly: lifting of the sanctions is necessary, desirable and we are demanding the government take measures at national and European levels to rapidly improve the difficult situation we are in now.”

Before the vote was taken, Thierry Mariani told Russia Today reporters:

"Let's be honest here: it's up to Europe to decide, and in order for it to do so one country must have the guts to say 'enough, I'm out!' If Europe shows Kiev that we are no longer the prisoners of its government, that after all we have paid the price of solidarity, we introduced the sanctions and it's time to lift them since they do no good and they only hurt us, I guess then and only then things are going to improve."

The French then took a non-binding vote, but one that nonetheless gives insight into where France is at when it comes to Russia, and leads the way for other nations to follow suit.

Another indication of this is that while NATO is provoking Russia with its buildup of troops in Eastern Europe, France is cooperating with Russia militarily, both in Syria, but also in Europe itself. The Russian publication Sputnik carried an article this past week entitled, “Russia to Conduct Observation Flight Over France Under Open Skies Treaty.”  While America is moving toward re-entrenching itself against Russian aggression, France seems to be more interested in placating its new protector. The article stated:

" As part of the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian inspection team plans to carry out an observation flight on a Russian An-30 plane over the territory of the French Republic…. Carrying out observation flights under the agreement promotes greater openness and transparency in the military activities of the treaty states parties. This will be the eleventh Russian observation flight in 2016."

A while ago, in an interview on the program Uncommon Knowledge, hosted by Peter Robinson, former British Minister of Defense, Liam Fox stated

“In terms of the military relationship, NATO has done the easy bit stopping military defense cooperation with Russia. The really important part, would be to stop industrial defense cooperation with Russia, and that becomes a big problem, particularly for France.”

The problem is France is too closely tied to Russia due to defense contracts. During the same interview he commented that Germany is also too close economically to Russia to pull in a different direction:

“… it is true that countries, particularly Germany, are very very closely linked industrially, and in terms of energy supply to Russia. The deal that former chancellor Schroeder did, put Germany very much with the Russian energy noose around its neck.”

So both France and Germany are locked in with Russia.

NATO and Russia become more Hostile

Meanwhile, the threats between NATO, of which France and Germany are currently members, and Russia, are growing, and are translating into dangerous actions. There have been multiple close proximity aggressive fly-bys made by Russian fighter jets against American warships in international waters, but close to Russia’s territory in the Baltic Sea and elsewhere over the past few weeks.

The US Naval Institute reported this week:

The Baltic Sea region has emerged as one of the friction zones between an aggressive Russia and the United States and its NATO allies in northeastern Europe. Recently the USS Donald Cook was twice buzzed by Russian Sukhoi Su-24 Fencers during an exercise in the Baltic Sea. The Cook incident is just the most recent of a string of close encounters between Russia and the West at sea and in the air over the Baltic Sea over the last two years.

Commenting on this recent aggression, author Sabastian Gorka stated, answering a question as to why the Russians would do this stated:

“Because they are probing. This is classic Cold War strategy. Remember Vladimir Putin was a colonel in KGB, so he is just testing, constantly prodding, prodding our chest, and he sees us do nothing he fills that vacuum. This is why he invaded Crimea, this is why he is intimidating people all across the area, around the Baltic, this is why he moved into the Middle East. Classic Cold War Tactic…

Remember those states, the Baltic states, that are members of NATO now, they were taken over by the Soviet Union, they were forced to be part of the USSR, they are very afraid right now.” 

Another voice in this debate is again the former British Defense Minister, Liam Fox, who stated of Putin,

“…he is sending a clear message to NATO, that Russia in areas that it regards as its near abroad, will reserve the right to act militarily. We’ve seen it in Georgia, and we did nothing in Georgia. I hear still, and was in Washington recently, and people were saying, “Putin is misreading the signals”, Putin is not misreading the signals, Putin is perfectly reading the signals. He understood what it was when we did nothing about the red lines in Syria. He understood the West’s inactivity over Georgia, and when the Ukraine was being blackmailed with gas supplies and costs. In all these things we did nothing, and he understood perfectly what that allowed him to do.”

So for the longest time, as the west stood back and did nothing, Putin was expanding… and now is pushing further. The argument is that NATO and the West have to re-engage in a push back of Putin, that could involve war. Liam went on to state:

“I think there needs to be a re-awakening in Europe, as we discussed earlier, about the values that need to be defended. Some of the countries in Poland, some of the former east European countries who lived under the Soviet yoke, need to recognize that peace and security are not a natural state of affairs. Chaos and disorder is the natural state of affairs. If we want to keep what we achieved in recent decades, we’re going to have to fight afresh for them. In fact, every new generation has to fight for them as the one before did.”

This prediction is becoming a reality. Reuters has reported that Russia is stepping up its military presence in the Baltic area of Europe due to NATO increasing its strength in the area, in an article dated May 5, 2016 the following was reported:

Russia will reinforce its western and southern flanks with three new divisions by the year-end, officials said on Wednesday, threatening retaliation to NATO's plans to boost its military presence in eastern members Poland and the Baltic States.

Russia announced in January it would create three new military divisions and bring five new strategic nuclear missile regiments into service.

On Wednesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the new divisions would be formed by the end of this year to counter what Moscow saw as NATO's growing strength.

