Every 4 months Don writes a Milestones article for the BibleMagazine – in the following months we provide the article free of charge. here is the latest
Bible Magazine Fall 2018
Another Jewish New Year—the 71st New Year since the State of Israel was set up in 1948—began on September 9th and still we await the Master’s coming! Many more of our brothers and sisters have fallen asleep, so their next waking breath will be the resurrection morning. From the dust of the earth will arise a multitude of once-living saints. On the other hand, many more have started the race that takes us through that restricted sized gate and upon a narrow way which leads to the Kingdom. It is just as well that we know not the day nor the hour of our Lord’s coming.
Yet it is so clear that the long Gentile night is coming to an end. The signs abound that a new day is about to dawn for this earth, which will see it filled with a glory unmatched since the closing days of Creation, when all was very good. Sin had not reared its ugly and destructive head and the earth reflected the Power and the Infinite Wisdom of God and all the angelic host rejoiced in what they had helped to form. An earth brought into being initially without form and void {empty] but in six days was now formed with hills and valleys clad with beautiful trees and plants and filled with an amazing variety of animals, birds and marine life, and at their head Adam and Eve.
The world of today
We fast forward some 6,000 years and see a world full of sin and evil. Nations abandoning the “Christian” principles which had been espoused by earlier generations. Man’s greed has given rise to the fearful carnage of war. There are currently five world conflicts which have each caused at least 10,000 direct violent deaths in the current or past calendar year. Afghanistan, Iraq, Mexico (drug wars), Syria and Yemen accounted for virtually 100,000 deaths in 2017 and 57,000 reported so far in 2018. There are a further 13 conflicts each accounted for between 1,000 and 10,000 deaths in the same period. (Wikipedia List of ongoing armed conflicts. Accessed 21-Sep-18)
The closing of the days of the Jewish nation were marked by wars and rumours of wars. (Mark 13:7) The closing of the Gentile times seems to be likewise marked. We know that the greatest battle of all time lies ahead, when many nations will band together to bring an end to the Jewish State.
There are economic troubles too. At the 10th anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the financial crash that ensued, the widespread use of financial sticking plasters put in place to hold the financial system together is showing signs of strain. Growth is falling, debts increasing. Mr Trump’s “Trade Wars” are not helping as he seeks to redress the perceived imbalances of trade between the US and the rest of the world.
Mrs May has just come back from her meeting with the EU leaders over Brexit terms, humiliated and empty handed.
In the Middle East the Syrians have shot down a Russian military plane killing all on board. Israel was blamed as she had just successfully bombed ammunition stores close to the Russian base at Latakia Airport and a Russian military plane that had just landed filled with advanced Iranian weaponry. Russia has rejected Israel’s evidence that her planes were all safely back before the Syrian’s, firing at anything that moved, brought down the Russian plane. In retaliation Russia has promised to immediately install its feared S-300 missile sytem which under pressure from Israel in 2013 she didn’t supply, relying on the older S-200 system. Debka’s headline 24-Sep-18 read: Russia declares electronic war on Israel ranging over Syria, E. Mediterranean. It will be a real test of Israel’s ability to negate the radar and the electronic jamming from this newer defence system.
We see increased earthquake and volcanic activity in the geophysical world where the plates of the earth’s crust meet. There are signs that the Katla volcano in Iceland, dormant for a century, though normally active roughly every 60 years, is showing increased activity, releasing CO2 on a massive scale.
Experts fear that if it erupts, its effects would dwarf those of Eyjafjallajokull, its neighbour which exploded in 2010, leading to the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights. Daily Mail 24-Sep-18
We likewise see increasing activity in the political world at the meeting point of the political tectonic plates between the two legs and feet of Nebuchadnezzar’s Image. Historically the dividing line between the Eastern and Western Roman Empires has been a trouble-spot. We can see in the regional conflicts in Europe that the nations are being drawn into their pre-determined foot by angelic forces. Several countries which historically were part of the Eastern, Russian, leg have been courting the West. Yet unseen angelic powers have brought about circumstances where the Western dream has not been realised, and Russia is seeking to draw them back. Historically, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus were part of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Any of these troubles could spiral out of control at any time. Yet, as we watch and impatiently wait for our Master’s return, it is clear that these seeming random events are all pushing things along in the right direction. Britain is being pulled away from continental Europe and toward America and the Commonwealth. The rift between the US and Europe grows, pushing Europe to look at building its own army and turning its back on the American-led NATO protection. As Mr Trump also positions America further away from Russia, we can see the EU reacting to this by acting in defiance of the US. This is strongly seen in the EU’s support of Iran and opposition to the new sanctions that the US is placing on countries who trade with Iran. It is driving Europe and Russia to cooperate.
