This week France’s president, Emmanuel Macron made the statement:

“What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO”

This statement was part of a lengthy interview hosted by the Economist which we would like to examine in the light of Bible prophecy in this week’s Bible in the News. 

Macron has been an outspoken critic of NATO and the USA’s role in Europe. This week his comments were crystalized and caused great consternation across the world, and amongst some of his European counterparts. However, what he is saying is in keeping with what the prophets predicted many years ago.

Macron see’s the European Union as a miracle:

This continent has the greatest geographical concentration of cultural and linguistic diversity. Which explains why, for almost two millennia, Europe was rocked by constant civil wars. And over the past 70 years we’ve achieved a minor geopolitical, historical and civilisational miracle: a political equation free of hegemony which permits peace.

He is correct. Language was invented by the Angels as a method of dividing men and confounding their ambitions of making “a name” for themselves by building the Babylon community after the flood:

“And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.” (Genesis 11:6–8)

This was the linguistic regulation put in place keep nations divided. However, the prophets spoke of a time when different European nations would combine once again to complete building the Babylonian community. Revelation records this phenomenon:

“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” (Revelation 17:12–13)

The European kingdoms would combine by “having one mind”. That is what the European Union has miraculously achieved.  Britain is wrestling through BREXIT because it is not of one mind with the European nations who form the Beast. The rest of the nations are on track to pull together.

Europe Re-Thinking NATO

However, this grand design has some roadblocks that stand in its way. These are the other alliances the nations of Europe are currently participants in. One of which is NATO.

Macron described NATO’s genesis in these terms:

NATO was designed in response to an enemy: the Warsaw Pact. In 1990 we didn’t reassess this geopolitical project in the slightest when our initial enemy vanished. The unarticulated assumption is that the enemy is still Russia…. So, the question about the present purpose of NATO is a real question that needs to be asked.

He stated that what was needed was an aggiornamento. I had to look this word up to properly understand its meaning. The dictionary stated:

Aggiornamento (Italian) "bringing up to date", was one of the key words used during the Second Vatican Council both by bishops and the clergy attending the sessions, and by the media and Vaticanologists covering it.

Interesting that he should use this word, one of the “key words” of Vatican II to describe the need for an update of Europe’s relationship with NATO.

He is clear on why he believes an update is needed:

We find ourselves for the first time with an American president who doesn’t share our idea of the European project, and American policy is diverging from this project. We need to draw conclusions from the consequences. The consequences, we can see them in Syria at the moment: the ultimate guarantor, the umbrella which made Europe stronger, no longer has the same relationship with Europe. Which means that our defence, our security, elements of our sovereignty, must be re-thought through. I didn’t wait for Syria to do this. Since I took office I’ve championed the notion of European military and technological sovereignty.

He sees America with a completely different outlook on the Europe project, (which we could call the Babylon project). This makes perfect sense. At the time of the end America sits in an entirely different camp that the Europeans. Europe will comprise the “beast” who is directed by the Vatican, the harlot of Revelation:

“So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:3–5)

This conglomeration deprecated in Revelation is destined to make war with the Lord Jesus Christ, while the Tarshish nations (America and Britain) will be subservient in the end as we read in Psalm 72.

America (and Britain for that fact) view the Europe Union as a market, a place to do business. Macron has a view of Europe:

Europe was built on this notion that we would pool the things we had been fighting over: coal and steel. It then structured itself as a community, which is not merely a market, it’s a political project. But a series of phenomena have left us on the edge of a precipice. In the first place, Europe has lost track of its history. Europe has forgotten that it is a community, by increasingly thinking of itself as a market, with expansion as its end purpose. This is a fundamental mistake, because it has reduced the political scope of its project, essentially since the 1990s. A market is not a community. A community is stronger: it has notions of solidarity, of convergence, which we’ve lost, and of political thought.

This notion of market verses community has been played out in the name of the EU, moving from the “European Common Market” to the “European Economic Community” to the “European Union.” The first is purely commercial viewing Europe as a “market”. The second has both elements of “economy” and “community”. The final version has dropped the reference to economy at all.

The Western view of the EU is very different from its view of itself.

Europe's Separation from America

Macron sees a divorce from America as necessary, or at least a “separation.”  There is a completely different outlook on what Europe is and what NATO is. NATO nations were bound together by Article 5 which states:

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.

This premise has become very frayed. America believes the European nations have not held up their end of the bargain, letting their armies fall into disarray, and leaving America to foot the bill. President Trump has made it clear that for NATO to survive the nations of Europe need to step up to the plate. Macron, highlighted America’s changing attitude when he stated:

In my discussions with President Trump when he says, “It’s your neighbourhood, not mine”; when he states publicly, “The terrorists, the jihadists that are over there, they’re European, they’re not American”; when he says, “It’s their problem, not mine”—we must hear what he’s saying. He’s stating a fact. It simply means what was only implicit under NATO until now: I am no longer prepared to pay for and guarantee a security system for them, and so just “wake up”.