Russian media, citing unnamed military sources, said the new Russian divisions would most likely be motorised rifle ones and number around 10,000 soldiers each.

So, Russia is bringing 30,000 troops into the European arena, along with creating five new strategic nuclear missile regiments. This to counter the 4,500 NATO troops earlier reported being deployed into the area.

In response to this, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter had the following to stay in Stuttgart, Germany.

“Despite the progress we’ve made together since the end of the Cold War, Russia has in recent years, appeared intent to erode the principle of international order…. Russia continues to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, and actively seeks to intimidate its Baltic neighbors. At sea, in the air, in space, and in cyberspace Russian actors have engaged in challenging international norms. And most disturbing, Moscow’s Nuclear cyber rattling raises troubling questions about Russia’s leader’s commitments to strategic stability. Their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons. And whether they respect the profound caution that Nuclear Age leaders showed with regards to the brandishing of nuclear weapons.”

However, America and NATO are having a job keeping up. US Naval Forces commander in Europe, Admiral Mark Ferguson, told CNN:

We're seeing [the Russians] have more advanced weapons systems, missile systems that can attack land at long ranges, and we also see their operating proficiency is getting better as they range farther from home waters.

Adding…

"We cannot maintain 100 percent awareness of Russian sub activity today. Our attack subs are better, but not by much. Russian subs pose an existential threat to US carrier groups."

So while France is cozying up to Russia, NATO is becoming more hostile, signifying that NATO and some of the EU nations may be pulling in different directions. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is comprised of nations such as the USA and UK who are the greatest contributors along with France. Yet NATO seems to be becoming very disjointed as key players pull in different directions.

A European Army

So while NATO founders, US presidential candidate, Donald Trump has suggested that he would pull the USA out of NATO. A great furore was raised this last week with reports of Germany pushing for a European army again. Russia Today reported:

Brexiteers campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union are incensed at leaked German plans for an EU army, arguing that an additional center of European defense would see the US withdraw NATO funding.

Their comments come after German plans for a European military HQ and the pooling of equipment to serve such a force came to light.

Former British Foreign Secretary Lord Owen warned the move could see the US withdraw funding from NATO.

“What is needed is a far greater European commitment to NATO, not the creation of a military establishment within a dysfunctional European Union,” he told the Times (newspaper).

This concept is playing into the British debate on exiting Europe. Former British prime minister Tony Blair clarified this fact, writing in Newsweek magazine in January:

“I would argue that in the medium term, there will be a growing requirement for Europe to build defense capability.

“That force would not supplant NATO but would have the independent ability to take military action at times when Europe’s security interests are threatened when the US may decide not to be involved,” he said.

The idea the of British army being put under the control of the European Union, to be deployed without the assent of the British Parliament is galling to many Brits.

Britain Leaving Europe

Where is this all heading? Eventually, to Armageddon, but there are a few shifts that have to take place first.

The Bible gives the clear answer as to where the players must be. There is to be a break between Britain and the EU politically. There is to be an alliance between Russia, Germany and France militarily. Therefore NATO must dissolve, or at least shed some of its partners, and Britain must leave Europe.

There is a referendum in June about a British Exit from Europe, termed the BREXIT. While we don’t know the outcome of this referendum, we do know the situation that will exist at the time of the end. This referendum may just be a milestone in getting Britain to the position the Bible requires of it.

It was interesting in the past few weeks to see even Obama weigh in on the debate, in comments that have been branded as extreme arrogant hypocrisy  when he stated:

“I think it is fair to say that maybe, some point down the line there may be a UK-US trade agreement, but it is not going to happen any time soon, because our focus is in negotiating with a big block of the European Union to get a trade agreement done. UK’s going to be in the back of the queue, not because we don’t have a special relationship, but because given the heavy lift on any trade agreement, us having access to a big market, with a lot of countries, rather than trying to do piecemeal trade agreements is hugely inefficient.

Of course, by the time the dust settles, Obama will no longer be President, and his opinion will be irrelevant. However, Obama’s threats have lit a fire amongst many in Britain who now see more clearly the need for Britain to exit, especially on the issue of taxation without any meaningful representation.

Australia has also waded in on the debate, when Senator Paterson urged Britain to leave the EU, stating that a BREXIT would benefit the Commonwealth (aka, young lion nations):

"A free trade agreement between Australia and the United Kingdom cannot be negotiated because the United Kingdom has no freedom to determine its own trade policies. An agreement for the free movement of peoples between the Commonwealth countries such as Britain, New Zealand, Australia and Canada also cannot be negotiated because Britain has no freedom to determine those policies. I urge the people of the United Kingdom to consider very carefully their vote on the 23rd of June. It us up to you to decide whether you remain or whether you leave. But rest assured, that your friends around the world, including in Australia, would welcome you back into the international community, outside of the European Union, and you would have a strong, prosperous, and stable relationship with us if you chose to do so.”

So according to one of the Young Lions, a BREXIT would strengthen the young lion relationship. We will watch with great interest the events of May and June regarding Britain and the Bible in the News. How much longer it will be before the Lord will return and call together those who have made covenant with him by sacrifice, we cannot say, but we see the pieces shifting rapidly all over the chessboard, signalling that the Lord is at the door.