And so we encourage our Readers not to be faint-hearted. The Lord will come. The day is known to the Lord God. The times of troubles for believers will come to an end and the time for action to help establish Truth and Righteousness upon this earth will begin! In the words of our hymn:
Lift up your heads, ye saints,
Redemption draweth near.
What though the waters rage and roar,
Faith laughs at every fear.
What though the way be dark,
The heavenly light is clear,
What though the night is black with storm,
Deliverance is near.
Mark how the signs abound
When Spring is on the way,
See how the gleam grows in the East
Before the dawning day.
So in the worldly night
Behold the portents plain
That speak the coming of the King,
The glories of his reign.
Brussels can’t beat Brexit with insults
In our last issue we concentrated on Israel and the situation in the Middle East and the increasing presence there of Britain and the US. This time we want to look at Europe and Russia. We start by looking at Brexit. Talks are at a crucial stage, as the EU is hoping to have an agreement wrapped up for their 18th October Summit meeting. This is to give the 27 members time to put any agreement before their own parliaments to get their approval. A deal must be agreed by all 27 members as individual countries as well as collectively by the 27 heads of State. Mrs May was given a 10-minute slot after dinner at the recent September meeting of the Heads of Government, held in the Austrian city of Salzburg; birthplace of Mozart and the place where the Sound of Music was filmed. There was little sweet music coming from here however on the evening of September 19th. It was shortly before midnight before the leaders had wrapped up their talks on migration. It was now Mrs May’s turn to sell her Brexit proposals. Her 8-minute speech fell on deaf ears. They had already indicated that her Chequers plans were unacceptable to them, yet what she was proposing was Chequers unchanged. She faced a humiliating rejection at their hands. It was not helped that the only support she had was from the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, who is himself out of favour with the rest of the EU as his radical ideas for the EU run strongly against the core principles upon which the EU was built. So, it was a support that only confirmed to the other leaders that Britain’s plans were to be firmly rejected. Mrs May must go back and think of a Plan B. With the start of the Conservative Party Conference in a week from now, this promises to be a fascinating time! By the time you read this I’m sure there will be many further developments.
The United States of Europe is an ideological dream
What the British seem slow to grasp is that the United States of Europe is an ideological dream. What Britain thinks of as reasonable demands for flexibility on Europe’s part, are in fact arrows fired at the heart of the Euro dream. Britain has only dreamt of trade, Europe thinks of the reviving of past glories when it was ruled by Church and State and the people were content to be led by unaccountable powers. Hence Europe’s rejection of Mrs May’s plans to be able to cherry-pick the best deals in trade but reject the EU’s obsession with freedom of movement for its people. With time fast running out, Britain could well leave without a deal. Would this be too bad an option? Despite the heavy bias of the BBC which promotes a continuous stream of scare stories about Leaving, there was a feeling that Mrs May had been treated badly by her fellow leaders and that the sooner Britain departed the better. Life wouldn’t suddenly come to an end if there was no deal. Most of Britain’s trade is done with non-EU countries and goods flow in and out and planes land from non-EU airports. Yes, is does depend on cooperation between countries and the EU could play awkward. But they need their planes to land here too and their goods to be sold in Britain! So, cooperation is highly likely.
Unfounded scare stories
So far, the many scare stories of how Britain wold lose out if she voted to Leave, have proved to have been wrong. Britain has been doing quite well. She has been affected by a global squeeze but has managed her growth without the considerable help from “quantitative easing”—the printing of money to throw at the economy to help growth.
It is often said that, since the vote to leave the European Union in June 2016, the UK has been at the bottom of the growth league among the world’s most advanced economies. This assertion is made with particular frequency, of course, by those determined to reverse that historic referendum result.