Macron is taking that statement seriously, and using it to push his agenda of disconnecting from NATO and building a sovereign European army.

A Sovereign European Army

The concept of a European army is no surprise to Bible students, it is, in fact, a prophetic requirement. Consider the words of Revelation 17:

These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” (Revelation 17: 13)

The definition for the word power in Strong’s Concordance includes:

 “The power and influence which belong to riches and wealth. Power and resources arising from numbers. Power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts”

Giving their power is both economic, but also military. The nations of Europe are destined to combine their military power. This concept is born out by the words of Ezekiel when he describes the Russo-European host that comes down into Israel at the time of the end.

“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:” (Ezekiel 38:4)

It includes Gomer and all his bands (the area of France and Germany) and the Land of Magog (the old Warsaw pact area of Europe) which are both united into the European Union.

It is no surprise then, to see Macron pushing for the creation of a European Union Army in place of NATO:

I’d argue that we should reassess the reality of what NATO is in the light of the commitment of the United States. Secondly, in my opinion, Europe has the capacity to defend itself. European countries have strong armies, in particular France. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our own soil as well as to many external operations…

European nations have been signing their own defence pact aside from NATO, as Macron stats:

Europe may be in a position to do so if it accelerates the development of European defence. We’ve decided on enhanced cooperation between several member states, which involves pooling, a solidarity clause between member states. A European Defence Fund has been set up. We have the European Intervention Initiative, designed to be complementary to NATO. But you also need to have stress tests on these issues. France knows how to protect itself. After Brexit, it will become the last remaining nuclear power in the European Union….

That last statement should give us pause to consider its growing role in the future. The concept of a European Army has been dormant for years, but has been revived very recently according to Macron:

European defence was relaunched in the summer of 2017. It was something that hadn’t been put on the table since the mid-1950s, despite various efforts that began in 1999…

On defence, Europe has moved quite quickly. Much more so than on other issues, because it’s basically a new environment. We need to share this geopolitical awareness and make sure that everyone is on board…

Even though Germany balked at Macron’s statement NATO, he had the following to say about the Germans:

On defence, they are with us, which was taboo. They are with us strategically, including on ambitious projects, including on arms exports, that’s a real asset.

A Russo-European Alliance

It is clear that a divergent path between Europe and the West has been developing. Macron is very clear on this:

I think Europe’s agenda was imposed on it for years and years. We were too slow on many issues. But it wasn’t really a question we wanted to ask ourselves, because we lived in a trade-maximising world with secure alliances.

The dominant ideology had a flavour of the end of history. So there will be no more great wars, tragedy has left the stage, all is wonderful. The overriding agenda is economic, no longer strategic or political. In short, the underlying idea is that if we're all linked by business, all will be fine, we won't hurt each other. In a way, that the indefinite opening of world trade is an element of making peace.

… within a few years, it became clear that the world was breaking up again, that tragedy had come back on stage, that the alliances we believed to be unbreakable could be upended, that people could decide to turn their backs, that we could have diverging interests.

The seemingly unbreakable alliance between Europe and America has been upended in Macron’s view. He sees the need to look beyond “trade-maximizing” alliances to something else. He sees a need to “balance power” – meaning compete with America:

I think that it’s France’s role, as a permanent member of the Security Council, a nuclear power, founding member of the European Union, a country which is present through its overseas territories on every continent and which remains very present because of the French-speaking world. We have unparalleled reach…. our traditions and our diplomatic history are different: we’re less aligned with American diplomacy, which in this world gives us more room for manoeuvre.

When I say balancing power, that also raises the question of our allies. But to put it very simply, we have the right not to be outright enemies with our friends’ enemies. In almost childish terms, that’s what it means. That we can speak to people and therefore build balances to stop the whole world from catching fire.

I don’t think it’s in the least incompatible. Because it’s first of all what enables us to be effective and have leverage in the European neighbourhood.

What does that mean? France is moving away from America and looking to other powers in its “European Neighbourhood.”  Macron has been calling for “strategic dialogue” with Russia:

Firstly, European defence—Europe must become autonomous in terms of military strategy and capability.

And secondly, we need to reopen a strategic dialogue, without being naive and which will take time, with Russia. Because what all this shows is that we need to reappropriate our neighbourhood policy, we cannot let it be managed by third parties who do not share the same interests. So that for me is an important point, it’s a priority issue which is both geopolitical and military…

To “reappropriate” is defined “to adapt something from its original purpose, or to reclaim or recover something for one’s own use.” Macron is pointing out that America coming from a completely different way of thinking, it doesn’t have “one mind with Europe” and consequently, Europe needs to make moves in its own interest. The stated strategy is to reconnect with Russia.

