Family troubles in the EU

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Someone said 'The family is God's way of keeping
us humble'. In my experience, this could well be the case.

The prophet Daniel (Daniel 2:33), speaking with reference to
the 'Great image' seen in the a prophetic dream by King Nebuchadnezzar,
describes the world's final empire as the feet on the image -– feet,
made of iron and clay. This final world empire would be partly strong and partly
weak. As with any family, there will be those siblings who will seek to lead,
and those who must follow.

The 15 member union must now decide who will foot the bills
associated with the inclusion of the 10 'poorer candidate nations' -–
countries mainly from the former Soviet union and the Mediterranean. Hungary,
the Czech Republic and Poland, who have been waiting for inclusion to the EU for
more than a decade, are joined by Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Slovakia and Slovenia for membership by 2004.

Verse 41 of Dan 2 goes on "...thou sawest the feet and
toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the Kingdom shall be divided..."

Students of Bible prophecy in relation to this final world
empire would no doubt have chuckled over the years, as the former European
Economic Community, starting with the 'Treaty of Rome' in 1957 has limped
along, trying to build on this mixed foundation of strength and weakness.

European Parliament - Brussels

It can not be said that the Union has gone from strength to
strength, it's been more like from strength to weakness, to strength to
weakness...changing its name to the European Union (the economic part being
dropped). The original six members have now developed to 15, with 10 to come.
Who would have thought that former Communist States and Republics would one day
be a part of the United States Of Europe.

Verses 42-43 go on to say "...the Kingdom shall be partly
strong, and partly broken (brittle)...they shall mingle themselves...but shall
not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with miry clay". There
will never be an actual United Europe, just a token structure with Governance
coming directly from the stronger core group nations.

Plans are already drawn up for an 'Inner cabinet of
powerful super-commissioners with control over the commanding heights of the £6
trillion year Brussels system'. This group will run key areas such as foreign
policy, economic management, employment and social affairs. They will direct
strategy and delegate to a second tier in charge of different sectors. The
structure is designed to stop the total breakdown of decision-making in Brussels
once the 10 new States join the Union in 2004.

European Union Expansion click to zoom in

Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission said that
"unless the system was radically reformed, there would soon be 30 to 35
Commissioners, plus their support staff sitting around a single table, turning
the commissions elite "college" into an unworkable talking shop like the old
Soviet praesidium" Daily Telegraph 19.06.02. Discussion continues toward "a
full EU foreign policy machine under commission control, an integrated EU police
force and enhanced powers to control the tax and spending of member states."

We know from Scripture that the EU will never function well -
though it tries to mingle, iron and clay do not mix.

The number will be reduced to ten (Daniel 7) ruling nations
-– and a powerful leader will emerge, this person is the world leader - or
antichrist.

Don't put a label on me...

...especially not if I am to be exported to an EU Nation.

Labelling has come to the fore in the latest EU trade
regulation talks. Those nations wishing to send products into the EU mega
market, will need to be diligent in the naming of their products. "...moves
were afoot in the EU to reserve the term feta cheese only for Greece. Countries
from outside the EU would be prohibited from exporting "feta" cheese to the
bloc, despite the fact that the word is in common use. Wine terms such as "oak
aged", "reserve" and "noble" are also under threat...use of the word
champagne, a French wine- growing region, has already been stamped out in New
Zealand and Australia....the new regulations showed that the effort being made
in Brussels to protect the so-called "geographical indicators" were being
widened." NZ Herald - 21 July 2002

Sibling pressure

Further trouble is brewing in the EU family as big sister
Nation Britain is being accused of bullying by the poor Swiss.

Swiss banks have been used for decades by both honest
citizens, and the other types of citizens which exist -– tax dodgers,
terrorists and fraudsters looking to hide their booty, and store 'operational
capital'.

Further EU problems centre around the future growth of the
Union -– and who is going to pay the bills. The 15 member States must sort out
their differences as soon as possible to avoid delays to the enlargement plan
(10 new Nations by 2004).