Yet it’s not true. UK GDP expanded by 1.8pc in 2016, placing us ahead of the US, France and Canada, among others. Last year, our growth was 1.7pc – still better than Japan and Italy, both in the G7 the last time I checked.
UK GDP growth will be around 1.5pc in 2018, on official estimates, amid a broader slowdown across the whole EU – but, again, that would still put us well ahead of Italy and Japan, far from “the slowest growing G7 economy”. And there’s an important proviso.
While the Bank of England stopped quantitative easing some time ago, growth in both these nations remains propped up by “extraordinary monetary measures”. The European Central Bank (which covers Italy, of course) and the Bank of Japan continue to pump out the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars of “funny money” each month. Yet, growth in Italy and Japan will still struggle to reach 1pc in 2018, way behind the UK.
The truth is that the British economy has shown, and continues to show, a good deal of economic resilience. Sunday Telegraph 16-Sep-18
The world “begging” to make trade deals with UK
Perhaps now is the time for Britain to press ahead with drawing up trade deals with the major economies of the world to show that Britain will be able to survive outside the EU. There is no shortage of countries wanting to be involved.
Crawford Falconer, who serves as the second permanent secretary at the Department for International Trade, said the world is “begging” to trade with the UK.
He said the EU “travels as fast as the slowest carriage in the train” and Britain can now “move faster and further with our trading partners”.
“Keep your eye on the endgame” he told The Sunday Times this weekend. “The opportunities are enormous. There are so many, where do I start?
“In 10 years, maybe even quicker, people will look back and say, ‘Oh, why were we so negative about our future?’
“The world is the UK’s oyster. We produce the best professional services in the world. Our banks are the best in the world. Our insurance companies are the most reliable.
“Our architects, our designers, our artists, our lawyers, our accountants – they are world class. We have intellectual property rights to die for. It is these services that the fastest-growing economies in Asia and Africa crave.
“The world is begging for the UK to be able to trade with it. It’s not because of something we’re going to take from people.
“It’s because our world-class services are what other countries need to become more efficient themselves. We’ll be pushing on an open door.”
Mr Falconer, who served as New Zealand ambassador and permanent representative to the World Trade Organisation, said: “The countries that the EU has had agreements with are more than happy to have those agreements with us in our own right, once we’ve left.
“Countries like Australia and New Zealand, which haven’t yet, but are about to start negotiations with the EU, are also clamouring to start with us.
“Countries that are failing to achieve negotiations with the EU, like the United States, are committed to negotiation with us.
“Whether it’s cars or aircraft wings, the world loves what we produce and is prepared to pay a premium.” Daily Telegraph 16-Jul-18
‘UK can be exporting superpower after Brexit’
The UK government has launched a new exporting initiative, summed up by this Daily Telegraph 21-Aug-18 report.
The International Trade Secretary today launches the Government’s new export strategy in an attempt to exploit the opportunities of leaving the European Union and give companies a competitive edge over international rivals.
The strategy will say that Britain is “punching above our weight but below our potential” and that the UK is ranked “mid-table” in international exports as a proportion of GDP.
Measures to help businesses tap into overseas markets include offering information, advice and practical help, as well as ways for companies to learn from each other.
A website, great.gov.uk, provides a “one-stop shop” for information on how to export and includes thousands of foreign procurement contracts that are up for grabs.
The hope is that the new initiative will increase annual exports by £100bn a year to £720bn and increase exports as a proportion of GDP, from 30pc to 35pc.
Dr Fox has hired City veteran John Mahon, formerly head of Barclays Corporate Bank, to spearhead the export strategy in the role of director-general for exports.
Britain extends lead as king of currencies despite Brexit vote
Britain has extended its lead in the global currency trading business in the two years since it voted to leave the European Union, in another sign London is likely to continue to be one of the world’s top two financial centres even after Brexit.
Leaving the European Union was supposed to deal a crippling blow to London’s position in global finance, prompting a mass exodus of jobs and business. But with eight months to go, London has tightened rather than weakened its grip on foreign exchange trading, a Reuters analysis shows.
Foreign exchange—the largest and most interconnected of global markets, used by everyone from global airlines to money managers in transactions worth trillions of dollars a day—is the crowning jewel of London’s financial services industry.
