The EU and Israel

The relationship between Israel and the EU is rocky and unstable. It is cordial in areas where there is a common interest. Israel exports technology, fruits, flowers, and increasing its exports of oil to Europe. Israel exported approx. $19 billion products to Europe last year (Trading Economics). The EU politically has a tendency to stand against Israel when tensions increase with Israel’s Muslim neighbors. Europe is heavily dependent on oil they purchase from (OPEC), Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which are all Islamic nations. The EU has plans to create a Free Trade Zone in Europe and all of the nations that surround the Mediterranean Sea. It has removed all leaders who would oppose such a free trade zone like Hosni Mubarak (Egypt), Slobodan Milosevic (Yugoslavia), and Moammar Qaddafi (Libya). President Assad Syria could be removed next. Opposition to the control of the nation's central banks or creation of the free trade zone will not be tolerated. A condition of peace must exist in the region to create this free trade zone. This requires a treaty that would allow free trade, common currency, and a military nonproliferation agreement. Under the current climate in the Middle East, I don’t see this ever happening. But after war of Gog/ Magog and Israel, there will be a demand for such a treaty. The world will demand a treaty between Israel and its enemies. The EU has a policy of making treaties for 7 year periods. This perfectly sets up the fulfillment of scripture for the coming Antichrist. The “one week” time period mentioned in Daniel 9:27 is equal to 7 years:

Daniel 9:27

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

The Antichrist, being a Leader on the world stage, will orchestrate a treaty with Israel 7 years promising peace and prosperity. Half way through the 7 year period he will break the treaty. This break in treaty happens at the mid-point of the Tribulation Period and is called the “Abomination of Desolation”. After Russia, Iran, and its allies are utterly destroyed, the world will enter a political dynamic that is different from the past 100 years. No one living today knows what it's like to live without a threat of war from Russia or the USSR, past or present. No one in the past 70 years knows what it's like to have peace in the Middle East, especially Israel. Ezekiel 38 describes a war where Russia and Iran lead approximately 90% of the Muslim world and a few countries from Central Europe into war against Israel.

Ezekiel 38

38 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

4 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 armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:

6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.

7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

I highlighted four of the tribes who were descendants of Japheth that settled in the north after the Great Flood. Each the tribes listed settled north of Israel from Turkey to the Baltic Sea. The people of Magog and Gomer initially settled in the region of the Ukraine and Russia. The Mongolian invaders from East Asia marched west across the continent to East Europe. As the advanced, the tribes living in the steppes and plains of East of the Ural Mountains began to move West into central Europe. The Germanic people who were descendants of the Saxons and Scythians settled Northwest of the Danube River and populated that region. These people still live there today in the central European countries:

• Germany

• Hungary

• Czechoslovakia

• Austria

• Switzerland

• Belgium

• Holland

• Denmark

• Netherlands

These nations comprise the bulk of the European Union today. Their ties to the nation Turkey go all the way back to the Ottoman Empire before World War I. Turkey was a strong ally of Germany during World War II and fought against the Allies. They remain close allies today and will become stronger allies in the future against Israel.

Ezekiel 39 describes the utter destruction with which God will destroy them for the purpose of the world knowing that he is God. It will take seven months to bury the dead and seven years to remove the destroy weapons of war.

Ezekiel 39

7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.

8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

9 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:

12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.

13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God.

Israel is the center of the world's attention. Israel has always been the center of God's attention. He will always protect them and keep them safe from all enemies.

Genesis 12 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

God always keeps his promises. The animus nations have against Israel that motivates them to plot against them will cause their destruction. Watching Israel is the best way to know how close we are to Jesus, return. The events today in the Middle East are falling in line exactly as in Scripture was written thousands of years ago. The fact that we are at the point we are today is the perfect example of how accurate the Bible is at prediction the future. Russia has a strong military presence in Syria, north of Israel. The largest naval base outside of Russia is in Tarsus Syria. Russia also has a growing alliance with Iran. They've been helping Iran build nuclear reactors and develop their long-range missiles. The motivation to do this is that Russia is in desperate need of money to maintain its military and grow its economy. It is estimated that California and Texas have larger economies then the entire nation of Russia. The driving reason for Russian be active in the Middle East is purely for economic gain.

Russian Naval Base at Tarsus, Syria

I challenge myself or anyone to consider how different our world be after the fulfillment of Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39. Fear and concern were a large part of my life as a child growing up with the thread of nuclear war with Russia. My father was an Air Force and we lived in Germany during the height of the cold war. It was common to have bomb drills in school where everyone scrambled to run to the basement, under tables, or near the center supports the building. Actually, we were told that one of the safest place to be was down in a man hole. That's a pretty grim reality to live with for children of military service members who haven't reached their teens. But it did create an unshakable curiosity about what the Bible says regarding the last days. This is what drives me to study eschatology.

Once war of Gog/Magog has taken place, the following prophetic events will be crystal clear and easier to see. I believe tensions between Israel and Europe to increase as time goes on. European nations are currently seeking ways to purchase oil from Iran despite the international sanctions placed on their oil. France is selling advanced missiles to Iran and Syria. An escalation to war in the Middle East is eminent.

I sometimes see mistakes regarding prophetic events of the future made by people who are trying to connect future prophetic events with the state of the world today. I'm not immune to making these mistakes. I’ve had to adjust my opinion a few times in the past. I find that I can be the most accurate by having enough faith to believe with the Bible says beyond what I can see happening right in front of me. If we can all have enough faith to believe that the Bible says beyond what we can see, you will find ourselves correctly identifying what will happen in the future. These wars and rumors of wars are fulfillments of God’s Word. We shouldn’t be sad but happy that God is faithful and His words are true. Jesus’ return is soon.