The scriptures are clear that the invader in the latter days is a Russo-European alliance. Daniel 2 paints a clear picture of the Babylonian, Medo-Perisan, Greek, Roman and European elements entering into the final conflict together:

“Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:35)

Ezekiel paints a similar picture of a Russo-European alliance:

“Son of man, set thy face toward Gog (the leader), of the land of Magog (Europe), the prince of Rosh (Russiah), Meshech (Moscow) and Tubal (Tobolsk), and prophesy against him… Gomer (France and German) and all his hordes; the house of Togarmah (The Caucuses)  in the uttermost parts of the north, and all his hordes, even many people with thee” (Ezekiel 38:2,6 RV)

This Russo-European alliance is what the scriptures prophecies, and exactly what France is calling for.  Here are some excerpts from Macron’s comments on Putin.

I look at Russia and I ask myself what strategic choices it has….

One option is: rebuild a superpower by itself. That will be extremely difficult, even if our own errors have given it some leverage….

A second path that Russia could have taken is the Eurasian model.... I don't believe for one second that his (Putin’s) strategy is to be China's vassal.

And so what other options does he have left? Re-establishing a policy of balance with Europe. Being respected…. I don’t see how, in the long term, his project can be anything other than a partnership project with Europe.

Macron’s vision of balancing power in the world is to rebuild a partnership with Russia:

If we want to build peace in Europe, to rebuild European strategic autonomy, we need to reconsider our position with Russia. That the United States is really tough with Russia, it’s their administrative, political and historic superego. But there’s a sea between the two of them.

It’s our neighbourhood, we have the right to autonomy, not just to follow American sanctions, to rethink the strategic relationship with Russia, without being the slightest bit naive and remaining just as tough on the Minsk process and on what’s going on in Ukraine.

It’s clear that we need to rethink the strategic relationship. We have plenty of reasons to get angry with each other. There are frozen conflicts, energy issues, technology issues, cyber, defence, etc. What I’ve proposed is an exercise that consists of stating how we see the world, the risks we share, the common interests we could have, and how we rebuild what I’ve called an architecture of trust and security…

Having a strategic vision of Europe means thinking about its neighbourhood and its partnerships.

This is what the prophets foresaw. It is evidence of the Angelic hand at work:

“This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:17)

Toward Armageddon

Macron has been setup to fulfill the Father’s will in moving Europe away from America and bringing Europe and Russia closer together. The end result is the great battle of Armageddon. This happens through the work of the frog spirits:

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty…. and he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” (Revelation 16:13-14, 16)

The other element of Macron’s interview that was fascinating, is the influence driving his vision: Humanism, one of the frog spirits. Macron stated it as one of the driving forces in his attempt to reform Europe:

I think that the spread of values, of the humanism that we hold high, and the universalisation of these values in which I believe, only work to the extent that you are able to convince the people.

Non-democratic models, which are challenging European humanism like never before. I’ve often said that our model was built in the 18th century with the European Enlightenment, the market economy, individual freedom, democratic rule and the progress of the middle classes.

He clearly believes that the philosophies driving the reformation of Europe are based in liberty, equality, and fraternity and the spirits of the French Revolution, which the Bible terms the “frog spirits”.

Time to wake up

Macron gave an amazing interview.

In the history of the world, there are times when the angels pull back the curtain and give a clear view of what is going on. One of these times was when Daniel stated:

“In the first year of his [Darius] reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.” (Daniel 9:2)

This is one of those times. We live on the precipice of world history. Macron himself stated:

“a series of phenomena have left us on the edge of a precipice.”

That series of phenomena are actually the actions of the angels in fulfilling the word of God.

Macron summarized his views with a call for Europe to wake up:

The instability of our American partner and rising tensions have meant that the idea of European defence is gradually taking hold. It’s the aggiornamento for a powerful and strategic Europe. I would add that we will at some stage have to take stock of NATO. To my mind, what we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO. We have to be lucid….

NATO, while operationally capable, has experienced “brain death.” There is no clear direction of thought.

The solution? Reassemble a powerful European Army which will have a common purpose. That common purpose, or one mind becomes clear at the end of Revelation 17:

“These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 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 17:13–14)

Macron’s statement that Europe has to wake up and be lucid about the new realities should ring a bell with us. We need to heed the exhortation of our Lord to watch, and remember the words of Paul:

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1–6)

Let us be lucid.

Let us reform our lives.

Let us rethink our position and our commitment to our Lord as his return is upon us.

For the Bible in the News, this has been Jonathan Bowen joining you.