Reuters’ analysis, based on surveys released by central banks in the five biggest trading centres, shows forex trading volumes in Britain had grown by 23 percent to a record daily average of $2.7 trillion (£2.1 trillion) in April compared to April 2016.
That was double the pace of its nearest rival, the United States, which was up 11 percent to $994 billion, mostly out of New York.
That means about two-fifths of all trades are handled in Britain, nearly all of them in London—a daily volume almost equivalent to the annual economic output of the United Kingdom.
The next three biggest markets are Singapore, which fell by 5 percent to $523 billion; Hong Kong, which grew 10 percent to $482 billion; and Japan, which increased by 2 percent to $415 billion.
London has dominated the foreign exchange market for nearly half a century.
Banks have a tendency to want to group together.
“The luck of geography has helped because most of the big market moving news, whether in the U.S. or Europe, has occurred during London’s trading hours,” said Neil Jones, London-based head of hedge fund sales at Japan’s Mizuho Bank.
“You may have all the uncertainty around Brexit, but this is outweighed by London’s time zone, its language, and the advantages that come from having the biggest market.” Reuters 21-Aug-18
There is similar news on high-tech businesses. Despite France’s attempts to lure high-tech business to Paris, firms have shown their confidence in London.
Europe is the fastest growing region in the world for tech businesses, but the UK is the undisputed tech capital of Europe.
“The UK has added six new billion-dollar tech companies in the last 12 months, meaning it now has 26 of the continent’s most successful tech companies.” Computer Business Review 05-Jul-18
Britain’s role foretold 2,600 years ago!
How encouraging! Especially as this is the situation for the latter-day Tyrian power painted by scripture. No other country fits as Britain does for this role of becoming a world-wide-trading power, in order for her strength to be used to help the Lord Jesus set up the Kingdom. What a wonderful sign to us that at the end of seventy years of decline, Britain is ready to throw off the yoke of Europe and go her own way.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot
Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. Isa. 23:15-18
The Irish border “problem” remains as a large sticking-point. Britain rejects the EU’s solution and the EU rejects Britain’s proposals for regulating trade across the border between Northern Ireland which, with Brexit, will be outside the EU and the Irish Republic which remains in. If Britain’s technological solutions are not acceptable, then it will be up to the EU to sort it out.
Europe in a post-Brexit world
It has been clear from the way negotiations with the EU have gone, that they are in no mood to be flexible to assist Britain’s exit from Europe. The French President bluntly put his view-point at Salzburg following Mrs May’s presentation.
Mr Macron said there was “consensus” among the EU27 that the UK’s proposals were “not acceptable” in their current form.
In an attack clearly aimed at Boris Johnson and the leaders of the Leave campaign, he went on: “Brexit is the choice of the British people and it is a choice pushed by certain people who predicted easy solutions.
“Brexit has shown us one thing… those who said you can easily do without Europe, that it will all go very well, that it is easy and there will be lots of money, are liars. This is all the more true because they left the next day, so they didn’t have to manage it.” Mr Tusk, who held “frank” face-to-face talks with Mrs May yesterday, said: “Everybody shared the view that while there are positive elements in the Chequers proposal, the suggested framework for economic cooperation will not work, not least because it is undermining the single market.” Daily Telegraph 21-Sep-18
Brexit is seen as an attack on their dreams of a United Europe which is anathema to Britain. The EU is not going to be flexible.; their core principles are inflexible. They don’t want any of the several unhappy members of the EU to follow Britain’s pathway. Mrs May’s desire to have some of the best parts and reject the rest went against the whole spirit of Europe’s plans for its future. Mr Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, tweeted Mrs May after the meeting with a souvenir picture.
Their priority at the September meeting was to discuss migration. Although the EU holds dear to the principle of free movement of people, it is only applicable to those within the EU, not migrants seeking to enter. The mood in many EU countries has hardened against freely allowing entrance to those wishing to start a new life within the safety of the EU. In protest against migration, left-wing parties have grown in strength, causing growing concern to those running the EU.
The tougher policies adopted already have helped to drastically reduce the numbers from the enormously high figures in 2015 and 2016. In 2015 there were 10,000 arrivals in Greece on one day!
Juncker’s Last State of the Union Speech
On 12th September the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker delivered his 4th State of the Union speech. He is retiring in 2019. The 176-page tome makes fascinating reading. It is a beautifully produce booklet as befits the world’s biggest single market and the 3rd biggest block by population.
It sets out Juncker’s speech (twice, the 2nd time is “as given”) but also has detailed plans and statistics.
The EU is focussing on preparation for its May 2019 Summit meeting to be held in Sibiu, Romania. This is due to be held six weeks after Brexit and two weeks before the European Parliamentary elections. This will set the tone of the new EU of 27 members. The EU is hoping to project itself as a united power able to take its place on the world stage as a powerful entity.
So this State of the Union speech was setting the scene for a powerful Europe. Its economy has been increasing for the past 21 consecutive quarters. Unemployment at its lowest level since 2000—though very high by UK standards. The euro is being seen as an alternative currency to the US dollar. Trade agreements have been hammered out with 70 countries.
Juncker drive has been to make the EU a political entity, breaking down individual country’s nationalism. This is reflected in his proposals and reinforces our understanding that God has other plans for Britain rather than being part of this growing political entity.
Here are some extracts to give a small flavour of this up-beat report.
This year’s catch-phrase
“The hour of European Sovereignty”!
Europe has also reaffirmed its position as a trade power. Our global trading position is the living proof of the need to share sovereignty. The European Union now has trade agreements with 70 countries around the world, covering 40% of the world’s GDP. These agreements—so often contested but so unjustly—help us export Europe’s high standards for food safety, workers’ rights, the environment and consumer rights far beyond our borders. When, amidst dangerous global tensions, I went to Beijing, Tokyo and Washington in the space of one week last July, I was able to speak, as President of the European Commission, on behalf of the world’s biggest single market. On behalf of a Union accounting for a fifth of the world’s economy. On behalf of a Union willing to stand up for its values and interests.
The world has not stopped turning. It is more volatile than ever. The external challenges facing our continent are multiplying by the day.
There can therefore be not a moment’s respite in our efforts to build a more united Europe.
But there is more to be done. We must find unity when it comes to the Western Balkans—once and for all. Should we not, our immediate neighbourhood will be shaped by others.
The world today needs a strong and united Europe.
If Europe were to unite all the political, economic and military might of its nations, its role in the world could be strengthened. We will always be a global payer, but it is time we started being a global player too.
This is why—despite great resistance at the time—I reignited the idea of a Europe of Defence as early as 2014. And this is why I will continue to work day and night over the next months to see the European Defence Fund and Permanent Structured Cooperation in Defence become fully operational.
On Brexit
First of all, we respect the British decision to leave our Union, even though we continue to regret it deeply. But we also ask the British government to understand that someone who leaves the Union cannot be in the same privileged position as a Member State. If you leave the Union, you are of course no longer part of our single market, and certainly not only in the parts of it you choose.
Secondly, the European Commission, this Parliament and all other 26 Member States will always show loyalty and solidarity with Ireland when it comes to the Irish border. This is why we want to find a creative solution that prevents a hard border in Northern Ireland. But we will equally be very outspoken should the British government walk away from its responsibilities under the Good Friday Agreement. It is not the European Union, it is Brexit that risks making the border more visible in Northern Ireland.
Thirdly, after 29 March 2019, the United Kingdom will never be an ordinary third country for us. The United Kingdom will always be a very close neighbour and partner, in political, economic and security terms.
On preparation for next Summit meeting
There is much work to be done before the European elections and before Europe’s Leaders meet in Sibiu, Romania on 9 May 2019.
By then, we should also have brokered an agreement in principle on the EU budget after 2020.
If we want to—without militarising the European Union—to increase defence spending by a factor of 20, we will need to decide quickly.
If we want to increase our investment in Africa by 23%, we must decide quickly.
By next year, we should also address the international role of the euro. The euro is 20 years young and has already come a long way—despite its critics.
It is now the second most used currency in the world with 60 countries linking their currencies to the euro in one way or another. But we must do more to allow our single currency to play its full role on the international scene.
But we can and must go further. It is absurd that Europe pays for 80% of its energy import bill—worth 300 billion euro a year—in US dollar when only roughly 2% of our energy imports come from the United States. It is absurd that European companies buy European planes in dollars instead of euro.
This is why, before the end of the year, the Commission will present initiatives to strengthen the international role of the euro. The euro must become the face and the instrument of a new, more sovereign Europe. For this, we must first put our own house in order by strengthening our Economic and Monetary Union, as we have already started to do. Without this, we will lack the means to strengthen the international of role of the euro. We must complete our Economic and Monetary Union to make Europe and the euro stronger.
Last but not least, by Sibiu I want to make visible progress in strengthening our foreign policy. We must improve our ability to speak with one voice when it comes to our foreign policy.
This is why today the Commission is proposing to move to qualified majority voting in specific areas of our external relations. I repeat what I said last year on this matter. We should move to qualified majority voting not in all but in specific areas: human rights issues and civilian missions included. This is possible on the basis of the current Treaties and I believe the time has come to make use of this “lost treasure” of the Lisbon Treaty. I also think we should be able to decide on certain tax matters by qualified majority.”
In conclusion
I want Europe to get off the side-lines of world affairs. Europe can no longer be a spectator or a mere commentator of international events. Europe must be an active player, an architect of tomorrow’s world.
There is strong demand for Europe throughout the world. To meet such high demand, Europe will have to speak with one voice on the world stage. In the concert of nations, Europe’s voice must ring clear in order to be heard. Federica Mogherini has made Europe’s diplomacy more coherent. But let us not slide back into the incoherence of competing and parallel national diplomacies. Europe diplomacy must be conducted in the singular. Our solidarity must be all-embracing.
Jean-Claude Juncker
Junker is the person who catapulted Martin Selmayr into the prime job of the EU—Secretary General of the Commission—to ensure that his work of federalising Europe will continue after his retirement. A subsequent enquiry concerning this appointment found that it broke ‘the sprit and the letter’ of the EU regulations. No further action was proposed, and the appointment stands. Selmayr is known as one of the most influential figures within the European Commission. Even Juncker has referred to him by his well-known nickname within EU circles of “the Monster”.
Juncker is the man who admitted: “When the going gets tough, you have to lie.”
The man who scorns accountability with the assertion: “I’m ready to be insulted as being insufficiently democratic… I am for secret, dark debates.”
The politician who said of the Lisbon treaty: “Of course there will be transfers of sovereignty. But would I be intelligent to draw the attention of public opinion to this fact?”
Most chillingly, perhaps, the leader who said of the introduction of the Euro: “We decide on something, leave it lying around, and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don’t understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back.” Daily Telegraph 12-Sep-18
We can expect ever increasing pressure for Europe to subsume its individual, nationalist, viewpoints for an EU viewpoint, now that Britain—the most vociferous voice against such moves— is about to depart. By proposing to introduce Qualified Majority Voting, it effectively removes the fundamental basis of nationhood.
Those words carry great consequence for the notion of sovereignty in Europe. Because while Juncker frames his call for collaboration in areas of common moral alignment, what he actually seeks is an end to the fundamental basis of nationhood—the ability of each state to set its own policies on matters of national import. Washington Examiner 12-Sep-18
We are witnessing the latter-day resurrection of the Beast power, as depicted in Rev. ch 16, which corresponds to the Western foot and toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s Image of Dan. Ch 2.
Europe’s steps towards its own army
The founding fathers of the EU dreamt of a united Europe, free of internal borders with its own currency and the ability to defend itself. Step by long-term step this is what has been achieved. The last link—one greatly opposed by Britain—is to have its own army. Due to the EU arising from the ashes of Germany’s part in two World Wars, this was always going to be the difficult step. Britain’s declaration that she wanted to leave, removed a great obstacle to this goal. The other matter that has given impetuous at this particular time, is the growing rift between Europe and America. Although the EU claims the glory for bringing peace to the continent, in truth it has been the US led NATO forces that have kept the peace and the EU has gratefully accepted that military shield.
Matters have greatly changed as America seek to put “America first”. The high cost of NATO has been shouldered by America. Mr Trump wants that burden eased—if Europe wants to continue under NATO’s protection then they must contribute far more to it. This has come when Europe no longer sees eye-to-eye with America. There is little desire to put money into defence run by Americans! The Economist cover for the 9th July cleverly depicts this with the title “the rift”. Using Mr Trump’s facial profile, it shows the drifting apart of the continents.
At a meeting last year Angela Merkel expressed the viewpoint that Europe can’t count on the UK and the US and must fight for its destiny.
“The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days. And so, all I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands.” Daily Telegraph. 29-May-2017
This was picked up in Juncker’s State of the Union speech in 2017. Europe needed to face up to its inability to defend itself and must build up her own defense force. The EU could no longer have each member state having its own type of equipment, much of which could not be operated together. The time had come to streamline the different types of weaponry. The US with a population of 327m spends €545bn on defense compared to the EU with a population of 513m spending €227bn. The US has 1 type of tank compared with 17! The US has 4 types of destroyers and frigates whereas the EU’s has 29; 6 types of fighter planes compared with 20. The EU is inefficient and non-integrated. In the past 12 months we have seen great strides on the EU’s part to change this. They have set up PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) to streamline their forces and agreed a big budget spend.
Brexit has indeed been an accelerator. The European Defence Fund, prepared in only five months, [since Juncker’s State of the Union speech] is of an unprecedented scale, both in terms of the financial means committed and the perimeter of activities envisaged. Euractiv 07-Mar-18
UK and US companies shut out of €13 billion European Defence Fund
On 12th June 2018 the EU set up The European Defence Fund
Europe has committed €13 billion to defence research and capability development beginning in 2021.
The European Defence Fund is a major plank of the bloc’s strategy to boost its ability to guarantee its own security, as it frets about the threat from Russia and the United States’ apparent ambivalence under President Donald Trump. The Defense Post 12-Jun-2018
Both Britain and America have been barred from suppling any of these new weapons systems. The rules for funding were set out.
To qualify for EDF funding, “companies will have to be based in the European Union, have their infrastructure in the European Union and above all, decision-making cannot be controlled by an entity based outside the European Union.”
Even projects that Britain has invested heavily in, such as the Galileo Satellite project to give the EU independence from the US GPS system used in Europe, Britain will be unable to use the data as a non-member. Mrs May has proposed that Britain sets up its own system as most of the research has already been done. Mt Juncker mocked this plan in his State of the Union Speech saying that a single country could not afford such a system. Now Britain could cooperate with Israel, a country that can afford to have her own satellite systems! We shall see!
Russia deploys 300,000 troops with China in its largest ever war games
These developments come at a time when Russia is seen to be increasingly aggressive. Last year’s military manoeuvres took place in Western Russia and her former satellites, staging a mock invasion of Europe. This year the operations are in the East and involve Russian and Chinese forces working together. The troop numbers are enormous.
Russia began war games of unprecedented scale yesterday, drilling hundreds of thousands of troops as it seeks to assert itself in the face of what it calls Nato’s “aggressive and unfriendly” attitude.
Alongside forces from its growing ally China, the Vostok exercises in eastern Russia will take in 300,000 soldiers, 36,000 vehicles, 1,000 aircraft and 80 ships, and will be bigger than the USSR’s 1981 Zapad training, according to its defence ministry.
The war games will last a week and take place across nine training grounds, the Sea of Japan and near the Bering Strait. Defence ministry video showed tanks and missile launchers streaming across dusty fields, rocket launchers and artillery being loaded on to ships, and marines landing on the Arctic coast under the cover of attack helicopters. Daily Telegraph 12-Sep-18
Be thou a guard unto them
Whatever military forces Europe puts together, they will be no match for Russia’s military might. This is exactly in line with Bible Prophecy! Ezekiel 38 makes it clear that the confederation of nations that come with Gog against Israel are under the military power of Russia. Even now we see Europe moving to cooperate with Russia in defiance of Mr. Trump’s demands that European firms stand behind his sanctions on Iran. Europe is opposed to these sanctions and is willing to co-operate with Russia in trying to get their share of Iranian business.
Wonderfully, circumstances are working to put Britain and American in the opposite camp to Russia, Europe and Iran (the Persia of Ezek 38:5). The angels are working behind the scenes to ensure that the Word of God will be fulfilled in its smallest detail.
There is much encouragement for God’s saints as they view this troubled world. It speaks of the nearness of our Master’s return.
Words 6420
Visit Don’s website here…. www.milestonesuk.org
